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EUCHARTSTIC

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2016. Cebu. Philippines

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TINM OF CONTENTS
INTTERNATIONAI,
EUCI_IAR.I STIC CONG R HS S
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I-ard Jesus Christ, owr hope t{glor"y,
Ybu s.re the fuffillmerut o.l'the Fatlter's plsn to sr,tztt: ull
humanity.

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ntystery hiddenfrom tbe

and.frow gt:trcrations p*,st now manifested to

ku

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abide in 3towr Clturcls in the rnost holy sucrarnent

af the Euclsu,risf. As ae celef:t'rats the f{ol1t Eucharist

and receioe your Body and Blood, g:r"an[

ws the

&Ttareness tbat yowt" j;resence in ws ttrges ws

ta continw yo'ur sauing missian in tbe uorlC. Send us

uour Holy Spirit, thnt he rnay l.ead

uith
con4l)an!

ws to"tisalk

humhly

the poor arud tke ruarginalized, in thc


o,f Mnry,

your mosf haly n'totltc'r ttnrl ottrs.

A Lord in tbe Most Blcsscd Stu"nrtrrt'rtl.

lo.you be all honar and g'lor.y unil ltrttist' irt tln' rtrtil.t'
of the Fathar u,ntl ll"tc

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Overview of the IEC


Catechetical Facilitators' Guide
CHRIST in You, our Hope of Glory

( Colossians t:27 )

Gearing for the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress

in Cebu is in full swing. The preparatory period is marked by


two important endeavors: " a thorough catechesis, adapted to
the capacity of different groups , about the Eucharist, especially
as the mystery of Christ living and working in the church; and a
more active preparation in the liturgy, in order to encourage a
reverent hearing of the Word of God and the spirit of mutual
love and community." ( Paul VI, Holy Communion and devotion
to the Eucharistic Mystery outside the Mass, 1973)
Following the direction of the Pontifical Council for
International Euchari5tic Congress, the Permanent Committee
for International Eucharistic Congresses solicited the assistance
of various catechetical groups spearheaded by the Episcopal
Commission in Catechesis and Catholic Education. Catechists
from schools of the Catholic Educational Association of the
Philippines, the Catechetical Foundation of the Archdiocese of
Manila (CFAM) and catechetical centers were invited to study,
reflect and collaborate in the formulation of the facilitators'
guide for the use of the catechists who are called to catechize
various age groupings namely: children (9-12 years old), youth
(13-24 years old) and adults.
The guide objectives are
A.

To assist catechists in their effort to facilitate catechesis on the Eucharist geared towards the celebration of
IEC 2016 with the theme :" CHRIST in You, our Hope
of Glory. The Eucharist : Source and Goal of the Church
Mission.

B.

To renew the faith of people , in particular the love for


the Eucharistic Celebration and thus, challenge them to
pafticipate more actively in Church life as missionary
disciples;

C.

To challenge Filipino faithful to live a Eucharistic spirituality that will help transform Philippine society and

The sources for the guide are :


A Theological and Pastoral reflections in preparation for
the 51't International Eucharistic Congress Cebu, PhilipB.
C.
D.
E.
F.

G.

H.

I.
J.

pines, 24-31 January 2016.


Sacred Scripture, in particular, Colossians 1:27
Sacrosanctum Concilium (Vatican II, 1963)
Sacramentum Caritatis (Benedict XVI, 2007)
Porta Fidei ( Benedict XVI, 2012)
Evangelii Gaudium ( Francis 1,2014)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Saint John Paul
II, 1992)
Living the Eucharist in Asia, IX FABC Plenary Assembly,
FABC Papers, 2009
The Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CBCP ,1997)
National Catechetical Directory for the Philippines 2007

The guide in brief. It is to be recalled that the catechetical principles identified by the National Catechetical Directory of the
Philippines (NCDP,2007) are : fidelity to God (integration), fidelity to the human person (inculturation) and fidelity to the
Church ( ecclesial forming ). On the end, these "learning experiences" should lead people to a closer relationship with
Jesus in the Church, and to a greater understanding of the
Word of God in the context of Asian Philippines realities.

The Facilitators'Guide for Children. Children are as much


part of the Church as adults. The participation of children in the
liturgical celebration enables them to be "Missionary Disciples" in their own right. Masses for Children are a Sunday occurrence in the apostolate of Parishes. The catechesis for children will cultivate the love for Eucharistic celebration and for
devotion to the Blessed Sacrament through regular visits.
The facilitators'guide highlight the following

1.

2.
3.

4,

THE EUCHARIST: CHRIST,S WORK OF REDEMPTION


REALIZED

THE EUCHARIST AS A SACRAMENT OF LOVE


THE EUCHARIST : THE SOURCE AND GOAL OF DIA.
LOGUE WITH JESUS
MOTHER MARY, THE FIRST DISCIPLE OF CHRIST
LEADS US TO THE EUCHARIST

Church.

)
.I

The Facilitators'Guide for Youth and Adults . The


modules follow the flow of the IEC 2016 Theological Pastoral
Reflections

1.

THE EUCHARIST: CHRIST,S WORK OF REDEMPTION

2.

THE EUCHARIST A SACRAMENT OF LOVE, A SIGN OF

REALIZED

3.

4.
5.
6.
7.

UNITY AND BOND OF CHARITY


THE EUCHARIST AND MISSION
THE EUCHARIST, SOURCE AND GOAL OF DIALOGUE
THE EUCHARIST IN THE CHURCH'S DIALOGUE WITH
OTHER RELIGIOUS CULTURES
THE EUCHARIST IN THE CHURCH'S DIALOGUE WITH
THE POOR
THE EUCHARIST IN THE CHURCH'S DIALOGUE WITH

TOPTC # r

THE YOUTH
MARY AND THE EUCHARIST IN THE CHURCH'S MISSION
THE EUCHARIST AND THE "GLORY OF GOD"
10. A POWERFUL IMAGE OF THE EUCHARIST: THE GREAT
MESSIANIC BANQUET !

B.

9.

The catechist should take note through

series of

"learnings" the unique feature of IEC 2016 as it bears the Asian


Philippines flavor. This is "fetile ground" of catechesis. Inculturating and inter culturating (dialogue with various Asian cultures and even various Philippine cultures) is a component of
these modules. Creative imagination is the call to every catechist to make these guide come "alive".
These facilitators' guide converge to that point where all
catechetical endeavors are encounters with Jesus in the community of believers drawn to involvement in the Church.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module the participants would :

c understand that the Paschal Mystery of Christ-His


pass io n, dea th, a nd res u rrection-bro ug ht sa lva tion ;
. respond to the call to them to bring Christ and His Gospel of
hope to peoplq especially in Asia;
o commit to pafticipate actively in the Eucharistic Celebration
as a manifestation of faith in Christ's presence and His gift of

.
.

mission;
draw strength from the Eucharist in fulfilling seruice as active
members of the parish community; and
resolve to mirror in their lives Christ's loving gifr of self to
others as manifested in the Eucharist,

CONTEXT

The survey done by SWS in 2013 showed that only 37 percent


of Catholics regularly attend Sunday Mass and only 29 percent
regard themselves religious. Some bishops and priests think
that this is not accurate because they have noted that the
number of Masses and attendance thereat has actually
increased. How then should this survey result be interpreted
and what challenges does this pose to the Church in the
Philippines?

It

is a fact that the exact percentage of Catholics who attend


Mass regularly and the accurate figure of how many live as
genuine disciples of Christ may not be known. This means that
the number actively involved in the parish, BECs or Church
organizations and movements and are not just regular at Sunday Mass is also undetermined. Exactly how many Catholics
have been truly evangelized and have gone through a process
of personal conversion, imbibed the teachings and values of
Christ as taught by the Church or how many Catholics come
together to listen and reflect on the Word of God, and are filled
with missionary dynamism to share it with others is not known
as well as precisely how many Catholics, guided by the
Church's social teachings, are involved in works of charity, justice and peace, promotion of human rights-including the right
to life, and active in advocacy for the environment.

Solely known is the percentage, relative to the number of


Catholics in the country, is low to the point that it would be
considered good if this were 37 percent to even only 20 percent, especially if those covered in the percentage, though a
minority, make a marked difference which is precisely what the
BECs and other renewal movements are trying to accomplishsmall groups and communities of Catholics acting as salt,
leaven and light in the midst of a majority who live as nominal
and seasonal Catholics.

The Church as a whole must be looked at as made up of three


concentric circles. There is the inner core of Catholics-lay,
religious and ordained-relatively small in number who live as
disciples of Jesus and are actively involved in the life and mission of the Church.

Then there is a bigger middle core who are only occasionally


and seasonally involved. Finally, at the outer core, the largest,
belong the marginal and nominal. Thus, it can be seen that
the members are of varying degrees in participation and involvement in the life of the Church.

That majority are seasonal or nominal, while many of those


who are active may be only devotional or liturgical signals the
need for new evangelization with the creative minority in the
Church to be the agents of new evangelization. The prayer is
that the seasonal become more active and the nominal
become seasonal or even active. The immediate tarqet
is oualitv Church membership followed by orowth in the
rurmber of qualiW membershio. There is indeed much
to be done. (Cf "Active,Seasonat and Nominal Catholia: How Many?" by
Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSs& 2013)

Today, there is a shortage of hope in the world as perhaps


never before in history. Thus humankind needs to hear the
message of our hope in Christ Jesus. The Church must proclaim this message today with renewed ardor, utilizing new
methods and expressions. With these features of a "new evangelization" the Church must seek to bring this message of hope
t=o all, but especially to those "who, though baptized, have
drifted away from the church and live without reference to the
Christian life." lIEc Basic Tert,I' INTRoDUaI1N;C. Impact on the life of
the Church)

And the message of hoPe is this....

WORD OF GOD

: Colossians 7.=24-29

"

The mystery has been kept hidden for ages and generations,
but is now manifested to God's people: it is Christ in you, the
hope of glory."

What does Paul mean by "making the Word of God fully


known? Colossians 1:26 tells us that it involves making known
"the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and
generatrbns but has now been revealed to His saints." Paul's
use of "mystery" here seems simply to pick up on the idea that
whatever He is making known has been hidden, and is thus
mysterious.

But, what is the mystery that has been revealed to the


saints? In Col. 1:27 P,aul tells us that it is "Christ in you, the
hope of glory." Much is contained in this compact little
phrase. I take it that "Christ in you" is a reference to the
inward presence of Christ with His followers, reminding us of
lohn 17:23 and 17:26 where Christ says He will be "in" His
followers. Read in one wayl Paulb suggestion in Col. 1:27 is
that Christ's inward presence gives us hope of one day
reaching heaven. On this reading, Paul's rdea is something
like his claim in 2 Corinthians that God has given "us His
Spirit in our hearts as a first installment" or "down payment." Herq the presence of Christ in His followers, by the
Holy Spirit, is a sign of our future in glory.
While this reading of the phrase in Col. 1:27 seems cored,
the phrase also seems to suggest a bit more. Christ rls the

objed of hope "belonging to" or "located in" heaven. More


succinctly, Christ is heaven's object of hope. Thus, Paul's
complete thought here seems to be that the presence of
Christ in His followers is a sign or promise that one day we
will meet Him in glory. Christ's presence in us, then, gives us

hope for this outcome. ftttp:tlwww.tneon


theoloav.com

Having been told that the Colossians were "adapting" Christianity to their culture and their beliefs, Paul had to assert
with firmness that Christ possesses the fullness of redemptive power (1:19). Everything in the world is made for the
sake of Christ. Right from the opening chapter of this leffer,
Paul applies the words "all" and "everything" to Christ over
and over again.

This important Pauline teaching is echoed without ambigutty by the Vatr?an Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy as it
affirms that the great works that God wrought among the
people of the Old Testament were but a preparation for the
work that Christ was to accomplish in order to redeem
humankind and give glory to God.

: The Paschal Mystery

of ChristHis passion, death, and resurrection is the


central cause of salvation.
DOCTRINE

It was "by dying that He has destroyed

our death, and by rising


of His dying and
mystery
that He has restored our life." By the
gloty. For the
hope
of
rising Christ has indeed become our
His last on
He
breathed
Hoty Sphit whom He handed over as
"the
sacrawondrous
the Cross (Ct Jn 19:30) brought fotth
by
was
sent
Christ
ment of the whole Church" so that iust as
of
community
the Father, so also does He send His Church, the
redemption.
His disciples, to continue proclaiming His work of
QEC Basic Tert, IL THE EUCHARIST: CHRIST'S WORK OF REDEMPTION REALIZED; A. "The Mystery...Christ in You, the Hope of Glory?

The Mystery has to be proclaimed.


