In light of the pastoral letter written by Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles (Gather Faithfully Together) I thought this would be a good time to reflect on the Eucharist, both the Sacrament and the Mass.
Beginning, then, with the sacrament of the Eucharist let's consider the realities that we know and hold dear as Catholics. That is, that Jesus "on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, 'This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes."1 This statement by Paul recalls the Last Supper and the priceless gift that Jesus left us in the form of his own body and blood.
Since that time the Church has understood the meaning of these words to be literally true: the bread and wine become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus substantially present under the appearance of bread and wine. Eventually in the course of time the Church applied a term to this action and called it "transubstantiation" -- the changing of one substance for another while leaving the accidents untouched. This term goes back to Hildebert of Tours early in the thirteenth century and was used to describe what happened at the consecration by the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) where they wrote: "transsubstantiatis pane in corpus, et vino in sanguinem" [the bread is transubstantiated into the body and the wine into the blood]. As a side note, the use of this term seems to confuse many anti-Catholic polemists since they think this was a new doctrine.2
Yet one has but to read the early Church Fathers to learn that this is not a new concept at all. Justin writes: "For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic payer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus."3 Note that in addition to talking about the Real Presence here Justin is also talking about how we are to be transformed or changed through the reception of the Eucharist!
It is now common teaching in the Church that the bread and wine become really and truly the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus as set forth at the Council of Trent.4 This teaching, of course, was not new with Trent but is reflected in many of the Church Father's writings. Irenaeus writes: "For as the bread from the earth, receiving the invocation of God, is no longer common bread but the Eucharist, consisting of two elements, earthly and heavenly, so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible but have the hope of resurrection into eternity."5 Again, one cannot talk about the Eucharist without looking at the effect it will have on the recipient. Let us, then, turn our attention to the effects of the Eucharist.
We've already seen that one cannot talk about the Eucharist without talking about the effect it has on us. Consider, for a moment, the early Church Fathers. When they wrote about the Eucharist it was with an awareness of the power that it had for us and for transforming our lives.6 This was not something that simply happened, but a reality that they experienced and witnessed on a daily basis. They saw people changed by the power of the sacraments, and they experienced that change in their own lives. Let us, then, examine some of the effects of the Eucharist.
The goal of the Christian life is eternal life in God. To that end the Church has long stated that the Eucharist is necessary to help us to transform our lives.Pope Leo I writes: "Participation in the Body and Blood of Christ effects nothing else but that we become that which we consume, and we carry Him everywhere both in spirit and in body, in and with whom we have died, have been buried and have risen."7 What a powerful idea -- "we become that which we consume." The whole purpose of our life is to join with God for all eternity.
This is hard to understand, but St. Cyril of Alexandria offers us a way of looking at this idea: "The Savior Himself declares, 'Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him'8 By this statement it is to be seen that Christ does not say He will be in us only after the fashion of some relation that is solely intellectual, but also through a participation truly according to nature. Just as if someone were to entwine two pieces of wax together and melt them with a fire, so that both are made one, so too through participation in the Body of Christ and in His Precious Blood, He is united in us and we too in Him. In no other way can that corruptible nature be vivified except by being united bodily to the Body of Him who is, by His very nature, life: that is, the Only-begotten."9 This is a powerful description that we too frequently overlook -- it is only through this union that we can receive life!
The Eucharist is both a sign and celebration of the unity of the Church. Paul writes: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf."10 This image of the body as the Church is quite clear and obvious. We are one because of our faith, and in that faith we eat God in the Eucharist and are united in that Paschal Banquet. St. Augustine cites this same passage from Paul in his explanation of the "Sacrament of the Lord's Table" where he writes: "Thus, by that Bread, you are taught how you must love unity. For is that bread made of but one grain of wheat? Were there not in fact many grains? But before they became bread, they were separate; by water they were joined together, and that was after a certain contritio."11
Although Paul's example is graphic, St. John Chrysostom takes it one step further: "We have become one body, and 'limbs of His flesh and of His bones.'12 So that we may become this not by love only but even in every deed, let us be blended into that flesh. This blending is effected by the Food which He has given, in His desire to demonstrate to us the fond love that He has for us. That is why He has commingled Himself with us, and has kneaded up His body into us, so that we might subsist as a kind of unit, like a body joined to a head."13 These are powerful images of Jesus "kneading" his body into ours so that we would all be united.
