INDEX
Introduction
[1]
The food of truth [2]
The development of the eucharistic rite [3]
The Synod of Bishops and the Year of the Eucharist [4]
The purpose of the present Exhortation [5]
PART ONE:
THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY TO BE BELIEVED
The
Church's eucharistic faith [6]
The blessed
Trinity and the Eucharist
The bread come down from heaven [7]
A free gift of the Blessed Trinity [8]
The
Eucharist: Jesus the true Sacrificial Lamb
The new and eternal covenant in the blood of the Lamb [9]
The institution of the Eucharist [10]
Figura transit in veritatem [11]
The Holy Spirit and
the Eucharist
Jesus and the Holy Spirit [12]
The Holy Spirit and the eucharistic celebration [13]
The Eucharist and the
Church
The Eucharist, causal principle of the Church [14]
The Eucharist and ecclesial communion [15]
The Eucharist and
the Sacraments
The sacramentality of the Church [16]
I. The
Eucharist and Christian initiation
The Eucharist, the fullness of Christian initiation [17]
The order of the sacraments of initiation [18]
Initiation, the ecclesial community and the family [19]
II. The
Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation
Their intrinsic connection [20]
Some pastoral concerns [21]
III. The
Eucharist and the anointing of the sick [22]
IV. The
Eucharist and the Sacrament of Holy Orders
In persona Christi capitis [23]
The Eucharist and priestly celibacy [24]
The clergy shortage and the pastoral care of vocations
[25]
Gratitude and hope [26]
V. The
Eucharist and matrimony
The Eucharist, a nuptial sacrament [27]
The Eucharist and the unicity of marriage [28]
The Eucharist and the indissolubility of marriage [29]
The Eucharist and
Eschatology
The Eucharist: a gift to men and women on their journey [30]
The eschatological banquet [31]
Prayer for the dead [32]
The Eucharist and
the Virgin Mary [33]
PART TWO:
THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY TO BE CELEBRATED
Lex orandi and lex credendi [34]
Beauty and the liturgy [35]
The Eucharistic celebration, the work of “Christus Totus”
Christus totus in capite et in corpore [36]
The Eucharist and the risen Christ [37]
Ars celebrandi
[38]
The Bishop, celebrant par excellence [39]
Respect for the liturgical books and the richness of signs
[40]
Art at the service of the liturgy [41]
Liturgical song [42]
The
Structure of the Eucharistic Celebration
[43]
The intrinsic unity of the liturgical action [44]
The liturgy of the word [45]
The homily [46]
The presentation of the gifts [47]
The Eucharistic Prayer [48]
The sign of peace [49]
The distribution and reception of the Eucharist [50]
The dismissal: “Ite, missa est” [51]
Actuosa participatio
[52]
Authentic participation [53]
Participation and the priestly ministry [53]
The eucharistic celebration and inculturation [54]
Personal conditions for an “active participation” [55]
Participation by Christians who are not Catholic [56]
Participation through the communications media [57]
Active participation by the sick [58]
Care for prisoners [59]
Migrants and participation in the Eucharist [60]
Large-scale celebrations [61]
The Latin language [62]
Eucharistic celebrations in small groups [63]
Interior
participation in the celebration
Mystagogical catechesis [64]
Reverence for the Eucharist [65]
Adoration and
Eucharistic devotion
The intrinsic relationship between celebration and adoration
[66]
The practice of eucharistic adoration [67]
Forms of eucharistic devotion [68]
The location of the tabernacle [69]
PART THREE:
THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY TO BE LIVED
The
Eucharistic form of the Christian life
Spiritual worship – logiké latreía (Rom 12:1)
[70]
The all-encompassing effect of eucharistic worship [71]
Iuxta dominicam viventes – living in accordance with the
Lord's Day [72]
Living the Sunday obligation [73]
The meaning of rest and of work [74]
Sunday assemblies in the absence of a priest [75]
A eucharistic form of Christian life, membership in the
Church [76]
Spirituality and eucharistic culture [77]
The Eucharistic and the evangelization of cultures [78]
The Eucharist and the lay faithful [79]
The Eucharist and priestly spirituality [80]
The Eucharist and the consecrated life [81]
The Eucharist and moral transformation [82]
Eucharistic consistency [83]
The
Eucharist, a mystery to be proclaimed
The Eucharist and mission [84]
The Eucharist and witness [85]
Christ Jesus, the one Saviour [86]
Freedom of worship [87]
The Eucharist, a mystery to be offered to the world
The Eucharist, bread broken for the life of the world [88]
The social implications of the eucharistic mystery [89]
The food of truth and human need [90]
The Church's social teaching [91]
The sanctification of the world and the protection of
creation [92]
The usefulness of a Eucharistic Compendium [93]
Conclusion
[94]
INTRODUCTION
1.
The sacrament of charity (1), the Holy Eucharist is the gift
that Jesus Christ makes of himself, thus revealing to us God's
infinite love for every man and woman. This wondrous sacrament
makes manifest that "greater" love which led him to "lay down
his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13). Jesus did indeed
love them "to the end" (Jn 13:1). In those words the
Evangelist introduces Christ's act of immense humility: before
dying for us on the Cross, he tied a towel around himself and
washed the feet of his disciples. In the same way, Jesus
continues, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, to love us "to the
end," even to offering us his body and his blood. What amazement
must the Apostles have felt in witnessing what the Lord did and
said during that Supper! What wonder must the eucharistic
mystery also awaken in our own hearts!
The food of truth
2.
In the sacrament of the altar, the Lord meets us, men and women
created in God's image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:27), and
becomes our companion along the way. In this sacrament, the Lord
truly becomes food for us, to satisfy our hunger for truth and
freedom. Since only the truth can make us free (cf. Jn
8:32), Christ becomes for us the food of truth. With deep human
insight, Saint Augustine clearly showed how we are moved
spontaneously, and not by constraint, whenever we encounter
something attractive and desirable. Asking himself what it is
that can move us most deeply, the saintly Bishop went on to say:
"What does our soul desire more passionately than truth?" (2)
Each of us has an innate and irrepressible desire for ultimate
and definitive truth. The Lord Jesus, "the way, and the truth,
and the life" (Jn 14:6), speaks to our thirsting, pilgrim
hearts, our hearts yearning for the source of life, our hearts
longing for truth. Jesus Christ is the Truth in person, drawing
the world to himself. "Jesus is the lodestar of human freedom:
without him, freedom loses its focus, for without the knowledge
of truth, freedom becomes debased, alienated and reduced to
empty caprice. With him, freedom finds itself." (3) In the
sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus shows us in particular the
truth about the love which is the very essence of God. It is
this evangelical truth which challenges each of us and our whole
being. For this reason, the Church, which finds in the Eucharist
the very centre of her life, is constantly concerned to proclaim
to all, opportune importune (cf. 2 Tim 4:2), that
God is love.(4) Precisely because Christ has become for us the
food of truth, the Church turns to every man and woman, inviting
them freely to accept God's gift.
The development of the eucharistic rite
3. If we consider the bimillenary history
of God's Church, guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we can
gratefully admire the orderly development of the ritual forms in
which we commemorate the event of our salvation. From the varied
forms of the early centuries, still resplendent in the rites of
the Ancient Churches of the East, up to the spread of the Roman
rite; from the clear indications of the Council of Trent and the
Missal of Saint Pius V to the liturgical renewal called for by
the Second Vatican Council: in every age of the Church's history
the eucharistic celebration, as the source and summit of her
life and mission, shines forth in the liturgical rite in all its
richness and variety. The
Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops,
held from 2-23 October 2005 in the Vatican, gratefully
acknowledged the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this rich
history. In a particular way, the Synod Fathers acknowledged and
reaffirmed the beneficial influence on the Church's life of the
liturgical renewal which began with the
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (5).
The Synod of Bishops was able to evaluate the reception of the
renewal in the years following the Council. There were many
expressions of appreciation. The difficulties and even the
occasional abuses which were noted, it was affirmed, cannot
overshadow the benefits and the validity of the liturgical
renewal, whose riches are yet to be fully explored. Concretely,
the changes which the Council called for need to be understood
within the overall unity of the historical development of the
rite itself, without the introduction of artificial
discontinuities.(6)
The Synod of Bishops and the Year of the Eucharist
4. We should also emphasize the
relationship between the recent Synod of Bishops on the
Eucharist and the events which have taken place in the Church's
life in recent years. First of all, we should recall the Great
Jubilee of the Year 2000, with which my beloved Predecessor, the
Servant of God John Paul II, led the Church into the third
Christian millennium. The Jubilee Year clearly had a significant
eucharistic dimension. Nor can we forget that the Synod of
Bishops was preceded, and in some sense prepared for, by the
Year of the Eucharist which John Paul
II had, with great foresight, wanted the whole Church to
celebrate. That year, which began with the
International Eucharistic Congress in Guadalajara in October
2004, ended on
23 October 2005, at the conclusion of
the XI Synodal Assembly, with the canonization of five saints
particularly distinguished for their eucharistic piety: Bishop
Józef Bilczewski, Fathers Gaetano Catanoso, Zygmunt Gorazdowski
and Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, and the Capuchin Fra Felice da
Nicosia. Thanks to the teachings proposed by John Paul II in the
Apostolic Letter
Mane Nobiscum Domine (7) and to
the helpful suggestions of the Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments,(8) many initiatives were
undertaken by Dioceses and various ecclesial groups in order to
reawaken and increase eucharistic faith, to improve the quality
of eucharistic celebration, to promote eucharistic adoration and
to encourage a practical solidarity which, starting from the
Eucharist, would reach out to those in need. Finally, mention
should be made of the significance of my venerable Predecessor's
last Encyclical,
Ecclesia de Eucharistia (9), in
which he left us a sure magisterial statement of the Church's
teaching on the Eucharist and a final testimony of the central
place that this divine sacrament had in his own life.
