Eucharistic Sacrament Which Completes Christian Initiation Religion Essay

The word symbol comes from Grecian sum- balein, which means ‘put with, conveying together ‘ , so when all parts are placed together it reveals the true significance of the whole.[ 1 ]Symbols are marks that are imbued with significances and point to a deeper significance. The catechism teaches us that ‘A Sacramental jubilation is woven from marks and symbols ‘ .[ 2 ]Tad Guzie gives the most compendious definition of sacrament when he explains that ‘a Sacrament is a gay action in which Christians assemble to observe their lived experience and to name to bosom their common narrative. The action is a symbol of God ‘s attention for us in Christ. Ordaining the symbol brings us closer to one another in the church and to the Lord who is at that place for us ‘ .[ 3 ]

I chose the Eucharistic sacrament which completes Christian induction, for my assignment as this jubilation is the beginning and acme of Christian life. In the blest Eucharist is contained the whole religious good of the Church, viz. Christ Himself, our Pasch[ 4 ]

This sacrament summarises the redemption history of world and has several interchangeable names due to the different symbols and symbolic actions which reflect the fulfillment of the promises made by the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. It is during this Eucharistic enigma that He who is the lamb slain, present before the foundation of the universe, the ageless forfeit presented and rhenium presented, is made present on every communion table in a existent and significant manner.

In his books, Scott Hahn explains that ‘by sharing in Christ ‘s flesh and blood, we become what we eat, going one organic structure in Christ, the mystical organic structure of Christ. ‘[ 5 ]

Besides foregrounding that ‘it is the mystagogy of this sacrament that leads us to a deeper apprehension of the Holy Eucharist, which is the topographic point where God ‘s people have ever assembled to hear and regenerate the compact with all their bosom psyche and head. ‘[ 6 ]Einstein ‘s account of enigma is highly stating he says ‘a enigma is a world whose being we can comprehend but whose interior workings are beyond our comprehension. ‘[ 7 ]

The primary significance of Holy sacrament from Grecian beginnings is ‘thanksgiving ‘ . In this communal jubilation we are gathered together to give thanks and congratulations to God, while naming to mind Christ ‘s paschal enigma so every object, word spoken, gesture or position symbolises a memory yesteryear, the immediate ‘now ‘ and the hereafter heavenly liturgy which is pulled into the present taking us into a deeper integrity with Christ.

At the beginning of Mass the priest enters in emanation, with the Gospel, the word of God, which is God as proclaimed in John 1:1. The Gospel is held high and placed on the communion table which signifies both a topographic point of forfeit and yet a tabular array of jubilation for we are reminded of the Passover and the last supper, which culminates in the redemptional decease and glorious Resurrection of Christ. Candles every bit good as the paschal taper are lit to typify the Resurrection of Jesus from the darkness of the grave. As we prepare ourselves to come in into God ‘s holy presence we call to mind our wickednesss, and through the Kyrie call for God ‘s clemency and healing.

Standing we all raise our voice singing the Gloria, fall ining those in the heavenly Jerusalem ( Rev. 15:3 ) , giving congratulations and worship to our Triune God.

The Lord ‘s Supper displays two great parts. First, the Holy Eucharist of the word, which is the assemblage, the readings from Holy Scripture and homily, after which everyone gathered, stands together and in one voice declares our belief meaning our integrity. We conclude this portion with supplications of intercession, praying for our households, neighbors, employers, authoritiess and the community at big.

The 2nd portion is the Holy Eucharist of the Eucharist get downing with members of the assembly conveying frontward staff of life and vino, which are the specific stuff used in sacramental rite ( affair ) , these will be blessed and consecrated, the words used during the consecration being the signifier.[ 8 ]First is the supplication of offering ; here the priest offers praise to God for all of creative activity. ‘It is through God ‘s goodness that we have this staff of life to offer, which Earth has given and human custodies have made, it will go for us staff of life of life ‘ .[ 9 ]Christ ab initio used staff of life as he wanted His organic structure to be our religious nutrient, this component besides signify the integrity of the church made up of many members merely as many grains make up the staff of life.[ 10 ]The priest so adds a bead of H2O to the vino praying that ‘by the enigma of this H2O and vino we may come to portion in the deity of Christ, who humbled Himself to portion in our humanity ‘ .[ 11 ]Meaning we are in Christ. The priest continues to pray and to inquire ‘the Lord God to have us and be pleased with the forfeit which we offer with low and remorseful Black Marias ‘ .[ 12 ]This signifies we are offering our all. Before get downing the Eucharistic supplication we have a short duologue where we are invited to raise up our Black Marias, we respond stating we lift them up to the Lord symbolizing us come ining the celestial Holy Eucharist and after the foreword we all join together with the celestial hosts and all the saints singing Holy, Holy, Holy as written in Revelation 4:8.

