Eucharisticum Mysterium 20: Taking Care

The liturgy is about more than following rubrics. Liturgical leaders are to set an example, communicating the sense of the sacred. This is a sensible approach. Not every parish can afford the trappings of high-church liturgy. But the sense of reverence is most often and most accurately communicated by the bearing and attitudes of the leaders:

20. To ensure that the celebration is conducted properly and that the faithful take an active part, the ministers should not only fulfill their role correctly according to the norms of liturgical laws, but their very bearing should communicate a sense of the sacred.

Speak so as to be heard:

The people have the right to be nourished by the word of God proclaimed and explained. Accordingly priests are to give a homily whenever it is prescribed or seems advisable; but they are also to see to it that anything that their functions require them and the ministers to pronounce is said or sung so distinctly that the people hear it clearly, grasp its meaning, and are thus drawn to respond and participate willingly. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 11.] To this end ministers should be prepared through the right kind of training, especially in seminaries and religious houses.

Do seminaries offer voice training? I mean more than just in singing, but real speech coaches so as to develop the skills to be understood?

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 19: Visitors

I’m grateful my pastor is extremely sensitive to visitors, welcoming them, and encouraging others to make the parish a friendly place for them. The Consilium also reminds us to be good guests. I guess this would be contrary to the spirit of bringin in recording equipment:

19. The faithful who take part in the celebration of the eucharist outside their own parish should join in the form of the sacred services that the local community uses.

… and to model my pastor’s example:

Pastors have the responsibility of providing suitable ways to assist the faithful from other regions to join with the local community. This should be of particular concern in the churches of large cities and in places where many of the faithful gather for vacations.

… and one purpose for the Latin language at Mass:

Where there are many visitors or expatriates of another language, pastors should provide them with the opportunity, at least occasionally, to participate in the Mass celebrated in the way customary for them. “Nevertheless steps should be taken enabling the faithful to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass belonging to them.” [Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 54.]

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 16-18: Unity

Part II of Eucharisticum Mysterium addresses the theme of unity. We’ll group the next three sections together and see how the Consilium begins to tackle the issue:

16. In virtue of baptism “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor freeman, male nor female,” but all are one in Christ Jesus (See Gal 3:28). Therefore the assembly that most fully manifests the nature of the Church in the eucharist is one in which the faithful of every class, age, and condition are joined together.

It’s an interesting comment, applauding diversity while implying that youth Masses, home Masses, and other similar celebrations lack some signficiant manifestation of the Church’s full nature.

Nevertheless the unity of the community, which is derived from the one bread in which all share (see 1 Cor 10:17), has a hierarchic structure. For this reason it requires that “each one, minister or lay person, who has an office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to that office by the nature of the rite and the principles of the liturgy.” [Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 28.]

This is a long-standing principle of post-conciliar parish liturgy, reiterated again from the Constitution on the Liturgy.  

The best example of this is found “in the full, active participation of all God’s holy people . . . in the same eucharist, in a single prayer, at one altar at which the bishop presides, surrounded by his college of priests and by his ministers.” [Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 41; See also Lumen gentium no. 26.]

… and if it happens with the bishop, all the better.

The Consilium advises caution on some points:

17. In liturgical celebrations, any breakup or distraction of the community must be avoided. Care must be taken, accordingly, not to have two liturgical celebrations going on in the same church at the same time, since this would distract the attention of the people.

I know this applies with the Eucharist, but what about things like reconciliation, evening prayer, or other devotions like stations during adoration?

Above all this must be stressed in regard to the celebration of the eucharist. Hence the scattering of the people that generally occurs when Masses are celebrated at the same time in the same church should be carefully avoided on Sundays and holy days of obligation when Mass is celebrated for the people.

The same rule should be applied as far as possible on other days as well. The best way to achieve this is concelebration, in conformity with the law, by priests who want to celebrate Mass at the same time. [See no. 47 of this Instruction.]

Similar precautions must be taken against the communal or choral recitation of the office, sermons, the administration of baptisms, and the celebration of marriages at the same time and in the same church as a scheduled Mass for the people is being celebrated.

I think we can presume the practice of baptism during Mass is proper, if incorporated into the Eucharist. Improper if done in the church while Mass is going on.

Don’t look now, but the “fostering” of a “sense of community” is on the docket, too:

18. In the celebration of the eucharist, a sense of community should be fostered so that all will feel united with their brothers and sisters in the communion of the local and universal Church and even in a certain way with all humanity. For in the sacrifice of the Mass Christ offers himself for the salvation of the whole world and the congregation of the faithful is the type and sign of the unity of the human family in Christ its Head. [See Lumen gentium no. 3.]

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 14-15: Catechesis

The Consilium turns its attention to the issue of catechizing the faithful, starting with the children:

14. Those who take care of the religious instruction of children, especially parents, pastors, and teachers, should be careful, when introducing them gradually to the mystery of salvation, [See Gravissimum educationis no. 2: AAS 58 (1966) 730-731.] to give catechesis on the Mass the importance it deserves. This catechesis, suited to children’s age and capacities, should, by means of the main rites and prayers of the Mass, aim at conveying its meaning, including what relates to taking part in the Church’s life.

All these things should be kept in mind in the special situation of preparing children for first communion, so that it will be very clear to them that this communion is their complete incorporation into the Body of Christ. [See Presbyterorum ordinis no. 5.]

Pastors (and even “through others”) shoudl devote time during Mass on adult catechesis. One presumes this is homily time, but it might not be.

15. The Council of Trent prescribes that pastors should frequently “either themselves or through others, elaborate on some part of what is read at Mass and, among other things, explain something of the mystery of this sacrament.” [Council of Trent, sess. 22, Decr. de Missa cap. 8: Denz-Schon 1749.]

The eucharistic prayer is singled out for special focus. Possibly due to its importance in part, but probably also to its unintelligilibility to many:

Pastors should therefore guide the faithful to a full understanding of this mystery of faith by suitable catechesis, which should take as its starting point the mysteries of the liturgical year and the rites and prayers that are part of the celebration. Pastors should do this by explaining the meaning of these rites and prayers, especially those of the great eucharistic prayer, and lead the people to grasp the mystery that the rites and prayers signify and accomplish.

Comments?

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 13: Influence in Daily Life

What is the significance of the Eucharist as a meal? The Consilium suggests as a metaphor for living a Eucharistic-inpsired faith outside of Mass, in daily life. The Apostolic Tradition suggests that believers should be “eager” witnesses as a result of their participation:

13. What the faithful have received through faith and the sacrament in the celebration of the eucharist they should hold to by the way they live. They should strive to live their whole lives joyfully in the strength of this heavenly food, as sharers in the death and resurrection of the Lord. After taking part in the Mass therefore all should be “eager to do good works, to please God, and to live rightly, devoted to the Church, putting into practice what they have learned and growing in devotion.” [Hippolytus, Traditio Apostolica 21: B. Botte, ed., 58-59. See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 9, 10; Apostolicam actuositatem no. 3; Ad gentes no. 39; Presbyterorum ordinis no. 5.] They will seek to fill the world with the Christian spirit and “in all things, even in the midst of human affairs,” to become witnesses of Christ. [See Gaudium et spes no. 43: AAS 58 (1966) 1063.]

We’re reminded of the Vatican II “sense of community,”courtesy of the decree on the ministry and life of priests:

For “no Christian community is ever built up unless it has its roots and center in the eucharistic liturgy, which, therefore, is the indispensable starting point for leading people to a sense of community.” [Presbyterorum ordinis no. 6.]

Thoughts?

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 12: Active Participation

The Consilium offers a brief, but somewhat detailed explanation of “active participation.”

12. It should be explained that all who gather for the eucharist are that holy people who, together with the ministers, have a part in the sacred rites. The priest alone, insofar as he acts in the person of Christ, consecrates the bread and wine. Nevertheless the active part of the faithful in the eucharist consists in: giving thanks to God as they are mindful of the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection; offering the spotless victim not only through the hands of the priest but also together with him; and, through the reception of the body of the Lord, entering into the Communion with God and with each other that participation is meant to lead to. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 48, 106.] For there is a fuller share in the Mass when the people, properly disposed, receive the body of the Lord sacramentally in the Mass itself, out of obedience to his own words: “Take and eat,” [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 55.]

This is what we know: that “all who gather” have a role to play in the rites. In order, lay people (1) give thanks being mindful of the Paschal Mystery, (2) offer the Victim in sacrifice “through” and “with” the priest, (3) and receive Communion, thus deepening the relaltionship with God and with each other.

Like Christ’s own passion, this sacrifice, though offered for all, “has no effect except in those who are united to Christ’s passion by faith and charity . . . Even for these, its benefits are greater or less in proportion to their devotion.” [Summa theologiae 3a, 79.7 ad 2.]

Aquinas teaches that the benefits of the Mass are affected by the “devotion” of the worshippers.

All these things should be explained to the faithful in such a way that in consequence they share actively in the celebration of the Mass by both their inner affections and the outward rites, in keeping with the principles laid down by the Constitution on the Liturgy, [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art.26-32.] which have been further specified by the Instruction Inter Oecumenici of 26 September 1964, the Instruction Musicam sacram of 5 March 1967, [See Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instr. Musicam sacram, 5 March 1967.] and the Instruction Tres abhinc annos of 4 May 1967.

These three aspects, giving thanks, offering the sacrifice, and participating in Holy Communion are meant to be an impetus for an active participation which is both interior and exterior. In other words, one cannot divorce the interior spiritual life from an outward expression of it.

Does that cover it well? What do you think?

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 11: Priesthood, Universal and Ministerial

Few topics attract more vigorous discussion than the nature of the Catholic priesthood. Or priesthoods. The Consilium first reiterates the importance of participation:

11. The more clearly the faithful recognize the place they have in the liturgical assembly and the parts they are to fulfill in the eucharistic celebration the more conscious and fruitful will be the active participation that belongs to a community. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 14, 26, 30, 38.]

Seemingly because the role of a priest is to pray to God on behalf of others. And if the priests in the pews aren’t doing it, the liturgy isn’t being done properly:

Catechesis, then, should explain the teachings on the royal priesthood, which consecrates the faithful through their rebirth and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. [See Lumen gentium no. 10; Presbyterorum ordinis no. 2. Paul VI, Encycl. Mysterium fidei.]

There should also be further explanation both of the role of the ministerial priesthood in the celebration of the eucharist, which differs from the universal priesthood of the faithful in essence and not merely in degree, [See Lumen gentium no. 10; Presbyterorum ordinis nos. 2, 5.] and of the parts fulfilled by others who exercise some ministry. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 28-29.]

Bottom line: pastors should educate and form laity in their proper role as people baptized into a priesthood of believers. Next, they should differentiate and underscore the different kinds of priesthoods. And non-cleriucs who exercise some liturgical ministry do not have their own separate third priesthood. No matter how much they might enjoy it.

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 10: Word and Eucharist

The Consilium works on the Liturgy of the Word. (This would be another example of the post-conciliar emphasis on the content and conduct of the Mass itself, as opposed to principles such as gradual or “organic” change.)

Priests have a vital job:

10. Pastors should, therefore, “insistently teach the faithful to take their part in the entire Mass,” by showing the close connection that exists between the liturgy of the word and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, so that they may clearly perceive how the two constitute a single act of worship. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 56.] “The preaching of the word is necessary for the administration of the sacraments. For the sacraments are sacraments of faith and faith has its origin and substance in the word.” [Presbyterorum ordinis no. 4.] This is especially true of the celebration of Mass, in which the purpose of the liturgy of the word is to develop in a specific way the close link between the proclamation and hearing of the word of God and the eucharistic mystery. [See Presbyterorum ordinis no. 4; see also no. 3 of this Instruction.]

