·
God desires to share
Trinitarian love outside God’s self( ad Extra).
·
so God loved us into
existence. Hi plan was to share his love and life with humans and creation.
·
The climax of it reaches in
the Christ event. It is this event ( god’s love- on the
Cross
–self giving) which is celebrated in and through the Eucharist.
·
Therefore we call Eucharist
as the mystery of faith or mystery of Trinitarian love. Hence we can say in the
Eucharist trinitan God shares his love and life.
What is Eucharist?
·
It is the ritual celebration
of last supper.
·
The last supper has a
connection to the Calvary. So Eucharist connectin to calvary goes through last
supper.
What is the significance of the last supper?
- It is
symbolic. Jesus gives himself symbolically to his disciples in the form of
bread and wine.
- It is a self
gift of God. Since Jesus is God it’s God’s self gift given by God in the
form of bread and wine and Calvary
actualizes what symbolically tool place in the last supper.
- In other
words the last supper is the hermeneutical key for Calvary; that is an
interpretation of Calvary. Therefore last supper and Calvary are
connected.
- Today in
the Eucharist we receive the same self gift of God. This self gift is once
and for all.
- But there
is a chronological gap(when) and a geographical gap(where)between Jerusalem
to India. So how do we receive the
self gift of God?
We receive it by making present the same
self gift of God through bread and wine. The same Jesus is offering himself to
us in the Eucharist. Just as Jesus offered himself to the disciples in the
bread and wine, he offers himself to us in the form of bread and wine. It becomes contemporary event for us.
- Therefore
the life of Jesus becomes the animating principle in our life.
- In
this sense – Transubstantiation (our life is transformed) must be
understood.
- That
is we receive Jesus’ life in E and
as a result our life is transformed.
- Our
life becomes E. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me ( Gal
2,20)
- Among the 7
sacraments E has a central place.
- The
other sacraments are bound up with the E and are oriented towards it. …for
in the blessed E is contained the whole spiritual good of the church,
namely Christ himself , our pasch( PO 5)
- In
communion with other sacraments the most holy E is – symbol of a sacred
thing and a visible form of invisible grace”
- But
E also has this unique mark of distinction that, whereas – the other
sacraments have the power of sanctifying only when someone makes use of
them.
- In
the E the author of sanctity himself is present before the sacrament is
used( Trent – ND 1516)
- E
is the source and summit of Christian life and mission( Lg 11)
Source
of Christian Life:
- Source
means origin. E is the origin of Christian life.
- Meaning of
the Christian life is that we have life of Jesus in us.
- We receive
this life of J through the self gift of Jesus in the E.
- So E is the
origin of Christian life.
Source
of mission:
- The self
gift of God that we receive is the E – is for all
- Jesus’
mission is to share the love and life with all.
- We receive that
mission of J in the E.
- It is our
mission now to continue the same in our lives.
Summit
of Christian Life.
·
Summit means fulfillment or culmination
·
In E we become united with the self gift
of J Xt, the definitive expression of Trinitarian love.
·
It is actively and definitively taking
place in the E.
·
So E is the fulfillment of Christian
life. It reaches its fulfillment in the E.
Summit
of Christian Mission:
Fulfillment takes place in our mission.
Every human person participates in this mission.
- Instituted by
Jesus Christ ( Mt 26/ 26 -29; Mk 14, 22-25; Lk 22/15 -20; 1 Cor 11/ 23
-26)
- The
term E is derived from the Gk word – Eucharistia which means –
Thanksgiving. Jesus gave thanks at the last supper.
- The
synoptic present this as s passion festive farewell meal.
- The
origin and meaning of the E is derived from the institution texts in NT,
namely….Mt 26, 26 -29 ; Mk 14, 22
-25; Lk 22, 15 -20, 1 Cor 11, 23 -26
- These
texts may not primarily be the historical reports on the institution of
the E but are certainly liturgical formulas used by the early Christian
communities.
Mt and Mk are
liturgical texts
Lk is as testamentary
text.
Mt 26, 26 -29 ; Mk 14, 22 -25
- In
Markan tradition ( Mt and Mk) the last supper narration is in the form of
a - cultic covenant || to the Sinai covenant – Ex 24,
5-8, I which blood is given a heightened importance.
- The
covenant is sealed in the blood. Mk
14, 24; Mt 26, 28
- Mk
14, 24 - the blood is poured out as an expiation for many.
