Celebrating the Eucharist: continuity, tradition and reform

 

Caption:  Pope Paul VI celebrates an open-air mass at Kololo Terrace in Kampala, during his historic three-day visit to Uganda in 1969.

One of the roles of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is to serve as a centre of unity for the worldwide Church. This role has developed over time, shaped by personal, political, and theological circumstances in each era. According to Roman Catholic understanding, the Pope is the visible head of the Church on earth and the Vicar of Christ – the one who represents Christ and exercises a unique ministry of leadership in His name.

What do you want?

In today’s Gospel reading for the Mass of the day we hear Jesus asking the blind man, Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52):

What do you want me to do for you. (Mark 10:51)

Each time we participate in the  Mass we need to prepare and still our souls in the time just before the celebration begins. He asks us, each time, ‘what do you want me to do for you today, N..?’

We should speak, heart to heart, with Jesus the lover our souls and say to him that we wish to grow in faith, hope and love. Perhaps we might add a special intention for someone. If we get what we ask for let’s thank Jesus for this. If we do not, or, if it is slow to happen or happens in a different and even surprising way let us thank Jesus for that too. He knows what is best for each one of us better than we know, ourselves.

Artificial 'intelligence' and communion

Picture: Pope Leo XIV (Vatican)

Today we made the journey to Croatia for a break. Looking out at the grass outside where we are staying, a strange object is roaming about the lawn, somehow ‘knowing’ when to turn and cut the grass. A robotic lawnmower is only one of a myriad of new devices designed to make life easier.

Artificial ‘intelligence’ is transforming our world in countless ways. It resembles a new industrial revolution, accelerating communication and allowing access to information in seconds. It brings remarkable opportunities as well as serious challenges. I deliberately use quotation marks around the word ‘intelligence’ because it is not clear that these systems possess intelligence in the proper sense. Human beings reason, decide, feel, and act from their innate capacity to live for others and with others. Everything humans create—from chewing gum to computers to autonomous, AI‑guided military drones - is the fruit of human intelligence and freedom, ordered toward some purpose, whether for good or for harm.

Mother of the Eucharist

                                             Pic:  Francesca Pollio Fenton/EWTN News

Yesterday, we celebrated the birthday of the Church. At Pentecost, the Church was born – not quietly, but with a kind of holy explosion, bursting forth into the streets of Jerusalem and spreading rapidly to Samaria, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome and beyond. The Good News went out in every direction, reaching Asia, Africa, and Europe.

In 2018, Pope Francis established that today, the Monday after Pentecost, be celebrated as the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church. This feast forms an important link in a long tradition that stretches back to the earliest centuries of Christianity.

Eucharistic joy at Pentecost

The cultural and ethnic diversity of Ireland is most welcome and has greatly enriched our society. Yesterday, I attended an African cultural evening in Carlow Town. It was noisy, colourful, busy, and above all joyful. The dancing, the food, the music, and the lively chatter made it a truly memorable occasion.

There is something about African culture, as we experience it here in Ireland, that is uplifting, joyful, and community-oriented. Perhaps we have lost some of that spirit in recent years?

Amen

There is at least one word in the sacred liturgy that is seldom used in ordinary life except, perhaps, ironically or emphatically: Amen. This word appears many times throughout the Mass and also in the Liturgy of the Hours. It means “so be it” or “truly.”

The Great Amen is proclaimed by all the faithful at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer. In it, we are saying ‘yes’ to all that has been prayed and proclaimed – to the saving power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Eat and drink

Picture source is here

A distinguishing feature of the celebration of the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic Church is that, in most instances – at least in my observation over several decades – Holy Communion is provided under one species only, namely the consecrated bread rather than the consecrated wine. The practice in the Eastern rites is different, where Communion is almost always given under both kinds.