July 24-25

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our Faith is transmitted to us By way of God’s revelation, both Sacred Scripture (the 73 books of the Bible ) and Sacred Tradition (orally passed down from generation to generation but eventually transcribed in a compendium known as the Catechism of the Catholic Church)  Now let us contemplate a particular section of the Catechism entitled:  “The Eucharist and the Tabernacle”

#1378: Worship of the Eucharist.  In the Liturgy of the Mass we express our Faith in the Real Presence under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord.  “The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the Sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated Hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying Them in procession.”

#1379: The Tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Holy Eucharist in a worthy place so that It could be brought to the sick and those absent outside of Mass.  As Faith in the Real Presence of Christ in His Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species.  It is for this reason that the tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the Church and should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth of the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

#1380: It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to His Church in this unique way.  Since Christ was about to take His departure from His own in His visible form, He wanted to give us His Sacramental Presence, since He was about to offer Himself on the Cross to save us,  He wanted to have the memorial of the love with which He loved us to the end, even to the giving of His life.  In His Eucharistic Presence He remains mysteriously in our midst as the One who loved us and gave Himself up for us, and He remains under the signs that express and communicate this love.

May our Eucharistic Lord continue to enlighten our hearts and minds with His abiding Presence.

With Blessings,

Father Langan