This special year, which started last October, is a key in Pope John Paul II’s energetic renewal of the Church as laid out in his letter At the Beginning of the New Millennium. Yet, nearly six months into it, the biggest news we’ve seen about the Eucharist was about its desecration on a sitcom.

We thought it would be helpful to review what the Church has asked for in the document “The Year of the Eucharist: Suggestions and Proposals.” Find the whole document by clicking the “Year of the Eucharist” icon at the Vatican’s website. Here are excerpts, quoted verbatim:

Bishops’ conferences …

— Should prepare materials and activities — especially where the individual diocese is not capable of doing so alone — highlighting the Year of the Eucharist, favoring reflection by the priests and the faithful, and facing the weighty doctrinal and pastoral problems related to the theme within their specific dioceses (the shortage of priests, a lessening of importance given to the celebration of daily Mass by some priests, estrangement from Sunday Mass, the abandonment of Eucharistic worship and devotion, etc.)

— Should propose specific initiatives for the opening and closing of the Year of the Eucharist in individual dioceses.

— Should invite universities, educational faculties, institutes of studies and seminaries to deepen in their studies of this theme.

— Should promote national Eucharistic congresses.

Dioceses …

— Should perform the solemn opening and closing of the official Year of the Eucharist within the dates prescribed by the Universal Church, as is most useful to the individual diocese …

— Should invite the different diocesan officials and commissions (for example, in the areas of catechesis, liturgy, art, music, liturgy, education, care for the infirm, social concerns, family, clergy, consecrated life, youth work and lay movements) to promote at least one initiative during this Year of the Eucharist.

— Should promote awareness of those saints — especially those particularly relevant to a given diocese — most distinguished by their love of the Eucharist, and their writing or preaching about its mysteries.

— Should increase the practice of perpetual Eucharistic adoration, identifying those churches and chapels suitable for such a scope, publicizing those that already foster this practice, and assuring that they be open to the faithful at those times most convenient to them.

Parishes …

— Should establish a stable location for the various places used during the celebration (altar, ambo, presbytery) and for the Eucharist (tabernacle, adoration chapel) where necessary; obtain the various liturgical books; take care to guard the truth and beauty of the various signs (vestments, holy vessels, furnishings).

— Should dedicate singular attention to liturgical song, taking into account the indications of John Paul II in his recent document on sacred music.

— Should program various formative encounters during periods of the year — the Easter season and Lent — specializing in the Eucharist in Christian life and in the Church; a time that is especially adept for this, for both adults and children, is during the preparation for first holy Communion.

— Should take up and teach the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani  and the Praenotanda of the Ordo Lectionum Missae; the De sacra communione et de cultu mysterii eucharistici extra Missam; the recent encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharista and the instruction that followed, Redemptionis Sacramentum. 

— Should educate the faithful on how to “be in the church”: what they should do when entering the church; genuflections and low bowings to the Blessed Sacrament; the atmosphere of recollection; indications to help them internally  to participate in the Mass, especially during certain moments (the times of silence, personal prayer after Communion) and teach them how to participate externally (the way of responding or interpreting the common parts).

— Should promote Eucharistic worship — even offering practical approaches — and personal and communal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament: visits, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Eucharistic benediction, the Quarant’Ore, Eucharistic processions. Consider the convenience of prolonging Eucharistic adoration after the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday (cf. Directory on Popular Piety, 141)