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Catechetical material
Catholic Bishops' Conferences of
England & Wales
Scotland
1998
© 1998 Bishops'
Conference of England & Wales,
Bishops' Conference of Scotland
Published by the Catholic Truth Society, London
Design by the Catholic Media Office, London
ISBN 1 86082 049 2
Introduction to catechetical material
Part 2: Our Catholic Faith
Christ and the Church
The Eucharist
The Real Presence
Holy communion and full communion
Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick
Part 3: Together yet divided
The pain of our brokenness
Spiritual need
Part 4: General Norms
Norms
Final thoughts
One Bread, One Body text
Suggestions for presenting and studying One Bread, One Body
in parishes and small groups
One Bread One Body is the 1998 teaching document of the Catholic Bishops' Conferences of England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, on the Eucharist in the life of the Church. It also sets out the general norms for sacramental sharing in these countries. This booklet of catechetical material is intended to accompany the document.
One Bread One Body reaffirms "the place of the Mass at the very centre" of Catholic life (Foreword). Some people speak of 'Eucharistic-centred communities', a fact acknowledged at the Second Vatican Council and in the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. But it is important that such statements resonate in our daily lives. They should not be mere words on a page, but must truly reflect what we believe, live and celebrate.
These catechetical materials are offered as an opportunity to reflect on this. In the 1997 General Directory for Catechesis, the aim of catechesis was stated as putting people "not only in touch, but also in communion and in intimacy, with Jesus Christ" (no. 80). Through the reflections on One Bread One Body, it is hoped that that communion and intimacy may be deepened.
One Bread One Body (nos. 1-9)
The oldest account of what happened at the Last Supper is contained in Paul's first letter to the people of Corinth, written about AD 57: "For this is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me'. In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me'" (1 Cor 11.23-25).
Paul was reminding the people of Corinth of the unity of their celebration: "The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all share in this one loaf" (1 Cor 10.16-18); "Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death, and so anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be behaving unworthily towards the body and blood of the Lord" (11.26-27); "Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God" (10.31).
How central to your Christian life is the Eucharist or Mass? Why?
What does it mean for the Eucharist to be the "source and summit of the whole Christian life" (Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 11)?
Christ and the Church (nos. 10-22)
"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (John 3.16).
Religious belief is not simply a private matter. We are saved as a people, as a community, as a family. Salvation is intimately linked with the idea of 'communion' (koinonia in Greek, communio in Latin). What links salvation and communion is the notion of 'being at one' with the Lord: "The literal and original meaning of 'atonement' is 'at-one-ment'. God sent his Son 'to gather together in unity the scattered children of God', seeking 'to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth', and 'making peace by the blood of his cross'. Christ is in person the peace between us. He makes us one, breaking down the barriers not only between Jew and Gentile, but between all people, so that we might be reconciled to God in one body" (One Bread One Body, no. 13)
What are your ideas and thoughts about the link between communion and salvation?
Christ is made visible today through 'sacramental' signs. Traditionally a 'sacrament' is defined as 'an outward sign of inward grace'. Sacraments express the presence of Christ and "contribute in the most effective manner to establishing, strengthening and manifesting ecclesiastical communion" (Code of Canon Law, canon 840). Sacraments are "specific ways in which, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Risen Jesus makes his saving presence and action effective in our midst" (Joint Commission for Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council, The Word of Life, 1996, no. 98, quoted in One Bread One Body, no. 15).
How would you define the word 'sacrament'? If you are taking part in an ecumenical discussion, what are the similarities and differences of the understanding of 'sacrament' as held by different Christian denominations?
The Church itself is often referred to as a 'sacrament', since it is a sign of intimate union with God and of the unity of all humanity. There is a clear link between the Church and its celebration of the Eucharist for such a celebration is a "communion in the Spirit, but 'made flesh' in a visible way, above all in the Eucharist and through the bishops and priests who preside at the Eucharist" (One Bread One Body, no. 19).