The purpose of this Exhortation
5. This Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
seeks to take up the richness and variety of the reflections and
proposals which emerged from the recent
Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
– from the
Lineamenta to the Propositiones,
along the way of the
Instrumentum Laboris, the
Relationes ante and post disceptationem, the
interventions of the Synod Fathers, the auditores and the
fraternal delegates – and to offer some basic directions aimed
at a renewed commitment to eucharistic enthusiasm and fervour in
the Church. Conscious of the immense patrimony of doctrine and
discipline accumulated over the centuries with regard to this
sacrament,(10) I wish here to endorse the wishes expressed by
the Synod Fathers (11) by encouraging the Christian people to
deepen their understanding of the relationship between the
eucharistic mystery, the liturgical action, and the
new spiritual worship which derives from the Eucharist as
the sacrament of charity. Consequently, I wish to set the
present Exhortation alongside my first Encyclical Letter,
Deus Caritas Est, in which I frequently mentioned the
sacrament of the Eucharist and stressed its relationship to
Christian love, both of God and of neighbour: "God incarnate
draws us all to himself. We can thus understand how agape
also became a term for the Eucharist: there God's own agape
comes to us bodily, in order to continue his work in us and
through us" (12).
PART ONE
THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY
TO BE BELIEVED
"This is the work of God: that you believe
in him whom he has sent" (Jn 6:29)
The Church's eucharistic faith
6.
"The mystery of faith!" With these words, spoken
immediately after the words of consecration, the priest
proclaims the mystery being celebrated and expresses his wonder
before the substantial change of bread and wine into the body
and blood of the Lord Jesus, a reality which surpasses all human
understanding. The Eucharist is a "mystery of faith" par
excellence: "the sum and summary of our faith." (13) The
Church's faith is essentially a eucharistic faith, and it is
especially nourished at the table of the Eucharist. Faith and
the sacraments are two complementary aspects of ecclesial life.
Awakened by the preaching of God's word, faith is nourished and
grows in the grace-filled encounter with the Risen Lord which
takes place in the sacraments: "faith is expressed in the rite,
while the rite reinforces and strengthens faith." (14) For this
reason, the Sacrament of the Altar is always at the heart of the
Church's life: "thanks to the Eucharist, the Church is reborn
ever anew!" (15) The more lively the eucharistic faith of the
People of God, the deeper is its sharing in ecclesial life in
steadfast commitment to the mission entrusted by Christ to his
disciples. The Church's very history bears witness to this.
Every great reform has in some way been linked to the
rediscovery of belief in the Lord's eucharistic presence among
his people.
The Blessed
Trinity and the Eucharist
The bread come down from heaven
7.
The first element of eucharistic faith is the mystery of God
himself, trinitarian love. In Jesus' dialogue with Nicodemus, we
find an illuminating expression in this regard: "God so loved
the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in
him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the
Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world
might be saved through him" (Jn 3:16-17). These words
show the deepest source of God's gift. In the Eucharist Jesus
does not give us a "thing," but himself; he offers his own body
and pours out his own blood. He thus gives us the totality of
his life and reveals the ultimate origin of this love. He is the
eternal Son, given to us by the Father. In the Gospel we hear
how Jesus, after feeding the crowds by multiplying the loaves
and fishes, says to those who had followed him to the synagogue
of Capernaum: "My Father gives you the true bread from heaven;
for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven, and gives
life to the world" (Jn 6:32-33), and even identifies
himself, his own flesh and blood, with that bread: "I am the
living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this
bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give
for the life of the world is my flesh" (Jn 6:51). Jesus
thus shows that he is the bread of life which the eternal Father
gives to mankind.
A free gift of the Blessed Trinity
8.
The Eucharist reveals the loving plan that guides all of
salvation history (cf. Eph 1:10; 3:8- 11). There the
Deus Trinitas, who is essentially love (cf. 1 Jn
4:7-8), becomes fully a part of our human condition. In the
bread and wine under whose appearances Christ gives himself to
us in the paschal meal (cf. Lk 22:14-20; 1 Cor
11:23-26), God's whole life encounters us and is sacramentally
shared with us. God is a perfect communion of love between
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. At creation itself, man was called
to have some share in God's breath of life (cf. Gen 2:7).
But it is in Christ, dead and risen, and in the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit, given without measure (cf. Jn 3:34),
that we have become sharers of God's inmost life. (16) Jesus
Christ, who "through the eternal Spirit offered himself without
blemish to God" (Heb 9:14), makes us, in the gift of the
Eucharist, sharers in God's own life. This is an absolutely free
gift, the superabundant fulfilment of God's promises. The Church
receives, celebrates and adores this gift in faithful obedience.
The "mystery of faith" is thus a mystery of trinitarian love, a
mystery in which we are called by grace to participate. We too
should therefore exclaim with Saint Augustine: "If you see love,
you see the Trinity." (17)
The
Eucharist: Jesus the true Sacrificial lamb
The new and eternal covenant in the blood of the Lamb
9.
The mission for which Jesus came among us was accomplished in
the Paschal Mystery. On the Cross from which he draws all people
to himself (cf. Jn 12:32), just before "giving up the
Spirit," he utters the words: "it is finished" (Jn
19:30). In the mystery of Christ's obedience unto death, even
death on a Cross (cf. Phil 2:8), the new and eternal
covenant was brought about. In his crucified flesh, God's
freedom and our human freedom met definitively in an inviolable,
eternally valid pact. Human sin was also redeemed once for all
by God's Son (cf. Heb 7:27; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10). As I
have said elsewhere, "Christ's death on the Cross is the
culmination of that turning of God against himself in which he
gives himself in order to raise man up and save him. This is
love in its most radical form." (18) In the Paschal Mystery, our
deliverance from evil and death has taken place. In instituting
the Eucharist, Jesus had spoken of the "new and eternal
covenant" in the shedding of his blood (cf. Mt 26:28;
Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20). This, the ultimate purpose of
his mission, was clear from the very beginning of his public
life. Indeed, when, on the banks of the Jordan, John the Baptist
saw Jesus coming towards him, he cried out: "Behold, the Lamb of
God, who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29). It
is significant that these same words are repeated at every
celebration of Holy Mass, when the priest invites us to approach
the altar: "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his
supper." Jesus is the true paschal lamb who freely gave
himself in sacrifice for us, and thus brought about the new and
eternal covenant. The Eucharist contains this radical newness,
which is offered to us again at every celebration. (19)
The institution of the Eucharist
10.
This leads us to reflect on the institution of the Eucharist at
the Last Supper. It took place within a ritual meal
commemorating the foundational event of the people of Israel:
their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. This ritual meal, which
called for the sacrifice of lambs (cf. Ex 12:1-28,
43-51), was a remembrance of the past, but at the same time a
prophetic remembrance, the proclamation of a deliverance yet to
come. The people had come to realize that their earlier
liberation was not definitive, for their history continued to be
marked by slavery and sin. The remembrance of their ancient
liberation thus expanded to the invocation and expectation of a
yet more profound, radical, universal and definitive salvation.
This is the context in which Jesus introduces the newness of his
gift. In the prayer of praise, the Berakah, he does not
simply thank the Father for the great events of past history,
but also for his own "exaltation." In instituting the sacrament
of the Eucharist, Jesus anticipates and makes present the
sacrifice of the Cross and the victory of the resurrection. At
the same time, he reveals that he himself is the true
sacrificial lamb, destined in the Father's plan from the
foundation of the world, as we read in The First Letter of
Peter (cf. 1:18-20). By placing his gift in this context,
Jesus shows the salvific meaning of his death and resurrection,
a mystery which renews history and the whole cosmos. The
institution of the Eucharist demonstrates how Jesus' death, for
all its violence and absurdity, became in him a supreme act of
love and mankind's definitive deliverance from evil.
Figura transit in veritatem
11.
Jesus thus brings his own radical novum to the ancient
Hebrew sacrificial meal. For us Christians, that meal no longer
need be repeated. As the Church Fathers rightly say, figura
transit in veritatem: the foreshadowing has given way to the
truth itself. The ancient rite has been brought to fulfilment
and definitively surpassed by the loving gift of the incarnate
Son of God. The food of truth, Christ sacrificed for our sake,
dat figuris terminum. (20) By his command to "do this in
remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 11:25), he
asks us to respond to his gift and to make it sacramentally
present. In these words the Lord expresses, as it were, his
expectation that the Church, born of his sacrifice, will receive
this gift, developing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the
liturgical form of the sacrament. The remembrance of his perfect
gift consists not in the mere repetition of the Last Supper, but
in the Eucharist itself, that is, in the radical newness of
Christian worship. In this way, Jesus left us the task of
entering into his "hour." "The Eucharist draws us into Jesus'
act of self-oblation. More than just statically receiving the
incarnate Logos, we enter into the very dynamic of his
self-giving." (21) Jesus "draws us into himself." (22) The
substantial conversion of bread and wine into his body and blood
introduces within creation the principle of a radical change, a
sort of "nuclear fission," to use an image familiar to us today,
which penetrates to the heart of all being, a change meant to
set off a process which transforms reality, a process leading
ultimately to the transfiguration of the entire world, to the
point where God will be all in all (cf. 1 Cor 15:28).
The Holy Spirit and
the Eucharist
Jesus and the Holy Spirit
12.
