SYNOD OF BISHOPS
XI ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
THE EUCHARIST: SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF THE LIFE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH
INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS

INDEX
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
The Synodal Assembly in the Year of the Eucharist
The Instrumentum Laboris and Its Use
Part I
THE EUCHARIST AND TODAY’S WORLD
Chapter I
HUNGERING FOR THE BREAD OF GOD
Bread for Each Person in the World
Some Essential Statistics
The Eucharist in Various Situations in the Church
The Eucharist and the Christian Meaning of Life
Chapter II
THE EUCHARIST AND ECCLESIAL COMMUNION
Eucharistic Mystery: The Expression of Ecclesial Unity
The Relation of the Eucharist to the Church as ‘Bride and Body of Christ’
The Relation of the Eucharist to the Other Sacraments
The Close Bond Between the Eucharist and Penance
The Relation of the Eucharist to the Faithful
Shadows in the Celebration of the Eucharist
PART II
THE FAITH OF THE CHURCH
IN THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST
Chapter I
THE EUCHARIST, GOD’S GIFT TO HIS PEOPLE
The Eucharist: the Mystery of Faith
The Eucharist: The New and Eternal Covenant
Faith and the Celebration of the Eucharist
Personal Faith and the Church’s Faith
The Perception of the Eucharistic Mystery among the Faithful
The Sense of the Sacred in the Eucharist
Chapter II
THE PASCHAL MYSTERY AND THE EUCHARIST
The Centrality of the Paschal Mystery
Names for the Eucharist
Sacrifice, Memorial and Meal
The Consecration
The Real Presence
PART III
THE EUCHARIST IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH
Chapter I
CELEBRATING THE EUCHARIST OF THE LORD
“We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence...”
The Introductory Rites
The Liturgy of the Word
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Communion
The Concluding Rite
Ars Celebrandi
The Word and the Bread of Life
The Meaning of Norms
An Urgent Pastoral Program
Liturgical Song
The Dignity of the Sacred Space
Chapter II
ADORING THE LORD IN MYSTERY
From Celebration to Adoration
Sentiments of Adoration
Awaiting the Lord
Sunday Eucharist
PART IV
THE EUCHARIST IN THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH
Chapter I
EUCHARISTIC SPIRITUALITY
The Eucharist: Font of Christian Morality
Eucharistic Persons and Communities
Mary, Woman of the Eucharist
Chapter II
THE EUCHARIST AND THE MISSION OF EVANGELIZATION
A Eucharistic Attitude
Social Implications of the Eucharist
The Eucharist and Inculturation
The Eucharist and Peace
The Eucharist and Unity
The Eucharist and Ecumenism
The Eucharist and Intercommunion
Ite missa est
CONCLUSION

PREFACE
From the very beginning, the Church has drawn her life from the Eucharist. This Sacrament is the reason for her existence, the inexhaustible source of her holiness, the power of her unity, the bond of her communion, the source of her dynamism in preaching the Gospel, the principle of her evangelizing activity, the font of charity, the heart of human promotion and the anticipation of her glory in the Eternal Banquet at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb (cf. Rev 19:7-9).
The Risen Lord is present in his Church in various ways, but he is present in a particularly unique way in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Through the words of consecration and the grace of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for the praise and glory of God the Father. This inestimable gift and great mystery were realized at the Last Supper. With the express command of the Lord Jesus: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19), the Sacrament passes down to us through the Apostles and their successors. In this regard, St. Paul, in his account of the bread and cup of the New Covenant, writes: “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you” (1 Cor 11:23). Sacred Tradition accounts for its faithful transmission from one generation to the next, down to the present day.
Under Divine Providence, the deposit of Eucharistic faith, despite various doctrinal and disciplinary controversies, has come to us in its original purity as a result of primarily two ecumenical councils: Trent (1545-1563) and Vatican II (1962-1965). Various individual popes have also made notable contributions to a better understanding of the mystery of the Eucharist, among them, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, both of whom undertook the task of applying in the universal Church the deliberations of the Second Vatican Council. The pontificate of Pope John Paul II enriched the Catholic Church with important documents on the Sacrament of the Eucharist, such as The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia and the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has also shown his intention to continue the implementation of the Second Vatican Council and to follow faithfully the two-thousand-year-old tradition of the Church by stating in his first discourse, addressed through the College of Cardinals to the whole Church, that the Eucharist is the lasting centre and source of the Petrine service entrusted to him.
These documents provide a profound reflection on the Sacrament of the Eucharist which has important spiritual and pastoral implications. The question of great pastoral concern, episcopal responsibility and prophetic vision is to see how this rich patrimony of faith can be implemented in the Catholic Church, extended over five continents, in the initial years of the Third Millennium of Christianity and beyond.
It came as no surprise that the episcopal conferences around the world and other ecclesial entities, after being contacted by the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, proposed the topic of the Eucharist for the XI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat took the matter up and then submitted it to the consideration of the Holy Father, who, given the topic’s importance, most willingly accepted the proposal. He then formulated the synod’s theme in the following manner: The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church, and, at the same time, established the dates of the synodal assembly, 2 - 23 October 2005. The topic explicitly alludes to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council on the Eucharist, set forth for the most part in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium, 11 and taken up anew in the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 1 and 13. It is not a matter of simply citing the conciliar document but systematically assessing—considering the renewed enthusiasm for the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council—how its teachings on the Sacrament of the Eucharist have been applied in light of the Church’s Magisterium on the subject.
The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, with the assistance of the members of the Ordinary Council, began preparation for the XI Ordinary General Assembly, with the drafting of the Lineamenta. This document was published at the beginning of 2004 to foster in the Church widespread discussion and reflection on the mystery of the Eucharist, the mystery celebrated and adored in the dioceses and communities of the Catholic Church and the mystery proclaimed by the Church to all the world. The Lineamenta was sent to the episcopal conferences, the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris, the Departments of the Roman Curia and the Union of Superiors General, with the expressed request that they set aside time for reflection and prayer on the topic and respond to the questions which treated various pastoral aspects related to the Eucharist. Because of the means of social communication, this document received a wide distribution in the Church and the world. Under the guidance of the bishops, the entire People of God made significant contributions on the topic in preparation for the synodal assembly. In various countries of the world, dioceses, parishes and other ecclesial communities engaged in discussion in what amounted to an inquiry on faith in the Eucharist and Eucharistic practice in the Universal Church.
Submissions arriving at the General Secretariat from the aforementioned collegial bodies were categorized as “responses,” while the unsolicited contributions of others wishing to take part in the synodal process, were classified as “observations.” In each case, the results were included in the Instrumentum laboris, a document which is intended to be a faithful summary of the information which arrived at the General Secretariat. The present document reflects the general contents of the submissions and does not represent a systematic, complete, theological treatise on the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which already exists in the Church. Instead, it touches upon some doctrinal truths of notable influence in celebrating this sublime mystery of our faith, which puts in relief the Sacrament’s great pastoral richness. This document then is principally concentrated on the positive aspects of the celebration of the Eucharist which bring the faithful together and make them a community, despite their differences in race, language, nation and culture. Mention is also made of various insufficiencies and oversights in the celebration of the Eucharist which, thanks be to God, are rather contained. Their inclusion, nonetheless, provides the occasion for clergy and the faithful to consider the due reverence and piety towards the Eucharist which is to characterize their celebration of this sacred mystery. Each section ends with various proposals from a number of responses which were a result of a profound pastoral reflection by particular Churches and other bodies which were consulted.
Clearly, the Sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated in a notable variety of ways in each country and continent as a result of the Catholic Church’s many spiritual traditions or rites. This diversity, far from weakening the Church’s unity, manifests the Church’s richness as a catholic communion distinguished by an exchange of gifts and experiences. Catholics of the Latin tradition perceive this richness in the spirituality of the Eastern Catholic Churches, as seen in both the Lineamenta and Instrumentum laboris. Christians of the Eastern Traditions in turn rediscover the notable theological and spiritual patrimony of the Latin tradition. Such an understanding has ecumenical implications. Indeed, if the Catholic Church is said to breathe with two lungs—and for this, we render thanks to Divine Providence—she also awaits the blessed day when such spiritual richness can be extended and revived in full, visible union with the Eastern Churches, who, in the absence of full communion, profess in great part the same faith in the mystery of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
The prime purpose of the Instrumentum laboris is to provide the synod fathers with their “working document” and reference point in further discussion on the Eucharist, which, as the heart of the Church, spurs her on in communion to a renewed missionary dynamism. There is no doubt that reflection will be fruitful, because the spirit of collegiality, characteristic of the synod, will foster consensus on the propositions which are destined for the Holy Father. In the process, further benefit will also result in liturgical renewal, exegetical research and theological study which has taken place since the Second Vatican Council.
The submissions, summarized in the Instrumentum laboris, demonstrate the desire of the People of God that the work of the synod fathers, gathered around the Bishop of Rome, the Head of the Episcopal College and President of the Synod, together with others coming from the Church community, contribute towards a rediscovery of the beauty of the Eucharist as the Sacrifice, Memorial and Banquet of Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. The faithful are awaiting appropriate guidance so that the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Bread-Come-Down-from-Heaven (cf. Jn 6:58), offered by God the Father in his only-begotten Son, might be celebrated with more dignity; that the Lord might be adored with greater devotion under the species of bread and wine; and that the bond of unity and communion might be strengthened among those who are nourished by the Lord’s Body and Blood. Such an idea is to be expected, since Christians, who participate in the Table of the Lord and are enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, are a living part of the Church, the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. They are his witnesses in everyday life and in the workplace, always attentive to the spiritual and material needs of others and active in constructing a more just world, where every one will have a share in our daily bread.
