Liturgical Catechesis for Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist. Outside of Mass. By Sister Linda Gaupin, CDP, Ph.D

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1 Liturgical Catechesis for Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass By Sister Linda Gaupin, CDP, Ph.D Back in the old days, before the Second Vatican Council, I had a relative who never went to Mass on Sunday but never missed going to Benediction when it was offered in the parish. No one in the family ever spoke about the reason why she never went to Mass. It was always considered a hush hush situation in our family. There are some family secrets that never get revealed and to this day I still do not know what happened that caused her to remove herself from joining the assembly on Sunday for the celebration of the eucharist. Whatever the reason her devotion to the eucharist was fulfilled outside of Mass. I am reminded of her today as I write this article on the worship of the eucharist outside of Mass. Some might be surprised that a document that addresses practices on holy communion and worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass contains a wonderful source of catechesis on the celebration of the Eucharist. Yet a careful reading of the 1973 ritual text Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass [HCWEOM] does exactly this. The document makes it perfectly clear that the cult of adoration has its origin and purpose from the celebration of the eucharist. The General Introduction begins by describing the relationship between the eucharistic celebration and eucharistic worship outside of Mass. The ritual text

2 begins by emphasizing what the liturgical renewal inaugurated by the Second Vatican Council so magnificently emphasized that The celebration of the eucharist is the center of the entire Christian life, both for the universal Church and for the local congregations of the Church [HCWEOM, 1]. HCWEOM provides the context for any catechesis with children, youth, and adults for eucharistic reservation, adoration, or the reception of communion outside of Mass. The starting point is the eucharistic celebration. Why? Because the celebration of the eucharist is truly the origin and purpose of the worship that is shown to the eucharist outside Mass [HCWEOM, 2]. Without this context eucharistic devotions may become mere expressions of personal piety rather than a source for increasing full participation in the celebration of the eucharist. The HCWEOM emphasizes that In order to give right direction and encouragement to devotion to the sacrament of the eucharist, the eucharistic mystery must be considered in all its fullness, both in the celebration of the Mass and in the worship of the sacrament reserved after Mass in order to extend the grace of the sacrifice [HCWEOM, 4]. Catechesis on the eucharistic mystery in all its fullness is not only very important it is vital if we are to lead people to understand the difference between the celebration of the eucharist and the reception of communion outside Mass. This is especially important as we deal with issues pertaining to Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest and weekday communion services scheduled in a parish when a priest is not available for Mass.

3 HCWEOM emphasizes that the primary and original purpose for reservation of the eucharist outside Mass is the administration of viaticum [HCWEOM, 5]. HCWEOM also notes that the secondary ends for reservation are the giving of communion and the adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ present in the sacrament [HCWEOM, 5]. But what of the increasing practice in parishes of weekday communion services? What is the nature of the catechesis provided to these communities where one day they receive communion within the context of the eucharistic celebration and the next day receive communion outside Mass? Does this practice blur the fundamental distinction between the celebration of the eucharist and a communion service in the minds of the faithful? Chapter I of HCWEOM concerns Holy Communion Outside Mass. Here the rite emphasizes that sacramental communion received during Mass is a more complete participation in the eucharistic celebration [HCWEOM, 13]. What is the nature of the catechesis provided to the faithful where weekday communion services are regularly scheduled in the parish when a priest is absent? Does it merely consist of an announcement that since father can not be present we will have a communion service? Or is there a systematic catechesis provided ahead of time that enables the faithful to understand why the reception of communion during Mass is a more complete participation in the eucharistic celebration? The issue of weekday communion services has long been a concern of those active in the liturgical ministry of the Church. In 1998 delegates at the national Meeting of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions approved a Resolution of

4 Immediate Concern about weekday communion services. The resolution expresses their apprehension concerning the widespread proliferation of weekday communion services without sufficient theological and pastoral reflection especially when the eucharistic celebration is celebrated at another time or at a nearby parish. HCWEOM emphasizes that the faithful are to be led to the practice of receiving communion during the actual eucharist celebration [14] and that the faithful should be instructed carefully that, even when they receive communion outside Mass, they are closely united with the sacrifice that perpetuates the sacrifice on the cross [15]. I wonder how often this catechesis occurs in parishes. HCWEOM contains two rites for distributing communion outside Mass: a long rite with the celebration of the word and a short rite with the celebration of the word. In both cases the primary intent was to provide a liturgical context for distributing communion outside Mass. The purpose of the liturgical context is that the people should be nourished by the word of God. By hearing it they learn that the marvels it proclaims reaches their climax in the paschal mystery of which the Mass is a sacramental memorial and in which they share by communion. Nourished by God s word, they are led on to grateful and fruitful participation in the saving mysteries [HCWEOM, 26]. Any catechesis on communion outside Mass then needs to contain at least the following elements. First, there is a liturgical context for giving communion. We don t just go to the tabernacle and give someone a consecrated host. Second, the word of God, which is a living word, nourishes us

5 and leads us to fruitful participation in the saving mysteries. We are first formed in the faith by the living Word of God even on all those occasions when the eucharist is venerated outside of Mass. At this writing the Newsletter of the Committee on the Liturgy has announced that Bishops Committee on the Liturgy will submit a Weekday Celebrations of the Liturgy of the Word for submission to the November, 2007 plenary meeting of the USCCB. The ritual consists of an introduction of twenty paragraphs and forms for the celebration of a Liturgy of the Word with and without the distribution of Holy Communion... [BCL Newsletter, Volume XLIII, July 2007, p.31]. The publication of this document should provide parishes with an opportune moment to develop a systematic catechesis in the parish that would renew and deepen the faithful s understanding of the eucharist as the center of Christian life and at the same time provide an authentic catechesis on eucharistic devotions. Chapter III of HCWEOM examines the forms of worship of the Eucharist: exposition, benediction, eucharistic processions, and eucharistic congresses. Catechists have expressed a concern that children and youth are not familiar with these forms of eucharistic devotions and are taking measures to ensure that children and youth experience them. More is required, however, than just taking them to benediction or lengthy exposition [forty hours devotions]. Prior catechesis is required in order to lead children and youth into an understanding of eucharistic devotion based on the Church s teaching.

6 Once again the ritual text is a primary source for this catechesis. A careful reading of Chapter III [as well as the General Introduction] unfolds the following major points for developing an authentic catechesis for eucharistic devotion: The eucharistic sacrifice is the source and culmination of the whole Christian life; The celebration of the eucharist is the origin and goal of all worship of the eucharistic outside of Mass; Eucharistic devotion should draw us deeper into the Paschal Mystery; Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament enables us to pour out our hearts before him and to pray for peace and salvation of the world; Exposition leads us to acknowledge Christ s marvelous presence in the sacrament that culminates in sacramental communion; Christ s presence in the sacrament leads us to an awareness and appreciation of Christ s presence in the assembly and the Word. In other words catechesis for the cult of adoration should not be based on nostalgia, but rather on the valid and solid principles set forth in Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass. Nathan Mitchell in his work Cult and Controversy: The Worship of the Eucharist outside Mass expertly sums all of this up: Even the most highly elaborated forms of eucharistic cult outside Mass the Forty Hours Devotion, for example have as their ultimate purpose to

7 help us arrive where we started/and know the place for the first time. Christian life begins and ends at the table: the table of the baptismal eucharist, the table of the farewell meal of a Christian in the liturgy of death and burial. We begin to live and we begin to die in that corporate assembly among whom Jesus Christ eats and drinks now that he is raised from the dead. [p. 8]