The Liturgy of the Eucharist

We come now to the second major part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The first part, we recall, is the Liturgy of the Word. It would be a mistake for us to think of these two parts of the Mass as separated from one another or, worse yet, opposed to one another. Sometimes this way of thinking is fostered by proposing that Christ is equally present in both the Word and Eucharistic species. In fact, The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that, “The liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist together form ‘one single act of worship’” (#1346 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, #56). Thus, they cannot be separated from or opposed to one another.  Further, in his 1965 encyclical letter Mysterium Fidei (“The Mystery of Faith”) Pope St. Paul VI taught, “These various ways in which Christ is present fill the mind with astonishment and offer the Church a mystery for her contemplation. But there is another way in which Christ is present in His Church, a way that surpasses all the others. It is His presence in the Sacrament of the Eucharist…” (#38). He continues, “This presence is called ‘real’ not to exclude the idea that the others are ‘real’ too, but rather to indicate presence par excellence, because it is substantial, and through it Christ becomes present whole and entire, God and man” (#39).  It is clear that the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus is unique and most excellent.

We could put it this way: Christ is truly present in both the Liturgy of the Word and in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, but His Presence in the Blessed Sacrament surpasses all others because it is a substantial Presence. That is, bread and wine maintain the accidents, or the external appearances of bread and wine, but their substance becomes the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. This change in substance is a testimony to His profound love for us: He desires to remain with us substantially.
           
Recognizing this, we can proceed to understand that the Liturgy of the Word prepares us for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Our encounter with Jesus Christ in the proclaimed Word prepares us to encounter Him really, substantially present in the Most Holy Eucharist. We can say that the Sacred Liturgy leads us deeper into the mystery of the Triune God and His incredible love and mercy for us by providing an encounter with Jesus Christ really present.
           
The Mass is of paramount importance to us because it brings us to Jesus Christ Himself, who never abandons us. If we really believe this, nothing should keep us away from Mass, from Him.

Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh