|
Hi, Nash —
Thanks for the question.
You said:
Is it theologically
good to say it is symbolic?
If by "it", you mean the Eucharist,
No, it is not theologically good
to say it is symbolic. After the
consecration of both the unleavened
bread and grape wine, those elements
substantially AND individually become
the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity
of Our Lord Jesus Christ, sacramentally.
- When we receive ONLY the Precious
Blood at Holy Communion we receive
the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity
of Our Lord.
- When we receive ONLY the Consecrated
Host at Holy Communion we receive
the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity
of Our Lord.
What we can say is this: The Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass is a symbolic
act that brings forth a REALITY.
The priest consecrates the wheat
bread, into the Body Blood, Soul
and Divinity of Christ. After that,
he consecrates the grape wine into
the Body Blood, Soul and Divinity
of Christ.
Those two separate consecrations
symbolize death. What do I mean?
- If I separated the blood in your
body from your body, would you
still be alive?
Get the point.
But if we leave it there, we are
in heresy. Why? Because the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass is also
THE REALITY, the
memorial and symbolic act brings
forth a reality: The ONE
event that happened in 33AD: Calvary,
is made present at EVERY Holy Mass.
We are not re-sacrificing
Our Lord.
This is how the Catechism states
it:
The sacrificial memorial of Christ
and of his Body, the Church
1362 The Eucharist is the memorial
of Christ's Passover, the making
present and the sacramental offering
of his unique sacrifice, in the
liturgy of the Church which is
his Body. In all the Eucharistic
Prayers we find after the words
of institution a prayer called
the anamnesis or memorial.
1363 In the sense of Sacred Scripture
the memorial is not merely the
recollection of past events but
the proclamation of the mighty
works wrought by God for men.
In the liturgical celebration
of these events, they become in
a certain way present and real.
This is how Israel understands
its liberation from Egypt: every
time Passover is celebrated, the
Exodus events are made present
to the memory of believers so
that they may conform their lives
to them.
1364 In the New Testament, the
memorial takes on new meaning.
When the Church celebrates the
Eucharist, she commemorates Christ's
Passover, and it is made present
the sacrifice Christ offered once
for all on the cross remains ever
present. "As often as the
sacrifice of the Cross by which
'Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed'
is celebrated on the altar, the
work of our redemption is carried
out."
1365 Because it is the memorial
of Christ's Passover, the Eucharist
is also a sacrifice. The sacrificial
character of the Eucharist is
manifested in the very words of
institution: "This is my
body which is given for you" and "This
cup which is poured out for you
is the New Covenant in my blood."
In the Eucharist Christ gives
us the very body which he gave
up for us on the cross, the very
blood which he "poured out
for many for the forgiveness of
sins."
1366 The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice
because it re-presents (makes
present) the sacrifice of the
cross, because it is its memorial
and because it applies its fruit:
[Christ], our Lord and God,
was once and for all to offer
himself to God the Father by
his death on the altar of the
cross, to accomplish there
an everlasting redemption.
But because his priesthood
was not to end with his death,
at the Last Supper "on
the night when he was betrayed," [he
wanted] to leave to his beloved
spouse the Church a visible
sacrifice (as the nature of
man demands) by which the bloody
sacrifice which he was to accomplish
once for all on the cross would
be re-presented, its memory
perpetuated until the end of
the world, and its salutary
power be applied to the forgiveness
of the sins we daily commit. (Council
of Trent)
1367 The sacrifice of Christ and
the sacrifice of the Eucharist
are one single sacrifice: "The
victim is one and the same: the
same now offers through the ministry
of priests, who then offered himself
on the cross; only the manner
of offering is different." "And
since in this divine sacrifice
which is celebrated in the Mass,
the same Christ who offered himself
once in a bloody manner on the
altar of the cross is contained
and is offered in an unbloody
manner. . . this sacrifice is
truly propitiatory."
These postings may also help clarify
any questions you have on this issue,
if not, just follow up with us.
Mike
|