The Church is the community of those who share or hold in common this one Lord, one faith, one baptism: "The Catholic Church claims, in all humility, to be endowed with all the gifts with which God wishes to endow his Church, all the invisible and visible elements needed by the Body of Christ for its life of discipleship and mission. This is what we mean by our firm conviction that the one Church of Christ 'subsists in the Catholic Church', that the fullness of the means of salvation, the entirety of revealed truth, the sacraments and the hierarchical ministry are found within the Catholic communion of the Church" (no. 20).
This is not, of course, a claim of being perfect: "As Catholics we should be very conscious of our failings over the centuries. We have much of which to repent, and we know very well that we have not made and do not make full use of the many means of grace entrusted to the Church by our Lord. We can often be put to shame by the holiness, love and missionary zeal of our fellow Christians. The fullness of communion which we claim is not only a gift, but also a challenge to the Catholic Church from the Lord: to become more fully and truly in its life and work what it already is by God's free gift of grace" (no. 21).
How do you view the Catholic Church's claim and its attitude towards other Christians?
The Eucharist (nos. 23-44)
'The sacrifice of the Mass' is a phrase still heard today. It is at the heart of what Catholics believe about the Eucharist. Sacrifice was a common religious idea in ancient times. By means of sacrifice the gods were appeased, favours were asked of them, and broken relationships were restored. In the Old Testament, the relationship between God and the chosen people of Israel - the covenant - was ratified by sacrifice: "In the Book of Exodus (24.1-11), God's new relationship (covenant) with his chosen people is sealed with the pouring of blood (sacrifice) and the eating together of some of the sacrificial food (communion). Moses said of the blood, 'Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you'. The blood was sprinkled upon both the altar (symbolising God) and the people, a powerful expression of the unity of life which God establishes between himself and Israel. By eating the sacrificial food together, the people were made one as they shared the blessings of God. The fundamental Covenant which spans the Old Testament and the New Testament remains the same: 'I will be their God and they shall be my People'. Unity with God and unity with each other belong together. Only those ready to enter fully into God's covenant could share together in the communion sacrifice. To participate in the 'communion' is to commit oneself to God and to the people he makes his own" (One Bread One Body, no. 24).
For the Israelites, an important sacrificial ritual meal was the Passover, whose themes are reflected in the Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke see the Last Supper as the Passover, while John sets the death of Jesus at the moment the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in the Temple: "Jesus' death is that of the Passover Lamb, the Suffering Servant of God, led like a lamb to the slaughter. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the one whose life given for us and poured out for us brings healing and peace. By our communion together in the body and blood of Christ, we are drawn deeper into the community of the new covenant, ever more committed to God and to each other in Christ. By taking part in the Eucharist, we are united with the living Christ in his work of reconciliation" (One Bread One Body, no. 26).
The idea of the Eucharist as a sacrifice still divides Christians today. Some Christians believe that to call the Eucharist a 'sacrifice' "denied the unique saving work of Jesus Christ, a free gift of grace to be accepted by faith" (One Bread One Body, no. 30). For Catholics, the "once-for-all event of salvation becomes effectively present for us through the power of the Holy Spirit every time the Mass is celebrated" (no. 30). There can be no repetition of or addition to Christ's redeeming death and resurrection in history.
But the Eucharist is a 'memorial' of the passion and resurrection, a celebration whereby an event in the past is made effectively present: "A memorial is a sacred gateway into living communion with God in his work for our salvation. By the power of the Holy Spirit, 'the Church's living memory', the saving events of the death and resurrection of Jesus are recalled and made powerfully present for us. Their saving power touches our lives today, and through us can touch and transform the lives of all" (no. 33).
Discuss together the understanding of the Eucharist as the sacrament of salvation and the memorial of Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection.
If possible, read through one of the Eucharistic Prayers, looking especially for the ideas of 'sacrifice' and 'memorial'.
