Rekindle the Eucharistic amazement

THAT’S an expression St. John Paul II used in his 2003
encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia (The Church draws her life from
the Eucharist, 6). It was the purpose of that document to rekindle the
Eucharistic amazement that seems to have dissipated in the midst of
the many intoxicating worldly concerns, issues and other developments
today.

            A cursory look at how the Eucharist is celebrated in many
places today can readily reveal that it has practically become banal
and stale. In the first place, only old pious women seem to be regular
at attending it. Other than them, many of those who are there look as
if they are merely complying with some religious duties or social
expectations. In other words, the Eucharist has lost its universal,
immediate appeal proper to it.

            There are indications that its celebration seems to be
propped up only by some sentimental hymns or by the oratorical skills
or theatre gimmickry of the priest-presider. When asked about the
reason for going to Mass, many people, especially the youth, give out
those rationales.

            It cannot be denied that many people today do not anymore
know the meaning, importance and necessity of the liturgy of which the
Eucharist is the most sublime expression. For them, liturgy is just
some reglementary ceremonials that simply have to be complied with.
That it is Christ extending his offering himself to his father
together with us is practically lost.

            We need to revive the proper understanding of the liturgy,
and especially of the Holy Mass, and to reach that ideal of feeling
that Eucharistic amazement that St. John Paul II talked about.

            In that encyclical, the saintly Pope practically described
the very essence of liturgy in these words: “In this gift Jesus
entrusted to his Church the perennial making present of the paschal
mystery. With it he brought about a mysterious ‘oneness in time’
between that (Paschal) Triduum and the passage of the centuries.” (5)

            In other words, in the liturgy, especially in the Holy
Mass, we are made contemporaries with Christ in his supreme sacrifice
of love for us on the cross and in his resurrection. Not only that, we
are also made sharers of that supreme sacrifice!

            If we just bother a little to consider this wonderful
truth of our faith more thoughtfully, we could not help but be amazed
at what we have in the Holy Eucharist! It is an amazement that is a
result of a faith and love of God, and not of merely worldly marvels
and instances of human exhilaration.

            It is an amazement that first of all is spiritual and
supernatural before it becomes human, emotional, psychological or
physical. We need to fathom the spiritual and supernatural foundations
of this marvel that is the Holy Eucharist in order to be truly amazed.

            If there is real amazement and awe, we would long for the
Eucharist, we would always think of it, we would regard it as the
be-all and end-all of everything in our life. After all, the Eucharist
is the sum and summary of all our faith, the source and summit of
Christian life.

            In it, we have the assurance that Christ is the Lord of
human history, from our creation, to our fall, to our redemption, and
to our future glorification. We need not worry so much about how our
life would end, irrespective of its twists and turns, as long as we
unite ourselves with Christ in the Eucharist.

            Even our human defeats and miseries can become eternal
victories if borne with Christ. And all our earthly successes, joys,
pleasures, etc., can be and should be subordinated to this Eucharistic
amazement. They should lead us to it, not take us away from it.

            If we would just realize this truth of our faith more
deeply, I wonder if there anything else that can give us more
amazement. So, the challenge now is how to incarnate this truth of our
faith in ourselves, which will demand of us a lot of faith.

            To be sure, that faith is already given to us. It’s just a
question of how we are taking that faith. Someone told me once that it
should be easy because what is needed is the faith of children. But I
told him that that is precisely what makes it difficult. Adults find
it hard to have the faith of children.

            But there’s always hope. God never gives up, and he
continues to give us all the help and support we need to reach the
goal he wants us to reach, and that includes being amazed at his
constant presence and offering in the Eucharist.