"This IS Really Me" : The Eucharist

In the early fourth century, Saint Epiphanius had this to say regarding the Eucharist:

"We see that the Savior took in His hands, as it is in the Gospel, when He was reclining at the supper; and He took this, and giving thanks, He said: "This is really Me." And He gave to His disciples and said: "This is really Me." And we see that It is not equal nor similar, not to the incarnate image, not to the invisible divinity, not to the outline of His limbs. For It is round of shape, and devoid of feeling. As to Its power, He means to say even of Its grace, "This is really Me"; and none disbelieves His word. For anyone who does not believe the truth in what He says is deprived of grace and of Savior." (The Man Well-Anchored 57)


Once again we see evidence that the early church understood the words of Christ literally. He took his body in his hands at the Last Supper, the First Eucharist, and said “Take and eat; this is my body.”


Today in the Catholic and Orthodox churches, Jesus continues to stretch out his hands to us (through the hands of the priest) and says: This IS Really Me. 

Reason # 801 To Be Catholic: Eucharistic Adoration

 
Eucharistic Adoration is a devotion where one spends time in front of our Eucharistic Lord exposed in a monstrance (fancy holder). The concept of EA had it genesis in the early Church with the writings of the early Church Fathers including Saint Augustine but came to full understanding with the theological exegesis of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He  was commissioned by the pope in the 13th century to write a liturgy for the feast of Corpus Christi to remind the faithful of the importance of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. He carefully explained how Christ's body and blood were made present on the altar in the appearances of bread and wine. He termed this transubstantiation. He even composed beautiful hymns to be sung during the exposition of the Lord, which are still sung to this day!
   Though the doctrine of transubstantiation was not new but carried forth from Jesus to the apostles and onward, this new term was used to bring more light and understanding to the mystery.  Anti-Catholics often point to the term transubstantiation and claim that it was first believed in during the 12th century, because the term is not found earlier. Alas, they are mistaken.
   So why is Eucharistic Adoration a reason to be Catholic? Because if you truly believe that Christ is present in the Eucharist, you have an opportunity in many parishes in almost every diocese to stop by and spend some time before the Lord, worshiping, thanking, praising, and adoring Him.  Eucharistic adoration is where "the rubber truly meets the road" regarding our faith. If we truly believe that Jesus becomes present under the appearances of bread and wine, wouldn't we do what we could to spend some time before Him in prayer?  As Christians, we spend our lives attempting to grow closer with the Lord with the ultimate goal of being with Him in heaven. As Catholic Christians, we are given the opportunity to not only grow closer to the Lord here, but we can have especially intense times of worship and adoration, kneeling before Him, really truly present as the Eucharist. Blessed Mother Theresa, Blessed Pope John Paul 2, Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen and countless other saints spent time daily before the Eucharistic Lord.
   Isn't it just like the God who fashioned the universe out of nothing to come to us as a tiny infant in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, to continue to abide with us in the humble appearance of a wafer of unleavened wheat bread?

Saint Augustine 400 AD

  " For He received earth from earth; because flesh is from earth, and He took flesh from the flesh of Mary. He walked here in the same flesh, and gave us the same flesh to be eaten unto salvation. But no one eats that flesh unless he adores it ; and thus it is discovered how such a footstool of the Lord's feet is adored; and not only do we not sin by adoring, we do sin by not adoring."

Saint Thomas Aquinas 13th Century :

Word made flesh, the bread of nature

     By his word to flesh he turns;

Wine into his blood he changes:—

     What though sense no change discerns?

Only be the heart in earnest,

     Faith her lesson quickly learns.

Why Communion on the Tongue?

In this article the Holy Father is suggesting his preference that the Eucharist be given while people are kneeling and that it should be on the tongue and not in the hand. The fact that we receive in the hand is an indult that was made for Canada, Phillipines, Mexico and the US while the rest of the world still receives the Bread of Life on their tongue.

Is it really a big deal? Why does it matter? When the God of the universe humbles himself to come to us, I think it is only appropriate that we kneel before Him and receive Him on our tongue. Actions do speak louder than words. Think of the young child who doesn't understand transubstantiation and the sacrifice of the Mass. He/she isn't able to comprehend the mystery but I believe they can understand the body language they see when their parents go up to receive Christ.
The message that they get is "Something(someone) bigger and greater than all of us is here"

"It could also be noted that the (Pope's) preference for such form of distribution which, without taking anything away from the other one, better highlights the truth of the real presence in the Eucharist, helps the devotion of the faithful, and introduces more easily to the sense of mystery. Aspects which, in our times, pastorally speaking, it is urgent to highlight and recover."