At the Eucharist Christ presides in and through the visible ministry of a bishop or priest. The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission's Clarifications state that 'the one who presides is thus the minister of the sacramental self-offering of Christ' (Clarifications on Eucharist and Ministry, 1996). In Catholic teaching, it is essential that the one who presides is in a "sure sacramental relationship with Christ, the High Priest, through the sacrament of Holy Orders conferred by a bishop in the recognised apostolic succession" (One Bread One Body, no. 41).
The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy spoke of the need for "full, conscious, and active participation" in the Eucharist on the part of the faithful: "The church ... spares no effort in trying to ensure that, when present at this mystery of faith, Christian believers should not be there as strangers or silent spectators" (no. 48). There are, of course, different ways to take part in the Mass and different ways of benefiting from that participation. The community comes forward to be nourished at the one table of the word of God and of the Body and Blood of Christ. But not everybody shares fully in sacramental communion: "There are unbaptised people being prepared to be initiated into the Church, as well as baptised Christians on the way towards Reception into Full Communion with the Catholic Church. There are Catholics who are in new relationships established after one or both partners have suffered the trauma of breakdown in their marriages, and who are therefore unable to participate fully in the Eucharist they celebrate. Some Catholics present may be in irregular marriage relationships and for that reason may not go to communion. Other Catholics, humbly conscious of serious sin, are there knowing they need the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming forward to Communion. There are young children who are not yet ready to receive their first Holy Communion. Also taking part are fellow Christians who are present to worship God and join in the prayer of the Church, either alone or with their loved ones, but who do not feel ready or willing to come into full communion with the Catholic Church: perhaps they come to Mass able to say 'I believe', but not able fully to share the 'We believe' of the Catholic community" (One Bread One Body, no. 42).
An important idea to remember here is that of spiritual communion, the fact that although some people may not receive sacramental communion, all are in some way united by the Holy Spirit. A 'blessing' often given at communion "emphasises that a deep spiritual communion is possible even when we do not share together the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ" (One Bread One Body, no. 43).
Through the Eucharist "Christ's saving power reaches not only those gathered in celebration, but also all those in communion with us in any way, both the living and the dead. ... We should come to Mass with all humanity and all creation in our heart, so that the joy of salvation may reach through our celebration to all the world" (One Bread One Body, no. 36). How do we understand coming to the Eucharist as a service to others?
Why is it so important that a validly ordained priest presides at the Eucharist?
How can we best express to people who may not receive Holy Communion that it is still good for them to come to the Eucharist?
How would you explain 'sacramental communion' and 'spiritual communion'?
The Real Presence (nos. 45-55)
Catholics believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. Pope Paul VI wrote: "It is called the 'real' presence, not in an exclusive sense as though other forms of presence were not 'real', but by reason of its excellence. It is the substantial presence by which Christ is made present without doubt, whole and entire, God and man" (Mysterium Fidei, no. 38).
At the consecration, through the action of the Holy Spirit, the inner reality ('substance') of the bread and wine change, even though visibly they are the same. The bread and wine is changed into the inner reality of Christ's Body and Blood. The Catholic Church calls this change 'transubstantiation'. "In its Elucidation, the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission stated clearly: 'Before the eucharistic prayer, to the question: "What is that?", the believer answers: "It is bread". After the eucharistic prayer, to the same question he answers: "It is truly the body of Christ, the Bread of Life"'" (One Bread One Body, no. 50).
In communion, we eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood. This is what we say "Amen" to when we come forward for Holy Communion. We receive the whole Christ under the form of bread or wine. Although communion 'under both kinds' is a more complete symbol of the Last Supper, we do not receive less of Christ by simply receiving his body or his blood: Christ is truly, fully present in the form of bread and the form of wine.
