A brief catechism on eucharistic adoration (part 1)

A Brief Catechism on Eucharistic Adoration (including website resources).
By Chris DiTomo

1. What should children and young people be taught about Jesus’ presence among us—in other words, where IS Jesus now… today?

Of course we need to teach our children that God is present everywhere (Psalm 139:1-12)… and therefore that we can invoke God’s presence in prayer at any time whether we are with our brothers and sisters in Christ (Matthew 18:20; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13), in a church, in the privacy of our room (Matthew 6:6), or in the beauty of nature (Psalm 97:6; Daniel 3:29-68). God is also present in His Word—the Holy Scriptures.

However, we must also teach them that we meet the Holy Trinity in a special way through the sacraments—and most especially in the Holy Eucharist. During the Mass, the priest extends his hands and calls down the Holy Spirit to transform the gifts of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Son of God Jesus, re-presenting that one offering of sacrifice to the Father that happened at Calvary nearly 2,000 years ago!

Of course, Jesus Christ is substantially present during the Holy Mass. As the priest—acting in the person of Jesus Christ—speaks the words of consecrations (“This is my body… this is my blood…”) the bread and wine are transformed into the most precious Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The technical term for this great wonder is “transubstantiation.” This is a complex philosophical term that simply states that while the outward appearance and qualities of the bread and wine remain (for example, the appearance, color, shape, smell, taste of the bread and wine, including the chemical properties of the alcohol, etc.) the inward SUBSTANCE (what the thing most truly is in its essence or nature) has changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. So that when we receive what seems like mere bread and wine during Holy Communion at Mass—we are actually taking into our bodies God himself—the Creator of the world—Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the world—crucified, risen, glorified, ascended into Heaven—the undivided Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Too amazing for words!!!

But, the wonder does not end there! Jesus remains present in the consecrated “species” (the transformed bread and wine). We reserve the Holy Eucharist, or “the Blessed Sacrament”, in the form of the hosts in a beautifully crafted and adorned cabinet called the tabernacle. Before the time of Jesus, the Israelites kept the signs of God’s presence—the 10 Commandment tablets, the “manna” bread that came down from heaven to miraculously feed them while in the desert, and the staff of the high priest Aaron—in a beautifully constructed box called the Ark of the Covenant (see Exodus 25-27, etc.). The Ark was kept in a tent (“tabernacle”) and carried by the Israelites wherever they went as the most sacred resting place of God’s presence among His people (they even took it with them into battle!). Eventually, King Solomon built a temple to house the Ark.

You might want to point out the tabernacle in the Church to the children. You should remind the children that they should always genuflect and can make the sign of the cross while entering a church or when passing in front of the tabernacle. This is a sign of respect for Jesus’ presence. The tabernacle can always be identified by the red sanctuary candle which is always kept burning night and day as a symbol of Jesus’ abiding presence (Scripture also recounts how God showed his presence to the Israelites in the form of a column of fire as He led them out during the Exodus from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 14:24, etc.).

Therefore, while we can pray to God anywhere… we can pray to God and sit in the presence of Jesus in a special way when we spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle of any Catholic Church.

When we want to pray before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in an even more special way, a priest places a sacred Host in what is called a monstrance. [Word comes from a Latin term. Think of the word “de-monstrate” meaning to display or show.] We have monstrances in display cases both at St. Patrick and St. Joseph’s churches. We have regular “holy hours” of Eucharistic adoration at St. Patrick’s (every Friday from 11 until noon) and at St. Joseph’s and St. Michael’s during the first week of the month.

The Blessed Sacrament is placed in a little glass window so that people can gaze directly upon Jesus as they adore Him. The monstrance is another precious vessel made of gold that is often in the shape of a sun with rays extending out. Before the time of Jesus pagans used to worship the sun (some pagans still do this today). Now we recognize that Jesus is the only God—he is the Son of God and also the “Sun” of God because just as the sun returns each day—overcoming the dark night by rising in the East, Jesus Christ our Lord and messiah will one day return at the end of the world (Daniel 7:13-14; Mark 14:61-64). He will then completely be “the light of the World” (John 1:9; 8:1), so that we can truly be the “children of light” that we are called to be (Ephesians 5:8). Eucharistic adoration, like the Mass, is a foretaste of the Heavenly Jerusalem, where “the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23). When we look upon our Lord, we are practicing for our life in Heaven: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). J

2. How else can we describe the ways that Jesus is present?

“[Children and young people] are to be taught and trained to realize that Jesus Christ is indeed at the right hand of His heavenly Father. But Jesus Christ is also:
physically
geographically
really
completely now on earth, present in the Blessed Sacrament, offering Himself in the Sacrifice of the Mass and received by us-His Body in our bodies in Holy Communion.” --Fr. John Hardon, S.J., 2000 address The Greatest Need in the World Today—Forming the Eucharistic Faith and Love of Children, full text available on http://www.therealpresence.org/ .

