Receiving Eucharist at the Carmel of the Incarnation

Approaching the Table of the Lord

 

We recently received a reminder from our prioress to plan for our annual personal long retreat by the end of this calendar year. We have been much distracted for most of this year and such plans put aside. As I considered possibilities for a retreat of ten days outside the monastery I realized how much daily Eucharist meant to me and how I would be missing that privilege at all the locations which I considered.

These considerations brought me to meditation about my experience of Eucharist and how it has been affected by our experience in this monastery. I feel the warm Divine Embrace most keenly at the table of God’s love. And I have been feeling it even more keenly here at Carmel where both the architecture of the chapel and the choreography of liturgy seem designed to concentrate attention at the heart of the Eucharistic celebration.

The chapel, formerly very dark and hard at the edges, was recently reconfigured within the existing wall and roof structure to assume it the shape of an eye on the horizontal axis of the space. The current design places the entrance to the space at the middle of the curving bottom. The Eucharist is reserved in a silver cube-like tabernacle atop a wooden pillar opposite the entrance as if on the curve of the eye’s upper lid.

The shape is echoed most dramatically by an eye-shaped flying dropped ceiling. This pure white eye above contains a dome illuminated by indirect lighting and most dramatically by an ocular skylight at its apex. This opening to the sky brings a variety of lighting effects into the space as the sun travels across the sky through each day and each season. This ocular mandala illuminates the altar below, the entire eye-shape being mirrored in the tile pattern of the lustrous chapel floor.

The altar of Eucharist directly beneath the dome is perfectly round; a thick beige marble slab resting upon a matching platform of hardwood supported by four stout rectangular legs cross braced near the floor. Simple pewter candle stands seem anchored to holy ground in guard at the altar. Regardless of the location the viewer in any seat in the chapel seems to be directly facing the altar. The presider’s chair is the first seat of the first row of an in-the-round arrangement. He proclaims the Word from an ambo placed between the entrance and the altar.

 

When one makes a visit to the chapel during the day lighting is minimal. The beautiful setting behind the tabernacle immediately draws the eye and attention to the reserved Sacrament.  But when we gather for Mass the lighting is magnified, promoting a natural shift of eye and body toward the center of attention, the altar of the sacred banquet. In my own case, I am blessed to be assigned to a seat only twelve feet away from the altar at an angle which allows for a clear view of the vessels, the hands of the priest, the elements he consecrates and the expression on his face as he does so.

This arrangement alone fosters a unique intimacy in the experience of Eucharist. The priest so easily becomes Jesus himself beckoning, sharing, gifting; his movements imploring us to enter his life. The moment of remembering, the anamnesis of the Mass seems in this setting to be a progressive flowing into the Paschal Mystery. The flow of this shared moment of intimacy is extended by the manner in which all who celebrate here may partake of the Body and Blood of Christ made present on the altar by the very act of our remembering.

It has become the practice of this community to receive the Bread of Eucharist from the hands of the priest by approaching in two lines beginning from the rear of the chapel. Afterward each communicant is free to return to

their place for post-communion meditation or to proceed around the altar and face the chalices of the Wine of Eucharist waiting there. The altar is approached with evident but simple reverence, each person picking up a chalice and slowly savoring the Precious Blood of Jesus, cleansing the rim with a purificator and returning it to the corporal for the next communicant.

Some remark that this way of receiving Communion at Mass takes too much time. Some exacting liturgist may say it does not conform to the prescribed norms. Certainly it would not be practical in the parish setting. But here, where there are rarely more than 40 people present, it serves to provide time for a few contemplative moments at the heart of the Mass.

 

This manner of approaching the altar has provided for me a very sacred moment of intimacy; a very physical way of participating in Jesus’ last supper which we call into memory and into the present moment at every Eucharist. I come to the altar as if it is the table on which Jesus himself prepared this last gift, blessed it and invited all to partake of it; the bread and wine transformed by his power and by the community gathered together to listen to His Word. The altar table has been so carefully prepared; linens laundered white and crisply pressed, bearing a glowing chalice of precious metal containing rich wine. How many tables have I prepared with all the best in my own home? I remember the loving care I poured into banquet occasions so that they would be gift to the guest. In knowing that desire within myself I feel that same desire in the gift of Jesus’ table. My thirsty heart is watered by the sight of the lavish banquet prepared for me at this altar bathed in the light of God’s loving gaze. A heart thus watered blossoms into gratitude as I step to the altar and see all that awaits me there, all of it seeming to glow in the light that bathes what is received and those who receive it. I stand in the place where He stood; where He issued the invitation; where He made a place for me at His table. I raise the cup and drink at the banquet table of God’s love eager again to be transformed into what has been received. I am drawn into the anamnesis of the Mass, the act of remembering, in such a way that what is being remembered becomes present in our space, in our time. 

