|
Eucharistic worship in the history and life of the
Church
The
14th Encyclical of John Paul II, Ecclesia
de Eucharistia (EdE) treats the topic of Eucharistic
worship outside of Mass primarily in two paragraphs, namely, numbers 10
and 25.
First
of all, we shall attempt to situate the question in context by taking a
quick look at Church history; then we shall interpret these two passages
in the light of that history. Last of all, we shall comment on the
Encyclical with a reference to patristic Tradition, in which Eucharistic
devotion and worship are prolonged through a commitment to conversion
and charity.
A glance at the history of Eucharistic worship
From its very beginnings the Church has shown an
abiding faith in Christ's presence in the Eucharist. This faith is the
basis for Eucharistic worship outside of Mass. Among the most ancient of
passages, we might cite a text of St Justin, who suffered martyrdom in
Rome around the year 165.
In
his first Apology Justin highlights the fact that the Eucharistic Food
was brought to the homes of the faithful who were not present at the
celebration. Indeed, the saintly martyr attests to the fact that during
the Mass the president offered prayers and thanksgivings and the people
assented, saying, "Amen!" This was followed by the
distribution of and participation in the Food. Then, the deacons also
took it to those who were absent (I Apologia 17).
We
can clearly see the intimate connection binding the two moments, that
is, the celebration of the Mass and Eucharistic worship outside of it,
and we can affirm that this bond remained firm throughout the whole era
of the ancient Church.
We
must, however, recognize that in the medieval and modern ages, diverse
theological controversies on the Eucharist weakened an understanding of
this relationship among the faithful. Thus, in the experience of the
People of God we find periods in which their attitudes and behaviour
sometimes lacked a certain balance. At times there was a risk of losing
the deep unity that connected the various aspects of the Eucharistic
mystery. The positive fact is that faith in Jesus' real presence in the
Eucharist slowly developed down the centuries, both in theological
doctrine and in the various expressions of worship.
The
conciliar and post-conciliar documents brought the Church back to a
unified and integral concept of Eucharistic worship. Fundamental, from
this point of view, is the Instruction Eucharisticum Mysterium of
1967: "When the faithful adore Christ present in the
Sacrament", we read in paragraph 50, "they should remember
that this presence derives from the sacrifice and is directed towards
both sacramental and spiritual communion. In consequence, the devotion
which leads the faithful to visit the Blessed Sacrament draws them into
an ever deeper participation in the Paschal Mystery. It leads them to
respond gratefully to the gift of him who through his humanity
constantly pours divine life into the members of his body.
"Dwelling
with Christ our Lord, they enjoy his intimate friendship and pour out
their hearts before him for themselves and their dear ones, and pray for
the peace and salvation of the world. They offer their entire lives with
Christ to the Father in the Holy Spirit, and receive in this wonderful
exchange an increase of faith, hope and charity. Thus, they nourish
those right dispositions which enable them with all due devotion to
celebrate the memorial of the Lord and receive frequently the bread
given us by the Father".
Faithful
to these guidelines, the Church continues to reaffirm and recommend
Eucharistic worship outside of the celebration of the Mass as well,
taking care that this should not appear to be isolated from the complete
dimension to which it should lead. This attention is the basis of and
support for a life of faith that is "wholly Eucharistic" and
renders immensely fruitful the commitment to conversion and charity
towards one's brothers and sisters.
An examination of Ecclesia de Eucharistia,
nn. 10, 25
It
is in this light that the two paragraphs of EdE are examined.
Indeed,
the Pope explicitly refers to the progressive spiritual growth of the
Christian community in regard to the Eucharistic mystery. This growth is
closely connected to the Magisterium's commitment to proclaiming it; and
"certainly", the Pope continues, "the liturgical reform
inaugurated by the Council has greatly contributed to a more conscious,
active and fruitful participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar on
the part of the faithful". Here the Magisterial text refers
particularly to Eucharistic worship outside of Mass. In fact, the
Encyclical continues by saying: "In many places, adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament is also an important daily practice and becomes an
inexhaustible source of holiness".
At this point the Pope mentions one of the
characteristic manifestations of Eucharistic worship, that is, the
procession with the Blessed Sacrament. As is noted, the most important
of these is the procession on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the
Lord. "The devout participation of the faithful in the Eucharistic
procession on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is a grace
from the Lord which yearly brings joy to those who take part in
it".
