My Study & Reflections - Innocent Todzayi Takawira (11051T)

Eucharistic Celebration and Divine Office in: The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (SC) 4th December 1963.

This Vatican II document undertakes the reform and promotion of the Liturgy. For it is the liturgy through which, especially in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, the work of our salvation is accomplished and that the faithful are enabled to communicate in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the bona fide character of the true Church. The church is human and divine, visible and invisible; present in the world but on the move to that city yet to come in the glory of God (2).

Chapter I deals with the nature of the sacred liturgy and its importance in the life of the Church. The sacrament of the whole Church came forth from the side of Christ hang on the cross. From the time of the Apostles (Acts 2:41-47) the Church has never failed to congregate and celebrate the Paschal Mystery. The scriptures were being read. Christ was (is) present in the sacraments administering them through the one presiding over sacraments. The liturgy is rightly an exercise of the priestly office of Christ. Nevertheless, the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed and from which all her powers flows. Because of this, the pastors are being reminded to ensure that the faithful participate fully and actively in the celebrations of the Church. That is the endeavor of the Church that the faithful be led to conscious and active participation. No other person, not even a priest may change anything in the liturgy on his own authority. Liturgical celebrations too are not private functions. Thus the Church is unwilling to impose a rigid uniformity but updates the liturgy to the temperament and traditions of the local peoples and the local church (Cf. 5-46).

Chapter II devotedly takes up the Most Sacred Mystery of the Eucharist, the memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection called with names such as: the sacrament of love, of unity, bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is made. The liturgy of the word and Eucharistic liturgy are inseparable that pastors should teach the faithful to take part in the entire Mass especially on Sundays and holidays of obligation (47-58). Chapter III carries on by elucidating the purpose of the sacraments. Sacraments serve to sanctify men, to build up the Body of Christ, and to give worship to God. A well disposition to sacraments and sacramentals brings sanctification of lives of the believers. For this reason, it is recommended that all sacraments and religious professions be made within the celebration of the Mass (59-82).

In Chapter IV-V, the Church by celebrating the Eucharist and Divine Office is tirelessly engaging in praising the Trinity and interceding for the salvation of the entire world. All ministers of the Church and religious members, if possible with the faithful, must pray the Divine Office especially the Lauds and Vespers. Within the Liturgical Year once each week (on the Lord’s Day) the Church keeps the memory of the Lord’s resurrection. She also does it once a year together with his blessed passion at Easter, that Mother of all feasts. The Church completes the formation of the faithful by means of pious practices for souls and bodies by prayer and instruction (83-111). 

Finally Chapter VI and VII embark upon the theme of sacred Arts: music and the furnishings. Sacred music must be holy and closely connected with the liturgical action, making prayer pleasing and promoting the unity of minds or conferring greater solemnity upon the sacred rites. All things set apart for use in divine worship should be worthy, becoming and beautiful. Future pastors must be taught the history and development of sacred art and music, and about the basic principles which govern the production of its works (112-130).

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Pope Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Exhortation: Verbum Domini, 30^th Sep 2010.

Part Three: Verbum Mundo

In this Encyclical the Pope states that the Church’s mission is to proclaim the Word of God to the world. John the Evangelist spoke of this Word being with God and becoming flesh and his return to the Father with our humanity. Jesus is this Word which came from the Father and returned to him after accomplishing his mission in the world (90). As the ‘Logos’ of hope, it engages us not as hearers but also as its herald. We cannot keep to ourselves the words of eternal life because they are meant for everyone. This Word is the source of the Church’s mission. The Church needs to discover ever anew the urgency and the beauty of the proclamation of the word in anticipation of the coming Kingdom of God. It is the task upon all the baptized to proclaim since they have been made Disciples of Christ to give incisive contribution to his mission. The Synod Fathers restated the need in our day for a decisive commitment to the mission ad gentes. They call for a “New Evangelization” referring to those baptized who were insufficiently evangelized or lost their identity due secularized culture (96).

The word of God should be accompanied by Christian witness. This will reflect the way which God himself communicated through the incarnation of his Word. Therefore, governments of nations must guarantee freedom of conscience, religion and expression of faith publicly. The word stirs our conscience to take a deeper look at our lives, serving Jesus in the least of his brethren. We have to encourage one another to do good and to commit ourselves to justice, reconciliation and peace. This is what Christians are called for: defend and promote human rights based on natural law. The three ethical values (reconciliation, peace and justice) finds their ultimate foundation and fulfillment in the love revealed to us in Christ. The word of love must be preached to the young people, the migrants, the suffering and the poor. It should be proposed to them not forced. However, this must be extended to the protection of creation. All humanity has responsibility to look after creation not as an object but a subject.