In fact, so powerful is this understanding of unity that St. John Damascene reminds us we cannot share the Eucharist with non-believers: "participation is spoken of, because though the Eucharist we participate in the divinity of Jesus. Communion is likewise spoken of, and it is real communion, because through the Eucharist we have communion with Christ and share in His flesh and in His divinity. We do indeed have such communion thereby, that we are united with each other. For since we partake of one Bread we all become one body of Christ and one blood, and members of each other, since we become of one body with Christ. With all our strength, therefore, let us guard against receiving communion from heretics and from giving Communion to them. 'Do not give that which is holy to the dogs,' the Lord says, 'nor cast your pearls before swine,'14 lest we come to share in their dishonor and condemnation. For if this union is truly with Christ and with each other, certainly we are voluntarily united also with all who partake along with us."15
Next we turn our attention to the Mass itself. The Mass is sometimes referred to as "the Eucharist" so we need to be careful when we use this terminology that we not cause confusion. Obviously there has been confusion since the words are identical. In Greek the word "eucharistia" means "thanksgiving." In the Sacrament of the Eucharist we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus both as an eternal memorial of his redeeming death and resurrection, and also as a way of uniting ourselves to that death and resurrection and to one another. In the Mass we give thanks and focus our worship on God.
Each Mass is a re-presentation of the one sacrifice of Jesus on the cross at Calvary and is a "Paschal Banquet" which is a foretaste of the eternal banquet in heaven. Pope St. Gregory I tells us: "This Victim alone saves the soul from eternal ruin, the sacrificing of which presents to us in a mystical way the death of the Only-begotten, who, -- though He is now risen from the dead and dies no more, and death will no longer have dominion over him, for He lives immortally and incorruptibly in Himself, -- is immolated for us again in this mystery of the sacred oblation. For His body is eaten there, His flesh is distributed among the people unto salvation. His blood is poured out, no longer in the hands of the faithless but in the mouth of the faithful. Let us make thought, therefore, of what this sacrifice means for us, which is in constant representation of the suffering of the Only-begotten Son, for the sake of our forgiveness."16
There are certain key words in this description from St. Gregory that need to be considered carefully. The Mass is supposed to remind us of the "constant suffering...for the sake of our forgiveness." Jesus "died once and for all"17 that we might live forever with Him and with the Father. Yet, we know from the prayer that Jesus taught us that God can only forgive us in the same way that we forgive others. When we say that prayer we place limits on God's forgiveness: "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."18 What a serious thing to say. What a major limitation we set for God who wants to forgive all, but will accede to our prayer!
St. Gregory also talks about the Mass as a "constant representation" of Jesus' suffering and death on the cross. We do not crucify Jesus again and again at each Mass. Rather, we bring forward that event so that, at each Mass, we can stand at the foot of the cross on which hangs the Savior of the world and see anew his death and resurrection which was the price he paid for our sins.
In the Mass we gather as a community to raise our hearts, minds and voices to God. We come together as one body already united to Christ through our baptism. Paul writes: "We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life."19 As one body we join together, not for a "me and Jesus" celebration since that implies a collection of individuals, but for a "we and Jesus" celebration as one body in Christ.
Because of this reality we recognize Christ present among us in four ways in the Mass. First, he is present in the assembly gathered together ("For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."20), we recognize him present in the Scriptures which are the Word of God, we recognize him present in the presider (bishop or priest) who stands in his place and serves as "alter Christus" and, finally, Jesus is present in the Eucharist.21 This reality helps to pull us together in our worship, this unity of Body allows one voice, one mind, and one heart to be raised to God. When the sacrifice is offered through the hands of the priest, it is really Jesus who offers it for us and with us. "We saw the Prince of Priests coming to us, we saw and heard Him offering His blood for us. We follow, inasmuch as we are able, being priests; and we offer the sacrifice on behalf of the people. And even if we are of but little merit, still, in the sacrifice, we are honorable. For even if Christ is not now seen as the one who offers the sacrifice, nevertheless it is He Himself that is offered in sacrifice here on earth when the Body of Christ is offered. Indeed, to offer Himself He is made visible in us, He whose word makes holy the sacrifice that is offered."22
The prayer which clearly speaks to what we do at the Mass is said inaudibly by either the deacon or the priest when a little water is added to the wine. "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity." What a powerful statement we make. And, at the time of communion, when the minister holds up the host and says "The Body of Christ" we affirm our faith and state our recognition of this as a realty by answering "Amen!" By our reception of the body of Christ we strengthen our membership in the Body, we affirm the reality of the Church present in the world carrying out the saving mission of Jesus, and we acknowledge our responsibility to share in that work.
Thus, at the end of Mass, the deacon dismisses us, not just to leave because the Mass is ended, but to go and do what we have become. If we are the Body of Christ, if we are the Church, then we go to bring Christ to the world. We have been, in some way, incorporated into his death and resurrection and into his Body. We cannot go and ignore the world. We cannot go and do nothing. We must go and bring the light we have to the world. We must be the light to the world and the salt of the earth if we are to be faithful to what we have done in the Mass. If we do not do that, we make a lie of the Mass and of our participation.
Copyright © 1997, Ed Faulk