Consecration of the New Altar in the Basilica (15 June 1984)

On Friday, 15 June 1984, the Holy Father celebrated Holy Mass and consecrated a new altar in the Basilica at the Shrine of Einsiedeln. In his homily, the Pope spoke of Our Lord's gift of His Mother, who stood at the foot of the Cross, to "all those who fear him from generation to generation"

Dear brothers and sisters!

1. His mother stood beneath the cross of Jesus ( John 19:25). As pilgrims to Our Lady of Einsiedeln, we have gathered today in her shrine to celebrate the Eucharistic sacrifice of Christ in prayer with her in this venerable place. Her chapel of grace stands on the historic site where the Benedictine and hermit Meinrad (d. 861) lit the torch of faith and worship of God in the so-called "Dark Forest" over a thousand years ago through his holy life and death. The sons of St. Benedict have kept this torch burning through the centuries through their faithful prayer and testimony of life and have passed it on to subsequent generations up to the present day. In this place of prayer, which was dedicated to the divine Redeemer, his mother, Our Lady of Einsiedeln, also found a permanent place and a place of special veneration among the Swiss people.

So today we greet Mary in this sanctuary as the Mother of our Redeemer, who gave her to us as our Mother on the Cross ( Lk 1:48-49). We spiritually join the endless crowd of pilgrims who, from generation to generation, have come to this temple to call her blessed because the Mighty One has done great things for her. In this great choir of prayers, let us join Mary, Mother of Jesus, "with one mind in prayer" ( Acts 1:14) and, together with her, praise the mighty works of God who "has mercy on all those who fear him from generation to generation" ( Lk 1:50). We have come here to adore the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, together with the humble handmaid of the Lord, in accordance with the tradition of the People of God who live in this land. to contemplate and venerate the work of redemption that has been carried out here for so many generations with her motherly support. We do this in our Eucharistic assembly around this altar that symbolizes Christ and which, for this reason, is to receive its special ecclesiastical consecration today.

I extend a warm greeting to all those who have gathered with us for this Eucharistic celebration or who are united in spirit with our liturgy. I greet my brother bishops and priests, the religious, all the pilgrims and the representatives of the state authorities. I extend a very special greeting to the disabled brothers and sisters present who, through their infirmities and trials, are linked in a special way to the suffering of our Lord.

2. In today's celebration of the Eucharist we consecrate the new altar of this Basilica. The consecration prepares the altar to receive the Eucharistic Sacrifice: the Sacrifice in which, under the species of bread and wine, Christ's sacrifice on the Cross is sacramentally renewed. This sacrament is the sacrament of our union with God in the death and resurrection of his Son.

In this sacrament we come before the holy God, indeed we encounter the holiness of God himself in a direct way - through Jesus Christ: "through him, with him and in him". How holy then must the place itself be where this sacrament is celebrated!

When we sing the three times "Holy, holy, holy . . ." at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, this song is a kind of "continuous echo" of that vision of Isaiah, of which the reading in today's Lauds reminded us: "I saw the Lord . . . and above him stood seraphim, each with six wings . . . and they called to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts'" ( Is 6:1-3).

At the same time, through the Eucharist, in which the mystery of Christ's cross and resurrection is renewed, this holiness of God descends to us. It comes bodily into our midst in the sacrificed Lamb of God and draws near to our hearts. In a certain sense, it also touches our lips - as in Isaiah - with a glowing stone from the altar.

Our encounter with the holy God always requires our personal purification and sanctification. God himself gives this to us as the fruit of redemption, which is the never-ending source of salvation for us humans. Like Isaiah, we can hear from him the comforting words: "... your sin is atoned for" ( ibid . 6, 7). God communicates his sanctifying grace to us above all through the sacraments of the Church, but also through our prayers and through every good deed that we do out of love for him and for our fellow human beings. The spiritual life of the Christian is formed and grows through constant purification. The more the darkness of sin disappears within us, the more we can be grasped by the light of Christ. At the same time, we are thus able to unite ourselves with him in his mission of salvation for the world.

3. Our whole life must be a purifying preparation for our encounter with the Holy Spirit: once in eternity, but also now in the Eucharist. The Gospel of today's liturgy expressly exhorts us: "If you are bringing your gift to the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. Go and be reconciled to your brother first, and then come and offer your gift" ( Mt 5:23-24). Our participation in the Eucharist, which is a source of our reconciliation with God, should also be a source of our reconciliation with people.

Our everyday lives constantly and relentlessly confront us with conflicts and tensions, with hatred and hostility: in our own hearts, in the family, in the parish, at work and between nations. The more people long for understanding and brotherly harmony among themselves, the more unattainable these seem to become for them. The Church today is therefore all the more acutely aware that God has "entrusted her with the word of reconciliation to proclaim" ( 2 Cor 5:19). God, who demands reconciliation from us before we bring our offering to the altar, is at the same time himself ready to enable us to achieve this reconciliation through Christ and the Church. For he has "reconciled the world to himself in Christ" ( ibid .) and has given us the precious sacrament of reconciliation in the Church. True reconciliation between divided and hostile people is only possible if they simultaneously allow themselves to be reconciled with God. True brotherly love is based on love for God, who is the common Father of all.

