Can we celebrate the Eucharist without a priest?
Catechism Meditation:
The bishop is “the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood,” especially in the Eucharist which he offers personally or whose offering he assures through the priests, his co-workers. The Eucharist is the center of the life of the particular Church. The bishop and priests sanctify the Church by their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and of the sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, “not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.” Thus, “together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal life.” ―No. 893
REFLECTION: A Mass cannot be celebrated without a priest. Without a priest (or bishop), there can be no consecration of the bread and wine — no Eucharistic sacrifice — and thus no Mass. Pope Benedict XVI said something similar but put it more bluntly in his midday Angelus address on Corpus Christi Sunday, June 26, 2011: “Catholics believe that the bread and wine offered by Christ at the Last Supper literally became His Body and Blood — and that this same miracle is repeated by priests at every Mass since … without the Eucharist, the Church simply does not exist.”
On the same evening that our Lord instituted the Eucharist, he also instituted the priesthood. With the words, “Do this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19), Jesus enabled and commanded the apostles to offer his Body and Blood. Those same apostles handed down the gift of the priesthood to their successors through the laying on of hands, which has continued from generation to generation to the priests in our parishes today. Through the hands of the priest, Jesus fulfills his promise to each one of us: “Behold, I am with you always” (Mt 28:20).
PRAYER. Heavenly Father, we earnestly ask you to bless our diocese and our world with many priests who will love you fervently, and gladly and courageously spend their lives in service to your Son’s Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Timeless Wisdom Quote:
“But the Sacred Heart wishes great graces to be distributed to souls through the hands of His priests.” ― Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen