Santo Domingo.- Some 57 parishioners from the Vicariates of the North and South National District of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo were instituted on Sunday as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
The new extraordinary ministers of communion were instituted by Monsignor Benito Ángeles, auxiliary bishop of Santo Domingo, during a mass celebrated at the Hogar Sagrada Familia retirement home in Santo Domingo Este, who indicated that this call is a revival of the apostolic fecundity that has been carried out in each of their communities and parishes.
During the homily, the also territorial episcopal vicar of Santo Domingo Este, Monsignor Benito Ángeles highlighted the virtue of humility, which must be cultivated by all to realize that we are instruments of God at his service.
“Being instruments of the Lord is a fundamental point in the exercise of any ministry because, precisely, those of us who are called to humbly exercise the authority that is delegated to us, but it must be an authority inspired by the gospel.” Monsignor Angeles explained.
Referring to the new extraordinary ministers of communion, the monsignor said that it is essential to fight for the practice and the conquest of a humility that recognizes God as the center of his life. “Here you have two expressions that must be applied fundamentally for the ministry that you receive today: A great love for the word of God and deep love, dedication and reverence for the Eucharist.
He reiterated that “Word and Eucharist” are for them, today, the beginning, the development and the north of all their exercise of service to others, within the Church.
As part of the ritual, Monsignor Ángeles blessed the cross that each minister must carry when carrying out his mission.
While Father David Soriano Soriano, director of the Archdiocesan School of Lay Ministries (EAML) and Assistant Pastoral Vicar for the South National District, after presenting the new members of the Church to the Auxiliary Bishop, explained that according to canon No. 230 of the Code of Canon Law and as prescribed in Canon No. 910, paragraph 2, “extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are considered those faithful who, in the opinion of the local parish priest, are suitable to perform the service of extraordinary minister the speech and the distribution of the Holy Eucharist, either to the sick or within the Eucharistic celebration.
Preparation
The new extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion participated in a retreat organized by the EAML, in which they were oriented and trained to exercise, with love and humility, the service that the Church makes available to them.
During the retreat, which lasted two days, the extraordinary ministers of communion received different conferences alluding to the new mission entrusted to them by the Church, among them the theme of “Holiness and Lay Apostolate”, given by Father Cecilio de los Santos. , who highlighted the mission of the laity within the Church.
“Our mission consists precisely in extending the same mission of Jesus Christ; make the Kingdom of God visible,” said De los Santos.
Likewise, De los Santos also referred to the topic of “The importance of human and spiritual growth in the Christian life”, and quoted Pope Saint John Paul II who said that “If we do not succeed in cultivating adequate human formation over time, all our formation would lack its necessary foundation”.
This importance of Human Formation refers explicitly to the development of values, attitudes and behaviors that impact the personal and social growth of the individual.
In the same order, Father Gregorio Santana spoke about Lectio Divina as an exercise in prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture that includes moments of: reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation.
He indicated that spirituality is the way in which faith and the Christian religion are lived through a philosophy of life, which makes the person feel and show themselves identifiable according to values and practices that help them testify to their faith.
Finally, Father Soriano Soriano thanked Monsignor Benito Ángeles for presiding over the Eucharist, on behalf of Monsignor Francisco Ozoria, Metropolitan Archbishop of Santo Domingo, likewise, he thanked the priests, deacons, ministers and all those present at the activity.
