THE EUCHARIST, A HUMBLE CELEBRATION OF DIVINE GLORY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 27, 2000 (VIS) - In today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 35,000 pilgrims, John Paul II began a series of catecheses on the Eucharist, "that great yet humble celebration of divine glory."

"It is great," he went on, "because it is the principal expression of Christ's presence among us 'always, to the close of the age.' It is humble, because it is delegated to the simple signs of everyday life, bread and wine, the ordinary food and drink of the land of Jesus and of many other regions."

"Today, in order to appreciate the greatness of the mystery of the Eucharist, we turn to consider the theme of divine glory and of God's action in the world, at times made manifest in the great events of salvation, at others concealed under humble signs that only the eye of faith can perceive."

The Pope affirmed that this divine glory, "particularly manifest in Israel, is present in the entire universe," but Christ expresses it more radically "through His humanity, taken on in the Incarnation."

"The earthly revelation of divine glory reaches its apex in the events of Easter. ... The Paschal mystery, expression of the 'perfect glorification of God,' is perpetuated in the Eucharistic sacrifice, commemoration of death and resurrection entrusted by Christ to the Church, His beloved bride."

The Holy Father highlighted that "today the most exalted celebration of divine glory is undoubtedly the liturgy. ... Christian Worship is the most vital expression of the encounter between divine glory and the glorification that arises from the lips and heart of man."

"As St. Paul reminds us," he concluded, "we must also glorify God in our bodies, in other words in our entire existence, because our bodies are the temple of the Spirit within us."

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