CHURCH AS MYSTERY OF FAITH VERSUS EUCHARIST AS MYSTERY OF
FAITH
A mystery for our purpose here is a
truth which belongs to the realm of divine revelation, a hidden reality
contained in the visible element. Through traditions, the Holy Spirit gives us
the meaning of the mysteries signified in the Church.
Vatican II document, LG 8 speaks of
the Church as possessing both human and divine components, a community coming
together to signify divine love; a society structured with hierarchical organ,
the mystical body of Christ, the visible society and the spiritual/heavenly
community, the earthly Church and the Church endowed with heavenly riches. The
visible realities of the church are the people, structure, institution,
sacraments, and liturgy among others; whereas the invisible realities are the
invisible faith, sanctifying grace, Charism or gifts of the Holy Spirit. All
these two visible and invisible realities form one complex reality of the
Church and thus qualify the Church as sacrament. But we can have access to the
invisible realities through faith
with the aid of the visible elements.
While exploring the Eucharist as
mystery, there are many themes from which it can be explained, as a visible
symbol signifying a hidden meaning. That is to say, Eucharist as Real Presence
of Christ in the sacred species of Bread and Wine, which signify Christ’s
presence par excellence totally, wholly Body and Blood, Soul, Divinity and
Humanity; Eucharist as Paschal sacrifice, to signify a body broken and life
sacrificed; as Passover meal; as New Covenant that God made with his people,
sealed in the Blood of Christ; Eucharist as anamnesis,
memorial of the entire past life of Christ but crowned at Calvary with the
Paschal event; and finally Eucharist with an Eschatological dimension, the prolepsis.
As regards the visible and invisible
elements of the Eucharist, there is the chief Eucharistic minister, who
celebrates in persona Christi capitis,
the Eucharistic sacred species of Bread and Wine, which signify Body and Blood
of Christ respectively, the assembly of the faithful which signify the mystical
body of Christ, and so forth. Now as mystery of faith, Eucharist is looked at
from the above dimensions, which require deep and profound faith so as to grasp
to some extent the truth signified and symbolized.
In a nutshell, the Church and the
Eucharist as mysteries of faith both are symbolic in nature; both contain
invisible realities signified by visible elements, both have earthly and
heavenly elements, as well as supernatural and natural truths.
“THE CHURCH AND THE GIFT OF VOCATION”, IN PASOTRES DABO VOBIS
According to
this document, every Christian vocation is based on the gratuitous and
prevenient choice made by the Father who blessed
us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places before the
foundation of the world. With this point then we can agree that each
Christian vocation comes from God and is God’s gift bestowed on humans
according to his own measure. Therefore, Christian vocation can never be
bestowed outside of or independently of the Church but comes about in the
Church and through the Church (cf LG 9).
The Church
on her part embraces in herself the vocations which God bestows along the path
of salvation of mankind, but herself appearing as a mystery of vocation
wherefore she appears as a luminous and living reflection of the mystery of the
blessed Trinity.
The Church
though a vocation herself, is also a begetter and educator of vocation, because
as sacrament – a sign and instrument, it is a place where vocation of every
Christian is reflected and lived out. This is well manifested in her ministry
of proclaiming the Word, her celebration of sacraments, and in her service and
witness to charity.
Therefore,
the essential dimension of Christian vocation is not only in its being derived
from or known and fulfilled in the Church, but in fundamental service to God as
service to the Church with the sole purpose of building up the Church and
increasing the Kingdom of God in the world.
This is true
of every Christian vocation, and more specifically of priestly vocation which
is a call to place oneself at the service of the people of God with a
particular belonging and configuration to Jesus Christ and with authority of
acting in the name and in the person of the Lord who is the Head and Shepherd
of the Church. Hence we can understand that every priest receives his vocation
from the Lord through the Church as a gracious gift, a grace gratis data (chrisma). However, it is
left to the Church authority, that is, the Bishop or competent superior not
only to examine the suitability and the vocation of the candidate but also to
recognize it. Thus the candidate to priesthood is encouraged to receive his
vocation not to impose his own personal conditions but should also accept the
criteria put down by the Church in fulfillment of her responsibility (cf. Propositio 5).
VATICAN II AND THE
ECCLESIOLOGY OF COMMUNION IN “CHRISTIFIDELIS
LAICI” No. 19
Vatican II makes attempt to bring
about a clear understanding of the Church as communion and how it can be
applicable to life. In highlighting its meaning, it speaks of the fundamental
meaning of communion as union with God
brought about by Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. This kind of communion
is found through the Word of God, and in the sacraments.
In the Church, Baptism is the door
and foundation of communion crowned by the Eucharist which is the source and
summit of the whole Christian life. Christ present in his Body in the real
sacramental presence in the Holy Eucharist fosters this communion and brings
about the intimate bonds of communion among all the faithful in the body of
Christ which is the Church.
