Vatikan: Instrumentum laboris für Bischofssynode vorgestellt
Der Vatikan hat heute das "Instrumentum laboris" für die im Oktober anstehende 11.
Ordentliche Vollversammlung der Bischofssynode vorgestellt. Das Arbeitspapier trägt
den Titel "Die Eucharistie: Quelle und Höhepunkt des Lebens und der Sendung der Kirche".
In vier Teilen wird in dem 90seitigen Text eine Grundlage für die Diskussionen der
Bischöfe gegeben, die sich vom 2. bis 23. Oktober in Rom treffen werden. Wir bringen
hier den englischen Text des "Instrumentum laboris", die deutsche Übersetzung müsste
uns im Laufe des Nachmittags erreichen: THE EUCHARIST: SOURCE
AND SUMMIT OF THE LIFE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH
INSTRUMENTUM
LABORIS
VATICAN CITY 2005 PREFACE From the very
beginning, the Church has drawn her life from the Eucharist. This Sacrament is the
reason for her existence, the inexhaustible source of her holiness, the power of her
unity, the bond of her communion, the source of her dynamism in preaching the Gospel,
the principle of her evangelizing activity, the font of charity, the heart of human
promotion and the anticipation of her glory in the Eternal Banquet at the Wedding
Feast of the Lamb (cf. Rev 19:7-9). The Risen Lord is present in his Church
in various ways, but he is present in a particularly unique way in the Sacrament of
the Eucharist. Through the words of consecration and the grace of the Holy Spirit,
the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for the praise and glory
of God the Father. This inestimable gift and great mystery were realized at the Last
Supper. With the express command of the Lord Jesus: “Do this in remembrance of me”
(Lk 22:19), the Sacrament passes down to us through the Apostles and their successors.
In this regard, St. Paul, in his account of the bread and cup of the New Covenant,
writes: “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you” (1 Cor 11:23).
Sacred Tradition accounts for its faithful transmission from one generation to the
next, down to the present day. Under Divine Providence, the deposit of Eucharistic
faith, despite various doctrinal and disciplinary controversies, has come to us in
its original purity as a result of primarily two ecumenical councils: Trent (1545-1563)
and Vatican II (1962-1965). Various individual popes have also made notable contributions
to a better understanding of the mystery of the Eucharist, among them, Pope Paul VI
and Pope John Paul II, both of whom undertook the task of applying in the universal
Church the deliberations of the Second Vatican Council. The pontificate of Pope John
Paul II enriched the Catholic Church with important documents on the Sacrament of
the Eucharist, such as The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Encyclical
Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia and the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine.
The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has also shown his intention to continue the implementation
of the Second Vatican Council and to follow faithfully the two-thousand-year-old tradition
of the Church by stating in his first discourse, addressed through the College of
Cardinals to the whole Church, that the Eucharist is the lasting centre and source
of the Petrine service entrusted to him.
These documents
provide a profound reflection on the Sacrament of the Eucharist which has important
spiritual and pastoral implications. The question of great pastoral concern, episcopal
responsibility and prophetic vision is to see how this rich patrimony of faith can
be implemented in the Catholic Church, extended over five continents, in the initial
years of the Third Millennium of Christianity and beyond. It came as no
surprise that the episcopal conferences around the world and other ecclesial entities,
after being contacted by the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, proposed
the topic of the Eucharist for the XI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
The Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat took the matter up and then submitted
it to the consideration of the Holy Father, who, given the topic’s importance, most
willingly accepted the proposal. He then formulated the synod’s theme in the following
manner: The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church,
and, at the same time, established the dates of the synodal assembly, 2 - 23 October
2005. The topic explicitly alludes to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council
on the Eucharist, set forth for the most part in the Dogmatic Constitution on the
Church Lumen gentium, 11 and taken up anew in the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia
de Eucharistia, 1 and 13. It is not a matter of simply citing the conciliar document
but systematically assessing—considering the renewed enthusiasm for the Second Vatican
Ecumenical Council—how its teachings on the Sacrament of the Eucharist have been applied
in light of the Church’s Magisterium on the subject. The General Secretariat
of the Synod of Bishops, with the assistance of the members of the Ordinary Council,
began preparation for the XI Ordinary General Assembly, with the drafting of the Lineamenta.
This document was published at the beginning of 2004 to foster in the Church widespread
discussion and reflection on the mystery of the Eucharist, the mystery celebrated
and adored in the dioceses and communities of the Catholic Church and the mystery
proclaimed by the Church to all the world. The Lineamenta was sent to the episcopal
conferences, the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris, the Departments of the
Roman Curia and the Union of Superiors General, with the expressed request that they
set aside time for reflection and prayer on the topic and respond to the questions
which treated various pastoral aspects related to the Eucharist. Because of the means
of social communication, this document received a wide distribution in the Church
and the world. Under the guidance of the bishops, the entire People of God made significant
contributions on the topic in preparation for the synodal assembly. In various countries
of the world, dioceses, parishes and other ecclesial communities engaged in discussion
in what amounted to an inquiry on faith in the Eucharist and Eucharistic practice
in the Universal Church.
Submissions arriving at
the General Secretariat from the aforementioned collegial bodies were categorized
as “responses,” while the unsolicited contributions of others wishing to take part
in the synodal process, were classified as “observations.” In each case, the results
were included in the Instrumentum laboris, a document which is intended to
be a faithful summary of the information which arrived at the General Secretariat.
The present document reflects the general contents of the submissions and does not
represent a systematic, complete, theological treatise on the Sacrament of the Eucharist,
which already exists in the Church. Instead, it touches upon some doctrinal truths
of notable influence in celebrating this sublime mystery of our faith, which puts
in relief the Sacrament’s great pastoral richness. This document then is principally
concentrated on the positive aspects of the celebration of the Eucharist which bring
the faithful together and make them a community, despite their differences in race,
language, nation and culture. Mention is also made of various insufficiencies and
oversights in the celebration of the Eucharist which, thanks be to God, are rather
contained. Their inclusion, nonetheless, provides the occasion for clergy and the
faithful to consider the due reverence and piety towards the Eucharist which is to
characterize their celebration of this sacred mystery. Each section ends with various
proposals from a number of responses which were a result of a profound pastoral reflection
by particular Churches and other bodies which were consulted. Clearly, the
Sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated in a notable variety of ways in each country
and continent as a result of the Catholic Church’s many spiritual traditions or rites.
This diversity, far from weakening the Church’s unity, manifests the Church’s richness
as a catholic communion distinguished by an exchange of gifts and experiences. Catholics
of the Latin tradition perceive this richness in the spirituality of the Eastern Catholic
Churches, as seen in both the Lineamenta and Instrumentum laboris. Christians
of the Eastern Traditions in turn rediscover the notable theological and spiritual
patrimony of the Latin tradition. Such an understanding has ecumenical implications.
Indeed, if the Catholic Church is said to breathe with two lungs—and for this, we
render thanks to Divine Providence—she also awaits the blessed day when such spiritual
richness can be extended and revived in full, visible union with the Eastern Churches,
who, in the absence of full communion, profess in great part the same faith in the
mystery of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The prime purpose of the Instrumentum
laboris is to provide the synod fathers with their “working document” and reference
point in further discussion on the Eucharist, which, as the heart of the Church, spurs
her on in communion to a renewed missionary dynamism. There is no doubt that reflection
will be fruitful, because the spirit of collegiality, characteristic of the synod,
will foster consensus on the propositions which are destined for the Holy Father.
In the process, further benefit will also result in liturgical renewal, exegetical
research and theological study which has taken place since the Second Vatican Council.
The
submissions, summarized in the Instrumentum laboris, demonstrate the desire
of the People of God that the work of the synod fathers, gathered around the Bishop
of Rome, the Head of the Episcopal College and President of the Synod, together with
others coming from the Church community, contribute towards a rediscovery of the beauty
of the Eucharist as the Sacrifice, Memorial and Banquet of Jesus Christ, the Saviour
and Redeemer of the world. The faithful are awaiting appropriate guidance so that
the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Bread-Come-Down-from-Heaven (cf. Jn 6:58), offered
by God the Father in his only-begotten Son, might be celebrated with more dignity;
that the Lord might be adored with greater devotion under the species of bread and
wine; and that the bond of unity and communion might be strengthened among those who
are nourished by the Lord’s Body and Blood. Such an idea is to be expected, since
Christians, who participate in the Table of the Lord and are enlightened by the grace
of the Holy Spirit, are a living part of the Church, the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ.
They are his witnesses in everyday life and in the workplace, always attentive to
the spiritual and material needs of others and active in constructing a more just
world, where every one will have a share in our daily bread. Inspired by
the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Woman of the Eucharist, the synod fathers
approach their work in a spirit of readiness and willingness to do the will of God
the Father as well as in an attitude of openness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
They will be sustained by their bond of communion with the clergy and faithful, who,
in this Year of the Eucharist, continue, with renewed zeal, to pray, celebrate,
adore and bear witness to the fruitfulness of the Eucharistic mystery through a Christian
life and fraternal charity, thus proclaiming with renewed apostolic vigour—to those
nearby and those far away—the beauty of the great gift of faith contained in the
Sacrament of the Eucharist, source and summit of the life and mission of the Church
in the Third Millennium of Christianity. + Nikola
Eterovi_ Tit. Archbishop of Sisak
General Secretary INTRODUCTION The Synodal Assembly in the Year of
the Eucharist 1. The XI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is
scheduled to take place from 2 to 23 October 2005 to treat the topic: The Eucharist:
Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church. The preparatory phase
for this synodal assembly involved the entire Catholic Church throughout the world,
thanks to the Magisterium of Pope John Paul II, who promulgated the Encyclical Letter
Ecclesia de Eucharistia and the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine.
Also contributing to the preparation were the bishops and theologians who participated
in the 48th International Eucharistic Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Other documents, related in a certain way to the synod topic, are the Instruction
Redemptionis sacramentum and the subsidy The Year of the Eucharist: Suggestions
and Proposals of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments. The latter was distributed on the occasion of the opening of the Year
of the Eucharist, which began on 17 October 2004 and will conclude with the synodal
assembly. The Lineamenta was drafted to guide the preparatory phase. The
document was not intended to be a complete tract on the Eucharist nor was it a simple
presentation of the doctrinal content of the above-mentioned documents. Instead, it
delineated various questions which are emerging on essential points of the Church’s
teaching on the Eucharist in light of Sacred Scripture and Divine Tradition. Responses
to the Lineamenta and its Questions were sent to the General Secretariat by
episcopal conferences, the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris, the Departments
of the Roman Curia and the Union of Superiors General. Observations also came from
bishops, priests, men and women religious, theologians and the lay faithful. Both
are contained in the Instrumentum laboris. This “working document” for the
future assembly, provides general information on the situation of faith, worship
and Eucharistic life in the particular Churches throughout the world and evaluates
that situation in light of the faith of the Universal Church.
The
Instrumentum Laboris and Its Use The Instrumentum
laboris presents both doctrinal and pastoral information to promote reflection
and discussion in the immediate preparation for the synodal assembly and to assist
the synod fathers in their interventions and exchange in the synod hall. Bishops are
always engaged in taking into account the doctrinal and pastoral aspects of the Eucharist
in the normal exercise of their triple office as bishop—to teach, to shepherd and
to sanctify the People of God. Indeed, the Church’s practice must continually be placed
alongside her perennial teachings, which find their source in Sacred Scripture and
Divine Tradition.
In applying this method to the synod topic, we are to
see if the law of prayer corresponds to the law of faith. We are to
consider what the People of God believes and how the People of God lives, so that
the Eucharist can become more and more the source and summit of the life and mission
of not only the Church but each member of the faithful through liturgy, spirituality
and catechesis in the various areas of culture, society and civil life. The responses
to the Lineamenta have shown that the Eucharist needs to be considered under
the two aspects of fons and culmen in the Church. The Eucharist as Sacrifice
and Sacrament is the source from which, through the Lord’s words and the work
of the Holy Spirit, comes the fruits of the passion of Jesus Christ and the power
of his resurrection. The Eucharist is the summit of the Church’s life, since
communion with the Lord leads to the sanctification and “divinization” of a person
as a member of the community gathered around the Table of the Lord. The duty to transform
temporal realities flows from this truth—fons et culmen—which is the general
topic for the synod. The Eucharist can be said to contain the meaning of Jesus’
sacrifice: God who totally and gratuitously giving of himself and the person who completely
abandons himself to a loving Father. This dual action of love corresponds in some
way to the Eucharist as sacrifice and banquet. Generally speaking, the responses
indicated that people were pleased that the Lineamenta proposed a consideration
of the Eucharistic liturgy from both the Latin and Eastern traditions. An osmotic
action of this type can be mutually enriching and beneficial; it can serve to praise
the positive aspects or “lights” concerning the Eucharist and help disperse the negative
aspects or “shadows” said to exist in many places. The Instrumentum laboris
seeks to follow the same process, in other words, to consider the subject from the
perspective of the entire tradition of the Church, and not simply from the Latin tradition,
though some phenomena singularly exist in this rite. The Instrumentum laboris
is offered to the bishops of the particular Churches so that they, together with the
People of God, might prepare themselves for the synod, when the synod fathers will
formulate useful recommendations for the Bishop of Rome in fostering Eucharistic renewal
in the Church’s life.
Part I
THE EUCHARIST
AND TODAY’S WORLD Chapter I HUNGERING FOR THE BREAD OF GOD “For
the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.
They said to him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always.’” (Jn 6:33-34) Bread
for Each Person in the World When the people ask Jesus for a
sign so they can believe, he tells the crowd that he himself is the true bread that
satisfies hunger (cf. Jn 6:35); he is the Bread come down from heaven for the
life of the world. The present-day world also stands in need of this bread, if it
is to have life. In the discourse in which Jesus presents himself as the Bread for
the life of the world, the crowd begs him: “Lord, give us this bread always” (Jn
6:34). This plea is charged with meaning, since it expresses a deep longing planted
in the heart of not only the Church’s members but every person who seeks happiness,
a happiness which is symbolized by the bread of eternal life. Despite various kinds
of difficulties and contradictions, the world, in this year of the Lord 2005, aspires
to happiness and desires the bread of life for soul and body. In response to this
hunger of the human heart, Pope John Paul II made an earnest appeal to the Church’s
members to use the Year of the Eucharist as an occasion to make a serious commitment
to fight the tragedy of hunger, the affliction of illness, the loneliness of the elderly,
the hardships of the unemployed and the struggles of immigrants. The actions in response
to this appeal will be the measure for judging the authenticity of our Eucharistic
celebrations.
Humanity
and all creation in general await the new heaven and the new earth (cf. 2 Pt
3:13) and the unification of all things in Christ, even the things of earth (cf. Eph
1:10). Therefore, since the Eucharist is the summit towards which all creation tends,
the Eucharist is the response to the concerns of the contemporary world, even those
of ecology. Indeed, the elements of water and wine, chosen by Jesus Christ for every
Mass, bind the Eucharistic celebration to the world created by God and entrusted
to the stewardship of humanity (cf. Gen 1:28), all the while respecting the
laws which the Creator has placed in the work of his hands. The bread to become the
Body of Christ is the fruit of a productive, pure and unpolluted land. The wine to
be changed into the Blood of Christ is the sign of the transformation of creation
to meet the needs of humanity and the safeguarding of resources necessary for future
generations. The water, united to the wine and symbolizing the union in Christ of
our human nature and his divine nature, retains its beneficial effects for humanity,
which is thirsting for God, “the spring of water, welling up to eternal life” (Jn
4:14). Some Essential Statistics The topic of the synod,
The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church, requires
looking at some pertinent information from the world in which the Church lives and
works. Though a complete, exhaustive presentation is impossible, some general statistics
and considerations are given.
Some statistics plainly show the numerical
relationship of the general population to the faithful who profess the Catholic faith.
In 2003, the number of Catholics was 1,086,000,000, an increase of 15,000,000 from
the preceding year. The breakdown by continent is: Africa +4.5%; America +1.2%; Asia
+2.2%; and Oceania +1.3%. Europe remained practically unvaried. Regarding the distribution
of Catholics in various geographical areas, figures show that America has 49.8% of
the world’s Catholics, while Europe has 25.8%. The percentage is less in other continents:
Africa 13.2%, Asia 10.4% and Oceania, 0.8%. In relation to a continent’s total population,
the percentage of Catholics is: 62.46% in America, 39.59% in Europe, 26.39% in Oceania,
16.89% in Africa and 2.93% in Asia. As for areas of jurisdiction in the Church,
ecclesiastical territories showed an increase of 19 in 2001, that is, the number rose
from 2,864 in 2001 to 2,883 territories in 2002, indicating a growth on all continents.
The number of the world’s bishops grew 27.68%, increasing from 3,714 in 1978 to 4,742
in 2003. The overall number of priests in 2003 (405,450 - 268,041 diocesan and 137,409
religious), with respect to the figures of 1978 (420,971: 262,485 diocesan and 158,486
religious), fluctuated 3.69%, due to a decrease of 13.30% in the number of priest-religious
and an increase of 2.12% in that of diocesan priests. There was a decrease of 27.94%
in the number of non-clerical professed men-religious (75,802 in 1978, 54,620 in 2003).
The number of professed women-religious (990,768 in 1978, 776,269 in 2003) fluctuated
21.65%. Because of the vital connection between the celebration of the Eucharist
and the Sacrament of Orders, attention needs to be given to the increase, from 1978
to 2003, in the number of Catholics in relation to the number of priests, that is,
one priest for every 1,797 Catholics in 1978 to one priest for every 2,677 Catholics
in 2003. The situation is quite diverse from continent to continent. For example,
in Europe, there is one priest for every 1,386 Catholics; in Africa, one for every
4,723 Catholics; in America, one for every 4,453; in Asia, one for every 2,407; and
in Oceania, one for every 1,746. In the same period, the permanent deaconate also
witnessed a strong development with the overall number of deacons multiplying over
15 times or having a relative increase of 466.7%. It should be pointed out that America
(especially North America) has 65% of the permanent deacons worldwide, with Europe
having 32%. The noteworthy role of the world’s lay missionaries (172,331) and catechists
(2,847,673) also deserves mention.
The synod is to take place
in a period marked by strong contrasting forces within the human family. The idea
of globalization gives the illusion of a united human race, in many cases as a result
of the mass media which report happenings from every corner of the globe. For the
most part, the last ten years have witnessed an exceptional development in technology.
Unfortunately, globalization and technological progress have not lead to peace and
greater justice between the rich nations and the poorer ones of the Third and Fourth
Worlds. The situation makes one think that, while the synod fathers are gathering,
acts of violence, terrorism and war will unfortunately continue in various parts of
the world. At the same time, many brothers and sisters will fall victim to various
illnesses, for example, AIDS, which brings devastation to entire sectors of populations,
especially in poorer countries.
