Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Guadalajara (Agenzia Fides) - The Pastoral Theological Symposium organised in Guadalajara in preparation for the 48th international Eucharistic Congress closed on October 7. The Congress will open tomorrow Sunday 10 October with a solemn Mass in Guadalajara Jalisco Sports Stadium.
Some 735 people attended the Symposium, a far larger number than expected. The final day opened as usual with Mass presided yesterday by Cardinal Angelo Scola, Patriarch of Venice, Italy. Reflecting on the Gospel according to John, “Father keep in your name those you have given me that they may be one as we are one"(Jn 17, 11), the Cardinal said that in the Eucharist we are offered the Most Holy Trinity, source of love and unity, as nourishment for our journey and drink to quench our thirst on the journey of life, as a gift which allows us to share in the very life of the Trinity. He said that the Paschal Mystery made present in the Eucharist has uprooted division and sin and is the seed of unity in the history of humanity.
The Eucharist is a source of unity which unites a multitude of peoples in the one Church and so it is “impossible to understand the mystery of the Eucharist unless there is unity among the people of God”. This means that “the tragedies of our day, terrorism and war are inconceivable in the light of the faith because the Trinity demands adoration, witness of love and mercy. The Eucharist calls us to be one” the Patriarch of Venice said.
Bishop Víctor Sánchez Espinoza, auxiliary of Mexico archdiocese, spoke on the theme “Celebrating the Eucharist with Dignity” in which he underlined that the Mass is a celebration of the Paschal sacrifice of Jesus and that its beauty and dignity were outlined by Jesus himself in the Upper Room where everything was carefully prepared. The celebration of Mass is the making present the one sacrifice and banquet of the Body and Blood of Our Redeemer and it must be adored with faith because only faith can grasp the beauty of the mystery celebrated in the Eucharist. The Bishop stressed to need to promote correct liturgical pastoral to prevent “the risk of losing the identity of the Eucharist because of the confusion between the part of the people and the part of the priest, Eucharistic ministers not properly prepared, homilies given by lay people, to mention a few abuses”.
Father Stefano De Fiores, SMM, Professor at the Pontifical Gregorian university spoke on the theme “Learning from Mary, Woman of the Eucharist” and he urged those present to adore, contemplate and approach the Eucharist following Mary Woman of the Eucharist, that is with her faith at the moment of the Annunciation when she said “yes” and welcomed the Son of God in her womb and was with Him to his death and resurrection.
As a prelude to the International Eucharistic Congress, today 9 October in parish churches all over Guadalajara about 40,000 children will make their First Holy Communion. The Masses will be presided by bishops and cardinals in Mexico for the Congress Eucharistic (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 9/10/2004; Righe 31; Parole 396)