We are all called to bring Christ and His Gospel as hope to the people of the world, especially in Asia.
MORAL

The Mystery has to be proclaimed unceasingly so that all may


receive Christ and all may be presented to Christ (Cf. Col 1:28).

tn<sians-1-24-29-commentary,t

Paul considers himself a minister of the Gospel of hope that is


meant to be preached to every creature under heaven in order
to bring to completbn the Word of GoQ the mystery which
used to be hidden but now manifested (Ct Col 1:23, 25-26).
Paul took upon himself the mission that Christ sent His apostles

to do: "that by preaching the gospel to every creature they


might proclaim that the Son of GoQ by His death and resurection, had freed us from the power of Satan and from death and

brought us into the kingdom of the Father." lIEc Basic Text IL


THE EUCHARIST CHRIST'S WORK OF REDEMTTON REALIZED;

proclaimed...that all may received Christ

B. The Mystery

WORSHIP: In the Eucharist, Christ's work of


redemption is realized.
"Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations."

In the Eucharist, He is present to continually bring people to


communion with Himself and to fellowship with one another.
In the person of the minister, in their gathering together, in the
proclamation of the Word and in the Eucharistic species of
Bread and Wine, Christ continues to unitg to forgivg to teach,
to reconcilg to offer Himself for our redemption, and thereforg
to give life. It s precisely for this that He instituted the Eucharistb sacrifice of His Body and Blood-to be the embodiment
and realization of the plan of salvation that culminated in the
sacrifice of the Cross, to be a living memorr?l of Hr's saving
death and resurrection. (EC Basic Text, II. THE EUCHARIST: CHRIST'S
WORK OF REDEMPTION REALIZED; C.The Eucharist: Christ present among us)

FAITH RESPONSE

For adult oafticipants


1.

What experiences during the Mass make one feel that


Christ's work of redemption is being realized?

2.

What concrete steps must one undertake to courageously proclaim the mystery that Christ is in oneb self
as hope of Glory?

3.

How may one's parish be helped to continue proclaiming Christb work of redemption?

For vouth pafticipants

1.

2.

3.

How is the Paschat Mystery related to your everyday


life as a youth?
How will you respond to the challenge of bringing
Christ and His Gospelas Hope to others? Give 2 concrete activities that you promse to accomplish.
How will you show that you apprecrbte or value the
celebration of the Paschal Myste4t?

ffi
::"'l'"\'

11

12

OBJECTIVES

At the end of thr's module the pafticipants would :

realize that Jesus is truly and wholly present-body and

blooQ soul and divinity-under the appearance of

.
o

bread and wine in the Eucharist;

respond to the challenge to be effective signs of love


and unity in their homes, communities and parishes;
and
have a strong desire to receive Jesus often in the
Eucharist as a sign of love.

CONTEXT

Such understanding we find ultimately in Jesus Christ, who


alone knows us pedectly from within. In the Eucharist, Jesus
becomes truly closer and more intimate to each of us than
we are to ourselves. Moreover, in the Eucharistic experience
of "being understood", we are challenged to reach out to
others to understand them beyond our own prejudices and
limitations. Thus, the Christian community is inspired in celebrating the Eucharist to respond to the basic human yearning
for its members for understanding.GFc 1709)

WORD OF GOD

Matthew 26=L7-3O

"Take and eat; this


Personal and Communal Basic Human Hungers

(Catechism for Fiti-

pino Catholics 1708)

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Love

unity
Acceptance
Understanding
Purpose in life
Justice
Peace

is My body." "This is My blood of

the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

[At this point Jesus instituted

the Lord's Supper where He


took bread and wine and made them visible reminders of His
body and blood that was soon to be shed for our remission
of sins (26-30). This ordinance is to be commemorated by
the church until He returns (I Cor. tt:23-26). J

Companionship

John I7=21
For vouth oafticipants
The youth of today often feel left out, overlooked and abandoned-from broken homes, to on and off again friendships to
sometimes even feeling abandoned or unnoticed at Church
functions, They feel alone with nobody to cling to, having no
one to turn to. It is because of this that many turn to drugs,
barkadas, and the internet (social media). There, however,
are still quite a big number who find the answer to their
needs and longings through their family and friends and still
turn to the Church and to God whom they know will not let
them down.

The Eucharist responds to the deepest hungers of our lives,


both personal and communal. We hunger for understanding,
especially from our loved ones.

13

"Father, may they be one as you and

I are one."

(The model for thrs uni/ is the unity which exists between
the Father and the Son, a unity which allows for diversityt of
persons while maintaining essential unity. The ultimate
result of such unity among believers will be that the world
comes to belbve that the Father sent Jesus.)

John 13:34
" A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one

another."
[But note that the disciples are to love "just as I have loved
you" (13:34). The love Jesus has for His followers cannot
be duplicated by them in one sensel

I4

it effects their salvation, since He lays down His life


for them: it is an act of love that gives life to men. But in
another sense they can follow His example (recall 1 John
3:16; 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus' washing of the
disciples' feet). Thus are Jesus' drsciples to love one
another: they are to follow His example of sacrificial seruice
to one another, to death if necessary.J
because

DOCTRINE
In the Eucharist, our Lord Jesus
Christ who is God and man is truly and
entirely present-body and blood, soul and
divinity-under the appearance of bread and
Wine. (Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1374)
Christ's presence

in the Eucharist. That which Christ

accom-

plished through His life, preaching, and, above a/1, His Paschal
Mystery, continues to be present in His Church, especially in
her liturgical celebratrbns. Indeed that which in Him was visible
has passed on to the Church especially in her sacraments.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ continues to enrich
us with Hrls life and, united with His own, we are able to offer
worship acceptable to the Father by means of signs perceptible
to the Senses. (IEC Basic Text, ilL THE EUCHARIST : SOURCE AND GOAL
OF THE CHURCH'S MISSION; A. EUCHARIST AS SACRAMENT OF LOVE SIGN
OF UNITY BOND OF CHARITY 1. Christ's presence in the Eucharist )

MORAL : In the Eucharist we are transformed


and are sent to transform others.
The Lord Jesus, who became for us the food

of truth and lovg


speaks of the gift of His life and assures us that "if any one
eaB of this bread, He will live forever' (Jn 6:51). This 'bternal
life" begins in us even now, thanks to the transformation
effected in us by the grft of the Eucharist: "He who eats me will
live because of Me" (Jn 6:57).

These words of Jesus make us realhe how the mystery


"believed" and "celebrated" contains an innate power making it
the principle of new life within us and the form of our Christian

By receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ we become


sharers in the divine life in an ever more adult and conscious
way. Here too, we can apply Saint Augustine's words, in
hs Confessions, about the eternal Logos as the food of our
souls. Stressing the mysterious nature of thr's food, Augustine
imagines the Lord saying to him: 'T am the food of grown men;
grow, and you shall feed upon Me; nor shall you change Mg
like the food of your flesh, into yourself, but you shall be
changed into Me' (198). It is not the Euchanstic food that is
changed into us, but rather we who are mysteriously transformed by it. Christ nourishes us by uniting us to Himself; "He
draws us into Himself." (Sacramentum Caritatis, no. 70)
That which they received (the Body of Christ), they are called
to become. The Eucharist has an intrinsic missionary dimension on account of its institution. For at the Last Supper, not
only did Christ take the bread and the cup of wine for these to
become life-giving bread and saving cup. He also washed the
feet of hr's disciples which He bade them to do to one another
(Cf Jn 13:14). Their washing one another's feet in humble and
loving service will have to be a mirror of Christ's entire life of
seruice and mission. Transformed by their encounter with the
Lord in His Word and (n His Body into people of serur?e and
charity, the faithful are sent to transform their communities
into living and life-giving fellowship. The Eucharist realizes its
nature and purpose when it transforms places and people into
communities of love and seruice.(IEc Basic Text Lil.

THE EUCHARIST

SOURCE AND GOAL OF THE CHURCHS MISSION;

MENTOF LOVE SIGN OF UNITY BOND OF


to transform

A. EUCHARISTAS SACRACHARITT, 3. Transformed and sent

: For the Eucharist to become the


sacrament of Christ's love, effective sign of

WORSHIP

unity, and bond of charity,the Holy Spirit is invoked upon the bread and wine so that they
may become the Body and Blood of Christ
(consecratory epiclesis).

existence.

I5

16

Paftaking of the Body and Blood of Christ the


faithful become "one body, one spirit in
Christ" by the power of the Holy Spirit
(communion epiclesis).
great indeed is this mystery! By the action of the Holy Spirit,
the frurts of the eafth and work of human hands are transformed to become life-giving bread and spiritual drink. By the
action of the same Holy Spirit, those who eat and drink of the
Body and Blood of Christ are transformed into the one Body of
Christ. They are then sent forth to transform their families,
their places of work, the society and the world. The Eucharist
transforms the assembled community into "a communion of
lifg charity and truth" in order to become "an instrument for
the redemption of all and as the light of the world and the salt
of the eatth." For in, the Eucharist, "the one whom the Father
has sent to do His will 6r. Jn 5:36-38; 6:38-40; 7:16-18) draws us to
Himself and makes us part of His life and mission. " lIEc Basic
So

Texl IIL THE EUCHARIST: SOURCE AND GOAL OF THE CHURCH'S MISSION;
A. EUCHARIST AS A SACRAMENT OF LOVE STGN OF UNIry BOND OF CHAR-

Toprc # 3
THE EUCHARI'T

AND MI''ION

ITY,2. The transforming power of the Holy Sptrit)

FAITH RESPONSE

ri
\::

,.,iq

lliif
ri:r.

.l:l
.,1

For adult pafticipants

.::

'l

I.In

what ways can one become an agent of love and a sign


of unity in the home, community and parish?
2. How can one contribute in the transformation of places and
people into communities of love and servbe?
3. What has been one's strongest experience of being Eucharist'to others?

For vouth pafticipants:

1.

How and where can you experience the presence of


Jesus?
2. What do you think will be the fruit of your fidelity to
Eucharistic life?
3. In what ways may you celebrate His presence in your daily
life? e.g. Pledge of commitment -- frequent visits to the
Blessed Sacrament

17

18

OBJECTIVES

Where explicit missionary activity is forbidden, the Church can


and must witness to Christ even in her silence. The quality of

our joy, simplicity, compassion, and communion

At the end of this module the pafticipants would :

o
.
.
o

understand that the Eucharist is source and goal

of

Mtssion;

feel the urge to go on mission;


appreciate the inseparable connection of communion
and mission in every paft of the Eucharistic Celebration; and
commit to help address the greatest needs of the community.

For vouth oarticioanb:

c
o
o

commit to participate adively in the Eucharistic celebration as a'manifestation of gratitude for Christ's presence and for the gift of mission;
draw strength from the Eucharist in fulfilling their service as active members of the parish community; and
resolve to mirror in their lives Christ's loving gift of self
to others manifested in the Euchanst.

CONTEXT

testifies

powerfully to the truth of Jesus.


There is no chaining the Word of God. There is no stopping the
fire of the Gospel and the Presence of Christ from emanating
even from weak and frail witnesses. We are in great awe and
deep gratitude for the heroic witness of many Asians who in
many difficult political and religious situations suffer silentf for
the sake of the faith. Their testimonies speak of the power and

the presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. Through spiritual


communion or through secret celebrations, the Eucharist comforted and strengthened in their incredible witness of the
Christ.

Many peoples and communities in Asia are in need of witnesses


to the truth that in Jesus their quest for life will not end in vain:
the migrants separated from their homes, women and children
living in constant terror, broken families, those imprisoned and

detained for crimes they did not commit, the differently-able


and mutilated, and people contemplating suicide. The Church
is sent to them.

Every Eucharistic celebration renews the Church in its mission-nary calling. By its very nature as the bearer of the Good News
of Jesus Christ, the Church is missionary. Only by being true to

its mission can it remain true to its identity. In the Eucharist,


we receive Jesus who sends us as the Father has sent Him for
the life of the world 1a Jn 2o:21).
Though a small minority in most of the Asian countries, the
Church continues to share the gift of Jesus with others. Such is
her life. And the celebration of the Eucharist nurtures the
Church's missionary life,

The Church, renewed as the Body of Christ in the Eucharist,


bears Christ to them. Every member of the Body shares in the
common mission of witnessing to Christ. We can mention a
few examples: parents are witnesses of Christ's love to each
other and to their children; the youth are missioners to their
fellow youth of the joy of having found ChrisU public servants
must witness to the humble service of love that Jesus exemplified.

to missionary witnessing, the Church in Asia must examine its credibility as a witness to Christ. In a continent where
the consistency of wisdom and life is highly valued among
teachers and religious institutions, the Church needs to review
Called

the quality of its communal witnessing to Christ.

\,,

20

Church community should become what it celebrates and


receives in the Eucharist. The Church learns true mission in

the Eucharist, ( IX FABC-

Final Document: Living the Eucharist in Asia- The


Rite of Communion, No. 4 a Mission to witness Jesus Christ - Contextualized
Pastora I Impli ca tl ons)

[When we go to fulfill the mission entrusted to us, we believe


that lesus goes with us (as we will hear in the gospel.... 'As
they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus
Himself came up and walked along with them...) He promised
to His first disciples: Know that I am with you always, until the
end of the world!"(Mt. 2B:20)J

And what is more, it is the third day since all thts took place. In
addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the
tomb early this morning but didn't find His body. They came
and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said He
was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and

found it just as the women had said, but they did not see

Jesus."
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe
att that the prophets have spokenl Did not the frlessiah have to

suffer these things and then enter His glory?" And beginning
with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what
was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.

