Reflection
on Dominicae Cenae: The Sacred
character of Eucharist and Sacrifice by Pope John Paul II.
Denis
Omae 11101T
The mystery of the last
supper that was celebrated in the upper room continues in our days when the
faithful are gathered with minor changes. These changes were farther effected
by Vatican II making this ritual more present to us. This development should not
be mistaken with the real character of the Eucharist that has remained
throughout history [8]. We have to recognize
there is Sacredness and Holiness of the ritual which marks the
uniqueness of the celebration. As the celebration takes place we should be able
also to recognize the presence of Christ in the person of the priest who has
been consecrated to perform Holy sacrifice for the Holy people of God. Thus by
the fact that there are different ways of celebration the Eucharist we do not
change the primary aspect that the continual sacrifice on the altar. The
sacredness of the rite remains the same as that Christ himself celebrated in
the upper room. It is Christ who gave the sacredness to the rite through the
words and actions performed during the Holy Thursday which we are repeating in
every celebration of mass[8].
The priest on the altar
is there in place of Christ in a sacramental way, it is Christ who is the
principle celebrant of the sacrifice. The fact the priest being in the place of
Christ is effected in the sacrifice of the Eucharist because it is only Christ
who can take away our sins. For this reason during mass we should be open to
the reality that the priest on the altar in there at the capacity of Persona
Christi. It in this line that the primary
character of Eucharist should never miss in the rite as for the case of
secondary elements can be changed. This makes the celebration of the Eucharist
to be a unique ritual that that cannot be used for other ends. The Pope
recommends that it is the duty of the Church to safeguard this great mystery of
our faith such that even in relating with the civil right should respect this
ritual. The school of theology should be a place of ensuring that this teaching
on liturgical celebration are well communicated to the ministers who in turn
will instruct the faithful to live properly the life of Eucharist. This is the
highest point of expressing the faith according to Pope[8].
The other aspect the
Pope talks about is that the Eucharist is a sacrifice not only for Redemption
but also for New Covenant with God. As Christian when we participate in the
Eucharist we are continually bound to the love of God [9]. In the sacrifice of
the Eucharist the priest has the sacramental power to bring back all the people
to God. The participation of the people during the Offertory procession becomes
crucial sign of expression of their faith. The offering of the gifts should be
the sign of joint offering with Christ
to the Father and during the Eucharistic prayer the Holy Spirit comes down to
sanctify us to become sons and daughters of God.
Our attentiveness
during the Eucharist prayer makes us become an Offering as the bread and wine
consecrated on the altar to become the Body of Christ so do we become. The Pope
insists that the devotion that we give during the consecration creates that
sense of uniqueness. According to the Pope the renewal education on liturgy can
help the faith benefit from the celebration of Eucharist. Thus as we embrace
the changes of Vatican II on the Eucharist we should find the joy of owning the
Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist [9].
****
Reflection
on Ecclessia de Eucharistia: the Dignity
of Eucharistic Celebration.
Denis
Omae 11101T
The Gospels point out
the significance of celebrating the Last supper in a simple way yet solemn. The
example of the woman anointing Jesus is acknowledging the presence of Christ
and is a teaching to the disciples gathered around Christ. It is true that we
need to take care of the needy but the priority as Christians is recognizing
the one who has called us to pay attention to the poor [47]. Jesus says it clearly
that there is time for everything so the woman could not be denied the chance
to adore Christ who was with them for a short time (Mtt 26:11). The Holy Father
wants to show us that we should also be aware of the moments that we can meet
Christ. We should have a conviction the time we dedicate for the celebration of
the Eucharist is not wasted rather it shows the dignity that is accorded to the
Eucharist for we believe that Christ is really present.
The meeting of Christ
takes place in the upper room, before which he demanded some preparation to
this Passover celebration that was in accordance to the Jewish traditions. The
prayer and the words used by Christ during the Last Supper have roots in the
Jewish celebration. But Christ went farther to say “this is my Body” and “this
is my Blood”, this is a clear sign that this Passover meal was not the same but
a unique celebration. When we recall what Christ did with his disciples we
should experience the same presence of Christ. This means that Christ comes to
our own lives to makes us sons and daughter of God. From our side we have only
to recognize the sacredness of the banquet on the altar and approach it with a
lot of humility [48].