With his word and with the elements of bread and wine, the Lord
himself has given us the essentials of this new worship. The
Church, his Bride, is called to celebrate the eucharistic
banquet daily in his memory. She thus makes the redeeming
sacrifice of her Bridegroom a part of human history and makes it
sacramentally present in every culture. This great mystery is
celebrated in the liturgical forms which the Church, guided by
the Holy Spirit, develops in time and space. (23) We need a
renewed awareness of the decisive role played by the Holy Spirit
in the evolution of the liturgical form and the deepening
understanding of the sacred mysteries. The Paraclete, Christ's
first gift to those who believe, (24) already at work in
Creation (cf. Gen 1:2), is fully present throughout the
life of the incarnate Word: Jesus Christ is conceived by the
Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Mt 1:18;
Lk 1:35); at the beginning of his public mission, on the
banks of the Jordan, he sees the Spirit descend upon him in the
form of a dove (cf. Mt 3:16 and parallels); he acts,
speaks and rejoices in the Spirit (cf. Lk 10:21), and he
can offer himself in the Spirit (cf. Heb 9:14). In the
so-called "farewell discourse" reported by John, Jesus clearly
relates the gift of his life in the paschal mystery to the gift
of the Spirit to his own (cf. Jn 16:7). Once risen,
bearing in his flesh the signs of the passion, he can pour out
the Spirit upon them (cf. Jn 20:22), making them sharers
in his own mission (cf. Jn 20:21). The Spirit would then
teach the disciples all things and bring to their remembrance
all that Christ had said (cf. Jn 14:26), since it falls
to him, as the Spirit of truth (cf. Jn 15:26), to guide
the disciples into all truth (cf. Jn 16:13). In the
account in Acts, the Spirit descends on the Apostles
gathered in prayer with Mary on the day of Pentecost (cf. 2:1-4)
and stirs them to undertake the mission of proclaiming the Good
News to all peoples. Thus it is through the working of the
Spirit that Christ himself continues to be present and active in
his Church, starting with her vital centre which is the
Eucharist.
The Holy Spirit and the eucharistic celebration
13.
Against this backdrop we can understand the decisive role played
by the Holy Spirit in the eucharistic celebration, particularly
with regard to transubstantiation. An awareness of this is
clearly evident in the Fathers of the Church. Saint Cyril of
Jerusalem, in his Catecheses, states that we "call upon
God in his mercy to send his Holy Spirit upon the offerings
before us, to transform the bread into the body of Christ and
the wine into the blood of Christ. Whatever the Holy Spirit
touches is sanctified and completely transformed" (25). Saint
John Chrysostom too notes that the priest invokes the Holy
Spirit when he celebrates the sacrifice: (26) like Elijah, the
minister calls down the Holy Spirit so that "as grace comes down
upon the victim, the souls of all are thereby inflamed" (27).
The spiritual life of the faithful can benefit greatly from a
better appreciation of the richness of the anaphora: along with
the words spoken by Christ at the Last Supper, it contains the
epiclesis, the petition to the Father to send down the gift of
the Spirit so that the bread and the wine will become the body
and blood of Jesus Christ and that "the community as a whole
will become ever more the body of Christ" (28). The Spirit
invoked by the celebrant upon the gifts of bread and wine placed
on the altar is the same Spirit who gathers the faithful "into
one body" and makes of them a spiritual offering pleasing to the
Father (29).
The Eucharist and the
Church
The Eucharist, causal principle of the Church
14.
Through the sacrament of the Eucharist Jesus draws the faithful
into his "hour;" he shows us the bond that he willed to
establish between himself and us, between his own person and the
Church. Indeed, in the sacrifice of the Cross, Christ gave birth
to the Church as his Bride and his body. The Fathers of the
Church often meditated on the relationship between Eve's coming
forth from the side of Adam as he slept (cf. Gen 2:21-23)
and the coming forth of the new Eve, the Church, from the open
side of Christ sleeping in death: from Christ's pierced side,
John recounts, there came forth blood and water (cf. Jn
19:34), the symbol of the sacraments (30). A contemplative gaze
"upon him whom they have pierced" (Jn 19:37) leads us to
reflect on the causal connection between Christ's sacrifice, the
Eucharist and the Church. The Church "draws her life from the
Eucharist" (31). Since the Eucharist makes present Christ's
redeeming sacrifice, we must start by acknowledging that "there
is a causal influence of the Eucharist at the Church's very
origins" (32). The Eucharist is Christ who gives himself to us
and continually builds us up as his body. Hence, in the striking
interplay between the Eucharist which builds up the Church, and
the Church herself which "makes" the Eucharist (33), the primary
causality is expressed in the first formula: the Church is able
to celebrate and adore the mystery of Christ present in the
Eucharist precisely because Christ first gave himself to her in
the sacrifice of the Cross. The Church's ability to "make" the
Eucharist is completely rooted in Christ's self-gift to her.
Here we can see more clearly the meaning of Saint John's words:
"he first loved us" (1 Jn 4:19). We too, at every
celebration of the Eucharist, confess the primacy of Christ's
gift. The causal influence of the Eucharist at the Church's
origins definitively discloses both the chronological and
ontological priority of the fact that it was Christ who loved us
"first." For all eternity he remains the one who loves us first.
The Eucharist and ecclesial communion
15.
The Eucharist is thus constitutive of the Church's being and
activity. This is why Christian antiquity used the same words,
Corpus Christi, to designate Christ's body born of the
Virgin Mary, his eucharistic body and his ecclesial body.(34)
This clear datum of the tradition helps us to appreciate the
inseparability of Christ and the Church. The Lord Jesus, by
offering himself in sacrifice for us, in his gift effectively
pointed to the mystery of the Church. It is significant that the
Second Eucharistic Prayer, invoking the Paraclete, formulates
its prayer for the unity of the Church as follows: "may all
of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought
together in unity by the Holy Spirit." These words help us
to see clearly how the res of the sacrament of the
Eucharist is the unity of the faithful within ecclesial
communion. The Eucharist is thus found at the root of the Church
as a mystery of communion (35).
The relationship between Eucharist and
communio had already been pointed out by the Servant of God
John Paul II in his Encyclical
Ecclesia de Eucharistia. He spoke
of the memorial of Christ as "the supreme sacramental
manifestation of communion in the Church" (36). The unity of
ecclesial communion is concretely manifested in the Christian
communities and is renewed at the celebration of the Eucharist,
which unites them and differentiates them in the particular
Churches, "in quibus et ex quibus una et unica Ecclesia
catholica exsistit" (37). The fact that the one Eucharist is
celebrated in each Diocese around its own Bishop helps us to see
how those particular Churches subsist in and ex
Ecclesia. Indeed, "the oneness and indivisibility of the
eucharistic body of the Lord implies the oneness of his mystical
body, which is the one and indivisible Church. From the
eucharistic centre arises the necessary openness of every
celebrating community, of every particular Church. By allowing
itself to be drawn into the open arms of the Lord, it achieves
insertion into his one and undivided body." (38) Consequently,
in the celebration of the Eucharist, the individual members of
the faithful find themselves in their Church, that is, in
the Church of Christ. From this eucharistic perspective,
adequately understood, ecclesial communion is seen to be
catholic by its very nature (39). An emphasis on this
eucharistic basis of ecclesial communion can also contribute
greatly to the ecumenical dialogue with the Churches and
Ecclesial Communities which are not in full communion with the
See of Peter. The Eucharist objectively creates a powerful bond
of unity between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches,
which have preserved the authentic and integral nature of the
eucharistic mystery. At the same time, emphasis on the ecclesial
character of the Eucharist can become an important element of
the dialogue with the Communities of the Reformed tradition
(40).
The Eucharist and the
Sacraments
The sacramentality of the Church
16.
The Second Vatican Council recalled that "all the sacraments,
and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the
apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are directed
towards it. For in the most blessed Eucharist is contained the
entire spiritual wealth of the Church, namely Christ himself our
Pasch and our living bread, who gives life to humanity through
his flesh – that flesh which is given life and gives life by the
Holy Spirit. Thus men and women are invited and led to offer
themselves, their works and all creation in union with Christ."
(41) This close relationship of the Eucharist with the other
sacraments and the Christian life can be most fully understood
when we contemplate the mystery of the Church herself as a
sacrament. (42) The Council in this regard stated that "the
Church, in Christ, is a sacrament – a sign and instrument – of
communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race."
(43) To quote Saint Cyprian, as "a people made one by the unity
of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit," (44) she is the
sacrament of trinitarian communion.
The
fact that the Church is the "universal sacrament of salvation"
(45) shows how the sacramental economy ultimately determines the
way that Christ, the one Saviour, through the Spirit, reaches
our lives in all their particularity. The Church receives
and at the same time expresses what she herself is in the
seven sacraments, thanks to which God's grace concretely
influences the lives of the faithful, so that their whole
existence, redeemed by Christ, can become an act of worship
pleasing to God. From this perspective, I would like here to
draw attention to some elements brought up by the Synod Fathers
which may help us to grasp the relationship of each of the
sacraments to the eucharistic mystery.
I. The Eucharist and Christian initiation
The Eucharist, the fullness of Christian initiation
17.
If the Eucharist is truly the source and summit of the Church's
life and mission, it follows that the process of Christian
initiation must constantly be directed to the reception of this
sacrament. As the Synod Fathers said, we need to ask ourselves
whether in our Christian communities the close link between
Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist is sufficiently recognized.
(46) It must never be forgotten that our reception of Baptism
and Confirmation is ordered to the Eucharist. Accordingly, our
pastoral practice should reflect a more unitary understanding of
the process of Christian initiation. The sacrament of Baptism,
by which we were conformed to Christ,(47) incorporated in the
Church and made children of God, is the portal to all the
sacraments. It makes us part of the one Body of Christ (cf. 1
Cor 12:13), a priestly people. Still, it is our
participation in the Eucharistic sacrifice which perfects within
us the gifts given to us at Baptism. The gifts of the Spirit are
given for the building up of Christ's Body (1 Cor 12) and
for ever greater witness to the Gospel in the world. (48) The
Holy Eucharist, then, brings Christian initiation to completion
and represents the centre and goal of all sacramental life. (49)
The order of the sacraments of initiation
18.