3. How can Jesus be present in the tabernacle at St. Patrick’s and, at the same time, present in the tabernacles of other churches throughout the world?

This is the power of the sacraments. God is not bound by space and time like we are. He can be in many places at once—in deed, God is present anywhere. Jesus instituted the sacraments so that his priests could make him present in this mysterious way to people all over the world at all times.

4. What if it feels weird to kneel in front of a tabernacle or monstrance… it feels like I am worshipping bread?

That might be a natural human reaction. However, just think what you would do if you saw Jesus walking by you… or if Jesus was present in a room? I know that I would sure get on my knees and adore him! That is exactly what people did in the Bible. Now we have to remember, that what looks like bread is no longer truly bread—but is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divnity of Jesus Christ. God Himself is present on that altar during Mass and in that tabernacle or monstrance after Mass. So, we should adore God just like we hope to do for all eternity in heaven. You can also think about what we do at the Mass. Remember that we kneel down as the priest holds us the transformed host—the lamb of God broken for our sins—and says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…” At that very moment, we are doing “Eucharistic adoration.” When we kneel before the tabernacle or the monstrance, we are simply extending this wonderful moment for a longer time period.

A brief catechism on eucharistic adoration (part 2)

A Brief Catechism on Eucharistic Adoration. CPDT

(Part 2 of 2)
5. Why does Jesus Christ remain with us in the humble form of bread and wine?

Who knows? We know that it is the nature of Jesus to be humble—“who, though he was in the form of God, did not equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7).

Of course, Jesus identified himself as the Bread of Life: ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst… I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh….Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him’ (6:35, 51, 53-56).

Remember that in the Old Testament, one could not even look upon the infinite glory of God lest one die! A child was once asked why God resides in the form of bread and wine—she very wisely said, ‘so that we would not be afraid of Him.’

6. What have the Popes had to say about the importance of Eucharistic adoration?

“On August 12 of [1999] speaking to half a million young people in Denver, Colorado, Pope John II told them:
‘Your pilgrimage will lead you to Christ present in the Holy Eucharist. Praying before the Blessed Sacrament exposed, you can open your hearts to Him, but you should especially listen to what he says to each of you. Christ’s special words to young people are the following:
Do not be afraid. (Mt. 10:31) and Come, follow me. (Mt. 19:21). Who knows what the Lord will ask of you young people of America, sons and daughters of Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania?...’ ” –Fr. John Hardon, S.J., 2000 address The Greatest Need in the World Today—Forming the Eucharistic Faith and Love of Children, full text available on
http://www.therealpresence.org/ .

Pope Benedict XVI has continued John Paul II’s desire to highlight the importance of adoring the Eucharist in his recent apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis:

As Saint Augustine put it: "nemo autem illam carnem manducat, nisi prius adoraverit; peccemus non adorando – no one eats that flesh without first adoring it; we should sin were we not to adore it." (191) In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us; eucharistic adoration is simply the natural consequence of the eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church's supreme act of adoration. (192) Receiving the Eucharist means adoring him whom we receive. Only in this way do we become one with him, and are given, as it were, a foretaste of the beauty of the heavenly liturgy. The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself. Indeed, "only in adoration can a profound and genuine reception mature. And it is precisely this personal encounter with the Lord that then strengthens the social mission contained in the Eucharist, which seeks to break down not only the walls that separate the Lord and ourselves, but also and especially the walls that separate us from one another."

7. How can Eucharistic adoration help encourage a growth in vocations?

If we teach children to place the Eucharist and prayer at the center of their lives then we will no longer have to see parishes closing and Clusters expanding due to a shortage of vocations to the priesthood. We might once again have enough nuns, monks, and brothers to minister at parishes and Catholic schools. We might once again have an increase in fruitful Catholic marriages and churches packed with families for Sunday Mass. In places where parishes foster Eucharistic adoration, young men begin to discern vocations to the priesthood and young women think about the religious life. I have seen this for myself. It really happens!

