Churches are never ‘simply gathering spaces but signify and make visible the Church living in place, the dwelling of God’ among us, now ‘reconciled and united in Christ.’ As such, the building itself becomes ‘a sign of the pilgrim Church on earth and reflects the Church dwelling in heaven.’ Every church building is a gathering place for the assembly, a resting place, a place of encounter with God, as well as a point of departure on the Church's unfinished journey toward the reign of God.” - Built of Living Stones, #17 Whenever communities have built houses for worship, the design of the building has been of critical importance. It is also the privileged place for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and reservation of the Eucharist for Communion for the sick. “The church is the proper place for the liturgical prayer of the parish community,Įspecially the celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday. “Just as the term ‘Church’ refers to the living temple, God's People, the term ‘church’ also has been used to describe "the building in which the Christian community gathers to hear the word of God, to pray together, to receive the sacraments, and celebrate the eucharist." - Built of Living Stones, guidelines of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, #16 The Eucharist is the sacrament of communion that brings us out of individualism so that we may follow him together, living out our faith in him.” - Pope Francis, May 30, 2013 It is in listening to his word, in nourishing ourselves with hisīody and his Blood that he moves us on from being a multitude to being a community, from anonymity to communion. Sacrifice, in which he once again gives us his Body and makes present the one “We too are gathered round the table of the Lord, the table of the Eucharistic "And let us consider how to arouse one another to charity and good works not forsaking our assembly as is the custom of some, but exhorting one another, and this all the more as you see the Day drawing near." - Hebrews 10:24-25 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." - Matthew 18:20 “Blessed are those who dwell in your house! They never cease to praise you.” - Psalm 84 We are called to attend Mass in person, to enter into God's sacred space to physically encounter the Lord in an extraordinary way, entering into the liturgy, worshiping God in community with others. Read how the Eucharist heals, from an article in Northwest Catholic.įor more about the Eucharist, go to the Archdiocese of Seattle's Faith Formation Eucharist page which features resources, videos and more for all ages. For more like this, go to the Come and Be Fed: Conversations with Archbishop Etienne. Watch Archbishop Etienne talk about the Real Presence in this brief video. This series explores the truth and beauty of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist, from its origins in Scripture, to its profound role in the life of the Church and her members. Read Archbishop Etienne's column in Northwest Catholic about how important it is to regularly receive the Eucharist. Read his pastoral letter The Work of Redemption: Eucharistic Belief and Practice in the Archdiocese of Seattle, available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean here. Only in this way do we become one with him, and are given, as it were, a foretaste of the beauty of the heavenly liturgy.” - Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, #66Īrchbishop Etienne encourages us to grow our understanding and experience of the Eucharist. “Receiving the Eucharist means adoring him whom we receive. It isn’t simple nourishment to satisfy the body, like manna the Body of Christ is the bread of the last times, capable of giving life, eternal life, because this bread is made of love.” - Pope Francis, June 14, 2019 His Body is the true food in the form of bread his Blood is the true drink in the form of wine. “Jesus gives us this food, rather, He himself is the living bread that gives life to the world. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of His minister … but especially under the Eucharistic species." - Vatican II, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, #7 “Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. “When the disciples on the way to Emmaus asked Jesus to stay ‘with’ them, he responded by giving them a much greater gift: through the Sacrament of the Eucharist he found a way to stay ‘in’ them." - Pope St. Eucharistic communion was given so that we might be ‘sated’ with God here on earth, in expectation of our complete fulfillment in heaven.” - Pope St. "God has placed in human hearts a ‘hunger’ for his word (Amos 8:11), a hunger which will be satisfied only by full union with him. "This is my body, which will be given for you do this in memory of me." - Luke 22:19
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