A "consecrated'' life

6. "'Mysterium fidei!'

"Every time he proclaims these words after consecrating the bread and wine, the priest expresses his ever-renewed amazement at the extraordinary miracle worked at his hands.

"It is a miracle which only the eyes of faith can perceive. The natural elements do not lose their external characteristics, since the 'species' remain those of bread and wine; but their 'substance,' through the power of Christ's word and the action of the Holy Spirit, is changed into the substance of the body and blood of Christ.

"On the altar, then, Christ crucified and risen is 'truly, really and substantially' present in the fullness of his humanity and divinity.

"What an eminently sacred reality! That is why the Church treats this mystery with such great reverence, and takes such care to ensure the observance of the liturgical norms intended to safeguard the sanctity of so great a sacrament.

"We priests are the celebrants, but also the guardians of this most sacred mystery. It is our relationship to the Eucharist that most clearly challenges us to lead a 'sacred' life.

"This must shine forth from our whole way of being, but above all from the way we celebrate.

"Let us sit at the school of the saints! The Year of the Eucharist invites us to rediscover those saints who were vigorous proponents of Eucharistic devotion (cf. Mane Nobiscum Domine, 31).

"Many beatified and canonized priests have given exemplary testimony in this regard, enkindling fervour among the faithful present at their celebrations of Mass. Many of them were known for their prolonged Eucharistic adoration.

"To place ourselves before Jesus in the Eucharist, to take advantage of our 'moments of solitude' and to fill them with this Presence, is to enliven our consecration by our personal relationship with Christ, from whom our life derives its joy and its meaning."

John Paul II
Holy Thursday Letter to Priests 2005 (excerpt)