In this regard, attention needs to be paid to the order of the
sacraments of initiation. Different traditions exist within the
Church. There is a clear variation between, on the one hand, the
ecclesial customs of the East (50) and the practice of the West
regarding the initiation of adults, (51) and, on the other hand,
the procedure adopted for children. (52) Yet these variations
are not properly of the dogmatic order, but are pastoral in
character. Concretely, it needs to be seen which practice better
enables the faithful to put the sacrament of the Eucharist at
the centre, as the goal of the whole process of initiation. In
close collaboration with the competent offices of the Roman
Curia, Bishops' Conferences should examine the effectiveness of
current approaches to Christian initiation, so that the faithful
can be helped both to mature through the formation received in
our communities and to give their lives an authentically
eucharistic direction, so that they can offer a reason for the
hope within them in a way suited to our times (cf. 1 Pet
3:15).
Initiation, the ecclesial community and the family
19.
It should be kept in mind that the whole of Christian initiation
is a process of conversion undertaken with God's help and with
constant reference to the ecclesial community, both when an
adult is seeking entry into the Church, as happens in places of
first evangelization and in many secularized regions, and when
parents request the sacraments for their children. In this
regard, I would like to call particular attention to the
relationship between Christian initiation and the family. In
pastoral work it is always important to make Christian families
part of the process of initiation. Receiving Baptism,
Confirmation and First Holy Communion are key moments not only
for the individual receiving them but also for the entire
family, which should be supported in its educational role by the
various elements of the ecclesial community. (53) Here I would
emphasize the importance of First Holy Communion. For many of
the faithful, this day continues to be memorable as the moment
when, even if in a rudimentary way, they first came to
understand the importance of a personal encounter with Jesus.
Parish pastoral programmes should make the most of this highly
significant moment.
II. The Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Their intrinsic relationship
20.
The Synod Fathers rightly stated that a love for the Eucharist
leads to a growing appreciation of the sacrament of
Reconciliation. (54) Given the connection between these
sacraments, an authentic catechesis on the meaning of the
Eucharist must include the call to pursue the path of penance
(cf. 1 Cor 11:27-29). We know that the faithful are
surrounded by a culture that tends to eliminate the sense of sin
(55) and to promote a superficial approach that overlooks the
need to be in a state of grace in order to approach sacramental
communion worthily. (56) The loss of a consciousness of sin
always entails a certain superficiality in the understanding of
God's love. Bringing out the elements within the rite of Mass
that express consciousness of personal sin and, at the same
time, of God's mercy, can prove most helpful to the
faithful.(57) Furthermore, the relationship between the
Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation reminds us that
sin is never a purely individual affair; it always damages the
ecclesial communion that we have entered through Baptism. For
this reason, Reconciliation, as the Fathers of the Church would
say, is laboriosus quidam baptismus; (58) they thus
emphasized that the outcome of the process of conversion is also
the restoration of full ecclesial communion, expressed in a
return to the Eucharist. (59)
Some pastoral concerns
21.
The Synod recalled that Bishops have the pastoral duty of
promoting within their Dioceses a reinvigorated catechesis on
the conversion born of the Eucharist, and of encouraging
frequent confession among the faithful. All priests should
dedicate themselves with generosity, commitment and competency
to administering the sacrament of Reconciliation. (60) In this
regard, it is important that the confessionals in our churches
should be clearly visible expressions of the importance of this
sacrament. I ask pastors to be vigilant with regard to the
celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation, and to limit the
practice of general absolution exclusively to the cases
permitted, (61) since individual absolution is the only form
intended for ordinary use. (62) Given the need to rediscover
sacramental forgiveness, there ought to be a Penitentiary
in every Diocese. (63) Finally, a balanced and sound practice of
gaining indulgences, whether for oneself or for the dead,
can be helpful for a renewed appreciation of the relationship
between the Eucharist and Reconciliation. By this means the
faithful obtain "remission before God of the temporal punishment
due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven." (64) The use
of indulgences helps us to understand that by our efforts alone
we would be incapable of making reparation for the wrong we have
done, and that the sins of each individual harm the whole
community. Furthermore, the practice of indulgences, which
involves not only the doctrine of Christ's infinite merits, but
also that of the communion of the saints, reminds us "how
closely we are united to each other in Christ ... and how the
supernatural life of each can help others." (65) Since the
conditions for gaining an indulgence include going to confession
and receiving sacramental communion, this practice can
effectively sustain the faithful on their journey of conversion
and in rediscovering the centrality of the Eucharist in the
Christian life.
III. The Eucharist and the Anointing of the sick
22.
Jesus did not only send his disciples forth to heal the sick
(cf. Mt 10:8; Lk 9:2, 10:9); he also instituted a
specific sacrament for them: the Anointing of the Sick.(66) The
Letter of James attests to the presence of this sacramental
sign in the early Christian community (cf. 5:14-16). If the
Eucharist shows how Christ's sufferings and death have been
transformed into love, the Anointing of the Sick, for its part,
unites the sick with Christ's self-offering for the salvation of
all, so that they too, within the mystery of the communion of
saints, can participate in the redemption of the world. The
relationship between these two sacraments becomes clear in
situations of serious illness: "In addition to the Anointing of
the Sick, the Church offers those who are about to leave this
life the Eucharist as viaticum." (67) On their journey to the
Father, communion in the Body and Blood of Christ appears as the
seed of eternal life and the power of resurrection: "Anyone who
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will
raise him up on the last day" (Jn 6:54). Since viaticum
gives the sick a glimpse of the fullness of the Paschal Mystery,
its administration should be readily provided for. (68)
Attentive pastoral care shown to those who are ill brings great
spiritual benefit to the entire community, since whatever we do
to one of the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to Jesus
himself (cf. Mt 25:40).
IV. The Eucharist and the Sacrament of Holy Orders
In persona Christi capitis
23.
The intrinsic relationship between the Eucharist and the
sacrament of Holy Orders clearly emerges from Jesus' own words
in the Upper Room: "Do this in memory of me" (Lk 22:19).
On the night before he died, Jesus instituted the Eucharist and
at the same time established the priesthood of the New
Covenant. He is priest, victim and altar: the mediator
between God the Father and his people (cf. Heb 5:5-10),
the victim of atonement (cf. 1 Jn 2:2, 4:10) who offers
himself on the altar of the Cross. No one can say "this is my
body" and "this is the cup of my blood" except in the name and
in the person of Christ, the one high priest of the new and
eternal Covenant (cf. Heb 8-9). Earlier meetings of the
Synod of Bishops had considered the question of the ordained
priesthood, both with regard to the nature of the ministry (69)
and the formation of candidates.(70) Here, in the light of the
discussion that took place during the last Synod, I consider it
important to recall several important points about the
relationship between the sacrament of the Eucharist and Holy
Orders. First of all, we need to stress once again that the
connection between Holy Orders and the Eucharist is seen
most clearly at Mass, when the Bishop or priest presides in
the person of Christ the Head.
The
Church teaches that priestly ordination is the indispensable
condition for the valid celebration of the Eucharist.(71)
Indeed, "in the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it
is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his
Body, Shepherd of his flock, High Priest of the redemptive
sacrifice." (72) Certainly the ordained minister also acts "in
the name of the whole Church, when presenting to God the prayer
of the Church, and above all when offering the eucharistic
sacrifice." (73) As a result, priests should be conscious of the
fact that in their ministry they must never put themselves or
their personal opinions in first place, but Jesus Christ. Any
attempt to make themselves the centre of the liturgical action
contradicts their very identity as priests. The priest is above
all a servant of others, and he must continually work at being a
sign pointing to Christ, a docile instrument in the Lord's
hands. This is seen particularly in his humility in leading the
liturgical assembly, in obedience to the rite, uniting himself
to it in mind and heart, and avoiding anything that might give
the impression of an inordinate emphasis on his own personality.
I encourage the clergy always to see their eucharistic ministry
as a humble service offered to Christ and his Church. The
priesthood, as Saint Augustine said, is amoris officium,
(74) it is the office of the good shepherd, who offers his life
for his sheep (cf. Jn 10:14-15).
The Eucharist and priestly celibacy
24. The Synod Fathers wished to emphasize
that the ministerial priesthood, through ordination, calls for
complete configuration to Christ. While respecting the different
practice and tradition of the Eastern Churches, there is a need
to reaffirm the profound meaning of priestly celibacy, which is
rightly considered a priceless treasure, and is also confirmed
by the Eastern practice of choosing Bishops only from the ranks
of the celibate. These Churches also greatly esteem the decision
of many priests to embrace celibacy. This choice on the part of
the priest expresses in a special way the dedication which
conforms him to Christ and his exclusive offering of himself for
the Kingdom of God. (75) The fact that Christ himself, the
eternal priest, lived his mission even to the sacrifice of the
Cross in the state of virginity constitutes the sure point of
reference for understanding the meaning of the tradition of the
Latin Church. It is not sufficient to understand priestly
celibacy in purely functional terms. Celibacy is really a
special way of conforming oneself to Christ's own way of life.
This choice has first and foremost a nuptial meaning; it is a
profound identification with the heart of Christ the Bridegroom
who gives his life for his Bride. In continuity with the great
ecclesial tradition, with the
Second Vatican Council (76) and with
my predecessors in the papacy, (77) I reaffirm the beauty and
the importance of a priestly life lived in celibacy as a sign
expressing total and exclusive devotion to Christ, to the Church
and to the Kingdom of God, and I therefore confirm that it
remains obligatory in the Latin tradition. Priestly celibacy
lived with maturity, joy and dedication is an immense blessing
for the Church and for society itself.
