Who is the Patron Saint of Altar Servers?
Just as Saint Tarcisius is the patron saint of altar servers, all
of us should ask for his intercession, that we appreciate the Blessed Sacrament
more fully.
There are many ways to
increase our love and devotion for Jesus in the Eucharist, and one of them is
to consider the great love that many of the saints have expressed for the
Blessed Sacrament. In his General Audience address of August 4, 2010,
Pope Benedict XVI related the story of one such saint to a crowd of altar
servers.
During Roman Emperor
Valerian’s brutal persecution of Catholics in the Third Century, the faithful
went underground to the catacombs to meet in secret for Mass and the
sacraments. Yet, just as happens today, some people were sick and
unable to go to Mass, so priests and their trusted helpers would take Communion
to their fellow Catholics. One day after Mass, a priest asked who could
take Communion to the sick. The duty of transporting the Eucharist was
usually reserved to mature and strong men, but that day, a young altar
server stepped forward and asked for the mission, saying: “Send me!”
His name was Tarcisius.
The priest was reluctant
to send Tarcisius because he knew this was a dangerous assignment; after all,
practicing Christianity in public was a veritable death sentence under
Valerian. But Tarcisius pled his case, arguing that his youth would serve
not as a liability, but as an asset. Knowing the danger he was
undertaking, Tarcisius courageously announced: “My youth will be the best
shield for the Eucharist!” When the priest was assured that Tarcisius not
only understood the importance of his mission but also Who he was carrying, the
priest carefully and lovingly wrapped the Blessed Sacrament in a small linen
bag and entrusted the Eucharist to the young boy.
It was the last time the
priest would see Tarcisius alive.
On his way to take
Communion to the sick, a group of acquaintances saw Tarcisius and noticed that
he was carefully protecting something—clutching something close to his
heart. When Tarcisius refused to show them what he was carrying, they
realized that he was a Christian, and the mob began to savagely assault him,
beating Tarcisius and throwing stones at him in an effort to make him drop the
bag. During this violent assault on the young boy, he died—still
clutching the linen bag to his chest.
A Praetorian guard and
secret Christian named Quadratus picked up the body of Tarcisius and carried
him back to the priest. When Quadratus set Tarcisius’ body down, they
pulled back his arms that were still clutching the linen bag, and they observed
something astonishing. Pope Benedict explains:
...in the same
Martyrology a beautiful oral tradition is also recorded. It claims that the
Most Blessed Sacrament was not found on St. Tarcisius' body, either in his
hands or his clothing. It explains that the consecrated Host which the little
Martyr had defended with his life, had become flesh of his flesh thereby
forming, together with his body, a single immaculate Host offered to God.”
Tarcisius had held Jesus
close to his heart in life and in death, and now Jesus held Tarcisius close to
His Sacred Heart in eternity.
As Pope Benedict reminded the altar servers:
St. Tarcisius’ testimony
and this beautiful tradition teach us the deep love and great veneration that
we must have for the Eucharist…
…With consecration, as
you know, that little piece of bread becomes Christ’s Body, that wine becomes
Christ’s Blood. You are lucky to be able to live this indescribable Mystery
from close at hand! Do your task as altar servers with love, devotion and
faithfulness; do not enter a church for the celebration with superficiality but
rather, prepare yourselves inwardly for Holy Mass! Assisting your priests in
service at the altar helps to make Jesus closer, so that people can understand,
can realize better: He is here.
Here is a lesson not
only for altar servers but for all of us Catholics. There are moments when many
of us Catholics receive Holy Communion without taking the time to ponder the
transcendental immensity and beauty of the love of God that is taking
place. Our minds can be adrift on other things without stopping to
consider how much God’s love is expressed in this sacrament. We need to consider
that God wills to be present within us—that He is pleased to be sacramentally
united with those who love Him. As Saint Thérèse of Lisieux wrote: “He does not
come down from Heaven each day in order to remain in a golden ciborium, but to
find another Heaven—the Heaven of our souls in which He takes such delight.”
Just as Saint Tarcisius is the patron saint of altar servers, all of us should
ask for his intercession, that we appreciate the Blessed Sacrament more fully
and desire that Jesus clutch us close to His Sacred Heart, now and
forever.
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