The words of consecration are Christ ‘s words spoken by Christ ‘s priest playing in the individual of Christ. It is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the Resurrection of Christ, which makes such a Eucharist possible[ 13 ]. During the consecration the staff of life and vino become the organic structure, blood, psyche and deity of Christ in a significant manner this is called transubstantiation. The words of consecration ‘Take this all of you and eat it, this is my organic structure that will be given up for you ‘ are a true symbol of love. In John 6:51 Jesus taught that He was the life staff of life and whoever eats this staff of life will populate everlastingly, stating ‘that the staff of life I give is my flesh for the life of the universe ‘ .

The consecration continues with the words ‘Take this all of you and imbibe from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and ageless compact. It will be shed for you and for all work forces so that wickednesss may be forgiven. ‘ By this Christ takes the topographic point of the wickedness offering. As the Last Supper was and is associated with the Passover, Christ becomes the paschal lamb, whereby His crucifixion is re presented in the immediate now in an un-bloody mode to The Father. We know the grace of this is forgiveness of wickednesss, protection from decease and by His Resurrection entree to ageless life. The word compact signifies a binding relationship that is based on committedness, that carry with it promises and duties that are changeless and lasting.[ 14 ]

We at this clip stand together and name God ‘Abba ‘ Father, sing His inner Holiness. The priest continues by praying for peace and integrity of Christ ‘s Kingdom. He so wishes the whole community the peace of Christ and invites us to offer each other the mark of peace. This is the most important gestures of the whole mass meaning our willingness to be at peace, in harmoniousness and in brotherhood with everyone, to forgive unconditionally, and so portion in the Eucharist and see the inner mending which the Holy sacrament contains.[ 15 ]This flicker ignites as we reach out in forgiveness and love to our brothers and sisters, sharing this one organic structure and imbibing from this one cup we are united and enter the Godhead. This cryptic Godhead flicker within us is called grace because it is freely given.[ 16 ]

We all approach the communion table to have the organic structure of Christ Himself and by so making we all enter into the mystical organic structure of Christ, with a profound sense of the sacred, of the cryptic and of Christ ‘s love. It is through Him with Him and in Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit that we experience the unconditioned love of God the Father and we are redeemed into the integrity of God. We receive an spring of mending grace which will help us in defying wickedness and populating a life that reflects our religion.

The Mass another word used for the Eucharistic jubilation gets it name from the Latin ‘Ite Missa Est ‘ Go! We are sent Forth. This great directing Forth at the terminal of Mass sends us with urgency back into the universe to transport out Christ ‘s mission to seek and transform the universe by His love[ 17 ]. We take the healing love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ out to the larger community. When we engage others in love we encounter Christ therefore perpetuating this grace in a giving and having flow. it is in this manner that they will cognize we are Christians, thereby pulling us all closer to Christ. The graces received through the Sacraments are non merely to populate in this universe but they besides gives us the strength to contend the religious conflict and in them we are marked and sealed for ageless life.[ 18 ]

In decision I end with the beautiful account of the catechism ; ‘ that sacraments are efficacious marks of grace, by which godly life is dispensed to us, the seeable rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and do present the graces proper and bear fruit in those who receive them with the needed temperaments. ‘

Biography.

Anderson, B. The Living World Of The Old Testament. ( Malaysia, VVP 1988 )

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Bible citations New American Bible ( USA Our Sunday Visitor INC 1986 )

EWTN. The Journey Home series 04/09/2007 no.149.

Groeschel, B. Ghezzi, B. Everyday Encounters with God. ( USA The World Among Us Press 2008 )

Guzie, T. The Book of Sacramental Basics. ( USA Paulist Press 1981 ) Pg.53

Hahn, S. Letter and Spirit. ( UK. Darton, Longman and Todd 2006 )

Hahn, S. Swear To God The Promise and Power of the Sacraments. ( UK. Darton Longman+ Todd 2004 )

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp? audiofile=jh_04092007.mp3 & A ; source=seriessearchprog.asp & A ; seriesID=-6892289 & A ; T1=

Mc Manus, J. Healing Power of the Sacraments. ( USA Ave Maria imperativeness 1984 )

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Extra Reading.

Dajczer, T. The Mystery of Faith. ( UK Eucharistic Renewal Books 2008 )

A Hardon, A.A A Archives Grace

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.therealpresence.org/archives/Grace/Grace_008.htm

Hayes, A. and Gearon, L. Contemporary Catholic Theology ( USA: The Continuum Publishing Company, 1998 ) . Pg 435-499

Lumen Gentium. 11

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/

Martos, J. Opening a Door to the Sacred 20 Old ages Subsequently

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.rpinet.com/ml/2902door.html

McBrien, R. Catholicism ( USA: HarperCollins Publishers.1994 ) Pgs. 783 – 877.

McKenna, B. The power of the Sacraments. ( Ireland VERITAS publications 2009 )

O’Neill, C. Sacramental Realism ( Ireland Dominican Publications 1983 ) Pgs. 9-115

Radcliffe, T. Why Go To Church. ( USA Continuum 2008 )

Salvoldi, V. Eucharist Dialogue of Love. ( Kenya Paulines Publication Africa 2005 )

Tomalak, A. The Lay Eucharistic curate ‘s Handbook ( UK. The Canterbury Press 2003 )