Collins asks for Eucharistic Adoration

Devotion would help parishes celebrate Year of the Eucharist

By BILL GLEN
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

He would also like to develop perpetual adoration at places in the archdiocese where it is realistic to do so.

Collins, who will be one of the Canadian representatives to next October's World Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist, made his comments at the Dec. 4 meeting of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council.

Holding weekly Eucharistic Adoration in every parish, he said, would be a suitable way to celebrate the Year of the Eucharist, which began Oct. 17 and will end with the world synod.

"People could come before the Eucharistic glory, then return to the world with peace in their hearts to convey the message of Jesus," Collins said.

He would like each parish to emphasize that people participate in Eucharistic Adoration, not as individuals, but in unity with the whole Church.

"The Eucharist is not an event, but something that touches everything we do. All that we do has to be joined together and focused upon it."

This year of the Eucharist is an opportunity to do that, not only in our celebrations but by seeing the connections the Eucharist has with daily life, he said.

Collins encouraged Catholics to read Pope John Paul's letter on the Eucharistic year, Mane Nobiscum Domine, published on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va). He hopes people will read the document to understand what the pope hopes to accomplish through adoration.

"The holy father does not want regular pastoral programs put aside to focus solely on the Eucharist. Rather, he wants them all to be animated by different dimensions. There are several suggestions in the letter that everyone should read."

Collins wants parishes to take next year to tie themes such as evangelization, violence or suffering to the Eucharist. He also sees it as a moment to discern vocations to the priesthood.

He wants people to realize the Eucharist "is not a piece of blessed bread we celebrate once a week with a friendly gathering." It is about love, peace and daily prayer. It is an act of God, he said.

We say "Shalom" before we receive the Eucharist, a sign of profound peace. The way to healing the blight of violence in society is to become aware of the reality of the Eucharist, he said. We need to relate to the depths of the Eucharist if we are to "be consistent in the way we turn a culture of death into a culture of life."

"The way we celebrate the Eucharist must be attended to because it leads us beyond ourselves. We are ultimately celebrating the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. Its deepest meaning goes out to the entire world. It is important that everyone in the archdiocese has a chance to celebrate."

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