 

 

Sister Maria Linda Magbiro, OSsR

Profession of Solemn Vows

in the

Order of the Most Holy Redeemer

"We rejoice in the Lord, always."

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Cabrini Chapel, West Park, New York

Enjoy a slide show of the profession celebration.

Click here.



Redemptoristine Contemplative Insight

New Book Published by Redemptorists

Congregation of the Most Holy

Redeemer

(from the back cover)

Redemptorists have a common language. There are words, however, make us sometimes ask: "I wonder how that is understood in our history and tradition?" The Lexicon focuses on key words and concepts...in Redemptorist history, tradition and spirituality...It is not meant to be just an academic addition to the bookshelf. 'Reflection Questions' at the end of each entry are designed to stimulate internal contemplation and external discussion...A resource for ongoing formation.

This book has been along time in coming. Rather than being a dictionary of key words and concepts , it is a far more informative and useful collection of brief essays on key people, topics, and spiritual concepts in the Redemptorist tradition. As example, these topics fall under the letter 'r': recollection, reconciliation, Redeemer Jesus Christ, Redemptorist family, Redemptoristines, restrusturing, resurrection, review of life, revivalism.

One of the editors and author of many of the Lexicon's entries is Father Dennis Billy. Over htree years ago he asked me to write the entry for the key concept of Redemptoristine spirituality "viva memoria" or living memory. The inspiration for this insight into the mystical life was received by our foundress Ven. Maria Celeste Croastarosa. Her insights and her Rule of Life preceeded that of St. Alphonsus Liguori. Since they were friends during the ciritical days of the founding of our Order and less than two years later the beginning of his congregation, they influenced each other. Each saw the need to live so much in the virutes of Jesus Christ that one is transformed into a "viva memoria" a living memory of Jesus the Redeemer. Maria Celeste's way was through solitude, silence, and contemplation and that of Alphonsus through pastoral and ministerial devotion to the poor and most abandoned.

The following is the full text the of the entry "VIVA MEMORIA" , p.289

               The words “viva memoria”, commonly translated as “living memory” or “living memorial”, are both the core and general theme of the charism or spiritual mission of the Redemptoristine Nuns (Order of the Most Holy Redeemer). These words are product of the mystical inspirations of the Venerable Maria Celeste Crostarosa. When Maria Celeste (1696-1755) and St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) met in 1730 each was at a critical point in life and spiritual development. Alphonsus became a supporter of Maria Celeste and, in turn, her mystical inspirations influenced his effort to found the Redemptorist Congregation. Key elements of her inspired Rule were adapted and appear in various versions of the Redemptorist Rule.

                The words “living memory” first appeared in the rule for contemplative religious life revealed to Maria Celeste. Following her reception of the Eucharist on April 25, 1725, she ‘heard’ these words in her mystical prayer: “…I have been pleased to choose this Institute to be a living memory and image of the works of salvation and love accomplished by my Only-Begotten Son during the thirty-three years he lived as man in this world.” The dynamic concept of “living memory” is a variation on the theme of imitation of Christ as a means of attaining holiness of life and union with God. However, “living memory” moves beyond imitation into personal transformation in Christ. It is a constant and dynamic process by which one is changed interiorly, gradually stripped of the false self, so as to reveal the Christ dwelling within. In accord with the intention of God the Father, this is the Jesus in whose life we were intended to participate by virtue of his Incarnation as a human being. Gradual revelation of the dynamic life of Jesus within the soul makes present in our world and time the person and works of Jesus Christ. According to Maria Celeste, the constant and dynamic personal spiritual process of transformation is accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit in an environment born of virtue and availability to God in times of silence and solitude.

             Maria Celeste Crostarosa, like St. Alphonsus Liguori, was born in Naples. At the time of these revelations, she was living in Scala, a hill town outside the city, among a community of contemplative nuns following the rule of the Order of the Visitation but not officially attached to them. Maria Celeste’s spiritual director and co-founder of the monastery, Bishop Tommaso Falcoia, was also an advisor to Alphonsus.  In 1730, Bishop Falcoia, uncertain about the reliability and soundness of Maria Celeste’s inspiration for a new institute, requested that Alphonsus visit the monastery, investigate the situation and present his recommendations. After interviewing Maria Celeste and all the sisters who were considering adoption of the rule she proposed, Alphonsus concluded that Maria Celeste’s project was divinely inspired. In further discussions with the nuns he persuaded them to accept the new rule. On the Feast of Pentecost in May 13, 1731 the community began living contemplative monastic life as the Order of the Most Holy Savior (eventually changed to Holy Redeemer). However, the exact text of the rule they would follow remained in dispute.    