Related websites:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Eucharist:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3W.HTM

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Eucharist:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/
archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html#The%20sacraments
%20of%20Christian%20initiation
(See especially questions 271-294)

Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, paragraphs #66-69 on “Adoration and Eucharistic Devotion”:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_
exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20070222_
sacramentum-caritatis_en.html#Adoration_and_eucharistic_devotion

* The Real Presence Association: http://www.therealpresence.org/
Real Presence Communications: http://www.realpresence.org/
Eucharistic Miracles: http://www.therealpresence.org/
eucharst/mir/a3.html

* Singles of the Eucharist: http://www.singlesoftheeucharist.org/
Swallowed Scroll: http://www.swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/

Pope Benedict XVI and the Latin Mass

Happy Easter - He is Risen! - Regina Caeli, Laetare, Alleluia!


I am very busy with work lately, otherwise I would try to post more items related to the Easter Octave. However, here is a little something...l


Time Magazine covers the latest on Pope Benedict XVI and movements to ease restriction on celebrating the traditional Latin Mass. For what it is worth, I add some of my own editorial comments after each paragraph (I write in BLUE):

A Step Backward for Pope Benedict?
Friday, Apr. 13, 2007 By JEFF ISRAELY/ROME in TIME magazine

Two years into his papacy, Benedict XVI may be about to reclaim his reputation as a no-holds-barred traditionalist. Thanks to Benedict's thoughtful manner, Church progressives had believed that the man who was once the hard-line Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger would cut some slack on areas of doctrinal contention — using his intellectual heft and traditional credentials as necessary cover to. But as Benedict turns 80 on April 16 and marks two years as Pope on April 18, the once hopeful progressives have all but given up their fantasy of Benedict the Reformer.

Did "progressives" actually think that "Benedict the Reformer" would "reform" the Church by "cutting some slack on areas of doctrinal contention." "Cutting some slack"... that sounds like something that an immature teenager asks his parents to do. God did not give the Pope--the vicar of Christ on earth--authority over the 1 billion some Catholics in the world so that he could "cut some slack" with regards to the truth. Pope Benedict takes another approach: he chooses to EMBRACE the truths of our faith, PROCLAIM them in all their beauty and splendor, DEFEND them against a world that is set against them, and TEACH and persuade his spiritual children so that they can do the same.


In the coming weeks, the Pope is expected to release a document that would allow the widespread return of the traditional Latin Mass, which was all but shelved with the reforms of the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s. Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone recently confirmed to Le Figaro newspaper that this motu proprio, or personal initiative of the Pontiff, will allow any priest to say the mass according to the old Tridentine rite (which is delivered in Latin with the priest facing the altar, his back to the congregation), rather than have to seek approval from the local bishop as is now required.

The author leaves out a lot of important points here. First, Pope John Paul II wrote an apostolic letter in 1988 entitled "Ecclesia Dei." In this letter the late pontiff stated that:

respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of all those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition, by a wide and generous application of the directives already issued some time ago by the Apostolic See for the use of the Roman Missal according to the typical edition of 1962.

The entire document is available on the Vatican website:
www.vatican.va/roman_curia/
pontifical_commissions/ecclsdei/documents/hf_
jp-ii_motu-proprio_02071988_ecclesia-dei_en.html
Of course, the Pope also instituted a permanent pontifical commission also called "Ecclesia Dei" ( www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_
commissions/ecclsdei/documents/rc_com
_ecclsdei_pro_20051996_en.html ). (So, it is not accurate to attribute all of this recent movement with regards to a reconsideration of the Latin Mass just to Pope Benedict.) In many dioceses, the local bishop has not carried out this request of Pope John Paul II. Some bishops have either "ghetto-ized" the Latin Mass into select oratories or they have not applied the directives of Ecclesia Dei nor allowed for the Latin Mass with any generosity at all.

