Remembering that our Seattle Archbishop, Paul Etienne, proclaimed from Corpus Christi 2020 to the same feast 2021, a Year of the Eucharist, here are some reminders for all:
“As we take a year to renew our life as Church that is so fundamentally rooted in the Eucharist, I am asking each member of this local church to an intensified renewal of prayer and study so that we may renew our belief in the true presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament as well as grow in our understanding of all that is contained in the most holy Mystery.”
Recently, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals spoke of the importance of the Eucharist in our lives, especially in these on-going days of pandemic.
“The Eucharist is the center and life of the Church. It must also be “the center and heart of the life of every Christian as well.
Those who believe in the Eucharist never feel alone in life. They know that in the dimness and in the silence of all the Churches there is Someone who knows their name… And before the tabernacle, everyone can confide whatever is in their heart and receive comfort, strength and peace of heart.
However, “we must continue to pray with our thoughts and our hearts filled with gratitude for Jesus Christ, who wanted to remain present among us as our contemporary under the appearances of bread and wine.
In the face of the pandemic, we are also encouraged to “raise a huge chorus of prayer so that the hand of God might come to our aid and end this tragic situation that has worrying consequences in the fields of health, employment, economy, education, and direct relationships with people."
As Christ Himself taught us, “it is necessary to go and knock loudly on the door of God, the Father Almighty”