              For almost two years the friendship between Maria Celeste and Alphonsus developed. He shared with her his inspiration to found a congregation of priests to serve the poor and most abandoned. His vacillation in the matter seems to have come to an end only when Maria Celeste reported her mystical vision of him as a founder. Alphonsus gathered a few confreres around him and the Congregation of the Most Holy Savior came into being in the guest house of the Scala monastery on November 9, 1732.

             During this period controversy about the exact points of the rule for the new Order was escalating. The principle conflict arose between Maria Celeste and Bishop Falcoia; she favored the original rule as inspired while he proposed changes according to his own views. Alphonsus, wedged between two strong personalities, each of whom called for his allegiance, began to support the Bishop and soundly scolded Celeste. The situation, further complicated by factions within the community of nuns, came to a head in May, 1733 when the Bishop presented an ultimatum to Marie Celeste. She agreed to accept the altered rule and to live by it within community, but she could not agree to accept the Bishop as her spiritual director for life. She was expelled from the monastery, eventually creating a new foundation in the city of Foggia in 1738.

For Maria Celeste, the realization of the living memory of Christ in each nun would be accomplished through development of nine virtues (later increased to twelve by Bishop Falcoia who added faith, hope and love of God): union of hearts and mutual charity, poverty, purity, obedience, humility and meekness of heart, mortification, recollection and silence, prayer, self-denial and love of the cross.

                Studies of the various early (18^th century) versions of the Rule for the Redemptorist Congregation indicate that key elements, especially personal pursuit of the twelve virtues as the means of spiritual transformation were directly influenced by the original rule received by Maria Celeste. By this participation in the life of Jesus, the individual becomes a living memory of the Savior, the active presence of Christ in the world. From an early rule formulation: “…All those called to this Institute are to esteem highly and rejoice in such a calling and are to strive as much as possible to make themselves living copies of that divine model, becoming like the life of the Savior…(Complesso, 1732) The first sentence of a later formulation of the Rule, “The purpose of the new and least Institute…is none other than to imitate, as much as possible with divine grace, this divine Master and model…” (Compendio of Bovino, 1745). Primitive Rule of the Redemptorists begins, “The purpose of the Institute is that of the closest imitation of the most holy life of our Savior Jesus Christ and of his most adorable virtues.” (Text of Conza, 1747) This is the first text of the Rule approved by the Congregation as a whole.  All of these documents express two ends or purposes for the Congregation: to live as Jesus Christ and to be in missionary service of the poor and most abandoned.  

            Other evidence indicates the extent to which the inspiration of living memory influenced early Redemptorist spirituality. In 1741, Alphonsus wrote that Gioacchino Gaudello, the first to die in the Congregation, “…manifested to all the life of Jesus Christ.”  When Vito Curzio, the first brother in the Congregation died in 1745, Redemptorist Giovanni Mazzini eulogized him saying he had “achieved his objective to become a living copy of Jesus Christ.”   

            

             Nonetheless, as Alphonsus earnestly labored to obtain approval in Rome for the Rule of his congregation,  texts clearly began to depart from early versions which retained so much of the flavor of the Rule of Maria Celeste as revised by Bishop Falcoia. In order to receive official approbation of the Rule concessions were made in terms of emphasis and format and primary influences were obscured.

             Today, interpretation of “living memory” is appropriating theological understandings of the Eucharist memoria or memorial of the Mass. In the words of consecration (the institution narrative or anamnesis) not only is the Body and Blood of Jesus made present under the appearance of bread and wine, Jesus Christ and all of the Paschal Mystery are also made present and active among us. We are not merely remembering Jesus’ life and death or imitating the last supper with his disciples. Those events are rendered as living and actively working in their redemptive power for the world in our time. By our presence and expression of faith we too become gifts transformed. The level of participation penetrates even more deeply if the community offers itself along with the gifts of bread and wine, uniting itself with the words of the Eucharistic Prayer III, “Father we bring you these gifts. We ask you to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the body and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.”

            The theologian, Johannes Metz (1928 - ) wrote that consecrated religious fulfill an important role in the Church. “…They press for the uncompromising nature of the Gospel and of the imitation of Christ. In this sense they are the institutionalized form of a dangerous memory within the Church.” Proclamation of the memory can be dangerous as it may be threatening to the status quo in any institution and to the norms of the surrounding culture. The living memory spoken of here is the dangerous living reminder of God’s redemptive love, of the desire of God to be incarnated in every human being, of a divine reality open for participation by all humanity.

