A Pastoral Letter on the Eucharistto God’s People of the Diocese of Bathurst

Photo courtesy Frank Colzato

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HOLY COMMUNIONYou O Lord are in the midst of us and we are called by your name (Jeremiah 14:9)

Dear Friends in Christ,

The great feast of Corpus Christi is about more than the Eucharist, because the Eucharist is about more than the Eucharist. The Eucharistic moment expands back in time to include the Last Supper and beyond time to the Heavenly Banquet. The Mass is always, then and now the Supper of the Lamb. In it, we take part in the perfect sacrifice of Christ and enter into communion as his Body, the Church, on earth and in heaven.

The introduction of a new English translation of the prayers of the Mass disturbs our routine and makes us pay attention again to these words which can tell us so much. Should this change bring about a deeper appreciation among us of the gift of the Eucharist and what it means, then it will be worth the effort.

One pastoral letter cannot say everything about the Eucharist. However, I will try to shine a light that will show paths to follow: of prayerful thinking, of study and action. Ultimately, these are paths to Jesus Christ.

We cannot talk fruitfully about the Eucharist unless we are prepared to talk about our relationship with Christ, both as individuals and as the community that shares his mission. The Son of God became a man to enter into the reality of our life as it is, to heal the wound of the division between God and humankind and lead us into the fullness of life.

The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us (Jn 1:14). At Mass, as the deacon or priest mixes a drop of water with the wine that will become Christ’s blood, he says the following prayer:

By the mystery of this water and winemay we come to share in the divinity of Christwho humbled himself to share in our humanity.

a Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist to God’s People of the Diocese of Bathurst

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The first presence of Christ at Mass is in our presence. When two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Mt 18:20). This is depicted vividly in the last chapter of Luke’s Gospel, when the disciples on the road to Emmaus talk about Jesus and he joins them in their walk. It happens each time a family, or any group of believers, gathers for prayer.

To assemble regularly as a Christian community is to give one another this special presence of Jesus. But, even from the earliest days of the Church, some have found it difficult to offer themselves this way. The Letter to the Hebrews warns: Do not absent yourself from your own assemblies, as some do, but encourage one another (Hb 10:25). Today, we feel keenly the absences of many of our brothers and sisters in our local church; and I will say more about that later.

The Mass begins with a penitential rite, because this community recognizes that its communion is still imperfect and it must rely on God’s mercy to complete it. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1Jn 1:8).

The next presence of Christ is in the proclamation of his Word. He himself speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in Church (Vatican II, Sacrosanctum concilium, 7).

Many centuries ago, St Jerome wrote:

When we approach the Eucharist, if a crumb falls to the ground we are troubled. Yet when we are listening to the word of God and God’s word and Christ’s flesh are being poured into our ears yet we pay no attention, what great peril should we not feel? (In Psalmum, 147).

The ministry of commentators, readers and, above all, the homilist in opening the scriptures to the congregation is very important. A priest who knows his people well is able to apply the Word to the actual circumstances of their lives. Did not our hearts burn within us as he opened to us the scriptures? (Lk 24:32). Even more vital, though, is the congregation’s own preparation of heart and mind to receive Christ in this way.

Christ is present, too, in the person of the priest. With the unique ministry of the priest, the assembly is linked to the Upper Room, where Jesus commissioned the

Apostles to renew the Eucharist in memory of me. Through ordination, the priest is able to continue this apostolic work. He brings, to the assembly he leads, a gift that it cannot supply on its own.

And Christ is especially present, as we know, when the bread and wine become his body and blood. The Church has developed this teaching through the centuries, in a clear line going back to the New Testament. Although, from the earliest days, there have been debates about how to describe this presence, the authentic doctrine has always shone through. In the Eucharist, the incarnate and glorified Christ is fully present in his humanity and divinity.

Even after the congregation has dispersed, this real presence of Christ remains. To spend time with him at the tabernacle or monstrance is a wonderful form of prayer, which enriches our intimacy with the mystery we celebrate. Practising this contemplation helps us guard against casual and thoughtless lapses from the reverence we owe this great gift; especially so for those of us privileged to minister the Sacrament.

The placing of the tabernacle in our churches deserves serious attention. It must not only express our faith in this unique presence of the Lord, it must ensure that the practicalities of silence for worship surround it.

PRESENCEYou O Lord are in the midst of us

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With those words, John the Baptist prophesied the identity and mission of Jesus. In every Mass, the priest repeats those words as he presents the congregation with the Lord’s body and blood to eat and drink.

The Jewish feast of Passover recalls the deliverance of the Chosen People from the slavery of Egypt and looks forward to the coming of the Kingdom of God. By the time of Jesus, the lambs (or other approved livestock) had to be taken to the Temple to be slaughtered by the priests. The sacrifice was completed when the lambs were brought home, roasted and eaten in a ritual thanksgiving meal, renewing communion between God and his people. During the meal, the head of the house would give a commentary on the meaning of this special night, proclaiming that the same God who saved his people then was acting now and would fulfil his promise.

When Jesus gathered his disciples for a Passover meal on the eve of his crucifixion, he used the traditional form to do something new. All the

elements of the meal were there, except for the lamb. With the words This is my body, given up for you – This is my blood, poured out for you, Jesus proclaimed his own self-offering as the paschal lamb, in a sacrifice that would fulfil all others. And, as Lord of creation and time, he instituted the sacrament with which this sacrifice would be renewed in his Church: Do this in memory of me.

Our full participation in the Mass requires our willingness to offer ourselves with Christ. The floor plan of many churches is in the form of a cross. This is not merely decorative, but symbolizes who we are as the Church. We bring our limited self-offering to be completed in Christ’s.

The beginning of a sacrifice is in the intention; its conclusion is the communion of the eating. It is not enough to say that the Mass is a meal. It is a sacrificial meal, in which our present reality communes with the death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Kingdom.

Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb!

SACRIFICEBehold the Lamb of God,behold him who takes away the sins of the world.

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“Holy Communion” means more than going up to receive the Lord’s body and blood. It means belonging to him. The Church receives his body to become his body. Our mission and the power to perform it are renewed in this communion.

Full participation in the Mass extends beyond the liturgy. It means living a Eucharistic life, conscious of the dignity and responsibility of the royal priesthood we receive through the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation; for some in the sacraments of Anointing of the Sick, Marriage and Ordination; and for all in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The daily offering we make, of our joys and troubles, in union with Christ, is the basis of it. In listening to God’s Word, in acts of love and in personal prayer, the presence of Christ increases in us.

And the Eucharistic life impels us to grow in communion together: reflecting on the Scriptures and Church teaching; helping each other when the events of life test our faith; working together in service for the Church and the world; communicating the Gospel by what we say and how we live.

It is true that many Catholics do not come to Mass regularly. It is also true that some do no more than that. Unless we are prepared to renew the life of our local church in Word, Community and Sacrament, even the little we have may be taken away.

May this letter lead to further prayerful thinking, study and action by all of us.

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Mother of the Church, pray for us!

+Michael McKennaBishop of Bathurst

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ 2011

COMMUNIONWe are called by your name…