Inspired by the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Woman of the Eucharist, the synod fathers approach their work in a spirit of readiness and willingness to do the will of God the Father as well as in an attitude of openness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. They will be sustained by their bond of communion with the clergy and faithful, who, in this Year of the Eucharist, continue, with renewed zeal, to pray, celebrate, adore and bear witness to the fruitfulness of the Eucharistic mystery through a Christian life and fraternal charity, thus proclaiming with renewed apostolic vigour—to those nearby and those far away—the beauty of the great gift of faith contained in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, source and summit of the life and mission of the Church in the Third Millennium of Christianity.
Nikola Eterovic
Tit. Archbishop of Sisak
General Secretary

The Synodal Assembly in the Year of the EucharistThe XI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is scheduled to take place from 2 to 23 October 2005 to treat the topic: The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church. The preparatory phase for this synodal assembly involved the entire Catholic Church throughout the world, thanks to the Magisterium of Pope John Paul II, who promulgated the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia and the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine. Also contributing to the preparation were the bishops and theologians who participated in the 48th International Eucharistic Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico.1 Other documents, related in a certain way to the synod topic, are the Instruction Redemptionis sacramentum and the subsidy The Year of the Eucharist: Suggestions and Proposals of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The latter was distributed on the occasion of the opening of the Year of the Eucharist, which began on 17 October 2004 and will conclude with the synodal assembly.
The Lineamenta was drafted to guide the preparatory phase. The document was not intended to be a complete tract on the Eucharist nor was it a simple presentation of the doctrinal content of the above-mentioned documents. Instead, it delineated various questions which are emerging on essential points of the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist in light of Sacred Scripture and Divine Tradition.
Responses to the Lineamenta and its Questions were sent to the General Secretariat by episcopal conferences, the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris, the Departments of the Roman Curia and the Union of Superiors General. Observations also came from bishops, priests, men and women religious, theologians and the lay faithful. Both are contained in the Instrumentum laboris. This “working document” for the future assembly, provides general information on the situation of faith, worship and Eucharistic life in the particular Churches throughout the world and evaluates that situation in light of the faith of the Universal Church.
1. The Instrumentum laboris presents both doctrinal and pastoral information to promote reflection and discussion in the immediate preparation for the synodal assembly and to assist the synod fathers in their interventions and exchange in the synod hall. Bishops are always engaged in taking into account the doctrinal and pastoral aspects of the Eucharist in the normal exercise of their triple office as bishop—to teach, to shepherd and to sanctify the People of God. Indeed, the Church’s practice must continually be placed alongside her perennial teachings, which find their source in Sacred Scripture and Divine Tradition.
In applying this method to the synod topic, we are to see if the law of prayer corresponds to the law of faith. We are to consider what the People of God believes and how the People of God lives, so that the Eucharist can become more and more the source and summit of the life and mission of not only the Church but each member of the faithful through liturgy, spirituality and catechesis in the various areas of culture, society and civil life.
The responses to the Lineamenta have shown that the Eucharist needs to be considered under the two aspects of fons and culmen in the Church. The Eucharist as Sacrifice and Sacrament is the source from which, through the Lord’s words and the work of the Holy Spirit, comes the fruits of the passion of Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection. The Eucharist is the summit of the Church’s life, since communion with the Lord leads to the sanctification and “divinization” of a person as a member of the community gathered around the Table of the Lord. The duty to transform temporal realities flows from this truth—fons et culmen—which is the general topic for the synod. The Eucharist can be said to contain the meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice: God who totally and gratuitously giving of himself and the person who completely abandons himself to a loving Father. This dual action of love corresponds in some way to the Eucharist as sacrifice and banquet.
Generally speaking, the responses indicated that people were pleased that the Lineamenta proposed a consideration of the Eucharistic liturgy from both the Latin and Eastern traditions. An osmotic action of this type can be mutually enriching and beneficial; it can serve to praise the positive aspects or “lights” concerning the Eucharist and help disperse the negative aspects or “shadows” said to exist in many places. The Instrumentum laboris seeks to follow the same process, in other words, to consider the subject from the perspective of the entire tradition of the Church, and not simply from the Latin tradition, though some phenomena singularly exist in this rite.
The Instrumentum laboris is offered to the bishops of the particular Churches so that they, together with the People of God, might prepare themselves for the synod, when the synod fathers will formulate useful recommendations for the Bishop of Rome in fostering Eucharistic renewal in the Church’s life.

Part I
THE EUCHARIST AND TODAY’S WORLD
Chapter I
“For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.
They said to him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always.’” (Jn 6:33-34)

Bread for Each Person in the World
2. When the people ask Jesus for a sign so they can believe, he tells the crowd that he himself is the true bread that satisfies hunger (cf. Jn 6:35); he is the Bread come down from heaven for the life of the world. The present-day world also stands in need of this bread, if it is to have life. In the discourse in which Jesus presents himself as the Bread for the life of the world, the crowd begs him: “Lord, give us this bread always” (Jn 6:34). This plea is charged with meaning, since it expresses a deep longing planted in the heart of not only the Church’s members but every person who seeks happiness, a happiness which is symbolized by the bread of eternal life. Despite various kinds of difficulties and contradictions, the world, in this year of the Lord 2005, aspires to happiness and desires the bread of life for soul and body. In response to this hunger of the human heart, Pope John Paul II made an earnest appeal to the Church’s members to use the Year of the Eucharist as an occasion to make a serious commitment to fight the tragedy of hunger, the affliction of illness, the loneliness of the elderly, the hardships of the unemployed and the struggles of immigrants. The actions in response to this appeal will be the measure for judging the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations.2
Humanity and all creation in general await the new heaven and the new earth (cf. 2 Pt 3:13) and the unification of all things in Christ, even the things of earth (cf. Eph 1:10). Therefore, since the Eucharist is the summit towards which all creation tends, the Eucharist is the response to the concerns of the contemporary world, even those of ecology. Indeed, the elements of water and wine, chosen by Jesus Christ for every Mass, bind the Eucharistic celebration to the world created by God and entrusted to the stewardship of humanity (cf. Gen 1:28), all the while respecting the laws which the Creator has placed in the work of his hands. The bread to become the Body of Christ is the fruit of a productive, pure and unpolluted land. The wine to be changed into the Blood of Christ is the sign of the transformation of creation to meet the needs of humanity and the safeguarding of resources necessary for future generations. The water, united to the wine and symbolizing the union in Christ of our human nature and his divine nature, retains its beneficial effects for humanity, which is thirsting for God, “the spring of water, welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:14).
Some Essential Statistics
3. The topic of the synod, The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church, requires looking at some pertinent information from the world in which the Church lives and works. Though a complete, exhaustive presentation is impossible, some general statistics and considerations are given.
Some statistics plainly show the numerical relationship of the general population to the faithful who profess the Catholic faith. In 2003, the number of Catholics was 1,086,000,000,3 an increase of 15,000,000 from the preceding year. The breakdown by continent is: Africa +4.5%; America +1.2%; Asia +2.2%; and Oceania +1.3%. Europe remained practically unvaried. Regarding the distribution of Catholics in various geographical areas, figures show that America has 49.8% of the world’s Catholics, while Europe has 25.8%. The percentage is less in other continents: Africa 13.2%, Asia 10.4% and Oceania, 0.8%. In relation to a continent’s total population, the percentage of Catholics is: 62.46% in America, 39.59% in Europe, 26.39% in Oceania, 16.89% in Africa and 2.93% in Asia.4
As for areas of jurisdiction in the Church, ecclesiastical territories showed an increase of 19 in 2001, that is, the number rose from 2,864 in 2001 to 2,883 territories in 2002, indicating a growth on all continents.5 The number of the world’s bishops grew 27.68%, increasing from 3,714 in 1978 to 4,742 in 2003. The overall number of priests in 2003 (405,450 - 268,041 diocesan and 137,409 religious), with respect to the figures of 1978 (420,971: 262,485 diocesan and 158,486 religious), fluctuated 3.69%, due to a decrease of 13.30% in the number of priest-religious and an increase of 2.12% in that of diocesan priests. There was a decrease of 27.94% in the number of non-clerical professed men-religious (75,802 in 1978, 54,620 in 2003). The number of professed women-religious (990,768 in 1978, 776,269 in 2003) fluctuated 21.65%.6
Because of the vital connection between the celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Orders, attention needs to be given to the increase, from 1978 to 2003, in the number of Catholics in relation to the number of priests, that is, one priest for every 1,797 Catholics in 1978 to one priest for every 2,677 Catholics in 2003. The situation is quite diverse from continent to continent. For example, in Europe, there is one priest for every 1,386 Catholics; in Africa, one for every 4,723 Catholics; in America, one for every 4,453; in Asia, one for every 2,407; and in Oceania, one for every 1,746.7 In the same period, the permanent deaconate also witnessed a strong development with the overall number of deacons multiplying over 15 times or having a relative increase of 466.7%. It should be pointed out that America (especially North America) has 65% of the permanent deacons worldwide, with Europe having 32%. The noteworthy role of the world’s lay missionaries (172,331) and catechists (2,847,673) also deserves mention.8
4. The synod is to take place in a period marked by strong contrasting forces within the human family. The idea of globalization gives the illusion of a united human race, in many cases as a result of the mass media which report happenings from every corner of the globe. For the most part, the last ten years have witnessed an exceptional development in technology. Unfortunately, globalization and technological progress have not lead to peace and greater justice between the rich nations and the poorer ones of the Third and Fourth Worlds. The situation makes one think that, while the synod fathers are gathering, acts of violence, terrorism and war will unfortunately continue in various parts of the world. At the same time, many brothers and sisters will fall victim to various illnesses, for example, AIDS, which brings devastation to entire sectors of populations, especially in poorer countries.
