International Catholic University
I. Introduction TO EUCHARIST
A. Some Recent Magisterial Documents
1. Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei (1965)
2. JP II, Domincae Cenae (1980)
3. Curial documents Eucharisticum Mysterium and Inaestimabile Donum (1980)
B. Jewish Background
1. Sacrifices of Israel (Lev 1-11) [see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, v.2, 413]
a. holocaust: male without spot or blemish (Lev 1; 7:11ff), wholly burnt
b. communion sacrifice (thanksgiving sacrifice, sacrifice of praise, peace offering): victim shared between God, priests, offerers (Lev 3)
c. sin offering: to reestablish the covenant, broken by man's sin (Lev 4)
d. blood = life (Lev 17:14, 7:26-27; Gen 9:4; Dt 12:23).
(1) role in forgiveness of sin. Heb 9:22.
(2) 2 Cor 5:21 "Christ, who had not known sin, God made 'sin' (victim for sin), in order that we might become, in him, God's justice"
(3) Is 53 the servant atones by means of a cultic expiatory sacrifice. "like a lamb led to slaughter" 53:7; makes himself an offering for sin 53:10.
(4) cannot be eaten for only God has disposition over it
2. Ex 24: 1-11: ratification of the Mosaic Covenant
a. sacrifices, blood ritual, meal (v. 11 "ate & drank")
b. Ex 24:8 "Behold the blood of the covenant." Jesus' words as recorded by Matthew & Mark recall this.
3. Passover: sacrifice (Ex 12:27) & meal, memorial of redemption
a. sacrifice of unblemished male lamb (Ex 12:5)
b. interpretive words spoken over food: bread, lamb, bitter herbs
c. Memorial: means for Jew "Re-presentation".
(1) Mishnah, Tractate Pesahim 10:5: "a man must so regard himself as if he came forth himself out of Egypt."
(2) the idea that "God in his eternity transcends the temporal sequence proper to the created order." A Jewish idea upon which Catholic sacramental theology is founded.
d. berakah: lengthy prayer of thanks for saving deeds (e.g. Neh 9:5-37)
C. Institution of Eucharist
1. Last Supper a Passover meal? Synoptics vs. John.
a. Certainly Passover context
b. Trent defines it: Jesus instituted the Euch at the Last Supper CF 1514
2. In Synoptics,
a. Last Supper an alteration of the meaning and form of Passover. Espec explicit in Lk 22:20 & 1 Cor 11: 25 (e.g., "new covenant").
b. Jesus' death on the same day as the Passover supper according to the Synoptics (Jewish day begins at sundown).
3. In John: Christ as Paschal Lamb
a. Jn 1: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins . . ."
b. Christ dies on cross at hour of sacrifice of lambs
c. "Christ, our paschal Lamb has been sacrificed." 1 Cor 5:7
d. Jn 19:36. the failure of Jesus to have his bones broken the fulfillment of Ex 12:46 about the Passover Lamb
4. Sacrifice (body given, blood poured out), command to repeat CCC 1365
D. Essence/Form distinction (Pius Parsch, Johannes Emminghaus)
1. Essence: sacrificial self-offering of Jesus under forms of wheat bread and grape wine are essential for validity. Church not free to change this.
a. Sacrifice, presence, meal
b. Matter (wheat bread, grape wine) & form ("this is my body"; epiklesis)
c. Multiple Meanings of wheat bread
(1) basic nourishment
(2) unleavened bread of affliction of Passover Ex 12:14-20 (Synoptics). Recalls the first great deliverance, act of salvation
(3) recalls manna Deut 8:3 "Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord."
(4) Sacrifice of Melchizedek Gen 14:18
(5) cereal offering minhah (Lev 2), see Emminghaus, 40.
(6) unity of the loaf a sign of unity of Church (Didache 9:4): "As this piece [of bread] was scattered over the hills and then was brought together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom"
d. Multiple Meanings of Grape Wine
(1) libations Ex 29:38-41; Nu 15:2-15, Lev 23:13
(2) blood of the grape obtained only by crushing.
(a) Cup of suffering. Agony in Garden. Lk 22:42
(b) cup of God's wrath. Intoxicating. Ps. 60:3 "You made your people go through hardship, made us stagger from the wine you gave us." (NAB)
(3) Joy, celebration, messianic banquet
(a) Judges 9:13 "cheers gods & men"
(b) Ps 104:15 Gladdens the heart of man
(4) blood as the life of a thing over which only God has control. In OT forbidden to consume blood. Lev 7:27 "Every person who partakes of any blood shall be cut off from his people."
2. Form of the liturgical ceremonies that surround this can change
a. Liturgy composed of unchangeable divinely instituted elements, and elements subject to change. The latter "not only may be changed but ought to be changed with the passage of time" both to eliminate inappropriate accretions or simply for sake of aggiornamento. SC 21. This a very clear, bold, broad principle.
b. "where necessary, the rites be carefully and thoroughly revised in the light of sound tradition, and that they be given new vigor to meet the circumstances and needs of modern times." SC 4.
c. historically, regular change can be proven. Church has repeatedly claimed authority to do so and has done so.
d. Abp. Marcel Lefebvre & Society of Pius X separate tradition from the living Church by denying Church's authority to change form.
e. SC 22 regulation of liturgy depends "solely on the authority of the Church" pope, bishops conference, individual bishop.