FIGURES AND FORESHADOWINGS OF
THE EUCHARIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Benson MAPUNDA
(11014T)
The Eucharist is the
treasure of the Church, it is the mystery that has many faces; and Jesus, true
God and true man is present sacramentally. For us to understand this mystery we
have to go back to the Old Testament. Although it does not speak clearly of the
Eucharist as we understand it today, yet it shed some light. There are
basically four main elements in the Old Testament, namely manna, the sacrifice
of Isaac, the sacrifice of Melchizedek and the Passover.
Manna: the Old
Testament speaks of manna as the food which was given to the Israelites in the
wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. This mysterious food had no
unique name. When the people of Israel saw it for the first time they said “Man hu?”, simply meaning ‘what is it?’,
it had nothing also to do with value, in the sense that when those who took
more than what they were told, it weighed the same as with for those who took
just for the day. Likewise it is more of a ‘sign’ than a ‘thing’. Following this
understanding of manna, we can find some concept of the Holy Eucharist. Like
manna, the Eucharist has no single name; it is the bread life, the Body of
Christ, the sacrifice to mention a few. All these meaning and many other do not
change the essence of what the Eucharist is. As a sign of grace the Eucharist
is not a thing but rather a sign; neither does it have measurable value that
can be calculated.
The sacrifice of
Melchizedek: Melchizedek was the king of Salem who offered bread and wine to
God. His name is understood as the ‘righteous’. King Melchizedek was a high
priest of the Most High God. He resembled the son of God, he had no parents,
nor beginning or end of his life, he was a priest forever. Hence, from this
figure we can see the priesthood of Jesus Christ and those of ordained priest,
who offer bread and wine as the “bloody” sacrifice to God.
The sacrifice of Isaac:
Abraham our father in faith offered his only son to God as the sacrifice.
However, before he offered Isaac as a sacrifice to God as God had requested.
God provided him with a lamb and that was offered as a burnt offering instead
of Isaac. This then shed some light on the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.
Jesus the only Son of the Father became the paschal Lamb. Jesus as a lamb died
on the Cross for our redemption.
The Passover: For the
Jews the celebration of Passover meant the reliving of the past event which is real
and present now. They believed that God who delivered them from Egyptians is
present with them, not only now but in the future as well. The Eucharist is
also a Passover meal, a meal that was given to us by Jesus. In the Last Supper
Jesus told the disciples ‘Do this in memory of me’. In other words Jesus was
telling his disciples to do this as a living memorial of Him. Thus Christ is
truly present whenever we celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments. He is
with us today and in the future!
The Resurrection and the Holy Eucharist
Benson MAPUNDA (11014T)
The disciples perceived the death of Jesus Christ on the
cross, as a total failure, that the one they expected that he will set them
free from the Roman oppression was laying on the tomb. They were disappointed
and thought that everything came to an end. The disciples going to Emmaus
portrayed their disappointments clearly when one of them answered Jesus,
without recognizing him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not
know the things that have taken place there in these days?” (Lk. 24:18).
Christ did truly die on the cross, rose from the dead on the
third day and then ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.
His resurrection marked the new phase of the life of Jesus on earth. His
humanity was glorified and no longer limited to space and time. However, could
his ascension into heaven suggest that Christ’s promise to be with us until the
end of the world was a mere consolation? How does he become present to us then?
St. Leo the Great tells us “what was visible in our saviour has passed into his
mysteries.”
When we celebrate the
Eucharist we commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We bring into
presence the sacrifice of Jesus in a non-bloody way. Yet we too commemorate the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is a post – resurrection event
which can only be comprehended in the light of the activity of the Spirit of
Christ who was sent to institute the Church and to accomplish what Christ had
begun. Thus we cannot understand the real meaning of the Eucharist by taking
only some parts of the events in the life of Jesus, let say the Last Supper and
the death on the cross. But rather we also have to consider “other faith item
in our Christian context, in and through the resurrection of Jesus itself.”[1]
The Eucharist is the sacrament of the real presence. The Church
celebrates the real presence of the risen Lord. Hence, in the Eucharist, Christ
who is true God and man, is truly, really, and substantially contained under
the appearances of bread and wine after consecration. In his substance Christ is
sacramentally present to us, although he is in heaven with the Father according
to his natural way of existing. The Eucharist then becomes to the Church the sign
of the real presence of the risen Lord. The Eucharist makes the present the
mystery of the Cross, death and resurrection, in a sacramental way. Thus
although, Christ is with the Father he is with us here and now.