Regrettably, the scandal of hunger continues to endure; indeed, it has worsened in recent years, given that more than a billion people live in misery. In this regard, some statistics from society are worth considering, particularly relating to the question of hunger. This subject cannot be overlooked in the Church’s evangelizing mission in the world. Human promotion, in many areas of social life, including health, humanitarian assistance and education, have always gone hand in hand with the Church’s proclamation of the Gospel and her gift of salvation in the Sacraments. Therefore, in treating hunger, it must be borne in mind that, in the years 1999 to 2001, 842 million persons were undernourished in the world, 789 million of them in developing countries, especially Sub-Sahara Africa, Asia and the Pacific.9 This dramatic situation is an inescapable reality in the discussion of the synod fathers, who, like every Christian at various times during the day, pray to the Lord: “give us this day our daily bread.”
The Eucharist in Various Situations in the Church
5. The Lineamenta responses indicate that Mass attendance on Sundays is high in various particular Churches in the countries of Africa and also in some Asian countries. The opposite is the case in the majority of countries in Europe, America and Oceania. In some cases, the percentage of those who participate at Sunday Mass is as low as 5%. Generally speaking, the faithful who neglect to attend Mass on Sundays do not consider participating at Mass important in their life. Basically, they lack an understanding of the true nature of the Mass as Sacrifice and Eucharistic Banquet which gathers the faithful around the Lord’s altar.
Mass on Saturday evening permits those truly unable to attend Sunday Mass to fulfill their Sunday obligation. However, in some cases, people take advantage of this privilege to engage in servile work on Sundays. In many places, the number of persons attending weekday Masses is small. Some participate on a regularly basis, others on occasion, and still others come out of a sense of their Christian commitment.
Ongoing, intensive catechesis on the importance and obligation to participate at Holy Mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation needs to be encouraged. At times, the obligatory character is minimized by a person’s insisting that its observance depends on how one feels at the moment.
6. Certain particular Churches are witnessing a significant decline in the practice of the faith and participation at Mass, prevalently among the young. This should lead to a reflection on how much time pastors and catechists spend in teaching the faith to children and youth as compared to time in social activities.
An increasingly secularized society has caused a weakening in the sense of mystery. This is witnessed in mis-interpretations and distorted ideas in the Council’s liturgical renewal, which has led to rites superficial in nature and devoid of spiritual significance. Nevertheless, some Christian communities have maintained a deep sense of mystery, so much so that the liturgy continues to have great meaning.
Some express a certain appreciation for inculturated liturgies which permit increased participation. As a result, Mass attendance has been on the rise, with many young people and adults more actively involved in the Church’s life and mission. In rural areas, the scarcity of clergy in parishes has resulted in the celebration of Mass at certain times each month or even each year. In these situations, the practice of entrusting a Sunday service to lay people is unavoidable.
7. People ought clearly to be taught that entering into the mystery of the Eucharist depends on a liturgical celebration which is done with dignity, due preparation and, above all, faith in the mystery itself. In this regard, the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio can be of assistance, since it points out two causes for a lack of faith which is having a negative impact on the missionary spirit: the secularization of salvation and religious relativism. The former leads to a struggle in favour of the person, but a person reduced to only one dimension—earthbound.10 Such an attitude takes the minister of the mysteries of God and links his vocation to being simply a promoter of social justice. The latter leads to the destruction of Christian truth, since it maintains that one religion is as good as another.11 Far from allowing this to be a source of lament, Pope John Paul II appealed in his Apostolic Letter, Novo millennio ineunte, for a strengthening of the Church’s missionary activity.12
The synod’s topic can be developed properly by bearing the aforementioned in mind and remembering that for the Apostles and Church Fathers—consider St. Justin alone13—the Eucharist is the holiest action the Church can perform. She firmly believes that the Risen Lord is truly and fully present in the Eucharist. Christ’s presence is the Sacrament’s basic end.
Because of the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, the Church always approaches this mystery—the essence of the Liturgy—with fear and trembling, and likewise, with great trust. Reverence towards the mystery of the Eucharist and awareness of its sublime character are much needed today. This requires a structured program of formation. Much will depend, however, on having places which can serve as models, places where the Eucharist is truly believed and properly celebrated, places where people can personally experience what the Sacrament is—the only authentic response to a person’s every need in the search for life’s meaning.
The Eucharist and the Christian Meaning of Life
8. Each person questions the meaning of life: What is the meaning of my life? What is freedom? Why does suffering and death exist? Is there anything beyond the grave? In a word, does life have meaning or not?14 This questioning continues even though people often delude themselves into thinking that they are self-sufficient or fall victim to fear and uncertainty. Religion is the ultimate response to the search for life’s meaning, since it leads a person to the truth about himself in relation to the true God.
The Eucharist “reveals the Christian meaning of life”15 and provides a response to the perennial question of life’s meaning by proclaiming the resurrection and the full and lasting Real Presence of Christ, the pledge of future glory. This implies that people put their relationship with God at the
basis of everything. This relationship is to become their source of freedom, enabling them to enter into the most profound depths of their being so that they can make a totally free gift of self. This occurs in the paschal mystery where truth and love meet and show themselves to be the distinguishing features of true religion. Thus, the Eucharist manifests the truth of God’s Word: nihil hoc verbo veritatis verius, as sung in the Eucharistic hymn Adoro Te, Devote.
The meaning of the Eucharist is entirely explained in Jesus’ words: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19). Firstly, these words proclaim that Jesus Christ has brought eternity into time, giving it a definitive orientation and eliminating its destructive power. Secondly, these words highlight the fact that divine and human freedom meet in Jesus Christ, thereby establishing a communion which enables a person to conquer the Evil One. Finally, these words mean that Jesus Christ is the inexhaustible source of renewal for both people and the world, despite humanity’s limitations and sins.
9. The Lineamenta responses lament a certain separation of the pastoral life from the Eucharist. The synod, therefore, could encourage the strengthening of the bond between life and mission. The Eucharist is the response to the signs of the times in contemporary culture. In a culture of death, the Eucharist is the culture of life. In an atmosphere of individual and societal selfishness, the Eucharist re-affirms total self-giving. Where there is hate and terrorism, the Eucharist places love. In response to scientific positivism, the Eucharist proclaims mystery. In desperate times, the Eucharist teaches a sure hope of a blessed eternity.
The Eucharist manifests that the Church and the future of the human race are bound together in Christ and in no other reality. He is the one, truly lasting rock. Therefore, Christ’s victory is the Christian People who believe, celebrate and live the Eucharistic mystery.

Chapter II
THE EUCHARIST AND ECCLESIAL COMMUNION
“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body,
for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:17)

Eucharistic Mystery: The Expression of Ecclesial Unity
10. In exhorting the faithful to flee from idolatry and to avoid eating flesh sacrificed to idols, St. Paul highlights the Christian’s intimate bond of communion with the Body and Blood of Christ, thus making of the multitudes of the faithful, one body, one community and one Church (cf. 1 Cor 8:1-10).
The subject of ecclesial communion received particular attention during the Second Vatican Council.16 It was also treated in the final report of the Second Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops—held to commemorate the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the same Council17—and the document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the bishops of the Catholic Church.18 Ecclesial communion was amply set forth in Chapter VI of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores gregis, promulgated after the X Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. This papal document, reflecting the mind of the synod, emphasized that the communion of the bishops with the Successor of Peter, the sign of unity between the universal Church and the particular Churches, has its culminating point in the Eucharistic celebrations of the bishops with the Pope during their ad limina visits. The Eucharist presided over by the Holy Father and concelebrated by the Pastors of the particular Churches expresses the unity of the Church in an eminent way. These concelebrated Masses clearly illustrate that “every Eucharist is celebrated in communion with one’s own bishop, with the Roman Pontiff and with the College of Bishops, and through them with the faithful of the particular Church and of the whole Church. So that the universal Church is present in the particular Church and the particular Church becomes part, together with the other particular Churches, of the communion of the universal Church.”19
The responses to the Lineamenta, in commenting on the Eucharist as the expression of ecclesial communion, highlight the following aspects of the subject which warrant particular treatment: the relation of the Eucharist to the Church; the relation of the Eucharist to the other Sacraments, especially Penance; the relation of the Eucharist to the faithful; and adverse situations or “shadows” in the celebration of the Eucharist.
The Relation of the Eucharist to the Church as ‘Bride and Body of Christ’
11. The Eucharist is the heart of ecclesial communion. From the many figures applied to the Church, the Second Vatican Council preferred one which expresses her totality—mystery. The Church is primarily the mystical encounter between God and humanity. As such, she is Spouse and Body of Christ, Mother and the People of God. Because of the mutual relationship between the Eucharist and the Church, the notes of the Creed can be applied to both—one, holy, catholic and apostolic—as illustrated in the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia.20
The Eucharist builds the Church and the Church is the place where communion is realized with God and humanity. The Church is aware that the Eucharist is the sacrament of unity, holiness, apostolicity and catholicity and the sacrament essential to the Church as Bride of Christ and the Body of Christ. At the same time, the marks of the Church are the bonds of catholic communion which give the Eucharistic celebration its legitimacy.
Pope John Paul II recalled that “the Church is the Body of Christ: we walk ‘with Christ’ to the extent that we are in relationship ‘with his body’.”21 This is the real basis for a certain manner of acting at the Eucharist and for observing the norms of celebration. This is the Church as Bride rendering obedience to Christ.
