THE EUCHARIST, A
MYSTERY TO BE PROCLAIMED (Sacramentum
Caritatis 84-87)
by NDUMBI Charles
11124T
The
second Vatican Council in its Decree on the Church’s Missionary activity Ad Gentes states that “The Church on
earth is by its very nature missionary since, according to the plan of the Father;
it has its origin in the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit” (AG, 2). This Church’s mission has to be
carried out by her faithful, her members to others. It is the same thing that
should be done when we talk of Christ who is the head of the Church and also
the Eucharist; because according to Pope Benedict XVI, “there is nothing more
beautiful than to know him and to speak to others of our friendship with him.”[1]
The love that we celebrate in the Eucharist demands to be shared with all and
we cannot approach the Eucharistic table without being drawn into the mission
because an authentically Eucharistic Church is a missionary Church.
Before
going for mission, we have to experience Jesus Christ, we have to be at his
school as the disciples where called to be with Him and to be sent out by him.
By our life, we must make Christ present to others. We have to witness him even
to the offering of one’s own life, to the point of martyrdom. Even if the test
of martyrdom is not asked, we should be inwardly prepared for it.[2]
Jesus Christ is our model because he gave up his own life. He is the one
offering himself in the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist as
sacrament of our salvation, reminds us of the unity of both Christ and Salvation.
The Eucharist demands constant Catechesis on the need to proclaim Jesus as
saviour.[3]
We
should as the holy Father continues, thank all those who have devoted
themselves to the preaching of the Gospel and practice their faith at the risk
of their lives in the areas where Christians are a minority or they are denied
religious freedom. We are urged to pray for them and for the religious freedom
in all the nations so that Christians as well as the followers of other
religions can freely express their convictions as individuals and as
communities.[4]
[1] Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
84.
[2] Cf. Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
85.
[3] Cf. Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
86.
THE
APOSTOLICITY OF THE EUCHARIST AND OF THE CHURCH
(John
Paul II, Ecclesia De Eucharistia, 26-33)
by NDUMBI Charles 11124T
Pope
John Paul II said that the Eucharist builds the Church and vice versa. This shows
the profound relationship between the two. As the Church is One, catholic and
apostolic, the Eucharist too is one, holy (The Holy Sacrament) and Catholic.[1]
From the apostolicity of the Church, the Catechism of the Catholic Church sees
three meanings in this expression[2]:
-The
Eucharist has its foundation in Apostles in the sense that it was entrusted by
Jesus to them (Apostles) and has been handed down to us by them and their
successors.
-The
Eucharist is celebrated in conformity with the faith of the apostles. That is
why the Church has defined her teachings on the Eucharist in order to preserve
the apostolic faith which remains unchanged.
-The
Church is apostolic in the sense that she continues to be taught, sanctified
and guided by the apostles through their successors until the Parousia of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
The
ordained priest acting in Persona Christi, brings about the Eucharistic
sacrifice and offers it to God in the name of all the people.[3]
The ordained priests in the economy of salvation, is chosen by Christ to make
clear that the Eucharist they celebrate is a gift which radically transcends
the power of the assembly and the Eucharist is linking to the sacrifice of the
Cross and to the Last Supper. The ministerial priesthood is received through
episcopal succession going back to the apostles.[4]
The
Eucharist is the centre and summit of the Church’s life and the summit of
priestly ministry and it is the principal and central raison d'être of the
sacrament of priesthood which came into being at the institution of the
Eucharist by our Lord Jesus Christ in the upper room. That is also why during
the Eucharistic celebration, prayer for vocations is most closely united to the
prayer of Christ the Eternal High Priest[5].
And in the Church, “no Christian community can be built up unless it has its
basis and centre in the celebration of the most Holy Eucharist.”[6]
[1] Cf. John Paul II, Ecclesia De
Eucharistia, 26.
[2] Cf. John Paul II, Ecclesia De
Eucharistia, 27-28.
[3] Cf. Lumen Gentium, 10.
[4] Cf. John Paul II, Ecclesia De
Eucharistia, 29.
[5] Cf. John Paul II, Ecclesia De
Eucharistia, 31.
THE EUCHARIST, ACTUOSA PARTICIPATIO
(Sacramentum Caritatis 52-63)
NDUMBI Charles 11124T
With
the Second Vatican Council, the church emphasizes active participation in the
Eucharistic celebration. The participation should be understood “on the basis
of greater awareness of the mystery being celebrated and its relationship to
daily life”[1].
