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Celebration of the Eucharist

We have a fundamental equality before Christ who said that we have one Father.

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This Fr. Gerry Creedon homily was delivered at St. Charles on November 3, 2002

Jesus takes it upon himself in today's gospel to chastise religious leaders. It can be a healthy thing to criticize the clergy. Priests have been put on pedestals and exempted from traffic tickets and other obligations, especially in places like Chicago. The scandal that has rocked the church, clergy sex abuse of children, calls into question traditional idolatries. In the next few weeks the bishops will be considering the Vatican revision of policies and procedures. There are many questions in the Catholic community on this issue. Dallas brought a strong assertion of the rights of victims. While children remain a priority, the Vatican is concerned as well that priests may be falsely accused and should have a right to due process. When we have found the way to hold priests accountable, we will then need a way to hold cardinals and bishops accountable for lack of oversight of the needs and rights of children. Today's Gospel underlines the need for integrity. We cannot preach one thing and do something else.

Upcoming Changes to the Celebration of the Eucharist

The bishop has asked all the priests of the diocese to talk about the liturgy for the next month to prepare for changes that will be introduced during Advent with regard to the Celebration of the Eucharist.

From the Gospel it is clear that the liturgy is like an iceberg. There's that little part over the surface that we see but it is validated by what is underneath. The liturgy is the summit and the source of the church's life. We do the talking on Sunday and we walk the talk the rest of the week. Otherwise our cult is without meaning. The priest in the liturgy is suppose to take on the persona of Jesus and is called to act in the name of Christ when we celebrate the Eucharist.

Today's Gospel calls for the integration of cult and community, Sunday and weekdays. Jesus confronts religious authority; if you want to celebrate and be cultic leaders, act justly. The clergy got into trouble with Jesus not because of sex abuse but because of injustice and discrimination. They were favoring the wealthy and causing divisions among God's people. The first call for clergy if we are going to be cultic leaders is to be men of integrity and men of justice. Only then will Jesus be embodied by the priest offering his life in service and offering the bread of life and cup of salvation as gifts.

The Vatican wishes to affirm the distinct role of the priest and at the same time calls for the involvement and active participation by all God's people. At the rite of peace the priest is urged to stay in the sanctuary area, offering peace to those who serve the altar, except for special occasions. To put a positive spin on it, the instruction clarifies that the priest doesn't do all the action. The people are called to be reconcilers and peacemakers.

Communion Under Both Species More Widely Available

It has been the practice in the Diocese of Arlington that only a priest can take the cup. Lay people received the bread of life while the priest had the bread and the cup. Bishop Loverde has indicated that as of the first of Advent, the cup is to be offered to God's people also. Practical details, such as the needed number of Eucharistic ministers, will need to be worked out. Perhaps we will begin with a particular liturgy. When the cup is offered, do not hesitate thinking the cup is just for the clergy. As baptized and confirmed members you are called to active conscious engagement with the Eucharist. When the opportunity is there to enter more fully into the sign of the Eucharist, I urge you to participate and be a part.

When I celebrated my first Mass, the priest had all the roles. I celebrated Mass in Latin. The congregation was free to say the rosary. The clergy were the mediators between God and his people. The laity just needed to be there. The church is not going back to that mentality. It has changed. The recent instruction re-emphasizes Vatican II's demand for the active, conscious participation of the assembly. All of us together become the body of Christ in our world.

New Options for Showing Reverance

That active, conscious participation is probably most clearly expressed when you participate in the communion rite. It is not necessary to kneel down at altar rails to show reverence. If you want to show reverence, you can bow your head before you receive the Eucharist. You are free to receive the Eucharist in your hand or on your tongue and the clergy shouldn't discriminate based on this option.

Instead of the stationary position at the altar rail, we walk in procession to the Eucharist. Processions bring us back to the ancient tradition of pilgrimage. The movie "Bloody Sunday" brings home the symbolic meaning of walking and marching together. The movement for freedom in Ulster initially drew on this country's experience of civil rights marches, when people walked together non-violently for justice and rights. Walking side by side was the expression of people who wanted a better life. You find the same movement in the ancient religious traditions, Muslims go as pilgrims to Mecca, Catholics have their pilgrimage to Santiago in Spain.

The procession for the Eucharist is a liturgical action. God's people are called to stand up and walk together for the Kingdom. We walk out at the end of Mass into our world to bring Christ's justice, love, truth and peace to the rest of the six days of the week.

Amid a lot of little rubrical changes coming up in Advent, let's not get caught up in the trivia. Let's remember the significance and basic meaning of the Mass. We are a Christocentric people. We are a people who are centered in Christ in a variety of roles with a fundamental equality before Christ who said that we have one Father. Whether we are wearing tassels, robes or simpler clothes, we are sisters and brothers.

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Revised/reviewed December 7, 2002