Eighteen months ago, one Rome-based progressive cleric had said he was "surprised to see that [Benedict] seems to be open to hear new ideas." But today, the same priest is disappointed. There has been no sign of any of the hoped-for reforms: overturning the ban on communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, reconsidering the celibacy requirement for priests, allowing gays in seminaries, or a softening of the condom ban to allow for distribution in AIDS-ravaged Africa. The release last month of the Pope's final document on what had seemed to be a convivial and intellectually open October 2005 bishops' meeting on the Eucharist is a good example of the Pontiff's approach. According to a senior Church official who participated: "He took all that debate of the Synod, and then gave us a document that simply defends the status quo." This same official acknowledges a bit of past excessive optimism on Benedict: "People were hoping that with his intellectual acumen and understanding of theology, he'd be in a position to make some of these changes. Unfortunately, at this point, I don't think we'll see any of them."

This kind of things always makes me laugh. I guess that this anonymous "progressive" priest considers the Pope "open to hear new ideas" and impressive in his "intellectual acument and understanding of theology" ONLY if he agrees with a particular progressive agenda. For one thing, the ideas mentioned above ("overturning the ban on communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, reconsidering the celibacy requirement for priests, allowing gays in seminaries, or a softening of the condom ban to allow for distribution in AIDS-ravaged Africa") can hardly be considered "new ideas." Priestly celibacy has been debated and wined about ad nauseum. Many would say that the predominance of gays in seminaries in the 1970's and 1980's has led to some of the problems that the Church has recently had to deal with in the priesthood. In fact, the Pope would more likely be expected to push for true reform in that area given the recent events of the crisis. He is also trying to defend the value and beauty of priestly celibacy which is always under attack by a society that is confounded and threatened by the very idea of celibacy. Again, Pope Benedict XVI like JPII before him, probably wants to reform the Church's impoverished understanding of celibacy (both clergy and the laity need help understanding this). According to an unnamed "senior Church official", the Pope "took all that debate of the Synod, and then gave us a document that simply defends the status quo." Well once again, just the mere fact that a synod involves debate does guarantee that the Pope will automatically adopt some of those suggestions. The Pope is counseled by the bishops in the Synod, and he has to be the final arbiter... he is the one who is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the Church has what it needs at a given time.

Of course, beyond the doctrinal front, plenty has changed these past two years for the Bavarian prelate and Vatican insider. He has become a world leader and has been learning lessons in tempering his ideas with public relations, having given controversial speeches and been confronted with fiery inter-faith conflict, particularly with Islam. A trip next month to Brazil, the first ocean crossing and first time among the fervent flock of the Third World, will further test both the pastoral and political aspects of his job, as Latin America continues to deal with widespread poverty and the continent's Catholics increasingly lose ground to Evangelical movements. Still the Pope has managed to keep up his writings, including the conclusion of a book he began in 2003 on the life of Jesus, which comes out Monday in Italian and German, and next month in English.

By the way, the Pope was right with his comments regarding Islam (even if the mode for expression that he chose was awkward and open to misunderstanding). And where was the apology for the Catholic churches that were burned... or the Catholic nun who was senselessly murdered (even while she helped to serve the health needs of Muslims!). I am glad that he had the guts to say what needed to be said.

A significant part of any Pope's job is to manage questions of doctrine and discipline. Benedict's "no wiggle room" approach is increasingly seen in the context of his great battle to defend Catholicism on its historical home turf of Europe, where he sees a kind of cult of secularism. The Pope's response is not simply to reaffirm the Christian values of the old continent, a goal also expressed by the continent's more liberal leaders and theologians like Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Cardinal Godfried Daneels. In addition, Benedict professes a very specific kind of Christianity, one based not only on the teachings of Jesus, but on abiding by the letter of ancient Catholic Church traditions as the only effective bulwark against rampant relativism.

Well, the "teachings of Jesus" ARE found both in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. (Duh!)
The point is right on--without sacred tradition and the guidance of the Magisterium, other Christian groups have managed to warp the Christian message into a strange form (all with justification from Scripture).

In fact, the one major disciplinary about-face expected is this coming document on the Latin Mass, a concession to the ultra-conservatives, who have been living and praying on the fringe of the Church since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council brought in Mass in the vernacular. Said one Rome-based priest: "Opening up the Latin rite to anyone would amount to the Church turning back the reforms of Vatican II." A Vatican official who has worked closely with the Pope said that loosening rules on the Latin rite has been a long-time personal goal of Ratzinger, who had led what turned out to be failed negotiations in the early 1980s to bring back into the fold the followers of the breakaway French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who have defied the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