This might be one reason why the revival of the Sacrament of Reconciliation has fallen short of expectations. But that’s a topic for another series. What pastors are urged to make clear is that the inspired Word of God finds its fulfillment in Christ, and in his Passion, death, and resurrection. The celebration of the Eucharist as a meal is more than just consuming the appearances of bread and wine. We also take the Scriptures into ourselves, comsuming them so as to be open to God’s working within us, and effecting a greater nourishment, a deeper communion:

The faithful, therefore, hearing the word of God, should realize that the wonders it proclaims achieve their summit in the paschal mystery, whose memorial is celebrated sacramentally in the Mass. In this way, the faithful, receiving the word of God and nourished by it, will be led in a spirit of thanksgiving to a fruitful participation in the mysteries of salvation. In this way the Church feeds upon the bread of life as it comes from the table of both the word of God and the body of Christ. [See Dei Verbum no. 21.]

Thoughts?

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 9: Presence of Christ

The Consilium was clear about the need to educate the laity on the “modes” by which we encounter the Real Presence of Christ. Clearly, the thinking in the sixties was that an expanded view of this would assist the laity in a deeper understanding and appreciation of God’s activity and presence in the Church and the world.
 

9. In order to achieve a deeper understanding of the eucharistic mystery, the faithful should be instructed in the principal modes by which the Lord is present to his Church in liturgical celebrations. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 7.]

He is always present in an assembly of the faithful gathered in his name (see Mt 18:20). He is also present in his word, for it is he who is speaking as the sacred Scriptures are read in the Church.

In the eucharistic sacrifice he is present both in the person of the minister, “the same now offering through the ministry of the priest who formerly offered himself on the cross,” [Council of Trent, Decr. de Missa cap. 2: Denz-Schon 1743.] and above all under the eucharistic elements. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 7.] For in that sacrament, in a unique way, Christ is present, whole and entire, God and man, substantially and continuously. This presence of Christ under the elements “is called the real presence not to exclude the other kinds, as though they were not real, but because it is real par excellence.” [Paul VI, Encycl. Mysterium fidei.]

It’s a “both/and” thing. “Both/and” has been the only way I’ve ever heard it presented.

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 8: Christian Unity

Christian unity is another theme pastors and catechists are urged to be mindful of.

8. In addition to those things that concern the ecclesial community and the individual faithful, pastors should pay special attention to that part of the doctrine in which the Church teaches that the memorial of the Lord, celebrated in accord with his will, signifies and brings about the unity of all who believe in him. [See Lumen gentium nos. 3, 7, 11, 26]

In compliance with the Decree on Ecumenism of Vatican Council II, [See Unitatis redintegratio nos. 15 and 22.] the faithful should be led to a proper appreciation of the values that are preserved in the eucharistic traditional through which their brothers and sisters in other Christian Confessions have continued to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. For “when in the Lord’s Supper they commemorate his death and resurrection, they attest to the sign of their life in communion with Christ and they await his glorious Second Coming.” [Unitatis redintegratio no. 22.] Those, moreover, who have preserved the sacrament of orders in the celebration of the eucharist, “united with the bishop and having access to God the Father through the Word incarnate, crucified and glorified, attain communion with the Trinity by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as people who have become ‘partakers in the divine nature’ (2 Pt 1:4). In each of these Churches, therefore, the celebration of the eucharist builds up and gives increase ‘to the Church of God and its concelebration shows forth the communion of these Churches with each other.” [Unitatis redintegratio no. 15: AAS 57 (1965) 102.]

Reformation Christians are acknowledged to “celebrate the Lord’s Supper.” In doing so, they “attest” to the Paschal Mystery, and stand “in communion” with the Lord. For the Orthodox, the communion goes deeper. Are priests generally aware of these distinctions?

Above all in the celebration of the mystery of unity all Christians should be filled with sadness over the divisions separating them. Therefore, they should fervently pray to God that all Christ’s disciples may daily come to a deeper understanding of the eucharistic mystery conformed to his own mind. They should celebrate in such a way that, made partakers in the body of Christ, they may become one Body (see 1 Cor 10:17), “linked by those same bonds with which he himself desired it to be joined.” [Paul VI, Encycl. Mysterium fidei.]

Christian division is a cause for sadness, not triumphalism. How does the Catholic Eucharist express this appropriate sadness, the recommended prayers for unity, and the fervor to which they are called?

