The Eucharist and Ecclesial Communion.
According
to the Second Vatican Council, the Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and
summit of the Christian life. The celebration of this great mystery which was
instituted by Christ Himself brings us together as a family of God. It is the
culminating point of our celebration, where we commemorate the paschal mystery
for our salvation. Moreover, the Holy Eucharist stands at the centre of the
church’s life. This paper is a reflection about the Eucharist and Ecclesial
Communion, where I am going to base my argument from Ecclesia de Eucharistia, the Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul
II.
During
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Christ is in our midst and he unites us
together. He invites us to take his body and drink his blood, so that we may
abide with him and he remains in us, (John 6: 53-58). Whenever the church celebrates the Eucharist she
remembers the promise that Christ said that he will be with his disciples until
the end of time. According to Bl. Pope
John Paul II, the Holy Eucharist unites heaven and earth. It embraces and
permeates all creation. (EE 8). The
Eucharist however, is the Christ’s saving community of the faithful. It is the
spiritual food, the most precious gift which Christ left us in our spiritual
journey. As a family gathered together by the love of Christ, we receive this
spiritual food, strengthens us in our lives.
Nevertheless,
in considering the Eucharist as the sacrament of ecclesial communion, the
Document of Vatican II council also encourages us not to overlook the
relationship of the Eucharist and the ecumenism issue. Ecumenism is perceived
as a special gift of God which is to inspire us belonging to the Catholic
Church and our brothers and sisters from other churches. It is our duty to set
forth the path of ecumenism (EE. 43).
We are to see them as our brothers and sisters for we are all created in the
image and likeness God.
Every
Christianity aim at attaining unity and the church teaches that the Eucharist
is the sacrament of unity of God’s people. It is a banquet where Christ invites
everybody to receive from one chalice. Through partaking in this banquet, we
are bonded with love of Christ. We are also fully incorporated into the society
of the Church. The church has established within her the means of salvation,
and has visible framework like the profession of faith, the sacraments,
ecclesiastical government and communion (EE.
38).
In
conclusion, we can say that indeed the Eucharist is the supreme manifestation
of church communion. As followers of Christ, we are all called to partake in
this celebration and become one body in Christ.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter “Ecclesia de Eucharistia” The Eucharist Life of the
Church,
Nairobi: Paulines Publication 2003.
***
THE
EUCHARIST A MYSTERY TO BE OFFERED TO THE WORLD
Jesus gave his whole
life as a ransom for all the people. He obeyed the will of his Father and
through incarnation, he became like us in all ways but sin. Jesus had strong
feelings towards the poor and the sick, and at many occasions he healed the
sick and was very close to those who are perceived as outcasts in the society.
It was the will of God to save human kind who had fallen into sin by
disobedience. However, through Jesus, God wanted to restore the relationship
between himself and humanity. He sent his beloved Son, who was crucified and
died on the cross for the salvation of the world. This is a profound love that
God expressed to us.
According to Pope
Benedict XVI in his Post-Apostolic Exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis, each
celebration of the Eucharist make sacramental present the gift that the
crucified Lord made of his life for the world. Also in the Eucharist Jesus
makes us witness of God’s compassion towards all our brother. After the
conclusion of the Holy Mass, we are sent in a mission to go forth and spread
peace of Christ whom we have received in the Holy Eucharist.
Christ desired that the
sacrifice which he was going to offer on the Calvary on Good Friday, the
breaking of his body for the sake of the world, be an ongoing celebration in
the Church, in the wondrous sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Through the
ordained Minister, this sacrifice of Christ’s life on the Cross is offered a
new in unbloody manner for the sake of the world. Moreover, the sacrifice of
the Calvary is a so decisive for the salvation of the humanity.
The mystery of the
Eucharist gives rise to service of charity toward our neighbors whom we
interact with in the society. This however can take place when we have an
intimate encounter with Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, (SC, 88). While in the world, Jesus gave
as an example by offering his life and loving people to the end. He taught his
disciple to be servants. As a role model, Jesus washed the feet of his
disciples and said, ‘you should do as I have done to you’, (Jn. 13:15). When we
receive the Eucharist, we are to offer ourselves, to serve others and more
especially the poor and needy in the society.
The Holy Eucharist
compels us to build a fraternal and just society, wherever we find ourselves.
St. Francis prayed that God may make him an instrument of peace; we too after
receiving the Holy Eucharist are to become Christ-like in ensuring that peace
is prevailing in our various communities. Incidences of genocides such as the
one occurred in Rwanda and Kenya should be unheard of in a Christian community.
As Christ offered himself to the world, we too should offer ourselves to our
brothers and sisters.
Reference.
Benedict XVI,
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum
Caritatis, (22nd February
2007), Paulines
Publication, 2007.
****
MARY
THE WOMAN OF THE EUCHARIST.
Blessed
Virgin Mary finds a significant place in the Eucharistic celebration. In his
encyclical letter, Ecclesia de
Eucharistia, the Eucharist Life of the, Pope John Paul II explain that, in
rediscovering the profound richness between the Church and the Eucharist, Mary
cannot be neglected. The Church perceives Mary as her model. She had much time
to spend and contemplate about Jesus, in his earthly life as he grew up.
Moreover, Blessed Virgin Mary guides the Church towards the most Holy
Sacrament, because she herself has a profound relationship with it, (EE 53). Actually, from the Scriptures we
read that Mary had a deep relationship with Jesus Christ.
Mary
is seen as the woman of the Eucharist because in her life, the entire life of
the Church is realized through her. Firstly, she accepted to become the Mother
of Christ. She conceived the son of God in the physical reality of his Body and
Blood, an anticipation of what will happen in future where Jesus will be
received under the signs of Bread and Wine. Mary bore in her womb the Word made
flesh. She indeed became the “tabernacle”, the fist “tabernacle” in history
where the Son of God dwelt. (EE 55).
We too when we receive the Holy Eucharist in a worthy manner, we become ‘tabernacle’
where Jesus Christ lives.
During the tender age
of Jesus, Mary was very close to her new born Son. She cradled him in her arms
and contemplated his face. She showed great love to her first born Son, Jesus
Christ, a virtue that Christians are called to practice every moment we receive
the Holy Eucharist. Mary found it worth to visit her cousin Elizabeth, to share
her joy. She praises and thank the Lord in the ‘Magnificat’, and rejoices in God our Savior, (Lk. 1:46-56). She did
not keep the joy on herself rather she found it important to spread this joy to
her cousin, Elizabeth. This is a great challenge to us; do we share the joy of
receiving Christ in the Eucharist.
Mary is very present in
the Church, and as the Mother of the Church, she is also present during our
Eucharistic celebration. She always intercedes for the Church. At some stage in
the Eucharistic Prayer, we invoke the name of Mary and ask her to pray for us.
As our role model, she imitated the life of Christ and was present during the
breaking of Bread in remembrance of the Last Supper. Christians are to imitate
what Mary did and embrace Christ in our daily lives. Moreover, Mary had great
trust in Jesus Christ. This is vivid in the Gospel when she told those who
attended the wedding at Cana to do whatever he tells them, (Jn 2:5). We too
ought to ask Christ to increase our faith as the size of a mustard seed.
John Paul II,
Encyclical Letter “Ecclesia de Eucharistia”, the Eucharist life of the Church
(17th April
2003), Nairobi: Paulines Publications 2003.
****
THE EUCHARISTIC FORM OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
The Eucharist plays an important role in the Christian faith for it is the most surprising of the divine inventions. It actually manifests the ingenuity of wisdom and the love that Jesus Christ has for the humanity. According to Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI writes that the Lord became for us the food of truth and love. Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many, and promised that if anyone would eat his Body and drinks his Blood, he will live forever. When we receive this great mystery, we are transformed and become one body in Christ as He live in us and we live in him. This teaching came from Jesus himself when he was teaching his disciple (Jn 6:57). The teaching inspires us to understand how the mystery “believed” and “celebrated” contains innate power making it the principle of new life within us and the form of our Christian existence (SC, 70).
The Eucharist is not simply ‘one of the sacraments.’ Indeed, it surely belongs to the sacramental economy, but it possesses a unique excellence for it is the sacrament which is given not only grace, but the very author of grace. In this way, Christ manifests his personhood in the most immediate and real manner. However, whoever participates worthily and consumes Christ Body and Blood, he or she becomes like Christ and also become the sharer of the divine life, in an ever more adult and conscious way. Moreover, we are nourished by Christ in our spiritual journey, for we become united with him, and he draws himself.
When we are drawn closer to Christ, we live in harmony with one another as a Christian family. It is true that the Eucharistic celebration appears in all its power as the source and summit of the Church’s life. (SC, 70). By celebrating this great mystery, the Church fulfills the command of Jesus of doing this in memory of me. Again, the Eucharistic celebration brings us together as a family, to pray together and present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship (Rom. 12:1).
As a conclusion to this reflection, it is indeed very clear that the Eucharist form the basic foundation of Christian life. The Eucharist expresses the existential depth of the love of Christ towards the Christian family, and it implies the transformation of our human reality as taken up by Christ. The Eucharist also embraces the concrete existence of a Christian believe. By receiving the Eucharist, we are strengthened in faith to live a virtuous life, and desire to do the will of God in all our daily endeavors.
Bibliography.
Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, (22nd February
2007), Paulines Publication, 2007.
***
The Eucharist and Ecclesial Communion.
John Kariuki
According
to the Second Vatican Council, the Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and
summit of the Christian life. The celebration of this great mystery which was
instituted by Christ Himself brings us together as a family of God. It is the
culminating point of our celebration, where we commemorate the paschal mystery
for our salvation. Moreover, the Holy Eucharist stands at the centre of the
church’s life. This paper is a reflection about the Eucharist and Ecclesial
Communion, where I am going to base my argument from Ecclesia de Eucharistia, the Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul
II.
During
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Christ is in our midst and he unites us
together. He invites us to take his body and drink his blood, so that we may
abide with him and he remains in us, (John 6: 53-58). Whenever the church celebrates the Eucharist she
remembers the promise that Christ said that he will be with his disciples until
the end of time. According to Bl. Pope
John Paul II, the Holy Eucharist unites heaven and earth. It embraces and
permeates all creation. (EE 8). The
Eucharist however, is the Christ’s saving community of the faithful. It is the
spiritual food, the most precious gift which Christ left us in our spiritual
journey. As a family gathered together by the love of Christ, we receive this
spiritual food, strengthens us in our lives.
Nevertheless,
in considering the Eucharist as the sacrament of ecclesial communion, the
Document of Vatican II council also encourages us not to overlook the
relationship of the Eucharist and the ecumenism issue. Ecumenism is perceived
as a special gift of God which is to inspire us belonging to the Catholic
Church and our brothers and sisters from other churches. It is our duty to set
forth the path of ecumenism (EE. 43).
We are to see them as our brothers and sisters for we are all created in the
image and likeness God.
Every
Christianity aim at attaining unity and the church teaches that the Eucharist
is the sacrament of unity of God’s people. It is a banquet where Christ invites
everybody to receive from one chalice. Through partaking in this banquet, we
are bonded with love of Christ. We are also fully incorporated into the society
of the Church. The church has established within her the means of salvation,
and has visible framework like the profession of faith, the sacraments,
ecclesiastical government and communion (EE.
38).
In
conclusion, we can say that indeed the Eucharist is the supreme manifestation
of church communion. As followers of Christ, we are all called to partake in
this celebration and become one body in Christ.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter “Ecclesia de Eucharistia” The Eucharist Life of the
Church,
Nairobi: Paulines Publication 2003.
I strongly agree with Bl. Pope John Paul II when he said that "the Holy Eucharist unites heaven and earth." I think if we look at it that way we'll have the true meaning of 'Communion'
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