Then, when the reader has finished, the president in a discourse admonishes and exhorts us to imitate these good things.

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Clement Eugene Bruce
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1 SERMON: September 20, 2015 Introduction to Reflections on the Eucharist Part I: INTRODUCTION I d like to begin by reading something to you: And on the day called Sunday an assembly is held in one place of all who live in town or country, and the records of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as time allows. Then, when the reader has finished, the president in a discourse admonishes and exhorts us to imitate these good things. Then we all stand up together and send up prayers; and as we said before, when we have finished praying, bread and wine and water are brought up and the president likewise sends up prayers and thanksgiving to the best of his ability, and the people answer saying the Amen; and the elements over which thanks have been given are distributed, and everyone partakes; and they are sent through the deacons to those who are not present. And we assemble together on Sunday, because it is the first day, on which God transformed darkness and matter and made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior rose fro the dead on that day, for they crucified him the day before the Sabbath; and the day after the Sabbath, which is Sunday, he appeared to his apostles and disciples, and taught them these things which we have presented to you also for your consideration. This is taken from The First Apology of Justin Martyr, Chapter 67, written around 150 AD and describes how Mass conducted during the early periods of Christianity. Notice some things. First, there is no priest who presides, but rather a president, who was one of the Elders of the Community. At this time there were no such thing as priest. Second, there was no set prayer that had to be said, but rather the president would send up prayers and thanksgiving to the best of his ability. So there were no words of institution (This is my body; this is my blood). That will come later in the history of the development of the Church. And notice that the people s participation in this thanksgiving prayer (which is what the word Eucharistia = Eucharist means), was the GREAT AMEN. So be it. And then in another chapter Justin will talk about the deacons taking some of the bread of life to the sick; while those who attended would take some home and eat each morning during the week. Quite a different, and rather simpler, understanding of the Mass. PART II: Change and Development We have been taught that there is only one way of saying Mass. That it has been the same way ever since Jesus. And that Jesus was the one who started it. All of this is incorrect; all of this is false; all of this is the Church being somewhat dishonest. The Catholic Church and its structures, ideas, thoughts, ways of doing things; even its sacred writings, its personnel structure, its liturgy, its theology - all have developed through the ages. This was one of the great recognitions of the Second Vatican Council - the recognition that there is development in the Church - that there is growth and decline - and that change is integral to the very structure of Christianity. Even in the New Testament itself, we have witness to at least three major layers of development. The oldest of these, layer one, is found in the Pauline writings, along with the Q-Gospel, the Gospel of Thomas, the Didache. These are the earliest writings that reflect the Jesus movement within Judaism as it becomes the Christ cult. The second layer is that found in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts of the Apostles and other epistles. These were all written after the destruction of the Temple and the fall of Jerusalem. They represent a changed situation - one where the Jesus movement was now in competition with the newly emerging Rabbinical Judaism for the heart and soul of the Jewish religion. The third layer is then found in the Gospel of John and the Johannine literature, the epistles and the Book of Revelation. Here we