             For Redemptoristine and Redemptorist religious in our time, transformation into the life of Jesus Christ remains primary. The chief means to this end continues to be the ascetical practice of living the virtues of Jesus, living his life, death and Resurrection, the entire Paschal mystery within the community. In this shared charism, community life, human relationship at every level, is the locus of those who would become “viva memoria,” living memories of the generous love of the Redeemer. The invitation of God, to participate in divine life and divine love in such a way as to become a living memory of Jesus Christ is the missionary message of  everyone who promotes the Redemptorist/Redemptoristine charism.

For Reflection

1. To what extent is the imitation of Christ a conscious part of your spiritual practice?
2. How might the ideal of becoming a living memory of Christ be manifest in your own life?
3. How can the connection between living memory and the Eucharist made here enhance understanding of both the Liturgy and practice of the virtues?
4. How has your appreciation of the Redemptorist charism and mission been expanded?

Bibliography

Constitutions and Statutes – Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Rome: General Curia         C.Ss.R., 1982.

Constitutions and Statutes – Order of the Most Holy Redeemer. Rome:1985.

Founding Texts of Redemptorists Early Rules and Allied Documents, edited by Carl Hoegerl.        Rome: Collegio Sant’Alfonso, 1986.

Lage, Emilio. “Suor Maria Celeste Crostarosa e la Congregazione del SS. Redentore,” in La          Spiritualita di Maria Celeste Crostarosa, edited by Sabatino Majorano, 120-131. Materdomini, Italy: Editrice San Gerardo, 1997.

Metz, Johannes. Followers of Christ – Perspectives on the Religious Life. Translated by Thomas    Linton.  Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1978.

Oppitz, Joseph. The Mystic Who Remembered – The Life and Message of Maria Celeste     Crostarosa, O.Ss.R. Esopus, NY: Redemptoristine Nuns of New York, 2003.

Pleva, Hildegard Magdalen. “A Charism Illumined: Eucharistic Anamnesis and ‘Viva       Memoria’.” Review for Religious 63.1 (2004): 40-52.

Raponi, Santino. The Charism of the Redemptorists in the Church – A Commentary on the             Constitutions. Rome: The Center for Redemptorist Spirituality, 2003.

                                                                        Sr. Hildegard Magdalen Pleva, O.Ss.R. 12/08



Contemplatives' Mass of Thanksgiving

For everything that has been we say,

"Thank you, Lord."

On Sunday April 29, 2012 at 2pm our contemplative monastic community invited friends to join us for a Mass of Thanksgiving - also a bit of a send off as we prepare to leave our current monastery on the grounds of what was Mt. St. Alphonsus Retreat Center (former major seminary of the Baltimore Provine of the Redemptorist Congregation).

The celebration has a bit of a new twist to it since it turned out to be an opportunity to explain to all present the recent change in plans for our relocation. As previously announced on this blog, we had intended to move to a former convent in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Until last week we were in contract to do so. Due to difficulties concerning a buried and leaking oil tank we were forced to withdraw from the contract which was due to expire on the 27th.

As of May 1, 2012 we have 31 days to find interim housing and begin a new search for a permanent home. We are arranging to rent space in a nearby facility. We have already begun to network, talk to realtors and personally visit properties.

In the meantime I post here the introductory remarks offered at the Mass by Sr. Moira Quinn, our Prioress. They are followed by the Intercesory Prayers written for the Mass. We count on your prayers and support.

Mass of Thanksgiving Introduction

Good afternoon and welcome to our Mass of Thanksgiving for all the love and support all of you have given to us here in Esopus over the years.

Over 54 years ago the sisters came down from Canada to the Town of Esopus.  Foundresses, Sisters Paula and Mary Anne, are still with us today. The Redemptorists had rented a lovely old house in West Park called “Heart’s Ease,” as a temporary residence while their monastery was being built on the property of Mount St Alphonsus.   Soon after their arrival Sr. Mary joined them.

Recently, we made the acquaintance of the new owners of “Heart’s Ease” who are restoring it to its former glory. We were invited as a community to have “tea” and to celebrate the Eucharist in the very room where the sisters had Mass those many years ago.  It was a moving experience for us all; an  experience of coming full circle in our history.   

Eleven years ago we moved into this lovely monastery and now God is calling us to move again.  For the last six months, we thought we had found a place that would suit us in East Rutherford, New Jersey; a place which offered the possibility of a future for our community.  However, we have come to realize, after being unable to come to a satisfactory understanding with the owners of the property, that it was not meant to be. 