The sense of the Bible as a great code for cultures needs to be fully recovered. The word of God should be taught in schools and universities. Thus the relationship between the word of God and culture can find expression in the arts. The Synod Fathers called forth for proper knowledge of using the media in mission especially the use of internet. Translation of the Bible to local languages is of greater advantage to mission. The message of God should lead people to uphold values of interreligious dialogue and cooperation with all people of good will. Authentic Christian spirituality is based on the word of God proclaimed, accepted, celebrated and meditated upon in the Church. All children of God are encouraged to become familiar with the sacred Scriptures.

  
Mystery of the Eucharist                        

Todazayi Takawira 11051T

Among the Sacraments, the mystery of the Eucharist occupies an “extra-ordinary place” in the sense that it alone not only is an effect of grace by virtue of Christ’s redemptive deed rather, actually makes present and communicates the Christ and his redemptive work in both sacramental and symbolic manner.  The Eucharist is ranked third of the three great saving mysteries of revelation and of Christian faith. It is the centre and zenith of the Church’s cult since the Church lives, rejuvenates and renews itself in it and from it to the end of time.

There are fife methods most useful for a theological reflection on this sacramental mystery. These are: i) salvation history that was normative in scripture and in the period of the Fathers. This method leads us most directly to the original understanding of the Eucharist as revealed reality; ii) Allegorical-symbol method derived from the Greek diasporas. It was applied to the explanation of the sacrifice of the Mass; iii) Philosophical-metaphysical method, the approach produced in the twelfth century the concept of “transubstantiation”, just as in the fourth century the concept of “homoousios” and “hypostatic union” had been developed to shed light on the problems of the Christological controversy; iv) Phenomenological-idealistic method which was most used in the context of Reformation and the Enlightenment; v) the mystery of Odo Casel and the liturgical movement have again oriented contemporary theology to the biblical method of salvation history. Not only with reference to time but also with context, the Eucharist has its locus between Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the eschatological meal in the house of the Father. Thus various names have been given to this Mystery of the Eucharist.

The history of the Eucharist originated in the “Last Supper”, the farewell meal of Jesus with his disciples. The point of departure is the Jewish pascha the Jews celebrated as the sacrificial meal, the redemptive and liberation from slavery. It is presented also as a memorial, the anamnesis. Both Pauline and Petrine accounts asserts that Jesus is giving “his flesh and his blood” as food and drink. In the theme of “chalice” enters the theme of “covenant” so closely related to the suffering servant of Isaiah. All the ideas come together into one unified understanding of the Eucharist. The Church’s supper and Jesus’ historical Last Supper are viewed by the biblical accounts in such an intimate relationship that the ecclesial meal has its meaning only in the light of Jesus’ historical supper. However, the theology of the Eucharist is decisively shaped by the contemporary Christology and soteriology. The Eucharist is seen as the cultic actualization and representation effected by the action of the Church and the glorified Christ, of his redemptive sacrifice and salvation given by it. Necessary to the completion of the anamnesis is the “epiclesis” which brings about the presence of Christ. In the scholastic era, this cult of the Eucharist was based on the doctrine of “transubstantiation”.

Finally, there are common elements between the Passover meal and the Eucharist. The point of departure is the real historical happening. They signify redemption and salvation, the memorial of the events remembered. The Passover meal is a sacramental while the Eucharistic meal is a sacrament. The unity between the sacrifice in the Temple and those in the communities corresponds to one sacrifice of Christ present in many sacrifices of the Church.  

(J. AUER., — J. RATZINGER., A General Doctrine of the Sacraments and the Mystery of the Eucharist, Dogmatic Theology 6, Washington D.C.: The CUAP 1995, 155-186).

 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 

17^th April 2003.

Todzayi Takawira

Part One: The Mystery of Faith

The Eucharist recapitulates the mystery of the Church since she draws her life from the Body and Blood of Christ. It is the source and summit of the Christian life. The Church’s entire spiritual wealth, Christ himself, our Passover and living bread is contained in the Eucharist. Thus at every celebration the Church teaches that we are spiritually brought back to the paschal Tridium; to events of the evening of Holy Thursday, to the Last Supper and to followed it.  This is the day when Jesus instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his body and blood. This is not only a reminder of his death but the sacramental re-presentation. Christians perpetuates the events of the cross down the ages.