Regrettably, the scandal of hunger continues
to endure; indeed, it has worsened in recent years, given that more than a billion
people live in misery. In this regard, some statistics from society are worth considering,
particularly relating to the question of hunger. This subject cannot be overlooked
in the Church’s evangelizing mission in the world. Human promotion, in many areas
of social life, including health, humanitarian assistance and education, have always
gone hand in hand with the Church’s proclamation of the Gospel and her gift of salvation
in the Sacraments. Therefore, in treating hunger, it must be borne in mind that, in
the years 1999 to 2001, 842 million persons were undernourished in the world, 789
million of them in developing countries, especially Sub-Sahara Africa, Asia and the
Pacific. This dramatic situation is an inescapable reality in the discussion of the
synod fathers, who, like every Christian at various times during the day, pray to
the Lord: “give us this day our daily bread.” The Eucharist in Various Situations
in the Church The Lineamenta responses indicate that Mass
attendance on Sundays is high in various particular Churches in the countries of Africa
and also in some Asian countries. The opposite is the case in the majority of countries
in Europe, America and Oceania. In some cases, the percentage of those who participate
at Sunday Mass is as low as 5%. Generally speaking, the faithful who neglect to attend
Mass on Sundays do not consider participating at Mass important in their life. Basically,
they lack an understanding of the true nature of the Mass as Sacrifice and Eucharistic
Banquet which gathers the faithful around the Lord’s altar.
Mass on Saturday
evening permits those truly unable to attend Sunday Mass to fulfill their Sunday obligation.
However, in some cases, people take advantage of this privilege to engage in servile
work on Sundays. In many places, the number of persons attending weekday Masses is
small. Some participate on a regularly basis, others on occasion, and still others
come out of a sense of their Christian commitment. Ongoing, intensive catechesis
on the importance and obligation to participate at Holy Mass on Sundays and Holydays
of Obligation needs to be encouraged. At times, the obligatory character is minimized
by a person’s insisting that its observance depends on how one feels at the moment. Certain particular Churches are witnessing a significant decline in the
practice of the faith and participation at Mass, prevalently among the young. This
should lead to a reflection on how much time pastors and catechists spend in teaching
the faith to children and youth as compared to time in social activities.
An
increasingly secularized society has caused a weakening in the sense of mystery. This
is witnessed in mis-interpretations and distorted ideas in the Council’s liturgical
renewal, which has led to rites superficial in nature and devoid of spiritual significance.
Nevertheless, some Christian communities have maintained a deep sense of mystery,
so much so that the liturgy continues to have great meaning. Some express a certain
appreciation for inculturated liturgies which permit increased participation. As a
result, Mass attendance has been on the rise, with many young people and adults more
actively involved in the Church’s life and mission. In rural areas, the scarcity of
clergy in parishes has resulted in the celebration of Mass at certain times each month
or even each year. In these situations, the practice of entrusting a Sunday service
to lay people is unavoidable.
People ought clearly to be taught
that entering into the mystery of the Eucharist depends on a liturgical celebration
which is done with dignity, due preparation and, above all, faith in the mystery
itself. In this regard, the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio can be of assistance,
since it points out two causes for a lack of faith which is having a negative impact
on the missionary spirit: the secularization of salvation and religious relativism.
The former leads to a struggle in favour of the person, but a person reduced to only
one dimension—earthbound. Such an attitude takes the minister of the mysteries of
God and links his vocation to being simply a promoter of social justice. The latter
leads to the destruction of Christian truth, since it maintains that one religion
is as good as another. Far from allowing this to be a source of lament, Pope John
Paul II appealed in his Apostolic Letter, Novo millennio ineunte, for a strengthening
of the Church’s missionary activity.
The synod’s topic can be developed
properly by bearing the aforementioned in mind and remembering that for the Apostles
and Church Fathers—consider St. Justin alone—the Eucharist is the holiest action the
Church can perform. She firmly believes that the Risen Lord is truly and fully present
in the Eucharist. Christ’s presence is the Sacrament’s basic end. Because of the
change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, the Church always
approaches this mystery—the essence of the Liturgy—with fear and trembling, and likewise,
with great trust. Reverence towards the mystery of the Eucharist and awareness of
its sublime character are much needed today. This requires a structured program of
formation. Much will depend, however, on having places which can serve as models,
places where the Eucharist is truly believed and properly celebrated, places where
people can personally experience what the Sacrament is—the only authentic response
to a person’s every need in the search for life’s meaning. The Eucharist and
the Christian Meaning of Life Each person questions the meaning
of life: What is the meaning of my life? What is freedom? Why does suffering and death
exist? Is there anything beyond the grave? In a word, does life have meaning or not?
This questioning continues even though people often delude themselves into thinking
that they are self-sufficient or fall victim to fear and uncertainty. Religion is
the ultimate response to the search for life’s meaning, since it leads a person to
the truth about himself in relation to the true God.
The Eucharist “reveals the Christian
meaning of life” and provides a response to the perennial question of life’s meaning
by proclaiming the resurrection and the full and lasting Real Presence of Christ,
the pledge of future glory. This implies that people put their relationship with God
at the basis of everything. This relationship is to become their source of freedom,
enabling them to enter into the most profound depths of their being so that they can
make a totally free gift of self. This occurs in the paschal mystery where truth and
love meet and show themselves to be the distinguishing features of true religion.
Thus, the Eucharist manifests the truth of God’s Word: nihil hoc verbo veritatis
verius, as sung in the Eucharistic hymn Adoro Te, Devote. The meaning
of the Eucharist is entirely explained in Jesus’ words: “Do this in remembrance of
me” (Lk 22:19). Firstly, these words proclaim that Jesus Christ has brought
eternity into time, giving it a definitive orientation and eliminating its destructive
power. Secondly, these words highlight the fact that divine and human freedom meet
in Jesus Christ, thereby establishing a communion which enables a person to conquer
the Evil One. Finally, these words mean that Jesus Christ is the inexhaustible source
of renewal for both people and the world, despite humanity’s limitations and sins. The Lineamenta responses lament a certain separation of the pastoral
life from the Eucharist. The synod, therefore, could encourage the strengthening of
the bond between life and mission. The Eucharist is the response to the signs of
the times in contemporary culture. In a culture of death, the Eucharist is the
culture of life. In an atmosphere of individual and societal selfishness, the Eucharist
re-affirms total self-giving. Where there is hate and terrorism, the Eucharist places
love. In response to scientific positivism, the Eucharist proclaims mystery. In desperate
times, the Eucharist teaches a sure hope of a blessed eternity.
The Eucharist
manifests that the Church and the future of the human race are bound together in Christ
and in no other reality. He is the one, truly lasting rock. Therefore, Christ’s victory
is the Christian People who believe, celebrate and live the Eucharistic mystery.
Chapter
II THE EUCHARIST AND ECCLESIAL COMMUNION “Because there is one bread, we
who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1
Cor 10:17) Eucharistic Mystery: The Expression of Ecclesial Unity In exhorting the faithful to flee from idolatry and to avoid eating flesh
sacrificed to idols, St. Paul highlights the Christian’s intimate bond of communion
with the Body and Blood of Christ, thus making of the multitudes of the faithful,
one body, one community and one Church (cf. 1 Cor 8:1-10).
The subject
of ecclesial communion received particular attention during the Second Vatican Council.
It was also treated in the final report of the Second Extraordinary General Assembly
of the Synod of Bishops—held to commemorate the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the same
Council—and the document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the
bishops of the Catholic Church. Ecclesial communion was amply set forth in Chapter
VI of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores gregis, promulgated after
the X Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. This papal document, reflecting
the mind of the synod, emphasized that the communion of the bishops with the Successor
of Peter, the sign of unity between the universal Church and the particular Churches,
has its culminating point in the Eucharistic celebrations of the bishops with the
Pope during their ad limina visits. The Eucharist presided over by the Holy
Father and concelebrated by the Pastors of the particular Churches expresses the unity
of the Church in an eminent way. These concelebrated Masses clearly illustrate that
“every Eucharist is celebrated in communion with one’s own bishop, with the Roman
Pontiff and with the College of Bishops, and through them with the faithful of the
particular Church and of the whole Church. So that the universal Church is present
in the particular Church and the particular Church becomes part, together with the
other particular Churches, of the communion of the universal Church.” The responses
to the Lineamenta, in commenting on the Eucharist as the expression of ecclesial
communion, highlight the following aspects of the subject which warrant particular
treatment: the relation of the Eucharist to the Church; the relation of the Eucharist
to the other Sacraments, especially Penance; the relation of the Eucharist to the
faithful; and adverse situations or “shadows” in the celebration of the Eucharist. The
Relation of the Eucharist to the Church as ‘Bride and Body of Christ’ The Eucharist is the heart of ecclesial communion. From the many figures
applied to the Church, the Second Vatican Council preferred one which expresses her
totality—mystery. The Church is primarily the mystical encounter between God
and humanity. As such, she is Spouse and Body of Christ, Mother and
the People of God. Because of the mutual relationship between the Eucharist and the
Church, the notes of the Creed can be applied to both—one, holy, catholic and apostolic—as
illustrated in the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia.
The
Eucharist builds the Church and the Church is the place where communion is realized
with God and humanity. The Church is aware that the Eucharist is the sacrament of
unity, holiness, apostolicity and catholicity and the sacrament essential to the Church
as Bride of Christ and the Body of Christ. At the same time, the marks of the Church
are the bonds of catholic communion which give the Eucharistic celebration
its legitimacy. Pope John Paul II recalled that “the Church is the Body
of Christ: we walk ‘with Christ’ to the extent that we are in relationship ‘with his
body’.” This is the real basis for a certain manner of acting at the Eucharist and
for observing the norms of celebration. This is the Church as Bride rendering obedience
to Christ. The Church makes the Eucharist and the Eucharist builds
the Church. Although both were instituted by Christ, one in view of the other, the
two terms of the well-known aphorism are not equivalent. If the Eucharist builds up
the Church, because of the presence of the living Christ in the Sacrament, Jesus willed
the Church beforehand to celebrate the Eucharist. The Christians of the Eastern Churches
emphasize that the Church pre-existed from the time of creation in her earthly realization.
Belonging to the Church is the basis for admittance to the sacraments. No one can
approach the Eucharist without having first received Baptism; no one can return to
the Eucharist without first having received the Sacrament of Penance, the so-called
“arduous Baptism” which takes away mortal sins. From the early days of the Church,
to express this exacting preparation, the catechumenate for initiation and the penitential
practice for reconciliation were instituted respectively. Furthermore, without the
Sacrament of Orders, there can be no valid and lawful celebration of the Eucharist.
For
this reason, the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia speaks of the “causal
influence of the Eucharist...at its very origins,” and the intimate bond linking one
to the other. Bearing this in mind, one can better understand that “the celebration
of the Eucharist, however, cannot be the starting-point for communion; it presupposes
that communion already exists, a communion which it seeks to consolidate and bring
to perfection. The sacrament is an expression of this bond of communion both in its
invisible dimension...and in its visible dimension.... The profound relationship
between the invisible and the visible elements of ecclesial communion is constitutive
of the Church as the sacrament of salvation. Only in this context can there be a
legitimate celebration of the Eucharist and true participation in it.” In this Eucharistic
ecclesiology, the Eucharist always remains the source and summit of ecclesial life.
However, this does not mean that everything in the Church can be drawn from the Eucharist.
In this regard, the Second Vatican Council affirms: “The sacred liturgy does not exhaust
the entire activity of the Church. Before men can come to the liturgy they must be
called to faith and conversion.” The parish is the ordinary place where the Church
lives her life. The parish, duly renewed and animated, is most suited to formation
and Eucharistic worship, given that—as Pope John Paul II taught—“parishes are communities
of the baptized who express and affirm their identity above all through the celebration
of the Eucharistic Sacrifice.” The parish should also draw from the experience and
assistance of movements and new communities which, under the promptings of the Holy
Spirit and in accordance to each’s charism, have shown an appreciation for the elements
of Christian initiation, thereby helping many of the faithful to rediscover the beauty
of the Christian vocation with the Sacrament of the Eucharist as its centre.
Catholic ecclesiology is expressed in the Anaphora of the Liturgy, in the
so-called diptychs, which recall the Eucharistic aspect of the primacy of the
Pope, Bishop of Rome, as the interior principle of the universal Church. This is analogous
to the role of the bishop in his particular Church. One Eucharist calls the one Church
to unity, defying any break-down into multi-Churches. The one Church willed by Christ
always returns to the Eucharist, which is realized in communion with the apostolic
college, whose head is the Successor of Peter. This bond gives to the Eucharist its
legitimate character. The Eucharistic unity willed by Christ does not result simply
from the common union of so-called “Sister Churches.” The interior character of the
Sacrament is communion with the Successor of Peter, who is the principle of unity
in the Church and the recipient of the charism of unity and universality, that is,
the Petrine charism. Ecclesial unity, then, is manifested in the unity of Christians
in a sacramental and Eucharistic manner.
The Relation of the Eucharist
to the Other Sacraments A specific relationship exists between
the Eucharist and the other sacraments. A treatment of this subject needs to bear
in mind the teaching of the Council of Trent which states that the sacraments “contain
the grace they signify,” and confer that grace in their celebration. All sacraments,
ecclesiastical ministers and apostolic works are intimately bound to the Sacred Eucharist
and are ordered to it. Therefore, the Sacrament of the Eucharist is “the perfection
of all perfections.”
The relation of the Sacraments to the Eucharist does
not only concern their liturgical celebration but is based primarily on the essential
nature of each sacrament. The Sacrament of Baptism is indispensable for entering into
ecclesial communion, which in turn is strengthened by the other sacraments, thus offering
the believer “grace upon grace” (Jn 1:16). The fundamental relation of Baptism
to the Eucharist is understood to be the font of the Christian life. In Churches of
the Eastern tradition, Holy Communion is administered with Baptism, while in the Churches
of the Latin tradition, the Eucharist is received at the age of reason, and only after
Baptism. The responses to the Lineamenta call for a clearer treatment of
the theological connection of Baptism to the Eucharist as the summit
of initiation, though this does not necessarily mean that the Sacrament of Baptism
should always be celebrated during Mass. Concern was raised at the quality of such
a catechesis.
A theological connection also exists between Confirmation
and the Eucharist, because the Holy Spirit leads a person to believe in Jesus
Christ as Lord. To make this connection more evident, some particular Churches restored
the practice of administering Confirmation before Holy Communion.
The
Eucharist is the summit of an authentic program of Christian initiation. To live as
a Christian means to put the gift of Baptism into effect, a gift which is strengthened
in Confirmation and nourished through regular participation at Mass on Sundays and
Holydays of Obligation. In many cases, by delegating the administration of Confirmation
to priests, the role of the bishop as the ordinary minister of the Sacrament is put
at risk. In so doing, the newly confirmed lose the opportunity of meeting the father
and visible head of the particular Church. Some responses commented
on the proper age for receiving First Communion in the Church of the Latin tradition,
given the spiritual and pastoral benefits which have resulted in administering the
Sacrament in early childhood. When treating the subject, the words of Pope John Paul
II, reported in his book, Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way!, deserve consideration.
The Pope recently recalled that “children are the present and the future of the Church.
They play an active role in the evangelization of the world, and, with their prayers,
help to save and improve it.”
In the past, this question received treatment
in the Decree Quam singulari, which allowed children to receive the Eucharist
as early as 7 years old—considered to be the age of reason—when they can distinguish
the Eucharistic bread from ordinary bread. In this case, First Communion is preceded
by First Confession in the Sacrament of Penance. Today, this approach seems even more
necessary, because many children attain the use of reason and are subject to dangers
and temptations at an early age. This practice affirms the primacy of grace, which
has brought great benefits to the Church, and fostered priestly vocations. The relation of Holy Orders to the Eucharist is seen primarily
at Mass presided over by bishop or priest in the Person of Christ the Head.
The
Church’s teaching makes Holy Orders a requirement for the valid celebration of the
Eucharist. For this reason, many strongly recommended highlighting the fact that
“in the celebration of the Eucharist, the ministerial priesthood differs from the
common priesthood of the faithful in essence and not merely in degree.” Similarly,
it was suggested that when priests participate at the celebration of the Eucharist,
they do so as celebrants, thereby fulfilling their role coming from their reception
of the Sacrament of Orders. Reference was made to the Sacrament of
Matrimony which customarily takes place during the celebration of the Eucharist
in Churches of the Latin tradition; this is not the case in Eastern Churches.
The
celebration of Matrimony during Mass highlights the paradigm of Christian love, that
is, the love of Jesus Christ, who, in the Eucharist, loves the Church as his Bride
to the point of giving his life for her. This spousal love is likewise accentuated
when the Sacrament of Matrimony is celebrated outside of Mass. The Eucharist then
remains the inexhaustible source of union and enduring love for the Sacrament of Matrimony
and becomes food for the entire family in building a Christian home. As
for the other sacraments, the relation of the Sacrament of the Sick to the
Eucharist finds its source in the person of Christ, who, in his concern for
those afflicted with every kind of illness, revealed the meaning of his mission to
heal and save humanity.
The
Lineamenta responses suggest presenting the relation of the Anointing of the
Sick to the Eucharist as comfort and hope in time of illness, even before the idea
of the Eucharist as Viaticum. Extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist are
encouraged to visit the seriously ill and elderly persons unable physically to be
present at Mass in Church. For the benefit of these people, some responses think it
oportune to utilize the means of social communication in broadcasting Holy
Mass and other liturgical celebrations. In putting this modern technology to use,
however, those employed would benefit from an appropriate formation in theology, pedagogy
and culture. Generally speaking, the liturgical norms of the Eastern
Churches do not provide for the celebration of the sacraments during Mass, though
some exceptions exist for Baptism and Matrimony. Each Church is responsible for issuing
appropriate norms regarding the practice.
The responses show that in the
particular Churches of the Latin rite the celebration of the sacraments during Mass
takes place in various ways according to local customs from country to country. Some
dioceses have norms regulating the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals
during Mass, especially in the case of mixed marriages and funerals of non-practising
Catholics. As in Baptism and Penance, the rituals normally make a distinction between
individual and communal celebrations. Although the latter is pastorally preferred,
it should not lead to an over-emphasis on the communal aspect, since the sacraments
always remain a gift to the individual person. In determined circumstances, the faithful
have the right to receive a sacrament individually. The Close Bond Between the
Eucharist and Penance The Sacrament of Penance restores the bonds
of communion broken by mortal sin. Consequently, the relation of the Eucharist to
the Sacrament of Penance deserves particular attention. The responses point out the
need to treat the Sacrament of Penance as geared towards the Eucharist and the Church,
understanding it to be the necessary condition for encountering and adoring, in a
spirit of holiness and purity of heart, the Lord who is All-Holy. Jesus washed the
feet of his Apostles to indicate the holiness of the Eucharistic mystery. St. Paul
affirms that sin is a profanation likened to prostitution, because our bodies are
one with Christ (cf. 1 Cor 6:15-17). Thus, for example, St. Cæsarius of Arles
states: “every time we come to Church, we set our souls in order according to the
state of God’s Temple. Do you want to find a resplendent basilica? Then, don’t soil
your spirit with the uncleanliness of sin.”