"...as we continue to share the Lord's Supper, the risen Christ


comes to open our eyes to His mystical presence and leave our

heafts burning with

Hr's

love."

WORD OF GOD : Luke 24=L3-34


( On the Road to Emmaus )

As they approached ne vittage to which they were going,


Jesus continued on as if He were going fafther. But they urged
Him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is
almost over." So He went in to stay with them,

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called
Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking
with each other about everything that had happened. As they

When He was at the table with them, He took breaQ gave


thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes
were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared
from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts

talked and discussed these things with each other,


Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but

burning within us while He talked with us on the road and


opened the Scriptures to us?"

they were kept from recognhing Him.


He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk
along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them,
named Cleopas, asked Him, 'Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there
in these days?"
"What things?" He asked.

About Jesus

of

prophet, powerful

Nazareth," they replied. "He was a


in word and deed before God and all the

people. The chief priesb and our rulers handed Him over to be
sentenced to death, and they crucified Him; but we had hoped
that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel.

21

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem, There


they found the eleven and those with them, assembled
together and saying, 'Tt is true! The Lord has risen and
has appeared to Simon,"

It was after they felt their hearts

burning within them by the

words they heard from the Risen Christ and by recognizing Him
"in the breaking of the bread" that the disciples of Emmaus fcr

felt the urge to go in haste to share with all the


brethren the joy of their meeting with Him.
Lk 24:30-32)

))

DOCTRINE

EUCHARIST is the source and

goal of the Christian Mission.


Christian mssion consisB in communrCating Godb love to all
peoples so that all may be united in one community with God
our Father. This is very clearly expressed by Jesus: "I revealed
your name to those whom yoa gave Me out of the world. They
belonged to you, and you gave them to Mg and they have kept

The goal of Jesus' mission is


world share in the life of God.

to make all the peoples of the

Thrs is being done today through the Eucharist by which Jesus


continues His mtsspn through the ministry of the Church.
Through Baptism people are joined with Christ in His death and
resurrection, through'Confirmation they receive His Spirit, and
through the Eucharist they are constantly nourished by His life
as Son of God and by the life of Christian witness. They share
this life with all those who come into contact with them, until
all are filled with the same life of Christ. This is what we proclaim at every Mass: 'we proclaim your death O Lord, until you
come'. The Eucharist is, therefore the source of Christrbn life
and mission. ( rHE EU1HARIST AND MIssIoN, Telesphore P. cardinal
Toppq Archbishop ofRanchi, India Qu6beq Friday, June 2Q 200B-no.3)

MORAL: Paftaking of the "bread broken and


shared" in Eucharistic communion, the Christian individual and community cannot remain
indifferent to the call to share and give of oneself to become bread for the life of the world.
For this reason, "the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice is the most effective missionary
act that the ecclesial community can perform

in world history."
AND GOAL OF THE

MISSION)

23

therein.

(rEc BAsrc qEXT, rrr. THE EUCHART;T; souRCE AND GzAL


THE CHURCHS MISSION; B. THE EUCHARISTAND MISSION)

your word"(John 1Z 5).

SOURCE

WORSHIP: Every paft of the Eucharistic celebration reveals an inseparable connection between communion and mission by which the
Church emerges as both sign and instrument
of unity cr. LG i). It will be wofthwhile to see
some pafts of the Eucharistic celebration and
how the mission is constitutively contained

(rEc BAsrc rEXT, rrr. rHE EUCHARTsT;


CHURCH,S MISSION; B. THE EUCHARIST AND

oF

1. Introductory Rites -The various elements of the Introductory Rites are intended to establish unitv among those who
have gathered, dispose themselves to lr'sten properly to God's
word, and to celebrate the Eucharist worthily, always in view
of sending them forth as instrumenB of uniU, proclaimers of
the word, and bread broken and shared for the life of the
world. The Introductory Rites constitute the beginning of the
movement of being chosen, called, and formed into an
ekklesia, a priestly people that God will send "to proclaim the
glorious works of Him who called them from darkness into
His maruelous light" lt Pt 2:9).
2, Liturqv of the Word -The Holy Spirit who causes the Word
of God to be proclaimed also empowers the faithful to hear,
understand, and cary it out in their lives. Having received
the Holy Spirit at Baptism and Confirmation, they are called
to conform their way of life to what they celebrate in the
liturgy. By the witness of their lives, the faithful are sent out
to be the bearers of the same Word they heard so that it
"may speed on and be glorified and that God's name be
exalted among the nations." Indeed, the words of eternal
life that we receive in our encounter with the Lord in the
Eucharist are meant for everyone.

3. Presentation of the Gifts- Preferential Love for the


Poor, The Vatican II reform on the Mass restored an ancient
practice involving the assembly offering bread and wine for
the Eucharistic sacrifice.

The presider chose

a loaf from what was offered and took an

amoant of wine just enough for communion; the rest was


placed on a credence table for distribution to the poor.
Dropped off for many centuries, the practice was restored by

the

Vatican

II reform not only as an added oppoftunity

for

active lay pafticipation but as an affirmatbn of the early


Churchb laudable practice expressing her special concern for
the poor.

The commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist at the


Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday gives
place to a procession of gifts by the faithful at which, together
with the bread and wine, gifts intended for the poor are presented. The recommended chant to accompany this action
heightens this pafticular message of the preparation of the
gifts: "Llbi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est." [= Where there is
charity, God is there.J This evening's Eucharisl being a memorial of its institution, ls a good model for all Eucharistic celebrations in this regard. It teaches us that the mission of caring for
the poor and underprivileaed is at the heart of the Eucharist
liturqv.

Concern

II

reform on the Mass

thev "may become the body and blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (Eucharistic Prayer III). At the communion epiclesis,
the same Holy Spirit is invoked upon the assembly so that by
partaking of the body and blood of Christ, they "may be frlled
with His Holy Spirit and become one body, one spirit in
Christ" (EP III). Nowhere could be found a clearer articulation
of Christ's and the Church's vt'sion of the Eucharistic mystery:
the Church celebrates the Eucharist in order to be constantly
built up into the "Body of Christ". The bread and wine have
to become the "Body of Christ" in order to form those who partake of it into the "Body of Christ'i Thus, through the Eucharistic mystery the Church enters into history as the Body of Christ,
given up for the life of the world.
From as early as the second half of the first century we find
this expressed in a prayer that the Church has kept in her
treasury of Eucharistic texts: 'As thr's broken bread was scat-

tered over the hills and then, when gathered, became one

the action of placing the gifts on the altar: Blessed are vou,
Lord God of all creatrbn for through your aoodness we have
the bread (the winet we offer you: fruit of the earth and work
of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life (our
spiritual drinkt. These prayer formularies are an expression of
praise of God for the creation of the world and for human
collaboration in the production of bread and wine-symbols of
life and fellowship-that in the Eucharist will become the
medium of Christ's living and ltfe-giving presence in the midst
of the assembly and in the world. But they also constitute a
sending forth on a prophetic mission. Worship cannot be indifferent to the concern for the environment and natural resources. The world is not mere raw material to be utilized simpty as we wish-all the way to depletion and wastage. It is for
att of God's children to live on in a manner that befits precisely
that dignil. To "bless the Lord, God of all creation" entails
raising a prophetic voice against the greed of human hearts
and hands in the defense of the eafth and its resources, and of
those who fall victim to natureb revolt when exploited itespon-

mass, so may thy Church be gathered from the ends of the


eafth into thy kingdom'i For the early Church, what was most
crucial about the Eucharistic celebration is that it caused them
to "gather together". Their faith conviction was that it r's in
being "gathered together" (ekklesia) that salvation comes upon
them. It is in seeing themselves as the "one Body of Christ"
that the healthy members felt sensitive to the pain and sufferings of the sick members and thus felt impelled to help them
in their needs. The Eucharist sends the Church on a mission of

sibly.

Creation, The Vatican

Forming the Body of Christ: Bread and Assembly. At two


spectbl moments of the Eucharistic liturgy, the Holy Sphit is
invoked in an explicit way. At the consecratory epiclesis the
Holv Spirit is invoked uoon the gifts of bread and wine so that

attached prayer formularies based on Jewish table-prayers to

for

Tne EucnnRrsrrc Pnavrn

25

carrying out justice

in the world by forming the

gathered

assembly into the "One Body of Christ" where division and apathy toward the suffering are put in question.
Emerging from the Eucharistrc celebration, each of the Christnn

faithful, and the whole Church for that matter, carrEs the
mission of keeping the Body of Christ intact and of restoring it
to health when rendered sick by indifference and discord.

4. Communion
Breaking of the Bread
At the Last SupperJesus took the bread and broke it. He gave
the broken pieces to hr's beloved disciples as he said: "Take
this... this is my Body to be given up for you."

In the Eucharist the priest does thr's same action of Christ.

He

breaks the bread as a sign of the love of Christ whose body is


"broken" for us. Whenever this action takes place in the celebration of the Eucharist, we are reminded of the painful death
Christ had go through out of Hr's love for us. We who receive
the broken bread are reminded that for us to livg Christ had to
die. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we must "become ever
more conscious that the sacrifice of Christ r's for all, and that
the Eucharist thus compels all who believe in Christ to become
'bread that is broken'for others and to work for the building of
a more iust and fratqrnal world." This is how Christ desires to
give life to humanity and to the world for all time: that we do
"this" (breaking, sharing, loving) in memory of him. Each of us
is truly called, together with Jesus, to be breaQ broken for the
life of the world.
Addressing the people of Asia, Saint lohn Paul II commended
the extraordinary capacity for self-giving and sacrifice-that is,
martyrdom- manifested by numerous Asians through the centuries, as he continues to challenge present-day Asian Christians to be ready to do the same if the situation calls for it.
The continent has been a generous donor to the Church and to
the world of men and women who eloquently proved the truth
of the faith by bravely facing the most violent of deaths and
showed the beauty of the same faith even in the midst of the
ugliest forms of persecution. Saint Paul Miki and his companions, Saint Lorenzo RUD and his companions, Saint Andrew
Dung Lac and his companions, Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and
his companions, Augustine Zhao Rong and his 119 companions,
and Saint Pedro Glungsod-all Asrbns--gave tangible form to
the Eucharistic faith that makes whole by being broken.
The Communion Meal
In the Eucharist, the "Body of Christ" reahZed in the Eucharistic
assembly becomes food for others. The Eucharistic action
brings into being a body that is consumed, that is, broken and
given away to nourish a hungry world.

27

The Eucharist sends the Christian faithful out of themselves to


offer the same to be food for the world. In the Eucharist, the
act of consumption is reversed and becomes an ad of kenosis,
or self-emptying. Becoming part of Christ's body is to descend
with Christ into the broken human condition, to empty oneself
taking the "form of a slave" lehil 2:7.
The great capacity for self-sacrifice that characterizes the peo-

ple of Asia will not have much significance unless it is coupled


with the readiness to share. Oneb self-emptying finds significance only when by it, another person s made full. Christ
emptied Himself so that we may be filled with His life, and that
we may have it abundantly ef. Jn 10:10). Saint lohn Paul II tells
us of specific areas where this sharing should be done especially during thr's time in this paft of the world. The situations
in which refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants and overseas
workers often find themselves in their host countriesfriendless, cultura lly estra ngeS lingu istically disadua ntaged a nd
economically vulnerable-ask for a welcoming home where in
their weariness and burden they may find comfoft and rest.
May Christian communities in whatever country and locality be
such welcoming and restful homes for them. The Eucharrstic
banquet sends us forth to share what we have so that no one
in our communities may be found wanting.
5. The Dismissal= " fte, Missa Est"
The dismissal rite concludes the Eucharistic celebratbn and
sends the assembly forth. There are those who relate this
missbn-sending character of the dismissal rite to the fact that
both the words "Mass" and "misstbn" are derived from the Latin
verb mittere (to send). It is also significant that this rite is
described as one that dismisses the people "to go out and do
aood works praisino and blessina God".

In an

earlr?r discussion on the Introductory Rites, it has been


said that those who form the assembly are gathered, disposed
to listen to God's word and to take paft in the Eucharistic meal

worthily, always in view of sending them forth as instruments


of unity, heralds of the Good News, and as bread, broken and
shared for the life of the world.

28

Now, at the dismissal rite, they are told, "Go, (the assembly) is
sent." As in the story of the disciples of Emmaus, the encounter
with the Risen Christ in His word proclaimed and in the breaking of the bread has the innate power to transform the assembly into enthusnstic and zealous heralds of the Lord. The
fellowship they experienced, the Word they heard, and the
Eucharistic meal they shared together, are now to be brought
into the world in the form of coherent witness. Witness means
that through our actions, words, and way of being, that Person
we give witness to-the Lord Jesus Christ who gathered us,

spoke to us, and gave His body to us as life-giving Breadmakes Himself present. Witnessing to Christ means that people we meet at work, at home, and elsewhere in the world are
able to experience His consoling words, His healing, His unifying, and life-giving presencg because we are there.

FAITH RESPONSE

For adult pafticipants

1.

2.
3.

2.

29

THE EUCHARI'T,
AND GOAU OF
\ DIALOGUE
'OURCE

How shall one bring Christ to one's family, community and parish?
How may one do to show God's love to others?
What greatest needs does one see in the community that needs to be addressed? Empowered with
the love of God in the Eucharist, what may one do
to help meet those needs?

For vouth pafticipants

1.

Toplc # 4

What concrete steps will you take to courageously


proclaim your faith in Christ to your fellow youth,
especially to those who refuse to believe?
How will you help your parish address the prevalent problem of unbelief in society manifested by a
materialtstic and secula ristic attitude?

30

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module the pafticipants would :

.
.
.
.

understand that the Eucharist is a unique experience of


God reaching out to all and that the response to God
should be a dialogue of life and love;

pafticipate in the Churchk task of evangelization by


witness and dialogue;
appreciate that in the Eucharist the dialogue of life and
love takes place; and
identify and resolve the obstacles in cartying out the
triple dialogue.

For vouth pafticipants:

.
.
o

realize that in'the Liturgy of the Word at Holy Mass, God


speaks to them;
value the Word of God and allow thr's to affect their
lives; and
celebrate and pafticipate in the Mass actively and fully
especially by lt'stening to the Word of God.

CONTEXT

Dialogue as the privileged mode of mission

In the concrete context of Asia, the

Church, which is always


and everywhere a community-in-mission by virtue of her origin
and relationship with Christ, r's called in a very special sense to
undertake her mssionary mandate in a spirit of dt'alogue. Such
dialogue as a pafticular approach to mission is not only necessi-

tated by the multi-racial, multi-linguistig multi-religious and


multi-cultural realty of Asia on account of which peoples should
be in constant conversation among themselves to ensure their
peaceful coexistence. This mode of missionary engagement
has its root, rather, in the Trinitarian economy of redemption
and call to communion whereby the Father enaaaed humanitv
in a lovina dialooue of salvatbn with Himself throuoh the Son
in the power of the Holy Spirit. Dialogue is the way God realized His plan for our redemption in and through His Son who
"became man shared our human life and spoke in a human
lanouaae to communicate His savina message."

31

There is no other way, therefore, for the Church to realize her


missionary mandate from her Master and Lord (cr. Jn 13:1q than
by a dialogue of salvation with all men and women which was

the essential character of the divine initiative for redemption


and communion. The Vatican II's vision for the way the
Church is to undertake her mission in the modern world likewise reflects a dialogical engagement with diverse races,
languages, religions, cultures, and socio-political structures.
This is true in a particular way in Asia where she has to engage

in dialogue with "those who share her belief in Jesus Christ the
Lord and Savior" but also with "followers of every other religious tradition, on the basis of the religious yearnings found in
every human heart".
Already at their first Plenary Assembly, the Bishops of Asia have
discerned what special configuration this dialogue in the con-

text of mission in Asia should have: "continuous, humble and


loving dialogue with the living traditions, the cultures, the religions,-in brief, with all the life-realities of the people in whose
midst it has sunk its roots deeply and whose history and life it
gladly makes its own". This has been refered to as the "triple
dialogue" slnce thirty years ago but which has remained valid
until the present time: dialoaue with the cultures of the Asian
people dialoaue with their relioions and dialoaue with the lifesituations of poverU, powerlessness of sufferina and victimhood, which is the lot of a great number of people among
them,qEc Basic Text, IV.

THE CHURCH',S MISSION

IN ASIA. MISSION-IN-

DIALOGUE; A. Dralogue as the privileged mode of Mission

For vouth pafticipants


The Youth of Tbday (E-Generation)

Shadows:
Today, young people are often in cyberspace. Many adults are
puzzled, and some are appalled, by the amount of time teens
spend in social media and by what they seem to be doing
there. This young generation has a high tolerance for noise.
Do they still listen to and reflect on the Word of God?

32

Lights:

It is not technology itself that draws young people in; it is the


chance to communicate with peers and learn about their world.
The computer is just a tool. Whenever we see behavior among
teens that seems strange to us, we tend to rush to judgment,

and altogether too often the direction in which we rush rs to


add yet another restriction to the aheady highly restricted lives
of today's young people. In social media, young people can be
helped to hear and listen to the Word of God.
fDr'aloaue is the way God realhed his plan for our redemption
in and throuqh His Son who "became man, shared our human
life and spoke in a human languaqe to communicate his savino

message."J

WORD OF GOD : John

622-60

"I am the tiving Bread that came down from heaven, if anyone
eats of this brea4 he will live forever..."

IV.

THE CHURCHS MISSION IN ASIA. MISSION-IN-DIALOGUE; D. The Eucharist, source and goal of dialogue )

MORAL: Emerging from the

Eucharistic
gathering, we are sent to continue and extend
this Trinitarian didlogue of life and salvation in

lThe third time He called himself bread, He added to the name


the epithet of living; not only because He gives life to men by
quickening their souls, raising their bodies from the deaQ and
making them eternally happy, but because He give them life in
these senses, by means of Ht's human nature, which was not an
inanimate thing, like the manna, but a living substance. For He
told them plainly, that the bread which He would give them
was His flesh, which He would give for the life of the world
And spake of menb eating it in order to its having that effect.
But the meaning of this expression he had directed them to
before, when, in calling himself the bread of lifg He always
joined believing on Him as necessary to men's living by
Him. Wherefore to eat, in the remaining part of this discourse,
is to believe. J OiOte commentary- http ://bib/ehub. com/commenta ries/john /6

in didlogue should be ready to offer their faith, to


give an account of the hope that is within them G ft 3:1, in
answer to their dialogue paftners' expectations that were
created by the dialogue. Dialogue is always in view of proclamation and sharing of oneb faith and hope in Christ. There
can be no true euangelZatbn without the proclamation of
Jesus Christ and of his saving Death and Resurrection. One
cannot share what he/she does not have, To fruitfully engage
in this dialogue, Christians should deepen their faith in Christ
and in His Paschal Mystery, purify their attitudes, clarify their

-51.htm

language and render their worship more and more authentic.

The Eucharist is a unique experience of God's dialogue with us and our


response to God: a dialogue of life, a dialogue
of love.
DOCTRINE

33

That in the Eucharist Christ invites everyone to a table fellowship where He shares His life through His words of love and
healing and through a meal that deepens loving relationship
among those who call the same God their "Father" means
much for a people whose culture gives pride of place to close
family ties that are kept intact and strengthened by parental
counsel and family meals. That Christ offers Himself as bread
that satisfies all hunger and drink that quenches all thirsts and
gives joy will warm the heart of the many in this continent
whose daily existence is marked by insufficiency of the basic
necessitr?s. The Euchanst should be a constant reference point
for the local Churches of Asia in their continuing missionary
dialogue with local cultures, religions, with the poor, and the
youth since the divine-human dialogue that transpires within it
is the seed and vision of the whole of her mission. (EC Basic Text,

the form of loving service especially toward


the least, the last, and the lost,
Christians

All stages of such dialogue and proclamation must be motivated by love. Christians have to proclaim and share their faith
in Christ because of this love and not merely out of obedience
to the Lord's mandate. On the other hand, the followers of
other religions can be expected to want to share the riches of
their faith as well. The same spirit of Christian charity is necessary to open oneself to be enriched by the sharing of the other.
Concerning this, the Bishops of Asia have a timely and important clarification: "Dialogue does not call for giving up oneb
commitment, bracketing it or entering into easy compromises.
On the contrary, for a deeper and fruitful dialogue, it is even
necessary that each paftner be firmly committed to his or her
faith," All dialogue implies reciprocil and aims at banishing
fear and aggressiveness, (IEC Basic Tert, IV THE CHURCH',S MISSION IN
ASIA. MISSION-IN-DIALOGUE; C. On Proclamation and Dialogue)

WORSHIP : The Eucharist is the source and


goal of dialogue.
This Dialogue of life and love takes on a liturgical form
Eucharist.

source and goal of this dialogue. By our participation in the


Eucharistic celebration we enter into a communion of life with
the Triune God because we are insefted into the dialogue of life
and saluation that began in history and now perpetuated in
liturgical mystery in the power of the Holy Sphit, The various
elements of the celebration engage our body, our sensesl our
conscrbusness, and our affectivil in that dialogue which

in the rhythm of Christb life

offered for our salvation. By gathering and forming an assembly of worship we respond to the Father's summons to be His
covenanted People. By listening to and assimilating the Word
proclaimed we engage in a dialogue whereby the Father heals,
forms and enriches us with His life and lovg especially with the
help of a homily which, on account of its Eucharistic context,
surpasses all forms of catechesis because it leads up to sacramental communion. (IEC Basic Tert, IV. THE CHURCH',S MISSION IN
ASIA. MISSION-IN-DIALOGUE; D. The Eucharist source and goal of dialogue)

35

For adult pafticipants


1. As a member of the Church, how may one participate in

the Church's effort of evangelimtion by witness and dialogue ?


2. What obstacles does one perceive in carrying out the
triple dialogues:

.
.
.

on the cultures of our peoples?


on their religions?
on life-situations of poverty and poweilessness,
suffering a nd victim hood?

of

3. How may one help overcome these obstacles?

For vouth pafticipants

in the

In the life of the Church, the Eucharist stands as both the

unfolds enabling us to share

FAITH RESPONSE

1. Do you believe that God truly speaks to you in every


Eucharistic Celebration? When did you last experienced
this? If you were unable to experience this, what may
you do to be able to perceive God speaking to you in
the Eucharistic Celebration ?

2. How may you live up and share the Word of


life in your family and among your friends?

God in daily

Toptc # s
THE EUCHARI'T IN
THE CHURCHTf'u$'''
LOGUE'-wlTH""-**'*

&
RE'
r$'

.,'Nl

37

t$

OBJECTIVES

These are often economig social or political rather than religious.

.
.
.

At the end of this module the pafticipants would :

.
.
.

anderstand that the universality of salvation means that


it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in
Christ and have entered the Church and that salvation in
Christ is offered to all;
identify ways by which they can engage in inter-religious
dialogue and be involved; and
be challenged to participate actively in the Eucharistic
Celebration.

CONTEXT

to its being multi-cultural, Asia is also home to a


wide aray of religions and religious cultures. Asia is
birthplace and host to the world's maior religionsJudaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, as well as of
Close

many other spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confusianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sickhism and
Shintoism. There are also other traditbnal or tribal tradi'
tions which are practiced with varying degrees of structured ritual and formal religious teaching. The mission of
the Church in Asia should be undeftaken in dialogue with
religions and religious cultures.

In the

Philippines there are places where Muslims and

Christians live on the same streets; use the same shops,


buses and schools. Normal life means that we come into
daily contact with each other. Dialoguq thereforq is not
something that takes place on an official or academic
level only--it is paft of daily life in which different cultural
and religious groaps interact with each other diredly, and

where tension between them are the most tangible. Is


dialogue/communication with other religions are possible? Can we dialogue? Why should we dialogue? How
should we dialogue?

Build understanding and confidence to overcome or prevent tensions.

Break down the bariers and stereotypes which lead to


distrust, suspicion and bigotry.

Interfaith Dialogue s not:


. about talking away or brushing aside differences
nor does it aim at coming to a common belief;
. a way of converting the other for in dialogue,
each party remains true to their faith; nor is it
. a space for arguing, attacking or disproving the
beliefs of the other when in fact, it s about
increasing mutual understanding and trust.

WHY ARE DIALOGUE AND COOPERANON BETWEEN MUSLIMS


ND CHRISTIA N S IM PORT4 NT?

Below are two guotations that highlight the urgency and need
for Muslims and Christians to cooperate. The first is taken from
an address made by Pope Benedict WI to Ambassadors from
Muslim countries in 2006 when he said:

"fnter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue


between Christians and Muslims cannot be
reduced to an optional extra. ft is, in fact, a
vital necessiff, on which in large measure our
future depends,"
The second quotatbn is from a letter signed by 137 Muslim
Scholars and Leaders from across the Muslim world and sent to
Christian leaders in 2007. It says:

"Muslims and Christians together make up over


half the world's population, Without peace and
justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the
world, The future of the world depends on peace
between Muslims and Christians,"

WHAT DOES DIALOGUE AIM TO ACHIEVE?

o
.
39
I

Dialogue seeks to:


Increase mutual understanding and good relations.
Identify causes of tension in Christian Muslim relations.

(At this point,click for information about a Cois Tine interfaith


e ve n t a n d ; see a lso h ttp ://a ss e m b Iy. u ca. o rg. a u/ro f/ re Iig io u s gatherings)
The Gospels and especrblly the Parable of the Good Samaritan
teach that the call to love of neighbor does not just mean
loving the person next door or a member of one's own particular group or community. Reflecting on this Gospel message

regarding Church teaching on interreligious dialogue

is

very

positive.

