The following gives us the basis of CFCs outline in discussing the various aspects of the Eucharist.

1679. Order of Presentation. Given this stupendous content and meaning of the Eucharist (RH 20), the following exposition begins with the Eucharist as thanksgiving worship carried on by and in the Catholic communitys celebration of the Lords Supper !hen "ohn #aul $$s triple description of the Eucharist is used to structure the following exposition of the Eucharist% first as Sacrifice-Sacrament, then as Communion-Sacrament, and finally as Presence-Sacrament, which constitutes the pledge of eternal life hereafter (cf. RH 20; NCDP 366).

I.

THANKSGIVING WORSHIP

1.1 The Eucharist is the Churchs official prayer; thanksgiving is its dominant theme. It is a prayer which builds up the Church; at the heart of our Christian life. The Eucharist is directed to the Trinity and eventually deepens further our relationship with the Triune !od. Chirst is our leader and guide in this worship. "ecause of Christ the Eucharist becomes a prayer that is spiritual holy and pleasing to !od. It is a prayer which could not to be seprated from daily life.

1.2 For historical and ecumenical reasons the Catholics and Christians of different denominations have agreed to call the central Christian prayer #Eucharist.$

1.3 The Christian thanksgiving is totally uni%ue. It contains an element of surprise. &e are astonished at !ods condescending act. 'ow can a trasncedent and perfect Creator desire full communion with 'is creatures( 'ow can an )lmighty Father allow 'is own *on to be crucified for our redemption( Certainly the appropriate response to this mystery is thanksgiving. +raise is not enough. Fear is out of place.

2.

SACRAMENT-SACRIFICE

2.1 The Eucharist is a sacrifice because the Eucharist makes Christs sacrifice on the cross present and applies its fruits through all ages. There is only one and the same sacrifice though presented in different modes, the historical event in calvary and the sacramental renewal in the Eucharist.

2.2 Christs presence as priest and victim e-plains why there is only one and the same sacrifice in calvary and in the Eucharist. Christs sacrfice is a pefect one because it was offered in total love and obedience to the Father and it was fully accepted by the Father. The sacrifice of Christ

has transcended the animal sacrifice of the .ld Testament. It ended up in resurrection the culminating point of Christs earlthy life.

2.3 Christ is not alone in offering the sacrifice in the Eucharist. 'e allows 'is Church to participate in this sacramental offering. The Church alwasy dependent to Christ and under his authority peforms with Christ the role of priest and victim. The Church offers Christ as well as itself with Christ to the Father. There are two actions in this sacrifice that of Christ and that of the Church. "ut there is only one and the same sacrifce / Christs sacrifice.

2.4 There were many theories advanced to e-plain how the sacrifice of the cross becaame sacramentally present in the Eucharist. The acceptable theory distinguishes two elements in Christs sacrifice, 01 the e-ternal facts of suffering and death or the historical event of crucifi-ion and 21 the supra3temporal content or substance of the redemptive event which is the attitude of self3surrender to the Father an attitude that characteri4es the whole of life of 5esus. &hat becomes present in the sacrifice of the Eucharist is the soul of Christ or the attitude of self3giving along with Christs immolated human nature not as a decomposing body but as possessing already the permanent fruit of Christs sacrifce / glorious state of resurrection. Chirsts suffering and death being e-ternal facts are irretrievable but their eternal value as causes of Christs glorious ressurection are to be underlined. )gain what is rendered present in the Eucharist is Christ who has suffered and risen from the dead.

2.5 Two terms are helpful in understanding how Christs sacrificial death results into the forgiveness of sin, propitiation and e-piation. To propritiate means to dispose !od to be favorable and forgiving to the sinner. To e-piate means to take away or blout out sin and to make sin no longer a matter of offense or a source of bad conse%uences. These terms are correlative. To e-piate sin re%uires propitiating !od for !od alone can e-piate sin. .nly when !od is propitiated that sinner is forgiven or is released from penalties or bad conse%uences attached to sin. &hy !od needs to be propitiated( 6ot because !od is reluctant to forgive. !od according to +salm 78,9 is forgiving by nature. :ather !od looks for certain actions which e-press that sin is being taken seriously and the offense against 'im is being repented for. *acrifices are actions that propitiate !od and thus able to e-piate sins.