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 7: The Local Church

Eucharisticum Mysterium gives a definition of the local Church, with encouragement for communities “frequently small and poor or living in isolation.”

7. Through the eucharist “the Church continually lives and grows. This Church of Christ is truly present in all lawful, local congregations of the faithful, which, united with their bishops, are themselves called Churches in the New Testament. For in their own locality these Churches are the new people called by God in the Holy Spirit and in great fullness (see 1 Thes 1:5). In them the faithful are gathered together through the preaching of Christ’s Gospel and the mystery of the Lord’s Supper is celebrated, so that ‘through the meal of the body and blood of the Lord the whole brotherhood is joined together.’ [Prayer from the Mozarabic Rite: Patrologiae cursus completus: Series latina 96, 759 B.] Any community of the altar, under the sacred ministry of the bishop,” [Lumen gentium no. 26.] or of a priest who takes his place, [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 42.] “stands out clearly as a symbol of that charity and ‘unity of the Mystical Body without which there can be no salvation.’ [See Summa theologiae 3a, 73.3.] In these communities, though frequently small and poor or living in isolation, Christ is present and the power of his presence gathers together the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. For ‘the sharing of the body and blood of Christ does nothing less than transform us into what we receive.” [Leo the Great, Serm. 63, 7: Patrologiae cursus completus: Series latina 54, 357 C.], [Lumen gentium no. 26.]

I wonder, though, about the gap for countless communities who, through no fault of their own, lack a physical presence of the bishop’s ministry through a priest. Without doubting the power of the Mass, and the need for an ordained cleric to lead it, does the Eucharist define a Church? We might say the Eucharist makes the Church.  But does it define it?

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 6: The Center

One of my grad school profs had a motto to pass on to us: The Eucharist Makes the Church. This section puts some meat on that bone:

6. Catechesis to the eucharistic mystery should aim at helping the faithful realize deeply that its celebration is the true center of the whole Christian life, both for the universal Church and for the local congregations of that Church. For “the other sacraments, like every ministry of the Church and every work of the apostolate, are linked wit the holy eucharist and have it as their end. For the most blessed eucharist contains the Church’s entire spiritual wealth, that is, Christ himself. He is our Passover and living bread; through his flesh, made living and life-giving by the Holy Spirit, he is giving people life and thereby inviting and leading them to offer themselves together with him, as well as their labors and all created things.” [Presbyterorum ordinis no. 5.]

The eucharist is the effective sign and sublime cause of the sharing in divine life and the unity of the people of God by which the Church exists. [See Lumen gentium no. 11; Unitatis redintegratio nos. 2, 15.] It is the culmination both of God’s action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship we offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 10.] Its celebration “is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives and manifest in others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church.” [Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 2; see also art. 41.]

The Consilium relies on four Vatican II documents to state the case. Pastors who have chosen to build new schools ahead of new churches might check themselves against what their bishops were asking of them at Vatican II. At the very least, we might need more preaching on the connection between the sanctification of the world and our participation in Divine Worship. Liturgy is how Christians “express … the real nature of the true Church.”

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 5: General Principles

Whew! After that introduction, we get to Part I, “General Principles to be Given Prominence in Catechizing the People on the Eucharistic Mystery.” Section five treats “Requirements of Pastors …” so let’s see how the clergy of the late 60′s and today measure up on this:

5. Effective catechesis is necessary so that the eucharistic mystery might suffuse integral teaching of faith, which is contained in the documents of the magisterium, but also with heart and life enter deeply into the spirit of the Church on this matter. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 14, 17-18.] Then they will more readily judge which of the many aspects of this mystery best suits the faithful in any given situation.

Okay. What the Consilium proposes is this: the Eucharist is part of every aspect of Church teaching: morality, social justice, education–everything. Pastors are charged with discerning the situation of the people. In other words: what they need to develop and deepen holiness. Then apply different aspects of the Eucharistic mystery to address the need.

In view of what was said in no. 3, the following points, among others, deserve special attention.

And we’ll get to these points in future posts.

