Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith, Cardinal Tobin writes in newsletter
The bishops of New Jersey welcome the Christian faithful to return to regular participation in the Sunday Eucharist, writes Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., in the latest edition of his Rejoice in the Lord newsletter.
Two weeks ago, the state’s Catholic bishops announced jointly that effective this weekend (The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 5-6), they have reinstated the general obligation to attend Sunday Mass. The full statement is included in Rejoice in the Lord and available online here. There are several exemptions outlined in the statement. For example, the obligation does not apply to those who are ill.
The Eucharist is the “source and summit of our Catholic faith,” says the Archbishop of Newark. “The Church teaches that life in Christ begins with baptism and is nourished by our reception of the holy Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ, and the other sacraments.”
Cardinal Tobin says that the miracle of the loaves and fish when Jesus satiated the appetites of 5,000 people demonstrates the Lord’s power over material things, “but more importantly, it foreshadows the great gift that he will give that feeds the souls of his disciples and satisfies completely the longing of our hungry hearts.”
He writes that the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, is called to continue Christ’s work on Earth. This is done by caring for the bodily needs of all our sisters and brothers through the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, caring for the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead, he says.
“But we are also called to satisfy hearts that are famished spiritually by means of what are called the spiritual works of mercy: sharing knowledge, giving advice to those in need, comforting the sick, being patient with others, forgiving those who hurt us, giving correction to those who need it, and praying for the living and the dead,” Cardinal Tobin continues. “We perform these works of mercy because we are the Body of Christ and because without us (every one of us), the Church cannot effectively carry out its divine mission.”
Cardinal Tobin’s newsletter is available in English and Spanish here.