The presence of Christ does not depend on the individual's faith or on the personal holiness of the priest. The Latin phrase 'ex opere operato', literally 'the work worked', reflects this, emphasising the work performed not the one doing it. But Christ's presence does call for a response, a conversion of hearts. Receiving Christ should encourage us to become more like him, "to be more closely united with the Church as a member of Christ's body" (One Bread One Body, no. 53).
How do we understand the special way that Jesus is present under the forms of bread and wine? How would we present this teaching to someone of another Christian community?
How can we better explain this special presence of Jesus to children preparing for their first Holy Communion?
Read through one of the Eucharistic Prayers: how does it present Catholic teaching on the real presence of Christ?
In what ways are we changed by taking part in the Eucharist? Are our personal and community lives transformed by the Holy Spirit?
Why is Mass every Sunday so important for full Catholic life?
What is the value of coming to the Eucharist and receiving Holy Communion more than once a week? Could I come to celebrate Mass more often?
How can we deepen our personal and communal reverence for the Eucharist?
Are we ready to commit ourselves to regular prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament?
Holy communion and full communion
(nos. 56-67)
The word 'Amen' is sometimes translated as 'So be it' or 'Yes': "When we say 'Amen' at various times during the Mass ... we proclaim that we believe what has been said, that we unite ourselves to the prayer and that we are committed to all that it means. It involves a personal affirmation, saying 'I believe' as a sharing in the 'we believe' of the Church community gathered for worship" (One Bread One Body, no. 27). The word 'Amen' implies a unity not just with all that the Eucharist signifies but a oneness with all that the Church stands for: "The community gathered for Mass does not celebrate on its own, but as united with 'all who hold and teach the catholic faith that comes to us from the apostles'" (no. 59). The Eucharist is a hallowed means towards healing the divisions and deepening the unity of those who take part in any way.
"Full participation at a Catholic Mass through reception of Holy Communion normally implies full communion with the Catholic Church itself. ... Sharing Eucharistic Communion should always imply sharing in the profession of that Catholic faith. Full Eucharistic sharing is a profession of the fullness of the faith in the Church" (no. 60). In the past, this communion was visibly expressed in different ways. For example, for several centuries in Rome when the Pope celebrated Mass he would send a particle of the consecrated bread to each priest presiding at a local celebration, so that they would not be separated from communion with him. This particle, the 'fermentum', was then added to the chalice before the distribution of communion, to express the truth that the Eucharist is the sacrament of the unity of the Church.
The Eucharist, though, is not an end in itself. It must be a stimulus to action, as expressed in the Dismissal at the end of Mass: "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord". Eucharist is also about mission, expressing in our daily lives what we have celebrated at the table of the Lord: "There is an intimate and inseparable link between Mass and mission, between worship and way of life. Our communion with Christ means that we share not only his life but also his mission. At each Eucharist, the Risen Christ says to us anew: 'As the Father sent me, so am I sending you', and breathes his Spirit upon us. The Spirit we receive anoints us afresh to bring good news to the poor, since any true communion with the living Lord will lead us to recognise him in those most in need" (no. 66).
Read together 1 Corinthians 10.16-17. What does this tell us of why we come to the Eucharist?
Do we think of the Eucharist as a 'means to unity'? Do we come to the Eucharist to be more deeply united with one another in Christ?
Read through the second half of Eucharistic Prayer II. What does it tell us of the uniting power of the Eucharist?
Are we conscious at the Eucharist of being united with our local bishop, with the Pope, and with the universal Church? How can we strengthen this sense of wider communion?
Do we see taking part in the Eucharist as a profession of faith?
Normally when people receive Holy Communion at a Catholic celebration of Mass, they should be saying: "We are in full communion with the Catholic Church, united with the bishop of this local community and with the Pope". This is what 'Amen' implies. How much are you aware of this teaching when you attend Mass?
Is there a link for you between the Mass and our mission, between our worship and our whole way of life? How can we draw out more strongly this aspect of the Eucharist?
Read together 1 Corinthians 11.17-22. Why is Paul so annoyed with these Christians? How does this challenge our living of the Eucharist we celebrate?