The clergy shortage and the pastoral care of vocations
25.
In the light of the connection between the sacrament of Holy
Orders and the Eucharist, the Synod considered the difficult
situation that has arisen in various Dioceses which face a
shortage of priests. This happens not only in some areas of
first evangelization, but also in many countries of
long-standing Christian tradition. Certainly a more equitable
distribution of clergy would help to solve the problem. Efforts
need to be made to encourage a greater awareness of this
situation at every level. Bishops should involve Institutes of
Consecrated Life and the new ecclesial groups in their pastoral
needs, while respecting their particular charisms, and they
should invite the clergy to become more open to serving the
Church wherever there is need, even if this calls for sacrifice.
(78) The Synod also discussed pastoral initiatives aimed at
promoting, especially among the young, an attitude of interior
openness to a priestly calling. The situation cannot be resolved
by purely practical decisions. On no account should Bishops
react to real and understandable concerns about the shortage of
priests by failing to carry out adequate vocational discernment,
or by admitting to seminary formation and ordination candidates
who lack the necessary qualities for priestly ministry (79). An
insufficiently formed clergy, admitted to ordination without the
necessary discernment, will not easily be able to offer a
witness capable of evoking in others the desire to respond
generously to Christ's call. The pastoral care of vocations
needs to involve the entire Christian community in every area of
its life. (80) Obviously, this pastoral work on all levels also
includes exploring the matter with families, which are often
indifferent or even opposed to the idea of a priestly vocation.
Families should generously embrace the gift of life and bring up
their children to be open to doing God's will. In a word, they
must have the courage to set before young people the radical
decision to follow Christ, showing them how deeply rewarding it
is.
Gratitude and hope
26.
Finally, we need to have ever greater faith and hope in God's
providence. Even if there is a shortage of priests in some
areas, we must never lose confidence that Christ continues to
inspire men to leave everything behind and to dedicate
themselves totally to celebrating the sacred mysteries,
preaching the Gospel and ministering to the flock. In this
regard, I wish to express the gratitude of the whole Church for
all those Bishops and priests who carry out their respective
missions with fidelity, devotion and zeal. Naturally, the
Church's gratitude also goes to deacons, who receive the laying
on of hands "not for priesthood but for service." (81) As the
Synod Assembly recommended, I offer a special word of thanks to
those Fidei Donum priests who work faithfully and
generously at building up the community by proclaiming the word
of God and breaking the Bread of Life, devoting all their energy
to serving the mission of the Church. (82) Let us thank God for
all those priests who have suffered even to the sacrifice of
their lives in order to serve Christ. The eloquence of their
example shows what it means to be a priest to the end. Theirs is
a moving witness that can inspire many young people to follow
Christ and to expend their lives for others, and thus to
discover true life.
V. The Eucharist and Matrimony
The Eucharist, a nuptial sacrament
27.
The Eucharist, as the sacrament of charity, has a particular
relationship with the love of man and woman united in marriage.
A deeper understanding of this relationship is needed at the
present time. (83) Pope John Paul II frequently spoke of the
nuptial character of the Eucharist and its special relationship
with the sacrament of Matrimony: "The Eucharist is the sacrament
of our redemption. It is the sacrament of the Bridegroom and of
the Bride." (84) Moreover, "the entire Christian life bears the
mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church. Already
Baptism, the entry into the People of God, is a nuptial mystery;
it is so to speak the nuptial bath which precedes the wedding
feast, the Eucharist." (85) The Eucharist inexhaustibly
strengthens the indissoluble unity and love of every Christian
marriage. By the power of the sacrament, the marriage bond is
intrinsically linked to the eucharistic unity of Christ the
Bridegroom and his Bride, the Church (cf. Eph 5:31-32).
The mutual consent that husband and wife exchange in Christ,
which establishes them as a community of life and love, also has
a eucharistic dimension. Indeed, in the theology of Saint Paul,
conjugal love is a sacramental sign of Christ's love for his
Church, a love culminating in the Cross, the expression of his
"marriage" with humanity and at the same time the origin and
heart of the Eucharist. For this reason the Church manifests her
particular spiritual closeness to all those who have built their
family on the sacrament of Matrimony. (86) The family – the
domestic Church (87) – is a primary sphere of the Church's life,
especially because of its decisive role in the Christian
education of children. (88) In this context, the Synod also
called for an acknowledgment of the unique mission of women in
the family and in society, a mission that needs to be defended,
protected and promoted. (89) Marriage and motherhood represent
essential realities which must never be denigrated.
The Eucharist and the unicity of marriage
28.
In the light of this intrinsic relationship between marriage,
the family and the Eucharist, we can turn to several pastoral
problems. The indissoluble, exclusive and faithful bond uniting
Christ and the Church, which finds sacramental expression in the
Eucharist, corresponds to the basic anthropological fact that
man is meant to be definitively united to one woman and vice
versa (cf. Gen 2:24, Mt 19:5). With this in mind,
the Synod of Bishops addressed the question of pastoral practice
regarding people who come to the Gospel from cultures in which
polygamy is practised. Those living in this situation who open
themselves to Christian faith need to be helped to integrate
their life-plan into the radical newness of Christ. During the
catechumenate, Christ encounters them in their specific
circumstances and calls them to embrace the full truth of love,
making whatever sacrifices are necessary in order to arrive at
perfect ecclesial communion. The Church accompanies them with a
pastoral care that is gentle yet firm, (90) above all by showing
them the light shed by the Christian mysteries on nature and on
human affections.
The Eucharist and the indissolubility of marriage
29.
If the Eucharist expresses the irrevocable nature of God's love
in Christ for his Church, we can then understand why it implies,
with regard to the sacrament of Matrimony, that indissolubility
to which all true love necessarily aspires. (91) There was good
reason for the pastoral attention that the Synod gave to the
painful situations experienced by some of the faithful who,
having celebrated the sacrament of Matrimony, then divorced and
remarried. This represents a complex and troubling pastoral
problem, a real scourge for contemporary society, and one which
increasingly affects the Catholic community as well. The
Church's pastors, out of love for the truth, are obliged to
discern different situations carefully, in order to be able to
offer appropriate spiritual guidance to the faithful
involved.(92) The Synod of Bishops confirmed the Church's
practice, based on Sacred Scripture (cf. Mk 10:2- 12), of
not admitting the divorced and remarried to the sacraments,
since their state and their condition of life objectively
contradict the loving union of Christ and the Church signified
and made present in the Eucharist. Yet the divorced and
remarried continue to belong to the Church, which accompanies
them with special concern and encourages them to live as fully
as possible the Christian life through regular participation at
Mass, albeit without receiving communion, listening to the word
of God, eucharistic adoration, prayer, participation in the life
of the community, honest dialogue with a priest or spiritual
director, dedication to the life of charity, works of penance,
and commitment to the education of their children.
When
legitimate doubts exist about the validity of the prior
sacramental marriage, the necessary investigation must be
carried out to establish if these are well-founded. Consequently
there is a need to ensure, in full respect for canon law (93),
the presence of local ecclesiastical tribunals, their pastoral
character, and their correct and prompt functioning (94). Each
Diocese should have a sufficient number of persons with the
necessary preparation, so that the ecclesiastical tribunals can
operate in an expeditious manner. I repeat that "it is a grave
obligation to bring the Church's institutional activity in her
tribunals ever closer to the faithful" (95). At the same time,
pastoral care must not be understood as if it were somehow in
conflict with the law. Rather, one should begin by assuming that
the fundamental point of encounter between the law and pastoral
care is love for the truth: truth is never something
purely abstract, but "a real part of the human and Christian
journey of every member of the faithful" (96). Finally, where
the nullity of the marriage bond is not declared and objective
circumstances make it impossible to cease cohabitation, the
Church encourages these members of the faithful to commit
themselves to living their relationship in fidelity to the
demands of God's law, as friends, as brother and sister; in this
way they will be able to return to the table of the Eucharist,
taking care to observe the Church's established and approved
practice in this regard. This path, if it is to be possible and
fruitful, must be supported by pastors and by adequate ecclesial
initiatives, nor can it ever involve the blessing of these
relations, lest confusion arise among the faithful concerning
the value of marriage (97).
Given the complex cultural context which the Church today
encounters in many countries, the Synod also recommended
devoting maximum pastoral attention to training couples
preparing for marriage and to ascertaining beforehand their
convictions regarding the obligations required for the validity
of the sacrament of Matrimony. Serious discernment in this
matter will help to avoid situations where impulsive decisions
or superficial reasons lead two young people to take on
responsibilities that they are then incapable of honouring. (98)
The good that the Church and society as a whole expect from
marriage and from the family founded upon marriage is so great
as to call for full pastoral commitment to this particular area.
Marriage and the family are institutions that must be promoted
and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true
nature, since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to
society itself.
The Eucharist and
Eschatology
The Eucharist: a gift to men and women on their journey
30.
If it is true that the sacraments are part of the Church's
pilgrimage through history (99) towards the full manifestation
of the victory of the risen Christ, it is also true that,
especially in the liturgy of the Eucharist, they give us a real
foretaste of the eschatological fulfilment for which every human
being and all creation are destined (cf. Rom 8:19ff.).
Man is created for that true and eternal happiness which only
God's love can give. But our wounded freedom would go astray
were it not already able to experience something of that future
fulfilment. Moreover, to move forward in the right direction, we
all need to be guided towards our final goal. That goal is
Christ himself, the Lord who conquered sin and death, and who
makes himself present to us in a special way in the eucharistic
celebration. Even though we remain "aliens and exiles" in this
world (1 Pet 2:11), through faith we already share in the
fullness of risen life. The eucharistic banquet, by disclosing
its powerful eschatological dimension, comes to the aid of our
freedom as we continue our journey.