The relation of the Eucharist to
Penance in today’s society greatly depends on both a sense of sin and a sense of the
sacred. The distinction between good and evil oftentimes becomes a subjective matter.
People today, by insisting that conscience is strictly a personal affair, risk losing
a sense of sin. Many Lineamenta responses refer to the rapport
between the Eucharist and Reconciliation.
In many countries, persons have
lost, or are gradually losing, an awareness that conversion is necessary for receiving
the Eucharist. Its connection with the Sacrament of Penance is not always understood,
e.g., the necessity of being in the state of grace before receiving Holy Communion.
As a result, the obligation of confessing mortal sins is forgotten. The idea of
communion as “food for the journey” has also caused a minimization of the necessity
of being in the state of grace. Instead, just as proper nourishment presupposes a
healthy, living being, so the Eucharist requires that a person be in the state of
grace so the Baptismal commitment can be re-enforced. How can a person be in the state
of mortal sin and receive the One who is a “medicine” of immortality and an “antidote”
to death. Where many faithful know that they cannot receive communion while in
mortal sin, they do not have a clear idea of what constitutes mortal sin. Others give
no thought to it. Oftentimes, the situation creates a vicious circle: “I won’t receive
communion because I have not gone to confession; I don’t go to confession, because
I have no sins to confess.” Though such an attitude can be traced to a variety of
causes, the principal one is a lack of proper catechesis on the subject. Another
rather widespread problem is created by a lack of access to the Sacrament of Penance
at convenient times. In some countries, individual confessions have been eliminated.
At most, the Sacrament is celebrated twice a year, during a communal liturgy, resulting
in a hybrid form of the Sacrament which draws from both the second and third rites
provided in the ritual. Certainly, thought needs to be given to the great disproportion
between the many who receive Holy Communion and the few who go to confession. The
faithful frequently receive Holy Communion, without even thinking that they might
be in the state of mortal sin. As a result, the receiving of Holy Communion by those
who are divorced and civilly remarried is a common occurrence in various countries.
At funeral Masses, weddings or other celebrations, many receive Holy Communion only
out of the generally-held, mistaken conviction that a person cannot participate at
Mass without receiving Holy Communion. Apart from the fore-mentioned
pastoral problems, many responses were very encouraging. They call for an awareness
of the proper conditions for receiving Holy Communion and the necessity of the Sacrament
of Penance, which, preceded by an examination of conscience, prepares the heart, purifying
it of sin. To achieve this, the responses mention that the connection between the
two sacraments be often treated in homilies.
Some wished that serious
thought be given to reverting to the Eucharistic fast practised by the Eastern
Churches. Fasting relies on self-control which has recourse to the will and leads
to the purification of mind and heart. St. Athanasius states: “Do you want to know
what fasting does? ... it casts out demons and liberates us from evil thoughts; it
raises the mind and purifies the heart.” The Lenten liturgy calls for the purification
of the heart through fasting and silence, as St. Basil recommends. Some Lineamenta
responses raised the question of the timeliness of returning to the obligation of
the three-hour Eucharistic fast. Greater effort is needed in providing the opportunity
for individual confessions. This could possibly be done in conjunction with neighbouring
parishes, not only on Saturdays and Sundays but especially during Advent and Lent.
Through preaching and catechesis much can be accomplished to restore a sense of sin
and penitential practice, which will counteract the difficulties resulting from a
secularized mentality. Some feel that confessions should be heard before Mass,
adapting the schedule to the penitent’s needs and offering the possibility of approaching
the Sacrament of Penance even during the Eucharistic celebration, as recommended in
the Apostolic Letter Misericordia Dei. Priests need to see that in administrating
the Sacrament of Penance they themselves are a particular sign and instrument of God’s
mercy. The Church is deeply grateful to priests who zealously hear confessions so
the faithful can receive and encounter Christ in the Eucharist. The faithful will
be more inclined to go to confession, if they see the priest exercising his ministry
in the confessional, as seen in the example in our day of St. Leopold Mandi_, St.
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina and many other holy pastors. The Relation of the Eucharist
to the Faithful According to the teaching of the Second Vatican
Council and other documents of the Magisterium, the lay faithful are an essential
part of the communion of the Church, which is structured hierarchically.
In
the incarnation of the Word, God the Father made himself visible and began a worship
in spirit—conforming to reason—which is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Worship can
no longer be “something learned by rote” (Is 29:13). Christian worship has
Christological and anthropological implications. Therefore, the participation
of the faithful at liturgical celebrations, particularly the Eucharistic Liturgy,
is essentially entering into this spiritual worship where God comes down to the individual
and the individual is raised to God. The Eucharist itself, the Son’s memorial, is
adoration which arises to the Father in the Holy Spirit. This is the basis of the
liturgical renewal desired by the Second Vatican Council. Many mention that the
idea of participation is often limited to its exterior aspects. Not everyone understands
that its true meaning comes from faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Participation
in the Eucharist is rightly seen as the quintessential act in the Church’s life. It
is communion with Trinitarian life: God the Father, the incarnate and risen Son of
God and the Holy Spirit, who works the transformation and the “divinization” of human
life. The responses to the Lineamenta agree that the faithful need assistance
in understanding the nature of the Eucharist and its connection to the incarnation
of the Word, in addition to their seeing that their participation in the Eucharistic
mystery is primarily an interior gift of themselves in heart and mind, before ever
being an exterior act. For this purpose, the suggestion was made to give greater emphasis
to the spousal aspect of the Eucharist in relation to the new covenant, using it as
the model for the vocations of the Christian life—marriage, virginity and priesthood—so
as to form Eucharistic persons and communities who love and serve, like Jesus in the
Eucharist. The Second Vatican Council recommended that the means
of social communication already in place should be put to good use, particularly in
facilitating the participation of the faithful, who, for various reasons, cannot be
physically present in Church for the celebration of the Eucharist. Some proposed that
the various mass-media under the auspices of the Holy See engage in a coordinated
effort to supply appropriate services to the universal Church in a timely and professional
manner, an undertaking which could promptly counteract the increasing spread of anti-Christian
teachings. A great part of this work could be done by the means of social communication
which have underlying Catholic principles, so that they can be of use in the urgent
task of proposing the Christian message in a balanced and positive manner and enlightening
the consciences of all people of good will on ethical and moral topics of great importance
for the life of the Church and society.
Shadows in the Celebration
of the Eucharist Regrettably, the Lineamenta responses
also indicate that the ecclesial community is seriously concerned about and affected
by shadows in the celebration of the Eucharist. Pope John Paul II already touched
upon the subject in his Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia. The Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments treated the matter more extensively
in its Instruction Redemptionis sacramentum, which is an invitation to consider
in an attentive, calm but nonetheless critical fashion, the way the Church celebrates
this Sacrament, the source and summit of her life and mission. That this invitation
comes at a moment when the Church is becoming more engaged in a dialogue with other
religions and the world, shows the hand of Providence in the Pope’s appeal. In this
way, he teaches that the Church must always take a hard look at herself, if she is
to speak faithfully about herself with those involved in dialogue, without losing
her proper identity as the universal sacrament of salvation.
The following
text describes various shadows which came to light in analysing the Lineamenta
responses. These observations should not be seen as merely transgressions of the rubrics
or violations in liturgical practice but rather as indications of deep-rooted attitudes.
Regarding the observation of the Dies Domini, the responses refer to a decrease
in participation at Mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation, due to a lack of understanding
on the content and meaning of the Eucharistic mystery and to an attitude of indifference,
particularly in progressively secularized countries, where oftentimes Sunday becomes
just another workday. It is widely held that Christ’s presence is a result of the
community and not Christ himself, who is the font and centre of our communion and
head of his Body, the Church. Neglect of prayer, contemplation and adoration of
the Eucharistic mystery has weakened the sense of the sacred in relation to this great
Sacrament. This situation can lead to compromising the truth of Catholic teaching
concerning the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ,
traditionally called transubstantiation. It can also threaten faith in the Real Presence
of Christ in the Eucharist, a belief which suffers from ideas which intend to explain
the Eucharistic mystery not so much in itself but rather from a subjective point of
view, for example, in the use of terms like “trans-finalization” and “trans-signification.” The
responses note that the people are not always consistent in the faith they profess
in the Sacrament and the moral implications of the Sacrament in both personal matters
as well as in the general cultural and social arena. Some Church documents are
barely known, especially those of the Second Vatican Council, the great encyclicals
on the Eucharist, including Ecclesia de Eucharistia, the Apostolic Letter Mane
nobiscum, Domine, and others. Some liturgical celebrations suffer from an improper
balance, ranging from a passive following of rituals to an excessive creativity which
sometimes draws too much attention to the celebrant of the Eucharist. The latter is
often characterized by lengthy commentaries which do not allow the Eucharistic mystery
to speak for itself through liturgical signs and formulas. PART II
THE
FAITH OF THE CHURCH IN THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST Chapter I THE
EUCHARIST, GOD’S GIFT TO HIS PEOPLE “The Mystery of Faith” The Eucharist:
the Mystery of Faith Using the above phrase, the priest-presider
at the Eucharist, proclaims, in a spirit of awe, the Church’s faith in the risen Lord,
really present under the elements of bread and wine, which have been changed by the
power of the Holy Spirit into his Body and Blood.
There is general insistence
on the Second Vatican Council’s teaching which refers to the Eucharist as the centre
and heart of the Church’s life and, in a particular way, as the Mystery of Faith,
God’s plan revealed in Jesus Christ. The God who gives himself to us, and is with
us, is not only a gift and mystery of ineffable richness but also a gift and mystery
continually to be rediscovered. The Mysterium fidei is the God who gives to
us, the First, the Last and the Living One who has entered into time. The Lord Jesus
is truly man and truly God in our midst. He is Son of God and Son of Man. A well-known,
Second Vatican Council text provides assistance in the matter of faith and mystery:
“The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man
take on light....Christ, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and his love,
fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear.” The word
“mystery,” occurring three times, summarizes the truth concerning Christ and the truth
concerning each person. The question of the mystery of the Word, the mystery of the
Father and the mystery of humanity are never unresolved; they find a response in Jesus
Christ who is true God and true man. By making himself “truly one of us” and being
“united in a certain way with every man,” our Lord gives the full meaning of existence
to all who desire it. He is not outside the human condition; he has brought the truth
of creation to fulfilment, because “he worked with human hands, he thought with a
human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart.” Pope John Paul II
has taken this text from his first encyclical Redemptor hominis and practically
made it the Church’s manifesto in the new millennium, in which she is called to draw
on the truth concerning Christ and the truth concerning humanity and its dignity,
as found in the Gospel. The fact and mystery of the incarnation,
fulfilled in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, allows each person
to participate in the divine life which is present in the Eucharist, the Bread of
Eternal Life, because it has the power to overcome death. “Truly, truly I say to you,
if any one keeps my word, he will never see death” (Jn 8:51). Therefore, the
resurrection is offered to humanity.
The Eucharist is also at the heart
of the message proclaimed by all Christians to the world for two thousands years—we
bear witness that Jesus Christ was crucified but is now risen from the dead (cf. 1
Cor 15:3-5). The Eucharist proclaims the death of Christ, whose drama all can
understand. Likewise, it proclaims his resurrection, which requires a faith and openness
to receive God into our world. In this way, a faith born in the Eucharist becomes
the basis for a new way of acting which contains in itself the ultimate, definitive
meaning of awaiting the Lord’s coming. The trinomial—faith, liturgy and life—widely
existent in pastoral circles, alludes to the fact that without faith the Eucharist
cannot be celebrated or lived. Without faith, there can be no discussion on the subject
of active participation in the liturgy. The Eucharist: The New and Eternal
Covenant Citing St. Irenaeus, The Catechism of the Catholic
Church states: “The Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: ‘Our way of
thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of
thinking’.” In this statement, how can one not see God’s covenant in action, the very
place where the individual is to live his faith commitment? “If you do not believe,
surely you shall not be established” (Is 7, 9b), says the Lord. The Eucharist
is the New and Eternal Covenant, the pact and testament left by Jesus in the Sacrament
of his Body and Blood.
Indeed, the entire Church expresses her faith in
the New and Eternal Covenant. After listening to the Word, faith is professed in the
Eucharistic mystery, the revelation and gift of God himself in Jesus Christ, which
spurs Christians to give wholly and entirely of themselves. First and foremost in
the Eucharist, faith means acknowledging and welcoming Jesus Christ in an encounter
which totally engages a person in the depths of his being, as was the case in Mary,
the model of a faith fully realized. Faith and the Celebration of the Eucharist The Lineamenta responses also treat various aspects of the faith
required in the celebration of the Eucharist. The Sacrament manifests the primacy
of the grace of God, who is always at the origin of everything, and his gift
of the Holy Spirit, who makes us participate in his mysterious action in the Sacrament
by changing the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus as well as making
us holy. To approach the Eucharistic liturgy without faith in grace or without at
least the desire to be in the state of grace, makes void any participation
in worshipping in spirit and in truth.
The Eucharist proclaims the truth
of God’s Word revealed in Jesus, the Word-Made-Flesh, who already bears in his Person
the ultimate fulfilment of human history. If one goes to the Eucharistic liturgy with
doubt rather than the assent of truth, real participation is impossible. The gift
of freedom, which the Creator gives to each person, makes the act of faith
a free choice of adhering to the Person of Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life
(cf. Jn 14:6). In the Eucharistic liturgy, God reveals himself but also remains
hidden, so as to stimulate the believer’s reason and understanding to seek him constantly
and to find him in everyday life. The liturgy leads to a deeper participation in this
mystical action or mistagogy, to quote the technical term used by the Church
Fathers. According to the Apostles James and Paul, love actuates and completes
faith. Faith effects a change in the believer’s heart, converting it and opening it
to love. Faith and love, together with hope, are the basis of Christian identity.
The Eucharist, the Sacrament of Love, leads a person to love and provides the basis
and purpose for his existence. Without agape-love, there is no life in the
Spirit. In considering the full reception of Holy Communion, these aspects of participation
find their ultimate expression in doing God’s will, a plea made in the Our Father.
A person can certainly participate at Mass, even though the necessary conditions
do not exist for him to receive Holy Communion. However, the person must always nourish
a desire and determination to fulfill these conditions as soon as possible. Personal
Faith and the Church’s Faith Communion with Christ and his Church
teaches that a personal faith continuously tends towards an ecclesial
dimension, just as the profession of faith in Baptism naturally tends towards the
liturgy. For this reason, access to the Eucharist—which presupposes faith—can only
come about through Baptism. If the grace of Baptism is lost through sin, the “arduous
Baptism,” Penance, is required to return to the Eucharist.
Before partaking
of the Eucharist, the profession of faith is renewed. This fundamental bond manifests
the communion of each particular Church with the local Churches throughout the world,
and also the primary union with the Church of Rome and its Bishop, the necessary principle
of the Church’s unity. Likewise, this reciprocity is expressed in the Anaphora, in
the diptychs. In the Eucharist, we manifest both a personal faith and the faith
of the Church. Participation at the Eucharist leads to an increase in understanding
the mystery of each person and his life and provides the strength for the Christian
to defend his faith, when partial or erroneous explanations threaten it. Essentially,
the liturgy is an integrating part of the lifelong journey in faith. The general
meaning of faith is primarily seen in the witness of the martyrs, who freely
accepted death as a result of hatred towards the faith, oftentimes during or immediately
after the celebration of the Eucharist. They were certain of truth and life; they
followed Christ, who made a free offering of himself, leaving a memorial of his sacrifice
in the Eucharist. Indeed, the acts of martyrdom which are taking place in many Churches
suffering open and ill-hidden persecutions, bear witness, in the fullest manner possible,
that the Sacrament is the fons et culmen of the life and mission of the Church.
The
Perception of the Eucharistic Mystery among the Faithful Generally
speaking, the responses to the Lineamenta reveal a certain decrease in the
understanding of the mystery celebrated. The Eucharist as gift and mystery is not
always perceived. This is witnessed in various cultural nuances. For example, in those
countries enjoying a general climate of peace and prosperity—primarily western countries—many
perceive the Eucharistic mystery as simply the fulfilment of a Sunday obligation and
a meal of fellowship. Instead, in those countries experiencing wars and other difficulties,
many understand the Eucharistic mystery more fully, that is, including its sacrificial
aspect. The paschal mystery, celebrated in an unbloody manner on the altar, gives
profound spiritual meaning to the sufferings of Catholic Christians in these lands,
helping these people to accept them as a participation in the mystery of the death
and resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Some responses, coming from
the Church in Africa, mention that the idea of sacrifice is indigenous to the cultures
of that continent. Therefore, this understanding, properly taken and purified of elements
extraneous to the Gospel, is often used in pastoral catechesis for a better understanding
of the sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist. Catechesis is faced with the difficulty
of preserving the sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist as well as the idea of the Eucharist
as a meal. Oftentimes, the latter receives more emphasis than the former. To deal
with these pastoral situations, many Lineamenta responses want an effective,
faithful application of the liturgical renewal of the Second Vatican Council to reestablish
a balance among the various aspects of the Eucharist. In this case, some thought that
certain liturgical norms might be reviewed. Similarly, the suggestion was made to
promote an adequate catechesis at all levels to help people better understand that
the paschal mystery is renewed in the Eucharist and that the Eucharist is the sacrifice
of praise and communion, which causes the community grow. The Sense of the Sacred
in the Eucharist No one doubts the great effects resulting from
the liturgical renewal prompted by the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. Indeed,
the post-conciliar liturgy has greatly fostered the active, conscious and fruitful
participation of the faithful in the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar.
Nevertheless,
responses coming from various countries note some deficiencies and shadows in the
celebration of the Eucharist on the part of both the clergy and the faithful, which
seem to have their origin in a weakened sense of the sacred in the Sacrament. Safeguarding
the Sacrament’s sacred character basically depends on being aware that the Eucharist
is a mystery and gift, whose remembrance requires signs and words corresponding to
its nature as a sacrament. Certain actions which challenge a sense of the sacred,
often mentioned in the Lineamenta responses, can be of assistance in treating
the subject, for example, a neglect by the celebrant and the ministers to use proper
liturgical vestments and the participants’ lack of befitting dress for Mass; the use
of profane music in Church; the tacit consent to eliminate certain liturgical gestures
thought to be too traditional, such as genuflexion before the Blessed Sacrament; an
inadequate catechesis for Communion in the hand and its improper distribution; a lack
of reverence before, during and after the celebration of Holy Mass, not only by the
laity but also the celebrant; the scant architectural and artistic quality of sacred
buildings and sacred vessels; and instances of syncretism in integrating elements
from other religions in the inculturation of liturgical forms. All these negative
realities, occurring more often in the Latin Liturgy than the Liturgies of the Eastern
Churches, should not lead to great alarm, since they seem to be limited. Nevertheless,
they ought to spur serious reflection on how to eliminate them and to ensure that
the Eucharistic liturgies are places of praise, prayer, communion, listening, silence
and adoration, out of deep reverence for the mystery of God, who is revealed in Christ
under the elements of bread and wine, and out of the utter joy of feeling oneself
a member of a community of the faithful reconciled with God the Father through the
grace of the Holy Spirit. The Eucharist is the most sacred and highest form of prayer.