WORD OF GOD : Matthew 28:19


"Make disciples of all nations"

[Whence the duty that lies on the Church of spreading the faith
and the salvation of Christ, not only in virtue of the express
command which was inherited from the Apostles by the order
of bishops, assisted by the priesB, together with the successor
of Peter and supreme shepherd of the Church, but also in virtue of that life which flows from Christ into Hr's members;
"From Him the whole body, being closely joined and knit together through every joint of the system, according to the
functioning in due measure of each single paft, derives its increase to the building up of itself in love" (Eph. 4:16). The mission of the Church, therefore, is fulfilled by that activity which
makes her, obeying the command of Christ and influenced by
the grace and love of the Holy Spirit, fully present to all men or
nations, in order that, by the example of her life and by her
preaching, by the sacraments and other means of gracg she

may lead them to the faith, the freedom and the peace of
Christ; that thus there may lie open before them a firm and
free road to full participation in the mystery of Christ.
(Ad Gentes chapterl, paragraph 5)J

With the Church throughout the worlQ the Church in Asia will
cross the threshold of the Third Christian Millennium marueling
at all that God has worked from those beginnings until now,
and strong in the knowledge that 'just as in the first millennium the Cross was planted on the soil of Europe, and in the
second on that of the Americas and Africa, we can pray that in
the Third Christian Millennium a great haruest of faith will be
reaped in ths uast and vital continent". ( Ecctesia in Asia no.l)

41

DOCTRINE
all.

: Salvation in Christ is offered to

The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only


to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the
Church. Since saluation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all. laedenptoris Missio, no. 10)

A respectful and loving dialogue with other religious cultures is


always in vbw of proclaiming Christ in the spint of sharing
one's greatest treasure. In the concrete multi-religious context
of Asia, this should be the ideal form of evangelization wherg
in humility and mutual support, we seek to share with our nonChristnn brothers and sisters that fullness of Christ which r's
God's plan for the whole of creation, in its entirety and in its
great and wonderful diversity. The common quest for God and
for the fraternal bond shared by all humans will always be a
soarce of hope that one day the whole human family may be
gathered as one under the fatherhood of the one God. (Ec Basic
Tert, W, MISSION IN DIALOGUE WITH RELIGIONS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS; C. UNITYAND CHRISTTAN HOPE)

MORAL

From the Christian point of view, in-

terreligious dialogue is more than a way of


fostering mutual knowledge and enrichmen$
it is a paft of the Church's evangelizing mission, an expression of the mission ad
gentes. Christians bring to interreligious dialogue the firm belief that the fullness of salvation comes from Christ alone and that the
Church community to which they belong is
the Ordinary means Of salvatiOft

qcctesia in Asia,no.31).

The evangelizing mission will have to consist, first of all, of witness given to the Fatherb love in a simple and direct way. This
means that, by living like ChrisA Christt'ans and Christian com-

munities are called to draw their non-Christian brothers and


sisters to faith in the one God revealed by Christ.

Most of the time, this may be in the form of presence and soli-

darity with people to make them feel cared for and wanted in
their poverty and misery. It may be to respond to peopleb
needs as Christ would do in the gospel, making them feel welcome and more important than institutions and structures,
"Perhaps this attestation of God will be for many people the
unknown God whom they adore without giving him a name, or
whom they seek by a secret call of the heart when they experience the emptiness of all idols. But it is fully evangelizing in
manifesting the fact that for man the Creator is not an anonymous and remote power; He is the Father and we are one
another's brothers and sisters in God" lPope Paul vI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, no. 26). In the midst of so much diversity and, many
times, of conflicts of various kinds, the Church, by her own life,
is called to witness to God's call to life-giving unity and harmony and be a vrsible sign and instrument of such unity.
Equipped with their Christian faith and commitment, the lay
faithful have a distinctive role to play in this dialogue on
account of their presence and action in the world-family, politics, education, culturq social environment. In the manner of
leaven, they are enjoined to direct the course of human affairs
and history to the eschatological fullness that every man and
woman of goodwill hopes for. qrc Basic Text vL MISSI)N IN DIALOGUE WITH RELIGIONS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS;
WTTNESSTNG

B,

THE PRTMACY OF

Filipino Gtholics should acknowledge and encourage sphitual


and moral truths found among non-Christt'ans, also their social
life and culture. (Nostra Aetate 2., cFC 75)
DIFFERENT KINDS OF DIALOGUE, (At this point, ctick here for
information about a Cois Tine inteffaith event and for an Australian website.
See also http ://assembly. uca. org. a u/rof/religious-gatherings)

Dnlogue is a means of building the openness, understanding


and trust needed for Christians and Muslims to live and cooperate with each other despite their differences. It can take place
in different ways and at different /eve/s.
These are briefly described here:

THE DIALOGUE OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE:

This

involves interfaith prayer and also occasions when spirituality


and religious texts are studied by members of both faiths. This
kind of dialogue also requires a level of expeftise. Great care
needs to be taken when preparing a Muslim-Christian prayer
seruice or for any interfaith event. It is impoftant that there is
a real reason or need for the shared prayer: for examplq when
something significant happens in local communities calling for
people to come together in prayer.

It

is difficult to find forms of joint prayer that respect the sensi-

bilities of both Muslims and Christians. One Prayer that is


acceptable and often used is the Prayer of St Francis. Interfaith Prayer events often take the form of each pafticipant
listening respectfully to the prayer of the other. Silent reflection
is also a powerful symbol.
When preparing an interfaith prayer event the guiding principle
should be that of respecting the beliefs of the other. All preparation should be done jointly with texB, words, symbols,
actbns and music discussed and agreed. Having a practice "dry
run" of the planned event is a good idea as it will give all those

organizing the event a clear idea of what will happen, thus


avoiding unforeseen and avoidable causes of offense or embarrassment. Once a format and Order of Seruice has been
agreeQ stay by it.

[Examptes of Inteffaith Prayer Seruices and guidelines for


preparing them can be found on the internet. Click for information about a Cois Tine inteffaith event and for an Austra-

lian

website.

See

religious-gatherings

43
I

also http://assembly.uca.org.au/rof/

THE DIALOGUE OF COMMON ACTION: Christians and


Muslims can work together to promote and preserue peace/
liberty, social justice and moral values. Both faith place
strong emphasis on justice and peace and on respect for human dignity. Both religions see human beings as stewards of
God's creation entrusted with the care of the earth. There is a
common concern for humanitarr'an values, the environment and
for the proper use of the world's resources. There should be,
collaborate in addressing social concerns based on common

religious motives and values. At the local level, both should


work together to build better communities, and provide voluntary seruices and facilities. Issues of social concern such as
housing, drug abusg street violencg unemployment, refugees
and educatbn are areas where Muslims and Christians can
cooperate.

THE DIALOGUE OF LIFE: This is where people strive to live


in an open and neighborly spirit, the ordinary everyday business of geffrng on with each other, of being good neighbors
and living in peace and harmony. This can be hard enough for
a people of a common background but, where religious and
cultural differences exist, more effort is needed. Notg the
word "strive" is used above. There will be a need to make an
effort to reach out, to understand, to break down own preludices and to overcome barriers, stereotypes and suspicions.
This rs not be easy and it requires perseverance. There is need
to be patbnt, to be willing to listen and to accept that different
people have different a world-views. To live in peace as faith
requires demands effort.

parent-teacher meetings,youth groups and sports clubs as cat


happen between indivrduals, neighbors, friends and people at
work. All of these are occasions where mutual understandlng
and appreciation of the other can grow. Faith may not even ttc
discussed in these situations, but it r's therq nevertheless,
through action, respect and mutual support. Individuaily tn,
volvement in the Dialogue of Life is very much about attitudc
towards and disposition in engaging with each other.

WORSHIP: The Eucharist brings Catholics to.


gether, united by their Baptism, their common
faith in Jesus Christ, their Savior, and by thelr
hope of deepening their union with Christ and
with one another. The whole Eucharist is a
dialogue between God and his faithf ul, 1 crc rot 1

The Eucharist has'the purpose of building up "those who arc


within into a holy temple of the Lord, into a dwetting ptace fot
God in the Sphit, to the mature measare of the fullness ol
Christ" (sc 2). In the concrete missrbn of the Church in mul$
religious Asia, on the other hand, the Eucharist maruelously
strengthens the Christians'resolve and power "to preach Christ,
and thus shows forth the Church to those who are ouBrde as a

sign lifted up among the nations under which the scatterco


children of God may be gathered together, until there is one
sheepfold and one shepherd" 1sc 21. (rEC Basic Text, vI. MIssIOlt
IN DIALOGUE WITH RELIGIONS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITI1NS; D, THE
EUCHARTST IN THE CHURCH'S DIALOGUE WITH OTHER RELIGIOUS ANL.
TURES)

We can all engage in the Dialogue of Life and the Dialogue of


Common Action. These require no special expertise, but they
do require openness to interact with the other in a spirit of re-

spect and cooperation. These kinds of dialogue are important


because they have a direct bearing on lives and on how Muslims and Christians live together in multi-cultural and multirelig io us com m

u n ities.

The Dialogue of Life and of Common Action can take place in


both formal and informal seffings. Informally, this is through
involvement in residents' associations,

45

46

FAITH RESPONSE :
1. Think of the people with whom you engage in a dia2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

logue of life and the ways you do it. What is the effect
of such drblogue on them and on you?
What are the concrete ways by whrth you dialogue
with people of other religious cultures?
What have you gained from such dialogue?
What did you find particularly difficult in this drblogue?
How do you think may this difficulty be surmounted?
DRAWA SYMBOL OF INTER- RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
and briefly explain it. Be Creative!
Do you experience your active participation in the
Eucharistic celebration as a life-giving dialogue with
God and with others? Why?

Toprc

#o

THE EUCHARTIT IN
THE CHURCH'

DIAL

47

OBJECTIVES

At the end of thr's module the partbipants would :

.
.
.

understand how the Eucharist empowers the Church to


be with the poor and how it helps the Church become
the Church of the poor;
show care and compassion for the poor through social

action;
renew commitment to serue the poor through contem-

platbn on the Lord's Prayer and through frequent

receptrbn of Holy Communion; and

embrace

a life of srmplicity and detachment as an

Isn't it scandalous that as we express our. solidarity and


communion in the Eucharist, we turn a deaf ear to the cry
of countless Filipinos who live in abject povefi? Christ,
present in the Eucharist calls us to be like Him Who lived
with and showed compassion for the poor. Christ stares us
in the face through poor people and calls us to hear their
cry.

The devotion to the Nazareno, the image of the suffering


Jesus is very popular among numberless Filipinos who are
experiencing dire povefi and hardships. This devotion
gives them consolation in that Jesus is one with them in
their suffering. GFC # 467 )

expression of solidarity with the poor.

For vouth oafticioants

For vouth pafticipants

.
.

understand that Jesus in the Eucharist is the bread


from heaven for the poor;
be challenged to share what they have to help allevbte
and answer the needs of those they consider as poor;

and
apprectefu the Eucharist thru which we are into the life
of the Trinity Who is the God of lovg of self giving and
of communion.

CONTEXT

Look into the following:


1. Poverty in the Philippines is presented by the philippine
Statistics Authority National Statistical Coordination
Board. (See Website http://www.nscb.qov.ph for data )

on:

.
.
.

Povefi is a malady that stares us in the face. In an article


written by Butch Hernandez in the Philippine Daily Inquirer,
he described the very big gap that exists between the rich
and the poor in the Philippines, saying that this gap is in a
"30-year high with income among the top 10 percent nine
times higher than that of the bottom 10 percent" (pDI,
June 14, 2014). ADB estimates that there are 1,7 billion
poor people in Asia and the Pacific who live on less that 92
a day (http://www.adb.oro/features/12-thinqs-know-2O12povefty- red uction-asia

-a nd

-pacific).

Poverty among Filipino Families

Income Gap

PoverV Statistics based on the ApIS (Annual


Povefi Indicators Survey)

2. Recent Calamities in the Philippines


Typhoon Yolanda as experienced in Leyte, Cebu

.
.
.
.
.

and Samar
Zamboanga Siege
Eafthquake in Bohol

Typhoon Pablo in Compostela Valley


Typhoon Ondoy in Metro Manila

3. Politics in the Philippines: Vote- Buying, Graft and Corruption, Political Dynasties, etc.
The above show how poor people suffer from both natural
and human- made calamities...

49

f-

"Christ Jesus in the Eucharist fills the most real, the


deepest hungers of the peoples of Asia." He is the bread
from heaven for the poor.

WORD OF GOD

Matthew 25:40

"Amen, I say to you, whatever yoa did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me."

the Church has to take on this


preferential option for the poor is the very example of
Christ who became poor and "who identified himself with
them in a special way" 1cf. Mt. 25:40): 'Amen, I say to you,
whatever you did for one of these least brothers of ming
you did for me." It is called a preferential love not to
exclude anyone but to express that the poor, the deprived,
and the exploited.have a prbrity claim to the Churchb
attention, seruices and resources. The Sacred Scriptures,
both the Old and the New Testaments, are replete with
attestations to the fact that the poor have always occupied
a privileged place in God's heaft, not the leasl in the life
and mission of Christ of which the Gospels are eloquent
testimonies. (EC Basic Text, vil. MIssroN rN DIAL)GUE WITH THE
The primary reason why

POOR; A. PREFERENTIAL OPllON FOR THE POOR)

Luke4:18-

19
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because
He has anointed me to bring good tidings to
the captives and poor."
Jesus teaches in the synagogae the words of Isar'ah, that
He is here to "preach the gospel to the poor;" He is sent
"to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim libefi to the cap-

tives and recovery of sight to the blind," and "to set at


liberty those who are oppressed." In the historical ads of
war in the grand scale of the world powers that result from
envy - from wanting what others have - we may easily find
the results in the "poor, the broken hearted, the captives,
the blind, those who are oppressed." fn actrbns we take in
our personal lives out of envy, we toq may create harm
even in the most intimate of family settings - causing
others to be poor, or broken heafteQ to leave them captive
in some sense/ blind and oppressed.