Apart from the interior disposition, we need
also to have an outward expression in the liturgy of Eucharist that include;
the hymns, sculpture, painting that magnifies the mystery of the Eucharist
[49]. We cannot forget that the
adoration of the Eucharist has trace in the Eastern Church that is not only
internal ritual but a genuine service of Faith [50]. Also this ancient practice demands a
liturgical discipline which is still observed in today’s celebration of the
liturgy. The Popes insists in the document that it is only by keeping this
treasure that has been passed from the past that the sacrament of Holy
Eucharist can continue nourishing the Church [51]. Therefore it is up to the priests to make
sure that the gathered community experiences the presence of Christ not only
those present but the entire Church. The Pope cautions the creative innovations
that in some cases have watered down the dignity of the Eucharist. The
recommendation that the Pope made is that all are to be guided by the General
Norms that reflects the teaching of the Church. By remaining faithful to the norms
the dignity of the Eucharist will be upheld in the universal church.
****
REFLECTION
ON SACRAMETNUM CARITATIS: EUCHARIST,
A MYSTERY TO BE BELIEVED.
Denis Omae 11101T
The document quotes the
Gospel of John 6:29 where it talks about God’s work in the life of faithful;
“that you believe in him whom he sent”. It is a call to us all to accept the
gift of God’s son who is revealed in the Eucharist. The Church teaches that the
Eucharist is the mystery of faith per excellence such that during the
celebration mass the bread and wine becomes Body and Blood of Christ. Thus the
faith of the Church depends on the Eucharist and she is nourished by the same
sacrament. This faith is continually expressed by the rite of the Eucharist
while the rite reinforces and strengths faith. Therefore the sacrament on the
altar is at the heart of the Church [6].
In the teaching of the
Church on the blessed Trinity and the Eucharist has a unique relationship.
Looking into the mystery of Trinity it is the expression of God’s love to us
which is celebrated in the Eucharist where we believe that the son of God has
given himself to us as the bread that comes from heaven. This is the plan of
the Father who wills that by giving us his son we may partake in the unity of
the Trinity. Thus the “mystery of faith is thus a mystery of grace to
participate”[8].
The Eucharist is a
symbol of Jesus the True Sacrificial Lamb. This means that Eucharist is the
symbol of new and eternal covenant in the Blood of the Lamb that pour on the
cross, Christ managed to bind us to God when he said it is finished [9]. By his
self-giving, Christ won for us our freedom.
Thus it is very important not to forget the background of the Eucharist
that took place in a ritual of a meal [10]. This communion does not only have
to remind us of our past but what God has done and He is doing in our lives, it
should be a moment of thanksgiving.
Therefore the celebration of Eucharist should not be merely repetition
of the past event rather making present the Paschal Mystery.
For us to life the
Paschal mystery we need the gift of the Holy Spirit. And as the Church
continues to celebrate the Eucharist it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit
that the Mystery of Christ is made present [12]. It is clear also to us that
for us to be effective in carrying out the mission of Christ we need to aware
of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the mystery of Eucharist calls us to
have the right disposition for us to bear fruits that will be beneficial to all
people because we will be like Christ.
As we continue paying
attention to mystery that the church celebrates we should forget that Christ is
the primary cause of the Eucharist on the cross [14]. Thus the power of the
church to make Eucharist is entirely rooted in the self-giving of Christ as St.
John state that “he loved us first” (1John 4:19). Thus the Eucharist is part of
the Church’s being and activity; the body of Christ and the church should not
be separated [15]. Therefore the communion of the church with be build by the
celebration of the Eucharist to attain the aim Christ’s prayer when he wished
that we may be one
****
REFLECTION
ON SACRAMETNUM CARITATIS: EUCHARIST,
A MYSTERY TO BE BELIEVE
Denis
Omae 11101T
The document quotes the
Gospel of John 6:29 where it talks about God’s work in the life of faithful;
“that you believe in him whom he sent”. It is a call to us all to accept the
gift of God’s son who is revealed in the Eucharist. The Church teaches that the
Eucharist is the mystery of faith per excellence such that during the
celebration mass the bread and wine becomes Body and Blood of Christ. Thus the
faith of the Church depends on the Eucharist and she is nourished by the same
sacrament. This faith is continually expressed by the rite of the Eucharist
while the rite reinforces and strengths faith. Therefore the sacrament on the
altar is at the heart of the Church [6].
In the teaching of the
Church on the blessed Trinity and the Eucharist has a unique relationship.