How can we better ensure that our taking part in the Eucharist leads into an active commitment to the poor and the oppressed? Do we recognise the Christ we receive in Holy Communion as also present in the broken lives of those in need?
Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick
(nos. 68-75)
It may seem strange to speak about Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick in a document concerning the Eucharist. But these two sacraments are linked with communion in and with the Church.
Reconciliation restores broken relationships. It is about being at one again with God, the merciful Father, and with the community of the Church, a community wounded by sin. This sacrament is about the renewal of full communion with Christ and the Church, it is about being 'reintroduced' to the community. "This sacrament reconciles [sinners] to the Church, repairing or restoring the communion damaged or broken by sin. This teaching was powerfully expressed in the early Church in its rite of 'public penance'. When a member of the Church fell into serious sin, he or she was excluded from the Eucharistic Communion during a long period of fasting and penance. Once this was completed, the person was reconciled by the bishop and restored to full communion with the Church. It was clear that invisible reconciliation with Christ and visible reconciliation with his Church belonged closely together: the visible was the sacrament of the invisible" (One Bread One Body, no. 71).
Anointing of the Sick is about the continued communion with the community of those who are sick. "Through the priest who anoints, the whole community of the Church gathers with their prayer and their loving care. ... Once again, although Christ touches the life of the sick in a deeply personal way, this sacrament is always a celebration of the community of faith rather than a private ritual" (no. 73). In many parishes this visible communion with the sick is wonderfully expressed when the sick at home or in hospital receive communion directly from the celebration of Mass, thus expressing their desire for deeper communion with the Church and making visible to them that they are still in living communion with the Body of Christ.
What is our own experience of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession)?
Are we aware of our own need for continual conversion and spiritual resurrection?
How can we help to ensure that this sacrament is seen as reconciliation both with God and with the Church?
What is our experience of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick?
Has this section of the document made us think again about these sacraments? If so, in what ways?
The pain of our brokenness (nos. 76-88)
Any talk of sacramental unity leads inevitably to the sad fact of our Christian disunity and the need for reconciliation and healing. The pain of disunity should be a stimulus to healing, to doing all we can to move from partial communion to the full communion that might bring us together around the table of the Lord.
This lack of unity is most visibly evident at the Eucharist. This means that the Eucharist may not be the most appropriate liturgical celebration when divided Christians meet together to celebrate their partial communion: "There are times when sacramental sharing is to be commended, but it cannot be justified simply by the desire to remove the sense of sorrow and hurt when we are together and yet not fully together, at a celebration of the Eucharist. Feeling strongly that we want to do something together does not necessarily mean that it is the right thing to do. Catholic teaching allows exceptional sharing only when strong desire is accompanied by a shared faith, grave and pressing spiritual need, and at least an implicit desire for communion with the Catholic Church" (One Bread One Body, no. 77). Clearly, sacramental sharing at the Eucharist at an ecumenical gathering would be inappropriate. "When as Christians we do come together for the Eucharist, we should not celebrate in a way that suggests a degree of unity which we do not have" (no. 78).
This lack of unity is brought into sharp focus in what are termed 'Mixed Marriages', especially those of committed Christians of different communions. There is partial communion through Baptism, and a new form of partial but incomplete communion through Marriage. "The sacrament of Marriage does not remove the incompleteness of the communion shared by the Catholic Church and the faith community of the other Christian. When husband and wife are members of Christian communities not yet in full communion with one another, they face an obstacle to the full unity of their family life. This will remain as long as the faith communities to which they belong continue to be divided. The sacrament of Marriage makes a couple 'one flesh' and hopefully 'one heart', but it does not make a couple in a mixed marriage fully one in the faith of the Church" (no. 81).
