Once again you are invited to join me in promoting the Sabbath by taking a break from your normal blogging. Please share an older post from your blog that is near and dear to your heart. Make sure to leave your name and the URL of your post below and share a comment if you so desire. I look forward to reading your recycled posts!

The seventh chapter of Thomas Howard’s book, Evangelical Is Not Enough, turns its attention to the subject of the Eucharist as a sacrament. Just recently in our diocese our bishop made national headlines for his response to an attack on the Catholic Church by a local Baptist minister that centered around an improper understanding the Catholic belief with regard to the Eucharist. A link describing the incident can be found here. Growing up in the Bible Belt can make it difficult even for Catholics to gain a proper understanding of the sacraments. The culture is saturated with ideas that are either in direct conflict with sacramental theology or ones that betray a deep lack of understanding at best.

Howard points out that the Eucharist is meant to be a physical presence that serves both as a memory of what Christ has done for us in his Incarnation as well as anticipating His return in glory. One of the first things I learned in my seminary training is the deep connection to the Jewish faith at the time of the apostles that the Eucharist contains. To remember in this sacramental sense is much more than simply what we today would describe through the word remembrance. Anamnesis is the proper term to describe this type of remembering. Howard defines it by stating, “the word suggests a remembering that is also a making present.” Here is where I have many times been accused as a Catholic of believing that we believe that each time we celebrate the mass we believe we are repeating the crucifixion. We do as Catholics believe Christ is made present in the Eucharist each time we celebrate it, but not in the sense that his death and resurrection are happening again and again, but in the sense that we are connected here and now to that one life saving event that took place 2,000 years ago.

Next Howard takes a look at the reality of scandal present in many modern day Christians by the claims made of Christ’s Body and Blood being made present on the altar. This has no doubt been a scandal since Christ Himself was here walking the earth. One need look no further than the sixth chapter of John’s gospel to see this. But Howard also points out that this belief has been consistently held by Christians since the time of the Apostles. It is only recently that Christians themselves have become scandalized by their own tradition. He points out that even the great reformers such as Luther and Calvin believed in the real presence of Christ in the Eucahrist.

The Reformers also used language that acknowledges great mystery here. Luther wrote in his “Small Catechism”, ‘What is the Sacrament of the Altar? It is the true Body and Blood of Christ, under bread and wine.’

Howard ends this chapter by once again directing our attention back to the Incarnation of Christ by reminding his readers that the world’s natural state is in fact sacramental. He writes,

Sacrament, recalling and presenting the Incarnation itself, is not so much supernatural as quintessentially natural, because it restores to nature its true function of being full of God…..Christians, like Saint Paul, see nature groaning and struggling under its unnatural burden of mortality, waiting to be set free once more into its native liberty.

How easily we are fooled into believing that God created us with intention of being pure spirits, detached from our bodies. So often we fall into the trap of thinking sin is natural to humanity and the divine is only attainable in the next life, where we will leave the natural behind. Christianity is ultimately about God restoring creation to its natural state of being in perfect harmony with its creator. I appreciate the reminder Howard has given us in this chapter.

]]> http://www.blessedisthekingdom.com/2010/03/10/evangelical-is-not-enough-table-and-altar/feed/ 2 http://www.blessedisthekingdom.com/2010/01/29/7-quick-takes-books/ http://www.blessedisthekingdom.com/2010/01/29/7-quick-takes-books/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:35:16 +0000 Fr. Christian Mathis http://www.blessedisthekingdom.com/?p=2379

This week’s 7 Quick Takes will focus on seven of my favorite books.  I hope some of you will share some of your favorites as well in the comment section of this post. Don’t forget to check out other bloggers’ quick takes over at Conversion Diary.

–1–

When Fr. Tom first moved in to the rectory last summer we discovered a shared love for the writings of C.S. Lewis. The Great Divorce tells the story of a man’s dream of heaven and hell. The title comes from Lewis’ belief of their complete divorce. He begins by stating,

If we insist on keeping Hell (or even Earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.

The challenge of this book is to see oneself in each of the flawed characters, not fearing to confront our own failings. It is almost as if Lewis wrote this story as an examination of conscience for the reader. It is also a book full of the wonder of God and his creation. While it never fails to challenge me to see my own need for continual conversion, it also points me to the unfathomable love and mercy of God.

–2–

Halfway through my first year of seminary I was given a great gift in the form of a book recommendation. Having just moved to the northwest corner of Missouri, I woke up everyday missing the mountains of East Tennessee. Dr. Don Klinefelter, a friend and former professor who always has a knack of knowing what I should be reading, mentioned Kathleen Norris’ book Dakota in a letter. As I made my way through the book, the fields of the great plains slowly began to carve out a place in my heart. Dakota describes the author’s experience of moving from New York City to a family home in South Dakota. She also spends a good part of the book focusing on Benedictine life, which was also something I was attempting to understand at the time. Perhaps what brings me so often to this book is the beauty of the author’s writing,

I walk downtown, wearing a good many of the clothes I own, keeping my head down and breathing through several thicknesses of a wool scarf. A day so cold it hurts to breathe; dry enough to freeze spit. Kids crack it on the sidewalk.

