“They Recognized Him in the Breaking of the Bread.”
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ -- June 6, 2010
Genesis 14:18-20 I1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Luke 24:13-35
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ -- June 6, 2010
Genesis 14:18-20 I1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Luke 24:13-35
Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you, Lord.
Meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you, Lord.
Meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus
Now that very day two of the disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to Him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know what has been happening there these last few days?” “What things?” He asked. “The things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This man was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. But our chief priests and rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death and nailed to a cross. But we were hoping He’d be the one who would redeem Israel. Besides all that, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have surprised us: they went to the tomb at dawn but did not find his body. They came back and reported that they had, indeed, seen a vision of angels who told them that He is alive. Then some of our group went to the tomb and found things just as the women had reported, but Him they did not see.”
Then Jesus said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He showed them how the Scriptures were really pointing to Him.
Then Jesus said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He showed them how the Scriptures were really pointing to Him.
Recognized in the breaking of bread
As they approached the village, He gave the impression of going on farther. But they urged Him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So He went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while He was with them at table, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning as He spoke and opened the Scriptures for us?" So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Twelve and others who told them, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction
He pitched His tent among us
Introduction
He pitched His tent among us
When He ascended into heaven Jesus promised He would not leave us orphans but would be with us to the end of time. (Jn 14:14) He kept His promise by sending us the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. He also kept His promise not to leave us orphans by His abiding with us in the Eucharist.
In his Prologue John writes, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” ( Jn 1:14) A literal translation of the Greek reads, “The Word became flesh, and He pitched His tent
[1] (His tabernacle[2]) among us.” He, who 2000 years ago pitched His tent in our midst for 33 years, continues to pitch His tent (His tabernacle) among us in His abiding Eucharistic presence. In his Prologue John writes, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” ( Jn 1:14) A literal translation of the Greek reads, “The Word became flesh, and He pitched His tent
Pre-Vatican & Post-Vatican Eucharist
With a bit of nostalgia some of us remember the feast of Corpus Christi of pre-Vatican II days. It was a big production. The Blessed Sacrament (encased in an elaborate monstrance under a portable canopy) was carried in solemn procession amid a cloud of incense, through villages in valleys and hamlets on hills. Three times the procession stopped along the way for benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. Today, the feast is no longer the big production it used to be.
In pre-Vatican II, a super-sacral approach to the Eucharist allowed only the consecrated hands of a priest to touch the Blessed Sacrament. Now the faithful receive Communion in their own hands, and they receive It even from the hands of un-ordained Eucharistic ministers! Some of the Eucharistic ministers are not even males! Now also the faithful after Mass carry the Sacrament home to a sick member of the family, in golden containers called pyxes
More remarkably, however, some of us remember when on a Sunday morning a meager handful of people out of a packed congregation would rise to receive Communion. They were the people who considered themselves “in the state of Sanctifying Grace.” The rest remained nailed to their pews at Communion time because they considered themselves “in the state of mortal sin.” Or because they were divorced and remarried. Or because they had not fasted from every speck of food and drink from midnight on. Now after Vatican II, a whole congregation of non-fasting sinners (many of whom have not made a sacramental confession for years) rise to receive the Eucharist. With Vatican II the Eucharistic life of the Church has officially and unofficially changed dramatically.
In pre-Vatican II, a super-sacral approach to the Eucharist allowed only the consecrated hands of a priest to touch the Blessed Sacrament. Now the faithful receive Communion in their own hands, and they receive It even from the hands of un-ordained Eucharistic ministers! Some of the Eucharistic ministers are not even males! Now also the faithful after Mass carry the Sacrament home to a sick member of the family, in golden containers called pyxes
More remarkably, however, some of us remember when on a Sunday morning a meager handful of people out of a packed congregation would rise to receive Communion. They were the people who considered themselves “in the state of Sanctifying Grace.” The rest remained nailed to their pews at Communion time because they considered themselves “in the state of mortal sin.” Or because they were divorced and remarried. Or because they had not fasted from every speck of food and drink from midnight on. Now after Vatican II, a whole congregation of non-fasting sinners (many of whom have not made a sacramental confession for years) rise to receive the Eucharist. With Vatican II the Eucharistic life of the Church has officially and unofficially changed dramatically.
An old emphasis
And yet, at the end of the day, nothing basic has really changed: the Eucharist still remains central to Catholic belief and life. If something has, indeed, changed, it’s a change of emphases. The old emphasis saw the Eucharist as a reward for saints. So at Sunday Mass the few who considered themselves `in the state of Sanctifying Grace’ rose to receive Communion.
What’s more, the old emphasis saw Jesus as present in the bread. So in pre-Vatican days, the elevation of the Host at Mass was a very special moment. All gazed upon the bread held on high. A bell was rung at that elevation to make sure everyone was awake and gazing at Jesus in the bread.
[3] It was a kind of salvation moment, very much like Moses raising up the bronze serpent he had fashioned and held on high for the Israelites to gaze upon and be saved. (Num 21:4-9; Jn 12:32) We recall also how, on big feast days, Mass was climaxed by benediction with the Blessed Sacrament; it was a kind of frosting on the cake[4]. The Eucharist encased in the monstrance was held on high, so all could gaze upon Jesus present in the bread. What’s more, the old emphasis saw Jesus as present in the bread. So in pre-Vatican days, the elevation of the Host at Mass was a very special moment. All gazed upon the bread held on high. A bell was rung at that elevation to make sure everyone was awake and gazing at Jesus in the bread.
