ST. THOMAS MORE 

Over the next few months, my bulletin article will walk through the Holy Eucharist's teaching in the Catholic Church's Catechism. This journey will help us deepen our understanding and love of the mystery of the
Eucharist. 

In paragraphs 1322-1327, the Catechism of the Catholic Church expounds on the essential teachings about the Holy Eucharist. This sacrament considered the "source and summit" of the Catholic faith, holds
a central place in the life of the Church.

Paragraph 1322 highlights how the Eucharist is a memorial of Christ's Passover. In this momentous event, Jesus instituted this sacrament during the Last Supper. The Church, through the priest's consecration, continues to make Christ's sacrifice present today. This transformative act, known as transubstantiation, changes the bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ while retaining their physical appearances.
Paragraph 1323 underscores the significance of the Eucharist as a "thanksgiving and praise" to God. It is both a sacrifice and a meal, uniting the faithful with Christ and one another. Through this, believers are nourished spiritually and strengthened in their Christian journey.

Paragraph 1324 reaffirms that the Eucharist is the "source and summit" of the Christian life, as it
encapsulates the entire mystery of salvation. It emphasizes the importance of regular participation in the Eucharist, which helps deepen one's union with Christ and the Church.

Paragraphs 1325-1327 elucidate the profound effect of the Eucharist on the faithful. By partaking in this sacrament, believers are drawn closer to Christ. The faithful are incorporated into His mystical body, the Church, by receiving His body and blood. This strengthens the bonds of unity among Christians and underscores the importance of the Eucharist as a visible sign of their faith.

In essence, paragraphs 1322-1327 of the Catechism underscore the significance of the Holy Eucharist in Catholic theology. It emphasizes the real presence of Christ in the consecrated elements, the transformative nature of the sacrament, its role as a source of nourishment and grace, and its unifying power within the Christian community. This section of the Catechism reinforces the Eucharist's central role in
Catholic worship and belief. I encourage you to read and reflect on these paragraphs as we walk through the Catechism. They are great for prayer, especially when visiting Jesus in Adoration.

In the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus,
Fr. Browning
 
CATECHISM DOCUMENT
PRINTABLE PDF DOWNLOAD

We will continue our journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its teaching on the Eucharist, paragraphs 1328-1332. The Church speaks of the Holy Eucharist using different terms, and each one evokes a particular aspect of the Eucharist. These additional terms give us a 360-degree view of the great mystery of the Eucharist.

The first term the Church uses is the Eucharist, It comes from the Greek term, which means thanksgiving. The Eucharist is an action of thanksgiving of Jesus to the Father on our behalf, and He invites us to enter into this thanksgiving (see CCC 1328).

In paragraph 1329, it is called the Lord's Supper. Jesus instituted the pattern of this sacrifice in the context of the Jewish Passover on the night before he offered the sacrifice on the Cross. The Last Supper anticipates the wedding feast of the Lamb in the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 19:9).  

The Breaking of the Bread is an ancient name for the Mass and Eucharist. Jesus, in the miracles of the loaves and fish and at the Last Supper - takes, blesses, breaks, and gives. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) only recognize Him after the Resurrection in the breaking of the bread. The early Christians used this term to describe the Mass, pointing to how God brings us into communion (common union) with Him and one another. This union is seen in another term used, the Eucharistic assembly, because it is the visible expression of the Church gathered with our Lord.

In paragraph 1330, the Church reminds us that Mass is a memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection. Jesus said do this in remembrance of me. Another term used by the Church is the Holy Sacrifice. The Mass re-presents or makes present to us the one sacrifice of the Cross. It is the perfect sacrifice offered once in time but continually in eternity for the salvation of the world. We are brought real and spiritually to the foot of the Cross at each Mass. We must unite ourselves with this sacrifice, bringing our sacrifices to His. We may also hear the term the Sacred Mysteries, and we speak of the Eucharist as the Most Blessed Sacrament as it is the Sacrament of sacraments. 

The final two that round out our 360-view are familiar - Holy Communion and Holy Mass. Holy meaning set apart. Holy Mass is where we can leave the world behind and be with God. Our silence when we come into Church prepares us to leave the world and let God be our focus and let us better hear His voice. Holy Communion unites us to God through the reception of His body, blood, soul, and divinity. The adjective Holy reminds us of our need to prepare to receive this gift in the state of grace, having confessed any mortal sins sacramentally beforehand.
The terms used for the Eucharist and Holy Mass throughout the life of the Church can instruct us on the different
aspects of this eternal gift of God. We can meditate on each name and it will guide us into a deeper appreciation for the Sacred Mysteries that leads us to Heaven.

Peace in the Lord,
Fr. Browning
 
CATECHISM DOCUMENT
PRINTABLE PDF DOWNLOAD

We continue our journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church this week with paragraphs 1333-1336. The title of this section is The Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation, and the subtitle is The Signs of Bread and Wine. 