However,
the Encyclical is not intended to give a thorough treatment to the topic
of Eucharistic worship outside of Mass. If this were so, the Pope would
have had to mention other devotions as well, such as the Forty Hours
devotion and other expressions of the Eucharistic liturgy outside of
Mass, such as Viaticum.
At
this point, however, he prefers to point out some shadows, that
is, some negative aspects found today in the Eucharistic praxis among
the People of God. "In some places the practice of Eucharistic
adoration has been almost completely abandoned". These shadows
in Eucharistic practice obviously are the result of an
"obscuring" of the true faith and Catholic doctrine. "At
times one encounters an extremely reductive understanding of the
Eucharistic mystery. Stripped of its sacrificial meaning, it is
celebrated as if were simply a fraternal banquet".
This
topic is treated further and explained more clearly in paragraph 25 of
the Encyclical.
The
two nouns contained in the title of the Encyclical Ecclesia
and Eucharistia are both of primary importance. "The
worship of the Eucharist outside of the Mass is of inestimable value for
the life of the Church", the Pope stresses. This point has been
handed down to us definitively from the Church's Tradition.
However, the Pope immediately illustrates another
aspect of Eucharistic doctrine that had been neglected down the
centuries from the Middle Ages to Vatican II: namely, that Eucharistic
worship outside of Mass "is strictly linked to the celebration of
the Eucharistic Sacrifice". He goes on to explain: "The
presence of Christ under the sacred species reserved after Mass a
presence which remains as long as the species of bread and of wine
remain derives from the celebration of the sacrifice and is directed
towards communion, both sacramental and spiritual". And it is
precisely an erroneous understanding of the Eucharist, "stripped of
its sacrificial meaning", that alienates the community of believers
from Eucharistic worship outside of Mass.
Thus,
the circle is complete. The development of Eucharistic worship outside
of Mass cannot be considered as some arbitrary emphasis that can be
neglected in relation to the celebration of the Sacrifice. Rather, this
worship, closely joined to the celebration itself, bears witness to a
mature and integral level of reception in both doctrine and
liturgical
practice. As a result, "It is the responsibility of Pastors to
encourage, also by their personal witness, the practice of Eucharistic
adoration, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in particular, as
well as prayer of adoration before Christ present under the Eucharistic
species".
The
above-mentioned reference to the personal witness of Pastors affords the
Pope an opportunity to expound on this topic in one of the most vibrant
passages of the Encyclical. The personal mystical experience of Pope
John Paul II comes to the surface, an experience which has given rise to
many of his teachings on prayer, and in particular to nn. 32-34 of Novo
Millennio Ineunte, which he quite appropriately recalls here.
"It
is pleasant", the Pope writes, "to spend time with him, to lie
close to his breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel
the infinite love present in his heart. If in our time Christians must
be distinguished above all by the 'art of prayer', how can we not feel a
renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration,
in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? How
often, dear brother and sisters", the Pope confides in conclusion,
"have I experienced this, and drawn from it strength, consolation
and support!" (EdE, n. 25).
As
the reader knows, throughout the Church's Tradition the gesture of the
disciple resting his head on Jesus' breast is quite often proposed for
the imitation of believers. As early as the time of Origen (d. 254),
John was named as a model for every Christian who was committed to the
path of perfection: John, in fact, "rested on the breast of the
Logos in the sense that he adhered to the Logos and reposed in him in
the most mystical aspects as well" (Commentary on John 32,
264, SC 385, p. 298).
Here,
however, the Pope prefers to make a reference to the example of
"many saints" and in particular to St Alphonsus Maria
de'Liguori (d. 1787), who wrote: "Among all devotions, that of
adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament comes first after the sacraments
themselves; it is most dear to God and most useful to us" (Visit
to the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary Most Holy, Introduction, in Ascetical
Works).
Eucharistic
worship and a commitment to conversion
In
the Encyclical the Pope also alludes to a "Eucharistic
worship" that is
prolonged
beyond the Mass as a commitment to the conversion of one's personal life
and that of the community.
To
illustrate this last aspect of our reflection, we must make reference
most of all to paragraph 20 of the Encyclical. "A significant
consequence of the eschatological tension inherent in the
Eucharist", we read there, "is also the fact that it spurs us
on our journey through history and plants a seed of living hope in our
daily commitment to the work before us. Certainly the Christian vision
leads to the expectation of 'new heavens' and 'a new earth', but this
increases, rather than lessens, our sense of responsibility for the
world today. I wish to reaffirm this forcefully at the beginning of the
new millennium, so that Christians will feel more obliged than ever not
to neglect their duties as citizens in this world....
"Many
problems darken the horizon of our time. We need but think of the urgent
need to work for peace, to base relationships between peoples on solid
premises of justice and solidarity, and to defend human life from
conception to its natural end. And what should we say of the thousand
inconsistencies of a 'globalized' world where the weakest, the most
powerless and the poorest appear to have so little hope!... For this
reason too, the Lord wished to remain with us in the Eucharist, making
his presence in meal and sacrifice the promise of a humanity renewed by
his love.... The Apostle Paul, for his part, says that it is 'unworthy'
of a Christian community to partake of the Lord's Supper amid division
and indifference towards the poor". And in his footnote the Pope
cites the famous Homily 50 on the Gospel of Matthew by St John
Chrysostom (d. 407), which he previously used in Sollicitudo Rei
Socialis.
The
reference is an instructive one: we would do well to give it adequate
attention.
As a whole, the Homily is a commentary on the
final pericope of Matthew 14; however, the last verse of the chapter
where we read that the inhabitants of Genesaret were bringing their sick
to Jesus "and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on
his cloak (Mt 14:36) gives Chrysostom the opportunity to include a
substantially autonomous hortatory amplification, which by itself
constitutes the second half of the Homily. The digression is
justified by the context of the Eucharistic liturgy in which the Homily
is placed: "Let us also then touch the hem of his garment",
Chrysostom invites us. "Or rather, if we be willing, we have him
entire. For indeed, his body is set before us now". And, he
proceeds: "Believe, therefore, that even now it is that supper, at
which he himself sat down".
According to Chrysostom, such certitude of faith
is a decisive challenge to the responsibility of Christians because
participation at the table of the Lord does not allow for any type of
inconsistency: "Let no Judas then approach this table",
exclaims the homilist. Nor is it a sign of worthiness to come to the
table with golden vessels: "That table at that time was not of
silver nor that cup of gold, out of which Christ gave his disciples his
own blood.... If you would do honour to Christ's body, neglect him not
when naked; while you are honouring him here (in the Church) with silken
garments, do not neglect him perishing without from cold and nakedness.
For he who said, 'This is my body'... also said, 'You saw me hungry, and
fed me not'; and, 'whatever you did not do for the least of these, you
did not do for me'.
"Let
us learn, therefore, to be strict in life, and to honour Christ as he
himself desires. For to him who is honoured, that honour is most
pleasing which it is his own will to have, not that which we account
best. Even so, honour him with this honour, which he ordained, spending
your wealth on poor people, since God has no need at all of golden
vessels, but of golden souls. For what is the profit, when his table
indeed is full of golden cups, but he perishes with hunger? First fill
him, since he is hungry, and then abundantly deck out his table
also" (Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew 50: 3-4, PG 58,
coll. 508-509).
The expressions cited are sufficient to show
Christ's complete identification with the poor, which, in addition to
Chrysostom's preaching, is constantly repeated throughout all of
Christian tradition: however, before any later clarification, we have
Christ's original declaration. Whoever serves the poor person serves
Christ and whoever rejects the poor person rejects Christ. On this we
shall be judged (Matthew 25 is explicitly adopted). The Eucharistic
celebration which in Chrysostom's understanding of it roots the
Christian community in this commitment, has an impressive relevancy in
society, weaving into its fabric decisive elements of discernment and
conversion. It is precisely this conversion which represents that
"Eucharistic worship" which is pleasing to God, a worship that
extends beyond the Mass in the daily exercise of charity.
"It
is this fruit of a transfigured existence and a commitment to
transforming the world in accordance with the Gospel", the Pope
concludes, "which splendidly illustrates the eschatological tension
inherent in the celebration of the Eucharist and in the Christian life
as a whole: 'Come, Lord Jesus!"' (EdE, n. 20).
In
this way Eucharistic worship, far from remaining isolated from the
celebration of the Mass, is prolonged in the life of the believer, to
the point that it transforms that life wholly into "bread that is
broken" and "wine poured out" for the salvation of the
world.
|
