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Themes from the Early Church Fathers the Liturgy and the Eucharist In

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Themes from the Early Church Fathers the Liturgy and the Eucharist In Association of Hebrew Catholics Lecture Series The Mystery of Israel and the Church Fall 2009 – Series 5 Themes from the Early Church Fathers Talk #10 The Liturgy and the Eucharist in the Early Church © Dr. Lawrence Feingold STD Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri Note: This document contains the unedited text of Dr. Feingold’s talk. It will eventually undergo final editing for inclusion in the series of books being published by The Miriam Press under the series title: “The Mystery of Israel and the Church”. If you find errors of any type, please send your observations [email protected] This document may be copied and given to others. It may not be modified, sold, or placed on any web site. The actual recording of this talk, as well as the talks from all series, may be found on the AHC website at: http://www.hebrewcatholic.net/studies/mystery-of-israel-church/ Association of Hebrew Catholics • 4120 W Pine Blvd • Saint Louis MO 63108 www.hebrewcatholic.net • [email protected] The Liturgy and the Eucharist in the Early Church What Christian wouldn’t wonder what the liturgy of the commemorate the great event of the Resurrection of Christ Church was like in the early centuries of Christianity, and from the dead, by which death was defeated and the pledge what were the views of the early Fathers on the Eucharist of our heavenly inheritance given. in particular, which is the source and summit of the life The Acts of the Apostles already give witness to the of the Church. Here as in so many other areas, the early importance of the Eucharist and its solemn celebration on Fathers show us a picture of the Church’s liturgy and the “first day of the week” (see Acts 20:7). Eucharistic faith that is essentially one with the faith and practice of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages and The Didache modern times, although there is an organic development One of the earliest witnesses of the liturgical life of the like the growth of a tree. Church is found in a work known as the Didache. It is a The earliest liturgy of the Church was obviously deeply catechetical work dating from the late first to the mid- impregnated with the spirit of the liturgy of Israel, making second century (c. 70-110 AD3). It clearly shows the signs use of the psalms, the readings from the Old Testament, of originating in a context of Jewish Christianity, with a and the chant of the synagogue. large number of allusions to the Gospel of Matthew, al- There is an interesting book called The Sacred Bridge,1 though other books of the New Testament are also cited. which shows the elements of continuity between Jewish The work begins with a moral catechism in the form of and Christian liturgy, and between ancient Jewish chant the “two ways”: the way of light and the way of darkness. and what later came to be known as Gregorian chant. It It is interesting to note that this catechism condemns abor- shouldn’t surprise us that the origins of Gregorian chant tion and probably alludes to contraception (under the term lie in the ancient synagogue. Furthermore, the Divine Of- “magic” and/or “drugs”)4 as grave sins, common in the fice of the Church has its origin in the daily prayers of the pagan world: “Thou shalt not commit sodomy; thou shalt synagogue and of course in the Psalter of David. not commit fornication; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not Various elements of the Eucharistic liturgy are taken use magic: thou shalt not use drugs; thou shalt not procure from the worship of ancient Israel, such as the “Holy, holy, abortion, nor commit infanticide” (Didache, II, 1-2). holy”; “dignum et justum est”; “in saecula saeculorum,” The work speaks of the celebration of the Eucharist on and many others. Even the Lord’s Prayer shows a great the Lord’s Day (Sunday; see Rev 1:10) and refers to it as similarity with the first petitions of the Kaddish in the a “sacrifice,” identified as the fulfillment of the prophecy Hebrew Prayerbook.2 of Malachi 1:11: Nevertheless, despite many elements of continuity, there On the Lord’s own day, come together and break bread is, of course, a fundamental difference. The liturgy of the and give thanks, first confessing your sins so that your Church centers on Jesus the Messiah and His Paschal sacrifice may be pure. Anyone at variance with his neigh- Sacrifice, made present in the Eucharist. In other words, bor must not join you, until they are reconciled, lest your the liturgy of the Church is not simply an organic devel- sacrifice be defiled. For it was of this sacrifice that the Lord said: “Always and everywhere offer me a pure sacrifice; for opment of that of the Temple or synagogue, as the liturgy I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is marveled of the present day is a development of that of the first at by the nations.” centuries. No, there is of course an essential distinction and discontinuity between the liturgy of Israel and that of This is extremely significant, for it shows that already the Church, because the liturgy of the Church centers on in the first century, the Eucharist was understood as a true the sacrifice of the Messiah, of which all the sacrifices of sacrifice that is pleasing to God, and offered throughout Israel and rites of the Old Covenant were but marvelous the world among the Gentiles, as the acceptable sacrifice of figures and types. 3 See J. Tixeront, A Handbook of Patrology. To mark this element of discontinuity, Sunday replaced 4 See John Hardon, S.J., “The Catholic Tradition on the Morality Saturday as the “day of the Lord” (dies dominicus), to of Contraception,” available online at http://www.therealpresence. org/archives/Abortion_Euthanasia/Abortion_Euthanasia_004. 1 Eric Werner, The Sacred Bridge: Liturgical Parallels in Synagogue and Early Church (NY: Schocken Books, 1970). htm. He writes: 2 “Magnified and sanctified be His great name in the world which “These terms (mageia) and (pharmaka) were understood to cover the He has created according to His will. May He establish His Kingdom use of magical rites and/or medical potions for both contraception and during your life and during your days, and during the life of all the abortion. Moreover, the context in the Didache refers to sex activity house of Israel, even speedily and at a near time, and say ye, Amen.” and the right to life.” See also the Letter of Barnabas 10.8. 2 AHC Lecture Series 5: Themes From the Early Church Fathers –– Lecture 10: Liturgy and Eucharist in the Early Church the Messianic age. As we shall see, St. Justin, St. Irenaeus, speaks against this Eucharistic consequence of Docetism and many other Fathers, connect the Eucharist with the in the Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 7: fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi. They hold aloof from the Eucharist and from services Some short liturgical prayers are given. Before com- of prayer, because they refuse to admit that the Eucharist is munion, there is the acclamation: “If anyone is holy, let the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our him come. If not, let him repent.” Only the baptized can sins and which, in His goodness, the Father raised. receive Communion, for “Do not give what is sacred to This is a very strong witness. The Docetists are con- dogs.” (Mt 7:6). demned by Ignatius for refusing to believe that the Eu- Again this is very significant, for it shows the practice of charist is the very “flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ,” that the Church in the first century to restrict Holy Communion same flesh which suffered and died on Calvary and was to the baptized faithful who are living in accordance with raised from the dead on Easter, and that same blood which the moral teaching of the Church (as spelled out in the first was poured out for our sins. section of the Didache). Ecclesial Dimension of the Eucharist Baptism is also spoken of, with the Trinitarian formula Another aspect of Ignatius’s Eucharistic teaching is his as given in Matthew 28:19. Baptism is to be prepared for emphasis on the ecclesial dimension of the Eucharist. The through fasting for one or two days. Eucharist unites us with Christ’s physical Body and Blood There is a Christian practice of fasting on Wednesdays precisely to unite us more closely with His Mystical Body, and Fridays, distinct from the Jewish custom of fasting on which is the Church, for the Eucharist is the sacrament of Monday and Thursday. ecclesial unity. Every Eucharistic celebration pertains to the entire Church, and is part of her public worship. The The Real Presence of Christ liturgy, and the Eucharist in particular, is therefore the in the Eucharist act of worship of the whole Christ: Head and members, hierarchically ordered. The liturgy is a prolongation or St. Ignatius of Antioch continuation of the priestly worship of Christ. The faith of the age of the Apostolic Fathers with re- For this reason, St. Ignatius stresses the role of the gard to the Eucharist is given in an extraordinarily clear bishop in the liturgy and the Eucharistic celebration. In way by St. Ignatius of Antioch in his letters to the seven the Letter to the Philadelphians, 4, his reference to the churches written on his way to be fed to the wild beasts Eucharist emphasizes the obligation of celebrating it in in the Coliseum in the year 107 AD.
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