51

Let us consider, then, envy, and how it works to project


onto others the limitations we would have for them. The
gift of Christ is that of life, more abundantly. Let us
receive the good news of this gospel with the generosity
characteristic of its mercy and grace - and gifts in abundance, It is only in this spirit that those gifts will be at
work in our own midst.

DOCTRINE

The Church in Asia must increasingly

be "a Church of the poor"

with all its implications and conseqaences:

First, those who have been placed as shepherds of


God's flock in Asia must lead a life of simplicity by
which the poor can perceive that their pastors share in

their

povefi.

By thrs simplicity of lifq too, which is a luminous sign of the Gospel in action, the poor will feel the genuine
.and heaftfelt closeness of their shepherds and will feel more
free to run to them for help and guidance.

Second, the Church should engage in active interventions for the liberation and promotion of the situation
of the poor. It means being in the seruice of human devetopment and of life itself-engaging in the impoftant work of
healthcarq education and peacemaking. Thr's is a call that concerns everybody, not reserued to a few: "You yourselves give
them something to eat!" (Mk 6:37). It also means promoting a
dr'sposition of solidanty among all-that "new mindset which
thinks in terms of community and the pnbrity of the life of att
over the appropn'ation of goods by a few... which r's the spontaneous reaction by those who recognhe that the socrbl function
of property and the universal destination of goods are realities
which come before private property."

Third, the Church has to take a prophetic stance against


the negative consequences of economic and cultural
globalization, the ongoing impact of foreign debt especially upon the livelihood of the poor, and the environmental damage brought about by scientific, economic
and technological progress.

This program "for progress" often creates massive harm to hu-

man beings and families, especially the poor. There are many
human, cultural and ethical/moral issues involved, which the
Church and Christrbns must give attention to. Concerning oneself with these pressing matters is paft of "mission" in our time.
(IEC Basic TeXt, WI. MISSION IN DIALOGUE WITH THE POOR; B. IMPLIATTONS AND CONSEQUENCES)

MORAL : The Church is challenged to "a continual endeavor to become more and more the
Church of the'anawimr'a Church (which) does

not merely work for the poor in the manner of

a beneficent institution, but labors truly with


the poor, sharing their life and their aspirations, knowing their despair and their hope,
walking with them in their search for authentic humanity in Christ Jesus."
The first step that the Church had to take in working for and
walking with the poor of Asrb was to identifr who and where
these poor are and what kind of poverty they were suffering
from. They are the homeless families who abound in city
streets or build temporary shelters in slums. They are refugees
fleeing their war-torn countries or oppressive regimes in their
native lanQ or immigrants and overseas workers whq in
search of better livelihood opportunities for their families, often
find themselves friendless, culturally estrangeQ linguistically
disadvantaged, and economically vulnerable. They are the indigenous and tribal peoples who are often discriminated
against on account of their culturg color, race, caste, economic
status, or because of their way of thinking. They are the
women who are victims of domestic violence or are being
traded like commodities in prostitution, tourism and entertainment industries. They are the children who have never experienced peace right in their homeland and who fall victim to various forms of intolerable exploitation and violencq like pedophilia and child labor. But they are also those who are kept
from realizing their full potentials and talents because of limited

opportunities for education and gainful occupation


countries, or none at all.

s3

in

their

The Church has to work not only for them in the manner of
dole-out and relief goods after the onslaught of a typhoon or
an earthquakq but also with them, involving them in the task
of transforming those structures that perpetuate their poverty
and deprivation. It also involves genuine commitment and ef-

fort to bring about social justice in our societies-actions that


are fed with prayer and discernment so that such actions will
always be genuinely motivated by God's will to liberate His
people with no intrusion by any God-less ideology. (rEC Basic
Text Vil. MISSION IN DIALOGUE WITH THE qOOR; C. THE RESqONSE
ALLED FOR: WORK FOR THEM, WALK WITH THEM)

"To meet the living God we must tenderly ktlss the wounds of
Jesus, in our hungry people, in the siclg in imprisoned brothers

and ssters. Study, meditation and moftification are not


enough to have us encounter the living Christ. The concrete
way of exercising the dialogue with the poor and the powerless, the siclg the broken, qnd the wounded-this is the sure
way for true evangelization in our time. L Pope Francis

WORSHIP : We encounter Jesus in the Eucharist as the "Bread of life" en 6:35).


is "Bread of Life" by being both the "Word that comes from
the mouth of God" (d. Deut. B:3) and the "living bread that
came down from heaven" (Jn 6:51), the "bread for the
He

poor" received in the proclamation of the Scriptural


Word and in Holy Communion. He is the "daily bread.
we pray for in the 'Our Father', fn Holy Communion,
Jesus gives Himself as our bread to feed us. And sq we
in turn should go to our brothers and sisters who are hungry,

and become bread to feed them in compassion and love, in the

works of mercy, in giving life and giving it abundantly. The


celebration of the Eucharist indeed abounds with such indications of how the Eucharist expresses Christ's and the Church's
preferential option for the poor as she realizes her mission in
Asia. 6tC easic Tefi VII. MISSTON IN DIALOGUE WrTH THE 1OOR; D. THE
EUCHARISTS DIALOGUE WITH THE POOR)

In the

Lord's Prayer we ask the Father to give us our daily


The Father gives us Jesus, the Bread of Life, our daity
Bread in our journey to the Kingdom yet to come.

bread.

So we dare to approach the Communion Tablq but only after


confessing that we are not wotthy to receive Jesus. We rely on
His invitation, on His word of mercy and compassion to gain
the strength and courage to approach Him. His welcoming love
increases our desire to be one with Him by eating His flesh and
drinking His blood. No loftbr desire exists in our hearts than
that of welcoming the life of Jesus Christ to be our life. We
love Him in return and love our neighbors wrth His love in our

hearts.

(FABC IX, Living the Eucharist in Asia 2009 documents; E. The Rite
of Communion, No. 2 Super abundant love - receiving communion)

FAITH RESPONSE

For adult oafticipants

1.

How can the Church be concretely a Church

of

the poor'?

How may one help one's parish become more


inclusivg more accepting and more sensitive
towards its poor members?
How may one manifest a lifestyle marked by :
simpliciU?
detachment?
genuine malasakit towards the poor?

o
o
.

For vouth oarticioants

1.

2.

3.

J5

How can the Holy Eucharist which is bread from


heaven become "bread for the poor"?
As a young person/ how can you best express yoar
preferentr'al love for the poor?
What are the challenges posed on yoa by this
lesson on the Holy Eucharist and dialogue with the
poor ?

Toplc#

7- THE
EUCHARI'T IN THE

(Note: This Topic is intended for adult participants only


- ages 39 and above)
OBJECTIVES

At the end of thr's module the pafticipants would:

understand that

in the Eucharist, the

Church can best

engage the youth in a dialogue of love,'


recognrZe and appreciate the dynamism and newness that
young people bring to the Church;
c witness to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist through a
welcoming and affirming attitude towards young people in
the parish;

praf for young peoplq and journey with them in their


quest for maturity in faith and intimacy with Christ; and

engage young paple in a dialogue that will inspire and


move them to harness their gifrs for the good of their community.

Whatever, their backgrounds-urban or rural, poor or rich, educated or uneducated, employed or unemployed, organized or
unorganized- all are tossed about by the waves of contemporary culture. They are, however, also the Church's today,

They should be among the present pastoral priorities of the


Church. But the Church can already engage them in creative
and productive ministry to others, especially among their fellow
YOUth. (IEC Basic Text, VIII. MISSION IN DIALOGUE WITH THE YOUTH; A.
THE CHURCH'S FUTURE AND HER TODAY)

The Church's mission today includes directing young people


toward the Eucharist for sustenance in the face of the many
uncertainties and questions in their lives.

WORD OF GOD

Mark 10:17-31

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to


him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you

have and give

to the poor, and you

will

have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

CONTEXT

Tte Ctuncn's FUTURE AND HER ToDAy


For the Church, young people are not only the future of the
world but they are her present precious treasures. The Church
recognizes that she has to deal with young people not only
because they are the adults of tomorrow but more importantly
because of the reality of today. The Church takes upon herself
the responsibility of preparing and forming the young for their
future roles as holders of the reins of leadership in various
areas. With their youthful energies, enthusiasm and resourcefulness, they are the dynamic agents of change and, therefore,
a valuable source of hope in society and in the Church.
But they are also most vulnerable to many destructive forces in
society and often fall victims to structures of exploitation.
More than ever before, the realities that impinge themselves
upon them today are both many and varied. Globalization,
political changes and media explosion radically affect the lives
of youth in every paft of Asia.

(This man has been captivated by the personality of Jesus, and


Jesus, as always, directs him to the Father. This man also
wanted to know how to receive eternal life and Jesus clearly
state at the end, that even if he obey the commandments, we
do not "merit" eternal life: salvatbn is always a gift of God.)

DOCTRINE : The Eucharist is a Dialogue of


Love.
It is in the Eucharistic gathering that the Church can best
engage the youth in a dialogue in which She proclaims to them
the Gospel of Christ from which they get the unique and satisfying response to their most deep-seated aspirations. From

their Eucharistic encounter with Christ in word and sacrament


are offered enlightenment and guidance in their quest for
meaning and purpose in life. In the Eucharist, Jesus looks
upon the youth with that special love that He showed upon the
yoang man in the Gospel and invites them to follow Him (cr. Mk
t0:2i) in his loving relationship with the Father and in his saving
mission to humanity and to the world . OEC Basic Text, wII. MISSION IN DIALOGUE WITH THE YOUTH; E, THE EUCHARISTIN THE CHURCHS
DIALOGUE WITH THE YOUTH)

57

58

r
I

MORAL : The Eucharist is the primary school


of Christian values.
By engaging them in active pafticipation in the Eucharistin attentive listening, in generous and appropriate bodity

expressions, in the observance of silence at the appropriate


moments, or in undeftaking specific ministn?s in the celebra_
tion-the youth can best be formed both for their future and
present roles in the Church and in the society. In the Eucharistic dialogug the Church has so much to tatk about with the
youth and the youth with their energr?s and enthusr?sm,
have so much to share with the Church. Around the table
both of God's Word and of Christ' Body, the Church offers
instruction and nourishment by which young peopte can be
prepared to be the "good soil" where the seed of God,s Word
can spring up, take root, grow and bear abundant fruit. The
Eucharist r's the perfect school for the young where they can
learn the values of presence that buitds relationshrps and
communities, of a sense of gratitude and responsibility for
God's creation, and of serwce and sacrifice that gives life,
healing, and wholeness to others. (IEC Basic Text, VII\ MISSTON IN

DIALOGUE WITH THE YOUTH;


LOGUE WITH THE YOUTH)

WORSHIP

E.

THE EUCHARISTIN THE CHURCH,S DIA-

: The Eucharist

"the most pedect


and intimate form of communication between
is

God and young people."

Considering the young people's attraction to uarious means of


social communicatrbn and their adeptness in their use of the
same, the Church will do well to present the Eucharist to them
as the highest embodiment and ideat of communication where

friendships are estabhshed and nurtured, where hopes,


dreams, joys, and anxietbs are shared and where noble causes
and advocacies are worked out together. In the school of the
Eucharist, young people will learn that communicatrbn is more
than the exchange of ideas and of emotion but, at its most profound level, the giving of self in

love.

The Church should never

get tired of telling the young that Chnst instituted the Eucharist as "the most perfect and intimate form of communication between God and man', which teads to',the deepest

possible unity among men and women".

59

The Eucharist is where the deepest and transforming communication takes place-in response to the prayer of invocation, the Father through His 9on sends the Holy Spirit so
that the bread and the winq as also the assembly, witt become the Body of Christ. eEC Basic Tert,VilI. MTSSTON IN DrA-

LOGUE WITH THE YOUTH;E. THE EUCHARIST

IN

THE CHURCH,S DIA-

LOGUE WITH THE YOUTH)

FAITH RESPONSE

1. How can the seed of the Gospel be better nurtured in young people today for greater fruitfutness amidst the thorns and thistles of the present
ttme?

2. How can adults lead them to love the Eucharist?


3. What ways by whr?h the Church can penetrate
and use the culture of the young to lead them to
an intimate encotinter wth Christ?
4. How can adults live in concrete with the young the
spint of communion?
5. How can adults encourage youth to use their abilities/ talents for various apostolic woks of love and
seruice especially for the benefit of their fellow
young people?