Notice the typical political jargon of journalists: "a concession to the ultra-conservatives."
Would wider use of the traditional Latin Mass bring about a "turning back [of] the reforms of Vatican II"? That is hard to say. Many would argue that the liturgy as we have it today does not really resemble what is called for in the documents of Vatican II. For example, while the document on the liturgy stated that "the use of Latin...is to be preserved in the Latin rites" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, #36), when is the last time that you have sung the Pater Noster, or the Agnus Dei, or the Gloria at Mass? One of Pope Benedict's great missions in his pontificate seems to be to bring about a "reform of the reform." I do not think that he wants to comletely negate the liturgical changes of Vatican II--but he does want to turn back liturgical abuses (done often in the name of the "spirit of Vatican II") and restore the liturgy to what was originally envisioned by Vatican II. Where the use of the (1962) traditional Latin Mass alongside the post Vatican II Novus Ordo Mass fits into this reform, however, is another question. I do not think that it would be an easy question.

The Vatican official says that Benedict believes that the Council's legacy "has been abused," and finding a way to widen access to the Latin rite "has always remained in his heart." Still, even mainstream members of the Roman hierarchy are opposed, fearing that it will exacerbate divisions within the Church. French bishops have openly argued against it. The Pope's old office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith last spring, privately advised against the motu proprio, the Vatican official said. Still, Benedict does not appear swayed. The professor Pope may be happy to have a conversation on doctrine, but he knows he always has the last word.

This point may very well be true. A restoration of wider access to the Traditional Latin Mass would bring joy to many Catholics who have a special devotion to it, but it could result in parishes having two congregations. However, we also must remember that the one universal Catholic Church already does have a large number of rites, usings various languages, gestures, symbols, etc. I also can sympathize with traditional Catholics who long for the traditional Latin Mass. It does possess great beauty, reverence, and an otherworldy sense of transcendence. It requires that the laity see their prayer in the Mass as more contemplative than active. The notion of the Mass as the unbloody sacrifice of Calvary is more clear. Imagine the reaction of an Byzatine rite Catholic if the Church one day just transformed the Mass that he knew and loved, changed the language, the order, the symbolism and gestures. He would be outraged and saddened. Why do expect less of Latin rite Catholics. Still, I see the beauty of the reformed liturgy of Vatican II (if it is practiced with reverence, according to the liturgical norms, and in continuity with past liturgical tradition). What would happen if we had wider access to two different Masses. Hhhhhmmmm, it is an interesting question, and not one that I would have to negotiate. I, for one, am glad that Pope Benedict does have "the last word" on this one.
__________________________
Interestingly, after I wrote this... I discovered that the blog New Liturgical Movement also commented on this article by Time. They also have some interesting photos of where the Post-Conciliar liturgical reform was implemented in rather absurd ways. Check it out:
http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com
/2007/04/hermeneutic-of-
rupture-great-threat-of.html

Did Vatican II do away with Latin in the Mass?

The following appeared on the blog of a catechist (named Rich Leonardi) called "Ten Reasons":
http://richleonardi.blogspot.com/2007/02/
shall-be-preserved.html

The February 9 Catholic Telegraph of Cincinnati runs a letter I submitted last month concerning Latin and the liturgy:
In the Jan. 5 Telegraph, Thomas Busemeyer expresses gratitude to Vatican II for ridding Catholic worship of Latin. The problem for Mr. Busemeyer is that the Council did no such thing. Indeed, its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy instructed that the Latin language “shall be preserved” and that Gregorian Chant -- in Latin -- shall be given “pride of place.”What accounts for the near-disappearance of Latin in the Mass? A very flawed implementation of the Missal of Pope Paul VI that followed the Council. Pope Paul himself stated that the faithful "should be able to sing together, in Latin, at least the parts of the Ordinary of the Mass, especially the Creed and the Our Father.”So to the extent that Pope Benedict XVI’s forthcoming “reform of the reform” returns some Latin to the liturgy, it will be to right a wrong done during the confusion that followed
Vatican II.

The full quotations are as follows: "The use of the Latin language, with due respect to particular law, is to be preserved in the Latin rites. But since the use of the vernacular, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or in other parts of the liturgy, may frequently be of great advantage to the people, a wider use may be made of it, especially in readings, directives and in some prayers and chants." Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) #36, Vatican II

"The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.
But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30.
117. The typical edition of the books of Gregorian chant is to be completed; and a more critical edition is to be prepared of those books already published since the restoration by St. Pius X.
It is desirable also that an edition be prepared containing simpler melodies, for use in small churches. Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) #116-117, Vatican II

I'd have to agree with Rich here. There is no reason why we cannot (at least occasionally) sing the the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), the Holy Holy Holy (Sanctus), and the Our Father in Latin. After decades of singing these in English, I think that everyone would know the meaning of the Latin if they sang it. :) That kind of use of Latin is actually what the II Vatican Council called us to do. In the poor implementation, most parishes did away with Latin entirely. And when is the last time that you heard Gregorian chant?....
Makes you wander...

