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INTTERNATIONAI,
EUCI_IAR.I STIC CONG R HS S
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osw{c{,E{ weq{trR,
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.
ku
ctg'cs
uts"
ws the
uith
con4l)an!
ws to"tisalk
humhly
lo.you be all honar and g'lor.y unil ltrttist' irt tln' rtrtil.t'
of the Fathar u,ntl ll"tc
llttly Sl,irit.
t'. .
I rttr'rt.
ffiffi1-
( Colossians t:27 )
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.
C.
To challenge Filipino faithful to live a Eucharistic spirituality that will help transform Philippine society and
G.
H.
I.
J.
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.
1.
2.
3.
4,
Church.
)
.I
1.
2.
REALIZED
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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.
series of
OBJECTIVES
.
.
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
It
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."
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.
tn<sians-1-24-29-commentary,t
B. The Mystery
FAITH RESPONSE
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?
1.
2.
3.
ffi
::"'l'"\'
11
12
OBJECTIVES
.
o
CONTEXT
WORD OF GOD
Matthew 26=L7-3O
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Love
unity
Acceptance
Understanding
Purpose in life
Justice
Peace
the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
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.
13
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
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
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 )
THE EUCHARIST
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
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
FAITH RESPONSE
ri
\::
,.,iq
lliif
ri:r.
.l:l
.,1
.::
'l
I.In
1.
17
18
OBJECTIVES
o
.
.
o
of
Mtssion;
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
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
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
\,,
20
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.
Hr's
love."
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
About Jesus
of
prophet, powerful
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
words they heard from the Risen Christ and by recognizing Him
"in the breaking of the bread" that the disciples of Emmaus fcr
))
DOCTRINE
in world history."
AND GOAL OF THE
MISSION)
23
therein.
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
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.
the
Vatican
for
Concern
II
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-
sibly.
for
25
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."
He
27
In an
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
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?
1.
Toplc # 4
30
OBJECTIVES
.
.
.
.
.
.
o
CONTEXT
31
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-
IN ASIA. MISSION-IN-
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:
message."J
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 )
Eucharistic
gathering, we are sent to continue and extend
this Trinitarian didlogue of life and salvation in
-51.htm
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,
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)
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
.
.
.
of
in the
FAITH RESPONSE
God in daily
Toptc # s
THE EUCHARI'T IN
THE CHURCHTf'u$'''
LOGUE'-wlTH""-**'*
&
RE'
r$'
.,'Nl
37
t$
OBJECTIVES
.
.
.
.
.
.
CONTEXT
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
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:
o
.
39
I
is
very
positive.
[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.
MORAL
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-
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
This
It
lian
website.
See
religious-gatherings
43
I
also http://assembly.uca.org.au/rof/
u n ities.
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
.
.
.
action;
renew commitment to serue the poor through contem-
embrace
.
.
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
on:
.
.
.
-a nd
-pacific).
Income Gap
.
.
.
.
.
and Samar
Zamboanga Siege
Eafthquake in Bohol
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-
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."
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-
51
DOCTRINE
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."
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
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-
"To meet the living God we must tenderly ktlss the wounds of
Jesus, in our hungry people, in the siclg in imprisoned brothers
In the
bread.
hearts.
(FABC IX, Living the Eucharist in Asia 2009 documents; E. The Rite
of Communion, No. 2 Super abundant love - receiving communion)
FAITH RESPONSE
1.
of
the poor'?
o
o
.
1.
2.
3.
J5
Toplc#
7- THE
EUCHARI'T IN THE
understand that
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,
WORD OF GOD
Mark 10:17-31
will
CONTEXT
57
58
r
I
WORSHIP
E.
: The Eucharist
love.
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
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-
IN
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?
TOPIC
MARY
NWN
OBJECTIVES
WORD OF GOD
.
.
.
.
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
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
his
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.
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-
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)
65
it
(Ecctesia de Eucharisti4
n.' 54-55)
1.
IN
IN
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
-MrssroN)
MARY
IN
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."
of
the
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.
Mary embodres God's and the Church's preferential love for the
67
t_
poor.
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
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
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
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
.
.
in time and in
history, the glory of God in the anticipation of the
discover how the Eucharist manifests,
CONTEXT
71
the
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
.
.
.
What are
"I
of
which
72
he who comes
believes in Me
in Him. It
is
DOCTRINE
fullness of
Father.
A.
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)
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.
GLORY OF GOD)
73
t-
1.
74
FAITH RESPONSE
2.
TOPIC #'TO
A POWERFUT
75
76
OBJECTIVES
.
.
.
o
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.
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.
The web that is woven over all natrbns; He will destroy death
forever"
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,
77
78
RITE 1) Gathered
sions)
"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
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
So at the
FAITH RESPONSE
3.
faith?
80
Notes
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.
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
is ourhope
ofglory
..
':