The Eucharistic Change

In his book The Eucharist, Raymond Moloney, SJ (1995), reflects on the forms of language that have been used to express the truth about the Eucharist. He identifies the language of identity, the language of change, and the language of presence in the proclamation of the Gospel, in the Tradition of the Church and in the theological reflection on the mystery of the bread and wine becoming the body and blood of Christ.

The language of identity
In the Gospels, Jesus is represented as saying at his last supper, "This is my body ... this is my blood". Moloney states that this language is "traditional in the prophecy and ritual of Israel" (p. 55). The prophets of the Old Testament were known for their bluntness. The Passover ritual makes use of language that is direct. For example, "This is the bread of affliction which your fathers ate in the land of Egypt".

The language of change
This form of language is not found in the New Testament, however, it does appear in the writings of Justin (c. 150 AD) and Irenaeus (c. 200 AD).

St Justin wrote: "For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is both the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus". (First Apology 66)

St Irenaeus also made use of the language of change in his description of the Eucharist. He wrote: "He has established us as His own body, from which He gives increase to our bodies. When, therefore, the mixed cup and the baked bread receives the Word of God and becomes the Eucharist, the body of Christ, and from these the substance of our flesh is increased and supported, how can they say that the flesh is not capable of receiving the gift of God, which is eternal life -- flesh which is nourished by the body and blood of the Lord...receiving the Word of God, becomes the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ..." (Against Heresies 5:2:2-3)

These two examples indicate clearly the shift in the language used to describe the Eucharist. While not found in the New Testament, the language of change, coming so soon after the writing of the Gospels, reflects the understanding the first Christians had of the language of identity.

The language of presence
The language of presence has given us the term "the Real Presence." It is worth noting that this way of referring to the Eucharist did not gain currency until the Middle Ages. However, the belief in the abiding presence of God is a central theme of the Old Testament and of the covenants God made with the Chosen People. The Tent of Meeting, which the Jews carried with them through the desert, was where God and the people met.

Whenever the people of Israel set up camp, Moses would take the sacred Tent and put it up some distance outside the camp. It was called the Tent of the Lord's presence, and anyone who wanted to consult the Lord would go out to it. Whenever Moses went out there, the people would stand at the door of their tents and watch Moses until he entered it. After Moses had gone in, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the door of the Tent, and the Lord would speak to Moses from the cloud. As soon as the people saw the pillar of cloud at the door of the Tent, they would bow down. The Lord would speak with Moses face-to-face, just as someone speaks with a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp. But the young man who was his helper, Joshua son of Nun, stayed in the Tent. (Exodus 33:7-11)

The idea of God's presence is both local and reciprocal: the Tent of Meeting was in the community space; God is present in the community - the pillar of cloud signified the presence of God - and the people acknowledge his presence by bowing down. This story is reflected in the story of Jesus' transfiguration. The change in Jesus' appearance signifies the presence of God. The response of the Apostles reflects their recognition of the divine presence.

The presence of God among the Chosen People is a central characteristic of the covenant. Israel understood this in an absolute and empirical way. They looked for evidence of God's presence and responded with reverence. In this context, the Temple became the symbol of God's presence and God's home. When the Temple was destroyed and the people sent into exile in 587 BC, a more spiritual way of understanding the divine presence developed: God is present to the extent that people call on God and search for God by faith.

The Eucharist as the presence of God was foretold by the prophet Ezekiel:

I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forevermore. (37:26-28)

This prophecy is identified with one individual by Isaiah:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. (7:14)

In Matthew's Gospel, the place of Christ in the salvation of humankind is much clearer:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” (1:23)

God is present in the person of Jesus, therefore the flesh of Jesus can be considered to be "the first Tabernacle of the New Testament" ((Moloney, 1995, p.56).

The presence of God through Jesus of Nazareth is extended to the whole Church ("... remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:20). It is actualised in the community ("For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." - Matthew 18:20), in the word ("... it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." - John 6:32-33) and in the Eucharistic gifts.

Intimacy with God in this sacramental way requires a change like no other change in creation. When Jesus celebrated his last meal with his friends before his Passion, he took a ritual with which they were familiar and he changed it radically, and in changing it, he changed the objects used in the ritual, that is, the bread and wine.

From presence to change
When people bless God, God blesses people and things happen. The celebrated passage from the prophet Isaiah heralds the actions of God in the world:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11)

God worked wonders through the prophets. For instance, Elijah brought down fire from heaven. He cried out to God: "Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. (1 Kings 18:38) When Moses confronted Pharoah and demanded the release of the Jews, he was helped by God in a number of ways, including turning the waters of the Nile into blood: "In the sight of Pharaoh and of his officials he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the river, and all the water in the river was turned into blood, and the fish in the river died." (Exodus 7:20-21)

The interpretation of words in their contexts is a basic principle of hermeneutics. The words of Jesus can be interpreted according to four different contexts: Jesus, the teacher (didactic context), Jesus, the prophet (prophetic context), Jesus the liturgical leader (cultic context) and Jesus, the Lamb of God (sacrificial context).