The eschatological banquet
31.
Reflecting on this mystery, we can say that Jesus' coming
responded to an expectation present in the people of Israel, in
the whole of humanity and ultimately in creation itself. By his
self-gift, he objectively inaugurated the eschatological age.
Christ came to gather together the scattered People of God (cf.
Jn 11:52) and clearly manifested his intention to gather
together the community of the covenant, in order to bring to
fulfilment the promises made by God to the fathers of old (cf.
Jer 23:3; Lk 1:55, 70). In the calling of the
Twelve, which is to be understood in relation to the twelve
tribes of Israel, and in the command he gave them at the Last
Supper, before his redemptive passion, to celebrate his
memorial, Jesus showed that he wished to transfer to the entire
community which he had founded the task of being, within
history, the sign and instrument of the eschatological gathering
that had its origin in him. Consequently, every eucharistic
celebration sacramentally accomplishes the eschatological
gathering of the People of God. For us, the eucharistic banquet
is a real foretaste of the final banquet foretold by the
prophets (cf. Is 25:6-9) and described in the New
Testament as "the marriage-feast of the Lamb" (Rev
19:7-9), to be celebrated in the joy of the communion of saints
(100).
Prayer for the dead
32.
The eucharistic celebration, in which we proclaim that Christ
has died and risen, and will come again, is a pledge of the
future glory in which our bodies too will be glorified.
Celebrating the memorial of our salvation strengthens our hope
in the resurrection of the body and in the possibility of
meeting once again, face to face, those who have gone before us
marked with the sign of faith. In this context, I wish, together
with the Synod Fathers, to remind all the faithful of the
importance of prayers for the dead, especially the offering of
Mass for them, so that, once purified, they can come to the
beatific vision of God. (101) A rediscovery of the
eschatological dimension inherent in the Eucharist, celebrated
and adored, will help sustain us on our journey and comfort us
in the hope of glory (cf. Rom 5:2; Tit 2:13).
The Eucharist and
the Virgin Mary
33.
From the relationship between the Eucharist and the individual
sacraments, and from the eschatological significance of the
sacred mysteries, the overall shape of the Christian life
emerges, a life called at all times to be an act of spiritual
worship, a self-offering pleasing to God. Although we are all
still journeying towards the complete fulfilment of our hope,
this does not mean that we cannot already gratefully acknowledge
that God's gifts to us have found their perfect fulfilment in
the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother. Mary's Assumption
body and soul into heaven is for us a sign of sure hope, for it
shows us, on our pilgrimage through time, the eschatological
goal of which the sacrament of the Eucharist enables us even now
to have a foretaste.
In
Mary most holy, we also see perfectly fulfilled the
"sacramental" way that God comes down to meet his creatures and
involves them in his saving work. From the Annunciation to
Pentecost, Mary of Nazareth appears as someone whose freedom is
completely open to God's will. Her immaculate conception is
revealed precisely in her unconditional docility to God's word.
Obedient faith in response to God's work shapes her life at
every moment. A virgin attentive to God's word, she lives in
complete harmony with his will; she treasures in her heart the
words that come to her from God and, piecing them together like
a mosaic, she learns to understand them more deeply (cf. Lk
2:19, 51); Mary is the great Believer who places herself
confidently in God's hands, abandoning herself to his will.
(102) This mystery deepens as she becomes completely involved in
the redemptive mission of Jesus. In the words of the Second
Vatican Council, "the blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage
of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son
until she stood at the Cross, in keeping with the divine plan
(cf. Jn 19:25), suffering deeply with her only-begotten
Son, associating herself with his sacrifice in her mother's
heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of the victim
who was born of her. Finally, she was given by the same Christ
Jesus, dying on the Cross, as a mother to his disciple, with
these words: ‘Woman, behold your Son."' (103) From the
Annunciation to the Cross, Mary is the one who received the
Word, made flesh within her and then silenced in death. It is
she, lastly, who took into her arms the lifeless body of the one
who truly loved his own "to the end" (Jn 13:1).
Consequently, every time we approach the Body and Blood of
Christ in the eucharistic liturgy, we also turn to her who, by
her complete fidelity, received Christ's sacrifice for the whole
Church. The Synod Fathers rightly declared that "Mary
inaugurates the Church's participation in the sacrifice of the
Redeemer." (104) She is the Immaculata, who receives God's gift
unconditionally and is thus associated with his work of
salvation. Mary of Nazareth, icon of the nascent Church, is the
model for each of us, called to receive the gift that Jesus
makes of himself in the Eucharist.
PART TWO
THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY
TO BE CELEBRATED
"Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the
bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven" (Jn 6:32)
Lex orandi and lex credendi
34.
The Synod of Bishops reflected at length on the intrinsic
relationship between eucharistic faith and eucharistic
celebration, pointing out the connection between the lex
orandi and the lex credendi, and stressing the
primacy of the liturgical action. The Eucharist should be
experienced as a mystery of faith, celebrated authentically and
with a clear awareness that "the intellectus fidei has a
primordial relationship to the Church's liturgical action."
(105) Theological reflection in this area can never prescind
from the sacramental order instituted by Christ himself. On the
other hand, the liturgical action can never be considered
generically, prescinding from the mystery of faith. Our faith
and the eucharistic liturgy both have their source in the same
event: Christ's gift of himself in the Paschal Mystery.
Beauty and the liturgy
35.
This relationship between creed and worship is evidenced in a
particular way by the rich theological and liturgical category
of beauty. Like the rest of Christian Revelation, the liturgy is
inherently linked to beauty: it is veritatis splendor.
The liturgy is a radiant expression of the paschal mystery, in
which Christ draws us to himself and calls us to communion. As
Saint Bonaventure would say, in Jesus we contemplate beauty and
splendour at their source. (106) This is no mere aestheticism,
but the concrete way in which the truth of God's love in Christ
encounters us, attracts us and delights us, enabling us to
emerge from ourselves and drawing us towards our true vocation,
which is love. (107) God allows himself to be glimpsed first in
creation, in the beauty and harmony of the cosmos (cf. Wis
13:5; Rom 1:19- 20). In the Old Testament we see many
signs of the grandeur of God's power as he manifests his glory
in his wondrous deeds among the Chosen People (cf. Ex 14;
16:10; 24:12-18; Num 14:20- 23). In the New Testament
this epiphany of beauty reaches definitive fulfilment in God's
revelation in Jesus Christ: (108) Christ is the full
manifestation of the glory of God. In the glorification of the
Son, the Father's glory shines forth and is communicated (cf.
Jn 1:14; 8:54; 12:28; 17:1). Yet this beauty is not simply a
harmony of proportion and form; "the fairest of the sons of men"
(Ps 45[44]:3) is also, mysteriously, the one "who had no
form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty
that we should desire him" (Is 53:2). Jesus Christ shows
us how the truth of love can transform even the dark mystery of
death into the radiant light of the resurrection. Here the
splendour of God's glory surpasses all worldly beauty. The
truest beauty is the love of God, who definitively revealed
himself to us in the paschal mystery.
The
beauty of the liturgy is part of this mystery; it is a sublime
expression of God's glory and, in a certain sense, a glimpse of
heaven on earth. The memorial of Jesus' redemptive sacrifice
contains something of that beauty which Peter, James and John
beheld when the Master, making his way to Jerusalem, was
transfigured before their eyes (cf. Mk 9:2). Beauty,
then, is not mere decoration, but rather an essential element of
the liturgical action, since it is an attribute of God himself
and his revelation. These considerations should make us realize
the care which is needed, if the liturgical action is to reflect
its innate splendour.
The Eucharistic celebration, the work of "Christus Totus"
Christus totus in capite et in corpore
36.
The "subject" of the liturgy's intrinsic beauty is Christ
himself, risen and glorified in the Holy Spirit, who includes
the Church in his work. (109) Here we can recall an evocative
phrase of Saint Augustine which strikingly describes this
dynamic of faith proper to the Eucharist. The great Bishop of
Hippo, speaking specifically of the eucharistic mystery,
stresses the fact that Christ assimilates us to himself: "The
bread you see on the altar, sanctified by the word of God, is
the body of Christ. The chalice, or rather, what the chalice
contains, sanctified by the word of God, is the blood of Christ.
In these signs, Christ the Lord willed to entrust to us his body
and the blood which he shed for the forgiveness of our sins. If
you have received them properly, you yourselves are what you
have received." (110) Consequently, "not only have we become
Christians, we have become Christ himself." (111) We can thus
contemplate God's mysterious work, which brings about a profound
unity between ourselves and the Lord Jesus: "one should not
believe that Christ is in the head but not in the body; rather
he is complete in the head and in the body." (112)
The Eucharist and the risen Christ
37.
Since the eucharistic liturgy is essentially an actio Dei
which draws us into Christ through the Holy Spirit, its basic
structure is not something within our power to change, nor can
it be held hostage by the latest trends. Here too Saint Paul's
irrefutable statement applies: "no one can lay any foundation
other than the one that has been laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1
Cor 3:11). Again it is the Apostle of the Gentiles who
assures us that, with regard to the Eucharist, he is presenting
not his own teaching but what he himself has received (cf. 1
Cor 11:23). The celebration of the Eucharist implies and
involves the living Tradition. The Church celebrates the
eucharistic sacrifice in obedience to Christ's command, based on
her experience of the Risen Lord and the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. For this reason, from the beginning, the Christian
community has gathered for the fractio panis on the
Lord's Day. Sunday, the day Christ rose from the dead, is also
the first day of the week, the day which the Old Testament
tradition saw as the beginning of God's work of creation. The
day of creation has now become the day of the "new creation,"
the day of our liberation, when we commemorate Christ who died
and rose again (113).
Ars celebrandi
38.
