What real Eucharistic worship means in practice

Elevation at a Solemn Tridentine Mass
in Prostějov, Czech Republic

Just over a hundred years ago, Frank Weston (1871–1924), the Anglican Bishop of Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania), delivered a rousing address in the Royal Albert Hall, London, at the conclusion of the Anglo-Catholic Congress in July 1923.

The title of his address was Our Present Duty. Weston pulled no punches: he challenged all present to leave behind their lives of ease and comfort and seek out Jesus in the slums and other places. He directly linked service to Christ in our neighbour, especially the poor, with worship of Christ in the Eucharist.

With him, there was no false binary or dichotomy between liturgy and mission, between worship and service, between prayer and loving sacrifice.  In one of the most memorable passages of the address he stated:

But I say to you, and I say it to you with all the earnestness that I have, that if you are prepared to fight for the right of adoring Jesus in his Blessed Sacrament, then you have got to come out from before your Tabernacle and walk, with Christ mystically present in you, out into the streets of this country, and find the same Jesus in the people of your cities and your villages. You cannot claim to worship Jesus in the Tabernacle, if you do not pity Jesus in the slum.

For historical context, the early twentieth century marked a high point of Anglo-Catholic influence within the Anglican Communion. Anglo-Catholics emphasized personal holiness, reverent liturgy, the Eucharist, the sacraments, the Church Fathers, apostolic continuity and the authority of Christian tradition, while also promoting practical works of mercy and social reform. They faced considerable opposition within Anglicanism, particularly for practices such as Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic adoration and other explicitly Catholic devotional customs.

In his 1923 pamphlet, The Black Serfs of Britain, Bishop Weston sharply criticised British colonial administration in East Africa as he had sharply criticised German colonial administration in the same region in a prior piece of writing.

He wrapped up his sermon as follows:

You have got your Mass, you have got your Altar, you have begun to get your Tabernacle. Now go out into the highways and hedges where not even the Bishops will try to hinder you. Go out and look for Jesus in the ragged, in the naked, in the oppressed and sweated, in those who have lost hope, in those who are struggling to make good. Look for Jesus. And when you see him, gird yourselves with his towel and try to wash their feet.

Frank Weston is a fascinating figures in Anglo-Catholic history because he combined three things that are not always found together and from which all Catholics can learn: deep sacramental piety, missionary commitment and fierce concern for justice. His time as bishop of Zanzibar was not with controversy as is clear from this article. However, the controversy was to do with his being a principled fighter for catholic truth and social justice as he saw it than from any scandal.

Weston died on 2 November 1924.  Many Anglicans regard him as an exemplary holy bishop and missionary as well as a prophetic voice for social justice and Eucharistic devotion.

Collect for All Saints Day (Church of Ireland)

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord:  Grant us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that we may come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.