So, while we will be moving from Esopus May 31^st, we will be moving for  only a temporary stay until we discover the place God wants us to be a radiant witness, a living memory of the Redeemer and God’s plan of love for the world.  Presently, we are in negotiations with the Cabrini Sisters just down the road for our temporary location.

Prayer of the Faithful

For all that has been, we say, “Thank you, Lord.”

For all that will be, we say, “Yes, Lord”

Ø With gratitude for our Redemptoristine and Redemptorist family.

we pray that the mystical charism of Maria Celeste and the missionary charism of Alphonsus will continue to invoke the “Living Memory” of Christ’s redeeming love, we pray to the Lord. 

Ø With appreciation for the beauty of this land and it river, we pray for the protection of all creation and that this property will continue to be a locus of spiritual blessing, we pray to the Lord.

Ø Remembering all the sisters who have gone before us, especially Sister Mary Catherine and Sr. Peg; invoking their intersession for the two foundresses who remain among us, Sr. Mary Anne and Sr. Paula, and upon the entire community, we pray for an outpouring of the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we pray to the Lord.

Ø With grateful hearts we remember the many women who have sojourned for a time with this community; may they be blessed always in their spiritual journeys, we pray to the Lord.

Ø On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we ask that those hearing the call of God will be given listening hearts and guidance in discernment.  With appreciation, we pray too for all women in vowed religious life, that our Church and all the People of God will offer them generous support, we pray to the Lord.

Ø Appreciating the presence of so many here today, we also remember many others who have gone before us and offer a prayer of profound gratitude. We remember all of our friends, lay associates and benefactors, may they be abundantly blessed, we pray to the Lord.

Ø We pray for our Church; may Pope Benedict, the bishops, pastors and lay leadership be encouraged and enlightened as they respond in love to the signs of the times and the needs of all, we pray to the Lord.

Ø We remember all those who have gone before us to the heavenly feast; that they may be enjoying the fullness of God’s presence and interceding for us in our need, we pray to the Lord.

Ø For all the graces received through the intercession of our Mother of Perpetual Help, we say, “Thank you, Lord.”  In all that is yet to be, with hearts open and courageous, in unison with Mary, may we always respond with a resounding, “Yes, Lord”, and so we pray to the Lord.

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The New Rite - A Mass for Mission

"Go and preach

  Jesus Christ

  and, if you must,
  use words."

Sixth and Last Article of a Series

The fifth essay in this series marking the arrival of the New Roman Missal on the first Sunday of Advent came to a close with the theme of transformation in Christ. The point being made was that the Liturgy of the Eucharist is not a mere memorial, a mere re-enactment of Jesus’ actions and words at his last supper. It is an act in which remembering calls into present time the saving action, the redemptive action, of that event which took place over two thousand years ago. And in that present moment at any Mass not only are the elements of bread and wine transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ but we too, along with those gifts or offerings, are subject to transformation. We arrive with a desire for God. We make ourselves available at the liturgy. We open our hearts to receive, however troubled, however skeptical, however distracted, and the transforming Jesus enters in. Yes, it is all very mystical. Karl Rahner, the great theologian said, “The Christian of the future will be a mystic, or not at all.

Anyone as old as I am will remember the Baltimore Catechism definition of a sacrament: an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. What was just described here is the action of that grace. And we take it with us when we walk out the door of the church back into our lives, all a complicated mix of joys and sorrows, pain and ecstacy, disappointment and fulfillment. It is the power of our Trinitarian, relational, energetic God working in us.

The language of the New Roman Missal translation of the Latin Mass often emphasizes the sacrificial nature of the Mass, the fact that the Mass is designed to call to mind the entire Paschal Mystery, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ last supper is thought to have been a Passover meal, itself a remembering into the present of the preservation of the Hebrews by blood of slaughtered lambs splashed onto the door posts. Jesus knew he was going to die, that he would be sacrificed like the Passover lamb. To remember him fully is to remember his passion and death on the cross. Yet, at that last meal the gestures or actions he expressly asked his disciples to imitate were neither violent nor bloody. Before breaking the bread at table, he rose, put on an apron and washed the feet of those present, friends and enemies. Afterward he asked them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? This is what you too must do.” Knowing this would be a huge challenge, especially after experiencing his gruesome death, he left them his consolation. “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you…for this is the chalice of my blood…poured out for you…for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.”