The Eucharist the source and acme of Christian Life, membership in the Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, teaches that baptism “is the basis
of the whole Christian life, the
gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door
which gives access to the other sacraments” (CCC, 1213). Through Baptism we are born anew, made strong by
Confirmation and then fed by the Eucharist (CCC,
1212, 1275). Jesus stressed the
inevitability of faith and baptism for salvation, and hence “affirmed at
the same time the necessity of the
Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door” (LG, 14).
However, baptism alone does not make one a full member, particularly, in
the Catholic Church. One needs also to receive the sacraments of Eucharist and
Confirmation. The Eucharist is not only the spring and acme of Christian life
but also in it “the sanctifying action of God in our regard and our worship of
him reach their high point
Pope Benedict XVI in his encylical, Sacramentum
Caritatis (SC),speaks of the membership in the Church and the Christian
life as being rooted in the Eucharist. Through our participation in the
Eucharist we manifest our union with the Mystic Body of Christ and also form a communio sanctorum. The Pope asserted
that our belonging to Jesus Christ is strengthened through our participation in
the celebration of the liturgy and receiving the Eucharist.
Thus, by means of communion, the Eucharist not only unites the
individual with Jesus Christ in the depths of his or her heart, but also unites
them with one another in the bond of love. So any attempt to tear down this
communion with the Triune God will automatically lead to destruction of our own
communion with each other. It follows that we are to preserve both the vertical
and horizontal dimension of our relation with God an with our fellow men and
women.
It follows that we are “called to be members of Christ and thus members
of one another, (….) a reality grounded ontollogically in Baptism and nourished
by the Eucharist, a reality that demands visible
expression in the life of our communities”( SC, 76).
*****
The Holy Spirit and the Eucharist
Benson
MAPUNDA (11014T)
The Holy
Spirit is present everywhere, has been at work in the world “from the beginning
to the completion of the plan for our salvation” (CCC, 686). He is the gift of
the Father and the Son to the world. Without him the human person cannot
accomplish anything. He is the second
hand of the Father through which the Father reached humanity and embraces it.[1] The Holy Spirit formed the humanity of Jesus
in the womb of Virgin Mary. Henceforth, he guided the life of Jesus here on
earth. Jesus did nothing here on earth without the Holy Spirit. He taught, cast
out demons and proclaimed the kingdom
of God
Through the
power of the Holy Spirit the Church celebrates the Eucharistic banquet given to
us by Jesus Christ. In his last discourse, Christ promised his disciples that
he would be with them until the end of time. Thus, he saw it fitting to give
them and us today the sacrament of the Eucharist, in which through the working
of the Spirit he “continues to be present and active in his Church” (Sacramentum Caritatis (SC), 12). Therefore,
as individuals and community we are invited to “a renewed awareness of the decisive
role played by the Holy Spirit in the evolution of the liturgical form and the
deepening understanding of the sacred mysteries” (SC, 12).
Thus,
following the line of thought above, we come to understand that the Holy Spirit
plays an important role in the celebration of the Eucharist. The invocation
said by the priest over bread and wine to become the Body and Blood of Christ
signifies the core role of the Spirit in our liturgy. This implies also that it
is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that the faithful can live a
fruitful spiritual life. However, this can only be effective in our life if we
will have “a better appreciation of the richness of the anaphora” (SC, 13).
Together with Christ’s words and the epiclesis the entire community
becomes the body of Christ, just as the bread and wine changes into the Body
and Blood of Christ.
Consequently,
the pope tells us that it is the same Spirit who transforms the bread and wine
into the Body and Blood of Christ, who will unite the faithful into one body of
Christ “and makes of them a spiritual offering pleasing to the Father” (SC, 13).
****
The Eucharist the source and
acme of Christian Life, membership in the Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, teaches that baptism “is the basis
of the whole Christian life, the
gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door
which gives access to the other sacraments” (CCC, 1213). Through Baptism we are born anew, made strong by
Confirmation and then fed by the Eucharist (CCC,
1212, 1275). Jesus stressed the
inevitability of faith and baptism for salvation, and hence “affirmed at
the same time the necessity of the
Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door” (LG, 14).
However, baptism alone does not make one a full member, particularly, in
the Catholic Church. One needs also to receive the sacraments of Eucharist and
Confirmation. The Eucharist is not only the spring and acme of Christian life
but also in it “the sanctifying action of God in our regard and our worship of
him reach their high point
Pope Benedict XVI in his encylical, Sacramentum
Caritatis (SC),speaks of the membership in the Church and the Christian
life as being rooted in the Eucharist. Through our participation in the
Eucharist we manifest our union with the Mystic Body of Christ and also form a communio sanctorum. The Pope asserted
that our belonging to Jesus Christ is strengthened through our participation in
the celebration of the liturgy and receiving the Eucharist.