- Mt
26, 28 - the blood is poured out as an expiation for the forgiveness of
sins.
Lk 22, 15 -20, 1 Cor 11, 23 -26
- Lk
and Paul have the same tradition – (Antiochean )
- Antiochean
tradition – the last supper narrative takes the nuance of a covenant of
testimony.
- Here
blood is given only a secondary importance. The primary stress is on the
covenant – the new covenant ( parallel to the covenant spoken by Jer 31,
31-34) – ref Lk 22, 20 – “ New covenant is in my blood”( 1
Cor 11, 25)
Lk and Paul – cultic service
John – Farewell meal with
a command to love as he had loved – no mention of a meal or memorial command.
Words
over the bread :
- Mt
26, 26 – 29 : Take – eat – this is my body.
- Mk
14, 22 -25 : Take this is my body.
Antiochean
tradition:
- Lk
22, 14 -20 : This is my body which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of me.
- 1
Cor 11, 23 -26: This is my body that is for you, do this in remembrance of
me.
Words
Over the Cup
Markan Tradition:
- Mt 26, 26 –
29: this is the blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many for the
forgiveness of sins.
- Mk 14, 22 -25: this is the blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many.
Antiochean
tradition:
- Lk
22, 14 -20: this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my
blood.
- 1
Cor 11, 23 -26: This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this in
remembrance of me.
- The
reason for the changes is due to the liturgical context.
- The
NT authors are writing to different communities. Mt and Mk never felt the
need for adding eh word – remembrance - as it was already practiced in the
communities.
The E is a Ritual Meal
- For
humans food is not only to satisfy hunger.
- Food
humanizes, creates relationships, and becomes a symbol that transcends the
merely sensible.
Meals have religious significance are normally
structures as rituals.
- Agrarian Feast(
Feast of Unleavened Bread) :It acknowledged the providence of God giving
them food to sustain the people
year after year.
- Liberation from Egypt: Signaled the emergence of the political
reality called Israel and both feasts were seen as religious.
God’s
action on behalf of people.
(The early Christians shared the
remembrances about Jesus whom they knew – like it was done at Jewish Passover
meal - how YHWH liberated them from Egypt – Parellal to the the last supper of
Jesus.
- Slowly they
put together an order in their celebration and used their past experience
of religion – that of Israel – in shaping liturgy.
- The notion
of sacrifice, covenant, expiation and eschatology were interpreted in the
light of life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
- The
disciple and the early church came to interpret the last supper as
establishing a new covenant in the blood of Christ for the redemption of
all and so they continued the practice of shared meals after the death and
resurrection of Jesus.
Eucharist
as ritual meal
- The
account of the meal that Jesus celebrated is written by persons who have
experienced the risen Lord.
- The
Easter experience (Faith) enabled them to see the meaningfulness of the
events at the last supper.
- Early
Christians celebrated the Eucharist as a ritual meal when they gathered
together to give thanks to God (Father) for what god had accomplished in
Jesus Christ.
- They
shared their remembrances of Jesus Christ and slowly they put an order
into their celebration based on their past experience of religion of Israel
(Passover meal) and thus gave shape to their liturgy.
- The
notion of sacrifice, covenant, expiation and eschatology were
interpreted in the light of life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
- E as a memorial(
SC 47) of the sacrifice( ND 1555) that J offered once and for all ( Heb 9,
12; 25 -26)
Memorial:
It is not mere memory but representing something. The self gift of J is made a
contemporary event and not a past event in the E (anamnesis – it is to make the
self gift of J present)
Challenge:
To make Jesus life present in our life all the time.
E
as memorial:
- E is a
string remembrance (Anamnesis/memorial)of what Jesus did and integrating
it into our lives.
- That is
remembering the past historical event and making it as present one.
(Anamnesis/ memorial) – takes place at 3
levels.
- It recalls
the past event (Passover Meal) having special significance with the life
of J and in the life of the church as well( Past Christ Event)
That
is recall
and relive it.
- Celebration
the present: Continuation of God’s action taking place today – salvation
in the present.
- Pre
– figuring of the future: ( fortaste)
: What happens in the present has a
reality in the future( Esschatological Hope)
Eucharist
as Sacrifice:
- Eucharist
as sacrifice - : is an expression of human persons self surrender to God
who accepts it.”
