There are many Catholics, aparently including clergy and catechists, who believe that there is no difference between the REAL PRESENCE of Christ in the consecrated species, and the presence of Christ in the priest, the proclaimed Holy Scriptures, and the gathered assembly, a presence which the Church calls "real," but fundamentally different from that of what we refer to as the Real Presence in the eucharistic species.
The first time I encountered this, shortly after entering the Church, I was profoundly shocked; the catechist at my children's first communion class, based on Richard McBrien's book, "Catholicism," was teaching the children that all four of the above "presences" were exactly the same. After providing authoritive documentation to her, she conceded the error, but said she'd continue teaching it because she liked it better!
And Sunday the logical fruit of this error shows up with a deacon genuflecting to the congregation.
Here are some thoughts I have had on how to distinguish these presences.
If I am standing in the room with you and talking to you, you would be in my Real Presence; you are directly in the "presence" of the reality of my being.
Let us assume that instead of talking to you in the same room, I am speaking to you over the phone. Clearly, you are dealing with a "presence" that is me and that is real. But I am not in the room with you...
Let us further assume that I have something to tell you, but leave a message on your answering maching. I think we all can see that there is something of me captured in the recording, a something, a "presence," that is available to you when you listen to it, and that something is real, but it is clearly not me!
What I write here is similar, I pour a bit of my heart out in love for all those whom I pray will be my neighbor in the hope that we may spend eternity together in heaven, and for those who read what I write, certainly you have access to something, a bit of my presence, but you would have to come here to be in my presence.
It should be very clear that there is a fundamental difference to being in the same room speaking with me, and the other forms of communication (phone, recording, writing), all of which make something real of me present, but do not make the totality of what is me present.
The error which dear deacon based his act on is a superficial reading of "you are what you eat." - much has been written about the "divinization," the transformation of the lower into the higher by Holy Communion. This is a meditation deserves a far greater deal of prayer and meditation than I have completed thus far, and I'm not quite ready to tackle it in the spirit that is needed. Forgive me. To discern how to explaing how the terminus of being an "Alter Christus" does not make us God(s?), I will defer for the moment and get back to. It seems that it should be profoundly obvious that we are not Mormons who believe man becomes God, and that there is more here that such a simplistic understanding. That is I guess why such an understanding coming from clergy is so, well, unexpected (not to mention outrageous).
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One of the things which led me to the Catholic church was the Real Presence, Jesus in the Eucharist. And anybody confused about the difference doesn't fully get the miracle that happens at the time of consecration, where God comes to us, Jesus, Emmanuel, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, every bit as really here with us as he was to Mary Magdeline when he arose from the dead, or when the apostles answered his call, Come follow me.
ReplyDeleteYes, we make up the body of Christ, as St. Paul taught us, but even in that image, Jesus is the Head, not just another fragment. He is, and will always be until the end of things the Bridegroom preparing for his bride, and to think that the Bride is the Bridegroom is shortsighted and cheating oneself, and heretical to boot.
Before I moved, I taught 5th grade CCE classes, and I made very very sure my kids knew who it was in the Eucharist, and why it was so incredibly special.
As one protestant said once upon a time "You catholics amaze me. If I thought it was who you believe is there at the consecration, I would crawl there on my knees in honor."
One of the things we need to encourage, demonstrate, make clear is who is really there fully, completely, and amazingly!
Meditation on the Eucharist at Elevation
O Light of Heaven
come down to earth,
come down in the guise
of translucent white bread
held in the hands of your priest,
lovingly
for all your children to see,
those who believe,
those who deny,
but reality is what it is.
If they could but see,
My Jesus,
the light cascading out,
like a supernova
pulsating
with tidings of peace and hope
and healing,
see the angel host
bowing down to the ground,
flashing their wings
in homage
and love
and overwhelming joy.
O Lord,
like a true lover
you come to us
vunerable,
fragile,
open,
waiting to be loved in return.
Fill our hearts with that radiant fire,
that joy that only comes from heaven,
until we, too,
blissfully,
happily,
fall to our knees,
and in response to our Lover's call,
our souls whisper,
adoro te,
amo te,
latens Deitas!
In a word, Christ is sacramentally present in the Eucharist, whereas He is spiritually present in the priest, the Scriptures, and the assembly.
ReplyDeleteThe importance of Christ's presence in the Eucharist is proportional, if not identical, to the importance of sacraments in the Church.
Dear Knitting a Conundrum & Tom:
ReplyDeleteYou are invited to the Chapter meeting, which is the 3rd Sunday of each month, at St. John's Cathedral in the parish Center. Rosary at 1:00 p.m. You will enjoy it. In fact, anyone reviewing this blog is invited.
Peace & faith,
John Keenan, OPL
formation director
John:
ReplyDeleteIf I am ever in Boise the 3rd Sunday of the month, I will certainly stop by.
Dear Knitting:
ReplyDeleteLovely meditation, thank you.
To my non-catholic friends, I answer that we would approach on our knees with our faces in the dirt, if that is what our Lord wanted.
As St. Augustine pointed out, He came to us first as an infant, and now as bread, that we would recognized instantly something that we would love (the infant), and live on Him (as bread), and be comfortable in His presence, rather than grovel.
Were it not for this we would not dare to enter into His presence, except perhaps with the rope, like the high priest of old, so that our unworthy carcass could be dragged out...
I am hoping to be there this Sunday!
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteIf the genuflection were "due" as you say, it would be in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (or other authoritative document).
This should show you the distinction, and why is was not "due" and bordering on blasphemous.
http://www.nccbuscc.org/liturgy/current/GIRM.pdf
Genuflections and Bows
274. A genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the Most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the Holy Cross from the solemn adoration during the liturgical celebration on Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.
275. A bow signifies reverence and honor shown to the persons themselves or to the signs that represent them. There are two kinds of bows: a bow of the head and a bow of the body.
Thus, a bow would have made his point.
It is my understanding that genuflection to altars and the crucifix (good Friday) is not to the object, but the sacrifice of Christ which is represented by the object.
God bless,
Mark