2.6 The sacrificial death of 5esus on the cross holds therefore a uni%ue place in !ods redemptive work. It effected our salvation because this offering embodied and e-pressed most fully 5esus obedience to and 'is love of 'is Father. 5esus suffering and death on the cross were actually ways of confronting sin s%uarely and paying the offense against !od dearly. *t. +aul interprets 5esus sacrifice as becoming #sin for us.$ This means that 5esus on the cross who cannot sin e-pereinces the lethal effect of sin that of being separated from or abandoned

by !od and pleads intensely for the forgiveness of sin. !od the Father being propitiated by such act of total love and committment e-piates sin. 3. COMMUNION-SACRAMENT

3.1 The Eucharist is a religious meal symboli4ing;reali4ing the values of charity unity love. )s a sacrament of communion the Eucharist draws the faithful to the compelling love of Christ unites
them in one heart and mind& empowers them to practice what they profess in words !he elements of a meal 'coming together& dialogue& and sharing of food are reflected in the structure of the Eucharist ( the entrance which ta)es when the community is already gathered* the liturgy of the word& the preparation of gifts& and communion

3. 2 +eing a sacred meal& the Eucharist responds to human hunger& specfically to the hunger for love and understanding& for purpose in life& and for ,ustice !hese types of hunger are of spiritual nature& for they arise from the human soul !hus Christ who fills these yearnings is a +read of life that nourishes faith& hope and love -nd the eating that occurs in the Eucharist is a spiritual )ind& not a phyiscal eating of material food 3.3 !o live eternally with God in .is /ingdom is our goal and mission in life $t is a mission that we receive from Christ +y giving us a small anticipatory sample of Gods /ingdom& the Eucharist renews our desire to fulfill the redemptive mission we share with Christ& to continue building Gods /ingdom here on earth Even pain and sufferings of various )ind when offered with Christ in the Eucharist can help promote Gods /ingdom 3.4 +eing the Sacrament of Gods 0niversal Love& the Eucharist responds to the hunger for ,ustice and peace !he Eucharist then addresses social concerns& li)e poverty& un,ust labor practices& ine1uality& social discrimination& etc !o confront social issues& the Eucharist demands radical conversion& formation of social conscience& and spirituality that effects social transforamtion 3.5 !hough the Eucharist is essentially a spiritual activity& still it retains the elements of a real meal !he actions of preparing& offering and sharing of food and drin) found their way into the structure of the Eucharist !he Liturgy of the Eucharist itself is patterned after the solement actions of Christ during the Last Supper% too) bread 2which in the Eucharist refers to the the #reparation of Gifts3& blessed it 2refers to the Eucharistic #rayer3& bro)e it 2+rea)ing of the +read3 and gave it to .is disciples 2Communion3

4 5 !he meanings given in 6ld !estament and 7ew !estament to the material elements of the relgious meal must also be accounted& since this will help us understand the prayer in the #reparation of Gifts& and the symbolism of bread and wine as applied to Christ

8984 !he signficance of using bread and wine lies in the value of these elements& vital to human life and celebration !hey are not only gifts from God& but also products of human labor !hese elements then exemplify divine(human partnership 898: "ewish and Christian meaning of bread ' mann& law in 6!& Christ himself in 7! 898; <ine ' for en,oyment& medicine& grape vine symboli=es $sreal* Christ is the

vine& the Spirit is the vines fruit 8985 >body and blood expression must be properly understood to avoid misconception of Christs real presence& and communion $t means >"esus is present in his total personal reality& including his offering of himself& or bieng given for us Communion is not about eating Christs flesh or drin)ing his blood& but entering into deeper communion with Christ ? @ruits of Aeceiving Communion 8989 Lin)ing the effects of food to human body ' preserves& increases& renews and delights life of the body ' with the effects of the Eucharist to spiritual life 8 0nion with Christ ' preservation in true life and delight in being united with Christ B Liberating from Sin& 898C a remedy to daily faults and help againts falling into mortal sin& postively this means deepening in life of grace 4 Aeconciliation 898D Establishing better relations among fellowmen based on respect of dignity of persons E !he Eucharist +uilds up the Church 89BE Church in its ideal form is sitll to be achieved !he Eucharist can help attain Churchs nature for the Eucharist nourishes the faithful in their effort to overcome divisions among themselves II. PRESENCE SACRAMENT

