Corpus Christi 2005 has a very special context, namely, the Year of the Eucharist mandated for the Church by the late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II.

In ordinary times, the Catholic community celebrates this Holy Day very well. Special liturgies and processions are celebrated throughout Trinidad and Tobago and the celebrations give powerful witness to the Eucharistic faith of the people.

Since the plans of the Archdiocese for the Eucharistic Year - October 2004 through October 2005 – have already begun to deepen an already present Eucharistic sensitivity in the Archdiocese, I expect Corpus Christi to be celebrated this year not only with faith-filled fervour but also with a renewed appreciation of what it means to be a people of the Eucharist.

A look back

From the outset of the Year of the Eucharist, the Archdiocese has tried to assist the people in living the Year of the Eucharist. Let us review what has happened so far:

1) The Encyclical Letter on the Eucharist and the Apostolic Letter on the Year of the Eucharist from the then Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, and the Instruction on the Eucharist from Holy See were purchased for each priest and religious community to allow for year-long reflection;

2) The Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission prepared a commentary on the Instruction from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. It was published in its various parts in the Catholic News ;

3) A monthly reflection theme on different aspects of the Eucharist was printed in the Catholic News ;

4) In response to a resolution by the Presbyteral Council about the importance of Eucharistic catechesis and formation, a Symposium on the Eucharist was prepared for the priests and religious of the Archdiocese and the Dioceses of the Province of Port of Spain ;

5) New monstrances were obtained for the parishes that could not afford to purchase them to facilitate adoration of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament;

6) The second session of the Archdiocesan Synod was celebrated during the Year of the Eucharist to respond to the invitation by the late Pope John Paul II to the Church “to assess its fervour and find new enthusiasm for its spiritual and pastoral responsibilities by reflecting on what the Holy Spirit has been saying to the People of God.”

A look ahead

While many of the initiatives mentioned above will continue until the close of the Year of the Eucharist, there are still two major events still on the schedule: The Symposium on the Eucharist for the Laity and the Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress. A word on each event may be helpful to the reader:

1) The Symposium for the Laity

The facilities of the University of the West Indies with a capacity of seating for 1200 participants have been reserved on two consecutive Saturdays - May 28 and June 4 – so that the people of the parishes and vicariates can benefit from the six papers on the Eucharist that were presented to the priests and religious of the Province of Port of Spain. Brochures for registration have been distributed through the parishes of the Archdiocese. The schedules for the two days will be rigorous.

2) The Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress

On the weekend of October 14 – 16 this year, the Archdiocese will close the Year of the Eucharist with a Eucharistic Congress. The planning for the Congress is still ongoing. However, the structure will follow the recommendations of the Archdiocesan Synod that special attention be given to the parishes and vicariates of the Archdiocese to assist them in the process of coming together as one believing community that is truly alive and zealous for the Lord.

On Friday, October 14, the programmes will be held in each parish. On Saturday, October 15, the programmes will be in the Vicariates of the Archdiocese. On Sunday, October 16, the closing programmes will be on the Archdiocesan level at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain that has already been reserved for the Congress.

This year's celebration

The Corpus Christi celebration falls between what has already been completed for the Year of the Eucharist and what is yet to be celebrated.

The obvious question for all of us is whether, in truth, we have participated to a significant degree in the many opportunities that have been made available to us so far during the Year of the Eucharist.

How we answer that question becomes a fair context for predicting how or even whether we will celebrate Corpus Christi and whether we will participate in what is yet to be celebrated during the remainder of the Year of the Eucharist.

It is axiomatic in spiritual direction that what we bring to a celebration of faith such as Corpus Christi influences to a great degree what we will take from the celebration - not only as individuals but also as a community.

The celebration of Corpus Christi gives us the opportunity to thank God for the Real Presence of the Lord and to deepen our appreciation of God's presence among us. It also gives us the opportunity to witness in a public manner to our faith in the Real Presence.

The Liturgical Law of the Church in the norms on “Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass” explicitly recommends the Corpus Christi Procession as a sign of common faith and adoration.

Conclusion

Please remember that the Eucharist - Sacrifice and Sacrament – builds the Church. Based on that truth of faith, I invite the people of the Archdiocese to celebrate Corpus Christi 2005 with gratitude to God and with love for each other.