The Source and Summit

Objectives

At the end of the assembly, MFC members are expected to:

1. Realize the value of the Holy Eucharist as the source and summit of one’s Christian life

2. Participate with greater reverence in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

Expanded Outline

I. Introduction

The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. It is of crucial importance for the life of a Catholic. It is a commemoration of the central act of salvation of our Lord Jesus, his sacrificial death on the cross.  It is a sacred mystery whereby bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus.  It is a celebration where the Trinity, our Blessed Mother Mary, all the angels and saints, and the people of God on earth come together as one.

The Holy Mass is both a solemn commemoration and a joyful celebration. As it commemorates the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for the salvation of his people, the focus is always on Jesus and not on the people who come to celebrate.

II. The Holy Eucharist

The term ”Eucharist” originates from the Greek word eucharstia, meaning thanksgiving.  Jesus instituted this sacrament at the Last Supper, when He turned the bread into His body and the wine in to His blood. The Mass is made up of two major parts: the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist. They are closely connected with each other that they form but one single act of worship.

A.    The Holy Eucharist is Jesus Himself

The Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is real, true, and substantial. We are able to receive Jesus Himself not only into our lives, but even into our bodies, as we partake of the Holy Communion. By his Real Presence in the Eucharist, Christ fulfils his promise to be with us "always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). “Take; this is my body” Mark 14:22

B.     The Holy Eucharist is Jesus waiting for us

“Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love.” – St. John Paul II

 It enables us to participate so intimately with our Lord in His Passion as we receive Him, truly into ourselves.  St. Thomas Aquinas said, “The Eucharist is the sacrament of love: it signifies love, it produces love.” 

C.     The Holy Eucharist is giving thanks to God

“It is called: Eucharist because it is an action of thanksgiving to God” – CCC 1328
In the Eucharist, the Church receives the gift of Jesus Christ and expresses gratitude to God for this blessing. Thanksgiving is the only proper response for such a gift that we receive in the Holy Eucharist.

D.    The Holy Eucharist is the memorial of the Passion of Christ

Eucharist “makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior.” CCC 1330                              

In the Eucharist, we commemorate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, through the priest, offers himself as a sacrifice.  St. Thomas Aquinas writes, “O sacred banquet in which Christ is consumed. The passion is recalled.” 

   III. The Source and Summit

CCC 1324 The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."

A.    The Source

It is the source, because the Eucharist enables us to make present and offer anew Jesus Christ’s redemptive Sacrifice which began with His Passion. Christian Spirituality flows the Eucharist as its source, the way light streams forth from the sun. As the source of Christian spirituality, the Eucharist revealed that our salvation begins not with our selves. The source is God who offers Himself to man in Christ first. In our spiritual journey we need to be connected to the Source by receiving the Holy Eucharist with reverence.

B.     The Summit

It is the summit, because the Eucharist is truly a foretaste of heaven which we partake of The body and Blood of Christ as heaven and earth become most profoundly one. Christian spirituality is supremely the Eucharist as its summit or high-point that to which all of our actions should be ultimately directed. As the Summit of Christian spirituality, the Eucharist is man’s highest form of worship, grace-enabled, freely given offering of himself back to God through Jesus. In our spiritual journey everything should be towards the Holy Eucharist.  

C.    Greater Reverence for the Eucharist 

As the Eucharistic celebration is a holy event, since we are in the very presence of the Triune God, great reverence is due to it. Such reverence is manifested in our attitude, attire, and actions. 

The following are the guidelines of MFC for celebrating the Eucharist in the Philippines. Note:  These guidelines are only for MFC Masses in the Philippines. Our actions in non-MFC Masses in parishes and other venues can follow the local Church practices. Our actions in MFC Masses in other parts of the world and in other cultures are to be guided by the practices of the local Church.

A.     Prior to the Mass

We should be predisposed to participate fully in the Mass, and to anticipate the reception of our Lord in Holy Communion. If we are in a state of mortal sin, we should go to confession prior to going to Mass.

We should abstain from food and drink, except for water and medicine, at least one hour before receiving Holy Communion.  We should dress appropriately. Do not wear shorts, caps, compression pants, leggings, sleeveless top, etc. We should not be late for Mass. It is good to have some minutes of prayerful silence before the Mass actually starts. Upon entering the church or chapel, we recognize that we have come into a holy place. As such, we should do the following: Maintain silence. Be in a prayerful posture. Turn off cell phones and other gadgets. Genuflect before going into the pew. 

B.     During the Mass

We should participate actively in the Mass, reciting the prayers, singing with the choir, and making the appropriate responses in an audible voice. We do not elevate our hands toward the priest in response to “The Lord be with you.”  It is inappropriate to pray the Rosary during the Mass.  During the recitation of the creed,  at the point where we say “and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man,” we do a profound bow to show great reverence for the Incarnation.   We kneel at the Consecration, and remain kneeling until the Great Amen. 

During the Lord’s Prayer, we do not raise our hands. Such orans posture is reserved for the priest. We also do not hold hands. During the greeting of peace, we do not have to try to greet as many as we can by moving around and giving a physical handshake or hug. It is enough to just stay in your place and give a nod to those around you. For the Communion service, we kneel or do a profound bow right before receiving Communion. The most reverent way to receive Holy Communion is on the tongue.  After receiving Holy Communion, we maintain a prayerful silence. 

C.     At the end of the Mass

There is no need to publicly thank the Mass celebrant at the end.  We do not clap at the end of the priest’s homily nor at the end of the Mass.  We wait for the priest to leave the altar before leaving ourselves. We do not look at our cell phones until we are outside the church or chapel. Great reverence is to be accorded to our Lord Jesus at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. As God’s people, as disciples of Jesus, as witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit, as soldiers in the army of Mary, we as MFC look to the Eucharist as our source of great mercy, grace and spiritual strength.

“Therefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offerworship pleasing to God in reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28)

IV. Conclusion

Jesus, in instituting the Eucharist, said that we should do it in remembrance of Him. Loving Him should draw us more to Him. We must seek His presence as much as we can and receive Him as often as we can. We always want to be with the ones we love.

The Eucharist is a source of grace as it is Jesus Himself who is present not only spiritually but even physically and it is the summit of all the sacraments as it is the highlight of our being a member of the Catholic Church. The Lord invites us to come celebrate with Him in the Eucharist and take part of it.

Reference: Greater Reverence for the Eucharist by SG 

https://missionaryfamiliesofchrist.org/greater-reverence-for-the-eucharist/

Discussion Question

How does the Holy Eucharist sustain and strengthen me in my Spiritual Journey?