0nderstanding Christs #resence in the Eucharist demands% 89B8( relating this presence with the other ways in which Christ is present in the Church ' in prayer* in wor)s of mercy* struggle toward eternal life* in evangeli=ing* ingovering Gods people and in the Eucharist* - Christs Fultiple #resences ' 89BB specifically in the Eucharist ' in the assembly& in the liturgy of the <ord& in the sacred species& 8 Gualities of Christs #resence 8B94 asserting its personalistic nature& distinguishing it from physical presence* 8B9: describing this presence as sacramental& personal& in glorified form& dynamic and lasting B Limitations 89B; <e need to note also the limitations involved in this presence ' since it goes beyond bodily meeting& there is a difficulty in identifying correctly Christs message* faith is re1uired* relate the supposed message with our Christian living* and aspire or prayer for a more perfect communion + !ransformation of +read and <ine 89B5 !he Eucharistic #resence is tied up with the Eucharistic change !he eating of the sacred elements demand an explanation& since these elements are mysterious& they have become the body and blood of Christ $s the eating physicalH !his is the sort of 1uestion raised by those who o,bected Christ discussion on the bread of life 7o& for two reasons% 83 Christ who is present transcends the physical& corporeal or material& B3 Christ spea)s of spiritual and not bodily nourishment $t is wrong then to adopt a crude and physical understanding of the Eucharistic change for this goes beyond the right understanding of Christs presence& and will only ma)e communicants cannibals $t is e1ually wrong to limit the understanding of Eucharistic change to merely symbolic one 8 !he Eucharistic Change 89B9 +oth transubstantiation& and transfinali=ation& or transignification are valid interpretations of the Eucharistic change !he first theory by affirming the radical change secures the second theory !he theory means that by the power of the .oly Spirit& the earthly substance of bread and wine is changed into a reality of a different level% the glorified +ody and +lood of "esus Christ& crucified and risen !he second theory places the change in the sacramental level& and emphasi=es the personal dimension of Christs presence B Eucharistic Change and the Aisen Cosmic Christ 89BC $f we draw out Christs cosmic role ' the one who redeems and unifies all creation'the eschatological dimension of the transformed elements will be underlined !he elements prefigure the glorification of all mater in the new age

C C6SF$C AE?EF#!$67 89BD Christs redemptive role extends to all created reality -ll creation yearns for redemption Christ has intended the Eucharist to continue attaining the universal redempton& and the transformed elements to symboli=e this redemption III. The Eucharist as Ple !e "# $uture %l"r&

!his topic refers to the 4rd element of the threefold time element of the Eucharist ( the eschatological 2894E3!he Eucharist is seen as the pledge of hope& food for the ,ourney& and a foretaste of the heavenly ban1uet - Eschatological Feal 8948 the Eucharist as an eschatological meal express the hope for future glory !he Eucharist as a meal brings hope both to the dying Chrsitian and to the whole world& for we awate new heavens and new earth + +y the #ower of the .oly Spirit 894B !his pledge for future glory pertains actually to Christian living rooted and empowered by Christ in the Spirit !his pledge for future glory is really a Spirit(inspired and empowered life(long process of growing in Christ(li)eness !hus this hope is not empty& nor implies merely an exhortation to live rightly $t refers to the real process of growing in Christ or attaining maturity in faith

'I. A "rati"( "# the )lesse Sacra*e(t

!his refers to the practice of reserving sacred hosts* its original purpose was to administer Iiaticum for the dying& sic) and disabled -doration came in later !he solid foundation of this practice is the Christs real presence +ecause of this foundational belief& the growing popularity of Eucharistic adoration came to accepted +esides& the practice of adoration has proven itself to be spiritually benificial