Year of Holy Eucharist/ Adoration Year 2018

 

Dear Fathers, Brothers, Sisters and my dear people,

                                                                     Thy Kingdom Come!

It is a great blessing for the diocese that the Fellowship Ministry missionaries have volunteered to take up a mission of perennial adoration in the diocese in the year 2018. Availing this opportunity we have decided to declare the year 2018 as the Year of Holy Eucharist or the Adoration Year (Aaradhana Varsh). In the current political situation of our country the Church in India needs more blessings from the Lord to face the challenges and to bear true witness to Christ's message. So we have to pray inevitably more intensely. I invite everyone in the diocese to take this observation of Eucharistic Year knowing its importance and grow in Eucharistic devotion. Customary understanding of prayer is communication with God - to speak to God and listen to him. Prayer is a God experience. Thanksgiving, invocation, petition, adoration, etc. are different forms of prayer. Ultimately it is being with God away from all our other concerns of the world. The disciples on the way to Emmaus make a great prayer of petition “stay with us Lord” (Luke 24:29). Indeed a genuine prayer is being with the Lord, in particular being in the sacramental presence of the Lord is something beautiful and ineffable. “Any time spent before the Eucharistic presence, be it long or short, it is the best-spent time of our lives” says Catherine of Genoa. It is the golden opportunity for us, let us avail it to the maximum. By the observation of the Year of Holy Eucharist or Aaradhana Varsh 2018 

we aim at the following:

i) To deepen our Eucharistic devotion: The Vatican II document on the Church Lumen Gentium teaches that the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life (#11). In Ecclesia de Eucharistia (Encyclical on Holy Eucharist) St. Pope John Paul II says: “Eucharist builds the Church and the Church makes the Eucharist” (#26). Availing this opportunity let us more and more focus our Christian life on Holy Eucharist, both in devotion and participation of the Holy Qurbana, particularly on Sundays.

ii) To pray for the Church in India and for the diocese: In the present political context the Church in India needs more support of prayers. As we know the communal forces are taking grip in the Indian politics. Church respects every religion (Ad Gentes) and pray for everyone. Church stands for religious harmony and universal fellowship. Let us pray for everyone in our country, for genuine patriotism against ghetto nationalism, for prosperity of our country against regional or religious sentimentalism, peace among people against selfish motives and hidden agendas, and for propagation of faith (religious freedom) as against religious fundamentalism.

iii) To fortify our faith: Faith is nourished when faith is lived. We have to live our faith, genuinely witnessing Christ's teachings and Christian values. A Christian must become a true witness of Kingdom values such as truth, love, justice and peace. As St. James admonishes: "Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (2:17).

iv) To work for the unity of the Church in India: Disharmony among Churches is counter witness is an evident fact. Catholic Church is a communion of 23 Sui Iuris individual Churches. of which we have three in our country Latin, Syro-

Malabar and Syro- Malankara. There are hundreds of other Churches, who are not in communion with Catholic Church. Let us pray for unity among ritual Churches and among all the Churches, who believe in the Lord Jesus, as the sole savior of the world, for there is only one Lord, one faith and one baptism (Ephesians 4:5). The different activities/ practices connected with the observation the Year of Holy Eucharist or Aaradhana Varsh 2018 are: i) 365 days 12 hours adoration in the diocese. We will have 12 hours adoration every day in the year 2018 in different parishes/mission centres/institutions of our diocese. Please check the schedule given in theChanda Samachar. Try to participate in any one place depending on each one's convenience. Make sure that everyone in the diocese participate in this adoration at least in one place individually or as family. ii) Our 40 hours adoration in the cathedral, BPQ (February 12-14) in the year 2018 will be like a Eucharistic convention. Details are to be worked out. iii) An exhibition on Holy Eucharist highlighting the importance of the Eucharist, Church's teachings on Holy Eucharist and Eucharistic miracles in the world. iv) Popularizing litany to Holy Eucharist will be another activity of the year. Recitation of the litany will increase our devotion to Eucharist - doing it after Holy Qurbana, or along with family prayer or any time once a day will be a good habit to develop. v) First Friday devotion to Blessed Sacrament and daily one hour adoration may be encouraged. Our customary chain adoration in connection with Chanda Family Day will be continued as usual. I am sure these few devotional practices will help us to receive more blessings from the Eucharistic Lord.

I earnestly request everyone to be faithful in our observance of the Year of the Holy Eucharist or Aaradhana Varsh 2018 so as to make it a success and fruitful. Let us try our best to make sure the participation of everyone in the diocese in one way or other. I invite your suggestions for a meaningful, faithful and fruitful Aaradhana Varsh 2018. Please give them in a couple of weeks so that we can incorporate them in the year plan 2018. Invoking blessings of the Eucharistic Lord to everyone and expecting your genuine cooperation.

Your shepherd in the Lord,

† Ephrem Nariculam

Bishop, Diocese of Chanda

 

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