You can read the documents of Vatican II by clicking below (or from my links section):
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/
ii_vatican_council/index.htm

Breaking the Bread ("Hope in Tribulation")

The reflections on next week's Mass readings from St. Paul Center of Biblical Theology (www.salvationhistory.com) are now available on their website (so I do not have to write them and post them myself).

Get ready for this Sunday's Mass by reading the readings ahead of time and check out this reflection so that you can see the illuminating connections between the Old Testament and New Testament readings:

http://www.salvationhistory.com/library/scripture/churchandbible/
homilyhelps/ordinary33b.cfm

Breaking the Bread (Oct. 29): "Seeing the Son of David"

Breaking the Bread: Biblical Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings
copyright St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology (www.salvationhistory.com)
[Dr. Scott Hahn, President]

"Seeing the Son of David"
October 22, 29th Sunday in Ordinary TimeReadings:
(go to http://www.usccb.org/nab/102906.shtml )
Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126:1-6; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52

Today's Gospel turns on irony--it is a blind man, Bartimaeus, who becomes the first besides the apostles to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. And His healing is the last miracle Jesus performs before entering the holy city of Jerusalem for His last week on earth.

The scene on the road to Jerusalem evokes the joyful procession prophesied by Jeremiah in today's First Reading. In Jesus this prophesy is fulfilled. God, through the Messiah, is delivering His people from exile, bringing them back from the ends of the earth, with the blind and the lame in their midst.

Jesus, as Bartimaeus proclaims, is the long-awaited Son promised to David (see 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 11:9; Jeremiah 23:5). Upon His triumphal arrival in Jerusalem, all will see that the everlasting kingdom of David has come (see Mark 11:9-10).

As we hear in today's Epistle, the Son of David was expected to be the Son of God (see Psalm 2:7). He was to be a priest-king like Melchizedek (see Psalm 110:4), who offered bread and wine to God Most High at the dawn of salvation history (see Genesis 14:18-20).

Bartimaeus is a symbol of his people, the captive Zion which we sing of in today's Psalm.

Bartimaeus, too, should be a sign for us. How often Christ passes us by--in the person of the poor, in the distressing guise of a troublesome family member or burdensome associate (see Matthew 25:31-46)--and yet we don't see Him.

Christ still calls to us through His Church, as Jesus sent His apostles to call Bartimaeus. Yet how often are we found to be listening instead to the voices of the crowd, not hearing the words of His Church.

Today He asks us what He asks Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" Rejoicing, let us ask the same thing of Him--what can we do for all that He has done for us?

Breaking the Bread (Oct. 22): "Cup of Salvation"

Breaking the Bread: Biblical Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings.
copyright St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology (www.salvationhistory.com)
[Dr. Scott Hahn, President]

"Cup of Salvation" October 22, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: (go to http://www.usccb.org/nab/102206.shtml ) Isaiah 53:10-11;
Psalm 33:4-5,18-20, 22; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45

The sons of Zebedee hardly know what they're asking in today's Gospel. They are thinking in terms of how the Gentiles rule, of royal privileges and honors.

But the road to Christ's kingdom is by way of His cross. To share in His glory, we must be willing to drink the cup that He drinks.

The cup is an Old Testament image for God's judgment. The wicked would be made to drink this cup in punnishment for their sins (see Psalm 75:9; Jeremiah 22:15, 28; Isaiah 51:17). But Jesus has come to drink this cup on behalf of all humanity. He has come to be baptized--which means plunged or immersed--into the sufferings we all deserve for our sins (compare Luke 12:50).

In this He will fulfill the task of Isaiah's suffering servant, whom we read about in today's First Reading. The Son of Man will give His life as an offering for sin, as once Israel's priests offered sacrifices for the sins of the people (Leviticus 5:17-19).

Jesus is the heavenly high priest of all humanity, as we hear in today's Epistle. Israel's high priests offered the blood of goats and calves in the temple sanctuary. But Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood (see Hebrews 9:12).