12. The Church makes the Eucharist and the Eucharist builds the Church. Although both were instituted by Christ, one in view of the other, the two terms of the well-known aphorism are not equivalent. If the Eucharist builds up the Church, because of the presence of the living Christ in the Sacrament, Jesus willed the Church beforehand to celebrate the Eucharist. The Christians of the Eastern Churches emphasize that the Church pre-existed from the time of creation in her earthly realization. Belonging to the Church is the basis for admittance to the sacraments. No one can approach the Eucharist without having first received Baptism; no one can return to the Eucharist without first having received the Sacrament of Penance, the so-called “arduous Baptism” which takes away mortal sins. From the early days of the Church, to express this exacting preparation, the catechumenate for initiation and the penitential practice for reconciliation were instituted respectively. Furthermore, without the Sacrament of Orders, there can be no valid and lawful celebration of the Eucharist.
For this reason, the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia speaks of the “causal influence of the Eucharist...at its very origins,”22 and the intimate bond linking one to the other.23 Bearing this in mind, one can better understand that “the celebration of the Eucharist, however, cannot be the starting-point for communion; it presupposes that communion already exists, a communion which it seeks to consolidate and bring to perfection. The sacrament is an expression of this bond of communion both in its invisible dimension...and in its visible dimension.... The profound relationship between the invisible and the visible elements of ecclesial communion is constitutive of the Church as the sacrament of salvation. Only in this context can there be a legitimate celebration of the Eucharist and true participation in it.”24 In this Eucharistic ecclesiology, the Eucharist always remains the source and summit of ecclesial life. However, this does not mean that everything in the Church can be drawn from the Eucharist. In this regard, the Second Vatican Council affirms: “The sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church. Before men can come to the liturgy they must be called to faith and conversion.”25
The parish is the ordinary place where the Church lives her life. The parish, duly renewed and animated, is most suited to formation and Eucharistic worship, given that—as Pope John Paul II taught—“parishes are communities of the baptized who express and affirm their identity above all through the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice.”26 The parish should also draw from the experience and assistance of movements and new communities which, under the promptings of the Holy Spirit and in accordance to each’s charism, have shown an appreciation for the elements of Christian initiation, thereby helping many of the faithful to rediscover the beauty of the Christian vocation with the Sacrament of the Eucharist as its centre.
13. Catholic ecclesiology is expressed in the Anaphora of the Liturgy, in the so-called diptychs, which recall the Eucharistic aspect of the primacy of the Pope, Bishop of Rome, as the interior principle of the universal Church. This is analogous to the role of the bishop in his particular Church.27 One Eucharist calls the one Church to unity, defying any break-down into multi-Churches. The one Church willed by Christ always returns to the Eucharist, which is realized in communion with the apostolic college, whose head is the Successor of Peter. This bond gives to the Eucharist its legitimate character. The Eucharistic unity willed by Christ does not result simply from the common union of so-called “Sister Churches.” The interior character of the Sacrament is communion with the Successor of Peter, who is the principle of unity in the Church and the recipient of the charism of unity and universality, that is, the Petrine charism. Ecclesial unity, then, is manifested in the unity of Christians in a sacramental and Eucharistic manner.
The Relation of the Eucharist to the Other Sacraments
14. A specific relationship exists between the Eucharist and the other sacraments. A treatment of this subject needs to bear in mind the teaching of the Council of Trent which states that the sacraments “contain the grace they signify,” and confer that grace in their celebration.28 All sacraments, ecclesiastical ministers and apostolic works are intimately bound to the Sacred Eucharist and are ordered to it.29 Therefore, the Sacrament of the Eucharist is “the perfection of all perfections.”30
The relation of the Sacraments to the Eucharist does not only concern their liturgical celebration but is based primarily on the essential nature of each sacrament. The Sacrament of Baptism is indispensable for entering into ecclesial communion, which in turn is strengthened by the other sacraments, thus offering the believer “grace upon grace” (Jn 1:16). The fundamental relation of Baptism to the Eucharist is understood to be the font of the Christian life. In Churches of the Eastern tradition, Holy Communion is administered with Baptism, while in the Churches of the Latin tradition, the Eucharist is received at the age of reason, and only after Baptism.
The responses to the Lineamenta call for a clearer treatment of the theological connection of Baptism to the Eucharist as the summit of initiation, though this does not necessarily mean that the Sacrament of Baptism should always be celebrated during Mass. Concern was raised at the quality of such a catechesis.
15. A theological connection also exists between Confirmation and the Eucharist, because the Holy Spirit leads a person to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. To make this connection more evident, some particular Churches restored the practice of administering Confirmation before Holy Communion.
The Eucharist is the summit of an authentic program of Christian initiation. To live as a Christian means to put the gift of Baptism into effect, a gift which is strengthened in Confirmation and nourished through regular participation at Mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation.
In many cases, by delegating the administration of Confirmation to priests, the role of the bishop as the ordinary minister of the Sacrament is put at risk. In so doing, the newly confirmed lose the opportunity of meeting the father and visible head of the particular Church.
16.. Some responses commented on the proper age for receiving First Communion in the Church of the Latin tradition, given the spiritual and pastoral benefits which have resulted in administering the Sacrament in early childhood. When treating the subject, the words of Pope John Paul II, reported in his book, Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way!, 31 deserve consideration. The Pope recently recalled that “children are the present and the future of the Church. They play an active role in the evangelization of the world, and, with their prayers, help to save and improve it.”32
In the past, this question received treatment in the Decree Quam singulari, which allowed children to receive the Eucharist as early as 7 years old—considered to be the age of reason—when they can distinguish the Eucharistic bread from ordinary bread. In this case, First Communion is preceded by First Confession in the Sacrament of Penance.33 Today, this approach seems even more necessary, because many children attain the use of reason and are subject to dangers and temptations at an early age. This practice affirms the primacy of grace, which has brought great benefits to the Church, and fostered priestly vocations.
17. The relation of Holy Orders to the Eucharist is seen primarily at Mass presided over by bishop or priest in the Person of Christ the Head.
The Church’s teaching makes Holy Orders a requirement for the valid celebration of the Eucharist.
For this reason, many strongly recommended highlighting the fact that “in the celebration of the Eucharist, the ministerial priesthood differs from the common priesthood of the faithful in essence and not merely in degree.”34 Similarly, it was suggested that when priests participate at the celebration of the Eucharist, they do so as celebrants, thereby fulfilling their role coming from their reception of the Sacrament of Orders.35
18. Reference was made to the Sacrament of Matrimony which customarily takes place during the celebration of the Eucharist in Churches of the Latin tradition; this is not the case in Eastern Churches.
The celebration of Matrimony during Mass highlights the paradigm of Christian love, that is, the love of Jesus Christ, who, in the Eucharist, loves the Church as his Bride to the point of giving his life for her. This spousal love is likewise accentuated when the Sacrament of Matrimony is celebrated outside of Mass.36 The Eucharist then remains the inexhaustible source of union and enduring love for the Sacrament of Matrimony and becomes food for the entire family in building a Christian home.
19. As for the other sacraments, the relation of the Sacrament of the Sick to the Eucharist finds its source in the person of Christ, who, in his concern for those afflicted with every kind of illness, revealed the meaning of his mission to heal and save humanity.
The Lineamenta responses suggest presenting the relation of the Anointing of the Sick to the Eucharist as comfort and hope in time of illness, even before the idea of the Eucharist as Viaticum. Extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist are encouraged to visit the seriously ill and elderly persons unable physically to be present at Mass in Church. For the benefit of these people, some responses think it opportune to utilize the means of social communication in broadcasting Holy Mass and other liturgical celebrations. In putting this modern technology to use, however, those employed would benefit from an appropriate formation in theology, pedagogy and culture.
20. Generally speaking, the liturgical norms of the Eastern Churches do not provide for the celebration of the sacraments during Mass, though some exceptions exist for Baptism and Matrimony. Each Church is responsible for issuing appropriate norms regarding the practice.
The responses show that in the particular Churches of the Latin rite the celebration of the sacraments during Mass takes place in various ways according to local customs from country to country. Some dioceses have norms regulating the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals during Mass, especially in the case of mixed marriages and funerals of non-practising Catholics.
As in Baptism and Penance, the rituals normally make a distinction between individual and communal celebrations. Although the latter is pastorally preferred, it should not lead to an over-emphasis on the communal aspect, since the sacraments always remain a gift to the individual person. In determined circumstances, the faithful have the right to receive a sacrament individually.
The Close Bond Between the Eucharist and Penance
21. The Sacrament of Penance restores the bonds of communion broken by mortal sin.37 Consequently, the relation of the Eucharist to the Sacrament of Penance deserves particular attention. The responses point out the need to treat the Sacrament of Penance as geared towards the Eucharist and the Church, understanding it to be the necessary condition for encountering and adoring, in a spirit of holiness and purity of heart, the Lord who is All-Holy. Jesus washed the feet of his Apostles to indicate the holiness of the Eucharistic mystery. St. Paul affirms that sin is a profanation likened to prostitution, because our bodies are one with Christ (cf. 1 Cor 6:15-17). Thus, for example, St. Csarius of Arles states: “every time we come to Church, we set our souls in order according to the state of God’s Temple. Do you want to find a resplendent basilica? Then, don’t soil your spirit with the uncleanliness of sin.”38
The relation of the Eucharist to Penance in today’s society greatly depends on both a sense of sin and a sense of the sacred. The distinction between good and evil oftentimes becomes a subjective matter. People today, by insisting that conscience is strictly a personal affair, risk losing a sense of sin.
