Catholicism for Cradle Catholics The Eucharist October 14, 2009

“At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet, in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.” The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium 47

“Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament…There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth, and more than that: Death: by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste (or foretaste) of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, which every man’s heart desires.” J.R.R. Tolkien in a letter to his son, Michael

“Well, if it’s just a symbol, to hell with it.” Flannery O’Connor

“Outside of the Blessed Sacrament, the holiest object ever presented to your senses is another mortal man.” C.S. Lewis

“You have tasted the Blood of the Lord, yet you do not recognize your brother,…You dishonor this table when you do not judge worthy of sharing your food someone judged worthy to take part in this meal….God freed you from all your sins and invited you here, but you have not been merciful.” St. John Chrysostom I. Your questions II. Scriptural texts for reference and prayer: a. Malachi 1:11 b. Acts 2:42 c. Acts 20:7-11 d. 1 Cor 11:17-34 e. 1 Cor 10: 14-22 f. Luke 22:7-23 g. Mark 14:12-26 h. Matthew 26:17-30 i. John 6:1-71 III. Teaching of the Magisterium and common questions a. What is it?! The ______, _____, ______, and ______of Christ (see CCC 1374). b. As a result, the Eucharist is the ______and ______of our life (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium 11); it is ______(Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery Eucharisticum Mysterium 6). Why? Because here we most fully on earth actualize what the divine will is for us: ______(see 2 Pet 1:4) and ______(see John 17:21-23); see also CCC 1325. c. How does this happen? An analogy with the Incarnation. d. What do we call this? ______. (See CCC 1376) e. Who can come? (For an excellent treatment of this see Cardinal O’Connor’s homily on the handout.) i. Catholics (see CCC 1385) ii. Orthodox (see CCC 1399). iii. Other ecclesial traditions: two situations necessary: 1)______, or 2) ______(to be determined by the local bishop). If one of these is present, then it is permissible to receive communion if all of the following: 1) ______; 2) ______; 3) ______; 4) ______(see CCC 1400,1401) f. A note on the “Real Presence” (see CCC 1374). g. A note on Eucharistic adoration. “The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease.” John Paul II, as quoted in CCC 1380. “It is impossible to love the Lord and not adore Him.” Fr. Jeremy Driscoll IV. The demands of the Eucharist (see homily by Fr. Walter Burghardt, SJ). No Love. No Eucharist

Some time ago,I read a riveting report from a priest in Calcutta' He had beeninvited to offer Mass ForMother Teresaand her community ar CheirHouse of the Dying. When the cime camefor Holy Communion, he felt deeplyhow honored he was to be giving Communion to this small, incensewoman clothed in sari and sandals.Suddenly he abandonedchat line of thinking - abandonedit when he saw the way shelooked acthe consecratedHost. Ic was then that he realized that the genuinewonder of the moment was not that he was giving Holy Communion to a living saint, but that he was holding in his hand the Body if Chrisc.

But drat was oniy part of the story.The priest went on to tell of Modrer Teresa'spowerful fairh. Mother Teresa,he said,believes in two kinds of "real presence."Wich the eyesof faith, shesees the living Christ under the appearanceofbread and wine; and with the eyesof faith, she also sees the sameliving Christ in the peopleshe serves so tenderly,so lovingly. "Mother Teresa,"he wrote- "is a believer.Christ is alwaysthere for her in eachofthe broken and miserablepeople she ministersto, She reverencesthem as shedoes the consecratedEucharist-"

In tlat context,ler me begin wirh Ss Paul and his Corinthian Christians,move briskly to Mother Teresaand her broken people,and end with you and me.

First; Paul. Paul is angry.When the Christiansof Corinth come rogelherto a privacehome to celebrate rhe Eucharisr, to his way of thinking chereis no Eucharist. Even though the ritual words areuttered, there is no Eucharist.Why? Becausethere is no love. OnIy division. The weahhier come eady, eat their own supper,leave nothing for the poor who havebeen working all day' "One goeshungry and anotherbecomes drunk" (I Cor I I;2I)' Becausethe Eucharisticfood is the Lord, you violate its sacredcharacter, you violate the lord's presenceby selfishindividualism, by disregardingthe poor. No Eucharistbecause no communiryl

Canon lawyersmay shout, "But it's valid"; rheologiansmighc echo their protest.But Paul is not interesredin our preciousvalidiry; he is concernedfor a Eucharistthac is ftuitful, a Eucharistthat is a sharingin God's grace.But.. .no love, no grace.No grace,no Eucharist.

