Priests Recollection and Releasing of the Archdiocesan Directory

4th October 2017: The priests of the Archdiocese and those in pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese gathered together on October 4th, Wednesday for a day of recollection, prayer and reconciliation at Palana Bhavana. The day began with all gathering around the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration. Msgr. C. Francis welcomed all the priests present and introduced the Animator of the day, Rev. Dr. Ayres Fernandes, and spoke of the relevance of the topic chosen for the day’s reflection: The Significance and Celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The speaker highlighted with Eucharist as the source and summit of the life and the mission of the Church. He went to great lengths to highlight the various documents of the church to bring home the message of the importance of the Holy Eucharist. Fr. Fernandes beautifully summed it all up saying that at its most basic, the Holy Eucharist is the physical re-enactment of Christ’s Last Supper with his apostles. But symbolically, it represents so much more: the sharing of the gifts of God with God, the continued presence of Christ in our midst, a sacred meal to which we are all invited, a source of grace. He went on to tell that the Eucharistic celebration also reminds us of the last hours of Christ’s life on earth: There is a washing of hands reminiscent of Pilate’s ridding himself of responsibility in the death of Christ. The bread is lifted up as was Christ’s body lifted onto the cross. The bread is broken as was his body, and the wine poured out as was his blood. As He continued to insist on the proper preparation, composed and dignified celebration of the Holy Eucharist, he clarified, the Holy Mass is not a dramatization but a celebration of the mystery of Christ’s redemption on the cross.
The Second session was about the do’s and do not’s of the Eucharistic Celebration. He patiently clarified many issues concerning the proper celebration of the Holy Mass during the extended question and answer session. The sacrament of reconciliation was celebrated after Benediction and the concluding words from His Grace the Archbishop, the priests had a fellowship meal.