- Hence J sacrifice,
once and for all- Heb 9, 12, 25 -26, was accepted by eh Father ( proof – resurrection).
- Total life
of J was a sacrifice to the father
– The death of J on the cross.)
ND
1555: If anyone says that in the mass a true and a
proper sacrifice not offered or the
offering consists merely in the fact that
Christ is given to us to eat – Anathema Sit
Heb
9/ 12 : he entered once and for all to the holy
place, not with the blood of goats and
calves but with his own blood thus
obtaining eternal redemption.
Heb
9, 25 – 26 :
·
Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the High
Priest enters year after year with the blood that is not his own, for then he
would have to suffer again and again, since the foundation of the world.
·
But as it is he has appeared once and for all
at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.
ND
1555: E as a sacrifice:
-- (CCC 1365 – 1368): the E is a sacrifice. The sacrificial character is manifested in the
very words of institution – “This is my body which is given for you” and “This
cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”.
- In the E
Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the
very blood which he poured for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- The E is a
sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the
cross.
- The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice
of the E are one single sacrifice.
The victim is the one and the same.
- The same
now offers through the mystery of priests, who then offered himself on the
cross, only the manner of offering is different.
(Amos – Prophet – Sophorific – Worship')
Memorial (SC 47) :
- The E is a
memorial of Christ’s Passover, the making present and the sacramental offering
of his unique sacrifice, in the liturgy of the church which is his body.
- In the E
prayers we find after the words of consecration, a prayer called – the
anamnesis or memorial.
- At the last
supper J tells his disciples to celebrate the E in memory of him. Each
time the church celebrate the E , its remembering the past historical
event that has been completed in the life , death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ and is making it present through an action ( Liturgy) in
present.
- It is also
an act eschatological anticipation.
Anamnesis has this sense; it I not
only remembering something of the past, but representing the past before God
so that it becomes present.
Thus Anamnesis serves to bring out the
basic aspect of liturgy.
Through the E , the worshipping
community both recalls Christ’s death and resurrection and makes Christ’s
sacrifice offered once and for all on
the cross sacrament ally present on earth.
4.
The Church also recognize the real presence of Christ in the
Eucharist ( ND 1526 -1527)
·
The general council of Trent ( 1551)
says in 1526 - “ In the holy E the body
and blood together with the soul and divinity of J
Christ is - truly – really
and substantially contained.
·
ND 1527: In the E there is a change
of the whole substance of the bread into his body and the whole substance of wine into his blood, while only the species
remain change which the catholic church calls
- transubstantiation.
·
Change of whole substance of
bread to Body
·
Change of whole substance of
wine to Blood ---Transubstation.
Real Presence –
- Consubstantion
- Anailation theory – distruction
- Transignification:
- The E makes us
conscious of our social responsibility to the entire world( ND 1580)
Nd 1580 a ( Mysterium Fedei)
- E
worship forcefully moves the soul to cultivate “Social” love which places
the common good before the private good.
- Let
us make our own the cause of the community, of the parish of the universal
church.
- Let
us extend clarity tot eh entire world so that people everywhere will know
that we are the living members of Christ.
Incarnation: is God sharing
himself with us. E contains the aspectof sharing.
- E
compels us to share ourselves with others
- To
reach out to the whole world with love, care and wisdom.
- commits
us to the poor
- To
recognize Christ in the poorest.
We have a
responsibility to build up his body on earth.
“Go in peace” is a command
for mission.
- Proclaiming
the message of the KOG :
- -Table
fellowship
- Conversion
- Relationship
with outcastes, sinners
- Affirm
equality and human dignity.
- Doing
good to those who are in need and not
being restricted by the laws
of the Sabbath.
- Serve
the less privileged.
- Break
down barriers that separate humans.
- Destroy
the walls that keep us apart.
In the context of India –
Multi religious – we can’t say that I
take care only of Christians( This attitude will be very unchristian)
- In this way sharing our whole life with
other Christian as well as other people.
- Samuel
Rayan – speaks of “whole earth” is breathing – mean there should be equal
distribution of the natural resources among the people.
- Teilhard
de chardin speaks of the whole earth as an altar – so ecology is very significant - Bread
and wine is the fruit of the earth.
- Lot
of ecological problems – If no earth – no Eucharist.
- We
are called to become co – creators in God’s creation ( Gen 2,15 = till and
keep)
- If
there is real sharing, all these problems will subside.