It is the Great Prayer. Chapter II THE PASCHAL MYSTERY AND THE EUCHARIST “For
as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s
death until he comes” (1 Cor 11:26). The Centrality of the Paschal
Mystery Every Eucharistic celebration renews the paschal mystery
of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, bread broken for the life
of the world and blood poured out for the redemption of humanity and the liberation
of the cosmos (cf. Rm 8:19-23).
The synod topic ought to lead to
a rediscovery of Jesus’ paschal mystery as the mystery of salvation, which gives rise
to the life and mission of the Church. The Eucharist is revealed as Gift: the
Lord gives himself; he is God-with-us. The Eucharist is his Person and his life given
for us. The Lord exercises his priestly, prophetic and kingly mission in the Eucharist. The
Apostles and disciples declare: “The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon”
(Lk 24:34). St. Paul exhorts Timothy: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the
dead” (2 Tim 2:8). Concerning the apostles’ testimony, St. John Chrysostom
observes: “It is evident then, that if they did not see him risen and did not have
undeniable proof of his power, they would never have left themselves open to so many
perils.” In a certain way, people want everything, but they have only what can
be achieved with their limited, finite power. Death and its fore-warnings of disease
and suffering show how limited a person’s freedom of choice is. In his resurrection,
Jesus planted the seed of ultimate hope in the history of humanity—victory over death.
In the end, this is the high point of his revelation. Death is conquered not only
because sin was destroyed and humanity was reconciled to God, but also because life
was restored and is to be given in eternity to those who believe in Christ. Jesus
Christ offers a concrete sign of this hope in willing his Church as his Mystical
Body. Believers, indeed, have died and risen with Christ (cf. Rm 6:1-11). Names
for the Eucharist The names given to the Eucharist need
to be better explained and their content better examined for a better understanding
of Christian worship. The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists the names
given to this Sacrament: first of all, the Eucharist; The Lord’s Supper,
both as the commemoration of the paschal meal celebrated by Christ in anticipation
of The Supper of the Marriage of the Lamb in the Heavenly Jerusalem; The
Breaking of Bread, the rite which emphasizes the communal sharing in one body
and serves as the basis for the synaxis or Eucharistic Assembly, the visible
expression of the Church; Memorial of the passion and resurrection; Holy
Sacrifice, because it makes present the one and only sacrifice of Christ the Redeemer;
The Holy or Divine Liturgy, The Sacred Mysteries, The Most
Blessed Sacrament, Holy Communion, Holy Things, Medicine of Immortality,
Viaticum, and Holy Mass, which highlights the missionary aspect.
Understanding
the meaning of each term, without the exclusion of the others, is important for a
complete catechesis, which is in turn the basis for an informed participation at the
liturgy. Sacrifice, Memorial and Meal The Lineamenta
responses indicate a general need to examine thoroughly the sacrificial nature of
the Eucharist and a hope that this truth of our faith be presented with greater clarity,
according to the recent Magisterium of the Church.
The Second Vatican Council has
already provided a theological reflection on Jesus’ sacrifice as a complete and totally
gratuitous offering of himself to God the Father for the salvation of the world. Though
numerous texts mention this aspect of the Sacrament, the reference in the Dogmatic
Constitution Lumen gentium to the idea of sacrifice in the exercise of the
priestly ministry deserves particular attention: “priests...exercise their sacred
function in the Eucharistic liturgy or synaxis, where, acting in the Person of Christ
and proclaiming his mystery, they join the offering of the faithful to the sacrifice
of their Head. Until the Lord comes again (cf. 1 Cor 11:26), they re-present
and apply in the Sacrifice of the Mass the one sacrifice of the New Testament, namely
the sacrifice of Christ offering himself once and for all to his Father as a spotless
victim (cf. Heb 9:11-28).” The Catechism of the Catholic Church treats
the subject in the subheading: The Sacramental Sacrifice: Thanksgiving, Memorial,
Presence which indicates that the prevalent name, without prejudice to the others,
is the Sacramental Sacrifice, namely, that the sacrificial death of Christ saved us
from our sins and that the Sacrament gives each of us the possibility to experience
its effects. Thanksgiving is therefore rendered to God through his sacrifice, though
recalling his sacrifice, and through the presence of his sacrifice in the Body given
up and in the Blood poured out. An act of thanksgiving is made to the Father
for creation and for the salvation of humanity and the world. Considering the Eucharist
in this way can lay to rest any opposition between the notions of sacrifice and meal.
In fact, if a supper is intended in using the second term, the notion of sacrifice
would be included, since it would denote the Supper of the Lamb who was slain. Employing
the second term as a synonym for communion would also manifest the end or summit
of the Eucharistic sacrifice. The Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia,
in treating the Eucharist as sacrifice, also teaches that the Church re-presents Christ’s
sacrifice as an act of intercession, namely, the Son offers himself in his flesh and
thereby becomes the mediator between humanity and the Father. The Church of Christ
is united in this offering through the Anaphora or Eucharistic Prayer. This
offering is not new; rather it is the one and same offering accomplished on the Cross,
though in an unbloody manner. This understanding is helpful in reading the following
reference from the Encyclical: “The Mass makes present the sacrifice of the Cross;
it does not add to that sacrifice nor does it multiply it.” Recounting what comes
about as a result of the sacrificial love of the Lord is simply to repeat the Encyclical’s
contents. The Consecration Christ’s incarnation, death,
resurrection and ascension and Pentecost are real happenings; they help us to know
that the Lord’s enduring, substantial presence in the Sacrament is not a mere type
or metaphor. Doubts that God’s power can work in matter account for the fact that
some see the Sacrament only as a symbol of Christ’s presence. In the context of the
other ways in which Christ is present in the Church, the paschal mystery allows us
to understand the nature of the Lord’s presence in the Eucharist resulting from the
change of the elements or transubstantiation. The bread becomes the Body given up
and broken for our salvation: Corpus Christi salva me; the wine becomes the
Blood poured out and the overflowing of divine delight: Sanguis Christi inebria
me. Because the Eucharist is the real and substantial presence of Christ in the
“poverty” of the sacramental elements, the Sacrament can sow the seeds of a new history
in the world. The paschal mystery confirms the condescension of God and the kenosis
of the Son, without any compromise to the absolute transcendence of the Trinity.
Jesus’
words “take and eat” primarily mean the gift of himself to us which in turn
leads to the fellowship of the table, the unity of the Church community and the commitment
to share bread with the needy. All this gives rise to adoration, namely, the ongoing
worship of the Lord, who accompanies the People of God on its pilgrimage. Transubstantiation
takes place in the consecration of the bread and wine. The responses recommend that
the theology of the act of consecration be explained by drawing from the ecclesial
traditions of both East and West. In particular, the consecration should be seen as
the faithful imitation of what the Lord did and commanded at the Last Supper and as
the result of the invocation of the Holy Spirit in the epiclesis. A clearer theology
on the act of consecration would be very useful in ecumenical dialogue with the Eastern
Churches which are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church. Likewise, it
would help eliminate some shadows mentioned in the Lineamenta responses, for
example, the use of hosts with leaven or other ingredients; the celebration of Mass
with ordinary bread; improvisation during the Eucharistic Prayer; the recitation of
certain parts of the Eucharistic Prayer by the people at the insistence of the celebrant
and the fractio panis at the moment of consecration. The Real Presence The Lord willed his presence in the Sacrament so that he could be near humanity,
provide himself as nourishment for humanity and continually abide in the Church community.
Some responses mention that humanity’s response is faith in Christ’s Real and Substantial
Presence, in accordance with the teachings of the Encyclical Letters Ecclesia
de Eucharistia and Mysterium fidei. Faith in Christ’s presence in the Sacrament
includes other dimensions, that is, a sense of mystery and the various ways to express
it, the positioning of the tabernacle and conduct at Mass, not to mention the Sacrament’s
eschatological significance as the pledge of future glory. Indeed, the Sacrament is
also the anticipation of the ultimate, eternal reality as the Church journeys
in pilgrimage towards the house of the heavenly Father. This final dimension is seen,
for example, in the lives of persons in the consecrated life who patiently await the
Bridegroom.
In the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine, for the
Year of the Eucharist, Pope John Paul II proposed the following doctrinal synthesis
concerning the presence of the living Christ in his Church: “All these dimensions
of the Eucharist come together in one aspect which more than any other makes a demand
on our faith: the mystery of the ‘real’ presence. With the entire tradition
of the Church, we believe that Jesus is truly present under the Eucharistic species.
This presence—as Pope Paul VI rightly explained—is called ‘real’ not in an exclusive
way, as if to suggest that other forms of Christ's presence are not real, but par
excellence, because Christ thereby becomes substantially present, whole and entire,
in the reality of his body and blood. Faith demands that we approach the Eucharist
fully aware that we are approaching Christ himself. It is precisely his presence which
gives the other aspects of the Eucharist—as meal, as memorial of the paschal mystery,
as eschatological anticipation—a significance which goes far beyond mere symbolism.
The Eucharist is a mystery of presence, the perfect fulfilment of Jesus' promise to
remain with us until the end of the world.” This citation confirms the teaching
called for in various responses to the Lineamenta. The one hidden in the Sacrament
is the kingly Mediator between God and humanity, the Eternal High Priest, the Divine
Master, the Judge of the living and the dead, the God-Man, the Word-Made-Flesh
and the One who mystically gathers together all the faithful into the great community
of the Church. This is the way he presents himself at Mass. Some
Lineamenta responses, however, mention that, at times, a certain way of acting
indicates that transubstantiation and the Real Presence are understood in a symbolic
sense only. Many responses noted that some celebrants at the liturgy seem more like
showmen, who must draw people’s attention to themselves, instead of servants of Christ,
called to conduct the faithful to union with him. Obviously, such a way of acting
has negative repercussions on the people who run the risk of being confused in both
their faith in and understanding of the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament.
True
and proper liturgical signs and gestures, aimed at expressing faith in the Real Presence
of Christ in the Eucharist, have been used in Church tradition, for example, the
attentive purification of sacred vessels after communion, the steps to be taken when
the Eucharistic species might accidentally fall to the floor, genuflections before
the tabernacle, the use of the communion plate, the regular replacement of consecrated
hosts reserved in the tabernacle, the keeping of the tabernacle key in a secure place
and the celebrant’s composure and concentration in keeping with the transcendent and
divine character of the Sacrament. Omitting or neglecting any of these sacred gestures,
which are significantly important externally, would clearly not contribute to preserving
a sound faith in Christ’s Real Presence in the Sacrament. The responses therefore
suggest that the gestures and signs expressing faith in the Real Presence be included
in a proper mystagogy and liturgical catechesis. Furthermore, it
must not to be forgotten that faith in the Real Presence of the dead and risen Lord
in the Blessed Sacrament has a culminating point in Eucharistic adoration, a firmly
grounded tradition in the Latin Church. Such a practice—rightly highlighted in many
Lineamenta responses—should not be presented as something apart from the Eucharistic
celebration but as its natural continuation. The responses also indicate that some
particular Churches are experiencing a reawakening in Eucharistic
adoration,
which, in each case, is to be done in a dignified and solemn manner. Likewise,
the positioning of the tabernacle in an easily seen place is another way of attesting
to faith in Christ’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. In this regard, the responses
to the Lineamenta request that significant thought be given to the proper location
of the tabernacle in Churches, with due attention to canonical norms. It is worth
considering whether the removal of the tabernacle from the centre of the sanctuary
to an obscure, undignified corner or to a separate chapel, or whether to have placed
the celebrant’s chair in the centre of the sanctuary or in front of the tabernacle—as
was done in many renovations of older churches and in new constructions—has contributed
in some way to a decrease in faith in the Real Presence. The responses also note
that instructions in the construction and re-structuring of Churches often insist
in a particular way on the positioning of the tabernacle to express an awareness of
the Real Presence. When this is done, it results in an increase in faith and adoration.
Churches ought to remain places of prayer and adoration and not be transformed into
museums. This is also the case for cathedrals and basilicas of great historic and
artistic value.
PART III THE EUCHARIST IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH Chapter
I CELEBRATING THE EUCHARIST OF THE LORD “And lo, I am with you always,
to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20). “We thank you for counting us
worthy to stand in your presence...” The celebration of Holy
Mass begins with an acknowledgment that God is present where two or more are united
in his name and that we stand before him in his presence. In participating at Mass,
we ought to be aware that we are at the wellspring of grace: “Our hymn of praise adds
nothing to your greatness but brings us your saving grace.” In the Liturgy, a person
looks not at himself but God.
It is not our praise but his action which
makes the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the centre of the cosmic liturgy in which the
Trinity is present, eternally adored by Mary and the angels who serve God. They offering
us a model of service. The Three-in-One-God is also adored by the saints and the just,
who enjoy the beatific vision and make intercession for us, and by the souls of the
faithful, who are being purified in the sure hope of seeing God. At Mass, the Church
is manifested as the Family of God, according to the teachings of the Second Vatican
Council and the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa. The
worship given to the Lord and the veneration of the saints have their centre in the
paschal mystery: “By celebrating the passage of the saints from earth to heaven...the
Church proclaims the paschal mystery as achieved by the saints who have suffered and
been gloried with Christ.” This liturgy of communion, uniting heaven and earth, is
celebrated for the salvation of all, even those who do not believe. Remembering the
heavenly liturgy is not a matter of separating it from the earthly liturgy, but of
simply taking from the heavenly liturgy its pilgrim and eschatological features. The proper structure and elements of the celebration of the Eucharist are
explained in The General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Instruction
for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches,
especially in the Byzantine tradition—the most diffused in the Eastern Catholic Churches—and
other traditions. The celebration of the Eucharist calls for a humble obedience to
these canonical norms by the priest and ministers.
To foster due respect
and reverence for the Eucharist, the sacred ministers should make a proper preparation
in prayer before the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice in which the Lord makes
himself present through their hands. Afterwards, they should make an act of thanksgiving
to God. Regrettably, some responses indicate that these times of preparation and
thanksgiving are not always observed. At the same time, however, it must be acknowledged
that there are many members of the clergy—including bishops, priests and deacons—and
many lay persons who make these acts of praise and thanksgiving with much spiritual
benefit. In this regard, many responses strongly recommend a preparation for the celebration
of the Eucharist through silence and prayer, while drawing upon the various venerable
traditions of worship. This spirit of prayer can be created not only
by the celebrant’s awareness of the great mystery he is to accomplish, but also his
use of certain signs, like incense which is a symbol of prayer rising to God. The
Psalmist pleas: “Like incense let my prayer rise before you and the raising of my
hands like the evening sacrifice” (Ps 140:2).
The laity, through a minimal
assistance and collaboration, can also contribute to a dignified celebration of
the Sacred Mysteries and to creating a serene climate for the Eucharistic liturgy.
At times, while preparing for the celebration of the Eucharist, the celebrant finds
himself in the position of directing the ceremonies, cautioning people, giving orders
and being occupied with many matters. Instead, the priest should be assisted by lectors,
acolytes, ministers and the laity in such a way that he can concentrate on the Sacred
Mysteries he is celebrating, and thus communicate a spirit of peace and recollection
to the entire assembly, gathered around the Lord’s Table. Many responses therefore
propose enlisting the collaboration of adequately trained laity and reviving the service
of ostiarius, entrusting this work to well-prepared lay persons who can primarily
welcome people to Church, maintain order at the liturgical celebration and ensure
that only Catholics approach the altar to receive Holy Communion. The Introductory
Rites The Opening Hymn, the Sign of the Cross, the Greeting and
the Gloria, when said, of the Roman rite and the Antiphons, the Litany, the
Hymn Unigenito of the Byzantine rite and other rites, like the Ambrosian rite,
the Mozarabic and ancient Eastern rites, make the faithful aware that they are standing
in God’s presence, before they listen to his Word and render thanks in the Eucharist.
In particular, the Penitential Rite calls upon them to have the sentiments necessary
for the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries—those of the publican who humbly acknowledges
his sinfulness. Though not having the value of a sacrament, the Penitential Rite recalls
the inseparable link between penance and the Eucharist, a bond particularly seen in
the Eastern Catholic Churches. The substitution of the sprinkling of water for the
Penitential Rite is a reminder of Baptism, the font of new life, in which we renounced
the Evil One and all his works. At the very beginning of Mass, we are reminded that
approaching the Eucharist requires purification by penitence and an absence of dissension
and division which stands in contradiction to the sign of unity in the Eucharist.
It is important to include these aspects in catechesis and to state clearly that the
penitential rite at Mass does not take away grave sins, which require absolution in
the Sacrament of Penance.
The Liturgy of the Word Bible
readings, the Responsorial Psalm, the Acclamation before the Gospel, the Homily and
the Profession of Faith make up the Liturgy of the Word. God spoke to us through his
Son, the Word-Made-Flesh. The Divine Word is uniquely one and, since it brings about
what is expressed, it is likewise the Bread of Life, the sign which he has accomplished.
In recalling the Emmaus account (cf. Lk 24:13-35), Pope John Paul II showed
the inseparable connection between the Table of the Word and the Table of the Eucharist.
Consequently, the Liturgy of the Word together with the Liturgy of the Eucharist constitute
a single, inseparable act of worship.
The Liturgy of the Word is associated
with God’s revelation in the Old Testament. The exceeding richness of God’s powerful
presence, the glory of the Chosen People of Israel, has become a part of the Catholic
Liturgy, because of the Word-Made-Flesh, who died and rose for the salvation of all. Furthermore,
the Second Vatican Council teaches that Jesus’ revelation goes beyond the mere codification
of the Scriptural texts, which do not express it entirely. His word remains alive
in the Church, who transmits it through the ages and makes it accessible in the sign
of the Sacrament. The proclamation made by Jesus is not separate from his presence
in the Sacrament; they create a unity never before seen and never to be repeated
again. His incarnation, passion, death and resurrection are word and event which
are to be viewed and contemplated. The word calls one back to the event. The Eucharistic
mystery will always exist in the Church’s life as a synthesis of word and event, which
leads to contemplation. This is brought to mind in the Roman rite and the Byzantine
Little Entrance in the veneration and honour given to the Gospel Book, understood
to be the mystical entrance of the Incarnate Word and his presence in the midst of
the assembly of believers. In this regard, some have indicated that
adequate concern has not always been shown for the proclamation of the Word of God.
Lector’s need to improve their skills in their service of transmitting to the faithful
the beauty of the content and the form of the Word which God addresses to his people.
In some places only two readings are done on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation. In
this cases, some people express discontent that the New Testament Letters and the
Acts of the Apostles remain unknown. Consequently, it is well to remember not to eliminate
these readings, since they speak of God’s works in the early community.
