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Lex Cordis Caritas - The law of the heart is Love

by Bishop Thomas John Paprocki
Sunday, June 7, is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known by its Latin name of Corpus Christi. Last year to mark this occasion I published my first Pastoral Letter, Ars Celebrandi et Adorandi (On the Art of Celebrating the Eucharistic Liturgy Properly and Adoring the Lord in the Eucharist Devoutly). The Eucharist is essentially God’s efficacious action, but we can either cooperate with God’s grace by celebrating the Eucharistic liturgy properly or hinder its effects by failing to do so. Celebrating Holy Mass properly, with a welcoming and caring community, good music, inspiring preaching, heartfelt prayer and an environment conducive to prayer, will attract people to participate and deepen their connection to God and the church. An unfriendly and uncaring community, bad music, poor preaching, insincere prayer and an environment distracting from prayer will turn people away.