22. Many Lineamenta responses refer to the rapport between the Eucharist and Reconciliation.
In many countries, persons have lost, or are gradually losing, an awareness that conversion is necessary for receiving the Eucharist. Its connection with the Sacrament of Penance is not always understood, e.g., the necessity of being in the state of grace before receiving Holy Communion. As a result, the obligation of confessing mortal sins is forgotten.39
The idea of communion as “food for the journey” has also caused a minimization of the necessity of being in the state of grace. Instead, just as proper nourishment presupposes a healthy, living being, so the Eucharist requires that a person be in the state of grace so the Baptismal commitment can be re-enforced. How can a person be in the state of mortal sin and receive the One who is a “medicine” of immortality and an “antidote” to death.40
Where many faithful know that they cannot receive communion while in mortal sin, they do not have a clear idea of what constitutes mortal sin. Others give no thought to it. Oftentimes, the situation creates a vicious circle: “I won’t receive communion because I have not gone to confession; I don’t go to confession, because I have no sins to confess.” Though such an attitude can be traced to a variety of causes, the principal one is a lack of proper catechesis on the subject.
Another rather widespread problem is created by a lack of access to the Sacrament of Penance at convenient times. In some countries, individual confessions have been eliminated. At most, the Sacrament is celebrated twice a year, during a communal liturgy, resulting in a hybrid form of the Sacrament which draws from both the second and third rites provided in the ritual.
Certainly, thought needs to be given to the great disproportion between the many who receive Holy Communion and the few who go to confession. The faithful frequently receive Holy Communion, without even thinking that they might be in the state of mortal sin. As a result, the receiving of Holy Communion by those who are divorced and civilly remarried is a common occurrence in various countries. At funeral Masses, weddings or other celebrations, many receive Holy Communion only out of the generally-held, mistaken conviction that a person cannot participate at Mass without receiving Holy Communion.
23. Apart from the fore-mentioned pastoral problems, many responses were very encouraging. They call for an awareness of the proper conditions for receiving Holy Communion and the necessity of the Sacrament of Penance, which, preceded by an examination of conscience, prepares the heart, purifying it of sin. To achieve this, the responses mention that the connection between the two sacraments be often treated in homilies.
Some wished that serious thought be given to reverting to the Eucharistic fast practised by the Eastern Churches.41 Fasting relies on self-control which has recourse to the will and leads to the purification of mind and heart. St. Athanasius states: “Do you want to know what fasting does? ... it casts out demons and liberates us from evil thoughts; it raises the mind and purifies the heart.”42 The Lenten liturgy calls for the purification of the heart through fasting and silence, as St. Basil recommends.43 Some Lineamenta responses raised the question of the timeliness of returning to the obligation of the three-hour Eucharistic fast.
Greater effort is needed in providing the opportunity for individual confessions. This could possibly be done in conjunction with neighbouring parishes, not only on Saturdays and Sundays but especially during Advent and Lent. Through preaching and catechesis much can be accomplished to restore a sense of sin and penitential practice, which will counteract the difficulties resulting from a secularized mentality.
Some feel that confessions should be heard before Mass, adapting the schedule to the penitent’s needs and offering the possibility of approaching the Sacrament of Penance even during the Eucharistic celebration, as recommended in the Apostolic Letter Misericordia Dei.44
Priests need to see that in administrating the Sacrament of Penance they themselves are a particular sign and instrument of God’s mercy. The Church is deeply grateful to priests who zealously hear confessions so the faithful can receive and encounter Christ in the Eucharist. The faithful will be more inclined to go to confession, if they see the priest exercising his ministry in the confessional, as seen in the example in our day of St. Leopold Mandic, St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina and many other holy pastors.
The Relation of the Eucharist to the Faithful
24. According to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and other documents of the Magisterium,45 the lay faithful are an essential part of the communion of the Church, which is structured hierarchically.
In the incarnation of the Word, God the Father made himself visible and began a worship in spirit—conforming to reason—which is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Worship can no longer be “something learned by rote” (Is 29:13). Christian worship has Christological and anthropological implications. Therefore, the participation of the faithful at liturgical celebrations, particularly the Eucharistic Liturgy, is essentially entering into this spiritual worship where God comes down to the individual and the individual is raised to God. The Eucharist itself, the Son’s memorial, is adoration which arises to the Father in the Holy Spirit. This is the basis of the liturgical renewal desired by the Second Vatican Council.
Many mention that the idea of participation is often limited to its exterior aspects. Not everyone understands that its true meaning comes from faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Participation in the Eucharist is rightly seen as the quintessential act in the Church’s life. It is communion with Trinitarian life: God the Father, the incarnate and risen Son of God and the Holy Spirit, who works the transformation and the “divinization” of human life.
The responses to the Lineamenta agree that the faithful need assistance in understanding the nature of the Eucharist and its connection to the incarnation of the Word, in addition to their seeing that their participation in the Eucharistic mystery is primarily an interior gift of themselves in heart and mind, before ever being an exterior act. For this purpose, the suggestion was made to give greater emphasis to the spousal aspect of the Eucharist in relation to the new covenant, using it as the model for the vocations of the Christian life—marriage, virginity and priesthood—so as to form Eucharistic persons and communities who love and serve, like Jesus in the Eucharist.
25. The Second Vatican Council recommended that the means of social communication already in place should be put to good use, particularly in facilitating the participation of the faithful, who, for various reasons, cannot be physically present in Church for the celebration of the Eucharist.46 Some proposed that the various mass-media under the auspices of the Holy See engage in a coordinated effort to supply appropriate services to the universal Church in a timely and professional manner, an undertaking which could promptly counteract the increasing spread of anti-Christian teachings. A great part of this work could be done by the means of social communication which have underlying Catholic principles, so that they can be of use in the urgent task of proposing the Christian message in a balanced and positive manner and enlightening the consciences of all people of good will on ethical and moral topics of great importance for the life of the Church and society.
Shadows in the Celebration of the Eucharist
26. Regrettably, the Lineamenta responses also indicate that the ecclesial community is seriously concerned about and affected by shadows in the celebration of the Eucharist. Pope John Paul II already touched upon the subject in his Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia.47 The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments treated the matter more extensively in its Instruction Redemptionis sacramentum,48 which is an invitation to consider in an attentive, calm but nonetheless critical fashion, the way the Church celebrates this Sacrament, the source and summit of her life and mission. That this invitation comes at a moment when the Church is becoming more engaged in a dialogue with other religions and the world, shows the hand of Providence in the Pope’s appeal. In this way, he teaches that the Church must always take a hard look at herself, if she is to speak faithfully about herself with those involved in dialogue, without losing her proper identity as the universal sacrament of salvation.
The following text describes various shadows which came to light in analysing the Lineamenta responses. These observations should not be seen as merely transgressions of the rubrics or violations in liturgical practice but rather as indications of deep-rooted attitudes.
Regarding the observation of the Dies Domini, the responses refer to a decrease in participation at Mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation, due to a lack of understanding on the content and meaning of the Eucharistic mystery and to an attitude of indifference, particularly in progressively secularized countries, where oftentimes Sunday becomes just another workday.
It is widely held that Christ’s presence is a result of the community and not Christ himself, who is the font and centre of our communion and head of his Body, the Church.
Neglect of prayer, contemplation and adoration of the Eucharistic mystery has weakened the sense of the sacred in relation to this great Sacrament.
This situation can lead to compromising the truth of Catholic teaching concerning the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, traditionally called transubstantiation. It can also threaten faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, a belief which suffers from ideas which intend to explain the Eucharistic mystery not so much in itself but rather from a subjective point of view, for example, in the use of terms like “trans-finalization” and “trans-signification.”
The responses note that the people are not always consistent in the faith they profess in the Sacrament and the moral implications of the Sacrament in both personal matters as well as in the general cultural and social arena.
Some Church documents are barely known, especially those of the Second Vatican Council, the great encyclicals on the Eucharist, including Ecclesia de Eucharistia, the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine, and others. Some liturgical celebrations suffer from an improper balance, ranging from a passive following of rituals to an excessive creativity which sometimes draws too much attention to the celebrant of the Eucharist. The latter is often characterized by lengthy commentaries which do not allow the Eucharistic mystery to speak for itself through liturgical signs and formulas.

PART II
THE FAITH OF THE CHURCH IN THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST
Chapter I
THE EUCHARIST, GOD’S GIFT TO HIS PEOPLE
“The Mystery of Faith”

The Eucharist: the Mystery of Faith
27. Using the above phrase, the priest-presider at the Eucharist, proclaims, in a spirit of awe, the Church’s faith in the risen Lord, really present under the elements of bread and wine, which have been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit into his Body and Blood.
There is general insistence on the Second Vatican Council’s teaching which refers to the Eucharist as the centre and heart of the Church’s life and, in a particular way, as the Mystery of Faith, God’s plan revealed in Jesus Christ. The God who gives himself to us, and is with us, is not only a gift and mystery of ineffable richness but also a gift and mystery continually to be rediscovered. The Mysterium fidei is the God who gives to us, the First, the Last and the Living One who has entered into time. The Lord Jesus is truly man and truly God in our midst. He is Son of God and Son of Man.