The Church has received the Eucharist as the gift par excellence, the gift of Christ himself in his humanity and his saving work. This precious gift is not limited by time but transcends all times. This sacrifice is so decisive for the salvation of humanity that Jesus offered and returned to the Father only after he had left us a means of sharing in it as if we were there present (11). It is the faith which our ancestors shared and lived. As a mystery of truth, the Eucharist must be adored, a great mystery, a mystery of mercy and love which knows no measure. From the words of Jesus “This is my body…” we perceive the aspect of universal charity shown on the cross. The Eucharist thus applies to men and women today the reconciliation won once for all by Christ for mankind in every age. Our faith testifies that we always offer the same sacrificed victim not one today and another tomorrow. For this reason the victim is always only one who will never be consumed. The sacrificial nature of the Eucharist is not independent of the cross. It is the peak of Jesus’ obedience to the Father, as a gift of food for humankind. When Christians participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice, which is the source and summit of the whole Christian life, they too offer the divine lamb to God, and offer themselves along with it.

The acclamation following consecration affirms the presence of the mystery of the resurrection which crowned Christ’s sacrifice (13). Truly the Eucharist is a mystery which goes beyond human understanding and can only be received in faith though senses may suggest contrary. Here human reason meets its limitation. In the Eucharist, everything proclaims of confident waiting in joyful expectation for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We also receive the promise of our bodily resurrection at the end of time. For this reason Saint Ignatius of Antioch defined the Eucharistic Bread as “a medicine of immortality, an antidote to death”. It spurs us on our earthly journey through history and plants a seed of living hope in our daily commitment to the work before us. We need the urgent address to peace, to base relationships between peoples on solid promises of justice and solidarity, and protect human life from conception to its natural closing stages. Thus all who share in the Eucharist are to commit themselves to changing their lives and making them in a certain way completely “Eucharistic” (20).

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Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, (22^nd February 2007).

In every age of the Church’s history the Eucharistic celebration, as the source and summit of her life and mission, shines forth in the liturgical rite in all its richness and variety. The purpose of this Exhortation is to endorse the wishes expressed by the Synod Fathers, by encouraging the Christian people to deepen their understanding of the relationship between the Eucharistic mystery, the liturgical action, and the new spiritual worship which derives from the Eucharist as the sacrament of charity.

Part 1: The Eucharist, A Mystery to be Believed

The Eucharist is a mystery to be believed. It is a mystery of faith par excellence: the sum and summary of our faith. This faith is nourished at the table of the Eucharist. The first element of the Eucharistic faith is the mystery of God Himself, the Trinitarian love. Thus the Eucharist reveals the loving plan that guides all of salvation history. The mystery of faith is the mystery of Trinitarian love in which we are called by grace to participate. The Paschal Mystery is the completion of Jesus’ mission among us. He is the new and eternal covenant, who gave himself up as a sacrificial lamb which is offered to us at every celebration. The institution of the Holy Eucharist demonstrates how Jesus’ death, for all its violence and absurdity became in him a supreme act of love and mankind’s definitive deliverance from evil. Jesus thus brings his own radical novum to the ancient Hebrew sacrificial meal.

Through the workings of the Holy Spirit, Christ himself continues to be present and active in his Church, bringing with her vital centre which is the Eucharist. The decisive role played by the Holy Spirit in the Eucharistic celebration is understood particularly with regard to “transubstantiation”. The Eucharist is the causal principle of the Church in the sense that the church draws her life and unity from the Eucharist. The second Eucharistic Prayer calls for the unity of the Church showing us how the res of the sacrament of the Eucharist is the unity of the faithful within ecclesial communion. The Eucharist thus found at the root of the Church as a mystery of communion. Objectively the Eucharist creates a powerful bond of unity between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches, which have preserved the authentic and integral nature of the Eucharistic mystery. The Vatican II Council recalled that “all the sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are directed towards it. The Church receives and at the same time expresses what she herself is in the seven sacraments in which God’s grace concretely influences the lives of the faithful. The Eucharist is then the fullness of Christian initiation.

The Eucharist is related to all the sacraments of the Church: baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, reconciliation, matrimony and priesthood. Thus the Eucharist contains eschatological meaning where we obtain just a foretaste of what we are destined to. It is a future celebration to be celebrated in the joy of the communion of saints. The Eucharist in this sense is a sacrament that gives life to the souls of the faithful each day. Without the Eucharist we cannot talk of the Church community of Christ.