Eucharist as Sacrifice

In this Easter Season, we have begun to offer Communion under both species – both the bread and the cup. As we have prepared for this return to offering the cup, I have shared a series of thoughts with you in this space. Now, I invite you to reflect with me on the Eucharist as a sacrifice.

The Risen One is also the Crucified One

In the Gospels for the Second Week of Easter, we hear John’s account of Jesus appearing to the disciples – first on Easter Sunday evening and then again a week later. Jesus stands in their midst says “Peace be with you.’ When he had said this he showed them his hands and his side” (John 20:20), By showing the wounds on his hands, feet and side, Jesus demonstrates that the risen One is also the crucified One. He connects the events of Easter Sunday to the events of Good Friday. Jesus sends the disciples into the world to carry on the reconciling work accomplished in the sacrifice of Good Friday.

The Eucharist Makes Present the Sacrifice of the Cross

The events of the Last Supper occurred within the celebration of Passover. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes it this way, “As often as the sacrifice of the Cross by which ‘Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed’ is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried out” (1364) (Pasch is the Greek word for Passover). The connection between Passover and the Eucharist emphasizes salvation – the movement from slavery to freedom.

The sixth chapter of John’s Gospel emphasizes these connections. The chapter contains “the Bread of Life” discourse.“ In this discourse, Jesus connects the Eucharist to the events of Exodus, “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world…Jesus said to them ‘Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood; you do not have life within you.’ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise that one on the last day’” (John 6:48-54).

Receiving Both the Bread and the Cup

In an earlier post, I reflected with you on the importance of receiving Eucharist regularly and under both species.as doing so allows us a more complete participation in Jesus’ actions at the Lord’s Supper. Likewise, eating and drinking allow a more complete participation in Jesus’ command given in the Bread of Life Discourse – eat and drink. By doing so, we participate more fully in the reconciling work of Jesus accomplished through the Paschal Mystery – Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Fr. Brian Conley, S.J.

Eucharist as a Symbol of Unity

Since we have begun to offer the cup at Communion time again, I have shared a few thoughts with you on the Eucharist in our community. Perhaps most importantly as we consider the specific practices at Our Lady of Hope is the invitation to consider the Eucharist as a symbol of unity in our church. Eucharist has been received in various ways over the centuries, standing or kneeling; in the hand or on the tongue. The church does not require anyone to stand or kneel or to receive the Eucharist on the tongue or in the hand.

The common practice at Our Lady of Hope is to receive the host in the hand while standing. Communicants are invited to place their left hand on top of their right hand; the minister of Communion places the host in the offered hand; the communicant then uses the right hand to place the host in their mouths.

For the cup, the minister of Communion will offer the cup to the communicant who then takes a small sip of the wine and returns the cup to the minister of the Eucharist. The minister of the Eucharist then wipes the inside and outside lip of the cup with a purificator and rotates the cup slightly before offering it to the next communicant. Following these common practices at Our Lady of Hope emphasizes the unity of the sacrament where kneeling or receiving on the tongue can emphasize differences and promote disunity.

The Eucharist is Spiritual Food for our Journey

Finally, we invite parishioners to frequent reception of the Eucharist and hope that you will join us in person as often as possible. The Eucharist is spiritual food for our journey from slavery/sin to freedom/salvation. We stand with the Roman Centurion who said, “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and I shall be healed.” We stand with Jesus who caused scandal in his time by eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. We seek to make our Eucharistic table as open and welcoming as possible.

Fr. Brian Conley, S.J.

Receiving Both the Bread and the Cup

As we once again begin to offer the cup at daily and Sunday liturgies, we might pause for a moment to consider the importance of receiving the Eucharist regularly and receiving under both species. Receiving both the bread and the cup allow us a more complete experience of actions Jesus commanded at the last supper. Specifically, Jesus commanded us to “Take and eat…Do this in remembrance of me; take and drink, do this in remembrance of me.” The Last Supper occurred within the context of Passover – so we remember not only Jesus actions on that night but the movement from slavery to freedom contained in the Passover and all of salvation history.

