May the Eucharist “illuminate” new horizons for the “mission” and “service” of the Church “among the poor”: that’s the hope expressed in the message “Eucharist-Mission-Service” issued by the Commission of Social Pastoral Ministry of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference to coincide with the feast of Corpus Christi on 18 June. “The Eucharist urges us to bring hope to the poor and the defenceless”. “The feast of Corpus Christi invites us to discern whether we are advancing in the evangelising mission and in the service to the community” and to verify whether “adoration and the action of grace fertilise from within our service to the weakest and most vulnerable members of society”. “In Christ and with Christ, the eucharistic community is called to live the preferential option for the most vulnerable in our society and in our Christian communities”. “Mission is not synonymous with proselytism or colonization”, explain the bishops: “The Christian knows when it is time to speak of God and when it is best to remain silent, letting love speak for itself”. “In a society so complex as today’s, the Christian community will be more significant and credible in proportion as it transforms itself, by its love and poor lifestyle, into a home for the defenceless”. In Spain some 8 million people (2,150,000 families) live in poverty, with less than 50% of the minimum salary available: this represents over 20% of the population.
