We have reached the end of our four days of Sacra
Liturgia Milan. I congratulate you on your perseverance!
In these days we have been blessed to be able to
celebrate the Sacred Liturgy according to the great and rich tradition of the
Ambrosian rite. We have been privileged by the presence of holy men and to
learn from great scholars. We have made new friends and have shared our
concerns and our hopes for the liturgical renewal that the Church of
our day so desperately needs.
My brothers and sisters, the graces given to us in
these days have been given to us by the Providence of Almighty God for a
definite reason. Perhaps we do not ourselves yet know how God wishes us to use
all that he has given us. But he has brought us together here for His purposes,
which, if we remain faithful to Him, He will reveal to us through our lives and
ministry, each of us according to our different vocations.
Perhaps there is one thing that each of us can do:
that is, to accept and repeat the call of His Eminence, Cardinal Sarah, to
reflect deeply on the value of receiving the Blessed Eucharist in Holy
Communion kneeling and on the tongue—in our catechesis of children, in our
formation of young people and of seminarians and religious, and in our own
personal practice. ....
We have held Sacra Liturgia Conferences in 2013, 2015,
2016 and 2017. At this time there is no definite plan for a Sacra Liturgia
Conference in 2018, but some proposals are being examined for future years. We
welcome proposals from people, especially from bishops and people who wish to
wish to do a lot of hard work in organising a conference .
This afternoon our conference will conclude at the
Metropolitan cathedral with solemn vespers, exposition and Benediction of the
Most Blessed Sacrament and with the singing of the Te Deum. I must leave
earlier for an engagement in Toulon and I ask you to excuse my absence: Dom
Alcuin will represent me there.
There is much for which to give thanks and praise at
vespers this evening. Sometimes the liturgical apostolate is hard: there are
many challenges. But as you sing the Te Deum be thankful for all that we have
been given in these days. And after the Te Deum, at the altar of Blessed
Ildefonso Schuster, where this conference will conclude, beg his intercession.
Ask this holy monk, archbishop and cardinal to obtain for us the graces
necessary to be zealous and faithful apostles of the Sacred Liturgy.
I thank you for your presence at Sacra Liturgia Milan.
May God bless you all.
+Dominique Rey
Bishop of Frejus-Toulon
Bishop of Frejus-Toulon