On the other
hand, ecclesial communion could also be understood as the double life-giving
participation, that is, the incorporation of Christians into the life of
Christ, and the communication of that life in charity to the entire body of the
faithful. In other words, it is union with Christ and in Christ, and union
among Christians in the church. This point asserts that the Church with Christ
as her head is a kind of sacrament – a sign and instrument of intimate union
with God and of unity of all humanity.
Therefore,
it does not suffice to understand the ecclesial communion as the sociological
or psychological reality, but a New People, the Messianic People that has
Christ for it Head, with dignity and freedom of God’s children as its heritage,
for its law the new commandment to love as Christ loved us, for its goal, the
kingdom of God established by Christ as a communion of life, love and truth.
The uniting bond
of the members of the New People among themselves and to Christ is not those of
flesh and blood but those of the Holy Spirit whom all the baptized have
received. This is the same One spirit who from eternity unites the Trinity, who
in the fullness of time and forever unites human nature to the Son of God, that
same identical Spirit who in the course of Christian generation is the source
of communion in the Church.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE EUCHARIST TO THE CHURCH AS
BRIDE AND BODY OF CHRIST
Eucharist is Jesus’ body of Christ in
the Church and the Church is Jesus’ body of Christ in the Eucharist. Eucharist
in the Church is the heart of the ecclesial communion, because as mystery the
Church is primarily the mystical encounter between God and humanity. Thus she
is the spouse and body of Christ, mother and the people of God.
The
Eucharist builds the Church and the Church is the place where communion with
God and humanity is realized. This is
because the Eucharist is the Sacrament of unity, holiness, apostolicity and
catholicity, and the sacrament is essential to the Church as Body of Christ and
Bride of Christ.
The Church
makes the Eucharist and the Eucharist builds the Church, though both were
instituted by Christ from the Paschal event. It can therefore be said that due
to the Eucharist which builds the Church because of the presence of the living
Christ in the sacrament, Jesus willed ahead of time that the Church should
celebrate the Eucharist. At the same time, belonging to the Church is the basis
for admittance to the sacraments of which Eucharist is one of the sacraments.
Eucharist is
the expression of ecclesial unity and communion. This point asserts that the
celebration of Eucharist is not the starting point for communion, but it
presupposes that communion already exists, a communion which Eucharist seeks to
consolidate and bring to perfection.
The Church
as sacrament of salvation constitutive of the relationship between visible and invisible realities of ecclesial communion creates an environment
for a legitimate celebration and full participation in the Eucharist.
Therefore the Eucharist remains the
source and summit of ecclesial life, though not everything in the Church can be
drawn from the Eucharist.
(cf “Eucharistic
Spirituality”, in L’Osservatore Romano,
weekly edition 29, 20 July 2005, p.6
ANTHONY EYUK, 11037T
Eucharist as Font of
Christian Morality in the Church
In the Church the Eucharist is the source and summit of life, (fons et culmen). Eucharist as source of
life in the Church has its significance on the moral life of an individual Christian
while manifested in the moral behavior. Eucharist is the sacrament of the Real
Presence of Christ, and therefore as a sacrament of the Church it is richly
laden with sacramental supernatural graces pouring forth from Christ which
produce great effects on human life. In the study of Eucharist as sacrament for
instance, we learn that participation in the Eucharistic celebration and the
reception of Holy Communion brings various efficacious gifts on the soul of an
individual as discussed below.
Through
Eucharist, we get access to sacramental union with God, that is, God fills us
with his life and makes us lose ourselves in Him; the sanctifying grace and
other graces are increased in us; we are also purged of venial sins. But as
regards mortal sins, it falls under the sacrament of reconciliation where sin
is dealt with at a deeper level, such that as a Christian approaches the table
of the Lord, one is already reconciled with God in the sacrament of
reconciliation. This is because it is presupposed that the process of healing
and communion which has already began is completed with the reception of the
Holy Communion in the sacrament of Eucharist.
Consequently,
this nourishment by the Most Blessed Sacrament brings about an interior
transformation of an individual. Therefore, renewed, fortified and filled with
heavenly gifts, a Christian is born again in spirit and in moral life, because
the life of grace and holiness received through this sacrament guarantees
authentic moral life, characterized by good works. The Eucharist in the Church
is therefore the basis for ecclesial communion and of authentic righteous
behavior because one who receives it with a right disposition and faith, has
vital union with Christ.
However,
authentic moral life may not readily be the fruit and effect of communion in
the life of a Christian despite regular access to it as s\he plies his\her way
to the glorious Church. But if Eucharist is the font of moral life in the
church, how best could we approach the fons
and culmen of life as to imbibe the sacramental efficaciousness of this
sacrament? As one reads this reflection let us together try to keep this
question running through our heart and mind and see if we could make some
viable suggestions to support the move for moral reform in the Church today. (cf “Eucharistic Spirituality”, in L’Osservatore Romano, weekly edition 29,
20 July 2005,
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