A well-known, Second Vatican Council text provides assistance in the matter of faith and mystery: “The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light....Christ, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and his love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear.”49
The word “mystery,” occurring three times, summarizes the truth concerning Christ and the truth concerning each person. The question of the mystery of the Word, the mystery of the Father and the mystery of humanity are never unresolved; they find a response in Jesus Christ who is true God and true man. By making himself “truly one of us” and being “united in a certain way with every man,”50 our Lord gives the full meaning of existence to all who desire it. He is not outside the human condition; he has brought the truth of creation to fulfilment, because “he worked with human hands, he thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart.”51 Pope John Paul II has taken this text from his first encyclical Redemptor hominis52 and practically made it the Church’s manifesto in the new millennium, in which she is called to draw on the truth concerning Christ and the truth concerning humanity and its dignity, as found in the Gospel.
28. The fact and mystery of the incarnation, fulfilled in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, allows each person to participate in the divine life which is present in the Eucharist, the Bread of Eternal Life, because it has the power to overcome death. “Truly, truly I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death” (Jn 8:51). Therefore, the resurrection is offered to humanity.
The Eucharist is also at the heart of the message proclaimed by all Christians to the world for two thousands years—we bear witness that Jesus Christ was crucified but is now risen from the dead (cf. 1 Cor 15:3-5).
The Eucharist proclaims the death of Christ, whose drama all can understand. Likewise, it proclaims his resurrection, which requires a faith and openness to receive God into our world. In this way, a faith born in the Eucharist becomes the basis for a new way of acting which contains in itself the ultimate, definitive meaning of awaiting the Lord’s coming.
The trinomial—faith, liturgy and life—widely existent in pastoral circles, alludes to the fact that without faith the Eucharist cannot be celebrated or lived. Without faith, there can be no discussion on the subject of active participation in the liturgy.
The Eucharist: The New and Eternal Covenant
29. Citing St. Irenaeus, The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “The Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: ‘Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking’.”53 In this statement, how can one not see God’s covenant in action, the very place where the individual is to live his faith commitment? “If you do not believe, surely you shall not be established” (Is 7, 9b), says the Lord. The Eucharist is the New and Eternal Covenant, the pact and testament left by Jesus in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Indeed, the entire Church expresses her faith in the New and Eternal Covenant. After listening to the Word, faith is professed in the Eucharistic mystery, the revelation and gift of God himself in Jesus Christ, which spurs Christians to give wholly and entirely of themselves. First and foremost in the Eucharist, faith means acknowledging and welcoming Jesus Christ in an encounter which totally engages a person in the depths of his being, as was the case in Mary, the model of a faith fully realized.
Faith and the Celebration of the Eucharist
30. The Lineamenta responses also treat various aspects of the faith required in the celebration of the Eucharist. The Sacrament manifests the primacy of the grace of God, who is always at the origin of everything, and his gift of the Holy Spirit, who makes us participate in his mysterious action in the Sacrament by changing the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus as well as making us holy. To approach the Eucharistic liturgy without faith in grace or without at least the desire to be in the state of grace, makes void any participation in worshipping in spirit and in truth.
The Eucharist proclaims the truth of God’s Word revealed in Jesus, the Word-Made-Flesh, who already bears in his Person the ultimate fulfilment of human history. If one goes to the Eucharistic liturgy with doubt rather than the assent of truth, real participation is impossible.
The gift of freedom, which the Creator gives to each person, makes the act of faith a free choice of adhering to the Person of Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6). In the Eucharistic liturgy, God reveals himself but also remains hidden, so as to stimulate the believer’s reason and understanding to seek him constantly and to find him in everyday life. The liturgy leads to a deeper participation in this mystical action or mistagogy, to quote the technical term used by the Church Fathers.
According to the Apostles James and Paul, love actuates and completes faith. Faith effects a change in the believer’s heart, converting it and opening it to love. Faith and love, together with hope, are the basis of Christian identity. The Eucharist, the Sacrament of Love, leads a person to love and provides the basis and purpose for his existence. Without agape-love, there is no life in the Spirit.
In considering the full reception of Holy Communion, these aspects of participation find their ultimate expression in doing God’s will, a plea made in the Our Father. A person can certainly participate at Mass, even though the necessary conditions do not exist for him to receive Holy Communion. However, the person must always nourish a desire and determination to fulfill these conditions as soon as possible.
Personal Faith and the Church’s Faith
31. Communion with Christ and his Church teaches that a personal faith continuously tends towards an ecclesial dimension, just as the profession of faith in Baptism naturally tends towards the liturgy. For this reason, access to the Eucharist—which presupposes faith—can only come about through Baptism. If the grace of Baptism is lost through sin, the “arduous Baptism,” Penance, is required to return to the Eucharist.
Before partaking of the Eucharist, the profession of faith is renewed. This fundamental bond manifests the communion of each particular Church with the local Churches throughout the world, and also the primary union with the Church of Rome and its Bishop, the necessary principle of the Church’s unity. Likewise, this reciprocity is expressed in the Anaphora, in the diptychs. In the Eucharist, we manifest both a personal faith and the faith of the Church.
Participation at the Eucharist leads to an increase in understanding the mystery of each person and his life and provides the strength for the Christian to defend his faith, when partial or erroneous explanations threaten it. Essentially, the liturgy is an integrating part of the lifelong journey in faith.
The general meaning of faith is primarily seen in the witness of the martyrs, who freely accepted death as a result of hatred towards the faith, oftentimes during or immediately after the celebration of the Eucharist. They were certain of truth and life; they followed Christ, who made a free offering of himself, leaving a memorial of his sacrifice in the Eucharist. Indeed, the acts of martyrdom which are taking place in many Churches suffering open and ill-hidden persecutions, bear witness, in the fullest manner possible, that the Sacrament is the fons et culmen of the life and mission of the Church.
The Perception of the Eucharistic Mystery among the Faithful
32. Generally speaking, the responses to the Lineamenta reveal a certain decrease in the understanding of the mystery celebrated. The Eucharist as gift and mystery is not always perceived. This is witnessed in various cultural nuances. For example, in those countries enjoying a general climate of peace and prosperity—primarily western countries—many perceive the Eucharistic mystery as simply the fulfilment of a Sunday obligation and a meal of fellowship. Instead, in those countries experiencing wars and other difficulties, many understand the Eucharistic mystery more fully, that is, including its sacrificial aspect. The paschal mystery, celebrated in an unbloody manner on the altar, gives profound spiritual meaning to the sufferings of Catholic Christians in these lands, helping these people to accept them as a participation in the mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Some responses, coming from the Church in Africa, mention that the idea of sacrifice is indigenous to the cultures of that continent. Therefore, this understanding, properly taken and purified of elements extraneous to the Gospel, is often used in pastoral catechesis for a better understanding of the sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist.
Catechesis is faced with the difficulty of preserving the sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist as well as the idea of the Eucharist as a meal. Oftentimes, the latter receives more emphasis than the former.
To deal with these pastoral situations, many Lineamenta responses want an effective, faithful application of the liturgical renewal of the Second Vatican Council to reestablish a balance among the various aspects of the Eucharist. In this case, some thought that certain liturgical norms might be reviewed. Similarly, the suggestion was made to promote an adequate catechesis at all levels to help people better understand that the paschal mystery is renewed in the Eucharist and that the Eucharist is the sacrifice of praise and communion, which causes the community grow.
The Sense of the Sacred in the Eucharist
33. No one doubts the great effects resulting from the liturgical renewal prompted by the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. Indeed, the post-conciliar liturgy has greatly fostered the active, conscious and fruitful participation of the faithful in the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar.54
Nevertheless, responses coming from various countries note some deficiencies and shadows in the celebration of the Eucharist on the part of both the clergy and the faithful, which seem to have their origin in a weakened sense of the sacred in the Sacrament. Safeguarding the Sacrament’s sacred character basically depends on being aware that the Eucharist is a mystery and gift, whose remembrance requires signs and words corresponding to its nature as a sacrament.
Certain actions which challenge a sense of the sacred, often mentioned in the Lineamenta responses, can be of assistance in treating the subject, for example, a neglect by the celebrant and the ministers to use proper liturgical vestments and the participants’ lack of befitting dress for Mass; the use of profane music in Church; the tacit consent to eliminate certain liturgical gestures thought to be too traditional, such as genuflexion before the Blessed Sacrament; an inadequate catechesis for Communion in the hand and its improper distribution; a lack of reverence before, during and after the celebration of Holy Mass, not only by the laity but also the celebrant; the scant architectural and artistic quality of sacred buildings and sacred vessels; and instances of syncretism in integrating elements from other religions in the inculturation of liturgical forms.
All these negative realities, occurring more often in the Latin Liturgy than the Liturgies of the Eastern Churches, should not lead to great alarm, since they seem to be limited. Nevertheless, they ought to spur serious reflection on how to eliminate them and to ensure that the Eucharistic liturgies are places of praise, prayer, communion, listening, silence and adoration, out of deep reverence for the mystery of God, who is revealed in Christ under the elements of bread and wine, and out of the utter joy of feeling oneself a member of a community of the faithful reconciled with God the Father through the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Eucharist is the most sacred and highest form of prayer. It is the Great Prayer.

Chapter II
THE PASCHAL MYSTERY AND THE EUCHARIST
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor 11:26).

The Centrality of the Paschal Mystery
34. Every Eucharistic celebration renews the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, bread broken for the life of the world and blood poured out for the redemption of humanity and the liberation of the cosmos (cf. Rm 8:19-23).
The synod topic ought to lead to a rediscovery of Jesus’ paschal mystery as the mystery of salvation, which gives rise to the life and mission of the Church. The Eucharist is revealed as Gift: the Lord gives himself; he is God-with-us. The Eucharist is his Person and his life given for us. The Lord exercises his priestly, prophetic and kingly mission in the Eucharist.