After
the proclamation of the Bible readings, another important part of the Liturgy of the
Word is the homily, which is preached by a sacred minister to help the faithful concentrate
on the Word of God, in mind and heart. To achieve this, many recommend mystogogical
homilies. Homilies of this kind, based on the proclaimed texts and avoiding any
inappropriate or profane references, allow the faithful to grow in their knowledge
of the sacred mysteries they are celebrating, so that the light of Jesus Christ might
shine on their lives. With due consideration for passages from Sacred Scripture,
thought also needs to be given to thematic homilies which, in the course of
the liturgical year, can treat the great tracts of the Christian faith: the Creed,
the Our Father, the parts of the Mass, the Ten Commandments and other subjects. In
this regard, material could be composed by competent commissions of the episcopal
conferences or synods of bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris
or other bodies specialized in the pastoral activity. Some Eastern Catholic Churches
lament a lack of connection between the homily and the liturgical readings, given
that each year the same readings are repeated on the same days. The Liturgy
of the Eucharist The Lineamenta responses recommend that
the Presentation of the Gifts focus on the gifts of bread and wine, which will become
the Body and Blood of the Lord. Priority must be given to the bread and wine before
the other gifts brought for worship and charity, since the rite of preparation and
presentation at the altar have this intended purpose. Furthermore, the gifts of bread
and wine refer to the great Gift of Love, the Eucharist, which spurs charity towards
the poorest and all in need.
Concerning this subject, appropriate catechesis
is required on the importance of almsgiving during Eucharistic celebrations.
These offerings are for the poor and Church needs. In this way, the social dimension
of the Eucharist can be created and developed in people’s minds. Such an awareness
ought to be put into action, especially in countries where the Church as an institution
cannot freely exercise her works of charity. The faithful ought to be encouraged to
help those in need.
The Presentation of the Gifts is followed
by the Eucharistic Prayer, which, in various formulations in the East and West, perceives
the Church in light of the Trinity, with her beginning in creation, her summit in
the paschal mystery and her end in bringing together in unity, at the end of time,
of all things in Christ. Consequently, the Eucharistic Prayer begins with the celebrant’s
calling upon the faithful to lift up their hearts to the Lord. The word “Anaphora”
means to raise the gifts and ourselves on high to the Father through the Son, the
source of salvation.
In the epiclesis, the Church begs the Father
to send the Holy Spirit, with his mighty power, upon the gifts. The epiclesis,
which takes place after the consecration in the Eastern liturgy, emphasizes the bond
between the Eucharist and the mystery of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Spirit on
the assembled community. “We ask you, Lord, as you sent your Holy Spirit on your holy
disciples and apostles, in the same way, pour out your Holy Spirit to sanctify our
soul, our body and our spirit.” The Spirit is invoked on those who are to receive
Holy Communion for the grace to give themselves to others and live a life in accordance
with the Sacrament they celebrate. At the centre of the Eucharistic Prayer are
the Lord’s words of institution over the bread and wine. This is the consecration,
the solemn moment when the Risen Lord becomes really present under the elements of
bread and wine. The consecration guarantees the continuity of the Eucharist through
time, from Christ to the Apostles and their successors and collaborators—the bishops
and priests—who, in their hierarchical ministry, act in the name of the Lord for the
benefit of the Church. This continuity is particularly expressed in the intercessory
prayer: “Lord, remember your Church throughout the world.“ At this moment in the celebration
of the Eucharist is the Church expresses, in a particularly intimate way, her universal
character, before any distinction on the particular or local level. The Eucharistic
assembly, conscious that it is on pilgrimage in this world, enters into the Communion
of Saints through the intercessions and is spurred towards the kingdom to come, fully
aware of how to live on earth. Consequently, the invocations are mindful of the difficulties
the Church encounters and the persecutions she endures; they take into account temporal
disasters and wars and make an appeal primarily for the gifts of unity and peace. The
Holy Spirit interiorly directs the Eucharistic Prayer towards the Lord Jesus in asking
that the offering “be taken to your altar in heaven” and praise be given to the Trinity
“per Ipsum, cum Ipso et in Ipso.”The People of God gives its assent by proclaiming,
“Amen.” The Communion The General Instruction on the
Roman Missal recommends that “the faithful who are properly disposed” receive
Holy Communion. The proper disposition comes from discerning that the Body of the
Lord is not ordinary bread but the Bread of Life for those who are reconciled to the
Father. Just as sharing an ordinary meal presupposes good relations, so the Eucharist
is the Sacrament of those reconciled. The Eucharist is the end of a journey of reconciliation
with God and the Church through the Sacrament of Penance. In this way, Christ’s compassion
is manifested in the saving of souls, the supreme law of the Church. After reconciliation
through the Sacrament of Penance and the return to the state of grace, the Communion
Rite is the immediate preparation for Holy Communion. More emphasis should be given
to the importance of the grace of the Sacrament as a good never to be denied
to anyone who is properly disposed. The necessary conditions are amply set forth in
the canonical and liturgical norms; there is no need to add others.
Preparation
for Holy Communion is necessary because approaching the Lord requires a pure heart.
Indeed, we ought to examine ourselves to see if we have the proper dispositions. In
this regard, an appropriate catechesis should emphasize the power of the Eucharist
to pardon venial sins. Indeed, receiving Holy Communion with a contrite heart brings
the grace of the Holy Spirit which can be of assistance in overcoming temptations
and in bearing witness in the Christian life, oftentimes in unfavourable circumstances.
The Our Father prayer is also helpful, since in it we ask to be purified of
sin and delivered from the Evil One. The Kiss of Peace permits the faithful to share
ecclesial communion and love with each other, and, at the same time, serves to authenticate
a general willingness to pardon others, a primary factor in approaching the altar
for Holy Communion. In fact, the Kiss of Peace in the Eastern Liturgies and the Ambrosian
Rite is done before the Presentation of the Gifts to accentuate the idea of total
reconciliation with others (cf. Mt 5:23-24). In many places, the exchange of
a sign of peace is optional. This moment at Mass should never overshadow the important
action which follows, the fractio panis, which denotes the Body of Christ broken
for us. Some responses mention that priests, while distributing Holy Communion,
give a blessing to children or catechumens—both duly pointed out—who approach the
altar and have not made their First Communion. In some Churches, a blessing is imparted
to non-Catholics who approach the altar at Communion time. In this regard, some responses
from Asia suggest finding some gesture at Communion time towards non-Christians to
make them feel more a part of the liturgical community. The Concluding Rite After Holy Communion, prayer is needed to obtain the fruits of the mystery
celebrated. One of the first fruits of celebration is that it serves as an antidote
to daily falls and mortal sins. Above all, we should pray that our faith and communion
with Christ might help us bring his Gospel to the world and to every place where we
live, bearing witness through good works, so that others might believe and give glory
to the Father.
The dismissal at Mass is an invitation to mission. Supported
by the Eucharist and relying on the example and intercession of the Virgin Mary, the
Church brings to fulfilment the mission of evangelizing today’s world. The Eucharist
has the goal of making us grow in the love of Christ and his desire to bring the Gospel
to everyone. Ars Celebrandi Attention should be
given to the subject of ars celebrandi, so the faithful may be lead to true
worship, reverence and adoration. The priest’s outstretched hands are a lowly, humble
appeal; “we humbly pray,” is said in all the Eucharistic Prayers. For the priest,
humility in word and disposition is consonant with Christ who is meek and humble
of heart. He ought to increase and we decrease. If the celebration of the Eucharist
is truly to express the Catholic faith, people urge that the priest-celebrant
of the Mass possess humility. Only in this way will the celebration be a mystagogy
and contribute to evangelization. The liturgical prayers do not speak of “I” but “we.”
In those cases where the first person singular is used in the administration of the
sacraments, the minister speaks in the Person of Christ, and not in his own name.
Some
responses to the Lineamenta refer to the topic of mystagogy, intending it to
mean a person’s entering into the mystery of the Lord’s presence. Focussing on this
subject reveals a contemporary need to put people in greater contact with God, because
increasingly they live in places where the sense of mystery is denied. The approach
to be taken is that of the Lord himself: “I have called you friends, for all that
I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you” (Jn 15:15). The Lord
wants us to draw near to him so that he can reveal to us the mystery of his divine
life. The person of the bishop, the primary mystagogue in relation to the Eucharist,
immediately comes to mind. Based on the fact that the Lord entrusted the Eucharist
to the Apostles and that the Church transmits the same faith in the Eucharist, the
bishop has a particular responsibility for the Eucharist and the duty to ensure that
the faithful’s participation at the Eucharist be “full, conscious and active.” Every
Eucharistic celebration in a particular diocese takes place in communion with the
bishop and depends on his authority. He is watchful that the faithful have the opportunity
to participate at Mass and that the Sacrament be celebrated in a dignified, becoming
manner, without any abuses. In liturgical celebration, the sensus ecclesiæ
transcends specific situations, groups and cultures. As primus mysteriorum Dei
dispensator, the bishop, on a regular basis, celebrates Holy Mass in the Cathedral,
the Mother-Church and heart of the diocese. This Eucharistic liturgy ought to be an
example for the entire diocese.
The obligation of a diocesan
Bishop and pastors of parishes to celebrate Masses pro populo, “for the living
and the dead,” remains unchanged. Furthermore, a sound spirituality and theological
formation calls for priests to celebrate the Sacred Eucharist each day. It is particularly
important to celebrate Masses for the Souls in Purgatory, who are awaiting the blessed
day when they will see God face to face. Praying for the dead is a debt owed them
in charity.
As for Mass intentions, various responses indicate some abuses,
the most common being the pooling of Mass intentions in a so-called “multi-intentioned
Mass.” Some recommend that the subject of Mass intentions be clearly presented. In
the meantime, the practice in some countries has greatly declined and, in certain
cases, entirely disappeared. In many countries, Mass intentions represent the traditional
means—oftentimes the only means—of support for a priest. Some countries complain of
a lack of Mass intentions, which, in the past, were provided by other countries as
a valid expression of ecclesial communion and concrete participation in missionary
activity. From a pastoral point of view, instructing the faithful on the meaning
of applying Masses for Dead is equally important. Through the merits of Christ’s redemption
and the prayers of the whole Church, the dead can be quickly admitted to the banquet
of eternal life. In this way, Mass intentions for the dead also become an expression
of faith in the resurrection of the dead, a truth solemnly professed in the Creed. The
Word and the Bread of Life Many Lineamenta responses speak
of the relation between Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Word, mentioning that, in
some cases, the faithful are running the risk of gradually losing a sense of the difference
between Eucharistic celebrations and other kinds of celebrations. This pastoral problem
arises, for example, in places where deacons or extraordinary ministers frequently
preside over communion liturgies. The same is true in some places where the faithful
prefer to participate in a Liturgy of the Word rather than travel to a neighbouring
parish to participate at Mass.
At
the same time, some responses acknowledge the priceless service of a well-prepared
laity in celebrations of the Word, with or without the distribution of the Eucharist.
Some of these communities, awaiting the assignment of a priest, cannot, for the time-being,
have Sunday Mass celebrated. In these cases, it is possible, under the guidance of
the diocesan bishop and priests and through the collaboration of the laity, to meet
the pastoral needs of many communities hungering for the Word and the Bread of Life.
When this takes place in accord with the directives of the Magisterium, the results
can be comforting and lead to priestly vocations in families engaged in these services.
The same can also happen in communities which truly appreciate the invaluable service
of a priest, the ordinary minister of the Eucharist. In this matter,
the question arises as to the excessive number of Liturgies of the Word, in place
of Holy Mass, which risks reducing Christian worship to a service of the assembly.
Instead, catechesis would be useful in mission stations which are awaiting the assignment
of a priest to celebrate the Eucharist. In fact, in this case, it would be better
to speak of “liturgies awaiting a priest” instead of “priest-less liturgies.” To indicate
this, in some places, a stole is placed on the altar or on the celebrant’s chair.
Prayers for vocations keep alive the desire for a permanent celebrant of the Eucharist.
The lack of priests, which in some areas is a source of concern, should awaken missionary
activity and an exchange of gifts among the particular Churches.
Various
responses to the Lineamenta suggest that extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist
participate in special study-sessions to learn more about the Eucharist and liturgical
norms. These sessions should also be a part of the ongoing formation of catechists. The
same responses also mention the need to explain clearly the threefold office of priest,
prophet and king, when speaking of the difference between the ordained and non-ordained
ministry. In this way, the priest- minister of the sacred mysteries will also be identified
as communicator, mystagogue and witness of these sacred mysteries. Finally, to overcome
a certain confusion in the Church on the ordained ministry, the recommendation was
made, among others, to promote the appropriate documents of the Magisterium, such
as the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis on the priest,
sign of Christ the Head, Bridegroom and Shepherd.
Particular
gratitude is owed to the lay faithful, above all, catechists, who are engaged in leading
others to prayer and communion, especially in those cases where the lack of clergy
makes the faithful’s participation at Mass impossible. However, many Lineamenta
responses allude to certain practices which tend to obscure the faithful’s distinction
between the ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood. For example, some pastoral
assistants effectively take over the supervision of some parishes and practically
preside at the Eucharist, leaving a minimal involvement to the priest to guarantee
validity; the laity sometimes preach the homily at Holy Mass; oftentimes extraordinary
ministers of the Eucharist distribute Holy Communion, while the ordinary ministers,
above all the priest-celebrant and the concelebrants, remain seated; some extraordinary
ministers keep the Blessed Sacrament in their homes before bringing the Eucharist
to the sick; and pastors sometimes authorize someone caring for the sick to bring
Viaticum. The guidelines in the Instruction Ecclesia de Mysterio, together
with the canonical norms in the matter, should be considered in properly instructing
those responsible and ensuring a celebration of the Eucharist which is truly ecclesial.
The
Meaning of Norms In speaking of the instauratio of the
liturgy, the Lineamenta responses returned again to the new Ordo Missæ
and The General Instruction on the Roman Missal, which treat the elements of
the liturgy of the universal Church.
Liturgical norms can be considered
guides for entering into mystery. The Sub-Apostolic Fathers were the first ones to
set down liturgical norms and canons in the Constitutiones and Didascaliæ,
which had in some ways to proclaim the mystery revealed in Jesus and in others combat
the pagan conceptions of mystery, allegory and esotericism. Norms show the apostolic
character of the Eucharist. These same norms are also a basic requirement of the
Sacrament’s sacred character. The Blessed Sacrament must always be approached
with the utmost reverence. For this reason, priests are said to be consecrated, as
the bishop’s instruction before priestly ordination recalls: “Your ministry will perfect
the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful by uniting it to Christ's sacrifice, the sacrifice
which is offered sacramentally through your hands. Know what you are doing and imitate
the mystery you celebrate. In the memorial of the Lord's death and resurrection, make
every effort to die to sin and to walk in the new life of Christ.” Some responses
noted that the fundamental norm for bishop and priest is assisting the faithful to
enter into the mystery of the Lord’s presence.
Many responses
to the Lineamenta cite various causes for the neglect of these norms: an insufficient
knowledge of the history and theological meaning of the rites; a wish to be novel;
and a distrust that ritual signs are capable of speaking to people. Some responses
maintain that norms are not observed because of shortcomings in The General Instruction
on the Roman Missal. For example, inadequate translations of liturgical texts
and the lack of precision in the rubrics leave the celebrant at liberty to improvise
certain parts. Some responses make specific reference to the need to take great care
in translating liturgical texts by entrusting this challenging work to specialists,
under the bishops’ supervision and with the approval of the competent congregation
of the Holy See.
In teaching about norms or issuing them, a basic principle
must be borne in mind: just as an over-estimation of the faithful’s formation could
have contributed to practical difficulties in introducing liturgical reform, one must
not under-estimate popular sentiment or the faithful’s capacity to accept an appeal
to return to basic truths. An Urgent Pastoral Program Generally
speaking, the Lineamenta responses provide a picture of the shadows existent
in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Where some liturgical rubrics are
treated with mistrust, others seem to be adopted to provoke changes inspired by ideologies
or theological misconceptions, not a few of which come from movements and groups seeking
changes in the liturgy. Oftentimes the universal norms, commonly maintained by
the Church as an expression of her catholicity, stand in contrast to certain liturgical
celebrations of some ecclesial movements. Competent Church authorities are called
upon to offer major clarity in this matter, so as to avoid confusion. In using the
vernacular, the rite’s structure needs to be respected. This is the only way to emphasize,
in a visible fashion, the unity of the Catholic Church of the western tradition. The
faithful show a particular sensitivity to arbitrary changes in the rite. In some
cases, too much inventiveness leads to a manipulation of the Mass and the use of extraneous
texts in place of the ones specified. Such an attitude often creates conflict between
the clergy and the laity and even within the presbyterate itself. To
dispel these shadows, the same responses to the Lineamenta make a few recommendations.
The
ongoing formation of the clergy needs to rekindle a spirit of communal prayer to strengthen
a disposition of humbly adhering to the spirit and letter of liturgical norms. In
this way, they can render true service to the People of God, which is called in the
Divine Liturgy to give thanks and to raise supplication to its Lord in the Holy Spirit.
Existing principles for integrating elements of local culture in the liturgical
celebrations need to be studied in-depth. New instructions, which are clearer and
more precise, could be published, particularly in light of the recent revision of
The General Instruction on the Roman Missal, the Instruction Redemptionis
sacramentum and Varietates legitimæ of the Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The implications of faith in the Eucharist
need to be explained to the faithful. In the Eucharist, the faithful are nourished
with the Body of the Risen Christ. In each Eucharistic celebration throughout
the world, the Risen Lord, conqueror of sin and death, goes beyond the limits of time
and space and is really present under the elements of bread and wine. Therefore, it
is the Body of the Glorified Lord, which is changed into the Bread of Angels and is
destined as food for a humanity that is called to share the beatific vision, in the
Communion of Saints, in eternal adoration of the Three-in-One God. A proper catechesis
can do away with misconceptions which might perceive the Eucharist in a magical, superstitious
or spiritualistic manner. Such catechesis is very appropriate at Masses for healing
which take place in some countries. Precautionary measures should be taken to
prevent any sacrilege to consecrated hosts, which occurs in Satanic rites and so-called
“Black Masses.” Liturgical Song The People of God, gathered
in the Lord’s House, give thanks and praise through speaking, listening, singing and
moments of silence.
Various
responses to the Lineamenta recommend that singing at Mass and Eucharistic
Adoration be done in a dignified manner. The faithful need to know the standard Gregorian
chants, which have been composed to meet the needs of people of all times and places,
in virtue of their simplicity, refinement and agility in form and rhythm. As a result,
the songs and hymns presently in use need to be reconsidered. To enter into sacred
or religious usage, instrumental or vocal music is to have a sense of prayer, dignity
and beauty. This requires an integrity of form, expressing true artistry, corresponding
to the various rites and capable of adaptation to the legitimate demands of inculturation.
This is to be done without detracting from the idea of universality. Gregorian
chant fulfills these needs and can therefore serve as a model, according to Pope John
Paul II. Musicians and poets should be encouraged to compose new hymns, according
to liturgical standards, which contain authentic catechetical teaching on the paschal
mystery, Sunday and the Eucharist. Some responses particularly mentioned
the use of musical instruments, referring to the general guidelines contained in the
Constitution Sacrosanctum concilium. In this regard, a certain appreciation
was often voiced in the Latin tradition for the organ, whose majestic sound adds solemnity
to worship and is conducive to contemplation. Some responses also made reference to
experiences associated with the use of other musical instruments in the liturgy. Positive
results in this area were achieved with the consensus of competent ecclesiastical
authority, who judged these instruments proper for sacred use, in keeping with the
dignity of the place and the edification of the faithful.