Paragraph 1333 reminds us that "at the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's Body and Blood." It mentions how the Church continues to do this in His memory until His glorious return. We can best understand this remembrance from the Jewish perspective rather than our modern one. The Jewish remembrance, connected with the Passover, was more than a recalling of the events of the Passover but an actual participation in that event. Similarly, the remembrance Jesus calls the Church to regarding His Last Supper is more than a recalling of His passion, death, and resurrection but is made present to us at Mass. God transports us to the eternal sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Heaven and earth touch in the celebration of the Mass. We can better understand the obligation of Sunday and Holy Day Masses as a privilege, a gratuitous gift of God. Bread and wine is God's gift in creation, and He prepared us for those to become gifts for eternal life. 

Paragraph 1334 points to the Old Covenant's use of bread and wine. Bread and wine were offered as the first fruits of the earth and as a sign of gratitude to the Creator. They received a new significance in the Exodus: the unleavened bread of the Passover reminds the Israelites of the quick departure that liberated them from Egypt. The manna in the desert is a sign that we live by the bread of the Word of God. Daily bread is the fruit of the promised land. The cup of blessing at the end of the Passover meal speaks to the heavenly joy that awaits us at the end of this earthly life. Jesus takes all these Old Covenant images, preparing us for the authentic and definitive meaning of the bread and wine. 

The miracles of the multiplication of the loaves in Jesus' ministry prefigures the superabundance of the Eucharist. Jesus takes the loaves, says the blessing, breaks, and distributes the loaves to feed the multitude of people. The sign of water turned to wine at the wedding of Cana announces the Hour of Jesus' glorification (his Sacrifice).
It also prefigures the wedding feast of Heaven, the Father's Kingdom, where God fills the faithful with the joy of the new wine that has become the blood of Christ (see paragraph 1335). 

Jesus' first announcement of the Eucharistic reality in John 6 scandalized many of his disciples: "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it? (John 6:60). The Eucharist and the Cross are stumbling blocks. This same mystery we celebrate today continues to be a source of division. But Jesus asks us as He did his remaining disciples: "Will you also go away? (John 6:67). The Lord's question resounds through the ages as a loving invitation to discover that only He has "the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). Receiving in faith the gift of the Eucharist is to
receive Jesus Himself. 

He is here, remaining with us until the end of time in the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Holy Eucharist. Let us ask the Lord to ignite our hearts, dispel our doubts, and give us the gift of faith in His Holy Eucharist. What a gift!

In Eucharistic amazement, 
Fr. Browning 
 
CATECHISM DOCUMENT
PRINTABLE PDF DOWNLOAD

We continue our journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church this week with paragraphs 1337-1340. This section teaches about the Institution of the Eucharist.

The thirteenth chapter of John's Gospel gives us a profound insight into the heart of God for His people. God's love for us is the reason for the institution of the Eucharist. Jesus, having loved his own, loved them to the end (John 13:1). Knowing the hour had come to return to the Father, in the course of the Passover meal, he washed their feet, giving the example and command to love as he loves (see John 13:1-17).

During the Lord's Supper, Jesus institutes the Eucharist to memorialize his death and Resurrection and commands his apostles to celebrate it until his return. In its Jewish context, this memorial is not only a remembering but, in a mysterious way, a making present the thing remembered. Jesus institutes the Eucharist and, at the same time, the ministerial priesthood ordained to offer this sacrifice (see Catechism 1337). 

The three synoptic Gospels and Saint Paul give us this account of the institution of the Eucharist and priesthood. John wrote his Gospel after theirs, so he reports the words of Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum that prepare for the institution of the Eucharist. In John chapter 6, Jesus calls himself the true bread of life who has come down from heaven. Jesus repeats five times the necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood for eternal life (John 6:35-59). Many of his disciples left him after this teaching because it was too difficult for them to believe (see John 6:66).

Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his apostles during the Jewish Passover meal. Jesus gives the
Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. The Jewish Passover was a remembering that made present the exodus from Egypt and God's intervention to save his people. Jesus' Last Supper is the true Passover. Jesus intervenes to save us not from earthly enemies but from spiritual ones (sin, death, the devil). Jesus passes over to the Father by his death and Resurrection (conquering sin, death, and the devil). 

The Last Supper anticipates Jesus' Passover, which is the fulfillment of the Jewish Passover, and it anticipates the final Passover of the Church into the glory of the Heavenly Kingdom (see Catechism 1340). 
Jesus institutes the Eucharist as the fruit of his sacrifice to save us from sin, open up heaven's gates, and
remain with us until the end of time. God is love, which motivates him to give us his life in the Eucharist.

Questions for reflection:
· Do I participate weekly in this outpouring of God's love? If no, what needs to change to put God first?
· If yes, do I prepare for Sunday Mass through daily prayer? Do I offer myself to God at Mass?

In Jesus' love,
Fr. Browning
 

CATECHISM DOCUMENT
PRINTABLE PDF DOWNLOAD