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 4: Purpose of the Document

In the last post on Eucharisticum Mysterium, the Consilium outlined the six major post-conciliar points for liturgical reform. We learn in this section that this document is intended to provide a foundation for lay formation on the Eucharist, with an eye to “contemporary circumstances.”

4. For this reason Pope Paul VI ordered the Consilium for the Implementation of the Constitution on the Liturgy to prepare a special instruction that would issue such practical norms, fitted to contemporary circumstances.

The purpose intended for these norms is both to provide the broad principles for catechesis of the faithful about the eucharistic mystery and to make more understandable the signs through which the eucharist is celebrated as the memorial of the Lord and worshiped in the Church as a lasting sacrament.

For although this mystery has a supreme and unique excellence, namely, the presence of the very author of holiness, nevertheless in common with the other sacraments, it too is the symbol of a sacred reality and the visible expression of an invisible grace. [See Council of Trent, sess. 13, Decr. de SS. Eucharistia cap. 3: Denz-Schon 1639. See also Summa theologiae 3a, 60.1.] Hence the more pertinent and clear the signs involved in its celebration and worship, the more surely and effectively will it penetrate the minds and lives of the faithful. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 33, 59.]

Will this eye to “contemporary circumstances” compromise Church teaching in any way? Follow the link and read ahead, if you wish, but we’ll take our time picking apart this document section by section. (I have well over forty posts queued up for us.)

 

Eucharisticum Mysterium 3: Themes From Recent History

This is a very long section, but there are important points that give us a good perspective as to the early post-conciliar approach to liturgical reform. In order these would be:

1. The sense of the Paschal Mystery as central to both liturgy and Christian activity in the world
2. The principles of sacrifice and meal are not in conflict, but “closely” bound.
3. While the Mass is an action of Christ, it is also an action of the Church, of the people who profess faith and call themselves Christians.
4. Every liturgy is a public action of a human society we know as “the Church.”
5. The Mass is source and summit of both the Church’s worship and the exterior life of Christians.
6. The importance of Eucharistic reverence.
7. Therefore, this document will cover the inseparable mystery of both the Mass and of formal Eucharistic devotion.

3. Among the doctrinal principles formulated in the Church’s recent documents concerning the eucharist, it is useful to cite those that follow: they address the attitude of Christians toward this mystery and, therefore, have direct bearing on the purpose of this Instruction.

a. “In the human nature united to himself the Son of God, by overcoming death through his own death and resurrection, redeemed us and refashioned us into a new creation (see Gal 6:15; 2 Cor 5:17). By communicating his Spirit, Christ made us his brothers and sisters, called together from all nations, to be mystically his own Body. In that Body the life of Christ is bestowed on believers, who suffered and was glorified.” [Lumen gentium no. 7.]

Therefore, “at the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of his body and blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the centuries until he should come again and so to entrust to his beloved Bride, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the heart filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory given to us.” [Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 47.]

Hence the Mass, the Lord’s Supper, is at once and inseparably:

-the sacrifice in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated;

-the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord who said: “Do this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19);

-the sacred banquet in which, through the communion of the body and blood of the Lord, the people of God share the benefits of the paschal sacrifice, renew the New Covenant with us made once and for all by God in Christ’s blood, and in faith and hope foreshadow and anticipate the eschatological banquet in the Father’s kingdom as they proclaim the death of the Lord “until he comes.” [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 6, 10, 47, 106; Presbyterorum ordinis no. 4.]

b. In the Mass, therefore, the sacrifice and sacred meal form part of the same mystery in such a way that the closest bond conjoins the one with the other.

