The Eucharist: inculturation and incarnation

In the month of October we remember in prayer the work of missionaries who bring the good news to peoples far and wide.  Usually we think of priests and religious travelling to far away countries to share the Gospel with those who have not yet heard it. We need not look far to see that we are called to mission here in this place, at this time and in the ordinary works of life.  A saint little known in this part of Europe is St Innocent of Alaska (1797-1879) who travelled vast distances across Alaska and Siberia, learned indigenous languages, translated texts, and established local churches. St Innocent brought the Divine Liturgy to the remote corners of a vast expanse of territory.   He carried the Gospel to people who had never heard it and worked so they could worship God in their own language.

He learned Aleut and other local languages and sought to communicate the Gospel through local cultures rather than simply transplanting Russian customs. This missionary approach reflects the mystery of the Incarnation: God speaks our language in Christ and gives himself in tangible, material signs.

Eastern Christian spirituality, which shaped St Innocent, often emphasises the cosmic dimension of the Eucharist.  The bread and wine to be consecrated represent the fruits of the earth and the work of human hands, offered back to God in thanksgiving.

St Innocent reminds us that the Eucharist is both a gift and a mission: Christ gathers people of every language and culture around one table and then sends them forth to bear the Gospel to the ends of the earth.