And by bearing our guilt and offering His life to do the will of God, Jesus ransomed "the many"--paying the price to redeem humanity from spiritual slavery to sin and death.

He has delivered us from death, as we rejoice in today's Psalm.

We need to hold fast to our confession of faith, as today's Epistle exhorts us. We must look upon our trials and sufferings as our portion of the cup He promised to those who believe in Him. We must remember that we have been baptized into His passion and death (see Romans 6:3).

In confidence, let us approach the altar today, the throne of grace, at which we drink the cup of His saving blood (see Mark 14:23-24).

Breaking the Bread (Oct. 8): Marriage and Divorce

Breaking the Bread: Biblical Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings. copyright St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology (www.salvationhistory.com)

"What God Has Joined" October 8, 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: (go to http://www.usccb.org/nab/100806.shtml )
Genesis 2:18-24; Psalm 128:1-6; Hebrews 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16

In today's Gospel, the Pharisees try to trap Jesus with a trick question.

The "lawfulness" of divorce in Israel was never at issue. Moses had long ago allowed it (see Deuteronomy 24:1-4). But Jesus points His enemies back before Moses, to "the beginning," interpreting the text we hear in today's First Reading.

Divorce violates the order of creation, He says. Moses permitted it only as a concession to the people's "hardness of heart"--their inability to live by God's covenant Law. But Jesus comes to fulifll the Law, to reveal its true meaning and purpose, and to give people the grace to keep God's commands.

Marriage, he reveals, is a sacrament, a divine, life-giving sign. Through the union of husband and wife, God intended to bestow His blessings on the human family--making it fruitful, multiplying it until it filled the earth (see Genesis 1:28).

That's why today's Gospel moves so easily from a debate about marriage to Jesus' blessing of children. Children are blessings the Father bestows on couples who walk in His ways, as we sing in today's Psalm.

Marriage also is a sign of God's new covenant. As today's Epistle hints, Jesus is the new Adam--made a little lower than the angels, born of a human family (see Romans 5:14; Psalm 8:5-7). The Church is the new Eve, the "woman" born of Christ's pierced side as He hung in the sleep of death on the cross (see John 19:34; Revelation 12:1-7).

Through the union of Christ and the Church as "one flesh," God's plan for the world is fulfilled (see Ephesians 5:21-32). Eve was "mother of all the living" (see Genesis 3:20). And in baptism, we are made sons and daughters of the Church, children of the Father, heirs of the eternal glory He intended for the human family in the beginning.

The challenge for us is to live as children of the kingdom, growing up ever more faithful in our love and devotion to the ways of Christ and the teachings of His Church.

Is the Mass a sacrifice?

The following is a Q & A which was posted on Zenit.org:

Scriptural Basis of the Mass as Sacrifice

ROME, SEPT. 26, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.

Q: Where are we commanded to have a sacrifice in our formal worship of God? Protestants, for the most part, worship with singing, some collective prayers and long sermons. Where in the Bible does it say that proper worship contains a sacrifice? Also a review of where in the Bible the Mass parts come from and why we include them in Mass would be useful. Again, it will come down to convincing a "sola scriptura" believer that Scripture says we must do it. Any help would be appreciated. -- J.C., Leavenworth, Kansas

A: A full answer to this question exceeds the possibilities of this column. There are, however, many worthy resources available online. Web sites such as Catholic Answers
(www.catholic.com) contain, among other elements, Father Mitch Pacwa's "Is the Mass a Sacrifice?" (see for example http://www.catholic.com/library/sacraments.asp)

The Old Testament contains many divine commands to perform sacrifices. All of the complex liturgical rituals described in Leviticus, for example, are ostensibly commanded by God through Moses.

Perhaps the most important sacrifices commanded by God in the Old Testament were those in which the Almighty sealed a covenant. This includes the one with Noah after the flood, the pact made with Abraham, and above all the sacrifice of the paschal lamb in Egypt, a covenant that was completed 50 days later with another sacrifice at Sinai.

It was this covenant that was renewed each year at the Passover by means of a sacrificial ritual that was a "memorial" ("zikkaron" in Hebrew). It was not a mere recalling but rather one that ritually made present and ratified and renewed the saving events that had occurred so many years before.

For Catholics, the central divine command to worship, using a sacrifice, came from the lips of Christ when he told the apostles at the Last Supper, "Do this as in memory of me."