Thus, by means of communion, the Eucharist not only unites the
individual with Jesus Christ in the depths of his or her heart, but also unites
them with one another in the bond of love. So any attempt to tear down this
communion with the Triune God will automatically lead to destruction of our own
communion with each other. It follows that we are to preserve both the vertical
and horizontal dimension of our relation with God an with our fellow men and
women.
It follows that we are “called to be members of Christ and thus members
of one another, (….) a reality grounded ontollogically in Baptism and nourished
by the Eucharist, a reality that demands visible
expression in the life of our communities”( SC, 76).
The Holy Spirit and the Eucharist
Benson
MAPUNDA (11014T)
The Holy
Spirit is present everywhere, has been at work in the world “from the beginning
to the completion of the plan for our salvation” (CCC, 686). He is the gift of
the Father and the Son to the world. Without him the human person cannot
accomplish anything. He is the second
hand of the Father through which the Father reached humanity and embraces it.[1] The Holy Spirit formed the humanity of Jesus
in the womb of Virgin Mary. Henceforth, he guided the life of Jesus here on
earth. Jesus did nothing here on earth without the Holy Spirit. He taught, cast
out demons and proclaimed the kingdom
of God
Through the
power of the Holy Spirit the Church celebrates the Eucharistic banquet given to
us by Jesus Christ. In his last discourse, Christ promised his disciples that
he would be with them until the end of time. Thus, he saw it fitting to give
them and us today the sacrament of the Eucharist, in which through the working
of the Spirit he “continues to be present and active in his Church” (Sacramentum Caritatis (SC), 12). Therefore,
as individuals and community we are invited to “a renewed awareness of the decisive
role played by the Holy Spirit in the evolution of the liturgical form and the
deepening understanding of the sacred mysteries” (SC, 12).
Thus,
following the line of thought above, we come to understand that the Holy Spirit
plays an important role in the celebration of the Eucharist. The invocation
said by the priest over bread and wine to become the Body and Blood of Christ
signifies the core role of the Spirit in our liturgy. This implies also that it
is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that the faithful can live a
fruitful spiritual life. However, this can only be effective in our life if we
will have “a better appreciation of the richness of the anaphora” (SC, 13).
Together with Christ’s words and the epiclesis the entire community
becomes the body of Christ, just as the bread and wine changes into the Body
and Blood of Christ.
Consequently,
the pope tells us that it is the same Spirit who transforms the bread and wine
into the Body and Blood of Christ, who will unite the faithful into one body of
Christ “and makes of them a spiritual offering pleasing to the Father” (SC, 13).
Reflection on The Trinity and the Eucharist, based on no.7 and 8 of Sacramentum Caritatis of the Holy Father XVI
God could have saved us
without his Son becoming man. But could this make us fail to understand him?
Why then did He choose to save us through His Son? John the Evangelist tells,
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world,
not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (Jn
3:16-17). Thus it is love that impelled
God to send his only Son. This takes us to the mystery of the incarnation in
which God, through his Son in the Holy Spirit, took our human nature and dwelt
among us. This act expresses the greatest gift of the triune God to us. In
relation with the Eucharist, the Pope noted that, “in the Eucharist Jesus does
not give us a ‘thing’, but himself; …” (SC,
7).
John, the Evangelist,
identifies the Word of God with the second person of the Holy Trinity (Cf. John
1:1) and then goes ahead to assert that this Word became flesh (Cf. John 1:14).
In other words, God became man and dwelt among us. By means of the incarnation,
the triune God bridged the gap between Him and humanity. This presence of God
that bridges the gap between us and him continues even in our day, not only in
the Word of God but also in the Eucharist. In which Christ identified himself
as that bread which fell from heaven; the bread that whoever eats will live
forever. He called that bread his own flesh (Cf. Jn 6:51) (Cf. SC, 7).
The mystery of the
trinity is revealed to us through the sacrament of the Eucharist, which
consequently reveals to us the salvific plan of redemption. God who is by
nature good did not see it fitting to remain hidden. And He being the “perfect
communion of love” decided out of his own will and freedom to share with us
through his Son. Thus, Christ becomes to us the free gift from the Father. He
offered himself on the cross for our salvation (Cf. SC, 8).
We can therefore enter
fully into communion into the mystery of the trinity through our participation
in the Eucharist. For it is in the Eucharist we encounter Christ wholly and
through Christ we encounter the triune God. Joan puts it this way: “Through the
Eucharist we enter into the heart of Christ and, through Him, into the heart of
the Trinity, (moreover), Jesus Christ
came into the world to bring us God’s presence and to show us where to find Him.”(C.M. Joan, Eucharist,
XV).
Thus, Christ becomes to us not only the bread come down from heaven but also a free gift of the Blessed Trinity, which
the Church faithfully in obedience “receives, celebrates and adores” (Cf. SC, 8). 
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