Walking with care, snow barely covering the patches of ice, I begin to recall a canticle or psalm — I can’t remember which — and my body keeps time:

Cold and chill, bless the Lord. Dew and rain, bless the Lord. Frost and chill, bless the Lord. Ice and snow, bless the Lord. Nights and days, bless the Lord. Light and darkness, bless the Lord.

Another line comes to mind: “at the breath of God’s mouth the waters flow.”  Spring seems far off, impossible, but it is coming. Already there is dusk instead of darkness as five in the afternoon; already hope is stirring at the edges of the day.

–3–

The witness of Dorothy Day has been a continual influence in my life. The Long Loneliness is her autobiography. Once again I will let a few of her own words speak for themselves,

We were just sitting there talking when Peter Maurin came in.

We were just sitting there talking when lines of people began to form, saying, “We need bread.” We could not say, “Go, be thou filled.” If there were six small loaves and a few fishes, we had to divide them. There was always bread.

We were just sitting there talking and people moved in on us. Let those who can take it, take it. Some moved out and that made room for more. And somehow the walls expanded.

We were just sitting there talking and someone said, “Let’s all go live on a farm.” It was as casual as all that, I often think. It just came about. It just happened.

I found myself, a barren woman, the joyful mother of children. It is not easy always to be joyful, to keep in mind the duty of delight. The most significant thing about The Catholic Worker is poverty, some say.

The most significant thing is community, others say. We are not alone any more. But the final word is love. At times it has been, in the words of Father Zossima, a harsh and dreadful thing, and our very faith in love has been tried through fire.

We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other. We know Him in the breaking of bread, and we know each other in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone any more. Heaven is a banquet and life is a banquet, too, even with a crust, where there is companionship.

We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. It all happened while we sat there talking, and it is still going on.

–4–

During my first priestly assignment at Sacred Heart Cathedral, I took up the task of making my way through the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which is really one very long book that publishers decided to break into three smaller ones for the sake of raising sales. Many people have no doubt seen the movies, but I still recommend the books, as there is no way to convey the depth of imagination and thought of Tolkein in film. This is no criticism of Peter Jackson’s work in the three films — they are excellent.

Tolkein’s story of the battle between good and evil is simply amazing. As a Catholic, I was struck by how much of our faith is portrayed in this story. The part of the journey where Frodo, Sam and Smeagol (Frodo refuses to call him Gollum, but insists upon his real name) make their way into the darkest parts of the story stick with me to this day. They carry with them lembas bread, given to them by the elves. Frodo and Sam need only eat a small piece of the bread to be nourished for days. Smeagol, however, is so corrupted by evil that the bread is poison to him. It is a great image of what we Catholics believe concerning the Eucharist.

–5–

Tracy Kidder’s book, Mountains Beyond Mountains, helped wake me up at a time in my life when I needed to be reminded of the joy that comes in taking on the challenge of serving others. The book tells the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a doctor who has spent most of his life fighting disease, especially among the poorest of the poor. Dr. Farmer has dedicated much of his work to Haiti and has been to Knoxville to speak to the parishioners at Sacred Heart Cathedral who are also dedicated to the work of assisting our brother and sisters there.  The title of the book comes from a Haitian proverb and is a metaphor for life’s challenges. Once you have scaled one mountain, you can see that there are always more mountains to be climbed, more challenges to be met.

–6–

Thomas Merton is another author loved and respected by both Fr. Tom and I. As suggested in the title, New Seeds of Contemplation, this is a book full of “seeds” that one can take to prayer where they can continue to grow in one’s heart and mind. Here is an example from the chapter titled, Sentences:

Our minds are like crows. They pick up everything that glitters, no matter how uncomfortable our nests get with all that metal.

–7–

For the Life of the World may be the best book I have ever read. In it, Fr. Alexander Schmemann describes Christianity in a way I have not seen elsewhere. It is a book first and foremost about the Kingdom of God in which we are called to participate in the very life of God. I have written about it on several occasions here, perhaps most notably in the post entitled, Two “Nos”, One “Yes”, and the Kingdom to Come.

Today I am happy once again to be taking part in Elizabeth Esther’s Saturday Evening Blogpost. Elizabeth is hosting a special new year’s edition by asking bloggers to share their favorite post of the entire last year. My first thought was that it would be incredibly difficult to choose my favorite post from so many, but I quickly decided upon one entitled, Our Life In Christ. It is my favorite as it was the most successful post in opening up some dialogue on the Eucharist. There is still much to ponder simply in reading the comments.

