.- During the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter´s Square, Pope Benedict underscored the importance of Sunday as the Day of the Lord and asked every Catholic family to accept the invitation of Christ to attend Sunday Mass with their children, thus helping them to discover the value and importance of the Eucharist for their lives. The Pope also reminded the faithful present that “Sunday Mass must never be felt as an imposition or weight, but rather as a need and a joy,” for “gathering together with our brothers and sisters, listening to the Word of God and being nourished by Christ sacrificed for us is an experience that gives meaning to life and brings peace to the heart. We Christians cannot live without Sundays".
The Pope also recalled the importance of First Communion, “a truly festive occasion for the parish community that welcomes its littlest ones to the Lord’s Table for the first time.”
In this context the Holy Father announced his plans to meet on October 15 with young Italian children who are preparing for their First Communion, to give them some personal instruction on the Eucharist. "This will be a fitting and beautiful occasion to repeat the essential role that the sacrament of the Eucharist plays in the formation and spiritual growth of children," the Pope said.
Concluding his remarks, the Holy Father entrusted the meeting to the Virgin Mary, “that she may teach us to always love Jesus more, through the constant meditation on His Word and the adoration of His Eucharistic presence, and that she may assist us in helping young generations to discover the ‘precious pearl’ of the Eucharist, which gives true and full meaning to life.”
