Posted on 01/15/2005 8:41:14 AM PST by marshmallow
Established to Help Faithful Grow in "Mystery of Faith"
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 14, 2005 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II has approved a special plenary indulgence to mark the Year of the Eucharist.
According to a decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, during the Year of the Eucharist a plenary indulgence may be gained by participating in acts of worship and veneration of the Most Holy Sacrament, as well as by praying vespers and compline of the Divine Office before the tabernacle.
The decree, dated Dec. 25 and published today by the Vatican press office, is signed by Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Father John Francis Girotti, respectively major penitentiary and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary.
The objective of the papal disposition, the document indicates, is to "exhort the faithful in the course of this year, to a more profound knowledge and more intense love of the ineffable 'mystery of faith,' so that they will reap ever more abundant spiritual fruits."
The decree reminds the faithful that to obtain a plenary indulgence it is necessary to observe the "usual conditions": "sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion, and prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin."
In the Year of the Eucharist -- which began October 2004 and will end October 2005, when the world Synod of Bishops will be held on the Eucharist -- the plenary indulgence may be obtained in two ways.
In the first place, according to the decree, "each time the faithful participate attentively and piously in a sacred function or a devotional exercise undertaken in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, solemnly exposed or conserved in the tabernacle."
In the second place, it is granted "to the clergy, to members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, and to other faithful who are by law obliged to recite the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as to those who customarily recite the Divine Office out of pure devotion, each and every time they recite -- at the end of the day, in company or private -- vespers and night prayers before the Lord present in the tabernacle."
The decree also provides the granting of the plenary indulgence to those persons who, due to illness or other just cause, cannot participate in an act of worship of the sacrament of the Eucharist in a church or oratory.
These persons will obtain the plenary indulgence "if they make the visit spiritually and with the heart's desire, with a spirit of faith in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar, and pray the Our Father and Creed, adding a pious invocation to Jesus in the Sacrament (for example, "May the Most Holy Sacrament be blessed and praised forever").
Obviously, in all cases, the conditions established to receive a plenary indulgence must be respected.
"If they are unable to do even this, they will receive a plenary indulgence if they unite themselves with interior desire to those who practice the normal conditions laid down for Indulgences, and offer the merciful God the illnesses and discomforts of their lives, with the intention of observing the three usual conditions as soon as possible," the decree states.
The decree calls on priests, especially pastors, to inform the faithful on these dispositions, to prepare "with generous and ready spirit" to hear confessions and, in days that are determined according to the convenience of the faithful, to lead them "in solemn public recitation of prayers to Jesus in the Sacrament."
Finally, the decree exhorts the faithful "to give open witness of faith and veneration for the Blessed Sacrament."
The dispositions were approved by the Holy Father during the audience granted on Dec. 17 to Cardinal Stafford and Fr. Girotti.
The decree will be in force during the Eucharistic Year, starting this Saturday, Jan. 15, the day of its publication in the Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano.
In number 1471, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that "[a]n indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints."
Number 1479 adds: "Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishment due for their sins may be remitted."
Glad I did a search! I was just about ready to post this!
Bishop Calls for Perpetual Adoration of Eucharist
What I learned From a Muslim about Eucharistic Adoration
PERPETUAL ADORATION [The Monks of the Adoration]
There is a young Maronite Catholic priest in Ann Arbor, MI who 'evangeleizes' through Christ, Himself. Totally unpretentious in his approach, he is the first Catholic priest to bring a Monstrance and Consecrated Host into a prison system. The prisoners who were invited to attend this premier event, were not even catholic! Yet, Fr. Antonio believes so strongly in the mercy extended by our Lord, that he invited these men and women to sit in the "presence of our Lord". These stories will move your heart. Many were moved to tears, not understanding why. Within a few months, 31 prisoners asked to be baptized into the Catholic Church! You can read these stories at this link:
Meditation on Jesus in the Eucharist
Oh my Lord,
I see you there, o Jesus,
in the form of bread,
so fragile,
so vunerable,
You, at whose name every knee will bow,
You, who sit at the right hand of the Father,
and yet are willing to come here,
feed us,
share with us,
wait with us.
You let yourself be broken
every day
for love of us.
Lord God,
Lamb of God
You take away the sins of the world,
yet to save our souls,
you feed us
with yourself.
O my hidden Jesus,
such a limitless love!
I weep with joy and sorrow,
I cringe with shame
but arise with wonder
that someone
would care so much,
would do so much
for someone
nowhere near worthy!
(I am very excited about this. I ask you to join me in visiting our hidden Lord! I intend, as much as possible to offer up any merits for participating for the poor souls. Thank you, Lord, for coming to us this way. Thank you for your love of us, and help us to open our hearts to you as fully as possible, so you can transform them into hearts like yours. Amen!)
Those are heart-moving stories. God bless them for sharing.
Thank you for this.
Two questions, if I can get a plenary indulgence for a soul in purgatory, will I get both for myself and that soul at the same time if I do the requirements twice in a row. Can I free many souls by repeating the requirements during Adoration?
And what am I required to do here....
>>>Obviously, in all cases, the conditions established to receive a plenary indulgence must be respected.<<<
only one plenary a day...but you get to keep doing it until the time period is over...
BTTT!
Thanks for that link!
This list is a convenient compilation of all the ways to obtain a plenary indulgence. Note that in addition to the described work, obtaining a plenary indulgence also has the following conditions (see Norms which are summarized below):
Do you have to receive on the same day? What if you make a confession on Saturday after Mass, and thus, abstained from reception. Then spent the time before and after confession at Adoration in prayer. You then receive on Sunday, would that fit the requirements?
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