The Eucharist shared at the memorial meal, our Mass, is to spiritually empower us for the hard work of washing each others feet, of being other Christs, of preaching the love of Jesus Christ without using words. William C. Spohn has written, “If the disciples had taken Jesus literally, Christians would be washing feet every Sunday.” (Go and Do Likewise, 4) Jesus was not asking for literal imitation. He was asking them to love each other whoever "the other" happens to be. This was his last plea to them; an instruction so radical that only washing their feet as if he was a slave could adequately make his point.

We bring everything we are with us when we participate in a Mass. Perhaps we sit in the back because we know only too well all that we bring. We also carry a sack of emotions full of our joys, challenges and trials. In the hearing of the Word and the breaking of the bread we transcend time and space. We enter as mystics into the life of the Trinity. We trust in the transformative power of that life and carry away with us the effect of its rays, a heart burning once again, renewed by grace. And this is just the beginning.

May all of us find it in us to respond to the invitation of this occasion, the challenge of liturgical renovation. It is an invitation to go beyond words, to go deeper, to return to the Source. And it is an invitation to a level of participation in grace that is fully aware, fully conscious and ready for interior transformation. May this be a blessing for our Advent season.

Note: For another riff on the challenge of translation see "Making Sense of It", NYTimes Book Review, Sunday, October 30, 2011, p. 22.

Holy Eucharist

Jesus is Made Present

by Our Remembering

Fifth Article of a Series

Stay with us, Lord! (Luke 24:29) With these words, the disciples on the road to Emmaus invited the mysterious Wayfarer to stay with them, as the sun was setting on that first day of the week when the incredible had occurred. According to his promise, Christ had risen; but they did not yet know this. Nevertheless, the words spoken by the Wayfarer along the road made their hearts burn within them. So they said to him, “Stay with us”. Seated around the supper table, they recognized him in the “breaking of bread” – and suddenly he vanished. There remained in front of them the broken bread. There echoed in their hearts the gentle sound of his words.

                        From the Urbi et Orbi Message of John Paul II, 2005

The previous article of this series marking the inauguration of the New Roman Missal offered an account of the Emmaus story. Here the words of Pope John Paul give a reprise of that vignette. With the travelers John Paul says, “Stay with us, Lord”, because Jesus has been recognized “in the breaking of the bread”.

We come to Mass with a burning, a yearning right on the surface or buried deep within, a yearning to meet God, to experience God in an Emmaus-like moment. This is the place, the event, that which is deeper than the words.

During the Mass we remember the life, the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Paschal Mystery. We remember in such a way that what we remember is made present in the gathered community. This kind of remembering is as old as the Hebrews. It is the kind of remembering engaged in at every Passover Seder when the saving acts of God in the Exodus of the Jewish slaves from Egypt is so remembered as to become a felt presence at the Passover table. And notice that this is done at a shared meal. This productive sort of remembering is called ANAMNESIS – your new word for today. In the days before the Nicene Creed to be Christians meant to be faithful to Jesus’ command to celebrate memorial. “Do this in Memory of me.” Luke 33:24-25. For their memorial they joined scripture and readings to the blessing of God for creation and redemption. “However named it has always been part of the church’s grasp of memorial that the mystery remembered becomes a living reality in the lives of those who celebrated it liturgically. For the early writers this was implied in the very idea of symbolic or sacramental representation.” (David N. Power, The Eucharistic Mystery: Revitalizing the Tradition, NY: Crossroad:1994, 488-49).

Celebrations of the Eucharist in which we share today are the occasions in which we call to mind the person and events of our salvation – Jesus Christ and his Paschal Mystery – in such a way that “we” render them living and active in our own time. The “we”, plural pronoun, is operative here. The priest, although in persona Christi, is not acting alone. The gathered community is not merely present or participating by observation. The community gathered for the memorial meal is integral to anamnesis, to recalling and thereby making actively present the person and saving action of the Redeemer. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) of the Second Vatican Council declared that God’s people gathered for Eucharist “offer the immaculate victim through the hands of the priest but also together with him”. (48)

The Eucharistic prayer emphasizes this integral function by repeated use of the pronoun “we”. We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you (EPII). We offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice (EPIII). We, your people and your ministers, recall his passion, his resurrection from the dead and his ascension into glory (EPI). Indeed, the level of participation penetrates more deeply if the community offers itself along with the gifts of bread and wine and unites itself with the words of Eucharistic Prayer III, “Father we bring you these gifts. We ask you to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the body and the blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. By this collective effort and offering and in light of the concept of Eucharistic anamnesis Jesus becomes uniquely present in the consecrated bread and wine but also actively present in our time and within and among those gathered. And this answers the question; in what way is Jesus Christ made actively present at each Eucharistic celebration? At least in part, Jesus the Redeeming Christ, is made present within those who are united with Him in this memorial.  Each of the four principal Eucharistic prayers includes a prayer of epiclesis invoking the power of the Holy Spirit as the agent of consecration; “let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy”. (EP II) Whether we speak of “gifts” in the translation we will no longer us, or “offerings” as the new Roman Missal translation renders it, we acknowledge that it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts/offerings are transformed. To the extent that we present ourselves, all that we are – good, bad and indifferent – as gifts/offerings available for transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are asking to be made holy and transformed into the mystery that we celebrate, the mystery of the sacrament of remembrance which is making Jesus present in us and among us.