The Apostles and disciples declare: “The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon” (Lk 24:34). St. Paul exhorts Timothy: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead” (2 Tim 2:8). Concerning the apostles’ testimony, St. John Chrysostom observes: “It is evident then, that if they did not see him risen and did not have undeniable proof of his power, they would never have left themselves open to so many perils.”55
In a certain way, people want everything, but they have only what can be achieved with their limited, finite power. Death and its fore-warnings of disease and suffering show how limited a person’s freedom of choice is. In his resurrection, Jesus planted the seed of ultimate hope in the history of humanity—victory over death. In the end, this is the high point of his revelation. Death is conquered not only because sin was destroyed and humanity was reconciled to God, but also because life was restored and is to be given in eternity to those who believe in Christ. Jesus Christ offers a concrete sign of this hope in willing his Church as his Mystical Body. Believers, indeed, have died and risen with Christ (cf. Rm 6:1-11).
Names for the Eucharist
35. The names given to the Eucharist need to be better explained and their content better examined for a better understanding of Christian worship. The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists the names given to this Sacrament: first of all, the Eucharist;56 The Lord’s Supper, both as the commemoration of the paschal meal celebrated by Christ in anticipation of The Supper of the Marriage of the Lamb in the Heavenly Jerusalem; The Breaking of Bread, the rite which emphasizes the communal sharing in one body and serves as the basis for the synaxis or Eucharistic Assembly, the visible expression of the Church; Memorial of the passion and resurrection; Holy Sacrifice, because it makes present the one and only sacrifice of Christ the Redeemer; The Holy or Divine Liturgy, The Sacred Mysteries, The Most Blessed Sacrament, Holy Communion, Holy Things, Medicine of Immortality, Viaticum, and Holy Mass, which highlights the missionary aspect.
Understanding the meaning of each term, without the exclusion of the others, is important for a complete catechesis, which is in turn the basis for an informed participation at the liturgy.
Sacrifice, Memorial and Meal
36. The Lineamenta responses indicate a general need to examine thoroughly the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist and a hope that this truth of our faith be presented with greater clarity, according to the recent Magisterium of the Church.
The Second Vatican Council has already provided a theological reflection on Jesus’ sacrifice as a complete and totally gratuitous offering of himself to God the Father for the salvation of the world. Though numerous texts mention this aspect of the Sacrament, the reference in the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium to the idea of sacrifice in the exercise of the priestly ministry deserves particular attention: “priests...exercise their sacred function in the Eucharistic liturgy or synaxis, where, acting in the Person of Christ and proclaiming his mystery, they join the offering of the faithful to the sacrifice of their Head. Until the Lord comes again (cf. 1 Cor 11:26), they re-present and apply in the Sacrifice of the Mass the one sacrifice of the New Testament, namely the sacrifice of Christ offering himself once and for all to his Father as a spotless victim (cf. Heb 9:11-28).”57
The Catechism of the Catholic Church58 treats the subject in the subheading: The Sacramental Sacrifice: Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence which indicates that the prevalent name, without prejudice to the others, is the Sacramental Sacrifice, namely, that the sacrificial death of Christ saved us from our sins and that the Sacrament gives each of us the possibility to experience its effects. Thanksgiving is therefore rendered to God through his sacrifice, though recalling his sacrifice, and through the presence of his sacrifice in the Body given up and in the Blood poured out. An act of thanksgiving is made to the Father for creation and for the salvation of humanity and the world.
Considering the Eucharist in this way can lay to rest any opposition between the notions of sacrifice and meal. In fact, if a supper is intended in using the second term, the notion of sacrifice would be included, since it would denote the Supper of the Lamb who was slain. Employing the second term as a synonym for communion would also manifest the end or summit of the Eucharistic sacrifice.
The Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, in treating the Eucharist as sacrifice,59 also teaches that the Church re-presents Christ’s sacrifice as an act of intercession, namely, the Son offers himself in his flesh and thereby becomes the mediator between humanity and the Father. The Church of Christ is united in this offering through the Anaphora or Eucharistic Prayer. This offering is not new; rather it is the one and same offering accomplished on the Cross, though in an unbloody manner. This understanding is helpful in reading the following reference from the Encyclical: “The Mass makes present the sacrifice of the Cross; it does not add to that sacrifice nor does it multiply it.”60 Recounting what comes about as a result of the sacrificial love of the Lord is simply to repeat the Encyclical’s contents.
The Consecration
37. Christ’s incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension and Pentecost are real happenings; they help us to know that the Lord’s enduring, substantial presence in the Sacrament is not a mere type or metaphor. Doubts that God’s power can work in matter account for the fact that some see the Sacrament only as a symbol of Christ’s presence. In the context of the other ways in which Christ is present in the Church, the paschal mystery allows us to understand the nature of the Lord’s presence in the Eucharist resulting from the change of the elements or transubstantiation. The bread becomes the Body given up and broken for our salvation: Corpus Christi salva me; the wine becomes the Blood poured out and the overflowing of divine delight: Sanguis Christi inebria me.61 Because the Eucharist is the real and substantial presence of Christ in the “poverty” of the sacramental elements, the Sacrament can sow the seeds of a new history in the world.62 The paschal mystery confirms the condescension of God and the kenosis of the Son, without any compromise to the absolute transcendence of the Trinity.
Jesus’ words “take and eat” primarily mean the gift of himself to us which in turn leads to the fellowship of the table, the unity of the Church community and the commitment to share bread with the needy. All this gives rise to adoration, namely, the ongoing worship of the Lord, who accompanies the People of God on its pilgrimage.
Transubstantiation takes place in the consecration of the bread and wine. The responses recommend that the theology of the act of consecration be explained by drawing from the ecclesial traditions of both East and West. In particular, the consecration should be seen as the faithful imitation of what the Lord did and commanded at the Last Supper and as the result of the invocation of the Holy Spirit in the epiclesis. A clearer theology on the act of consecration would be very useful in ecumenical dialogue with the Eastern Churches which are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church. Likewise, it would help eliminate some shadows mentioned in the Lineamenta responses, for example, the use of hosts with leaven or other ingredients; the celebration of Mass with ordinary bread; improvisation during the Eucharistic Prayer; the recitation of certain parts of the Eucharistic Prayer by the people at the insistence of the celebrant and the fractio panis at the moment of consecration.
The Real Presence
38. The Lord willed his presence in the Sacrament so that he could be near humanity, provide himself as nourishment for humanity and continually abide in the Church community. Some responses mention that humanity’s response is faith in Christ’s Real and Substantial Presence, in accordance with the teachings of the Encyclical Letters Ecclesia de Eucharistia and Mysterium fidei. Faith in Christ’s presence in the Sacrament includes other dimensions, that is, a sense of mystery and the various ways to express it, the positioning of the tabernacle and conduct at Mass, not to mention the Sacrament’s eschatological significance as the pledge of future glory. Indeed, the Sacrament is also the anticipation of the ultimate, eternal reality as the Church journeys in pilgrimage towards the house of the heavenly Father. This final dimension is seen, for example, in the lives of persons in the consecrated life who patiently await the Bridegroom.
In the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine, for the Year of the Eucharist, Pope John Paul II proposed the following doctrinal synthesis concerning the presence of the living Christ in his Church: “All these dimensions of the Eucharist come together in one aspect which more than any other makes a demand on our faith: the mystery of the ‘real’ presence. With the entire tradition of the Church, we believe that Jesus is truly present under the Eucharistic species. This presence—as Pope Paul VI rightly explained—is called ‘real’ not in an exclusive way, as if to suggest that other forms of Christ's presence are not real, but par excellence, because Christ thereby becomes substantially present, whole and entire, in the reality of his body and blood. Faith demands that we approach the Eucharist fully aware that we are approaching Christ himself. It is precisely his presence which gives the other aspects of the Eucharist—as meal, as memorial of the paschal mystery, as eschatological anticipation—a significance which goes far beyond mere symbolism. The Eucharist is a mystery of presence, the perfect fulfilment of Jesus' promise to remain with us until the end of the world.”63
This citation confirms the teaching called for in various responses to the Lineamenta. The one hidden in the Sacrament is the kingly Mediator between God and humanity, the Eternal High Priest, the Divine Master, the
Judge of the living and the dead, the God-Man, the Word-Made-Flesh and the One who mystically gathers together all the faithful into the great community of the Church. This is the way he presents himself at Mass.
39. Some Lineamenta responses, however, mention that, at times, a certain way of acting indicates that transubstantiation and the Real Presence are understood in a symbolic sense only. Many responses noted that some celebrants at the liturgy seem more like showmen, who must draw people’s attention to themselves, instead of servants of Christ, called to conduct the faithful to union with him.64 Obviously, such a way of acting has negative repercussions on the people who run the risk of being confused in both their faith in and understanding of the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament.
True and proper liturgical signs and gestures, aimed at expressing faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, have been used in Church tradition, for example, the attentive purification of sacred vessels after communion, the steps to be taken when the Eucharistic species might accidentally fall to the floor, genuflections before the tabernacle, the use of the communion plate, the regular replacement of consecrated hosts reserved in the tabernacle, the keeping of the tabernacle key in a secure place and the celebrant’s composure and concentration in keeping with the transcendent and divine character of the Sacrament. Omitting or neglecting any of these sacred gestures, which are significantly important externally, would clearly not contribute to preserving a sound faith in Christ’s Real Presence in the Sacrament. The responses therefore suggest that the gestures and signs expressing faith in the Real Presence be included in a proper mystagogy and liturgical catechesis.