Second,Mother Teresa.Not a theologian,but a woman with incredibleinsight, unbelievable abiliry to break through rhe tomrous smmmeringsofus theologiansand live the wondrous realicies we struggleco express.To her, one sentencesaid it all: "This is My Body that is [broken] for you' (v. 24). Teresahad grasped,had beengrasped by, the Eucharisticreality that makessense out of her life. The Body of Christ that is the Eucharistis not a private party, a me-and-Jesustwo-steP. The Body of Christ that is the Eucharistmakes the Body of Christ that is the Church. It is broken not ro satisfyisolated individuals but to build communiry.It is broken particularly for those who are rhemselvesuncommonly broken,who sharemore of Jesus'cmcifixion that of His resurrection' That Body is broken and giveneven for rhosewho havenot the joy of receivingit.

Teresagrasped and lived the rwo facersof Eucharisticbeliefthat Catholic spiritualiry stresses today, has actually alwaysstressed. I) Christ is reallypresent in what looks like bread, feelslike bread,tastes like bread,but is not btead,is simply and truly Christ Jesusour Lord. 2) The same Christ is really presentin eyeryman, woman, and child no matcerhow inhuman; for eachhas been shapedin the imageof Christ, a likenessto Christ that evensin cannotucterly destroy.The 50,000 bodies Teresaand her sisrersbroughr into their home ro die with digniry - eachwas carriedin becausehe or she was Christ, a Christ crucified.

Third, what ofyou and me?Each day we areprivileged to ffansmutewheat and wine inro the risen Christ. Not simply or evenprimarily for ourselves;nor evensimply for our parishioners,This Eucharisticrecessional is Bread,Jesus said-, is given "ftr the life of cheworld" (John 6:33,5I). Each nor an ending but ateginning. It is a movemenrfrom church ro world, from altar to people,from Christ crucified on C"lu"ry to Christ crucified on the highwaysand bywaysof our world'

For us and for our people,for thosewho sruggle for biblical justice,who agonizeover our responsibilicyfor btok"r, broth"s wastedsiscers, the Eucharisrshould be the heart of our ".rd rp;ir,r^liry. i)"t our Eucharistis a perilous experience.The peril is woFold, comesfrom two qr"rt.rs. on rhe one hand, the Eucharisris the pdmes sacamenr ofunicy, and yet it dividesus._ Not preciselyrhe way ir divided the earlycorinthian communiry.But iusr as efFectively:from the music to rha minist"ir, from rh. exchangeofpeace to Communion in the hand, from the agenda. and b"ggagewe bring wirh us. on the other hand, rhe Eucharisrshould propel our people to the poo, oi"u.ry dimension.Nor only the sufferingwho shareour faich;all those who are i5rpain. It ,horrld op"rr on, eyesas it doesthe eyesofTeresa: to seein everyhuman the image of Christ, the and are heavyburdened. But chrisr of calvary - the real presenceof chrisr in chosewho labor _ doesir) How can ir when only 30 percenrofAmerican catholics are nourishedby christ's word and flesh at leasCrwice a month?How can it when untold thousandswho are so nourished close their earswhen "the poor" arepreached, when the very word "justice" conjuresup lazy welfarefolk living off our hard-earnedmoney?

This is not a jeremiadagainsr our people.The longer I live, lhe more convincedI am chat "the b,-,.k stopr.. .h".e." After God, the iniciativerests with us. Paul was cleat,unambiguous: "[God] has given us the minisCryof reconciliation.. .entrustingthe ministry of reconciliationto us. S,owe J-b"ssador" for Christ, sinceChrist is making His appealthrough us..." (2 Cor 5:I8-20)' ".. Not indeed exclusiuely;bapdsm summons all Christiansro be reconcilers.Still, in a sharp,singular way rhrough our ordination. For ordinaCiongraces us powerfully to be leaders,to move the minds and heartsof men and women,ro organizethe charismsof our people so that eachparish is a force for reconciliationwith God, wich one another,with the eanh.

How? Especiallythrough the Eucharisc.The word of God and rhe Flesh of christ. Is there any po*.r on dynamic than these?Weak we may be, fearful, discouraged;but no weaker, ""rth ,ro mor" f""rful, -oreno more discouragedthan Paul. But, like Paul, "I can do all things through Him who srengthensme" (Phil 4:I3). I can evenpreach with fire in my belly!

Yes, but only if I apply Paui to my own ministry: no love, no Eucharist.

Givenby Fr. WalterBurghardt, SJ, on the 24thWeek of the Year,Monday, year B, to an assemblyof ordainedpriests.