The participation in the liturgy, which has to be active, does not benefit from
the inability to distinguish the proper functions of each participant. The
priest, acting in persona Christi, presides the entire Eucharistic
celebration. Misunderstandings, exaggerations and abuses have occurred the
meaning of active participation. Provision may be made for adaptations for
different contexts and cultures. Guidelines in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal must be followed for
adaptations[2].
The
actuosa participatio results from constant conversion which must mark the
lives of the faithful. It is not likely if the participant approaches it
superficially, or without examination of their lives. It requires participation
in the life of the Church. “Even in cases where it is not possible to receive
sacramental communion, participation at Mass remains necessary, important,
meaningful and fruitful”[3].
Care must be taken so that some do not conclude that presence at Mass entitles
on to the Eucharist.
For
those Christians who are not Catholic, we know that Eucharist manifests not
only our personal communion with Jesus Christ, but also implies full communion
with the Church. While unity with all Christians in the Eucharist is desired as
Christ willed for his disciples (Cf. John 17:21), out of respect for the
sacrament, non-Catholics cannot receive the body and Blood of Christ, even in
the name of unity. These conditions “are clearly indicated in the Catechism of
the Catholic Church (No 1398-1401) and its Compendium (No 293)”[4].
With
the development of the communications media, the word “participation” has taken
a broader meaning. Special care must be taken for Masses that are broadcast on
television so that they conform to liturgical norms. Attending Mass via
television or radio does not normally fulfil the obligation of attending Mass.
Visual images can represent reality but they do not actually reproduce it.
“While it is most praiseworthy that the elderly and sick participate in Sunday
Mass through radio and television, the same cannot be said of those who think
that such broadcasts dispense them from going to Church and sharing in the
Eucharistic assembly in the living Church”[5].
Spiritual assistance should be provided to the sick by the Church community.
The mentally handicapped should be able to receive the Eucharist if they are
baptized and confirmed.
Prisoners
have a particular need to be visited personally by the Lord in the sacrament of
the Eucharist. They should be provided with the opportunity to receive the
Eucharist. This will help them on their faith journey and to full social
rehabilitation. Diocese should provide the necessary resources for prisoners to
be spiritually cared for. Even for migrants, especially those of the Eastern Catholic
Churches should be provided the opportunity to celebrate the Eucharistic
liturgy in their own rite whenever possible. For a large-scale celebrations,
with many concelebrating priests are important, but “it is not always easy in
such cases to give clear expression of the unity of the presbyterate,
especially during the Eucharistic Prayer and the distribution of Holy Communion.
Efforts need to be made lest these large-scale concelebrations lose their
proper focus”[6].
At
large international liturgies, except for the readings, homily, and prayer of
the faithful, the suggestion is made for the liturgy to be celebrated in Latin.
“Similarly, the better-known prayers of the Church’s tradition should be recited
in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung”[7].
Future training for priest should include training in Latin and learning to
celebrate the Mass in Latin. For small group, pastoral circumstances favour
small group celebrations. They serve to unite and encourage fruitful
participation rather than fragment the community. “… and preserve as much as
possible the unity of the liturgical life of individual families”[8].
[1] Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
52.
[2] Cf. Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
54.
[3] Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
55.
[4] Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
56.
[5] Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
57.
[6] Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
61.
[7] Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis,
62.
THE EUCHARIST BUILDS
THE CHURCH
(John
Paul II, Ecclesia De Eucharistia) by
NDUMBI Charles 11124T
From
the second Vatican council, we are taught that the Eucharist celebration is the
centre of the Church’s growth. The work of our redemption is carried out and
the unity of the faithful expressed. By instituting the Holy Eucharist in front
and presence of his disciples (Apostles), Jesus wanted to involve them in the
sacrifice which will be completed later on Calvary. Jesus’ word at the last
supper laid foundation of the new messianic community, a New Covenant. The
Church is built up through sacramental communion with the Son of God[1].
By Baptism, we are admitted to be
part of the mystical body of Christ, the Church. We receive Christ through the
sacramental communion. We become friends and He enters in our life as He said
it in John 6:57 that: “he who eats me will live because of me”. Our life will
be Christ’s centre. This union makes us become “light of the world and salt of
the earth” (Cf. Mt 5: 13-16). In this way, as part of the new covenant and
mystical body of Christ, we continue with Christ’s mission in the Church (Cf. John
20:21). The Eucharist is “the source and summit of all evangelization since all
are in communion with Christ who was sent by God the father in the Unity of the
Holy Spirit[2].
Saint Paul in his first letter to
the Corinthians 10:16-17 says: “The bread which we break, is it not a
participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are
many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread”. As Christians in the
Church, despite our diversity, our differences (culture, tribe, languages,
race, background, etc.) we are one body of Christ who unites us. Therefore,
“the joint and inseparable activity of the son and the Holy Spirit is at work
in the Eucharist especially during the epiclesis of the Anaphora, where the
Holy Spirit comes upon the faithful and the offerings”. And the Church is
fortified by the divine Paraclete through the sanctification of the faithful in
the Eucharist[3].