A new emphasis
The new emphasis, on the other hand, sees the Eucharist not as a reward for saints but as food for sinners on the human journey. So now at Communion time a whole congregation of sinners (most of whom have not made a sacramental confession) rise to Communicate.
What’s more, the new emphasis sees Jesus not so much in the bread but rather in the breaking of the bread. That’s much more than semantics; it’s Scriptural. On Easter Sunday two disciples are on the road to Emmaus, and they meet up with a Stranger. At dusk they look for lodging and invite the Stranger to stay and supper with them. When the Stranger blesses the bread, breaks it and gives it to the disciples, their eyes are opened, and they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. (Lk 24:30-31)
What’s more, the new emphasis sees Jesus not so much in the bread but rather in the breaking of the bread. That’s much more than semantics; it’s Scriptural. On Easter Sunday two disciples are on the road to Emmaus, and they meet up with a Stranger. At dusk they look for lodging and invite the Stranger to stay and supper with them. When the Stranger blesses the bread, breaks it and gives it to the disciples, their eyes are opened, and they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. (Lk 24:30-31)
Bread not broken
Karl Jung, the father of modern psychology, describes the day of his First Holy Communion, which he awaited with great anticipation. The day finally dawned. Behind the altar stood his father (the minister of the service) in his familiar robes. He read off the prayers. Then he ate a piece of the bread, sipped the wine and passed the cup to the others. All looked stiff and, it seemed to him, uninterested. The young Jung waited in suspense for something out of the ordinary to happen, but nothing happened. He noticed neither sadness nor joy on anyone’s face. When his turn came, he ate the bread which tasted flat, and sipped the wine which tasted sour. After the final prayer, all poured out of the church with great haste, eager, it seemed, to get on with real life. Jung concludes, “No one seemed depressed or illumined with joy, and their faces seem to say, `Well, that's that!’”
Only gradually in the course of the following days did it dawn on him that bread had not really been broken, and that Jesus had not really been recognized in the breaking of bread on the day of his first Holy Communion. That day had failed Jung so miserably that his first Holy Communion had become his very last! He never took Communion again. (Memories, Dreams, Reflections)
Only gradually in the course of the following days did it dawn on him that bread had not really been broken, and that Jesus had not really been recognized in the breaking of bread on the day of his first Holy Communion. That day had failed Jung so miserably that his first Holy Communion had become his very last! He never took Communion again. (Memories, Dreams, Reflections)
Oh, how wonderful it is….
When Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John on Mt. Tabor,
His clothes became dazzling white, and Elijah and Moses appeared, conversing with Jesus. Then Peter exclaimed, "Oh Master, how wonderful it is for us to be up here! We do not want to leave this lofty height. So let’s build three shelters up here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Mk 9:2-10)
That’s what happens when we have a religious experience: we want to hang around on that lofty height, and we don’t want to go down from it. When, however, nothing happens at Sunday Mass except the words of consecration (“This is my body…”), then most of the congregants have no yen to hang around. Instead they pour out of Mass with great haste, eager to get on with real life. They pour out of Mass, neither depressed nor illumined with joy, and with faces which simply say, “Well, that’s that!” Eventually some will see no reason for coming back, and will drop out of Sunday Mass for good. Or if they do come back, it’s because they’re banking totally on the automatic and magical words of consecration to make Jesus present.
His clothes became dazzling white, and Elijah and Moses appeared, conversing with Jesus. Then Peter exclaimed, "Oh Master, how wonderful it is for us to be up here! We do not want to leave this lofty height. So let’s build three shelters up here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Mk 9:2-10)
That’s what happens when we have a religious experience: we want to hang around on that lofty height, and we don’t want to go down from it. When, however, nothing happens at Sunday Mass except the words of consecration (“This is my body…”), then most of the congregants have no yen to hang around. Instead they pour out of Mass with great haste, eager to get on with real life. They pour out of Mass, neither depressed nor illumined with joy, and with faces which simply say, “Well, that’s that!” Eventually some will see no reason for coming back, and will drop out of Sunday Mass for good. Or if they do come back, it’s because they’re banking totally on the automatic and magical words of consecration to make Jesus present.
Conclusion
Blessed the Sunday assembly
Blessed is the Sunday assembly where bread is truly broken for a hungry congregation, through a meaningful reading of Scripture and through a much-labored-over homily in the Liturgy of the Word. Such bread breaking has us exclaiming “Oh, how wonderful it was for us to be here! We’re coming back next Sunday!” Such bread breaking greatly empowers the words of consecration which no longer have to `go it alone,’ and which no longer have an automatic and magical ring to them.
[1] eskhnwsen... -- “He pitched his tent…”[2] The Latin for `tent’ is `tabernaculum.’
[3] Since Vatican II the bell-ringing at the consecration has been omitted in most parishes.
[4] Benediction immediately after Mass is now liturgically forbidden.
