Thursday, February 2, 2017

Amoris Laetitia - Par. 186



186.  The Eucharist demands that we be members of the one body of the Church.  Those who approach the Body and Blood of Christ may not wound that same Body by creating scandalous distinctions and divisions among its members.  This is what it means to "discern" the body of the Lord, to acknowledge it with faith and charity both in the sacramental signs and in the community; those who fail to do so eat and drink judgement against themselves (cf. v.29).  The celebration of the Eucharist thus becomes a constant summons for everyone "to examine himself or herself" (v. 28), to open the doors of the family to greater fellowship with the underprivileged, and in this way to received the sacrament of that eucharistic love which makes us one body.  We must not forget that "the 'mysticism' of the sacrament has a social character".207  When those who receive it turn a blind eye to the poor and suffering, or consent to various forms of division, contempt and inequality, the Eucharist is received unworthily.  On the other hand, families who are properly disposed and receive the Eucharist regularly, reinforce their desire for fraternity, their social consciousness and their commitment to those in need.

207  Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005), 14: AAS 98 (2006), 228.


© LIBRERIA EDITRICE VATICANA.