TOPIC
MARY

NWN

OBJECTIVES

WORD OF GOD

At the end of this modules the participanB would:

.
.
.
.

understand why Mary is the Woman of the Eucharist;

miror in their lives the virtues of Mary as the model of


faith who totally gave herself to the will of God;
nourish their life of faith, hope and love through the
Eucharist so that they may remain steadfast in the
resolve to be like Mary; and
be a tabernacle of hope and unity for those who are
pushed to the margins of society, for those who feel
left out in the Church and for those who need comfoft
and gudance.

CONTEXT

Fiestas, processions, pilgrimages/ novenas, innumerable devotional practices, both individual and communitarian, mark the
religious practice of most Filipino Catholics (National Catecheticat

Luke 1: 46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,


my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His Name.
He has mercy on those who fear Him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of His arm,
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty,
He has come to the help of His servant Israel
for He remembered His promise of mercy,
the promise He made to our fathers,
to Abraham and His children forever.

Directory for the Philippines, 319).

Celebrations that show strong devotion to Mary are of paramount impoftance to most people. All year through, solemnities and feasts connected to the Blessed Virgin Mary have
accompanied the people towards their journey of faith.
The festive celebrations of Marian feasts need to be deepened
so that beyond pomp, color and pageantry, the real meaning of
these celebrations are brought forth. The celebrations then
cease to be simply momentary indulgence of sentimentalism

but become real encounters with Christ lesus through

his

mother Mary. Thus, Mary's presence in the life of those who


honor her with their festivities become truly Eucharistic.
(My soul doth magnify the Lord - To "magniff" means to "make
greatr" and then to "extolr" to "praiser" to "celebrate," It does
not mean here strictly to "make great," but to increase "in our
estimation" - that is, to praise or extol. See Psatm 34:3; 2 Samuel
226.)

63

Vrsiting ElDabeth, she brought the child in her womb to the hill
country of Judah. Face-to-face with Mary, the pregnant Elimbeth was "filled with the Holy Spirit" and her unborn child was
moved by the Spirit 1L* 1:41,44). And ElZabeth told her,
"Blessed are you who believed..." (v. 45) to which Mary reph?d:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord" (v. 46). Mary
drew from the treasury of words that she pondered in her heart
with the Spirit, proclaiming it as Good News/ as Gospel for

humankind.

At the appointed timq Mary brought forth the Father's

Son

made flesh from her own womb. She gave us Jesus. She held
Him up before shepherds and wise men. She placed Him in old
Simeon's arms, and he knew in joy the promise of God fulfilled.
Her bidding brought about the first of her Son's signs at the
wedding feast in Cana. Her last words there were directed to
the seruants, "Do whatever He tells you." And she continues to
address these words to all ages thereafter.

As her Son preached to the crowds, she took in His words, and
pondered them in her heart, to share them later with the nas-

cent Church. Mother of the apostles, she was in their midst


when the Spirit came to them in the likeness of tongues of fire
on that day when the Church, empowered by the Spirit, fhst
proclaimed the Good News to allthe world.

first to be evangelizeQ and the first of the


disciples, as well as the first Apostle. In every age from the
time of the Apostles until the end of timg she is to be present
to the euangelhing Church-the Church-in-mission. GEc Basic
Thus Mary was the

TExt, IX. MARY AND THE EUCHARIST IN THE CHURCH,S MISSION; A. MARY
EXEMPUR AND MOTHER OF THE CHURCH-ON- MISSnON)

Mary is a Woman of the Eucharist"', who by bearing the body of Jesus in her
womb became the first "tabernacle", and the
Church who in lier heaft presetves and offers
to the world Christ's body and blood, (Ecctesia de
DOCTRINE

Eucharistia,

n.

55)

Mary is presenl with the Church and as the Mother of the


Church, at each of our celebrations of the Eucharist. If the
Church and the Eucharist are inseparably united, the same
ought to be said of Mary and the Euchanst. (Ecctesia de Eucharistia,
n. 57)
The Church can learn from the school of Mary, the "Woman of
the Euchanst," the necessary and proper interior disposition to
fruitfully celebrate and live out the mysteries of redemption:
affentive, contemplative and active presencg generoas concern
for the rest of the world and humanity, and openness to the
eschatological fulfillment of all that humanity hopes for. Mary
exemplifies the Eucharistic worship that seeks to be concretized
in works of love and seruice and that opens the faithful to
eschatological hope. For to the Christnn faithful at worship,
Mary stands as model in listening to the Word and taking it to
heaft; in praising and thanking God who has done great favors
to oneself and to the rest of humankind; in bringing Christ and

65

joy and salvation to all that one meeE, in praying


and interceding for the needs of all, in nourishing the life of
grace which one receives through the sacraments, in offering
His gifts of

oneself in union with Christ's offering of Himself to the Father,


in imploring the coming of the Lord, and in waiting for
with
vigilance. 6tc Basic Tert, IX. MARY AND THE EUCHARIST rN THE

it

CHURCH'S MISSION; B. MARY IN THE CGURCH'9 MISSIONARY DIALOGUE 1.


MARYAND THE EUCHARISTIN THE CHURCH'S MISSION)

Mary lived her Eucharistic Faith even


before the institution of the Eucharist, by the
very fact that she offered her virginal womb
MORAL

for the incarnation of God's word. Marv is


invitino us to obey her Son Jesus without hesitells

tation, she said "do whatever He


.."

(Ecctesia de Eucharisti4

n.' 54-55)

With these words Mary continues to tell her Sonb Church to


take heed of His bidding to do what He did at the Last Supper
and on Calvary "in memory of Him". But she also summons
the Church to commitment to this most sublime Mystery by her
quiet but active engagement in its apostolic mission. (IEc Basic
Text, IX. MARY AND THE EUCHARIST IN THE CHURCH,S MISSION; B, MARY
THE CHURCH', MISSIONARY DIALOGUE
MARY AND THE EUCHARIST
THE CHURCHS MISSION)

1.

IN
IN

Mary is the model of the Church in iB mission of evangelization


because of how she closely cooperated in the saving work of
her Son and of how she exemplified the missionary journey
that the Church has taken and continues to take,

As Mary was first recipient of the Good News at the Annunciation before she brought the same Good News to Elizabeth at
her Visitation and to the rest of the world at the Nativity of her
Son, so is the Church also called first to be an evangelized and
an euangelbing community. At the foot of the Cross, Christ
entrusted the Church and its mission to the care of Ht's Mother:
"Woman, here is your Son" (Jn 19:26-27).

"Mary is the Mother of the Church which evangelizes, and without her we could never truly understand the sphit of the new
euangelzatbn. " (IEC Basic Tert,IX. MARY AND THE EUCHARIST IN THE

least in

CHURCHS MISSION; A. MARY EXEMPUR AND MOTHER OF THE CHURCH- ON

for they are the ones who need her most.

-MrssroN)

MARY

IN

THE CHURCH'S MTSSTONARY DIALOGUE,,,OEC

Basic Tert,IX. MARY AND THE EUCHARIST


MARY

IN

IN

it is primarily
by her conduct and by her life-concern for peoplg charity
towards the poor, the witness of povefty and detachment, of
freedom in the face of the powers of this world, the witness of
sanctity-that she will euangelhe the world. The Church sees
in Mary that life witnessing by which "Christians stir up iresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live."

.with other Religious Traditions


Wtness, which r's the first and pnmary component

of

the

Church's dialogue with adherents of other faiths, finds a model

and inspiration in Mary's life and mission. Her life of quiet service and faithful cooperation with the divine will in uplifting the
human lot, driven by faith and nourished by contemplation and
attentiveness to the Word of Go4 is also the way for the
Church-in-mission in the midst of other religious traditions.

with the Poor

Mary embodres God's and the Church's preferential love for the

She is the woman of effective seruice that uplifts the


poor and the needy, manifested in her vrsit to Elbabeth and in
her interuention in behalf of the young couple in the wedding
at Gna. Mary's example tells us to run in hastq be present
where our brother or sister needs us, proclaim the Good news
of the God who frees from oppression and consoles in times of
afflr:ction. In May, the Church-in-mission finds a mother who
bids her to engage in concrete works of seruice and compassion that truly uplift the condition of the poor, in causes that
uphold justice for those who have no means to pursue it, in
helping build a society where evetyone, even those who have

67

t_

with the Young

Seeing the many young people of today as source of hope for


the society and for the Church while at the same time recogni-

From the Blessed Mother, the Church learns that

poor.

THE CHURCH,S MISSION; B.

THE CHURCH'S MISSIONARY DIALOGUE

.with the diverse Cultures of Asia.

lifg can enjoy the full measure of their human life and
dignity. The poor find in Mary the heaft of a mother who goes
out to everyone but especially to the least among her children

zing that many of them are "troubled by anxiety, deceptrbns,


angushes and fears of the world as well as by the temptations
that come with their state" the Church holds out to them the
image of Mary who accompanied her Son from the beginning of
His mission until its culminatrbn on the Cross. In her, they will
surely find a mother who cares, nurtures and guides as she did
the Son of God incarnate. With her, the Church directs the
many yoang people of today to Christ who alone is the Way,
the Truth and the Life: "Do whatever He tells you" (Jn 2:s).

WORSHIP : By celebrating and living the


Eucharist, the life of the Christian faithful
becomes a continuous Magnificaf in honor of
the Most Holy Trinity,
In the Eucharist the

Church is completely united

to Christ and
Mary. This truth
can be understood more deeply by re-reading the Magnifiat in a Eucharistic key, The Eucharist, like the Canticle of Mary, is first and foremost praise and thanksgiving, When Mary exclaims: "My soul magnifr?s the Lord and
my spirit rejobes in God my Savior," she already bears Jesus in
her womb, She praises God "through" Jesus, but she also
praises Him "in" Jesus and "with" Jesus, This is itself the true
His sacrificg and makes her own the spirit of

"Eucharistic attitude." (Ecclesia de Eucharisti4 no. 5B)


Wth Mary the Church sings the Eucharist as her Magnificat,

recalling the wonders worked by God in salvation history in futfillment of the promise once made to the fathers, proclaiming
the wondrous mysten?s of Chnst's redemptive incarnation,
death and resurrection and awaiting the eschatological hope of
glory. (ttc aasic Text, IX. MARY AND THE EUCHARTST IN THE CHURCHS
MISSION; B. MARY IN THE CHURCH,S MISSION DIALOGUE 1. MARY AND THE
EUCHARISTIN THE CHURCH'S MISSION)

68

Mary was with the Apostles of her Son as they awaited in


constant prayer (cf. Acts t:14.) the coming of the Holy Spirit He
promised them to be their Teacher and Guide in their mission
(cf Jn 14:16-17; Jn 16:13-14). She must have been with the first
generation of Christians who devoted themselves to "the breaking of the bread" 6cts 2:42). She continues to be present, with
the Church and as the Mother of the Church, at each of our
celebrations of the Eucharist. The Church, therefore, never
ceases to ask for her prayer (at the Confiteor) and to honor her
(in the Eucharistic Praye) for it is fitting that "the Eucharist,
being the most sublime celebration of the mysteries of salvatrbn worked by God through Christ in the Holy Spirit, must
necessarily recall the Holy Mother of the Savior united indissotubty to these mysteries." 6tc Basic Teo IX. MARY AND THE EU1HATHE CHURCH'i MIISION; B' MARY IN THE CHURCH'S MISSI0NARY
DIALOGUE, 1. MARY AND THE EUCHARIST IN THE CHURCH'S MISSION

RIST

IN

FAITH RESPONSE

1.

2.

TOPIC #'9
THE EUCHARI'T AND

According to the example of Mary how may one evangelize the world
amidst the diverse cultures of Asia?
amidst the multi- religious traditions in Asia?
amidst the PovertY of the world?
amidst anxiety, deceptions, anguishes and
fears of young peoPle?
What may one consider the MAGNIFICATb of one's

life?
3.
4.

j
I

69

How may one mirror the virtues which Mary exemplified in her pilgrimage of faith?
How may one respond to the challenge to be a
tabernacle of hope and love in the midst of hopelessness and meaningless hound present time?

70

OBJECTIVES

How can hope be engendered and awakened among


Catholics living in the midst of situations of hopelessness?

At the end of this module the pafticipants would:

.
.

in time and in
history, the glory of God in the anticipation of the
discover how the Eucharist manifests,

seek and proclaim the glory that the Euchanst brings


money bring;
strive to be signs of hope and sources of inspiration for
others through active involvement in the social action
programs of the parish/diocese; and
pra/ for the gift of discernment that empowers to distinguish the true glory that the presence of Christ
brings from the transitory and blinding glory that the
world offers.

understand that Jesus, the Bread of Lifq is the hope


of the young;
be motiuated to be an authentic agent of Jesus' hope
for others; and
appreciate the Eucharist as sacrament of hope by participating in the Mass every Sunday.

CONTEXT

The glory brought about by modern amenities/


conveniences/worldly pleasures is intoxicating. In Evangelii
Gaudium, Pope Francis exposes this blight of the modern

world when he stated that, "the culture of prosperity


deadens us, we are thrilled if the market offers us something new to purchase. In the meantime, all those lives
stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle, they
fail to move us (no. 54)." The presence of Christ in the
Eucharist transforms our incessant adherence to the
"culture of prosperity" into "hope for glory,"

71

the

dreams and aspirations of the young today?