In the sacrifice of the Mass the Lord is offered when “he begins to be sacramentally present as the spiritual food of the faithful under the appearance of bread and wine.” [Paul VI, Encycl. Mysterium fidei.] The reason that Christ entrusted this sacrifice to the Church was that the faithful might share in it both spiritually, by faith and charity, and sacramentally, through the sacred meal of communion. A sharing in the Lord’s Supper is always a communion with Christ offering himself to the Father for us as a sacrifice. [See Pius XII, Encycl. Mediator Dei: AAS 39 (1947) 564-566.]

c. The celebration of the eucharist at Mass is the action not only of Christ but also of the Church. It is Christ’s act because, perpetuating in an unbloody way the sacrifice consummated on the cross, [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 47.] he offers himself to the Father for the salvation of the world through the ministry of priests. [See Council of Trent, sess. 22, Decr. de Missa cap. 1: Denz-Schon 1741.] It is the Church’s act because, as the Bride and minister of Christ exercising together with him the role of priest and victim, the Church offers him to the Father and at the same time completely offers itself together with him. [See Lumen gentium no. 11; Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 47-48; Presbyterorum ordinis nos. 2, 5. Pius XII, loc. cit.: 552. Paul VI, Encycl. Mysterium fidei.]

In this way, especially in the great eucharistic prayer, the Church gives thanks together with Christ to the Father in the Holy Spirit for all the benefits he gives us in creation and in a singular way in the paschal mystery and asks the Father for the coming of his kingdom.

d. Hence no Mass, in fact no liturgical service, is a merely private act, but the celebration of the Church as a society composed of different orders and ministries in which all the members have an active part in keeping with their proper order and office. [See Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 26-28 and no. 44 of this Instruction.]

e. The celebration of the eucharist in the sacrifice of the Mass is truly the origin and the purpose of the worship that is shown to the eucharist outside Mass. For the sacred elements that remain after Mass come from the Mass and they are reserved after Mass so that the faithful who cannot be present at Mass may be united to Christ and the celebration of his sacrifice through sacramental communion received with the right dispositions. [See no. 49 of this Instruction.]

Hence the eucharistic sacrifice is the source and the summit of all the Church’s worship and of the entire Christian life. [See Lumen gentium no. 11; Sacrosanctum Concilium art. 41; Presbyterorum ordinis nos. 2, 5, 6; Unitatis redintegratio no. 15.] The faithful participate more fully in this sacrifice of thanksgiving, expiation, petition, and praise not only when they wholeheartedly offer the sacred victim and in him offer themselves to the Father with the priest, but also when they receive the same victim in the sacrament.

f. It should be absolutely clear “that all the faithful show this holy sacrament the worship of adoration that is due to God himself, as has always been the practice recognized in the Catholic Church. Nor is the sacrament to be less the object of adoration on the grounds that it was instituted by Christ the Lord to be received as food.” [Council of Trent, sess. 13, Decr. de Eucharistia cap. 5: Denz-Schon 1643.] For even in the reserved sacrament he is to be adored, [See Paul VI, Encycl. Mysterium fidei. Pius XII, loc. cit.: 569.] because he is substantially present there through the conversion of the bread and wine that, following the Council of Trent, [See Council of Trent, loc. cit. cap. 4: Denz-Schon 1652.] is most accurately termed transubstantiation.

g. Therefore, the eucharistic mystery must be considered in its entirety, both in the celebration of Mass and in the worship of the sacred elements reserved after Mass in order to extend the grace of the sacrifice. [See the treatment of the Mass in the documents already cited; all of them deal with the twofold aspect of the eucharist: Presbyterorum ordinis nos. 5, 18. Paul VI, Encycl. Mysterium fidei. Pius XII, Encycl. Mediator Dei: AAS 39 (1947) 547-572; idem, Address at Assisi: AAS 48 (1956) 715-723.]

The principles stated must be the source of the norms on the practical arrangements of the worship of this sacrament even after Mass and of its correlation with the proper arrangement of the Mass in conformity with the directives of Vatican Council II and of other pertinent documents of the Apostolic See. [See Paul VI, Encycl. Mysterium fidei. Pius XII, Encycl. Mediator Dei: AAS 39 (1947) 547-572. Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instr. de musica sacra, 3 Sept. 1958: AAS 50 (1958) 630-663; idem, Instr. Inter oecumenici, 26 Sept. 1964.]

As I wrote: lots to digest. Do you agree with the list? Anything the Consilium should’ve covered in addition? Instead of? Is the devotion to the Eucharist outside of Mass really an ideal priority? How can you account for its lack of emphasis after the Council? Were the first five principles listed exhausting enough for priests and liturgists that they rested on point six?