Page 121 - spiritual_accompaniment_montreal_archdiocese

HOMILIES

On the contrary, as we expand our ways of prayer, we as expand our ways of loving, let us
rediscover that Jesus Christ is really the center of our life and of our faith. Let the Eucharist
really be the center, the source and the summit of the Church and our life as was said by the
Second Vatican Council.

Currently, priests have the privilege of having access to the Eucharist. They are called to
celebrate Mass each day, but the faithful are away. The priests miss their contact with the
people of God. This absence of the faithful from the Eucharist lets the hearts of priests grow,
to grow as they thirst to be closer to the people of God. The Eucharist takes all its meaning
from the presence of the people of God, because the Church is in the service of all humanity.

We can ask the Lord to increase our thirst for the real presence of the Eucharist with the help
of a prayer that will increase this thirst. It is a prayer of spiritual communion in which we
express our faith in Jesus Christ, present in the Eucharist. At the same time, this prayer asks
that the Lord gives us an ever-increasing thirst for the Eucharist.

Therefore, at communion time, there will be a moment just before the priests take commun-
ion. At that time, we will recite a prayer of spiritual communion. I invite you to listen and
to participate and to really make a spiritual communion. A spiritual communion does not
replace the Eucharistic communion. Spiritual communion renews our faith in the Eucharist,
our faith in Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist. It renews our thirst for Jesus Christ and
encounter with Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist.



Collection of texts by the Most Rev. Christian Lépine 121