Looking into the mystery of Trinity it is the expression of God’s love to us
which is celebrated in the Eucharist where we believe that the son of God has
given himself to us as the bread that comes from heaven. This is the plan of
the Father who wills that by giving us his son we may partake in the unity of
the Trinity. Thus the “mystery of faith is thus a mystery of grace to
participate”[8].
The Eucharist is a
symbol of Jesus the True Sacrificial Lamb. This means that Eucharist is the
symbol of new and eternal covenant in the Blood of the Lamb that pour on the
cross, Christ managed to bind us to God when he said it is finished [9]. By his
self-giving, Christ won for us our freedom. It is our challenge to keep the
covenant as we are always reminded of the words of Christ during the
celebration of Holy Mass. Thus it is very important not to forget the
background of the Eucharist that took place in a ritual of a meal [10]. This
communion does not only have to remind us of our past but what God has done and
He is doing in our lives, it should be a moment of thanksgiving. Therefore the celebration of Eucharist should
not be merely repetition of the past event rather making present the Paschal
Mystery.
For us to life the
Paschal mystery we need the gift of the Holy Spirit. And as the Church
continues to celebrate the Eucharist it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit
that the Mystery of Christ is made present [12]. It is clear also to us that
for us to be effective in carrying out the mission of Christ we need to aware
of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the mystery of Eucharist calls us to
have the right disposition for us to bear fruits that will be beneficial to all
people because we will be like Christ.
As we continue paying
attention to mystery that the church celebrates we should forget that Christ is
the primary cause of the Eucharist on the cross [14]. Thus the power of the
church to make Eucharist is entirely rooted in the self-giving of Christ as St.
John state that “he loved us first” (1John 4:19). Thus the Eucharist is part of
the church’s being and activity; the body of Christ and the church should not
be separated [15]. Therefore the communion of the church with be build by the
celebration of the Eucharist to attain the aim Christ’s prayer when he wished
that we may be one.
***
Reflection
on the general principles: The arrangement and furnishing of the churches for
the celebration of the Eucharist.
Denis
Omae 11101T
The celebration of the
Eucharist should be done in a special way to reveal the reality that is being
celebrated. Thus whether in the church or any other place there should be
proper preparation and organization [288]. It is the responsibility of the
pastor to employ the artisan available to portray the treasures passed down and
new ideas that have come with our time concerning the liturgy. For example, it
is important to note that as we prepare for a wedding that is a matrimonial
sacrament more emphasis should be put in the Eucharistic celebration. This
means that when there is a wedding in the church all the arrangements to be
made should not over shadow the divine reality of the Mass.
The document insists
that the construction of the church there is needed to consult the experts of
liturgy to guidance on how to have the structure of the church. This is also to
take into account the hierarchical structure depending on level of the church
[291]. For example the cathedral cannot be built the same as a substation. In
the cathedral has the place of the bishop, the altar, the faithful and the
choir should be well situated. For the case of the parish an altar should have
enough space for the priest, deacon and other minister on the sanctuary [294].
In any Catholic Church,
the altar is the central focus thus magnifying the arrangement of the sanctuary
[295]. It is very important to realize the need of demarcating the sanctuary to
create the impression of what is happening during the celebration of
Eucharist. This demarcation also
communicates to the faithful that from the sanctuary the priests, deacons and
other Eucharist ministers exercise their office. The altar then is a place
where the sacrifice of the cross is made present and the table to which all the
faithful are called to assemble for thanksgiving to what God has done and
continues to do in our lives. Thus having a permanent altar is a symbol of
Christ the living stone among the faithful.
By being creative the
decoration of the altar aims at communicating to the people the season of the
liturgical calendar we are in and what the celebration of the day is
emphasizing [305]. For example one can be able to differentiate the period of
Lent from that of Easter. During Lent we do not have flowers on the altar while
when we celebration the risen Christ there are decoration to express the joy of
the assembly. The presence of the candles on the altar is to indicate the
presence of Christ as the light to the assembly while the cross to remind them
about the passion of Christ. The ambo on the altar is where the Word is
proclaimed from [309]. The chair of the priest celebrating the Eucharist should
be in front of the sanctuary with that of the deacon for easy communication.
Other ministers should also have their seats well situated for easy movement
during the celebration.
According to General
Instructions of the Roman Missal this emphasis on the arrangement in the church
is meant for an orderly celebration that will portray the seriousness and the
importance of Eucharist celebration.
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