40. Furthermore, it must not to be forgotten that faith in the Real Presence of the dead and risen Lord in the Blessed Sacrament has a culminating point in Eucharistic adoration, a firmly grounded tradition in the Latin Church. Such a practice—rightly highlighted in many Lineamenta responses—should not be presented as something apart from the Eucharistic celebration but as its natural continuation. The responses also indicate that some particular Churches are experiencing a reawakening in Eucharistic adoration, which, in each case, is to be done in a dignified and solemn manner.
Likewise, the positioning of the tabernacle in an easily seen place is another way of attesting to faith in Christ’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. In this regard, the responses to the Lineamenta request that significant thought be given to the proper location of the tabernacle in Churches, with due attention to canonical norms.65 It is worth considering whether the removal of the tabernacle from the centre of the sanctuary to an obscure, undignified corner or to a separate chapel, or whether to have placed the celebrant’s chair in the centre of the sanctuary or in front of the tabernacle—as was done in many renovations of older churches and in new constructions—has contributed in some way to a decrease in faith in the Real Presence.
The responses also note that instructions in the construction and re-structuring of Churches often insist in a particular way on the positioning of the tabernacle to express an awareness of the Real Presence. When this is done, it results in an increase in faith and adoration. Churches ought to remain places of prayer and adoration and not be transformed into museums. This is also the case for cathedrals and basilicas of great historic and artistic value.

PART III
THE EUCHARIST IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH
Chapter I
CELEBRATING THE EUCHARIST OF THE LORD
“And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20).

“We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence...”66
41. The celebration of Holy Mass begins with an acknowledgment that God is present where two or more are united in his name and that we stand before him in his presence. In participating at Mass, we ought to be aware that we are at the wellspring of grace: “Our hymn of praise adds nothing to your greatness but brings us your saving grace.”67 In the Liturgy, a person looks not at himself but God.
It is not our praise but his action which makes the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the centre of the cosmic liturgy in which the Trinity is present, eternally adored by Mary and the angels who serve God. They offering us a model of service. The Three-in-One-God is also adored by the saints and the just, who enjoy the beatific vision and make intercession for us, and by the souls of the faithful, who are being purified in the sure hope of seeing God. At Mass, the Church is manifested as the Family of God, according to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa.68
The worship given to the Lord and the veneration of the saints have their centre in the paschal mystery: “By celebrating the passage of the saints from earth to heaven...the Church proclaims the paschal mystery as achieved by the saints who have suffered and been gloried with Christ.”69 This liturgy of communion, uniting heaven and earth, is celebrated for the salvation of all, even those who do not believe. Remembering the heavenly liturgy is not a matter of separating it from the earthly liturgy, but of simply taking from the heavenly liturgy its pilgrim and eschatological features.
42. The proper structure and elements of the celebration of the Eucharist are explained in The General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, especially in the Byzantine tradition—the most diffused in the Eastern Catholic Churches—and other traditions. The celebration of the Eucharist calls for a humble obedience to these canonical norms by the priest and ministers.
To foster due respect and reverence for the Eucharist, the sacred ministers should make a proper preparation in prayer before the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice in which the Lord makes himself present through their hands. Afterwards, they should make an act of thanksgiving to God.70
Regrettably, some responses indicate that these times of preparation and thanksgiving are not always observed. At the same time, however, it must be acknowledged that there are many members of the clergy—including bishops, priests and deacons—and many lay persons who make these acts of praise and thanksgiving with much spiritual benefit. In this regard, many responses strongly recommend a preparation for the celebration of the Eucharist through silence and prayer, while drawing upon the various venerable traditions of worship.
43. This spirit of prayer can be created not only by the celebrant’s awareness of the great mystery he is to accomplish, but also his use of certain signs, like incense which is a symbol of prayer rising to God. The Psalmist pleas: “Like incense let my prayer rise before you and the raising of my hands like the evening sacrifice” (Ps 140:2).
The laity, through a minimal assistance and collaboration, can also contribute to a dignified celebration of the Sacred Mysteries and to creating a serene climate for the Eucharistic liturgy. At times, while preparing for the celebration of the Eucharist, the celebrant finds himself in the position of directing the ceremonies, cautioning people, giving orders and being occupied with many matters. Instead, the priest should be assisted by lectors, acolytes, ministers and the laity in such a way that he can concentrate on the Sacred Mysteries he is celebrating, and thus communicate a spirit of peace and recollection to the entire assembly, gathered around the Lord’s Table. Many responses therefore propose enlisting the collaboration of adequately trained laity and reviving the service of ostiarius, entrusting this work to well-prepared lay persons who can primarily welcome people to Church, maintain order at the liturgical celebration and ensure that only Catholics approach the altar to receive Holy Communion.
The Introductory Rites
44. The Opening Hymn, the Sign of the Cross, the Greeting and the Gloria, when said, of the Roman rite and the Antiphons, the Litany, the Hymn Unigenito of the Byzantine rite and other rites, like the Ambrosian rite, the Mozarabic and ancient Eastern rites, make the faithful aware that they are standing in God’s presence, before they listen to his Word and render thanks in the Eucharist. In particular, the Penitential Rite calls upon them to have the sentiments necessary for the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries—those of the publican who humbly acknowledges his sinfulness. Though not having the value of a sacrament, the Penitential Rite recalls the inseparable link between penance and the Eucharist, a bond particularly seen in the Eastern Catholic Churches. The substitution of the sprinkling of water for the Penitential Rite is a reminder of Baptism, the font of new life, in which we renounced the Evil One and all his works. At the very beginning of Mass, we are reminded that approaching the Eucharist requires purification by penitence and an absence of dissension and division which stands in contradiction to the sign of unity in the Eucharist. It is important to include these aspects in catechesis and to state clearly that the penitential rite at Mass does not take away grave sins, which require absolution in the Sacrament of Penance.
The Liturgy of the Word
45. Bible readings, the Responsorial Psalm, the Acclamation before the Gospel, the Homily and the Profession of Faith make up the Liturgy of the Word. God spoke to us through his Son, the Word-Made-Flesh. The Divine Word is uniquely one and, since it brings about what is expressed, it is likewise the Bread of Life, the sign which he has accomplished. In recalling the Emmaus account (cf. Lk 24:13-35), Pope John Paul II showed the inseparable connection between the Table of the Word and the Table of the Eucharist.71 Consequently, the Liturgy of the Word together with the Liturgy of the Eucharist constitute a single, inseparable act of worship.
The Liturgy of the Word is associated with God’s revelation in the Old Testament. The exceeding richness of God’s powerful presence, the glory of the Chosen People of Israel, has become a part of the Catholic Liturgy, because of the Word-Made-Flesh, who died and rose for the salvation of all.
Furthermore, the Second Vatican Council teaches that Jesus’ revelation goes beyond the mere codification of the Scriptural texts, which do not express it entirely.72 His word remains alive in the Church, who transmits it through the ages and makes it accessible in the sign of the Sacrament. The proclamation made by Jesus is not separate from his presence in the Sacrament; they create a unity never before seen and never to be repeated again.
His incarnation, passion, death and resurrection are word and event which are to be viewed and contemplated. The word calls one back to the event. The Eucharistic mystery will always exist in the Church’s life as a synthesis of word and event, which leads to contemplation. This is brought to mind in the Roman rite and the Byzantine Little Entrance in the veneration and honour given to the Gospel Book, understood to be the mystical entrance of the Incarnate Word and his presence in the midst of the assembly of believers.
46. In this regard, some have indicated that adequate concern has not always been shown for the proclamation of the Word of God. Lector’s need to improve their skills in their service of transmitting to the faithful the beauty of the content and the form of the Word which God addresses to his people. In some places only two readings are done on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation. In this cases, some people express discontent that the New Testament Letters and the Acts of the Apostles remain unknown. Consequently, it is well to remember not to eliminate these readings, since they speak of God’s works in the early community.
After the proclamation of the Bible readings, another important part of the Liturgy of the Word is the homily, which is preached by a sacred minister to help the faithful concentrate on the Word of God, in mind and heart. To achieve this, many recommend mystogogical homilies. Homilies of this kind, based on the proclaimed texts and avoiding any inappropriate or profane references, allow the faithful to grow in their knowledge of the sacred mysteries they are celebrating, so that the light of Jesus Christ might shine on their lives.
With due consideration for passages from Sacred Scripture, thought also needs to be given to thematic homilies which, in the course of the liturgical year, can treat the great tracts of the Christian faith: the Creed, the Our Father, the parts of the Mass, the Ten Commandments and other subjects. In this regard, material could be composed by competent commissions of the episcopal conferences or synods of bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris or other bodies specialized in the pastoral activity. Some Eastern Catholic Churches lament a lack of connection between the homily and the liturgical readings, given that each year the same readings are repeated on the same days.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
47. The Lineamenta responses recommend that the Presentation of the Gifts focus on the gifts of bread and wine, which will become the Body and Blood of the Lord. Priority must be given to the bread and wine before the other gifts brought for worship and charity, since the rite of preparation and presentation at the altar have this intended purpose. Furthermore, the gifts of bread and wine refer to the great Gift of Love, the Eucharist, which spurs charity towards the poorest and all in need.
Concerning this subject, appropriate catechesis is required on the importance of almsgiving during Eucharistic celebrations. These offerings are for the poor and Church needs. In this way, the social dimension of the Eucharist can be created and developed in people’s minds. Such an awareness ought to be put into action, especially in countries where the Church as an institution cannot freely exercise her works of charity. The faithful ought to be encouraged to help those in need.
48. The Presentation of the Gifts is followed by the Eucharistic Prayer, which, in various formulations in the East and West, perceives the Church in light of the Trinity, with her beginning in creation, her summit in the paschal mystery and her end in bringing together in unity, at the end of time, of all things in Chris