The 1993 Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism identified the celebration of marriage between two Christians as a possible situation when in certain circumstances the non-Catholic partner may receive Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing can only be exceptional, and the reality for many couples at church is their imperfect communion as regards sacramental sharing: "In many Catholic churches, those unable to receive Holy Communion are strongly encouraged to go forward for a 'blessing' at the same time as others go forward for the sacrament. They join the same procession to the altar, expressing the real though still imperfect communion that already exists between Christians. In much the same way, a Catholic in a mixed marriage who joins his or her spouse at the Eucharistic celebration of another denomination can express the partial communion between Christians by going forward for a blessing when Communion is distributed, where this is the custom of that Christian community. The idea of 'spiritual communion' is an important part of our Catholic tradition which we should not lose. Reciprocal acceptance of a 'blessing' by Catholics and other Christians at each other's Eucharistic celebrations is something which we encourage as a sign of the degree of unity we already share" (One Bread One Body, no. 84).
The pain of being unable to participate fully in the Eucharist brings to mind the spiritual needs of those who suffer through the breakdown of their marriages. Those who have separated or divorced, and may or may not have entered a new relationship, need much pastoral care from the Church. Being separated or divorced does not in itself mean that a person may not receive Holy Communion. Those involved in a new relationship when one or both of the partners have been validly married before are not excluded from the life of the Church, even though they are unable to receive communion. "Priests should receive them with love and help them participate in the life of the Church. Out of love for the truth, it is also important that pastors discern carefully the different situations of the divorced and remarried, and take to heart especially those who have sincerely tried to save their first marriage and have been abandoned through no fault of their own. The whole Catholic community should embrace and support the divorced and remarried, and make sure they do not think of themselves as cut off from the Church. They are welcome to participate in the Mass as fully as their state of life allows" (One Bread One Body, no. 88).
At what times have you experienced with special intensity the pain of Christian disunity?
Have you felt the pain of not being able to share Holy Communion with fellow Christians, either at a Catholic Mass or at the Eucharistic celebration of another Christian community?
If you are involved in a mixed marriage, what is your response to the teaching of nos. 79-86 in One Bread One Body? What positive ideas may help to deepen your Eucharistic life as a couple and a family?
Reflect together on the importance of the teaching that 'there can be graced participation in the Eucharist even without receiving Holy Communion' (nos. 88, 47-48).
Spiritual need (nos. 89-94)
John's gospel does not include an account of the 'Institution of the Eucharist' at the Last Supper. Instead, much of John 6 is devoted to Jesus' teaching about the Bread of Life. He spoke of a deep spiritual need for nourishment: "In all truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ... Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in that person. As the living Father sent me and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will also draw life from me" (John 6.53, 56-57).
Such teaching raises the question of those Christians who long for Communion, Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick but cannot celebrate these sacraments in their own Christian community. Although the general principle remains that sacramental sharing implies oneness in faith, worship and ecclesial life, nevertheless the Second Vatican Council laid down two complementary principles which govern sacramental sharing: "'first, the bearing witness to the unity of the Church, and second, the sharing in the means of grace. Witness to the unity of the Church generally forbids common worship, but the grace to be had from it sometimes commends this practice'. It is tempting to allow one principle to dominate the other, either to exclude sacramental sharing altogether, or to allow a great deal of such sharing. Catholic teaching insists that these two basic principles must always be taken into account together. They are, in fact, complementary" (One Bread One Body, no. 90).
The spiritual need of any Christian is not a private matter. Holy Communion unites a person not only with Jesus Christ but also with other faithful. The gifts of the Lord are received as a people and so spiritual need is always met in a community, ecclesial context: "Spiritual nourishment is always 'ecclesial': it involves the visible community of the Church. ... Sharing Catholic sacramental life always involves communion with the visible Catholic Church, even for other Christians when, in situations of grave and pressing need, they are admitted to the sacraments. 'Spiritual need of the Eucharist is not therefore merely a matter of personal spiritual growth: simultaneously, and inseparably, it concerns our entering more deeply into Christ's Church'" (no. 92).