In the course of the Synod, there was frequent insistence on the
need to avoid any antithesis between the ars celebrandi,
the art of proper celebration, and the full, active and fruitful
participation of all the faithful. The primary way to foster the
participation of the People of God in the sacred rite is the
proper celebration of the rite itself. The ars celebrandi
is the best way to ensure their actuosa participatio.
(114) The ars celebrandi is the fruit of faithful
adherence to the liturgical norms in all their richness; indeed,
for two thousand years this way of celebrating has sustained the
faith life of all believers, called to take part in the
celebration as the People of God, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation (cf. 1 Pet 2:4-5, 9) (115).
The Bishop, celebrant par excellence
39.
While it is true that the whole People of God participates in
the eucharistic liturgy, a correct ars celebrandi
necessarily entails a specific responsibility on the part of
those who have received the sacrament of Holy Orders. Bishops,
priests, and deacons, each according to his proper rank, must
consider the celebration of the liturgy as their principal duty
(116). Above all, this is true of the Diocesan Bishop: as "the
chief steward of the mysteries of God in the particular Church
entrusted to his care, he is the moderator, promoter, and
guardian of the whole of its liturgical life" (117). This is
essential for the life of the particular Church, not only
because communion with the Bishop is required for the lawfulness
of every celebration within his territory, but also because he
himself is the celebrant par excellence within his Diocese
(118). It is his responsibility to ensure unity and harmony in
the celebrations taking place in his territory. Consequently the
Bishop must be "determined that the priests, the deacons, and
the lay Christian faithful grasp ever more deeply the genuine
meaning of the rites and liturgical texts, and thereby be led to
an active and fruitful celebration of the Eucharist" (119). I
would ask that every effort be made to ensure that the liturgies
which the Bishop celebrates in his Cathedral are carried out
with complete respect for the ars celebrandi, so that
they can be considered an example for the entire Diocese (120).
Respect for the liturgical books and the richness of signs
40.
Emphasizing the importance of the ars celebrandi also
leads to an appreciation of the value of the liturgical norms.
(121) The ars celebrandi should foster a sense of the
sacred and the use of outward signs which help to cultivate this
sense, such as, for example, the harmony of the rite, the
liturgical vestments, the furnishings and the sacred space. The
eucharistic celebration is enhanced when priests and liturgical
leaders are committed to making known the current liturgical
texts and norms, making available the great riches found in the
General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Order of
Readings for Mass. Perhaps we take it for granted that our
ecclesial communities already know and appreciate these
resources, but this is not always the case. These texts contain
riches which have preserved and expressed the faith and
experience of the People of God over its two-thousand-year
history. Equally important for a correct ars celebrandi
is an attentiveness to the various kinds of language that the
liturgy employs: words and music, gestures and silence,
movement, the liturgical colours of the vestments. By its very
nature the liturgy operates on different levels of communication
which enable it to engage the whole human person. The simplicity
of its gestures and the sobriety of its orderly sequence of
signs communicate and inspire more than any contrived and
inappropriate additions. Attentiveness and fidelity to the
specific structure of the rite express both a recognition of the
nature of Eucharist as a gift and, on the part of the minister,
a docile openness to receiving this ineffable gift.
Art at the service of the liturgy
41.
The profound connection between beauty and the liturgy should
make us attentive to every work of art placed at the service of
the celebration. (122) Certainly an important element of sacred
art is church architecture, (123) which should highlight the
unity of the furnishings of the sanctuary, such as the altar,
the crucifix, the tabernacle, the ambo and the celebrant's
chair. Here it is important to remember that the purpose of
sacred architecture is to offer the Church a fitting space for
the celebration of the mysteries of faith, especially the
Eucharist. (124) The very nature of a Christian church is
defined by the liturgy, which is an assembly of the faithful (ecclesia)
who are the living stones of the Church (cf. 1 Pet 2:5).
This
same principle holds true for sacred art in general, especially
painting and sculpture, where religious iconography should be
directed to sacramental mystagogy. A solid knowledge of the
history of sacred art can be advantageous for those responsible
for commissioning artists and architects to create works of art
for the liturgy. Consequently it is essential that the education
of seminarians and priests include the study of art history,
with special reference to sacred buildings and the corresponding
liturgical norms. Everything related to the Eucharist should be
marked by beauty. Special respect and care must also be given to
the vestments, the furnishings and the sacred vessels, so that
by their harmonious and orderly arrangement they will foster awe
for the mystery of God, manifest the unity of the faith and
strengthen devotion (125).
Liturgical song
42.
In the ars celebrandi, liturgical song has a pre-eminent
place. (126) Saint Augustine rightly says in a famous sermon
that "the new man sings a new song. Singing is an expression of
joy and, if we consider the matter, an expression of love"
(127). The People of God assembled for the liturgy sings the
praises of God. In the course of her two-thousand-year history,
the Church has created, and still creates, music and songs which
represent a rich patrimony of faith and love. This heritage must
not be lost. Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we
cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic
improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail
to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided. As an
element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the
overall celebration (128). Consequently everything – texts,
music, execution – ought to correspond to the meaning of the
mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the
liturgical seasons (129). Finally, while respecting various
styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I
desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod
Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed
(130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131).
The
structure of the Eucharistic Celebration
43. After mentioning the more significant
elements of the ars celebrandi that emerged during the
Synod, I would now like to turn to some specific aspects of the
structure of the eucharistic celebration which require special
attention at the present time, if we are to remain faithful to
the underlying intention of the liturgical renewal called for by
the
Second Vatican Council, in continuity
with the great ecclesial tradition.
The intrinsic unity of the liturgical action
44.
First of all, there is a need to reflect on the inherent unity
of the rite of Mass. Both in catechesis and in the actual manner
of celebration, one must avoid giving the impression that the
two parts of the rite are merely juxtaposed. The liturgy of the
word and the Eucharistic liturgy, with the rites of introduction
and conclusion, "are so closely interconnected that they form
but one single act of worship." (132) There is an intrinsic bond
between the word of God and the Eucharist. From listening to the
word of God, faith is born or strengthened (cf. Rom
10:17); in the Eucharist the Word made flesh gives himself to us
as our spiritual food. (133) Thus, "from the two tables of the
word of God and the Body of Christ, the Church receives and
gives to the faithful the bread of life." (134) Consequently it
must constantly be kept in mind that the word of God, read and
proclaimed by the Church in the liturgy, leads to the Eucharist
as to its own connatural end.
The liturgy of the word
45.
Together with the Synod, I ask that the liturgy of the word
always be carefully prepared and celebrated. Consequently I urge
that every effort be made to ensure that the liturgical
proclamation of the word of God is entrusted to well- prepared
readers. Let us never forget that "when the Sacred Scriptures
are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and
Christ, present in his own word, proclaims the Gospel"(135).
When circumstances so suggest, a few brief words of introduction
could be offered in order to focus the attention of the
faithful. If it is to be properly understood, the word of God
must be listened to and accepted in a spirit of communion with
the Church and with a clear awareness of its unity with the
sacrament of the Eucharist. Indeed, the word which we proclaim
and accept is the Word made flesh (cf. Jn 1:14); it is
inseparably linked to Christ's person and the sacramental mode
of his continued presence in our midst. Christ does not speak in
the past, but in the present, even as he is present in the
liturgical action. In this sacramental context of Christian
revelation (136), knowledge and study of the word of God enable
us better to appreciate, celebrate and live the Eucharist. Here
too, we can see how true it is that "ignorance of Scripture is
ignorance of Christ" (137).
To
this end, the faithful should be helped to appreciate the riches
of Sacred Scripture found in the lectionary through pastoral
initiatives, liturgies of the word and reading in the context of
prayer (lectio divina). Efforts should also be made to
encourage those forms of prayer confirmed by tradition, such as
the Liturgy of the Hours, especially Morning Prayer, Evening
Prayer and Night Prayer, and vigil celebrations. By praying the
Psalms, the Scripture readings and the readings drawn from the
great tradition which are included in the Divine Office, we can
come to a deeper experience of the Christ-event and the economy
of salvation, which in turn can enrich our understanding and
participation in the celebration of the Eucharist (138).
The homily
46. Given the importance of the word of
God, the quality of homilies needs to be improved. The homily is
"part of the liturgical action" (139), and is meant to foster a
deeper understanding of the word of God, so that it can bear
fruit in the lives of the faithful. Hence ordained ministers
must "prepare the homily carefully, based on an adequate
knowledge of Sacred Scripture" (140). Generic and abstract
homilies should be avoided. In particular, I ask these ministers
to preach in such a way that the homily closely relates the
proclamation of the word of God to the sacramental celebration
(141) and the life of the community, so that the word of God
truly becomes the Church's vital nourishment and support (142).
The catechetical and paraenetic aim of the homily should not be
forgotten. During the course of the liturgical year it is
appropriate to offer the faithful, prudently and on the basis of
the three-year lectionary, "thematic" homilies treating the
great themes of the Christian faith, on the basis of what has
been authoritatively proposed by the Magisterium in the four
"pillars" of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church
and the recent
Compendium, namely: the profession
of faith, the celebration of the Christian mystery, life in
Christ and Christian prayer (143).
The presentation of the gifts
47.
The Synod Fathers also drew attention to the presentation of the
gifts. This is not to be viewed simply as a kind of "interval"
between the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the
Eucharist. To do so would tend to weaken, at the least, the
sense of a single rite made up of two interrelated parts. This
humble and simple gesture is actually very significant: in the
bread and wine that we bring to the altar, all creation is taken
up by Christ the Redeemer to be transformed and presented to the
Father. (144) In this way we also bring to the altar all the
pain and suffering of the world, in the certainty that
everything has value in God's eyes. The authentic meaning of
this gesture can be clearly expressed without the need for undue
emphasis or complexity. It enables us to appreciate how God
invites man to participate in bringing to fulfilment his
handiwork, and in so doing, gives human labour its authentic
meaning, since, through the celebration of the Eucharist, it is
united to the redemptive sacrifice of Christ.
The Eucharistic Prayer
48.
The Eucharistic Prayer is "the centre and summit of the entire
celebration" (145). Its importance deserves to be adequately
emphasized. The different Eucharistic Prayers contained in the
Missal have been handed down to us by the Church's living
Tradition and are noteworthy for their inexhaustible theological
and spiritual richness. The faithful need to be enabled to
appreciate that richness. Here the General Instruction of the
Roman Missal can help, with its list of the basic elements
of every Eucharistic Prayer: thanksgiving, acclamation,
epiclesis, institution narrative and consecration, anamnesis,
offering, intercessions and final doxology (146). In a
particular way, eucharistic spirituality and theological
reflection are enriched if we contemplate in the anaphora the
profound unity between the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the
institution narrative (147) whereby "the sacrifice is carried
out which Christ himself instituted at the Last Supper" (148).
Indeed, "the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that
the gifts offered by human hands be consecrated, that is, become
Christ's Body and Blood, and that the spotless Victim to be
received in communion be for the salvation of those who will
partake of it" (149).
The sign of peace
49.
By its nature the Eucharist is the sacrament of peace. At Mass
this dimension of the eucharistic mystery finds specific
expression in the sign of peace. Certainly this sign has great
value (cf. Jn 14:27). In our times, fraught with fear and
conflict, this gesture has become particularly eloquent, as the
Church has become increasingly conscious of her responsibility
to pray insistently for the gift of peace and unity for herself
and for the whole human family. Certainly there is an
irrepressible desire for peace present in every heart. The
Church gives voice to the hope for peace and reconciliation
rising up from every man and woman of good will, directing it
towards the one who "is our peace" (Eph 2:14) and who can
bring peace to individuals and peoples when all human efforts
fail. We can thus understand the emotion so often felt during
the sign of peace at a liturgical celebration. Even so, during
the Synod of Bishops there was discussion about the
appropriateness of greater restraint in this gesture, which can
be exaggerated and cause a certain distraction in the assembly
just before the reception of Communion. It should be kept in
mind that nothing is lost when the sign of peace is marked by a
sobriety which preserves the proper spirit of the celebration,
as, for example, when it is restricted to one's immediate
neighbours (150).
The distribution and reception of the Eucharist
50.
Another moment of the celebration needing to be mentioned is the
distribution and reception of Holy Communion. I ask everyone,
especially ordained ministers and those who, after adequate
preparation and in cases of genuine need, are authorized to
exercise the ministry of distributing the Eucharist, to make
every effort to ensure that this simple act preserves its
importance as a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus in the
sacrament. For the rules governing correct practice in this
regard, I would refer to those documents recently issued on the
subject. (151) All Christian communities are to observe the
current norms faithfully, seeing in them an expression of the
faith and love with which we all must regard this sublime
sacrament. Furthermore, the precious time of thanksgiving after
communion should not be neglected: besides the singing of an
appropriate hymn, it can also be most helpful to remain
recollected in silence. (152)
In
this regard, I would like to call attention to a pastoral
problem frequently encountered nowadays. I am referring to the
fact that on certain occasions – for example, wedding Masses,
funerals and the like – in addition to practising Catholics
there may be others present who have long since ceased to attend
Mass or are living in a situation which does not permit them to
receive the sacraments. At other times members of other
Christian confessions and even other religions may be present.
Similar situations can occur in churches that are frequently
visited, especially in tourist areas. In these cases, there is a
need to find a brief and clear way to remind those present of
the meaning of sacramental communion and the conditions required
for its reception. Wherever circumstances make it impossible to
ensure that the meaning of the Eucharist is duly appreciated,
the appropriateness of replacing the celebration of the Mass
with a celebration of the word of God should be considered.
(153)
The dismissal: "Ite, missa est"
51.
Finally, I would like to comment briefly on the observations of
the Synod Fathers regarding the dismissal at the end of the
eucharistic celebration. After the blessing, the deacon or the
priest dismisses the people with the words: Ite, missa est.
These words help us to grasp the relationship between the Mass
just celebrated and the mission of Christians in the world. In
antiquity, missa simply meant "dismissal." However in
Christian usage it gradually took on a deeper meaning. The word
"dismissal" has come to imply a "mission." These few words
succinctly express the missionary nature of the Church. The
People of God might be helped to understand more clearly this
essential dimension of the Church's life, taking the dismissal
as a starting- point. In this context, it might also be helpful
to provide new texts, duly approved, for the prayer over the
people and the final blessing, in order to make this connection
clear (154).
Actuosa participatio
Authentic participation
52. The Second Vatican Council rightly
emphasized the active, full and fruitful participation of the
entire People of God in the eucharistic celebration (155).
Certainly, the renewal carried out in these past decades has
made considerable progress towards fulfilling the wishes of the
Council Fathers. Yet we must not overlook the fact that some
misunderstanding has occasionally arisen concerning the precise
meaning of this participation. It should be made clear that the
word "participation" does not refer to mere external activity
during the celebration. In fact, the active participation called
for by the Council must be understood in more substantial terms,
on the basis of a greater awareness of the mystery being
celebrated and its relationship to daily life. The conciliar
Constitution
Sacrosanctum Concilium
encouraged the faithful to take part in
the eucharistic liturgy not "as strangers or silent spectators,"
but as participants "in the sacred action, conscious of what
they are doing, actively and devoutly" (156). This exhortation
has lost none of its force. The Council went on to say that the
faithful "should be instructed by God's word, and nourished at
the table of the Lord's Body. They should give thanks to God.
Offering the immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of
the priest but also together with him, they should learn to make
an offering of themselves. Through Christ, the Mediator, they
should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God
and each other" (157).
Participation and the priestly ministry
53.
The beauty and the harmony of the liturgy find eloquent
expression in the order by which everyone is called to
participate actively. This entails an acknowledgment of the
distinct hierarchical roles involved in the celebration. It is
helpful to recall that active participation is not per se
equivalent to the exercise of a specific ministry. The active
participation of the laity does not benefit from the confusion
arising from an inability to distinguish, within the Church's
communion, the different functions proper to each one. (158)
There is a particular need for clarity with regard to the
specific functions of the priest. He alone, and no other, as the
tradition of the Church attests, presides over the entire
eucharistic celebration, from the initial greeting to the final
blessing. In virtue of his reception of Holy Orders, he
represents Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, and, in a
specific way, also the Church herself. (159) Every celebration
of the Eucharist, in fact, is led by the Bishop, "either in
person or through priests who are his helpers."(160) He is
helped by a deacon, who has specific duties during the
celebration: he prepares the altar, assists the priest,
proclaims the Gospel, preaches the homily from time to time,
reads the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful, and
distributes the Eucharist to the faithful. (161) Associated with
these ministries linked to the sacrament of Holy Orders, there
are also other ministries of liturgical service which can be
carried out in a praiseworthy manner by religious and properly
trained laity. (162)
The eucharistic celebration and inculturation
54. On the basis of these fundamental
statements of the Second Vatican Council, the Synod Fathers
frequently stressed the importance of the active participation
of the faithful in the eucharistic sacrifice. In order to foster
this participation, provision may be made for a number of
adaptations appropriate to different contexts and cultures.
(163) The fact that certain abuses have occurred does not
detract from this clear principle, which must be upheld in
accordance with the real needs of the Church as she lives and
celebrates the one mystery of Christ in a variety of cultural
situations. In the mystery of the Incarnation, the Lord Jesus,
born of woman and fully human (cf. Gal 4:4), entered
directly into a relationship not only with the expectations
present within the Old Testament, but also with those of all
peoples. He thus showed that God wishes to encounter us in our
own concrete situation. A more effective participation of the
faithful in the holy mysteries will thus benefit from the
continued inculturation of the eucharistic celebration, with due
regard for the possibilities for adaptation provided in the
General Instruction of the Roman Missal, (164) interpreted
in the light of the criteria laid down by the Fourth Instruction
of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments Varietates Legitimae of 25 January 1994 (165)
and the directives expressed by Pope John Paul II in the
Post-Synodal Exhortations
Ecclesia in Africa,
Ecclesia in America,
Ecclesia in Asia,
Ecclesia in Oceania and
Ecclesia in Europa (166). To this
end, I encourage Episcopal Conferences to strive to maintain a
proper balance between the criteria and directives already
issued and new adaptations (167), always in accord with the
Apostolic See.
Personal conditions for an "active participation"
55.
In their consideration of the actuosa participatio of the
faithful in the liturgy, the Synod Fathers also discussed the
personal conditions required for fruitful participation on the
part of individuals. (168) One of these is certainly the spirit
of constant conversion which must mark the lives of all the
faithful. Active participation in the eucharistic liturgy can
hardly be expected if one approaches it superficially, without
an examination of his or her life. This inner disposition can be
fostered, for example, by recollection and silence for at least
a few moments before the beginning of the liturgy, by fasting
and, when necessary, by sacramental confession. A heart
reconciled to God makes genuine participation possible. The
faithful need to be reminded that there can be no actuosa
participatio in the sacred mysteries without an accompanying
effort to participate actively in the life of the Church as a
whole, including a missionary commitment to bring Christ's love
into the life of society.
Clearly, full participation in the Eucharist takes place when
the faithful approach the altar in person to receive communion
(169). Yet true as this is, care must be taken lest they
conclude that the mere fact of their being present in church
during the liturgy gives them a right or even an obligation to
approach the table of the Eucharist. Even in cases where it is
not possible to receive sacramental communion, participation at
Mass remains necessary, important, meaningful and fruitful. In
su
