Chapter 9 Review Questions Flashcards
What is the sacrament of the Eucharist? What did the Vatican Council II say about the centrality of the Eucharist?
The sacrament of the Eucharist is the sharing of the bread and wine, consecrated as Jesus’ own body and blood and offered by Jesus out of love for the whole world. In the words of Vatican Council II, the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.”
Why is the word Eucharist an appropriate name for this sacrament?
The name given to this sacrament, Eucharist, is derived from a Greek word that means “thanksgiving.” So when Christians celebrate the Eucharist, they are thanking and praising God, in the context of a sacred meal, for all the good God has done for them, through Jesus.
In what four ways is Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist?
Catholic belief is that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in four ways: (1) in the person of the minister of the Eucharist, the presiding priest, through whom Jesus offers himself (2) in the word of God, the Scriptures being proclaimed and preached (3) in the people gathered to celebrate by praying and singing (4) and especially in the Eucharistic species, the bread and wine that are consecrated as Jesus’ body and blood.
What does transubstantiation mean?
Transubstantiation is the change of Jesus’ body and blood in a way that surpasses human understanding.
What is the crucial challenge that the Eucharist poses to Christians?
We are challenged in every Eucharistic celebration not only to receive the body of Christ, under the forms of bread and wine, but to be the Body of Christ in our everyday life. This transformation is possible only because of the grace of being nourished and strengthened by Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist.
What are the two main parts of the Mass?
The Eucharist comprises two main parts: the liturgy of the word—that is, the proclaiming of the word of God in the Scriptures and the liturgy of the Eucharist—that is, the outpouring of thanks to God that includes the consecration and sharing of the bread and wine in which Christ is present.
What four actions to every Eucharistic celebration? Why is a Communion service essentially different from a Mass?
Essential to every Eucharistic celebration are the following four actions, which take place during the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist: (1) word—the proclamation of the word of God in the Scriptures, (2) thanksgiving—the offering of thanks to God for all the blessings of creation and God’s saving acts in history, above all for the gifts of Jesus Christ, his son, (3) consecration—the action of Christ, through the priest’s saying the words to change the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and (4) communion—the participation in the sacred meal by receiving Jesus Christ in the consecrated bread and wine.
At a typical Sunday Eucharist, from what sources are the three Scriptures reading taken?
On Sundays three reading are usually given: one from the Old Testament, one from the letters of Paul or other apostolic writers, and one from the Gospels.
Why is bread and appropriate symbol for the Eucharist?
As the most basic and essential food of the people in Jesus’ culture, bread often represented life and was thus an appropriate symbol for the Eucharist?
Why is wine and appropriate symbol for the Eucharist?
As a sign of celebration, wine is an appropriate, awesome symbol for the blood that Christ willingly shed in freeing humanity from sin and death.
What are the Jewish roots of the liturgy of the Eucharist and the liturgy of the word?
At the Last Supper, Jesus celebrated a Jewish community meal, very likely the Passover seder, with his friends. This shared ritual meal was the origin of the liturgy of the Eucharist as we know it today. A Jewish synagogue service traditionally centers around hearing the word of God in the Hebrew Scriptures (liturgy of the Word).
What effect on people’s participation in the Eucharist was caused by the shift in emphasis from its celebration as a community meal to its celebration as highly elaborate ceremony of sacrifice?
The shift in emphasis from the Eucharist as a community meal to the Eucharist as a highly elaborate and dramatic ceremony naturally affected participation in the ritual. Specifically the priest-presider did more and more of the action while the people in the attendance participated less and less.