Spiritual need is both "'a need for an increase in spiritual life and a need for deeper involvement in the mystery of the Church and of its unity'. All of this is as important for Catholics regularly receiving Communion as it is for other Christians asking to be admitted to Communion" (no. 92).
Why do we have a spiritual need to receive Holy Communion?
Read John 6.22-71. What strikes you personally about this teaching?
"Being nourished by the new manna of the Bread of Life is as vital to our spiritual pilgrim journey as was nourishment by the old manna for the pilgrim people of Israel in the desert. The Eucharist is the heart of the Christian life, and receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord is vital for our life of grace" (no. 91). Is this part of your spiritual thinking? What might be the implications for sharing Holy Communion with other Christians?
Do you now have a better understanding of the fact that sharing fully in a Catholic Eucharist by receiving Holy Communion is normally possible only for those who are in full communion with the Catholic Church? How would you present that teaching to someone who may not receive Holy Communion?
Read again article 94. How can this teaching be more central to the way you think about, take part in and live the Eucharist?
Norms (nos. 95-117)
The Eucharist is a precious gift given to us by God. In being united ever more closely with Christ we must strive ever more to respond to his prayer "that all may be one". As has been seen already, the pain of disunity cannot be ignored as if it were not a problem or disguised as something else. Various pastoral practices, including 'open communion', are sometimes applied in place of the Church's teaching. The starting-point for this teaching is stated in the Code of Canon Law: "Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments only to Catholic members of Christ's faithful, who equally may lawfully receive them only from Catholic ministers" (canon 844.1, quoted in One Bread One Body, no. 101). Exceptions to this are allowed, and the General Norms for these are contained in One Bread One Body nos. 102-117.
The Norms distinguish between 'Christians from Eastern Churches' and 'Christians from other faith communities'. There are Eastern Catholic Churches, also known as 'Uniate Churches', that are in union with Rome. But the Eastern Orthodox Churches broke away from Rome in 1054. They hold in common many matters of faith and morals, valid orders and sacraments, and have a very rich liturgy. They are not in communion with the Pope but acknowledge the honorary primacy of the Patriarch of Constantinople. "Between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Churches not in full communion with it, there is a very close communion in matters of faith. Pope Paul VI spoke of there being 'an almost total communion'. These Eastern Churches 'possess true sacraments, above all - by apostolic succession - the priesthood and the Eucharist, whereby they are still linked with us in closest intimacy'" (One Bread One Body, no. 103).
In reflecting on admitting other Christians to the sacraments of communion, reconciliation and anointing of the sick, four conditions must always be fulfilled: "that the person be unable to approach a minister of his or her own community for the sacrament desired; ... that the person greatly desire to receive the sacrament, and ask to receive it of his or her own initiative; ... that the person manifest Catholic faith in the sacrament desired; ... that the person be properly disposed" (no. 114).
Having read this section on the General Norms, what is your first reaction?
What kind of "unique occasion for joy or for sorrow in the life of a family or an individual" might be a circumstance when a grave and pressing spiritual need is experienced by another Christian to receive Holy Communion at a Catholic Mass?
Why is it that a Catholic may not receive Holy Communion from ministers of the Anglican Communion or of other faith communities rooted in the Reformation (see nos. 41 and 117)?
In what ways can we help other Christians to feel warmly welcome and involved at a Catholic Mass?
"Many will have hoped for encouragement of greater sacramental sharing. Others will think we have gone too far. We too are conscious of the difficulties of not being able to share the table of the Lord with our brothers and sisters in Christ. As Christians together, we walk in pilgrimage towards the Father, still deeply wounded by our lack of full communion in faith. The fundamental principle which underlies our norms, is that 'the Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church'" (One Bread One Body, no. 118).
What struck you most about the teaching in this document?
Did anything enrich or challenge your understanding?
What points caused you most difficulty?
How might you use this document to help others deepen their understanding of the mystery of the Eucharist?