2 have a fuller developed Christian spirituality and the beginnings of reflection on the MEANING of Christianity. It represent a spiritualization of the message of Jesus and a universalization of that message. And if we take a look at the grand scale of the last two millennium, we can detect what I like to call the Twelve Permutations of the Catholic Church. That is there are twelve periods in the historical development of the Christian religion - each with its own style, thought, philosophy, and structure. Twelve ways of being a Christian. Briefly they are 1 The Patristic Period, ranging from the Jesus movement following directly after the death and resurrection of Jesus and extending until 314 AD and the Edict of Milan - which proclaimed religious liberty in the Roman Empire and effectively established the Christian religion as its official religon. 2. The Constininian Period, ranging from 300 to around 600 AD. This was the period of solifidication of the ideas and the establishment of the Patriarchates; as well as the great Ecumenical Councils. One the ending marks of this period was the 536 asteroid strike on earth - which began a three/four year period where literally the atmosphere became dark - hence the beginning of the Dark Ages. 3. The Early Medieval Period, ranging from 600 to around 750 AD. This was the period after the collapse of the Roman Empire when great migrations of people across the Asian and European plains took place. The entire Roman system of language, commerce and trade, culture and philosophy was altered by the new influx and replaced by foreign. This was, from a Christian perspective, the Age of Augustine 4. The Carolingian Period, ranging from 750 to around This was the attempt of this new culture to assert itself as the heirs of the Roman Empire. Charlemagne tried to rebuild that lost culture, stimulating what has been termed the Carolingian Renaissance. It declined during the reign of the Ottonian Emperors and was eventually replaced by the purely medieval system of feudalism. It also ended with the Great Schism in 1054 between the Roman Church and the Orthodox Church. 5. The Medieval Period, ranging from 1000 to around This was the Middle Ages, the age of the monastic Church, still steeped in the thinking of Augustine, but in the form of feudalism. 6. The Later Medieval Period, ranging from 1200 to around This was the revival of the town, the beginning of the University, the age of the Gothic Cathedral. This was the age of Thomas Aquinas and his re-interpretation of the Christian message. 7. The Renaissance Period, ranging from 1350 to around This was the continuation of the change begun in society, but now at the philosophical and artistic level. The age of the discovery of the human. And in many ways this was the age of the corruption of the medieval church - the Babylonian Captivity and the Great Schism. It was also the age of discovery of the New World. 8. The Reformation Period, ranging from 1525 to around This was the period when Christendom shattered and splintered into hundreds of different denominations, beginning with the Lutheran Reform. In response there was the Council of Trent and the Counter Reformation which solidified in different ways many of the medieval customs, styles and thinking. 9. The Enlightenment Period, ranging from 1650 to around This was actually the period of the rise of the nations of Europe, where local nationalism took over and the idea of a universal approach receded. It gets highlighted in the fate of Pius VII who was captured by Napoleon and taken back to Paris as a prisoner; his dissolution of the Vatican State; and the confiscation of its wealth. 10 The Modern Period, ranging from 1800 to around This was the reactionary period of the Church - where Papal Infallibility was proclaimed in a futile attempt to regain control ; and where the Baltimore Catechism (1885) was issued. This is the church we (old timers) were educated in as children and grew up in - the traditional Catholic Church.

3 11. The Contemporary Period, ranging from 1950 to the present. This is the period within which most of us have lived out our lives. Starting with Pius XII, through John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and now Francis. Interestingly enough each of the Papacy is defined by its relationship to the Second Vatican Council - with Pius XII anticipating some of its conclusion; John XXIII and Pau VI implementing it; John Paul II abrogating many of its conclusion; Benedict XVI pretending it didn t happen; and now Francis returning to it. And interesting period in development, which we can actually see and feel ourselves. 12. The 21st Century Period this is the period of the future Church. The one we are to write. Change it is part and parcel of the Christian message. And in each of these period, things were done differently; styles had their own character; and people proceeded with their lives from a common base but in different ways. Part III: Resourcement I would like in the future to give a series of homilies on the Eucharist, the Mass, especially given our situation here in Dignity the Church of the Future. To do that I would like to adopt another one of the great affirmations of the Second Vatican Council - Resourcement. What this means is go back to the beginning and study the path we ve taken. Evaluate that path and then decide how we would like to proceed into the future - either by continuing to develop the path we are on; or veering off in another direction entirely, as long as it s rooted in the beginning. I would like to do this regarding the Mass - what we do here; how we celebrate; and what s it all about. And I would like to begin by taking a look at three phrases which we use to describe the Eucharist, as a way of understanding its origin, its roots and some of the theology that lies behind it. The Eucharist is the bread of life and the cup of salvation. The Eucharist is the Lamb of God. The Eucharist is the Body of Christ. Part IV; The Eucharist is the bread of life and the cup of salvation. This is an idea rooted in the Saturday night Jewish liturgy - the SHABBATH. It is Judaism s day of rest, the seventh day of the week, on which Jews remember the Biblical creation of the heavens and earth in six days and the Exodus of the Hebrews, looking forward to the Messianic Age. These are all themes familiar to us in the Eucharist - which is the eighth day of New Creation; our Exodus from sin; and our looking forward to the New Creation to come. At the Shabbath it is customary to sing two songs, one greeting the Shabbath angels into the house; the other praising the woman of the house for all the work she has done over the past week. After the blessings over the wine and challah (bread), a festive meal is served. Singing is traditional at Shabbath meals. Comparing this to the Didache (one of the earliest descriptions we have of the Eucharist) you can t help but see the similarities. According to Jewish tradition Shabbath was instituted the first week that manna appeared in the wandering of the Jewish after leaving Egypt. In the scripture passage it states that twice as much manna as usual was available on the sixth morning of the week and none at all could be found on the seven. It is this manna which is now the challah (bread) of the Shabbath ceremony, which is the bread of life. This feeding of the people with manna is now reflected in the New Testament with the Miracle of the Feeding of the 5000 (the only miracle in the entire NT which appears in all four gospels). The manna of the exodus is now the bread of this miracle which reflects the bread of life in the Eucharist. And in the end, at the level of John s gospel, we have his proclamation: Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down

