The International Eucharistic Congress and the Legion (2)

Concilium Allocutio February 2012
By Fr. Bede McGregor O.P.
Spiritual Director to the Legion of Mary

The International Eucharistic Congress and the Legion (2)

Last month I gave an introductory reflection on the International Eucharistic Congress that takes place in Dublin in Ireland in June this year (2012) and its meaning for the Legion all over the world. I suggested as a possible preparation for the congress that all legionaries should read, study and pray once more the four sections of Chapter 8 of the Legion Handbook entitled ‘The Legionary and the Eucharist.’ For Legionaries throughout the world who cannot come for this Congress it would be a way of entering into the spirit of the Congress and indeed of deeply participating in it.

What is the Congress all about? Well the purpose of the Congress is to focus the whole Catholic Church on the Person of Jesus Christ. It seeks to promote and encourage an authentic relationship with Jesus. It is striving to facilitate and deepen a genuine friendship with Our Lord, the Risen Christ in the Eucharist. That is the heart of the matter. All the various committees and sub-committees, all the planning, all the endless meetings, fundraising and logistics and all the massive efforts involved in the organising of the Congress have only one ultimate purpose and that is to put as many people as possible in touch with the real presence of the Risen Christ in the Eucharist. This ultimate purpose coincides with the reason for the existence of the Legion of Mary. Let me quote once more a pivotal text from the Handbook: “The Eucharist is the centre and source of grace: therefore, it must be the very keystone of the legionary scheme. The most ardent activity will accomplish nothing of value if it forgets for a moment that its main object is to establish the reign of the Eucharist in all hearts. For thereby is fulfilled the purpose for which Jesus came into the world. That purpose was to communicate Himself to souls so that he might make them one with him. The means of that communication is chiefly the Holy Eucharist.

Now I wish to make a brief reflection on section one of Chapter 8 of the Handbook on the Mass. Every grace, without exception has its source in the redemptive sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. These graces are distributed through the universal mediation of Mary by the design and will of God but their origin and source are in the Cross of Christ alone. Now the Council of Trent teaches with the utmost authority that the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and the Mass are one and the same sacrifice. So at Mass we have the real presence of Calvary in our midst in our time. It is not simply a symbolical way of remembering something that happened two thousand years ago. The sacrifice of the Christ on the Cross is made truly present in all its actuality and limitless fruitfulness in the Mass. This is the basis of the infinite value of the Mass and its absolute centrality in the Church and consequently in the Legion. The II Vatican Council has said several times: ‘The Eucharist is the source and summit of the whole Christian life.’

There is of course one important difference between Calvary and the Mass. On Calvary Christ offered Himself totally to the Father in the Holy Spirit by himself alone but at Mass He offers Himself with the self same eternal act but now he does it together with us the members of his mystical Body. We make the offering of Christ our own sacrifice and prayer and that is the immense privilege of the gift of the priesthood of the faithful that we all receive in baptism.

We all know as legionaries one of the truly great graces given to our Founder Frank Duff was a profound understanding and devotion to the Mass. Already in November 1917 several years before the foundation of the Legion he started ‘The League of Daily Mass’ and when the entries to the roll book ceased he had already recruited 1176 people who promised to attend daily Mass and receive Holy Communion. What happened to this League of Daily Mass? Well it was incorporated into the spirituality and apostolate of the Legion so that we have in Chapter 37, section 13 of the Handbook among the suggested works of the Legion the following work: ‘Promoting the practice of Daily Mass and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.’ It would be a wonderful thing if as one of the fruits of the Eucharistic Congress we were to make this work once more one of the privileged works of every praesidium in the world.

I would like to conclude this reflection with a quotation from Frank Duff’s booklet ‘Can we be Saints?’: ‘The Foundation Stone: Foremost in the consideration of our day - and on an eminence apart, like the Cross itself - must stand the daily Mass and daily reception of the Holy Eucharist. These are so obviously the greatest means of Grace that they need not be argued at length. The person who is able easily to go to morning Mass, and does not do so, only deceives himself if he thinks he is aiming at great holiness.

Mass and Communion mean a day perfectly begun - and that is half the battle. But out of this great act come two smaller obligations: (a) to your neighbour; there are many whom lack of thought alone keeps from Daily Mass; lend a book; say a word to awaken them; (b) to yourself; read to increase knowledge and reverence.’

So basically what I have been trying to say in this Allocutio is that the Eucharistic Congress is an invitation and a challenge to the Legion to once more put the Eucharist at the centre of its life and apostolate not only as its great ideal but as its most visible and practical witness in the Church and the world. Amen.