In the Eucharistic communion, we receive the gift of
Christ and his Spirit which fulfils the fraternal unity in human hearts and the
experience of fraternity already present in the sharing at the same table to
the degree which surpasses a simple human experience of sharing meal. This
unity to Christ’s body creates a human community, it builds the Church[4].
The presence of Christ is in the Eucharistic species and
this presence lasts as long as the species remain. That is why the Holy father
Pope John Paul II gives responsibility to pastors to encourage the practice of
Eucharistic Adoration and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. The adoration is
to feel closed, to feel the infinite love present in Jesus’ heart. This is as
Saint Alphonsus Liguori said it: “(…) the greatest after the sacraments, the
one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us”. So the Eucharist is a
priceless treasure by not only celebrating it but also by praying before it
outside of Mass, and we are enabled to make contact with the very well spring
of grace[5].
[1] Cf. John Paul II, Ecclesia De
Eucharistia, 21.
[2] Cf. John Paul II, Ecclesia De
Eucharistia, 22.
3 Cf. John Paul II, Ecclesia De Eucharistia, 23.
[4] Cf. John Paul II, Ecclesia De
Eucharistia, 24.
****
THE EUCHARIST AND THE SACRAMENTS (Sacramentum Caritatis)
NDUMBI Charles (11124T)
As one of the seven sacraments we have in the Church,
the Holy Eucharist occupies an exceptional place in the context of the other
sacraments. It makes present the Redeemer and communicates his work of
redemption[1].
In the Eucharist we have Christ who is the Centre of everything. He is the one
giving himself by the power of the Holy Spirit as he gave up his life for his
brothers and sisters. On her turn, the Church has to show her sacramentality by
inviting Christians to offer themselves and everything they do in union with
Christ. So what is the relationship with others sacraments?
-
With the sacrament of Christian initiation: As one of the initial sacrament like baptism “by which
we were conformed to Christ, incorporated in the church and made children of
God, is the portal to all the sacraments(…) our participation in the
Eucharistic sacrifice perfects within us the gifts given to us at Baptism”[2].
It is the fullness of Christian initiation and Baptism and confirmation are
ordered to reception of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is also “a process of
conversion undertaken with God’s help and with constant reference to the
ecclesial community”[3].
Therefore the reception of Baptism, confirmation and First communion are key
moments for the individual and the family.
-
With the sacrament of Reconciliation: There is an intrinsic relationship between the two,
especially the love of the Eucharist which leads to a growing appreciation of
the sacrament of Reconciliation. The obstacle might be the cultural background
which surrounds the faithful and tends to eliminate the sense of sin. “The loss
of consciousness of sin always entails a certain superficiality in the understanding
of God’s love”[4]. Therefore,
when a sin is committed, it affects not only the one who has done it, but it
damages also and always the ecclesial communion.
-
With the sacrament of Anointing of the sick: This sacrament unites the sick with Christ’s
self-offering for salvation of all in order for them to participate in the
redemption of the world. Those preparing for death are given the Eucharist as
Viaticum[5].
-
With the sacrament of Holy orders: Between the Eucharist and the Holy Orders, it is
evident that it is Christ who commanded to his disciple to do in his memory (Cf.
Lk 22:19). Christ instituted the priesthood and the Eucharist at the same time.
The connection is seen most clearly at Mass when the presider (Bishop or
Priest) acts in the person of Christ[6].
The priestly ministry demands or requires total dedication to Christ and the
“celibacy is really a special way of conforming oneself to Christ’s own way of
life (…) Priestly celibacy lived with maturity, joy and dedication is an
immense blessing for the Church and for society itself”[7].
Therefore the bishops have obligation to encourage priests to fulfill the needs
of the Church wherever possible, even if this calls for sacrifices.
-
With the sacrament of matrimony: The sacramentum
caritatis has an important relationship between man and woman in marriage.
It strengthens marital love[8].
The unity between Christ and the Church corresponds to the exclusive bond of
marriage; that is why man and woman have to be in proper communion and must be
guided with love by the Church[9].
The nature of the Eucharist shows us the irrevocable nature of God’s love in
Christ, just as the bond of marriage is irrevocable. That is why before
marriage proper discernment among those to engage themselves is encouraged.
Therefore those who have divorced and remarried are kept from the Eucharist
because their state does not reflect the relationship between Christ and His
Church[10].
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