Celebrating in communion with the whole church

 

The Eucharist is not a private affair. It is the gathering of believers who come together to hear the Word of God, proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus, and receive his Body and Blood. It is an act of the whole Church. On his journey to martyrdom in Rome, sometime around 110 A.D. , Saint Ignatius of Antioch wrote to the Church at Smyrna:

Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is administered either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude of the people also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid. (Epistle to the Smyrnaeans).

Ignatius’s insistence is striking: Christian life, and especially the celebration of the Eucharist, is inseparable from communion with the bishop. Unity is not incidental to the sacrament; it is part of it.

History suggests that when Christians walk away from one another – or are forced apart – the consequences are rarely life‑giving. Ruptures, excommunications, rebellions, and the animosities that follow have repeatedly wounded the Body of Christ and impoverished the faithful. For this reason, we do well to pray and work patiently with one another and to preserve, as far as possible, the unity of the Church. By persevering in charity and communion, we help prepare the way for the Holy Spirit to continually renew and reform the Church.

A vision of unity is embedded in the Church’s prayer. In Eucharistic Prayers II and III, the priest prays:

Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim Church on earth, with your servant Leo, our Pope and N. our Bishop, the Order of Bishops, all the clergy, and the entire people you have gained for your own.

This is no casual formula. It expresses a Catholic conviction: communion flows outward—from the local bishop, through the college of bishops united with the Pope, to the whole people of God.

It is also important to recall that “the entire people you have gained for your own” reaches beyond the visible boundaries of any one denomination. Many though separated from full communion with the Catholic Church, truly seek Christ. Communion has been gravely impaired by centuries of division and mutual misunderstanding.

Eucharistic Prayer IV articulates this hope in a slightly different form:

Therefore, Lord, remember now all for whom we offer this sacrifice especially our servant Leo, our Pope, N. our bishop, and the whole Order of Bishops, all the clergy, those who take part in this offering, those gathered here before you, your entire people and all who seek you with a sincere heart.

In the last sentence, above, we hear language of striking openness as the sacrifice is offered also on behalf of 'all who seek you with a sincere heart.' This phrase reminds us that we carry to the altar not only those who are present, but also those who are searching – those drawn to truth, justice, and beauty, yet delayed or wounded on their journey.

In Eucharistic Prayer I, the Roman Canon, the Church continues to pray along millennia with solemn clarity:

Be pleased to grant her peace, to guard, unite and govern her throughout the whole world, together with your servant Leo, our Pope and N. our Bishop, and all those who, holding to the truth, hand on the Catholic and apostolic faith.

Unity, governance and apostolic continuity are inseparable from the Church’s peace as we walk together along synodal pathways.

On this feast day, it is fitting to conclude with the Collect for Saint Matthias, the apostle chosen to take the place of Judas Iscariot:

O God, who assigned Saint Matthias a place in the college of Apostles, grant us, through his intercession, that, rejoicing at how your love has been allotted to us, we may merit to be numbered among the elect. Through our Lord Jesus Christ….