Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I was recently invited by the Chancellor of the Diocese of Trenton to give a presentation/seminar on one of the fundamental documents of the Second Vatican Council known as Sancrosanctum Concilium for a number of the diocesan staff. I’m looking forward to this opportunity, which will take place sometime in mid-August. Sancrosanctum Concilium or SC is one of the four Constitutions from the Council, meaning that it’s one of the major documents and its impact over the last sixty years or so have been profound in the life of the Church. As I dive back into the document and reacquaint myself with it, I’m struck by the beauty of its message and it’s clear love of the liturgy, which is the main topic of the document itself.
My re-reading also in some ways coincides with something significant going on in the life of the parish this weekend and no, it’s not the arrival of the trailers for Carnival. It’s the 1st weekend of May and that means it is time to celebrate First Holy Communions again. But as I look at the Church’s vision of the liturgy in SC and look at this important parish moment, I can’t help but see a synergy between these two realities and how we get to experience them.
The way in which SC talks the Eucharist centers around the idea that it is the fount and summit of the Christian life. To some, this might be familiar language; to others it might come across as church-speak. In essence, what the document is trying to convey is that our lives of faith depend on the Eucharist as a starting point as well as the goal we want to achieve.
All year long our second graders and their families have been preparing for this great moment in their lives, where they are receiving the Eucharist for the very first time. They’ve been learning about the gift of the Eucharist in class, they’ve made their first confession in preparation of their souls to receive our Eucharistic Lord. They’ve gotten dresses and suits, practiced songs, made banners, all kinds of things, all to be ready to reach the goal of the Eucharist. It’s something they’ve been looking forward to and now it’s finally here. They’re almost at the summit! But the beauty of First Holy Communions is that as much as it’s a summit and goal, it’s also a stepping off point as well. Yes, our second graders get to do it for the first time and that should be celebrated!
But the joy continues as they now have access to the Eucharist throughout the rest of their lives; not as a goal to get to, but as a fount of grace to help sustain them in their faith and help them grow as individuals. And so, my dear brothers and sisters, may we all rejoice with our little ones as they experience the Eucharist for the first time and rejoice in the continued gift of the Eucharist in our lives as well.
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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