The Most Sacred Mystery of the Eucharist
The Council in the second chapter of Sacrosanctum Concilium declares that the Saviour’s “Eucharistic
sacrifice of his Body and Blood,” was instituted at the Last Supper so as “to
perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the ages.” Since the benefits of the Eucharist, namely
the inflowing of grace and promise of eternal glory, are precisely those which
were obtained for us on the Cross the faithful should offer the Eucharistic
sacrifice “not only through the hands of the priest but also together with him”
and they should also “offer themselves.” When the Council prescribes that the
faithful should “offer themselves,” this is not meant in substitution or
supplement of Christ as the sacrificial victim that we offer ourselves as
members of the mystical body of Christ. It is not in virtue of our merits, but
of Christ’s, that this sacrifice has efficacy. In order to achieve fuller
participation by the faithful in the Mass, the Council issued nine decrees
regarding Masses where the faithful are present.
First, the rite of the Mass should be revised so “that the intrinsic
nature and purpose of its several parts, as well as the connection between
them, may be more clearly manifested and that the devout and active
participation by the faithful may be more easily achieved.” (SC, 50) The concrete means of achieving
this end is to simplify the rites, “due care being taken to preserve their
substance.” In a second decree, the
Council calls for a more diverse set of Scripture readings to be used at Mass
over a cycle of several years. However, the special theme of each Sunday and
feast was not effaced, since we can take similar Gospel readings, though taken
from different evangelists on different cycle years. A third decree announces
that the homily should become a proper part of the liturgy, not to be omitted
on Sundays and holy days and its subject matter should be faith and morals,
based on an exposition of the Scriptural readings (SC, 52). The fourth decree
explicitly calls for the restoration of the “common prayer” or “prayer of the
faithful” of which the laity are to participate in this prayer for
intercessions on behalf of the Church, civil authorities, those in need, and
for all mankind and its salvation (SC,
53).
The fifth decree gives more definite form to the proposed usage of
the vernacular during the Mass where “a suitable place may be allotted to the
mother tongue.” (SC, 54).
“Nevertheless steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to
say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which
pertain to them.” A sixth decree recommends that Holy Communion be offered to
the laity at all Masses after the priest’s communion. However it shall be noted
that lay communion is explicitly prescribed to be distinct from and posterior
to the priest’s communion. The Council proposes the reception of communion
under both kinds only in highly restricted circumstances, where such reception
is consonant with the special event and does not give occasion to the error
that reception under one kind is a less perfect or incomplete form of the
sacrament. In the seventh decree, the
Council describes the two parts of the Mass as “the liturgy of the Word and the
Eucharistic liturgy.” The eighth and
ninth decrees provide for broader application of priestly concelebration at
Mass. The Council does not give a general indult, but instead allows the use of
concelebration only in these determinate cases. However, the diocesan bishop
has the authority to determine which Masses will be concelebratory, yet each
priest retains the right to celebrate his own Mass, “though not at the same
time in the same church as a concelebrated Mass, nor on Thursday of the Lord's
Supper.” (SC, 57)
In conclusion, all the decrees we have seen above were meant to help
us understand what Eucharist means to the Church and what role it plays in her
life. The various decrees also give us the basic guidelines to allow beauty and
sacredness in our liturgy.
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The Other Sacraments and the Sacramentals
The Second Vatican Council’s changes to the
Mass are the most noticeable reform of public worship for most Catholics and
yet there are other changes by this Constitution which are very important. In
the third chapter of Sacrosanctum
Concilium we have sacraments and sacramental discussed at large. This short
work shall serve to explore this chapter and what the Church expects us to do.
In
this chapter, the Council is fully aware that the sacraments, in addition to
administering grace, serve as forms of instruction in the faith and that
inappropriate changes in the administration of the sacraments may obscure their
true meaning or substitute an erroneous meaning in the minds of those hearing
the words spoken. Therefore, any change in the sacramental rites must retain
the orthodox meaning of the sacraments and express this clearly. As a result,
the Council justifies the need to reform the rites of sacraments and sacramentals
by saying some changes have become necessary to adapt them to the needs of our
own times for the effectiveness of a symbol is determined not by its intrinsic
nature alone, but by its intelligibility to those who are to receive it (SC, 62). To this end, new rites with
local adaptations may be proposed by bishops’ conference, and are subject to
approval by the Holy See.
Meanwhile,
we may review the brief norms for ritual reform proposed by the Council. First,
the Constitution calls for the restoration of the catechumenate for adults to ensure
that the faithful understand what they profess to believe. The Council also
calls for a shorter rite to be drawn up for use by catechists in mission
countries, or even lay faithful, who may baptize if there is danger of imminent
death and no priest or deacon is available (SC,
68). The council also insists that there should be a new, distinct rite for
(non-infant) converts who were validly baptized and it should say that they are
now admitted into communion with the Church (SC, 69). With regard to Confirmation, the Council proposes to
restore to its role as a part of Christian initiation. On Penance, the Council
says only that the rite should be revised to “more clearly express both the
nature and effect of the sacrament.” (SC,
72) In keeping with the aim of distinguishing the Anointing of the Sick from a
death rite, the Council notes that the Anointing and the Viaticum may be
performed as separate and distinct rites.