In doing so, he specifically recalled the Jewish Passover as a memorial and applied it to himself and his upcoming sacrifice on the cross, with a totally new and definitive meaning.

In this context Our Lord's words "This is my body, which is given for you" (Luke 22:19) correspond to those of Exodus 12:27: "[This ritual] is the sacrifice of the Passover in honor of Yahweh" when he freed Israel from slavery in Egypt.

The words "For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28) echo those of Exodus 24:8 when Moses says: "This … is the blood of the covenant that Yahweh has made with you."

We are thus before a unique sacrifice, the memorial sacrament of Christ's paschal sacrifice. Through it he has brought salvation to all mankind and sealed a new and eternal covenant in his blood.

Although the apostles probably did not immediately grasp the full meaning of Christ's gesture in the cenacle, their reflection on his words and actions and their familiarity with the Passover as a memorial quickly led them to understand that Our Lord had commanded them to repeat the ritual that he had established.

They understood that this ritual was the definitive paschal sacrifice which made present Christ's unique sacrifice on Calvary and in doing so ratified and renewed the new and eternal covenant.

Therefore, God has commanded us to worship with a sacrifice, his own unique sacrifice.

All other forms of ritual sacrifice have fallen by the wayside as Christ's sacrifice has an infinite worth that absorbs all the values and intentions expressed in the ancient sacrifices.

The Mass is a sacrifice insofar as it is the memorial that ritually renews and makes present to us, in time, Christ's once-and-for-all sacrifice on the cross.

The personal prayers and sacrifices of Christians reach their fulfillment when they are united to Christ's sacrifice through full, devout and active participation at Mass.

As to where in the Bible the various parts of the Mass are found, the answer is less clear. In a way it is everywhere and nowhere.

Everywhere, because the entire Mass is animated by Scripture. Almost all of the prayers and texts have a scriptural background and the entire rite is developed as a fruit of Christ's command to continue his actions.

Nowhere, in the sense that we will not find explicit commands to say, "Sing the Sanctus after the preface." Rather, the ritual has developed over time as a response to the scriptural exhortation to pray, to repeat the sacrifice, etc.

In this case even a Protestant would have to accept that the details of his worship (songs, psalms and long sermons, etc.) are found in the Bible only in very general terms.

Breaking the Bread (Sept. 24)

Biblical Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings
September 24 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

readings: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 Psalm 54:3-8 James 3:16-4:3
Mark 9:30-37
find readings on web at http://www.usccb.org/nab/092406.shtml

"Servant of All"

In today's First Reading, it's like we have our ears pressed to the wall and can hear the murderous grumblings of the elders, chief priests and scribes--who last week Jesus predicted would torture and kill Him (see Mark 8:31; 10:33-34).

The liturgy invites us to see this passage from the Book of Wisdom as a prophesy of the Lord's Passion. We hear His enemies complain that "the Just One" has challenged their authority, reproached them for breaking the law of Moses, for betraying their training as leaders and teachers.

And we hear chilling words that foreshadow how they will mock Him as He hangs on the cross: "For if the Just One be the Son of God, He will...deliver Him..." (compare Matthew 27:41-43).

Today's Gospel and Psalm give us the flip side of the First Reading. In both, we hear of Jesus' sufferings from His point of view. Though His enemies surround Him, He offers himself freely in sacrifice, trusting that God will sustain Him.

But the apostles today don't understand this second announcement of Christ's passion. They begin arguing over issues of succession--over who among them is greatest, who will be chosen to lead after Christ is killed.

Again they are thinking not as God, but as human beings (see Mark 8:33). And again Jesus teaches the Twelve--the chosen leaders of His Church--that they must lead by imitating His example of love and self-sacrifice. They must be "servants of all," especially the weak and the helpless--symbolized by the child He embraces and places in their midst.

This is a lesson for us, too. We must have the mind of Christ, who humbled himself to come among us (see Philippians 2:5-11). We must freely offer ourselves, making everything we do a sacrifice in praise of His name.

As James says in today's Epistle, we must seek wisdom from above, desiring humility not glory, and in all things be gentle and full of mercy.

Copyright 2006 St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
www.SalvationHistory.com

Bite-size wisdom (the Eucharist)

"There he is: King of Kings and Lord of Lords, hidden in the bread.
To this extreme has he humbled himself for love of you."

St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, #538