4 from heaven and gives you life to the world they said to him, Sir, give us this bread always. Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. (John 6:32-35) As for the cup of salvation, this too has its roots in the Old Testament. It is an interesting fact that the earliest followers of Jesus, when they would go to pray, would use the only prayer book they knew - the Psalms. So that the psalms were very much a part of the earlies Eucharistic celebrations. We don t pay much attention to them these days. But in the first days of Christianity, it was the only thing they had to go to. And if we take a look at Psalm 116 we find: For you Lord have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living I trusted in the Lord when I said, I am greatly afflicted in my alarm I said Everyone is a liar. What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. -a great description of the Thanksgiving prayer mentioned in Justin s quote earlier. He will utter blessings and thanksgivings and prayers, and then drink of the cup which the Lord had filled with his saving grace. The Eucharist is the bread of life and the cup of salvation. And so it should be noted that the Eucharist is not a reward for being good. It is food to be eaten in order to become better. It is through the eating of the bread of life and drinking from the cup of salvation that we become fuller and richer in the life of the Spirit. It helps us to become more a people of God. So it is NOT a reward for being good boys and girls; and is not contingent on us being good - but an aide to become better. Part V: The Eucharist is the Lamb of God. This is really a rather theological proclamation. It was first made by John the Baptist - at least in John s gospel. Note in John s Gospel there is no actual baptism of Jesus (one of the things that makes his Gospel different than the Synoptic gospels; and points to a later developmental stage). Rather he says, The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world? This is the One I meant when I said, A Man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me. I myself did not know Him, but the reason I cam baptizing with water was the He might be revealed to Israel. John declared Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. By doing this he vividly called to mind the lamb sacrificed in the temple. For the early followers of Jesus, his death was a blow. Why? Why did Jesus die? Why was he executed? They searched for an answer. And their first response was to see him as the Paschal lamb the Passover sacrifice. He was the new Paschal lamb whose death sealed the New Covenant between God and humans. And it was through the slaughter of the Lamb that the Israelites were saved; and it is through the death of Jesus that we are saved. It is this theme that lies behind the idea that the Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of Christ on the cross. This then gets carried over into the Book of Revelation where again we hear, And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. Rev 5:6

5 The Eucharist as the Lamb of God is now projected into the new heavenly Jerusalem. Jesus seen as the lamb of God - the answer to the early followers question of Why. And in fact because of this theological significance of the image, there is debate whether the Last Supper was in fact a Passover Meal (despite what is said in the gospels) or rather that it was simply a Shabbath ceremony like he held regularly with his disciples. But when this one turned out to be the last one; and then he was executed; it was interpreted as a Passover Meal with him as the Pascal Lamb and then was written up as such. We do have to remember that the Last Supper was not the First Supper - and that Jesus had regular meals with his disciples; as well as having a whole meal ministry. But more on this later. Part V: The Eucharist is the Body of Christ This is the image and idea that lies at the heart of Paul s writings and theology. We are the body of Christ - and by this he means that we are the continuation of Jesus in the here and now - as a community we represent Christ. WE are the body of Christ; and you and I, as members of the community, as members of the body of Christ, are also Christ. These ideas ring throughout Paul s writings - But especially in his First Letter to the Corinthians where he outlines a full presentation of this idea. It is here that we first encounter the words of institution - this is my body, this is my blood. And he does it in view of what was just said about the Lamb of God. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the paschal lamb, through whom we are saved; but then add that WE are the body of Christ ourselves. John too will pick up on this idea is a more spiritual sense. As he says that all may be one, even as you, Father, in me and I in you; that they also may be one in us. that the world may believe that you have sent me. And the glory you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one, even we are one By being the body of Christ in some way we participate in the life of the Trinity itself. For Paul and John Jesus was the Lamb of God initiating a new creation and a new covenant. He is the bread of life and the cup of salvation that turns us into Christ. And in us and through us Christ continues in our own world. CONCLUSION: The Eucharist is a complex event and phenomenon in which we participate - an icon in the Orthodox Church s sense - a symbol which in symbolizing a reality is in fact that reality itself. The Eucharist is bread of life and the cup of salvation; the Eucharist is the Lamb of God; the Eucharist is the Body of Christ - Christ here and now.

THE MASS AND THE EUCHARIST. The Mass: from the Last Supper to Today

THE MASS AND THE EUCHARIST. The Mass: from the Last Supper to Today THE MASS AND THE EUCHARIST The Mass: from the Last Supper to Today Passover Ritual Meal: Scripted traditional ritual Food 4 cups Psalms, prayer Sequence led by father/jesus LAST SUPPER FIRST CENTURY St.