The Council also calls for
the revision of the rites for sacramentals, in keeping with the general
principle of encouraging lay understanding and participation. The revised rites
should take modern culture into account. Actually the Council went further in
making the sacramentals more widely available, allowing even “qualified lay
persons” to do so, “at least in special circumstances and at the discretion of
the ordinary.” (SC, 79 Here, however,
the Council seems to have opened the door for a much broader lay administration
of sacramentals. The same Council continues to call for a revision to the rite
of Consecration of Virgins in the Pontificale
Romanum, but gives no reason (SC,
80). In Fact, the modern rite of consecration of virgins living in the world
does not prescribe the rule of any religious order, but only that the vow of
virginity be kept, and that the virgin should pray on behalf of the faithful in
her locality. The Church elevates religious professions by including them in
her public liturgy, the Mass, rather than treating them as private devotions.
From this we can see that the main aim of
any changes and reforms in the Church is to enhance faith. The Church is very
cautious when it comes to safe-guarding her faith and tries by all means not to
error in the same area; sacraments and sacramentals are no exception.
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The Catholic approach to the Bible - Sacred Scripture
The papal document Verbum
Domini issued by Pope Benedict XVI, is an apostolic exhortation discussing
the Catholic approach to the Bible - Sacred Scripture, and it is quite
impressive. Verbum Domini explores both theological foundations
concerning the Word of God and practical applications that allow our Scripture
study to affect our mission as the Church, Verbum Domini is a
beautiful discussion of the necessity of Scripture in our daily lives.
It is important to note that this is not an encyclical, but a
“post-synodal apostolic exhortation”. The difference is mainly that an
encyclical will usually be almost exclusively theological and leave practical
applications to other forums while this exhortation, which was written as a
response to the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God, tackles both
theological issues as well as practical applications of those issues. We shall
now have a glimpse at the document which is divided into three major sections, apart
from the introduction and conclusion:
Verbum Dei
This unit sets the theological foundations of the Church’s
understanding of the Word of God. The multiple meanings of “Word of God” are
very much stressed in this document and great emphasis that the Scripture can
only be properly understood in the context of the living Church is given. As a
matter of fact, this first unit of the document says it all for it is
beautifully written and gives a great explanation of the overall context in
which the Church approaches the Bible.
Verbum in Ecclesia
In this the second unit, Verbum
Domini elaborates how Scripture is to be read, interpreted and prayed in
the life of the Church. The role of the liturgy for a proper interpretation of
the Scriptures is emphasised in a very special way in order to give life to
Sacred Scripture, something that is sorely forgotten in our post-Reformation
era. Most Christians think that the Bible is something to be primarily read
alone in one’s home, but the Church has always emphasised that the “privileged”
setting for reading and interpreting the Scriptures is in the context of the
worshiping Church, that is, the liturgy. As a result, Scripture should not only
be used for Mass but rather it should infuse every liturgical action. Lectio Divina - “Divine reading” is
considered the proper way in which a Christian should approach the biblical
text when doing personal study and reflection of the Scriptures, and it would
be great if more Christians used this ancient method when reading the Bible.
Verbum Mundo
The third and final unit of Verbum
Domini is the application of everything discussed above to the “real
world”, that is; how can our interaction with the Sacred Scriptures further the
Church’s mission to the world? This document applies these discussions to every
conceivable arena, from evangelisation to supporting the poor and to
interreligious dialogue. The overall emphasis of this unit of the document is
evangelisation and so one must be in constant contact with the Word of God in
order to preach and proclaim that Word to the world.
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Eucharist - the life of the Church
In the encyclical letter “Ecclesia
de Eucharistia” Pope John Paul II speaks about the Eucharist as the life of
the Church. This encyclical letter was given in Rome in 2003, the year of
Eucharist. This work shall however focus on how the Eucharist builds up the
Church as Pope John Paul presents in the Second Chapter of Ecclesia de Eucharistia.
The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II considers the Holy Eucharist as
the source of the strength and growth of the Church. The Holy Father is
inspired by the teaching of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, which
reminds us that the work of our redemption continues to be carried out in the
Church, principally by the offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass. This goes
back to the Beginnings of the Church where the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist was, in fact, the source of her life. The Last Supper, which is the
First Eucharist, “laid the foundations of the new messianic community, the
People of God of the New Covenant,”. It is through this institution of the Holy
Eucharist, that our Lord made it possible for us to become one body with Him.