In other responses some lamented
the poor quality of translations of liturgical texts and many musical texts in current
languages, maintaining that they lacked beauty and were sometimes theologically unclear,
thereby contributing to a weakening of Church teaching and to a misunderstanding of
prayer. A few responses made particular mention of music and singing at Youth Masses.
In this regard, it is important to avoid musical forms which, because of their profane
use, are not conducive to prayer. Some responses note a certain eagerness in composing
new songs, to the point of almost yielding to a consumer mentality, showing little
concern for the quality of the music and text, and easily overlooking the artistic
patrimony which has been theologically and musically effective in the Church’s liturgy. In
keeping with the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium,
the suggestion was made that, at international gatherings, the liturgy be in Latin,
at least the Eucharistic Prayer, to facilitate a proper participation of the concelebrants
and those who are not familiar with the local vernacular language. A certain satisfaction
is drawn from the fact that some countries have a sound tradition of religious songs
and hymns for special times in the liturgical year: Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.
These songs, known and sung by the people, promote recollection and assist the faithful
to live in a particularly spiritual way the celebrations of the mystery of faith in
each liturgical season. Many hope that this positive experience might spread to other
nations and provide a certain tone to these significant seasons in the liturgical
year, thereby allowing the faithful to perceive the season’s message through music
and lyrics. The Dignity of the Sacred Space The Lineamenta
made reference to the role of art. The dignity of what pertains to the celebration
of the Eucharist expresses faith in the sacred mysteries and effectively contributes
to nourishing the faith of both the sacred ministers and the faithful. This attitude
is seen in the proper arrangement of the sacred space, in an appropriate placement
of the tabernacle and chair and also in the special care given to particulars, such
as cleaning, furniture and fresh flowers. Indeed, the faithful’s formation in Eucharistic
doctrine greatly depends not only on what they hear, but also on what they see. Neglecting
these points is a sign of a weak faith.
Based on the Bible, the Church
has traditionally set aside an area reserved for the sacred ministers, as a powerful
sign that the Lord is the one who choses his ministers and brings them into his service.
This distinction has been maintained in the Eastern Churches, through the delineation
of the sanctuary, and in the West, through the presbytery. The liturgy manifests that
the People of God is hierarchically ordered and geared to active participation. The
altar is the most holy part of the Church building and is elevated to indicate that
God’s work is far superior to all human works. The linens which cover it are symbolic
of the purity which is necessary to encounter the divine. Like the Church building,
the altar is dedicated to the Lord only, and cannot be used for any other purpose. The responses raise the concern that oftentimes the Church building is used
for profane events, such as concerts and theatrical events which are not always religious
in nature. The liturgy of the dedication of a Church recalls that the community offers
the Church building entirely to the Lord. Therefore, it cannot be used for any other
purpose apart from its consecration.
Some responses reported other occurrences,
opposed to afore-mentioned Church tradition, which obscure the sense of the sacred
and the transcendent character of the sacred mysteries. For example, many new Churches—not
to mention older ones after renovation—are built on the fundamental architectural
plan of bringing the faithful into close proximity to the altar to ensure visual
contact and communication between the celebrant and the assembly. Likewise, the tendency
to turn the altar around to face the people—in practice eliminating the presbytery—is
based on the same idea. In doing so, what might be gained in communication might not
sufficiently safeguard a sense of the sacred, which is also an essential part of liturgical
celebrations. Some responses are very encouraging, however. Based on the guidelines
set down in The General Instruction on the Roman Missal, diverse initiatives
have been undertaken to ensure that sacred spaces in already existent Churches and
those under construction be true places of prayer and adoration, where art and iconography
become instruments to serve liturgical needs. For example, in some Churches, kneelers
have returned along with the practice of the faithful kneeling during the Eucharistic
Prayer. Tabernacles, previously not clearly visible, have again been placed in the
sanctuary or in a prominent place. The planning of new Churches is providing greater
prominence to art, decoration, vestments and sacred vessels. This seeks to bring
into harmony the nearness of the celebrant to the people and the sacred nature of
the divine mysteries which are, at one and the same time, immanent and transcendent.
Chapter
II ADORING THE LORD IN MYSTERY “But in your hearts reverence Christ as
Lord. Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls
you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pt 3:15). From Celebration
to Adoration Adoration should be foremost in the minds of the
celebrant and the liturgical assembly in the presence of an Almighty God who makes
himself really present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Oftentimes in the Catholic
Church, this act of adoration continues after Holy Mass in various ways.
God
goes in search of the person and the person longs to see God. “You have said: ‘Seek
my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’ Hide not your face from
me” (Ps 26:8-9). Christianity is a religion of not only hearing but seeing.
Seeing Jesus is seeing the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). God assumes a human nature
to share our life. The Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians opens with a reflection
on this mystery, summed up in the term kenosis, that is, the Son’s emptying
himself of the glory he had as God and taking on a human nature: “Christ Jesus, though
he was in the form of God, did not count equality with him a thing to be grasped...”
(Phil 2:5-8). In a certain sense, this kenosis continues in the Eucharist;
but now, he is present in his risen and glorified body. The paradox is that Jesus
of Nazareth, in the fullness of his humanity, reveals God. Jesus told the Jews, “he
who sees me sees him who sent me” (Jn 12:45), thus summarizing in one phrase
the profound truth of the Christian faith. The God who makes himself man seeks an
intellectual response through seeing, touching, hearing and contemplating (cf. 1
Jn 1:1-2). In a word, the revelation of Jesus brings into being a relation which
involves the senses as the means of knowledge. Seeing and hearing are two essential
elements of the Christian religion. Jesus of Nazareth cannot be heard only; he must
also be seen. Jesus is the image of the invisible God (cf. Col 1:15). The
term eikon has an historic sense, because it does not simply stand for what
is represented. In Hellenic culture, eikon was generally seen as a portrait.
To be true and authentic, a portrait had faithfully to portray the very features of
a face of someone who had actually lived. We return to this idea of a face, namely,
to how a person expresses himself, as the best manner of knowing his identity. The
face of Jesus, which permits God to be seen, also becomes the icon of a redeemed and
saved humanity, because he “in every respect was tempted as we are...” (Heb 4:15).
For this reason Christianity cannot simply be listed among the religions of the Book. The
Eucharist is a complete act of worship, at one and the same time a sacrifice, memorial
and banquet, which is to be contemplated. Such an understanding surmounts the psychological
difficulty which erroneously holds that adoration and reverence is an anomalous form
of the liturgy and which questions acts of worship of the Eucharist, such as exposition
of the Blessed Sacrament and Eucharistic Benediction. Sentiments of Adoration Some of the more serious problems in many western countries and some countries
on other continents are: a crisis in prayer and reducing the celebration of the Eucharist
to mere precept or to a simple celebration of the community. Oftentimes these ideas
are imported as a result of pastoral workers.
The Lineamenta responses
want to see a complete and entire renewal in prayer, specifically as gift, covenant
and communion, and its many forms—blessing, adoration, praise, thanksgiving, supplication,
expiation and intercession. Without a timely catechesis in this regard, the faithful
will be unable to reap the benefits of the liturgy which is the regula fidei
in holy signs. The responses consistently ask for greater times and spaces dedicated
to adoration and meditation. Indeed, because of the frenetic pace of life today, people
need to stop, think and pray. Various religions, for the most part in the East, propose
meditation according to their particular religious traditions. In light of this challenge,
Christians are called upon to rediscover the beauty of adoration, of personal and
communal prayer, of silence and of meditation. Christianity teaches that these are
a personal encounter with the Blessed Trinity, in Jesus Christ, risen and present
in the Eucharist, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to the praise of God the Father. Also
requested is a re-presentation of the theological and spiritual basis for adoration
as a due preparation for Holy Mass, as a proper disposition in celebrating the sacred
mysteries and as a thanksgiving for the gift of the Eucharist. In this regard, some
proposed the reestablishing confraternities of the Most Blessed Sacrament, adapting
them to the expectations and the needs of people today in their search for God. Eucharistic
adoration for the clergy was also encouraged. The suggestion was made to have parishes
coordinate days of solemn exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, so that in dioceses—especially
larger ones—the People of God might have occasion to adore the Eucharistic Lord in
various parishes each week. Restoring the practice of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
in those places where it has been abandoned, above all on Sunday afternoons, could
lead to an increase in Eucharistic devotion. Vespers or Lauds could be recited before
the Blessed Sacrament exposed. An hour of adoration between Masses could be introduced
in parishes having many scheduled Masses, for example, afternoon Masses in certain
city parishes. Moreover, other forms of Eucharistic devotion need to be encouraged,
such as adoration on Holy Thursday, processions with the Blessed Sacrament, above
all on the solemnity of Corpus Christi, Eucharistic visits, Forty Hours Devotion
and communal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed. According to the Magisterium,
these actions lead to prayer for forgiveness by the faithful, especially for offenses
to the Blessed Sacrament. Expressions of popular piety connected with the Eucharist,
such as songs, floral displays and decorations need to be justly appreciated. Prayer begins in a silence which leads to an awareness of being in
the Lord’s presence, where he speaks to the heart and prompts a response in the great
prayer of the liturgy or in Eucharistic adoration outside of Mass. This dialogue takes
place through visible, religious gestures: the sign of the cross, hand movements,
genuflections, bows, standing and sitting, processions and other external actions.
Many Lineamenta responses call for catechesis concerning these visible gestures
which are made authentic by a proper inner disposition.
Priests and the faithful manifest
their faith and adoration through bodily postures which are set down in the liturgical
books or based on custom. Provisions exist for the adaptation of certain gestures
from a given culture to express the people’s reverence and love towards the mystery
of the Eucharist. Awaiting the Lord The Risen Christ is
“the first-born from the dead” (Col 1:18). These words of the Apostle Paul
express the revealed truth that, for the Christian, death is not the end of everything,
but, on the contrary, the entrance into a new and mysterious life, characterized by
an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord who gives happiness beyond every
expectation.
Nevertheless, it must be borne in mind that certain cultural
factors tend to obliterate every prospect of life beyond death. The individual’s claim
of total ethical autonomy renders unacceptable, or at least irrelevant, any idea of
reward or punishment after death for our moral behaviour. Various responses point
out that the eschatological truth of the Eucharist is missing in catechesis today.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes reference to this in the subheading:
“The Eucharist, Pledge of Future Glory.” It also speaks of the Eucharist as the foretaste
of the banquet in the Kingdom of God and the manifestation of the Communion of Saints.
Of course, awaiting these events is not foreign to living an earthly life, as seen
in the following prayer: “Lord, bring to perfection within us the communion we
share in this sacrament. May our celebration have an effect in our lives.” The eschatological tension between the present and future can be explained
by the coming, at the Liturgy each day, of the One who is, who was and who is to come.
He, the Risen and Living One, is always present. Consequently, the Eucharist is the
Sacrament of the presence of he who said: “I am with you always, to the close of the
age” (Mt 28:20). Some responses to the Lineamenta lament that this aspect
is treated only in the Latin liturgy, in funeral Masses, in Masses on All Saints’
and All Souls’ Day or in some prayers of intercession for the dead.
Many
are aware that the Eucharist is the source of communion with the dear departed and
the saints, but not the foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Therefore, even though
the Communion of Saints is celebrated throughout the liturgical year, thought might
be given to dedicating the entire month of November to celebrating this mystery with
intercessory prayers for the dead. As for mentioning the name of the deceased
during Mass, despite the existence of specific norms in the matter, many responses
speak of abuses which range from refusing to make any mention to an excessive repetition. These
responses also indicate, however, that emphasis on the eschatological aspect of the
Eucharistic mystery is increasing, as witnessed in praying a Oriente, when
possible, and in properly presenting the bond between Christ’s Real Presence in the
Eucharist and Eucharistic adoration, at which time we pray, in words of the Anaphora,
“when he comes again” and “looking forward to his coming in glory,” that we may come
into the fullness of his presence and that he may seat us at the eschatological banquet
at the end of time. The Eucharist is the medicine of immortality, because it is an
antidote to sin and takes away venial sins. The Sacrament increases the power of grace
which sanctifies and prepares the soul for eternal life, the soul which calls out
to the Lord who comes: “Maranà tha” (1 Cor 16:22; cf. Rev 22:20). Sunday
Eucharist The responses ask that greater attention be given to
the celebration of the Eucharist on the Dies Domini, a Holyday of Obligation
in the Church for the community of faith and every believer. In this context, emphasis
is placed on the importance of the community coming together to celebrate that the
Lord is coming into its midst. Without faith, however, we cannot even speak of the
Lord’s Day, let alone live it. Sundays provide an opportunity to view the world in
light of the Eucharist. The Mass is Christ’s sacrifice which changes the world and
calls upon the Church to become an offering, extending herself to all.
The
Eucharist is also the source of a culture of pardon, difficult for many today. During
the Eucharistic celebration the request is often made for forgiveness and a life renewed.
Pope John Paul II called upon us to see as “a significant consequence of the eschatological
tension inherent in the Eucharist,” the planting of seeds of a lively hope in daily
life and creating new signs in the world, so that the Eucharist can be said to be
truly lived. The Lord’s Day is also the day of solidarity and sharing with the
poor, in so much as the Eucharist is the bond of fellowship and the source of communion.
Indeed, “from the Sunday Mass there flows a tide of charity destined to spread into
the whole life of the faithful, beginning by inspiring the very way in which they
live the rest of Sunday.” Without Sunday Mass and an encounter with
the Lord, faith remains without nourishment; God’s Word receives no hearing nor is
the communal dimension of the Church lived. For many, the only contact with the Church
is Sunday Mass; their faith depends on this moment in their lives. Missing Sunday
Mass gradually leads to missing Christ in life. All members of the People of God,
especially the clergy, those in the consecrated life, catechists and members of ecclesial
movements, ought to be involved in promoting respect for the Lord’s Day. Coming together
in synodal assembly should lead to a rediscovery of the profound theological and spiritual
significance of Sunday as the Lord’s Day and its proper celebration, which in turn
will have very positive effects in the faithful, their families and entire communities.
Indeed,
dedicating time to the Lord each Sunday and Holyday of Obligation, the individual,
as a person and member of a family, rediscovers the hierarchy of values which are
to shape his existence. Likewise, he takes advantage of his free time, in union with
God, his Creator and Redeemer, to exercise his human and Christian capabilities for
the good of society. To achieve this, it is important to safeguard Sunday as a day
of rest, particularly in countries with Christian roots. Various Lineamenta
responses ask for pastoral initiatives which will lead to a greater attendance of
the faithful at Mass, particularly on Sundays. In celebrating the Lord’s Day, the
faithful, who are oftentimes vexed by various personal, family and social problems,
receive acceptance in a welcoming community and can draw from the Eucharist, the font
of life, the gifts of peace and spiritual comfort and the power necessary to conform
their lives and the world to the plan of God the Father in Jesus Christ. In today’s
world, the celebration of the Mass needs to be guaranteed to the greatest possible
number of the faithful. Emphasis should be given to the essential dispositions for
worthily receiving the Eucharist, that is, the state of grace and fasting. Those who
live in a moral state which does not allow them to participate in the Eucharist sacramentally
also need pastoral care. With regard to the preceding, the proposal was made to
present in a general way the doctrine of spiritual communion or communion of desire,
which rests on the privileges conferred at Baptism and is the only form of Holy Communion
available to some people who, because of their objective and personal state, cannot
receive Communion sacramentally. Spiritual communion, for example, is always possible
for elderly persons and the sick who cannot go to Church. In manifesting their love
for the Eucharist, they participate in the Communion of Saints with great spiritual
benefit for themselves and the Church. By offering their sufferings to God, the Church
is enriched. In this way, they complete what is lacking in the passion of Jesus Christ
for the sake of his body, the Church (cf. Col 1:24). They also proclaim the
“Gospel of Suffering,” which the Master gave to the disciples in his sacrifice and
left as a memorial in the Eucharist. One of the most challenging aspects of the
Church’s pastoral program today is helping others rediscover the joy of celebrating
the Eucharist on Sundays, because the world increasingly tends to see the day as
simply a time of relaxation and not one of profound communion and celebration. Equally
challenging is attempting to encourage entire families to participate at Holy Mass.
In this way, the “domestic church”—the family—broadens its Christian horizons and,
in communion with other families—other “domestic churches”—rediscovers that it is
a living part of the great Family of God, the Catholic Church. Finally, Sunday
observance by Catholics becomes a distinctive sign, particularly in countries where
Catholics are in the minority. Praying together and then transforming this act into
works of charity contributes to the betterment of society, above all in nations where
an individualistic idea traditionally prevails in relation of the human to the divine.
PART
IV THE EUCHARIST IN THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH Chapter I EUCHARISTIC
SPIRITUALITY “Abide in me, and I in you. As the vine cannot bear fruit by itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (Jn
15:4). The Eucharist: Font of Christian Morality The metaphor
of the vine and the branches in St. John’s Gospel, occurring during the Last Supper
discourse, has not only an ecclesial but a moral significance. The life of grace received
through the Eucharist is the guarantee of authentic ecclesial communion and the source
of the moral life, characterized by good works. The Eucharist is the basis of righteous
behaviour for the person who has this vital union with Christ.
Many responses
to the Lineamenta insist on the relation of the personal and ecclesial aspects
of the Eucharist to the moral life, holiness and one’s mission in the world. The ongoing
presence and action of the Holy Spirit, the gift of the Risen Lord received through
Holy Communion, is the source of dynamism in the spiritual life, in the pursuit of
holiness and in the faithful’s vocation to witness to Christ. Consequently, the
Eucharist and the moral life are inseparable, not only because nourishment by the
Blessed Sacrament leads to interior transformation but also because those reborn
in Baptism to life according to the Spirit—to the new moral life, not according to
the flesh—are by nature drawn to Jesus in the Eucharist. Indeed, the Eucharist fortifies
the Christian sense of living; its celebration is service to God and others as well
as a witness in the world to the values contained in the Gospel. In this way, the
three dimensions of the Christian life—liturgia, martyria and diakonia—
demonstrate a continuity between the Sacrament celebrated and the Sacrament adored
and between the commitment to bear witness to Christ in the temporal order and the
communion which is built up through service in charity, especially to the poor.
Various responses have insisted on the relationship between the Eucharist
and the moral life, pointing to a significant awareness of the importance of the moral
duty flowing from the reception of Holy Communion. Many refer to the fact that too
many receive the Sacrament without having sufficiently reflected on their moral state
in life. Some receive Communion while denying the teachings of the Church or publicly
supporting immoral choices in life, such as abortion, without thinking that they are
committing an act of grave personal dishonesty and causing scandal. Some Catholics
do not understand why it might be a sin to support a political candidate who is openly
in favour of abortion or other serious acts against life, justice and peace. Such
attitudes lead to, among other things, a crisis in the meaning of belonging to the
Church and in a clouding of the distinction between venial and mortal sin.
