.- Before praying the angelus prayer yesterday in St. Peter‘s Square, Pope Benedict entrusted the fruits of the just-concluded General Synod of Bishops to the Virgin Mary and stressed the unique bond between the Church’s mission and the centrality of the Eucharist.
The Synod was held over the past two weeks marking the close of the ‘Year of the Eucharist‘, established by John Paul II, and studied the theme: ‘The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church.’
During the closing Mass for both the Synod and ‘Year of the Eucharist’ yesterday, the Pope also canonized five new saints--the first of his pontificate.
"These new saints," he said, "whom we contemplate in their heavenly glory, invite us to resort in all circumstances to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, in order to progress ever more along the road of evangelical perfection, upheld by constant union with the Lord, truly present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.”
"In this way," Pope Benedict continued, "we will be able to live the vocation to which all Christians are called, that of being 'bread broken for the life of the world,' as today's World Mission Day most appropriately reminds us.”
“The bond between the Church's mission and the Eucharist is more significant than ever. ... Those who welcome Christ in His Body and Blood cannot keep this gift for themselves, but feel compelled to share it in courageous witness of the Gospel, in the service of their brothers and sisters in difficulty, and in forgiveness of injuries.”
He added that “For some people, what is more, the Eucharist is the seed of a specific call to leave everything in order to go and announce Christ to those who do not yet know Him."
Calling Mary the, "Eucharistic woman," the Pope entrusted the "spiritual fruits of the Synod and of the Year of the Eucharist” to her care.
“May she watch over the Church's journey”, he said, “and teach us to grow in communion with the Lord Jesus, that we may be witnesses of His love, wherein the secret of joy lies."
Following the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims, civil authorities and religious leaders from the home regions of each of the new saints.
