Over the past four years that I have taught in a Catholic
high school, I have found the most difficult teaching pupils and adults alike
have of Catholic theology is not how God can be three persons in one, or how
Jesus can be both God and man, but how bread and wine can be the actual body
and blood of Christ. No matter how many times Catechists say that the Eucharist
is the actual body and blood of Christ, the average faithful Christian will
ask, but is it really Jesus, or just a representation? Johnson comments this point was of special
importance in the middle ages, which will lead to the terminology such as transubstantiation (224).
One can understand the importance of the real presence of
the Eucharist and transubstantiation through all of the precious objects that
go along with handling the actual body of Christ:
- A chalice and paten (plate) are used to hold the consecrated species. Both contain a precious metal such as gold or silver. After all, only the finest material should be used to hold Christ.
- A corporal (placemat) and purificator (napkin) are designed to catch any fragments (crumbs) that may otherwise escape
- A tabernacle to house the Eucharist when it is not being distributed, and a sanctuary lamp that is lit to indicate that the Eucharist is present in the tabernacle.
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| Tabernacle |
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| Sanctuary Light |
While it may seem silly to those who do not understand
transubstantiation, if one recognizes we are truly in presence of Christ,
shouldn’t we treat the Eucharist as God – after all, it is God!
By recognizing that I am in the actual presence of Christ
when in a Catholic Church, I am encouraged to be more faithful. While God may
always know my actions no matter where I am, I recognize that God knows my
actions when I physically see God. The Eucharist helps me to understand that
God is present in my life. He came down to physically occupy the same space as
me!
Another point of interest with how people interact with God
in the Eucharist… the joint that connects the mast to the deck on a sailboat is known as a
tabernacle. I have searched for the etymology of a sailboat tabernacle without
much success. I did discover that sailors would often have prayer services at
the base of the mast. If this is the case, perhaps they called this space a tabernacle,
as that was the focal point of their prayer. When boarding a ship, it is
customary to salute the mast first (towards God) and then the stern (towards
the flag). To honor such tradition, I hung a candle holder that resembles a
sanctuary light over the tabernacle of my boat in my garage.
KevinG,
ReplyDeleteYou raise an interesting point about the sacramental language of sailing. Please let me know if you find out the origins of tabernacle as a sailing reference. Is it possible that precedes the sacramental notion?
You seem to suggest that the pomp and ornamentation around the celebration of the Eucharist is a response to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist in a transubstantiated way. "Shouldn't we treat the Eucharist as God?" you ask. I can answer that question affirmatively, but still with skepticism about the necessity of gold chalices, patens, and fine linens. As a matter of aesthetics, I have always felt that finely crafted clay and wood do as much or more to honor God than precious metals. The real presence of Christ is no less real in the consecrated hosts and wine than on the lips and in the bellies of faithful (or even unfaithful) recipients. Among Catholic communities I have witnessed, it has been my experience that there is an inverse function between care given to the dead stone vessels of the Eucharist and that given to its living vessels - especially the poor.
In the 1980s film, Romero, featuring Raul Julia. Abp. Romero is given to care greatly for both the poor and the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, gathering and guarding both when threatened by the oligarchy's military apparatus. How we honor God is also an ecological question. Is bread made from genetically-modified wheat or through the broad application of chemical fertilizers a fitting and just way to prepare the Lord's Supper? How about wine polluted with arsenic? When we consume the Eucharist we consume both crucified Christ and tortured Earth. Perhaps a stretcher would be an appropriate conveyance as well.
I suspect that the choice of precious metals speaks more to distorted cultural values of dominating the Earth and the aggrandizement of the celebrating presiders and/or communities than of the magnification of the Lord.
Jay - a few words to add here about why chalices are made from certain materials. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (document that details the rubrics around mass) encourages the use of precious metal, or other solid materials such as ebony or other hard woods. The main reason is not pomp and ornamentation but rather using a nonporous surface for hygiene, and a solid material for durability (it should not rust, chip or break easily.) See the GIRM, paragraphs 327f if interested further.
ReplyDeleteBlessings
DZSJ