What they hope for today, that is, what they need in our
society, what they need in their families, what they need and
hope for deep down in their hearts. We all have hopes, we
need them to survive. We raise our eyes and our arms up to

God in our difficult moments, for we know that the only real
source of hope is Jesus, In a broken world, violent and unjust,
we hope for a better society, for justice, for peace. Many times
our families are also broken, and we hope to overcome divisions and difficulties. (Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical letter

Spe Satvi

Fgr vouth pafticipantsl

.
.
.

What are

coming of the Lord;

and shun the false promise of glory that fame and

For vouth pafticipants:

What are the causes of hopelessness among many of them ?


Do they still believe that they are 'the hope of the nation'?
why?
Do young people find the Eucharist source of their hope?
whv?
How can they be helped to see and experience the Eucharist as
source of hope?

WORD OF GOD : Jn 6:51t 54,56

"I Am the living bread...anyone who eats this bread

shall live foreverl the bread I shall give is My flesh, for


the life of the world. . . . He who feeds on My flesh and
drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
on the last day . . . [for] he remains in Me and I in him."

"I

have told you all this, that My own joy may be in


you and your joy may be complete." (Jn. 15:11)
Jesus said to them,

I am the bread of life;

Jesus specifically identifies Himself wrth the bread

of

which

He is speaking, Like the water of life (Jn 4:10) rt satisfies


forever. Shifts emphasis from A bread of God to A bread of
life; the gift of God r's everlasting life. The bread of God
gives life to the world (verse 33).

72

he who comes
believes in Me

to Me shall not hunqer, and he who

Jesus equates coming to Him to believing


through faith that we approach our Lord.

in Him. It

is

shall never thirst.


Jesus uses the analogy of food and drink to show that He is

the one who really meets all of Manb noblest aspirations


and meets all of man's needs.

: The Eucharist is foretaste of the


joy promised by Christ gr tn 15:11). It
is anticipation of the final Kingdom, "pledge
of future gloiry," in the trustful waiting that
"the blessed hope is accomplished and our

DOCTRINE
fullness of

Savior Jesus Christ may come."


at the same time seed and goal of the
mission manifests the experience of the glory of God that has
at its center the Paschal Mystery of Chrisl His passion and
death, His glorious resurection. It is on the cross that the true
glory of God is revealed to us because there the Father shows
in His Son His merciful face and His love up to the point of
The Eucharist which is

death for the salvatbn of His creatures and creation.


Thus "Christ in you, hope of glory" is revealed to us as no other
than the whole saving plan of God realized in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus , a plan that continues to be present in the world,

through the elements of time and history but which will be


accomplished when Christ shall consign the Kingdom to the

Father.

(IEC Basic Text, X. SPES GLORIAE;

A.

THE EUCHARTST AND THE

"We come to this wondefful sacrament to be


fed at your table, and grow into the Iikeness ol
the Risen Christ." Vatican II described how
"Christ is now at work in the heafts of men by
the power of the Holy Spirit" who "animates,
purifies and strengthens" both the human
yearning for our heavenly home and the
generous seruice to make life here on eafth
more humane. GFC 1732)

From Sunday to Sunday, gathered in the name of the Lord, we


celebrate the glory of God in every Eucharist. That Jesus wha
was crucift?d we now encounter- risen, living, raised before the
world who crucified Him. Now death s made joytul by tovc

and our resurection is manifested in the effofts to love

as

Jesus loved. "Glona Dei vtvens homo; vita autem hominis vtlsla
Dei. The glory of God is man fully alive, and the tife of man ls
the visbn of God." 6EC Basic Tert,X. SpES GLORTAE; A. THE EUCHARISI
AND THE GLORY OF GOD)

WORSHIP : The Eucharist is not only a memoria! of


Christ's passion and death; nor merely a present meant
for filling our souls with grace. It is also a pledge for
our future glory. So, at the consecration of the Mass wG
acclaim: "Christ has died(past), Christ is risen
(present), Christ will come again (future).,, (cFC 1730)
The acclamation

of the Euchanstr? assembly after the consecra-

tion aptly concludes the manifestation of the eschatological


orientatbn that is signifbd by the participation in the tabte ol

the Lord Gf, I Cor tl: 26): we proclaim the death and resuffection of Christ "until he comes again". (IEC Basic Text, X. SpEs GLORIAE;

A.

THE EUCHARISTAND THE GLORY OF GOD)

GLORY OF GOD)

MORAL : This pledge of future glory is really a


Spirit-inspired and empowered life-long process of growing in Christ-likeness. The second
Preface for the Holy Eucharist prays:

73
t-

1.

74

FAITH RESPONSE

For adult pafticioants


1.

How is the Eucharist a Pledge of Future Glory?

How may one develop the virtue of discernment so that


one can clearly distinguish truth from falsity, and the
genuine glory promised by Christ from the lure of false
glory?
3. How may one's self and others be helped to feel and
recognhe that at every Sunday gathering for the Eucha
rist the glory of God is celebrated ?

2.

For youth pafticioants:


1. Through the Eucharist, you are invited to be transformed
by the Holy Spirit and then to go out and transform the
world for, the Eucharist is a grft of God for the life of the
world. How then, could you open yourself to receive this
gift every day?
2. How may God accomplish this transformation of your

TOPIC #'TO
A POWERFUT

lives and of the world?


3. What are practical ways for you to keep your lives united
to Jesus? Is it possible to lead a truly Eucharistic life?
4. How r's the Eucharist a primary source of hope for you?

How may you become agents of hope?

75

76

OBJECTIVES

the web that is woven over all nations.


He will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of His people He will
remove from the whole eadh;
for the LORD has spoken.

At the end of the module the pafticipants would:

.
.
.
o

realize that the Eucharist is a foretaste of the great


banquet where God gathers His children in a bond of
equality and perfect charity;
develop a genuine spirit of sharing and compassion
towards those who hunger for fooQ understanding,
and acceptance;
ensure that they possess the necessary disposition
before participating at the Eucharistic Banquet; and

attract others, especially those who are lukewarm in


faith, to the table of the Lord's banquet through an
acceptin g a nd no n -j udg me nta I attitude.

CONTEXT
Filipinos are meal oriented (cFC 37). Our celebrations whether
grand or simple are almost always punctuated by meals. Our
meals are not simply the partaking of food but are an affirmation of the ties that bond us and those with whom we share
our meals which satisff not only our hunger for food but also
our need to feel loved and accepted by the significant people in
our lives. The same meaning of meal-sharing in our culture
provides a useful take-off for appreciating the Eucharist as the
great banquet where God gathers His children in a bond of
equality and perfect charity.

One of the great themes of mission is the Catholicity of the


Church, the ultimate gathering together of nations as God's
holy people. The end-term of history, in Old Testament
imagery is that of "the eschatological pilgrimage of nations to
the holy mountain of God."
WORD OF GOD : Isaiah 25:6-8
On this mountain the LORD of hosts

will provide for all peoples

At the great banquet all peoples are God's holy people, all are
brothers and sisters. At the Eucharistic tablg Godb tove
embraces allpeoples'ultimate dream and desire: oneness in
Him, the dream of catolica unitas where God shalt be ail in a/t.

DOCTRINE : Christ gave us the Eucharist as


pledge of our own resurrection and new life,
food for the journey, and a foretaste of the
heavenly banquet. Celebrating the Eucharist
"until He comes" is an eschatologica! meal
embracing the hope of both the individual
believer and the whole world as well. cFC j7s7)
The meaning

of the future glory of the Kingdom that s stitt to

come is expressed by the prophet with the image of the


eschatological pilgrimage of the people to the holy mountain of
God where the mission is concluded by the great Messianic
Banquet prepared for all peoples and nations: "On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples, a feast of rich
food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and purq choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoptes.

The web that is woven over all natrbns; He will destroy death

forever"

Qs 25, 6-s). oEC Basic Tert,X. SpES GLORIAE; B. THE MESSIANIC

BANQUET)

MORAL ! The fruit of God's encompassing love is a community of brothers and sisters sharing the common dignity of
being God's children. God's presence in grace generates
brotherly and sisterly presence,

a feast of rich food and choice wines,


juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain He will destroy
the veil that veils al! peoples,

77

78

This is a foretaste of the new humanity that we are longing for.

We become a family because we are responding to a


call beyond us. The Eucharist teaches us that if we are
able to go beyond our petty concerns, if we only heed
the call beyond us then maybe we can communicate
with one another a neighborly, brotherly and sisterly
pfesence. ( IX FABC- Final Document: Living the Eucharist in Asia' B. INTRODUAORY

RITE 1) Gathered

as a Family of God : A Countersign to Divi-

sions)

The Eucharist, prophecy of this final banquet, is seen as "the


sacrament of the mission accomplished" where the common
desire of humanity is fed: communrbn with God, when and
where He will be all in all, and universal brotherhood.

"Therg on the holy mountain all the natrbns will gather to celebrate the definitive feast to the Lord. They will contemplate
the face of God, they will become His people and they will
praise Him with pure lips: "You are great, and you do wondrous
deeds; you alone are God" lPsalm s6:10. And to all the
nations of the world God will respond with every wondrous
blessing that transcends all boundaries: "Blessed be Egypt My
peoplg Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance" es 19:25).
The eschatological tensrbn present

in the Eucharist encourages


journey,
planting
a seed of living hope in the daily
our historial
commitment of each one to his or her particular tasks. While
indeed they await the "new heaven" and a "new earth" 6cf. Rev.
21:r, Chnstians stimulate their sense of responsibility toward
the present world, making sure that they do not miss to do the
duties of their earthly citizenship. At tht's historical moment
they in fact contribute, in the light of Luke's Gospel, to the edification of a world for the sake of man and fully responding to
the will of God. (IEC Basic TexlX. SPES GLoRIAE; B. THE MESSIANIC
BANQUET)

WORSHIP: The Eucharist is not only a memorial of Christ's passion and death, nor merely a
present means for filling our souls with grace.
79

It is also a pledge for our future glory.

So at the

Consecration of the Mass we acclaimt "Christ has


died (past) Christ is risen (present) Christ will
come again (future)," At the communion the
priest celebrant pleads for deliverance from all evil
and sin "as we await in joyful hope for the coming
of our savior, Jesus Christ." Thus, in every Mass
we echo the ancient prayen "Maranatha! Come
Lord Jesud,". lcrc tz3ol
Proclaiming the death of the Lord "until He comes again" lt cor
11:26) entails for those who pafticipate in the Euchari;st the commitment to transform their lifq that it may become "Eucharist".
It is precisely thr's transfiguratrbn of existence united to the task
for the euangelical transformation of the world that manifests
the eschatological tension of the Eucharistic celebration and of
the whole Christian life: "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20).

While the Messr'anic Banquet is prepared in which Christian


communion willtranscend every human border, already now, in
the Eucharistic assembly, the varbus ethic, economig political,
and social cultures are transformed by the Spirit in a thanksgiving that points to a new civilDatbn.

In every Mass, God pronounces His blessing upon every race


and nation with prophetic words that illumine our way:
"Blessed be Egypt, My people; Assyria, the work of My hands
and Israel My inheritance Qs. i9:25).. Blessed be Russia, Soma/ia, Bolivia, China, works of My hands, and blessed Philippines,
Philippines, My inheritance... Amen. Amen. IECBasicTextx. sPEs
GLONAE; C. THE LOVE OF GOD EMBRACES HUMANITY)

FAITH RESPONSE

1, How may one be witness to the genuine spirit of sharing as


a manifestation of the meal- sharing that transpires in the
Eucharist?

2. How may one respond to the poverty and injustices one


faces as one awaits the joyful hope for the coming of the

3.

savior Jesus Christ ?


What concrete steps or activity may one do to attract otherc
to the Lordb banquet, especially those who are lukewarm in

faith?

80

Notes

24-31 Jantary 2016, Cebu. Philippines

OFT'ICIALTHEME SONG
RAIIONALE:
life for us so that all those who believe in Him may be saved. Through the
Sacrament of the Eucharist, we partake ofhis Divine Life.

.lesus lays down his

CHRIST IN US, OUR HOPE OF GLORY

Lyrics and Music: Jay-arr Felisilda Librando


lnterpreters: Julie Anne San Jose
Nomer Limatog Jr.

We felt your word burning within us


Your word unlocked the hardness ofour hearts
And opened our eyes that we may see you
Hidden in the broken bread

t ,.
:::ri
:.

CHORT]S:
Lord you laid down your lile as bread and wine we see
GaVe strength to out hearts and made us shine with glee
W.hen we eat the bread and drink the cup of wine
i$& beti"u" that Christ in us, our hope of gtory

iriir

Youbroughtarayofligtrt

',i::i'., ::ll :1':l' Andyou rekindled ourhope


ti i t r 1: i i:, | : did led our hearts to yearn for your love
.
you
Forin

is ourhope

ofglory

isffOngth to our hearts and made us shine with glee


lWhbn we eat the bread and drink the cup of wine
We believe that Christ in us, our hope of glory
We believe that Christ in us, our hope of glory

..

':

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