Incredible, isn’t it. But St. Athanasius said in the 4^th century, “God became man that man might become God.” This is the incredible mystery of the Incarnation which qualifies us to stand in the presence of God and serve God. This is what the lofty words, the unusual vocabulary, the smells and bells, the vestments, gestures, posture, art and stained glass windows, speaking and singing are intended to communicate. Jesus asked us to break the bread as he did in memory of his life, death and resurrection and assured us that he would be there in the bread and the wine, in and among us in the pews and within us working our transformation into other Christs.

The last piece in this series will speak about the implication of the final words of dismissal at Mass. In the new Roman Missal there are three options for this line: “Go forth, the Mass is ended.” “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” And what could all of that mean?

(For a fuller treatment concerning Eucharistic Anamnesis just type the word 'anamnesis' in the search box to the right.)

Disciples on the Road to Emmaus

A Lens

Through Which

We Can Enter

the Holy Mass

Fourth Article of a Series

Writing a series of articles on the topic of the New Roman Missal which will be inaugurated throughout the world on the first Sunday of Advent is an exercise in ‘readiness’. I am preparing myself for the transition in an attempt to move to a deeper place; to unite myself more completely with Holy Mass, often described as the ”source and summit” of our faith. These thoughts are being shared here as a means of assisting others to do the same. We need assistance because change is rarely fun and there has been a great deal of rhetoric in circulation about this very significant event. The call is to go beyond the rhetoric and re-enter the Mystery.

Our understanding of the Mass, consisting mainly of a Liturgy of the Word and a Liturgy of the Eucharist, can be expanded by using the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-34) as a metaphorical lens providing greater clarity. What happens at Mass can be described as an ‘Emmaus process’.

In that very human story we find two disciples (two men or perhaps a man and a woman) walking away from Jerusalem, away from the great suffering and tragedy of the death of their Master. In their conversation they are trying to make sense of it all – the pain, the futility, the disappointment, the confusion and fear for their very lives. Along comes an eavesdropping stranger who, joining them in stride, enters their conversation and proceeds to cite scripture, illustrating to them how the death of the Messiah had been foretold by the Prophets and had now been fulfilled in their sight. His presentation must have been mesmerizing because we are told they had no desire to end the conversation and invited the stranger to eat with them. And Luke records: “…He took the bread, pronounced a blessing, then broke the bread and began to distribute it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him…”

The story has two movements that mirror the movements of the Mass; first, the Mystery is unveiled; it is revealed through the words of Scripture. And second, the person who is the very Mystery is recognized as being present their company. In the Liturgy of the Word, the readings from Scripture that we hear at the beginning of Mass, the mysteries of our faith and their meaning are revealed and expanded upon. They speak to our heads and hearts and can be further magnified by a well-prepared and delivered homily. Then we move into the Liturgy of the Eucharist in which the mysteries of our faith as embodied in the person of Jesus Christ are made present on the altar under the appearance of bread and wine. And we know Him in the breaking of the breaking of the bread.

Not unlike the troubled travelers on the way to Emmaus, we arrive at church for our Sunday worship awhirl in a myriad of emotions, pressures and concerns. We come, consciously or unconsciously, looking for clarity, solace, affirmation. We may also come with a heart full of joy and thanksgiving looking for an opportunity to offer praise to our benevolent God. At the end of Luke’s story the disciples ask each other, “Were not our hearts burning inside us as he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Our desire must carry us beyond the issues of the language of Mass, the quality of the presider, the babies who may or may not be crying around us or the annoyance of last minute arrivals. At the end of Mass, inspite of whatever tries to get in the way, we all want to leave with burning hearts, our faith fanned into flame once more for the love of God, our constant companion on the way.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Arriving Officially on November 27, 2011

Receiving the New

Roman Missal

Third Article of a Series

We could call it a challenge. We could call it a transition. We could call it many things. Bottom line is that changes are always difficult. American Roman Catholics come to Sunday worship from so many different walks of life, cultures, races, ethnicities, levels of secular education and levels of religious education that the task of presenting the New Roman Missal for use at all Masses is a truly daunting prospect. Some, in spite of their misgivings and concerns, have already wisely launched into the process with efforts to inform and educate the community and gradual introduction of new wording and music. Others seem to have hidden their heads in the sand.

