Sunday, June 12, 2005

Pope Today: Bring the Whole Family to Mass

I've written about this in How To Get the Most Out of the Eucharist even giving the example of how a three year old can aid us into dying to ourselves and accepting Christ in contrast to a modern innovation that seeks to rid itself of "distraction"...the Lazarus' at the gate as it were...in order to be "spiritual."

Here are some quotes from today's Angelus the full text is available

Here

In this unique Eucharistic period, one recurrent theme is that of Sunday, the Day of the Lord, a theme which was also at the heart of the recent Italian Eucharistic Congress held in Bari. During the final Celebration, I highlighted how Christians should consider attending Sunday Mass not as an imposition or a burden, but as a need and a joy. Coming together with our brethren, listening to the Word of God and being nourished by Christ – crucified for us – is a beautiful experience which gives meaning to life and brings peace to our heart. We Christians cannot live without Sunday.

This is why parents are called to enable their children to discover the value and significance of responding to Christ’s invitation to bring the entire Christian family together for Sunday Mass. A crucial leg in this educational journey is first Holy Communion, a real celebration for the parish community as it welcomes its youngest children to the Lord’s Table for the first time. God willing, to highlight the importance of this event for the family and parish, I will hold a special catechetical encounter on 15 October here in the Vatican for children who received their first Communion this year, especially those from Rome and Lazio. This joyous meeting will take place nearly at the end of the Eucharistic Year, when the Ordinary Assembly of the Bishops’ Synod focused on the Eucharistic mystery will be under way.

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