Jesus, the teacher

Moloney describes Jesus as "the master of the image" (1999, p.58). Jesus taught his followers by means of symbols and parables. He used images to convey ideas. Whether or not something actually existed did not matter - and his disciples knew that. In a different context, Jesus would have told different stories to convey the same ideas.

The problem of interpreting Jesus' words literally existed from the very start of the Church. Consider the following account in Matthew's Gospel. Jesus warns his followers about the "leaven" of the Pharisees:

When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They said to one another, “It is because we have brought no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Notice that his disciples take him literally and Jesus criticises their tendency to interpret his words literally. Would his criticism apply to the Church's interpretation of the words of consecration in the Eucharist? Catholics believe that Jesus' words "This is my body" point to a reality that cannot be seen, that is, Jesus is present in the form - under the appearances of - unleavened bread. Just as Jesus emphasises the place of the symbolic in learning about God's presence in the world, during the Last Supper, he makes use of symbols to announce the Good News of his presence in the Eucharist. Jesus intended his words to be taken literally. The celebration of the Last Supper was more than the actions of a teacher.

Jesus, the prophet

When Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his friends, he acted as a prophet. Like the prophets of old, he made use of a "prophetic gesture". More than a dramatisation of the prophet's message, the prophetic gesture somehow makes the message an inevitability: it happens, Some examples will illustrate the power of such a device. First, Ezekiel mimes the exile before it happens.

The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, mortal, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight; you shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile; and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who go into exile. Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry the baggage through it. In their sight you shall lift the baggage on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you may not see the land; for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.
I did just as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands; I brought it out in the dark, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight.
In the morning the wordThe word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, mortal, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight; you shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile; and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who go into exile. Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry the baggage through it. In their sight you shall lift the baggage on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you may not see the land; for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.
I did just as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands; I brought it out in the dark, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight. (Ezekiel 12:1-7)

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The First Week of Advent

I'm back! 
I haven't posted to my blog since my time in the US in March. That says a lot about my life since then. No wonder I am tired! 
This post is one of a series of reflections based on the reflection questions attached to the online personal and professional development programme called "Going Deeper", which has been developed by Jonathan Doyle.

What do you find are the biggest barriers in your life to experiencing the full richness of Advent? Is it busyness, or maybe lack of awareness about the meaning, history or tradition of the Advent season?

Certainly, it’s the busyness of my life that hinders my spiritual and religious development. It has taken me until now - it’s the Second Sunday of Advent today - to get to the reflection on the First Sunday of Advent.

As for the meaning of Advent, there is always more that can be learned, especially when it comes to the history of - well, anything that exists. For instance, the quote from G.K. Chesterton about Christmas being a well-organised raid on enemy territory means more to me now after having read Crossan's explanation of the writing of the Gospels. He shows how Mark's Gospel is a challenge to the Roman theology of the divinity of the Emperor.

What has been one of the most important days of your life so far? How did you prepare? What emotions do you remember in the leadup to that day?

Of all the "most important" days in my life, I often like to return to the birth of our daughter Melissa and the hours leading up to that momentous occasion when her head appeared - her first moment in the outside world. It was a day filled with concern. Maryanne had high blood pressure and there was a fear for her safety and Melissa's too. I remember the joy of tracking her movement in Maryanne's womb. The blue gel used in ultra-sound examinations was cold and Melissa kept trying to hide behind Maryanne's bones to lessen the effects of the cold gel. Once we had worked out why her heartbeat kept disappearing, we became less concerned and enjoyed the little "game" we played with her before she was born. 

What is your most treasured memory of Christmas as a child?

Christmas has always been a "family" time, except for those times when I was away from home - and they haven't been many. I don't have many memories of childhood Christmases. The one I do remember involved my first Meccano set, given to me by my Mum and Dad. As I recall it, my Dad seemed to have more fun with it on Christmas morning than I did - he and one of my uncles used it to make "something" - I cannot recall what it was. And I remember one Christmas when I awoke to find my Dad sneaking into the bedroom to fill up the Christmas stockings we (my two brothers and I) had hanging at the foot of our beds. 

Hope is a crucial human experience. Without hope we descend into cynicism and eventual despair?What is the great ‘hope’ of Christmas for you? What hope does the coming of the Infant of Nazareth offer?

My great hope is for peace and happiness - for a world in which there is no want, a world in which all people's needs are met, a world in which God's rights are acknowledged with love and gratitude, a world in which Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists join with Christians to celebrate the coming of Christ because Christians join with them to celebrate their world-shaping moments. This would be a world worth singing about - just as the angels sang when Jesus was born.