The New Roman Missal is coming knocking at the door. How will we receive it as individuals and as worshipping communities? That is the question. Sister Sandy DeMasi, SSJ and Father Richard Groncki, SJ, members of the Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ, suggest that the occasion of this change in our worship calls us to give greater attention to the liturgical theological meaning of the Mass. Such consideration can be a means of spiritually encouraging full, active, conscious, participation in Holy Mass. After all the Mass is "the Source and Summit of our faith". In this level of discussion the issue is not Latin vs. English, the old English vs. the new English translation; not simply the accumulation of intellectual knowledge but rather the nature of the face to face encounter with Jesus Christ and contemplative engagement that takes place at the Eucharistic feast.  Simply speaking, this time can be looked upon as an invitation to go deeper than words. Sister Sandy and Father Groncki spoke of it as “a moment of liturgical catechesis”.

As you wait for the next installment of this series to appear you might find it helpful, illuminating or just plain grounding to meditate upon what it is you experience when you come to Mass. What are you hoping for? What is it in the Eucharistic Rite that most connects with your being? What reveals God to you? What do you think is happening on that altar when the priest blesses the bread and wine and evokes the Holy Spirit? What is Jesus’ specific invitation to you in the words, “This is my body, which will be given up for you”?

Coming Soon to Your Parish

The New Roman Missal
Second Article in a Series

About one week ago each of the sisters in our contemplative community was given a CD recording of the new adaptation of The Heritage Mass musical setting for the parts of the Mass often sung by the congregation. The melodies we have been singing for over 30 years are very familiar to all church-going American Catholics. But the changes in wording of these prayers in the New Roman Missal, which goes into use on the First Sunday of Advent, require some tweaking of the original music. Old habits are hard to break. We had a week to listen to the music privately and attune our ears and vocal chords to the differences. Today we had our first practice session with a music teacher. We did well, I must say, even though we do not all read music! We even got to listen to the new Mass music by Dan Shutte. Now we have another CD to listen to so that it will become familiar before our next practice.

My last post introduced the topic of the New Roman Missal for use at Mass and presented some of the historical background. Here I would like to present some additional information and some thoughts to ponder. Most of the material is taken from talks given by Monsignor Richard E. Groncki, SJ and Sister Sandy DeMasi, SSJ from the Liturgy Office of the Diocese of Newark, New Jersey. They spoke at a recent meeting of the Metropolitan Association of Contemplative Communities.

Picking up on the translation history in my last post, it is necessary to say that there has been a history of effort toward liturgical renewal in the Church all through the 20^th century and now into the 21^st. There was a movement for renewal and liturgical adaptations made in each pontificate of the period. This began with the reforms of Pius X (1903-1914) which promoted the reception of First Eucharist at a younger age for children. Another reform with which some of us are familiar is the abolition of the all-night fast before receiving Holy Communion. And most memorable is the great shift into the vernacular which took place in the 1970s. It is a mistake therefore to think that the way things are now is how they always have been. One can imagine a cry from some quarters about allowing seven-year-olds to received Communion or about the sacrilege of ending the overnight fast. We can go back even further to a long period in the history of Church when receiving Communion daily or even weekly was not permitted. Saints we revere had to get special permission to do so.

What we will experience this Advent season will be another change in the continuum of constant change in our world, or families, our lives, and our Church. But we resist change with all our might. It makes us very uncomfortable and we find it arduous.

The text of the Mass that we are now using was approved in 1975 to take the place of the first English translation of 1970. Both of these translations were created as dynamic equivalency translations. Since this was the first time we would hear the words for the truths of our faith in English, it was thought that although literal translation was important it was also necessary that the words made sense. Thus attention was given to the catechetical dimension – the ability of the text to be a teacher of the faith.

The type of translation called for in the 3^rd typical edition of the Roman Missal in English to go into use on November 27, 2011 is referred to as formal equivalency translation. This translation sought word for word equivalency in meaning and an effort to retain the syntax (sentence structure) of the original Latin. It is marked by great deference to God, a high level of theology, adherence to scriptural references and less allowance for the celebrant to make on the spot changes.

Next time, we can consider the challenge presented in this change. We can consider how we might view this great shift in the liturgical setting as a challenge in our faith development. But more to the point, how we might use it as a vehicle for deepening our relationship with the One we come to meet with our brothers and sisters gathering for worship. Can we find the invitation here?