RCIA #11 The Eucharist January 26, 2016 pg. 1 RCIA #11 Eucharist Reading Exodus 12: 1-10 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. It shall not be eaten raw or boiled, but roasted whole, with its head and shanks and inner organs. None of it must be kept beyond the next morning; whatever is left over in the morning shall be burned up. Psalm Response God has given them bread from heaven. (Psalm 78:25, verses from Ps. 116) Gospel John 6:52-59 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day, for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. I. Review: The Catholic Catechism is laid out: Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer. It does not attempt to say what is expected of us (Morals) before we have the grace of Sacraments. Luther put the Morals before the Creed & Sacraments, which might explain some of his despair. A sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace. The outward sign in made up of words (the form) and the physical materials (the matter). Along with them, the minister and the intention are part of the outward sign. Sacraments are efficacious, which means their not merely symbolic.
RCIA #11 The Eucharist January 26, 2016 pg. 2 When the minister pours the water (w/ the right words & intention) sin is actually taken away. All sacraments flow from the Paschal Mystery. Outward signs bring us all into the saving act (like mud on the blind man s eyes) Baptism is a double sign, of death and life. When baptized, we share in Jesus death and resurrection. That puts us in Jesus, and we have his relation to Father and Spirit. We are saved by several, not-mutually-exclusive things. Faith is necessary, like oil coating and protecting an engine. Charity is necessary, like gasoline burning in that engine. Charity is the acts of love and mercy we make to God and neighbor. Paul says nothing else matters but faith working in love (Gal 5:6) II. Basics on the Eucharist What exactly do Catholics believe about the Sacrament of the Lord s Supper? Why? Jesus statements in John 6: Verses 1-32 Verses 33-34 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Verse 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. Verse 41-44 The Jews murmured about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven," and they said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.
RCIA #11 The Eucharist January 26, 2016 pg. 3 Verse 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." Verses 52-53 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Verses 54-56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Verses 60-64 Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. Verses 67-69 Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." III. Transubstantiation trans = substance < substance = essence = nature =
RCIA #11 The Eucharist January 26, 2016 pg. 4 Review: Jesus Substance and Transubstantiation = St. Thomas Aquinas Adoro Te, Devote 1. Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore, Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art. 2. Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived: How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed; What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true. 3. On the cross thy godhead made no sign to men, Here thy very manhood steals from human ken: Both are my confession, both are my belief, And I pray the prayer of the dying thief. 4. I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see, But can plainly call thee Lord and God as he; Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move, Daily make me harder hope and dearer love. IV. Time Travel Yes, it s real! Time & eternity & a divine/human person
RCIA #11 The Eucharist January 26, 2016 pg. 5 The Paschal Mystery: 1 event, 3 (or more) days paschal < pasch < pesach The Paschal Mystery and the Three States of the Church Mass is like the sunrise Daily Mass Concelebrated Mass V. Old and New Everything of the New is hidden in the Old; everything of the Old is revealed in the New. Exodus 12 Lamb data: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
RCIA #11 The Eucharist January 26, 2016 pg. 6 Lamb agenda: 1) 2) 3) VI. Three Big Errors about the Eucharist Evangelical Protestant Warm & Fuzzy Hippie Catholic Old School Catholic