So, dear brothers and sisters, as we now wish to bring our offering to the altar, let us be reconciled with all those who have something against us in such sincere love of God and neighbour. Let us be reconciled within our ecclesial community as brothers and sisters in Christ! Let us be considerate of one another: those who are educated and advanced in the faith should be considerate of the feelings and piety of the simple believers; those who are strongly attached to tradition should be considerate of those who, in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, are striving for an authentic renewal of religious and ecclesial life. Instead of confusing or hurting others, we must instead be concerned with reconciliation and understanding, so that through mutual bearing, patience and love we can build together the Kingdom of God in our midst, which is a Kingdom of reconciliation and peace. Only in this way will our daily offering on our altars be graciously accepted by God. The altar symbolizes Christ, who - as the Apostle says - is "our peace" ( Eph 2:14). Therefore, the prayer of consecration will also say: "Let this altar be a place of intimate contact with you and a place of peace" ( Oratio in altaris consecratione ). The nature of the Eucharistic sacrifice itself, which is a sacrifice of reconciliation, and the holiness of God that we encounter in it, require of us this preparatory purification through our reconciliation with our fellow human beings.

4. Reconciliation with our brothers and sisters opens the way to the Eucharist, to the sacrifice, the sacrament of our unity with God in Jesus Christ. Baptized in his name and confirmed and anointed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have become a "holy priesthood". Together with Christ, in the Eucharist, we celebrate his loving dedication to the Father and, in intimate union with him, by receiving his sacrificed body and blood, we ourselves become an altar in the Holy Spirit and a sacrificial offering pleasing to God. The Eucharist is therefore both the high point of the Christian's spiritual life and the source of his spirituality. St. Gregory the Great therefore asks: "What is the altar of God if not the heart of those who lead a good (Christian) life?" (S. Gregorii Magni, Homilia in Ezechielem , II, 10, 19). And the apostle writes: "I urge you, my brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your true and fitting worship" ( Rom 12:1). Our whole life, our thoughts and actions should become an act of faithful worship of God and be offered with Christ as a pleasing gift on the altar to the praise of the Father.

The Eucharist, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, sacramentally offered to God on the altars of the Church - today on this newly consecrated altar - has been the centre of the Christian community from the beginning and the deepest source of the spiritual life of every Christian. As we have just heard from the Acts of the Apostles, the first Christians formed a community by remaining in the temple with meekness and by sharing their meals together with joy and sincerity of heart. They continued "in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers" ( Acts 2:42). This is how the Church has lived since the beginning of her history. The Eucharist is the centre of the Christian community because in it Christ opens up to the Church all the treasures of grace from his redeeming sacrifice on the Cross and nourishes the faithful with his own flesh and blood for their Christian commitment in everyday life.

This inner bond between believers and Christ is at the same time the source of unity and fraternal solidarity in the Christian community. The special relationship with God through participation in Christ's sacrifice creates and promotes communion and brotherhood among people. The vertical and horizontal dimensions of the Christian vocation meet in the sign of the cross and find their inner unity therein. As the Acts of the Apostles also tell us, the first Christians not only held communion in the celebration of the Eucharist, but also "sold their possessions and gave to all, each according to his need" ( ibid . 2, 45).

The mystery of the Eucharist is a mystery of love that requires us to act in a responsible way. The communion of breaking the Eucharistic bread makes us all the more sensitive to the needs, hunger and suffering of our fellow human beings. When we eat the bread through which Christ gives us life from his divine life, we too must be ready to share our lives with our fellow brothers. When we feed on this source of love, we too are called not only to give something, but to give ourselves in the service of our neighbours. The early Christian community set an example for us in this. This is why the pagans could say of these Christians with admiration: "See how they love one another!" (Tertullian: PL 1, 471).

At the blessing of the altar, the solemn lighting of the candles on the altar will remind us of Christ, "the light of enlightenment for the Gentiles" ( Lk 2:32). Christ, present in the brotherly love of a community, is a light that shines beyond the Church. It has a missionary power. That is why it is said of the first Christian community: "The Lord added to their community daily those who were to be saved" ( Acts 2:47). Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, always celebrate the Holy Eucharist in such a way that the light of Christ shines from there into your daily life and into the world. Celebrate the "Missa" in such a way that it leads to the "Missio": the Christian mission among people.

5. Christ himself points us down from the cross to his mother: Behold your mother! The mother of divine grace, she is particularly close to the divine power of redemption through Christ. As the mother of our Saviour, she is also close to us in this Eucharistic celebration in which we consecrate the new altar in her sanctuary in Einsiedeln. She teaches us how we can draw new strength and direction for our spiritual life from our encounters with Christ in the Eucharist: "Do whatever he tells you!" ( John 2:5). She teaches us this herself through the example of her own life. As the Virgin of Nazareth and as the mother of the crucified and risen Lord, united in prayer with the disciples at Pentecost, she lives the innermost readiness of her heart for the coming of the Kingdom of God. She, to whom this venerable sanctuary of your beautiful Swiss country is consecrated, should be your example and teacher in this. She pondered the mysteries of God "in her heart" ( Lk 2:19, 51). As a humble servant of the Lord, she allowed herself to be completely subordinated to God's plan and work of salvation. She said her "Fiat," her unconditional yes to God.

Let us, dear brothers and sisters, therefore, join Mary at this newly consecrated altar beneath the cross of her Son and, in our celebration of the Eucharist, praise with her the great works of God. It helps us to recognize the transcendent holiness of God. It leads us to our reconciliation with God in Christ. It teaches us fraternal unity among ourselves and our responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel. It teaches us to believe, hope and love, and thus to shape our lives entirely in the spirit of Christ. Let us celebrate this holy Eucharist in such a way that the words spoken by Mary at the Annunciation in Nazareth resound and become reality in our hearts too: "I am the handmaid of the Lord: let it be to me as you have said" ( ibid . 1, 38). Amen.

© Copyright 1984 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana