Reflection-Mtunguja
Beda (11017T)
Redemptionis Sacramentum-The Sacrament of Redemption. (Chapter II)
The Participation of the Lay Christian Faithful in the Eucharistic
Celebration.
In the Eucharistic celebration
active participation it is very important and encouraged to the faithful.
According to Vatican II all the faithful should participate in work of our
salvation in their body and mind. Celebration of the mass in Christian life is
the centre where all Christians are involved in Eucharistic celebration
according to their positions and orders laid by the magisterium in the
universal or local church. In the Eucharistic celebration we share the loyal
and common priesthood in Christ, though in different degrees and essence but
each on its way partake the one priesthood of Christ.
In
the Eucharistic celebration the faithful offer with Christ the sacrifice which
pleasing God and attested to others through their good works. By participation
in the Eucharistic celebration, the faithful are strengthened and exercise
their faith by baptismal. The Priest or the catechist should educate the
faithful that, the meal they receive in the Eucharist is the real sacrifice of
Jesus on the cross. The Eucharistic celebration should be understood as the
main part which needs active participation. The faithful must participate
actively in singing, Response, gestures and deep concentration on the word of
God which escorts them in the celebration of the great mystery of our salvation
since the Eucharist as the liturgical actions is interconnected in mass.
The
catechetical instruction should be provided before the Eucharistic celebration
in order to allow the believers to participate in this great mystery. The
faithful also are encouraged to participate in different sacramental and popular
piety so as to help them to understand more and meditate on this mystery of our
salvation. In general Eucharistic celebration requires active participation so
as to strengthen faith of believers.
There
are some ministries where by the faithful lay Christians participate in the
ministry during the sacred liturgy. Apart from the duties attributed to the
lector and acolyte, the faithful also participate in giving assistance during
liturgical celebration. This should be done by those instructed and recommended
by the church’s magisterium. The boys serving during the celebration should be
well educated and trained. The parents should direct them faithfully and
promote them in serving the church simply because the sacred ministers in the
future come from these boys. Participation in the Eucharistic celebration is
very crucial for all the faithful so as to deepening their faith.
General Instruction of the Roman Missal chapter III. The importance and Dignity of the Eucharistic Celebration (Paulines
Publications Nairobi
Eucharistic
celebration is the actions of Christ where Christ is present in the person of
priest during the Eucharistic celebration. The centre and heart of Christian
life in the church is found in the Eucharistic celebration. During the
Eucharistic celebration there are both God’s actions of love in giving his son
to the world and in response human return thanksgiving to God for this great
gift to the world. During the Eucharistic celebration we recall the mystery of
our salvation where Jesus Christ is present. The Eucharistic celebration is the
time when all activities of the believers are realistically bound to this
celebration where Christ is really present.
Eucharist
as the Lord’s Supper is the greatest and important part where the faithful and
the ministers actively participate and acquire the fruits which came up as a
result from the Eucharistic sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus on the
Cross. The Eucharist is entrusted to the church as memorial of Passion and
resurrection of Jesus. Celebration of Eucharist should be planned and arranged
so as to help the faithful to get involved in the active participation in body
and mind include faith, hope and charity in their life as Christians.
The
celebration of Eucharist maintains its efficacy and dignity provided that there
is no active participation. It is the action of Christ himself in the person of
priest where the priest fulfills his principle duty as Christ and act for the
salvation of the faithful (Cf 19). However, it is through the signs in the
liturgy during the Eucharistic celebration where the faithful are nourished,
strengthened and expresses their faith. The church should set forth the forms
and elements looking the circumstance and the place of the faithful so as to
encourage active and full participation to meet their spiritual needs.
For
the local church the diocesan bishop entrusted to be the moderator, promoter
and guardian of the liturgical life in that whenever the bishop is celebrating
the Eucharist must be an example to his local church. The priests, deacons and
the Christian faithful get more meaning and deep understanding of dignity of
Eucharistic celebration promoted by bishop during the liturgical celebration.
The priests as the servants are entrusted to observe the dignity of Eucharist.
The priest is not supposed to change or add anything in the norms of liturgy by
his own will without consulting the local bishop for salvation and nurturing
the faithful in their spiritual needs.
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Sacramentum Caritatis by Benedict
XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Part One: The Eucharist, A mystery to be
believed
When we talk about mystery, we must
bear in mind that we go beyond human reasoning. Eucharist as a mystery and
centre of life in the church, God reveals his great love to his people. The
Eucharist is the mystery first to be believed then understanding comes after
believing in faith. In the Eucharist, we obliged to believe in the sense that
we cannot apply reasons to understand it. The intention is to strengthen the understanding
of the faithful in this mystery of Eucharistic celebration in their Christian
life.
Eucharist is the mystery of faith,
where our faith is centered and recapitulated. It is the sacrament of mystery
of our faith per excellent. The heart of church’s life is on the sacrament of
Eucharist so the church is renewed and reborn day after day during the
Eucharistic celebration. Eucharist is the causal principal of the church where
Christ gives birth to the church. The church invites all the faithful to
strengthen their faith in this great mystery of Eucharistic celebration as the
heart and root of the church.
Eucharist as mystery of faith, God
reveals himself in the Trinitarian love. God love the world to the extent of
dedicating himself to his people as a gift. In Eucharist Jesus offered himself
as true bread and living bread of life from heaven to humankind(Jn
6:32-51).Moreover Eucharist is the true sacrifice of Jesus himself on the
cross. The mission of Christ is accomplished on the cross by being obedient to
his father up to his death where new covenant came out to us. In instituting
the sacrament of Eucharist Jesus anticipate and made present the sacrifice of
the cross and the victory of the resurrection. So Eucharist draws us to Jesus
himself in his sacrifice of the cross. Furthermore in this Trinitarian love, the
Holy Spirit prays a great role in this great mystery of Eucharistic celebration
by deepening our understanding of this sacred mystery. It is also the role of
the Holy Spirit in the act of transubstantiation that is transforming the bread
into the body of Christ and wine into the blood of Christ.
The Eucharist as the centre of life
in the church reflects all the sacraments. The church herself as sacrament,
sign and instrument of communion with God is reflected in the Eucharist.
Eucharist contains the entire spiritual wealth in the church. Baptism and
confirmation are reflected in the Eucharist as the sacrament of initiation
where Eucharist is the centre. In Eucharist the sacrament of reconciliation is
reflected, in that as the sacrament of communion, it makes the faithful to
reconcile with God and neighbors during the state of sin. Again the sacrament
of anointing of the sick is mirrored in the Eucharist. The Eucharist shows how
Christ suffered and died for his profound love to humankind, so the sick are
united with Christ in his suffering for our salvation. Those who about to die
are given the sacrament of Eucharist as the viaticum on their journey to
communion with father and Christ himself. Above all the sacrament of holy
orders is also reflected in Eucharist, where before his death in the last
supper, Jesus instituted the sacrament of holy orders. Furthermore the
sacrament of matrimony is also reflected in the Eucharist. Christ loves all humankind
till death on the cross, this charity of love is reproduced by the marriage
couples in their life.
*****
Reflections- Mtunguja
Beda (11017T)
THE EUCHARIST: Life of the Church
Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia of Pope John Paul II
Chapter III: The Mystery of Faith
The title of the encyclical, The
Eucharist: life of the church shows that without Eucharist there could be no
church as what it is today. It is true that without the sacrifice of Jesus on
the cross which represented today on the sacrament of Eucharist there could be
no church at all. This life of the church in the Eucharist needs Faith in the sense
that Eucharist goes beyond human thinking. We participate in the mystery of
Faith in Eucharistic celebration when we say, we announce your death O Lord,
and we proclaim your resurrection, until you come in glory. In the Eucharistic
celebration we call it the mystery of our faith which cannot be understood by
human reason.
When
we say we announce your death in the Eucharistic celebration, the events of
death and resurrection of Jesus for our salvation become present and this is
the centre in the Eucharistic celebration. Christ offered himself on the cross
for us, so this sacrifice is made the real one in the Eucharist. This greater
mystery of love to human being is always present during the celebration of
Eucharist and we share this love when receiving the body and blood of our Lord.
The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the sacrifice of Eucharist are made one
thing as the centre of Christian life which we announce it in faith. During the consecration we say, we proclaim
your resurrection. We do not only celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross
but also his resurrection in that, each day in the Eucharistic celebration the
risen Lord is present among us. It is the time where the risen Christ is fully
present. The substance of bread and wine became substance of body and blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ (Transubstantiation) after consecration. This is the
mystery which we are told to proclaim and receive in great faith.
We express also our hope and joy
which Jesus promised us when we say, until you come again. We anticipate the
heavenly joy together with the angels and saints who praise our Lord eternally.
In the Eucharist we are assured for our future resurrection when Jesus will
come to raise the living and dead. In the Eucharist we are enlightened in our
mind and united with the angels and saints in heaven toward honouring the Lamb
Jesus. In Eucharist all people the poor, powerless and oppressed are united to
the sacrifice of Jesus and share the love of Christ to all humanity.
****
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THE LORD’S DAY: Apostolic
Letter Dies Domini of the Holy Father John Paul II
Die Ecclesiae, The Eucharistic Assembly: Heart of Sunday
The Eucharist is the centre of the
Lord’s Day that is Sunday. We know the important of heart in the human being,
in that without heart human beings cease to exist. Eucharist as the heat of
Sunday shows the need to participate on celebrating the Eucharist on Sunday as
the core of the mass. This chapter shows the important of observing the Lord’s
Day which culminated on the Eucharistic celebration.
Sunday
as the Lord’s Day all the faithful participate and acknowledge the presence of
the risen lord in the Eucharist. Sunday not only that we are remembering
Christ’s events suffering, death, resurrection and ascension but the risen lord
is presence in the midst of the believers in the Eucharist. It is the day where
the assembly of the faithful gathered together with the aim of celebrating the
resurrection of Jesus centered on Eucharist where Jesus is among the faithful
as what happened to the disciples of Emmaus (cf Lk 24:13-35). Sunday is
essential as the Lord’s Day because Jesus conquered death so it is obligatory
day for the faithful to come together as God’s family.
Sunday
as Lord’s Day, the universal church unites together. In the Eucharistic prayer
the Pope and Bishop are mentioned which symbolize unity of the universal
church. It is also advised that mass in small chapel on Sunday are joined
together as assembly to express the identity of the church. Sunday is the day
of pilgrim and hopes whereby the church is on the way and hope for the second
coming and union with Christ.
Sunday also we share the word of God
as well as the table of the body and blood of Christ in other words we
participate in the liturgy of the word and Eucharist as the major parts in the
mass. On Sunday as the family of God we come together attentively to share the
word of God on our salvation history followed by the Eucharist as the centre of
the Lord’s Day. The Priest prepares scripture to deepen the understanding of
the faithful which lead them to celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross
under the species of bread and wine where Holy Spirit makes Jesus present in
his body and blood. Eucharist is the Easter banquet where we share spiritual
union with joy and learn how to love each other as brothers and sisters. It is
the day where the faithful are sent to proclaim Jesus whom they have received
during the Eucharistic celebration. So we participate in the ministry of Jesus
to other people through Eucharist.
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