(OSV News) — “Ten ingredients” make for a “recipe of Eucharistic revival,” including greater focus on preparing for and participating in Mass, as well as integrating prayer and evangelization into daily life, said Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco.
The archbishop shared his thoughts in a homily at the July 18 celebration of a votive Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal (informally known as the “Traditional Latin Mass“), part of the scheduled liturgies for the second day of the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
The Mass, at which Archbishop Cordileone was the principal celebrant, took place at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, which was founded in 1909 to serve the Italian immigrant community in Indianapolis. The church is one of two designated within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for the celebration of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form.
Although located just over a mile from most of the congress events, more than 1,000 pilgrims of all ages attended the liturgy — many arriving on foot, with half of them filling the church and the remainder seated in an overflow tent on the parish grounds.
Focus on mass participation and preparation
Archbishop Cordileone told those present that rather than reflecting on institutional and policy efforts to renew the church, he wanted to “talk about what each individual can do to bring about Eucharistic revival.”
The “10 ingredients” he listed began with “participating in the prayers (and) in the singing (at Mass), in whichever form or rite” of the Catholic Church one worships.
Embrace silence in worship
Also crucial to revival is “recovering the sense of silence,” said the archbishop, admitting, “this is perhaps what disturbs me the most — the din in our churches before and after Mass.”
While there is “a place and a need” for fellowship prior to and following liturgies, “that place is outside of (the) church,” he said. “We know from the mystics that God speaks to us in silence.”
Appropriate attire and Eucharistic fast
Appropriate attire for Mass, “an external that manifests an internal disposition,” is important in preparing to participate in the liturgy, said Archbishop Cordileone, adding, “the clothes speak about our regard for who we are present to.”
He also stressed observance of the Eucharistic fast, which Pope Paul VI reduced from three hours to one hour prior to receiving the Eucharist.
That decrease was actually intended not to diminish the importance of fasting, but to “encourage frequent and orderly reception of holy Communion,” since “it was common (at the time) for many Catholics not to receive Communion” due to the previous fasting requirement’s length, said Archbishop Cordileone.
Fasting in general, along with penitential discipline — especially on Fridays throughout the year, honoring Jesus’ death on Good Friday — are practices that cultivate greater spiritual growth and closeness with Christ, said the archbishop.
Importance of reconciliation and daily prayer
Regular reception of the sacrament of reconciliation is “essential for any Catholic … who wants to pursue the path of holiness — to be properly disposed to receive holy Communion, to have the assistance of God’s grace to move away from whatever those little habits might be” that distance the soul from Christ, Archbishop Cordileone said.
Daily, frequent prayer is fundamental, along with “time for silence” away from digital distractions, he said. “We should be still before the Lord, in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.”
In particular, Archbishop Cordileone highlighted the rosary, which is “essentially a Scriptural prayer”; lectio divina, an ancient form of praying with the Scriptures; and Ignatian meditation, an imaginative contemplation of Scripture.
Active service and living out vocation
“Putting this all into action” by serving the Lord is another step toward Eucharistic revival, said the archbishop.
He cited as examples volunteering at crisis pregnancy centers, domestic violence and homeless shelters; taking an active role in parish life; and bringing the Gospel message to “our places of work, schools and communities in which we are involved.”
“Lastly, and most importantly, is to live your vocation in faith,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “This is the way God calls us to live … to become the person he has created us to be.”