I hope you will head over to Elizabeth’s site also to check out the many other bloggers’ best of 2009!

The word doxology literally means, glory. This part of the Eucharistic Prayer is meant to give glory to God in return for all He has given to us. This part of the liturgy is more likely to be sung, even during a daily celebration with the words,

Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours Almighty Father, forever and ever.

The celebration of the liturgy is meant to teach us that we are in communion with God and with one another. We see this expressed in the interchange that happens during every celebration of the Eucharist. First God gives us food by way of wheat and grapes which we take and make into bread and wine. We then offer the bread and wine back to God along with our lives as we place them on the altar. Then God sends His Spirit to transform the bread and wine into His Body and Blood. At the Doxology, we offer it back to Him. It is beautiful to see this continual exchange unfold during every celebration of the liturgy. The new General Instruction of the Roman Missal uses these words to describe the doxology,

Final doxology, By which the glorification of God is expressed and is confirmed and concluded by the people’s acclamation, Amen.

My continual hope when celebrating the Eucharist is that myself and those gathered will mirror our prayer by how we live our lives, that we will give thanks for the gifts God continues to bless us with and freely offer them back to Him in prayer and service.

I recently learned that the last words of Fr. Alexander Schmemann were, Amen, Amen, Amen. Perhaps we should remember each time during the doxology, as we sing the Great Amen, that if lived properly our very lives can become a prayer of thanksgiving to God.

Let the people say, Amen.

]]> http://www.blessedisthekingdom.com/2009/12/07/doxology/feed/ 4 http://www.blessedisthekingdom.com/2009/12/05/saturday-evening-blogpost-more-on-the-eucharist/ http://www.blessedisthekingdom.com/2009/12/05/saturday-evening-blogpost-more-on-the-eucharist/#comments Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:47:39 +0000 Fr. Christian Mathis http://www.blessedisthekingdom.com/?p=1903

Today I am happy to be participating again in Elizabeth Esther’s Saturday Evening Blogpost. I am choosing to share a post from my recent series on the Eucharist. I hope that readers will take a look at not only this post, but all of the recent posts on this topic. You can find my chosen post from November at the link below.

The Eucharistic Prayer: Acclamation

Catholics often get accused of worship Mary, saints and whole host of things including statues, icons and various other items that symbolize the holiness of things on earth through Christ’s Incarnation. One reason I believe this happens is a misunderstanding when it comes to a particular form of prayer, that being prayer of intercession. We do indeed ask Mary and the saints to intercede on our behalf. We also ask for the prayers of those who are still here with us on earth.

I recall fondly the first day I met my friend Lance. I was at a New Year’s Eve party and had just come from mass. It was the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. He asked me, as I have been asked many times before, “Why do you Catholics pray to Mary?” My response was my normal one in which I explained that we do not worship Mary, but that we ask for her intercession in a similar way that we might ask a friend to pray for us, except of course that Mary has a unique and special connection to Jesus, her son. The reason I remember this particular conversation is the exchange that followed. Lance listened to my explanation and then said, “Can I ask another question?”

“Here comes the argument”, I thought to myself but replied, “Sure.”

“If that’s why you pray to Mary, why wouldn’t you pray to other holy people for their help, like St. Joseph for example?”

After the shock had subsided from this conversation not going in the usual direction of someone trying to sway me from my idolatrous ways of worshipping Mary, I answered him by explaining that we do turn to the saints for their help.

The new General Instruction of the Roman Missal describes this section of the Eucharistic Prayer in these words:

Intercessions: By which expression is given to the fact that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the entire Church of heaven as well as of earth, and that the offering is made for her and for all her members, living and dead, who have been called to participate in the redemption and the salvation purchased by Christ’s Body and Blood.

It is our firm belief that the grave is not the final word to Christians, but through the resurrection we have the opportunity to enter into everlasting life in heaven. It is with this belief that we continue to share communion with those who are no longer physically present with us on earth and continue asking for their prayers.

One of the most striking examples of intercessory prayer is found in the Roman Canon when we ask for the assistance of many holy men and women who have gone before us.

In union with the whole Church we honor Mary, the ever-virgin mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and God. We honor Joseph, her husband, the apostles and martyrs Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude; we honor Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian and all the saints. May their merits and prayers grant us your constant help and protection.

And again later in the prayer,

For ourselves, too, we ask some share in the fellowship of your apostles and martyrs, with John the Baptist, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia and all the saints.

In my younger days, I used to be very uncomfortable speaking about Mary and the saints with those who did not share my own Christian beliefs, but over time it has become a conversation I look forward to having. It is an opportunity to share the richness of our faith with other Christians who are missing an opportunity to more fully embrace the Incarnation of Christ and the reality of heaven.