The Sacrament of Sacraments – The Treasure of Treasures
On Monday, Aug. 25, Pope Leo met with a number of young men and women from France, who had gone to Rome for the Holy Year. What joined the young people was the fact that they were altar servers from France. During his address to them, Pope Leo spoke to them about the Holy Year and the theme of the virtue of hope. The pope reflected on the need for hope, especially in regard to our world today and the particular difficulties that the young people and their friends may be facing or have faced. He expressed to them, in speaking about Jesus as the center of their lives, “I hope that you will depart from Rome closer to Him, more determined than ever to love and follow Him, and thus better equipped with hope to face the life that lies ahead of you. In difficult moments of doubt, discouragement and turmoil, this hope will always be like that of a secure anchor cast towards heaven (cf. Heb 6:19), enabling you to continue on your journey.”
In this context, Pope Leo then spoke of the infinite love of Christ, who lay down His life for us in order that we might have life. He expressed how He humiliated Himself and became one of us in our human nature and ultimately offered Himself as a sacrifice on the cross, which is the most important event in the history of the world. The pope expressed, “What more could we hope for?” Here he explained how the Church conserves the memory of the death and Resurrection of the Lord in its most precious treasure, which is the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we enter into the salvific act of Christ and “Jesus once again gives His life on the altar, he once again sheds His blood for us.” He said to the servers, “Dear altar servers, the celebration of Mass saves us today! It saves the world today! It is the most important event in the life of Christians and then the life of the Church, because it is the encounter in which God gives Himself to us for love, again and again.” Here he referred to the Eucharist as the treasure of treasures.
The French phrase, the treasure of treasures, is popularly known in France to refer to many things with which the young people would have identified. However, it is significant that the pope referred to the Mass as the treasure of treasures, in keeping with the designation of St. Thomas Aquinas for the Mass as the Sacrament of Sacraments. How fitting it is for all of us to reflect upon the Mass as the treasure of treasures and the Sacrament of Sacraments. As Pope Leo stated, the Eucharist is the reason for the Church’s existence through which we enter into the very life of God Himself and He enters into our lives. The Mass is the very action of Jesus Christ, raising us up to Himself and offering us the gift of hope each and every moment of our lives.
We just completed the three-year period of the Eucharistic Revival in the United States. The Eucharistic Revival was a most inspiring and significant event in the life of the Church in the United States as great devotion and appreciation for the Eucharist was experienced during many celebrations. The Eucharistic Revival formally concluded on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, June 22, a reminder to us in a most vivid manner that the Eucharist truly is the treasure of treasures of the Church. It also was an occasion in which so many young people demonstrated a great love for the Eucharist and a desire to have the Eucharist as part of their lives. This was a reminder to all of us of the power of the Eucharist and the need that we all have for it within our lives.
Pope Leo will celebrate his first canonization for the Church on Sept. 7 as he brings to completion what Pope Francis could not because of his death. Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, both young men, will be formally recognized as saints of the Church. Both of these are great examples of the fervor of young people for the faith and the difference which that faith makes in our lives and how that influences the lives of others around us. Blessed Carlo Acutis was especially known for his tremendous faith in the Eucharist. His love for the Eucharist, his celebration of Mass, and his devotion to the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament inspired him and gave him a joy every day which was transmitted to others. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, also as a young person, had tremendous devotion to the Eucharist. They remind us of the power of the Eucharist to transform our lives as the Sacrament of Sacraments and the treasure of treasures.
Pope Leo concluded his words to the young altar servers: “I thank you again for your visit. Your numbers and the faith that animates, you are a great consolation, a sign of hope. Persevere courageously and bear witness around you to the pride and joy that serving at Mass gives you.” May their enthusiasm and joy, fed by the Eucharist, be a source of joy for all of us as the Mass is the treasure of treasures in our lives.
Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