A Source of Unity and Commitment to Social Justice

In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul appeals to the Eucharistic celebration as a source of unity and a commitment to social justice. Paul wrote this letter sometime around 53-54 CE – so just 20 years or so after the Last Supper. Clearly, this practice of breaking bread together in the Eucharistic celebration goes back to the earliest history of the Church. Paul is critical of the Corinthians practice because it has become a source of divisions. Some in the community are eating well while others go hungry. The servants are not included at all in the Eucharistic celebration because they are preparing the meal or cleaning up after the meal. Such divisions, Paul tells us, create more harm than good.

In addressing who should receive Communion, Paul suggests that each person discern for themselves their worthiness to receive the Eucharist. “A person should examine oneself and so eat the bread and drink the cup” 1Cor 11:28. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on oneself” (1 Cor 11:27-28). This passage suggests that the worthiness to receive the Eucharist is rooted in our belief in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Similarly, Paul is very critical of the socio-economic divisions within the community, particularly the practices in Corinth that resulted in some going hungry while others feasted and others missed the celebration altogether. Rather, Paul asks that the celebration of the Eucharist be a source of unity. “Therefore when you come together to eat, wait for one another.”

Celebration of the Eucharist Over Time – Structure and Frequency

Within about 100 years, the Eucharist was no longer celebrated as part of a larger meal and the basic structure of the celebration began to resemble what we know today: prayers, scripture readings with a homily, a Eucharistic prayer, and dismissal. Specific practices have changed over time including the texts of prayers said, the language of the prayers, and the frequency of reception. For example, Ignatius of Loyola’s practice of receiving the Eucharist frequently was unusual for a lay person at that time. More common would be weekly or even annual reception of the Eucharist (thus we have an “Easter Duty” to receive the Eucharist at least once between Easter and Pentecost Sunday). Pope Pius X, in the early 20th century, encouraged frequent reception of the Eucharist.

Our Lady of Hope’s parish community, both individually and collectively, is strengthened and unified by frequent reception of the Eucharist. Our reception under both species allows a more complete participation in the Eucharistic meal – both eating and drinking. We look forward to sharing this meal with you often.

Fr. Brian Conley, S.J.

At Mass, Christ transforms the bread and wine into His body and blood during the Eucharist prayer

As Catholics, we believe that, as we pray the Eucharist prayer during Mass, Christ transforms the bread and wine into His body and blood. This transformation is permanent and cannot be undone. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ” (CCC1377).

All of our ministries and works – our very selves – become the body of Christ in the world

Quoting Pope Paul VI, the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the Eucharist “the source and summit of the Christian life.” All of our parish ministries and works are oriented to the Eucharist and bound up in the Eucharist because the Eucharist contains “the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself…” (Catechism 1324). In short, not only the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ in our Eucharistic Celebration but we too, as church, become the body of Christ in the world and are sent forward from the Eucharistic celebration to carry on Jesus’ mission in the world. Therefore, regular reception of the Eucharist in Community serves to strengthen us both physically and spiritually as well as to renew our understanding of ourselves as members of the Body of Christ, the Church.

This is a chance to reflect on the Eucharist in our spiritual lives as we grow in service to others

On Easter Monday, April 10, parishes in Maine will again be permitted to offer Communion under both species at weekday Masses. This permission will be extended to Sunday Masses the weekend of May 6/7. This permission to again offer the cup offers an opportunity to reflect on the Eucharist in our personal and communal spiritual lives, our practices in receiving Communion, and the opportunity to be of service in the parish as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and other forms of service in the parish. This post is the first in a series of reflections on the importance of Eucharist in our community.

Deepening our sense of community, our sense of sharing a meal and sharing in the sacrifice of Christ

We hope that as we move to restore reception of Communion under both species following Easter this year, our sense of community, our sense of sharing a meal, and sharing in the sacrifice of Christ will all deepen. We continue to look forward to the day when all those who have been joining us by way of the livestream during this pandemic will feel (and be) safe in joining us in person.

Fr. Brian Conley, SJ