Many
responses note that some Catholics don’t always act in a way which distinguishes them
from other persons; they succumb to the temptation to corruption in various situations
and levels of society. Oftentimes, the specific demands of the moral life are not
looked upon as connected to the role of the Church as Teacher. Some feel that her
teachings need to be re-assessed by each individual conscience. In other areas, bishops
are committing themselves to clearly pointing out the contradiction of invoking freedom
of conscience or religious freedom as the criteria for dismissing Church teaching.
The responses insist on the faithful’s duty to seek the truth and correctly form their
conscience. Positively speaking, many are attempting to make the Eucharist a part
of their lives and consider the Sacrament a source of strength in conquering sin.
This happens particularly in parishes where various ministers, charitable organizations,
prayer groups and lay associations are strongly active.
The
Lineamenta responses offer some suggestions in dispelling the dichotomy between
Church teachings and the moral stance of the faithful. Firstly, increasing emphasis
needs to be given to the necessity of sanctification and personal conversion and to
the unity between Church teaching and the moral life. Furthermore, the faithful should
be continually encouraged to see the Eucharist as the source of moral strength, holiness
and spiritual advancement. Finally, fundamental importance needs to be given in catechesis
to the bond between the Eucharist and the construction of a just society through each
one’s personal responsibility actively to participate in the Church’s mission in
the world. In this sense, Catholics who occupy significant positions in political
life and various social activity have a particular obligation.
The Church
has great hope in her young people who are increasingly being drawn to the Eucharist
as a precious treasure, an inexhaustible source of renewal in the Church’s life and
the seed of hope for the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that the topic chosen
for World Youth Day, in Cologne, 16 - 21 August 2005, “We Have Come to Worship Him”
(Mt 2:2), has a profound Eucharistic significance. The valuable contribution
of this important event deserves attention in synodal discussion. For the occasion,
Pope John Paul II said: “I would like the young people to gather around the Eucharist
as the vital source which nourishes their faith and enthusiasm.” Consequently, it
is rightly suggested that Catholic schools give greater importance to teaching the
faith, particularly Eucharistic spirituality, to the younger generations. The Eucharist,
the Real Presence of the Risen Lord, leads to perfection and holiness in the Christian
life. Reaching such a goal requires the grace of God, the believer’s good dispositions
and an ongoing catechesis for persons of every kind. Eucharistic Persons and
Communities The Eucharist demonstrates its efficacy in the fruits
of a new life in the world, in the fruits of holiness and becoming more God-like,
that is, in the fruits of eternal life. In this sense, the Eucharist is seen as the
Sacrament of Intense Spirituality.
Many responses speak of a positive
development in Eucharistic spirituality. In fact, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
has recently been reestablished in many places. In this regard, Eucharistic devotion
in parish and non-parish Churches is said to be increasing, as witnessed in time dedicated
to Eucharistic adoration and the institution of special chapels for this purpose.
The procession of Corpus Christi is taking place more and more and the recitation
of the Liturgy of the Hours before the Blessed Sacrament exposed is being promoted.
These devotions are receiving important attention by the new movements. In places
of true catechetical and liturgical formation, the faithful clearly perceive the difference
between Mass and other liturgical celebrations and devotional practices; they devoutly
participate in all Eucharistic initiatives proposed by their pastors. Generally speaking,
it can be said that Eucharistic devotion is nourished by all these practices, a devotion
which can be viewed as a total gift of self to the Lord in spirit, soul and body. Some
responses, however, are less encouraging. They speak of the abandonment of the practice
of Eucharistic benediction; the closing of Churches for a greater part of the day—albeit
for fear of theft—making private adoration of the Eucharist by the faithful almost
impossible; the placing of the tabernacle in a separate or little-noticed place, which
a good part of the faithful, upon entering the Church, cannot easily find, thus making
them unaware of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and keeping them from praying;
the decrease in the custom of visiting the Blessed Sacrament for personal prayer and
meditation; the lack of a catechesis which teaches the distinction between Holy Mass
and other liturgical celebrations or devotional practices; and an overly individualistic
idea of Mass which obstructs a just appreciation of the communal aspect of the Eucharistic
sacrifice. Various response to the Lineamenta call for a significant
emphasis on the ecclesial aspect of the Eucharist to overcome every form of individualism
and a renewal in Eucharistic spirituality which, integrating a devotion to the Risen
Christ, presents the Sacrament as the beginning of the redemption of the world.
Inspired
by the words of Pope John Paul II in the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia,
some desire promoting the lives of the saints and blesseds who have been models of
spirituality and the Eucharistic life. These saintly people teach us how to make the
Eucharist the centre of the Christian life, how to adore the Lord present in the Blessed
Sacrament and how to nourish ourselves with the Bread of Life to sustain us in our
pilgrimage to the heavenly fatherland. Where the Eucharist is the centre and pivotal
point of the spiritual life for all the saints, many saints have developed a spirituality
which is distinctly Eucharistic, from St. Ignatius of Antioch to St. Tarcisius, from
St. John Chrysostom to St. Augustine, from St. Anthony Abbot to St. Benedict, from
St. Francis of Assisi to St. Thomas Aquinas, from St. Catherine of Siena to St. Clare
of Assisi, from St. Paschal Baylon to St. Peter Julian Eymard, from St. Alphonsus
Liguori to the Venerable Charles de Foucauld, from St. John Mary Vianney to Blessed
Józef Bilczewski, from Blessed Ivan Mertz to Blessed Theresa of Calcutta, to cite
only some examples from a seemingly endless list. Mary, Woman of the Eucharist The Most Holy Virgin Mary stands out among all the saints as a model of
holiness and Eucharistic spirituality. According to Church Tradition, she is commemorated
with veneration in all the Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass and in a particularly significant
way in the Eastern Catholic Churches. Various responses call for a clearer explanation
of the role of the Virgin Mary in the Eucharistic liturgy.
Mary is so
intimately bound to the Eucharistic mystery that she is rightly called “Woman of
the Eucharist” in the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia. The life of
Mary of Nazareth manifests in a sublime way the exclusive relationship between the
Mother and the Son of God, who took his Body and Blood from her body and blood. In
the same way, her life shows the intimate relationship uniting the Church to the Eucharist,
since the Most Holy Virgin is the model and figure of the Church, whose life and mission
have their source and summit in the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mary’s
association with the Eucharist comes more from the interior disposition which characterized
her whole life than from her active participation at the moment of the institution
of the Sacrament. Her life, which has a profound ecclesial significance, also has
a Eucharistic character. By offering her virginal womb in the incarnation of the Word
of God, Mary lived the spirit of the Eucharist even before the Sacrament was instituted.
For nine months she was the living tabernacle of God. She then acted in a Eucharistic
and ecclesial way, when she presented the Child Jesus to the shepherds, the Magi and
the High Priest in the Temple. She offered the blessed fruit of her womb to the People
of God and the Gentiles, so that they might adore him and acknowledge him as Messiah.
Analogously, this is also true in her presence as well as her concern and intercession
at Cana, when the Son worked his first sign in which he made an offering of himself
through a miracle. The Virgin Mary made a similar gesture under the cross, as she
participated in the sufferings of her Son. Afterwards, she received Christ’s body
into her arms and placed it in the tomb as the secret seed of resurrection and new
life for the salvation of the world. She again made an offering—Eucharistic and ecclesial
in nature—by her presence at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the first gift of
the Risen Lord to the Church at her beginning. The Virgin Mary was conscious of
having conceived Christ for the salvation of all humanity. Her awareness became more
evident in her participation in the paschal mystery, when her Son entrusted all the
faithful to her in the person of the Apostle John, with the words “Woman, behold your
Son” (Jn 19:26). Like the Virgin Mary, the Church also makes the Lord Jesus
present through the celebration of the Eucharist and gives him to all, so that they
might have life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). Chapter II THE EUCHARIST
AND THE MISSION OF EVANGELIZATION “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:19-20). A
Eucharistic Attitude The sending of missionaries to evangelize
all peoples, entrusted by Christ to his disciples, is founded on Baptism, the Sacrament
which opens the way to a new life marked by the indelible character of the children
of God. The work of evangelization includes the formation of conscience in accord
with a style of evangelical life centred on both the proclamation of the Good News
and the new commandment of love, of which the Eucharist is the summit and inexhaustible
source.
The Lineamenta responses recount that the times call for
a renewed commitment to evangelization. Though the number of adult-baptisms and membership
in the Church is growing, there are many people who must come to know Christ and his
Gospel, and still others who, while knowing him, are in need of a new evangelization.
Pope John Paul II was the first to use this phrase and explain its meaning. He intended
to say that evangelization should be “new in its ardour, new in its methods, new
in its expression.” While this definition referred to a renewed sense of joyous
witness in evangelizers, it reconfirmed the perennial and unchangeable content of
the Good News of Jesus Christ, presented anew in terms understandable by people today.
This renewed impetus in evangelization, also applicable in the initial proclamation
of the Gospel, is nourished by the Eucharist, which, in history’s fleeting events,
remains the perennial source and summit of the life and mission of the Church. The
Eucharist has always empowered the choices and the ethical and moral behaviour of
believers, effecting philosophy, art, literature and even civil and legal institutions,
thereby contributing to fashioning the features of an entire civilization, in personal
and family life as well as in cultural, political and social life. The Eucharist moves
Christians to a commitment for justice in the today’s world: “The Eucharist not only
provides the interior strength needed for this mission, but is also —in some sense—its
plan. For the Eucharist is a mode of being, which passes from Jesus into each
Christian, through whose testimony it is meant to spread throughout society and culture....
Incarnating the Eucharistic ‘plan’ in daily life, wherever people live and work—in
families, schools, the workplace, in all of life's settings—means bearing witness
that human reality cannot be justified without reference to the Creator: ‘Without
the Creator the creature would disappear’.” Pope John Paul II defined all this as
a “Eucharistic attitude” which ought to spur Christians to bear witness more forcefully
to God’s presence in the world, to not be afraid to speak about God and proudly to
bear the signs of our faith in witness and dialogue with all. Consequently, promoting
and spreading the “culture of the Eucharist” is a special task of the Year of the
Eucharist. Social Implications of the Eucharist An essential
effect of Eucharistic communion is a charity which ought to permeate social life.
The Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul VI spoke of the many ways in which Christ
is present in his Church. Christians need help in seeing the faith-implications of
the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and his presence in their brothers and sisters,
especially in the poor and those on the periphery of society.
Love for
the poor and those on the periphery of society was not simply the subject of Jesus’
preaching; it gave meaning to his entire life. The solution to humanity’s great and
small problems is not a weak or rhetorical love, but a love which Christ in the Eucharist
taught us, that is, a self-giving love, diffused and sacrificed. We need to pray that
Christ conquers our human resistence and makes each of us a credible witness to his
love. The topic of the 48th International Eucharistic Congress, The
Eucharist, Light and Life of the New Millennium, intends to assert that Christ,
the Light of the World, is to enlighten the world in the new millennium with the power
of a life renewed according to the logic of the Gospel. In today’s so-called “globalized”
world, lacking in solidarity, conditioned by an increasingly sophisticated technology
and marked by international terrorism and other forms of violence and exploitation,
the Eucharist maintains its timeless message, which is necessary in constructing a
society where communion, solidarity, freedom, respect for the person, hope and trust
in God prevail. The Eucharist and Inculturation Faith takes
form in culture and a culture is also the result of faith. All know the priceless
cultural treasure accrued over the ages in the liturgy of East and West: prayers,
the richness of many rites and works of architecture, plastic arts and sacred music.
This shows how religion is connected to culture, a complex of what humanity creates
of the good and meaningful. Culture furnishes the faith with the instruments needed
to express the truth revealed by God and proclaimed in the liturgy.
Inculturation
is a process which has been at work in the Church from the beginning. Many excellent
examples of inculturation could be cited. The Eastern Catholic Churches, for example,
bear witness to this process. In this regard, the work of Saints Cyril and Methodius,
the Apostles of the Slavic peoples, deserves mentioning. The process of inculturation
still remains active today in Church communities. To enact it properly requires an
awareness of the purely gratuitous nature of the redemptive act of God and the manner
in which it is adequately understood and embraced by a person, as a fully responsible
being in life’s personal and communal aspects, and reflected in human life and culture. General
principles of inculturation are clearly expressed in the conciliar decree Ad gentes,
in the Instruction Varietates legitimae on the Roman Liturgy and Inculturation,
and in numerous other related pronouncements of the Magisterium. The topic of inculturation
was also treated in various special continental synod assemblies and their related
post-synodal apostolic exhortations. Nevertheless, difficulties abound when attempts
are made to put these principles into action. Two major risks are falling into archaism
or seeking modernity at all costs. What is necessary in the process is never to forget
the goal of the Church’s mission, namely, the evangelization of all peoples in their
cultural settings. Inculturation, then, is not simply adaptation but a dynamic encounter
between the culture of a certain place and the culture which comes from the Gospel.
Consequently, before deciding to incorporate certain elements of a local culture into
the liturgy, the Gospel should be proclaimed and a great effort made to instruct people
in the faith, namely, catechesis and formation at all levels which will result in
a new, evangelized culture. Therefore, episcopal conferences and other competent bodies
should judge if introducing elements from the people’s customs into the liturgy, as
a living part of their culture, can enrich the liturgical action without causing adverse
effects to the faith and the piety of the faithful. The responses
to the Lineamenta indicate that inculturation in various parts of the western
world is usually found in working with groups of immigrants and in ethnic parishes,
where many efforts in this area are taking place. The matter is increasingly becoming
a pastoral priority in other geographic regions.
In every instance, the process
of liturgical inculturation needs to respect the norms of the Church’s official documents,
which offer timely pastoral directives. One must always be mindful that “preserving
the deposit of faith unchanged, even though prayers and rites differ so greatly,”requires
great fidelity to the Holy Spirit. For this very reason, a careful balance must exist
between Tradition which expresses an unchangeable faith in the Eucharist and adaptation
to new conditions. Various responses mention certain problems in attempts at liturgical
inculturation. Though done in good faith, some can cause shadows in relation to the
Eucharist. For example, local elements, such as songs, dance and attire, do not sufficiently
undergo a process of purification, ensuring that only what is suitable for Eucharistic
worship is incorporated into the celebration of the liturgy. Many cases of liturgical
adaptation, promoted in good faith but without an adequate knowledge of local culture,
are causing scandal among the faithful, who remain confused at the Eucharist by seeing
inappropriate meanings attributed to familiar actions in some of their rites. Other
Lineamenta responses report positive results in the area of inculturation,
primarily in the field of sacred music. In each case, it is recommended that inculturation
be done under the auspices of a diocesan ordinary, with the supervision of the episcopal
conference and the recognitio of the Holy See. At the same time, the process
requires a faithful application of the norms in the areas of inculturation and innovation,
all the while avoiding any inappropriate changes which might be done in the name of
inculturation. Certain responses ask for the use of Latin, particularly at international
celebrations, to express the unity and catholicity of the rite of the Mother Church
of Rome. In this case, it is desirable that Christians everywhere know how to pray
and chant some basic texts of the Latin liturgy, such as the Gloria, Credo
and the Our Father. The Eucharist and Peace Before
distributing Holy Communion, the bishop or priest addresses his prayer to the Risen
Lord Jesus Christ, who said to his disciples “peace I leave with you; my peace I give
to you” (Jn 14:27). The celebrant calls upon the Lord Jesus to give to his
Church “peace and unity...for ever and ever.”
The Eucharist is the Sacrament
of Peace, realized after our celebration of the Sacrament of Penance which reconciles
us to God and our neighbour. This Sacrament makes real the grace conveyed in the Risen
Lord’s greeting, “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19). The Sacrament of the Eucharist
also provides believers with the grace needed to put the spirit of the Beatitudes
into practice, particularly the beatitude proclaimed by Jesus Christ: “Blessed are
the peacemakers” (Mt 5:9). Through the sacrifice of the Cross Christ has conquered
sin, death and every kind of division and hatred. Risen from the dead, Our Lord spreads
his peace to those near and far. (cf. Eph 2:17). For families, communities
and the entire Church, peace of heart is the gift of the Risen Lord, present in the
Sacrament of the Eucharist. Whoever approaches the Sacrament ought already to possess
God’s peace, which sin impairs. Venial sins are pardoned in the Penitential Rite at
the beginning of Mass; but mortal sins require absolution in the Sacrament of Penance.
The Eucharist fortifies the gift of peace and provides to all those who receive it
the grace of becoming themselves peacemakers wherever they are. The
faithful ought to rediscover the Eucharist as the dynamic force of reconciliation
and peace with God and others. In today’s world, with its many divisions and differences—in
some cases legitimate—Christians would do well, in gathering around the Table of the
Lord, to rediscover their common roots, which are found in him. Assisted by the Word
of God and the homily of the celebrant, the faithful will grow in faith, hope and
charity and receive comfort through prayer, reflection and adoration. In this way,
they can greater commit themselves to their duty of building a better world, increasingly
more just and peaceful. They are to consider well the various choices made in political
and social areas, so that their life does not contradict the basic norms of the Gospel,
which underlie the Church’s social teaching.
This aspect of the Eucharist
is not always understood, thereby creating conflicting attitudes which become a source
of contradiction and scandal between persons and communities. In the reconciliation
of her members, the Church celebrates and worships the Eucharist as the Sacrament
of Piety, the Sign of Unity and the Bond of Charity.
Entrusting
herself to the Eucharist as the inexhaustible source of grace, the Church promotes
the cause of peace in a world vexed by conflicts, violence, terrorism and wars which
wound the dignity of persons and whole peoples, thereby hindering their development.
The Catholic Church never tires of proclaiming the Gospel of Peace (cf. Eph
6:15) and promoting various initiatives to end wars and encourage dialogue and collaboration
in bringing peace to the world.
The Eucharist is the memorial of the sacrifice
of Jesus Christ, who is “our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down
the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph 2:14). The Sacrament guides the Church
in the urgent, difficult mission of peace, opening her to work together in this effort
with all people of good will. The Eucharist, Sacrament of those reconciled with God
and others (cf. Col 1:22), also provides the incentive to undertake “the ministry
of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18). God’s Word teaches that all have sinned (cf.
Rom 3:23) and, as a result, all have need of forgiveness. Consequently, the
Church proposes to everyone a break from the vicious circle of violence and hate by
finding the power to seek forgiveness and to forgive. In the name of the
Church, the Holy Father and the Holy See continue to be involved actively in the
international forum, ardently supporting the cause of peace, fostering dialogue and
collaboration with respect to international rights and, among others, working for
the reduction of armaments and a ban on arms of mass destruction. In this work which
depends on prayer, persuasion and education, Pope John Paul II’s messages for the
World Day of Peace have particular importance. Conscious that true peace can only
come from on high (cf. James 1:17; Lk 2:14), the Church implores this
great gift from God, while working to create every possibility for the spread of peace
in this world, until peace shines fully in eternity, where the God of life promises
to peacemakers the gifts of peace, blessing, light and joy (cf. Mt 5:9). The
Eucharist and Unity In the Eucharistic Prayer, the Church also
begs Almighty God to bestow his gift of unity. This gift concerns the very nature
of the Church, willed by Jesus Christ, whose essential marks are one, holy, catholic
and apostolic.