In a time when many American Catholics don't believe or understand that Christ is truly really present in the Eucharist, perhaps a simple gesture of kneeling and receiving Christ on our tongue
will cause some to reflect on what the Mass is really all about.

After all, if you understood and believed that Jesus was truly present in your church, would there be anything that would ever make you leave? Personally, if I knew and believed that Jesus Christ was made present on the altar of the Catholic Church of my youth and I was allowed to receive Him physically, would I have left that Church? It is not likely.

What The Eucharist Is Not.

"The Eucharist is not a meal among friends. It is a mystery of covenant. "The prayers and the rites of the Eucharistic sacrifice make the whole history of salvation revive ceaselessly before the eyes of our soul, in the course of the liturgical cycle, and make us penetrate ever more its significance" (Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, [Edith Stein], Wege zur inneren Stille Aschaffenburg, 1987, p. 67). We are called to enter into this mystery of covenant by conforming our life increasingly every day to the gift received in the Eucharist. It has a sacred character, as Vatican Council II reminds: "Every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest and of His Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree " (Sacrosanctum Concilium, No. 7). In a certain way, it is a "heavenly liturgy," anticipation of the banquet in the eternal Kingdom, proclaiming the death and resurrection of Christ, until he comes (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:26)."

From Pope Benedict's address to the Eucharistic Congress that just concluded in Quebec.

Jesus Down The Street

We just found out that the Church that is only a 5 minute walk from our new house has Eucharistic Adoration from 9AM to 6PM daily Monday to Friday. We can literally have a little talk with Jesus and bask in His presence every day! Many parishes don't have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament so this is a great blessing. I hope and pray we take advantage of this opportunity as often as possible.

The Road to Emmaus

This Sunday, the Gospel reading was from Luke 24. Two disciples encounter a traveler on the road just three days after the crucifixion of their Lord. Downcast and dejected, they recount the events that transpired in Jerusalem that past week. The "stranger" then explains the Scriptures to them showing them how this very same Christ was foretold throughout.

As evening approached, they coax the stranger to stay with them. As they sat at table, he broke the bread, and their eyes were opened. It was only in the breaking of the bread* that they recognized Jesus.

Pope Benedict preached on this yesterday. Here are some excerpts:

“The road to Emmaus becomes the way of a purification and maturation of our belief in God: the encounter with the risen Christ gives us a deeper faith, one that is authentic, tempered, so to speak, through the fire of Easter, a faith robust because it is from the word of God and the Eucharist, not human ideas.”

"This beautiful evangelical text already contains the structure of the Mass: in the first part listening to the Word through the Scriptures; second in the Eucharistic liturgy and communion with Christ present in the sacrament of his Body and his Blood. Nourishing ourselves in this twofold meal, the Church builds itself up and is renewed every day in faith, hope and charity.”

The way to Emmaus gospel story has become a favorite of mine, as I've mentioned before, because it was in the town of Emmaus, Pennsylvania that my eyes were opened and I too recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread .

*The breaking of the bread is part of the liturgy that had come to be known as the Mass.

All Roads Lead to Rome (Eventually)

Sometimes I need to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming when I realize that I am now Catholic and have joined the Church that I was so set against for so many years. I love to hear the stories of other converts and what it was that brought them to the Catholic Church, almost as a way of reassuring myself, I suppose, and also to help me not feel like such a "fish out of water". But let's face it: Catholicism, lived out as Christ intended is definitely counter-cultural. Not only in the secular world, but in the evangelical world as well. Try getting on a Christian chat room and you'll see what I mean. The fires of the Reformation that ripped Europe apart in times past can still be fanned to a hot flame very quickly today in cyberspace! At any rate, a recent letter from a new convert below affirms for me that this phenomenon of Protestantism to Catholicism is not so unusual. Note how the Eucharist was a real turning point for him as it was for so many of us reverts and converts. His discussion of the Sacraments is so eloquent I had to print it.