Therefore, at the celebration of the Holy Mass, the Church receives her mission
which is to share in the mystery of Christ’s Suffering, Dying and Rising from
the Dead while she also expresses most fully the same mission of bringing all
mankind into communion with God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit .
The Holy Eucharist nourishes the life of Christ within us from the
moment of our baptism. And the same Holy Eucharist confirms the unity of the
many members of Christ. Now the Holy Spirit unceasingly nourishes and
strengthens Christ’s life within us through the incomparable spiritual food
which is the Body and Blood of Christ. Hence each time we participation in the
Eucharistic Sacrifice and Banquet we share in the divine communion which alone
can bring mankind to unity and peace. The Holy Eucharist, communion with Christ
strengthens us to overcome, with Christ, the division which sin always
introduces into our lives. And so, receiving the Body and Blood of Christ
enlightens our minds and inflames our hearts to see what keeps us from unity
with God and with each other, and to root out from our hearts these seeds of
disunity.
The Holy Father also underlines the importance of worship of the
Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass - prayer before the Blessed Sacrament he says
that it is spending time with the Lord. Through prayer before the Blessed
Sacrament, we experience the inexhaustible love of the glorious Sacred Heart of
Jesus, from which Christ unceasingly pours forth His grace upon us. To
emphasise his point, our Holy Father quotes Saint Alphonsus Liguori who says:
“Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the
greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful
to us”.
In a nutshell, through the Holy Eucharist, first of all by
participation in the Sacrifice of the Mass and then by Eucharistic worship
outside of Mass, we contemplate the Face of Christ as directly and fully as is
possible for us on this earth. From our contemplation of the Face of Christ, we
will draw the grace to live in Christ every day. It is the Holy Eucharist, above
all, which builds up the Church in unity and love.
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Reflections on the Apostolic Exhortation
SacramentumCaritatisby
Pope Benedict XVI
Elvis Gwangwava (11065T)
The
Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops gave birth to theApostolic
ExhortationSacramentumCaritatis by
Pope Benedict XVI in which he develops and deepens the propositions of the
Synod. He deals with many vital matters, crucial for the community of believers
and for humanity itself "aimed at a renewed commitment to Eucharistic
enthusiasm and fervour in the Church" (SC,
5). The Pope specially encourages families to draw inspiration and strength
from this Sacrament.
By
the virtue of Baptism, Christian existence is a nuptial dimension with God; and
the Cross itself is present and active in the Eucharist.Therefore, due to its
sacramental character, the matrimonial bond is an intrinsic sign of the sacred
unity between Christ the Bridegroom and the Church, his Bride (SC, 27)."Christ gave birth to the
Church as his Bride and his body" duringhis sacrifice on the Cross and
this "leads us to reflect on the underlying connection between Christ's
sacrifice, the Eucharist and the Church" (SC, 14). The Holy Father, thus,in this document summarises various
elements that have been reaffirmed in the Papal Magisterium
Pope
Benedict XVI puts it in black and white that Baptism and Confirmation leads to
entry into the Eucharistic community, especially to reception of the Eucharist
and to the "importance of a personal encounter with Jesus" (SC, 19). It is this Eucharist that inexhaustibly
strengthens the indissoluble unity and love of every Christian marriage. It is
also necessary to note, he says, that in the family, women have a unique
mission "that needs to be defended, protected and promoted" because
they are the first catechists (SC, n.
27).
On
the basis of the nuptial character of the Eucharist, the Holy Father, with
balance and depth, addresses the problem of polygamy with an invitation to the
radical newness of Christ, in whom the human life-plan is integrated in accordance
with the original model of God's design. He however acknowledges that this
topic causes deep pastoral concerns in various regions. The Holy Father
continues reaffirming the indissoluble ties of the marriage bond in the light
of the Eucharist, which expresses the irreversibility of God's love in Christ
for his Church and thus discourages divorce. To those who,unfortunately, are
unable to fulfil the new bonds of marriage because of objective conditions, the
Pope says that they should live “their relationship in fidelity to the demands
of God's law, as friends, as brother and sister" (SC, 29).And he also lists several ways to participate in the life
of the Ecclesial Community.
The
Holy Father calls, Catholic politicians and legislators, due to their grave
responsibility before society, to feel particularly bound by their conscience,
to introduce and support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature.Pope
Benedict XVI quotes St Paul when he said that those who partake in the
Eucharist in sin shall face judgement, and thus gives an objective connection
with the Eucharist (cf. I Cor. 11:27-29) and so“Bishops are bound to reaffirm
constantly these values as part of their responsibility to the flock entrusted
to them" (SC, 83).
Due
to the complex cultural context which the Church today encounters in many
countries, the Pope recommends maximum pastoral attention in training couples
preparing for marriage.Pastoral agents should also help them
ascertainbeforehand their convictions regarding the obligations required for
the validity of the Sacrament of Matrimony. "Marriage and the family are
institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible
misrepresentation of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is
injurious to society itself" (SC,
29).
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