Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 70 No. 3-4, 2000.
Professional paper
Celebration of Eucharist Source and Culmination of Liturgy and Christian Life
Marin Škarica
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Abstract
The sacrifice of mass, the holy communion and the worship of Eucharist apart of mass were regarded as separate units by the medieval and post-Trident theology. The II. Vatican council and post-council church documents have returned to the right theological tradition of Church and started viewing the mystery of Eucharist integrally and wholely. For such an approach, the Instruction on Observing Mystery of Eucharist- Eucharisticum Mysterium of St Congregation rite from 1967 is of special importance. This Instruction, though essentially bringing along no news, observes this mystery in a unique manner in its entirety and it also, in an organic synthesis and a clear way, presents, connects and hierarchically groups all the cardinal theological principles on Eucharist mystery. The celebration of Eucharist as a memorial, sacrifice and a meal at the same time, is the core of Eucharist reality in Church, where he sacrifice and the holy feast are mutually tightly connected. The believers' communion during the mass and of that mass is the essential part of every mass. Even the communion received for valid reasons apart of mass, arises from the mass and leads to the mass, because it enables the believers to unite with Christ's offering celebrated during the mass. Adoration and reverent worship, rendered to Jesus in the Eucharist form apart of mass, is founded on a good reason and oriented toward the mass. The Instruction clearly emphasizes that the Eucharists sacrifice in the source and culmination of religious observance and Christian life. Consequently, it is the central, initial and final aim of Eucharist worship. - According to these theological principles, the Instruction puts forward the rules on theologically correct way of all forms of worshipping of Eucharist mystery. Analyzing this Instruction, the author wants to point out the importance of this unique Eucharist document, since no other church document has ever presented the church teaching on the Eucharist mystery in such a clear, integral and theologically correct way. The author, in a critically argumented manner, indicates that the principles and spirit of this Instruction are yet to take hold in liturgical practice of the Church in Croatia, and he also points out what should be done for this to become a reality. So far, the Instruction has never been presented by us in such a systematic and coherent way. In this respect, this work is authentic and valuable.
Keywords
Eucharist mystery; Eucharist celebration; Eucharist sacrifice; sacrifice of mass; sacrifice-feast; Passover mystery; worshipping of Eucharist; Lords memorial; communion; partaking of meal; real presence; adoration; theological principles; participation
Hrčak ID:
29359
URI
Publication date:
24.4.2001.
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