Recent Convert:

" Briefly, I would have to say that it is the Catholic view of the Sacraments that "kicked me through the Goalpost of Life". The Catholic declaration that Christ Himself initiated each of the seven Sacraments raises their significance to that of Heavenly Revelation. When I considered this claim, I reflected as follows. For years before I became Catholic, (....) I had taught children that the Authority of Christ begins with the fact that He is the God who made all things. I taught that Genesis 1 leads us to John 1; which teaches that "The Word that made all things has become Flesh and dwelt among us". This would explain the amazing things that God and Mary's Son did and said. As C.S. Lewis said, "If you can swallow the incarnation, the resurrection is cake". The Apostle Paul grasped this significance as he pointed out in his first chapter of Romans, that "if you look at the things God has made, that you will see His Character revealed as well". Hence, all created things, like water, wood, blood, flesh, bread, wine, and light reveal Christ's character. The Catholic Church is not at all reluctant to elevate the meaning of these simple substances found in our physical life. Take the bread and wine used in the Eucharist, for example.It would then follow, that the Transubstantiation of the Eucharist is a Catholic doctrine that quite unapologetically equates the Bread and the Wine with Christ's very own Body and Blood. This "Doctrine of Transubstantiation of the Eucharist" quite brazenly and wonderfully points to a meaning that really is, "trans-substance"; "beyond what a substance appears to be". I believe that the authority of these Sacraments flows from Christ Himself, not just mere man-made tradition.How could I resist an Organization that glorifies the Incarnation and Sacrifice of Christ in such an audacious, child-like and literal fashion? "This IS my body broken for you". The Catholic Church does not limit it to a mere meal; nor a tool for evangelization, nor a mere symbolic joyful meditation; nor just a celebration of community. As the reality of the Eucharist hit me full-force, it follows that I was logically impelled to consider Christ's authorship of the other Sacraments, and the way they "hang together" and function together; as a "Sacramental Orchestra", if you will. As this Truth dawned upon my soul, (particularly the sacrament of Holy Orders), I had to fall on my knees and repent of my Protestant ignorance and rejection of Christ's initiation of Apostolic succession. Simply put, I had to consider the fact that there has been two thousand years of Catholics that have gone before me....."

I suspect that the "ancient/future" church movement that has been growing lately is really an attempt to fill the sense of void left by "de-sacramentalizing" the faith. They are starting to reconsider what the "Lord's Supper" means and are rediscovering the doctrines and practices of the early church through the Church Fathers. All roads eventually lead back to Rome.

This Saying is Hard, Who Can Accept It? The Eucharist

I don't feel I can adequately express my thoughts about My Lord being truly present in the Eucharist, but I will try. I have found that receiving His Body and Precious Blood has been life-changing for me since returning to Catholicism .
The Eucharist is the unifying theme throughout Scripture and ties together the Old Testament sacrifices, the bread and wine of Melchizedek, the Lamb of the Passover, the pure sacrifice of Malachi all the way to the Perfect Lamb in St. John's Revelations. Catholic and Orthodox Churches have always taken John 6 literally when Christ said to them: "Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you...for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink." Then many of his disciples who were listening said 'this is a hard saying; who can accept it?'...
as a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him."

The early church believed in Christ's real presence in the Eucharist. They did not believe it was symbolic and the Real Presence has been the source and summit of Catholic faith since then.

Acts 2:42 "They devoted themselves to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.

An early writing of the apostles called the Didache in A.D. 70 stated: "Assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks; but first confess your sins, so that your sacrifice may be pure...Let no one eat and drink of your Eucharist but the baptized"

Paul said in 1 Corinthians; "whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord." Why would he warn people and suggest that some were sick and dying because they were receiving His body unworthily if it was only a symbolic remembrance of the Last Supper?

Justin Martyr in 155 A.D. gave a description of the Christian gathering that makes it clear the early believers had no doubt regarding what the Eucharist was.


"For we do not receive these as common bread and common drink; but just as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have learned that the food over which thanks has been given by the prayer of the word which comes from him, [see 1 Cor 11: 23-26; Lk 22; 19] and by which are blood and flesh are nourished through a change, is the Flesh and Blood of the same incarnate Jesus."

Irenaeus a disciple of Bishop Polycarp, who was a disciple of the Apostle John, wrote in 180 A.D. providing an explanation of the change that takes place in the bread and wine when they become the Eucharist. The earthly creation (bread and wine) are raised to a heavenly dignity after they "receive the word of God" [at the epiclesis of the Mass or the invocation to the Holy Spirit] and become the food and drink of Christians. So how then can we doubt that, "Our bodies, receiving the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible but have the hope of resurrection to eternal life."
I find it hard to imagine that Irenaeus could have gotten this wrong especially since he was taught by one (Polycarp) who had been a disciple of the one (John) who had laid his head on Jesus' breast at the Last Supper.


"If Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, as the Christians say, then I would get on my hands and knees to worship". M. Gandhi

"Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament (the Eucharist). There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity and the true way of all your loves on earth, and more than that." J.R.R. Tolkein (Catholic convert and writer)

"When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now." Mother Teresa of Calcutta

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05573a.htm