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 published: 2005-11-22

Rediscovering the Eucharist as a celebration of the Covenant

Observations and Reflections at the end of the Year of the Eucharist

 

Redescubrir la eucaristía como celebración de Alianza

Rediscovering eucharist as celebration of the Covenant

Die Eucharistie wiederentdecken als Feier des Bundes

La Santa Misa: el regalo de la presencia de Jesus

Holy Mass: the gift of Jesus’ presence

Heilige Messe: das Geschenk der Gegenwart Jesu

 
 

Comunio del pueblo de Dios

Communion of God’s people

Gemeinschaft des Volkes Gottes

 
 

Testimonio del amor de Dios

Testimony of God’s love

Zeugnis der Liebe Gottes

Fotos: POS Fischer © 2005

 

 

 

ROME, Fr. Alberto Eronti. On Sunday, October 2nd, the day in which Benedict XVI formally opened the Synod of Bishops, I participated in the afternoon in a concelebration at the Argentinean Church in Rome. The three bishops representing the Church of Argentina in this event also participated in the celebration. At the end of the Mass, I approached Bishop S. Karlic (Archbishop Emeritus of Paraná) to converse with him regarding his expectations concerning the Synod. The first thing he told me was: "I think that today the Church needs to rediscover the Eucharist. It is its source, its nourishment, and its guarantee for unity." On the afternoon of Saturday the 15th of October, the Holy Father had a special meeting: he met with thousands of children in St. Peter’s Square. The team which prepared the gathering had the good idea of asking the children from different parishes and schools to prepare the questions they wanted to ask the Pope. Several were selected from these questions and children were assigned to ask Benedict XVI the questions. The questions centered on the theme of the Mass, on the closing of the "Year of the Eucharist" and according to the ages of the children.

One of the questions was: "Why do we have to go to Mass on Sundays?" The Pope who did not know previously the questions which would be asked, smiled and with simple language and pedagogy answered the question. The question and the answer unleashed in me a series of recent memories: John Paul II dedicated three documents to the theme of the Eucharist during the last part of his pontificate. One of them with the title "The day of the Lord" was dedicated to Sunday Mass. Benedict XVI emphasized the importance of Sunday Mass not only at the gathering with the children, but also during other presentations. On the last Friday of the Synod, I met Bishop Karlic at the Vatican and after greeting him I said: "Bishop, it seems to me that your intuition was well taken: Sunday Mass." To which he responded: "Certainly, it is the source, it is the source of life and the unity of the Church. We must return more decidedly to it."

At dawn on Sunday…..

In the Encyclical "Eucharistic Church" John Paul II writes: "…..I have wanted to highlight in particular the Sunday Eucharist, underlining its creative efficacy of communion: the Eucharist is the privileged place where communion is announced and constantly cultivated. Precisely through Eucharistic participation, the day of the Lord also becomes the day of the Church." The words of the Pope were based on his long pastoral experience in Croatia, but especially an absolute conviction: we must remain "in the bosom of the Church with the body and the heart." This "permanence" is given par excellence at the Eucharistic gathering, at the celebration of the "Supper of the Lord." But, why Sunday? Can it not be another day? The primitive Church celebrated the Eucharist "at dawn on Sunday." There was no celebration of Mass during the week. The primitive Community, as well as the subsequent liturgical theology, highlighted Sunday as "the day of the Lord’s resurrection" and as "the first day of the new creation." That is, since the beginning of the Church, the community would gather at dawn on Sunday to celebrate its resurrected Lord. It was not an "obligation" and the precept regarding Sunday Mass attendance did not exist. What existed was the desire and the need to "hear about Christ…..to know His words….to hear about the actions of His life and to participate in His gift of the breaking of the Bread and Wine."

In view of what has been said, I have read some European statistics which are indicative for other Continents as well. According to the statistics, the percentage for Sunday Mass attendance varies from 1.2% to 3.8% in large cities and from 3.7% to 12.8% in rural communities. If we start from the basis that in some European countries more than 80% declare themselves Catholic and in others the claim is 50%, there is no question that participation in Sunday Mass is very low. If the urgings of the Popes and the Fathers of the Synod would be taken seriously, the question is: What must we do so that Sunday Mass can again take its place in the life of the Church? The answers are many and varied, but I would like to pause on two aspects in the light of Schoenstatt spirituality: the Covenant as fundamental position in the History of Salvation and the structure of the Movement, given that the theme presents catechesis with a great challenge.

The Mass, the moment of the Covenant

Father Kentenich would affirm time and time again that God has for each man and for all men "a plan of love, a plan founded in a covenant of love." To live this covenant fully, "God became flesh" because the delight of God "is to be with and in the children of mankind." Father will say; "Truly Emmanuel, God with us, God among us, God in us! (…..) we can hear Him clearly "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in Me and I with him….." (Jn. 6,54). This means that this covenant of love, this fusion of hearts between the eternal God and my heart, will last for all eternity. Covenant of Love. "Unique, marvelous gift which is promised to us here and which became a reality" fully in the Eucharist. Here is the "key" to reconquer Mass and the participation in it: it is the moment of the Covenant…..it is the celebration of the Covenant "new and eternal." I believe that from Schoenstatt spirituality we have a fundamental "position" to understand and live Holy Mass as the celebration and the renewal of the Covenant, but Covenant of Love between the God who "becomes food and drink" to be "God with us" and "God in me."

That the child of today be man and woman of the Eucharist tomorrow

On the other hand, we call ourselves "Schoenstatt Family" and the entire Work has a family structure. There is no doubt that this family structure sustains itself in the Covenant of Love with Mary and nourishes itself with the Body and Blood of Christ. The communities, branches, courses and groups have a family structure rooted in the Covenant. I believe we are offered the possibility to develop a "Eucharistic spirituality" from this perspective. How little has been said in the history of the Church about "covenant!" We use the expression "Old and New testament" instead of "Old and New Covenant." The "novelty" of the "New Covenant" is that God "came down" and "lowered Himself" to become "man" sealing a covenant between God and "the flesh." And this "flesh," this "body and blood" became a gift in itself, a self-gift for each man and for all men. Behold the reality of the Covenant!" God giving Himself, giving Himself to whoever searches for Him as "God in me and for me," but who also is "God in me and with you," and therefore, "God with us!" If the Church is the "Family of God," it is by being Family nourished by the God of the Covenant…..Family founded and nourished in and by the Eucharist.

The challenge that these urgings are not diluted is great. We must rescue what we have lost: the "Eucharistic culture." This is the centrality of the Eucharist as a realization of the Covenant between God and the baptized man. Once again I say that in good measure this "culture" is decided upon in the family, in the "domestic Church" where the first and fundamental catechesis is given. Once again I see the greatness of the mission of the Work of Schoenstatt Families and of all Christian families…..a true and fundamental path so that the child of today can be the man and woman "of the Eucharist" tomorrow.

Translation: Carlos Cantú La Feria, Texas USA

 


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