The
Lord Jesus, before accepting the sacrifice of the cross, prayed for unity among his
disciples: “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they
may be one, even as we are one” (Jn 17:11). Christians of every age are included
in the Lord’s “priestly prayer.” In fact, Jesus Christ prayed for both the unity of
the apostles and the unity of those who, through them, would believe in him (cf. Jn
17:20). The unity of the Lord Jesus’ disciples comes from the very nature of the Church.
Unity is also one of the reasons which makes her credible: “Even as you, Father, are
in me, and I in you, that they also may all be in us, so that the world may believe
that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21). Unfortunately, sins against unity have
been present in the Church’s life in this world. In addition to the son of perdition
(cf. Jn 17:12), the early community had to deal with false prophets (cf. 1
Jn 4:1) and with those who left the community, because, in reality, they never
really belonged to it (cf. 1 Jn 2:19). St. Paul had to warn the community to
“take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to doctrine”
(Rm 16:17). He himself had clearly to intervene in the community at Corinth
to save it from divisions (cf. 1 Cor 1:12), caused by worldly people devoid
of the Spirit (cf. Jude 19). Regrettably, the scandal of divisions exists
at various levels in the Church today. The Eucharist should be a strong appeal to
all to guard the internal unity of families, parish communities, ecclesial movements,
religious orders and entire dioceses. The Eucharist also provides the grace to restore
unity among all Christians, members of the Body of Christ: “Because there is one bread,
we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Cor 10:17). Jesus
Christ’s “priestly prayer” includes those who believe in him (cf. Jn 17:20).
Unfortunately, through the course of history, Christianity has experienced painful
divisions in various Churches and ecclesial communities. Because of this sin of divisions,
which is the source of scandal for the world, prayer and work is necessary to make
whole the seamless garment of Christ (cf. Jn 19:23-24). All Christians are
called to bring God’s work to completion, each according to his vocation and responsibility.
Every one has the duty to pray that Jesus’ words be fulfilled: “And I have other sheep,
that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So
there will be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn 10:16). In response to the Lord’s
word, the entire Church prays through the mouth of her Universal Pastor who pleas:
“Lord, remember your promise. Grant that we may be one flock and one shepherd! Do
not allow your net to be torn, help us to be servants of unity!”
The Eucharist
and Ecumenism Without doubt, ecumenism is a gift of the Holy
Spirit and a necessary course to be pursued by the Church. After the Second Vatican
Ecumenical Council and the Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis redintegratio, a long,
fruitful relationship developed between the Church and ecclesial communities. The
process has created bonds of unity, some already existent at various levels, in seeking
the day of full communion which will be sealed in the common celebration of the Eucharist.
This urgent, inescapable task specially concerns the Eastern Churches which are not
yet in full communion with us. Since the Catholic Church acknowledges the validity
of their Sacrament of the Eucharist, it is permissible, under certain conditions,
for Catholics to receive Holy Communion in these Churches. Likewise, members of these
Churches can also be welcomed at the Table of the Lord in the Catholic Church, when
they are unable to approach a validly ordained priest of their Church.
A
favourable rapport has also developed between the Church and communities from the
Reformation. The relation of these communities to the Sacrament of the Eucharist is
proving, in good part, to be a delicate yet promising experience, as indicated in
canon law and the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism. The
responses to the Lineamenta emphasize that the liturgy ought to be respected
as part of the Church’s culture and not traded as some social initiative. Pope John
Paul II, following the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, declared in his first
encyclical: “Although it is true that the Eucharist always was and must continue to
be the most profound revelation of the human brotherhood of Christ's disciples and
confessors, it cannot be treated merely as an ‘occasion’ for manifesting this brotherhood.
When celebrating the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, the full magnitude
of the divine mystery must be respected, as must the full meaning of this sacramental
sign in which Christ is really present and is received, the soul is filled with grace
and the pledge of future glory is given.” This teaching supports the understanding
that the Eucharist presupposes ecclesial communion. Saying that the Eucharist is the
sign of the unity of the Church, his Body, does not refer to the nature of the Sacrament,
but to its effect. Ecumenical meetings are a privileged occasion for better understanding
the Church’s doctrine on the Eucharist and Christian unity. While painfully accepting
the divisions which forestall communal participation at the Table of the Lord, the
Church does not cease encouraging people to pray for the return of the days when
all believers enjoyed full unity in Christ. Some Lineamenta responses, however,
mention that at such meetings Catholics sometimes lack clarity in presenting Eucharistic
doctrine. In certain cases, these meetings deliberately do not include the Eucharist
among the various celebrations; while others include it and invite all, without distinction,
to receive Holy Communion. Some also lament problems created by some Protestant communities
who seek conversions among immigrants, especially the Hispanic, inviting them to attend
religious services which are oftentimes called “Mass.” Many pastors, however, following
the teachings of the Church in the matter, are offering encouraging signs through
their efforts, in a spirit of concern and charity, to bring about the ecclesial unity
desired, while not overlooking the fact that the Eucharist is the ultimate goal in
the ecumenical process aimed at seeking unity in faith. Since the end of ecumenism
is unity, the celebration of the Eucharist clearly cannot be the means to bring unification.
Until unity in the faith is achieved, that unity cannot be anticipated. Only in light
of a unity which presupposes and is confirmed by the Eucharist can the true meaning
of “intercommunion” be understood.
The Eucharist and Intercommunion Divisions among Christians is a source of anguish. Working to reestablish
communion with our separated brothers and sisters, who do not share our faith in
the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, is an urgent, necessary task. Precise
canonical norms and clear Church teaching exist in the matter. They compel the Church
to continue to search for unity and always to state clearly what stands in the way
of full communion and what conditions exist for the reception of communion in sacris.
Many Catholics are aware and appreciate the Church’s directives in this matter, seeing
in them a sure reason to pray for our separated sisters and brothers, until full union
is achieved.
Some Lineamenta responses also allude to cases of
an ill-interpreted egalitarianism which has led to certain errors. Many presume to
receive communion in sacris without a proper faith in the Sacrament and full
communion with the Church. This attitude is surprising, since it makes no sense not
to belong to a Church community and, at the same time, to want to receive the Eucharist,
which is a sign of belonging to that community, or not to accept the Pastors and
the doctrine of the Church and, at the same time, to want to take part in the sacraments
celebrated by them. This way of thinking might come from a lack of clarity on the
difference between the unity of the Church and the unity of the human race: the first
is the sign and instrument of the second, which has yet to be accomplished. Furthermore,
the responses mention that, when non-Catholics are present at a celebration of the
Eucharist in the Catholic Church, the celebrant, in some cases, invites them to approach
the altar, not to receive Holy Communion but to be given a blessing. The same is done
in the distribution of the antidoron in the Byzantine rite. On these occasions
the Catholic teaching on Holy Communion is observed and presented without compromise.
Ecumenical meetings in various countries celebrate a Liturgy of the Word to avoid
any misunderstanding about the Sacrament of the Eucharist. When non-Catholics or non-Christians
participate at Holy Mass, a booklet with the essentials of celebration would be very
useful, so that they can follow what takes place. Finally, many responses to the
Lineamenta manifest a certainty that a faithful observance of the Church’s
directives in the matter of intercommunion can be the occasion to truly express love
for Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and for those of other Christian confessions
as well to bear witness to the truth. While most responses seem to agree that a common
profession of faith in the Eucharist must precede the reception of Holy Communion
at Mass, the manner of presenting the mystery of the Eucharist in ecumenical dialogue
still needs clarification, so as to avoid two opposite extremes: complete exclusion
beforehand and a relativism. The proper response in ecumenism requires maintaining
a sound approach, while preserving the truth about the Sacrament and our Catholic
identity. Ite missa est The words at the end of
the celebration of the Eucharist, Ite missa est, bring to mind the missionary
mandate of the Risen Lord to his disciples before his Ascension into heaven: “Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). In fact, the conclusion of every
Mass is immediately linked to being sent forth in mission, a task involving all the
baptized, each according to his proper vocation in the People of God: bishops, priests,
deacons, those in the consecrated life, members of the ecclesial movements and the
laity. Bearing witness is essential in fulfilling this mission; it is the first duty
of every Christian sent forth into the world. In fact, “Without witnesses there can
be no witness, just as without missionaries there can be no missionary activity.”
This characteristic of missionary activity flows from the very words of Jesus: “from
this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn
13:35). Mission is humanly demanding and requires effort. Where does the power come
from, if not the Eucharist, the inexhaustible source of mission, true font of communion
and solidarity and real origin of reconciliation and peace?
The ultimate goal of evangelization
is a personal encounter of every human being with Jesus Christ who is alive and present
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood, which the Church offers as bread for the life
of the world. The Eucharistic finality of mission also has its basis in the teaching
of Jesus Christ, who calls all people of good will to his Table, without distinction
or prejudice (cf. Mt 22:1-13; Lk 14:16-24) and offers his sacrifice
for the salvation of all (cf Mt 26:26-29; Lk 22:15-20; Mk 14:
22-25; 1 Cor 11:23-25). The Eucharist, therefore, is the summit towards which
all the Church’s missionary activity tends, including the specific mission ad gentes.
In fact, what sense would proclaiming the Gospel have, if not to bring everyone to
communion with Christ and others? This communion is most fully expressed in a liturgical
and sacramental manner at Holy Mass, which is the foretaste of the Eternal Banquet
in heaven. The Eucharist is then the pulsating heart of mission; it is its authentic
source and its only end. Many Lineamenta responses, therefore, rightly request
promoting a renewal of the missionary task inherent in the celebration of the Eucharist.
This comes from looking with apostolic fervour and zeal at the world in the initial
years of the Third Millennium and seeing that it stands in need, more than ever, of
peace, love and fraternal communion, gifts which can only be found in Jesus Christ. Consequently, Christians ought to witness to the missionary aspect of the
Eucharist, which makes them spontaneously proclaim to the world and others the wonders
of God-Made-Man, present under the signs of bread and wine, who, in communion, enters
their life to bring about a change. This is what concerns Christians who live in a
secularized world, where the majority of those distant from God are in continuous
spiritual travail in their search for him, though he is never far from them. Such
is the zeal of missionaries, who, driven by their love for God, make the initial
proclamation of the Good News to persons who have not yet known the Gospel of Jesus
Christ or who do not know it sufficiently or fully.
The spirit of dialogue
and respect owed to the values inherent in the realities they encounter, impel Christians
to propose the missionary aspect of the Sacrament to people of good will, in obedience
to the Lord’s command: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation”
(Mk 16:15). This exalted yet arduous task requires total dedication, even
to the point of martyrdom. Engaged in this necessary work for the Church, the Lord’s
disciples draw their strength from the Eucharist, whose celebration throughout the
world is a confirmation of the promise: “Behold, I am with you always, to the close
of the age” (Mt 28:20).
CONCLUSION The celebration
of the XI General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is to conclude the Year
of the Eucharist, the entire Church is called to consider the great mystery in which
the depths of her vocation and life lie hidden. In fact, “the Church draws her life
from the Eucharist;” the Eucharist “contains the entire mystery of our salvation.”
“Thanks to the Eucharist, the Church is reborn ever anew!” The Year of the Eucharist,
then, cannot come to a close without a collegial gathering of the Successor of Peter,
the head of the episcopal college, and the college’s members in the episcopal order.
In this manner, they will celebrate the great gift of the Eucharist, nourish themselves
with the Bread of Life, adore the Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament and reflect
on the precious treasure which Christ entrusted to his Church. They will enable the
mission of evangelization to advance with renewed apostolic fervour and concrete pastoral
guidelines, adapted to the needs of the Christian community and the deepest longing
of every person today.
In
the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine, the Pastors of the Church were called
upon to take initiatives aimed at ensuring that the Eucharist be celebrated with not
only greater vitality and fervour, but above all, with “a profound interiority.” Love
for Eucharistic worship comes from rediscovering, in the prayer of adoration and thanksgiving,
the beauty of the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice. The devout reception of
the Sacrament leads to hope in the promised things which lie beyond the perspective
of everyday life, so strongly limited by the cultural effects of materialism and consumerism.
Consequently, the Eucharist becomes a transforming force in culture, because the Sacrament
is the manifestation of communion and the place of encounter between the People of
God and the dead and risen Christ, the source of life and hope. The Eucharist is the
seed of a new world and the true school of dialogue, reconciliation, love, solidarity
and peace. The shadows of Eucharistic celebration, mentioned in faithfulness
to the information contained in the Lineamenta responses, will be dispersed
to the extent that synod discussion—and afterwards, Church discussion— again discovers
the greatness and beauty of the gift of the Eucharistic mystery and does not veer
from the synod’s principal aim. Through the experience of episcopal collegiality,
the synod is to consider the promptings of the Holy Spirit in the Church today and
see how the Eucharist might truly become the source and summit of her life and mission,
namely, of the new evangelization, which the world greatly needs.
Indeed,
the Eucharistic mystery—sacrifice, memorial and banquet—provides the Church, in every
aspect of her life, with an inexhaustible spring of grace for celebrating the sacramental
re-presentation of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, for living the
personal encounter with the Lord, for constructing ecclesial communion on the solid
foundation of love and for foretasting the glory yet to come of the Wedding of the
Lamb. In the life of the entire Church everything reaches its summit in the Eucharistic
mystery, the final end of all her activity: from catechesis to the reception of the
other sacraments, from popular devotion to the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and
from meditation on God’s Word to personal and communal prayer. The Eucharist is the
heart of ecclesial communion. If the Church is, in Christ, a kind of Sacrament,
she is a sign and instrument of not only intimate union with God but also the unity
of the whole human race. Consequently, the Eucharist as the Lord’s living presence
also becomes the source of the Church’s universal mission. Bishops, priests and deacons
receive grace from the Eucharist to proclaim the Gospel with pastoral concern in today’s
world. Missionaries draw courage from the Eucharist to bring the good news of the
Kingdom to the ends of the earth. Those in the consecrated life are strengthened in
the Eucharist to live the ideal of the Christian life through their vows of poverty,
chastity and obedience. The Eucharist provides light and vigour for the laity so that
they can transform temporal realities according to the new commandment to love God
and one’s neighbour. The Eucharist emboldens those Christians who suffer persecution
to bear witness to Christ in the world. The Church’s evangelizing mission has its
ultimate goal in the union on earth of all people in Christ, ever-present in the Eucharistic
mystery, in anticipation of the definitive union of humanity at the Eternal Banquet
in heaven. As a result, the Eucharist is the culminating point of all pastoral work
and every missionary endeavour. Likewise, the Sacrament is at the heart of evangelization
and human promotion. In fact, those who receive the Bread of Life and proclaim the
Eucharistic mystery to the world are also to defend life in all its stages and have
a due respect for all creation. The faithful who eat the Bread-Come-Down-From-Heaven
feel a duty to contribute to building a more just world, where God’s will is done
and each person is assured of “our daily bread.” In their discussions, the synod
fathers will rely on the prayers of the whole Church, including the holy men and women
whose lives provide fitting examples of authentic Eucharistic theology and devotion.
Encouraged and sustained by their prayerful intercession, we proceed on our pilgrimage
through the joys and sorrows of this present age. Among the saints, the Mother
of God has a unique place, since the Son of God was born from her spotless body—Ave,
verum corpus, natum de Maria Vergine.As a result, she has for all time
a unique relationship to the Eucharistic mystery. In Mary, Woman of the Eucharist
par excellence, the Church contemplates the most perfect model of herself. Likewise,
she beholds beforehand the realization of the “new heaven” and the “new earth,” eagerly
awaited by all creation. In invoking Mary’s patronage with trust and devotion, the
Church will rekindle anew her fervent desire to make the Eucharist the source and
summit of her entire life and mission, for the greater glory of God and the salvation
of all people and the world.
INDEX PREFACE iii INTRODUCTION 1 The
Synodal Assembly in the Year of the Eucharist 1 The Instrumentum
Laboris and Its Use 2 Part I THE EUCHARIST AND TODAY’S
WORLD 5 Chapter IHUNGERING FOR THE BREAD OF GOD 5 Bread for Each Person
in the World 5 Some Essential Statistics 6 The Eucharist in Various
Situations in the Church 8 The Eucharist and the Christian Meaning
of Life 10 Chapter IITHE EUCHARIST AND ECCLESIAL COMMUNION 13 Eucharistic
Mystery: The Expression of Ecclesial Unity 13 The Relation of
the Eucharist to the Church as ‘Bride and Body of Christ’ 14 The
Relation of the Eucharist to the Other Sacraments 17 The Close
Bond Between the Eucharist and Penance 20 The Relation of the Eucharist
to the Faithful 23 Shadows in the Celebration of the Eucharist 24 PART
II THE FAITH OF THE CHURCHIN THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST 27 Chapter
ITHE EUCHARIST, GOD’S GIFT TO HIS PEOPLE 27 The Eucharist: the Mystery of Faith 27 The
Eucharist: The New and Eternal Covenant 28 Faith and the Celebration of
the Eucharist 29 Personal Faith and the Church’s Faith 30 The
Perception of the Eucharistic Mystery among the Faithful 31 The
Sense of the Sacred in the Eucharist 31 Chapter IITHE PASCHAL MYSTERY AND THE
EUCHARIST 33 The Centrality of the Paschal Mystery 33 Names for the
Eucharist 33 Sacrifice, Memorial and Meal 34 The Consecration 36 The
Real Presence 37 PART III THE EUCHARIST IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH 41 Chapter
ICELEBRATING THE EUCHARIST OF THE LORD 41 “We thank you for counting us
worthy to stand in your presence...” 41 The Introductory Rites 43 The
Liturgy of the Word 43 The Liturgy of the Eucharist 45 The Communion 47 The
Concluding Rite 48 Ars Celebrandi 48 The Word and the Bread
of Life 50 The Meaning of Norms 52 An Urgent Pastoral Program 53 Liturgical
Song 54 The Dignity of the Sacred Space 56 Chapter IIADORING THE
LORD IN MYSTERY 59 From Celebration to Adoration 59 Sentiments of
Adoration 60 Awaiting the Lord 62 Sunday Eucharist 63 PART
IV THE EUCHARIST IN THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH 67 Chapter
IEUCHARISTIC SPIRITUALITY 67 The Eucharist: Font of Christian Morality 67 Eucharistic
Persons and Communities 69 Mary, Woman of the Eucharist 71 Chapter
IITHE EUCHARIST AND THE MISSION OF EVANGELIZATION 73 A Eucharistic Attitude 73 Social
Implications of the Eucharist 74 The Eucharist and Inculturation 75 The
Eucharist and Peace 77 The Eucharist and Unity 79 The Eucharist
and Ecumenism 81 The Eucharist and Intercommunion 83 Ite missa
est 84 CONCLUSION 87