Last Week We Went Over

Last week we went over....

●The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist together form one single act of worship

●There is no difference between Calvary and the Mass. It is one in the same. It is the past brought into the present.

●Christ died, was sacrifice once; that one time sacrifice is made present at each Holy Mass

Understanding the Eucharist is probably the greatest need in the Church today. How can we justify this superlative? On two grounds:

1. On the grounds of the Eucharist and

2. - On the grounds of Understanding.

What are we saying?

We are saying that the most comprehensive mystery of our Catholic faith is in the Holy Eucharist. To believe in the Eucharist is to believe in every other revealed mystery of Christianity.

We are saying the most important duty we have in life as believing Catholics is to understand what we believe.

Remember the parable that Christ gave to His Disciples about the sower who went out to sow his seed. It was all good seed. But it was not all good ground on which the seeds fell. And the first fruitless ground was the pathway. Christ explained what this means. The seeds falling on the pathway are those who receive the Word of God into their hearts but fail to understand it. So, what happens? Like the birds of the air that pick up the loose seed from the hard pathway, the devil steals the word of God from the hearts of those who do not understand what God has revealed to them. Not to understand what we are supposed to believe is to invite the evil spirit to rob us of the faith we once possessed.

We know that the Catholic Church is undergoing one of the greatest crisis in its two millennia of existence. It is essentially a crisis of faith. At the root of this crisis of faith is the mystery of the Eucharist. In order to benefit from this crisis, there must be a widespread growth in understanding the Holy Eucharist.

Where does this start? With us. With the Catholic faithful. We must understand what we believe, especially in regards to the Eucharist, to the best of our ability, in order to pass the faith on to others. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. It is Christ Himself. This is what we must share. 49

Mark Chapter 8:1-30

●Mk 8:1-10: The Feeding of the Four Thousand - Here we again see Jesus moved with pity for the crowds, this time because of their hunger. As if to test His disciples, He presents the problem to them: “If I send them away hungry, they will collapse on the way.” The word Jesus uses for “collapse” here means “faint,” but is also used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe losing heart or getting discouraged in the face of the struggles of the Christian life. This is a challenge for the disciples future pastoral ministry - how will they respond when God’s people face a lack of spiritual nourishment, and they have no resources to feed them? Will they send the people away, or will they trust Jesus to provide with what little they can give Him? The skepticism of the disciples seems strange considering that they just witnessed Jesus feed the five thousand, but many modern disciples today can attest how easy it is to forget the lessons that we have received. Jesus gives them a hint by asking the same question he asked at the previous feeding - How many loaves do you have? Then we see the same sequence of actions and the same eucharistic overtones- Jesus asking the crowd to sit, He gives thanks for the bread, and gives it to His disciples to hand out. He could have given them Himself, but insists on the involvement of His disciples - taking the little they have and multiplying it so that they can nourish the people. Because of the Eucharistic significance, Mark focuses on the bread. Only later does he mention the few fish. Just as the numbers in the feeding of the five thousand had meaning (i.e. 12 baskets of leftovers - the 12 tribes of Israel) so do the numbers here. Jesus is in Gentile territory - seven baskets of leftovers evokes the seven pagan nations that inhabited Canaan before Israel entered the land. The number four alludes to the four directions of the compass - thus the four thousand fed by Jesus represent the whole world, to whom the mission of the Church would be directed. (CCC 1329, 1355)

●Mk 8: 11-13 - The Demand for a Sign- Here the Pharisees return, and in contrast to the three previous episodes where people approached Jesus to receive His love and compassion, they are here to argue, test Him, and demand a sign from Heaven - that is, a validating miracle. Jesus has been performing miracle after miracle, so this demand can only be rooted in stubbornness and the refusal to open their hearts. Their unwillingness to believe is reminiscent of Israel’s rebellion in the desert. The Pharisees are looking for a cosmic phenomenon to serve as their proof. However, to make this demand is to presume that they can impose their own criteria on how God should act. Even more, by attempting to test Jesus, they play the role of Satan - they are tempting Jesus to turn aside from His true messianic mission and to instead win their esteem but a dazzling display of power. Jesus sighs from the depths of His spirit, and His response is prefaced by a phrase that gives special weight to what He is about to say: “Amen, I say to you..” He tells them that they will be given no sign - meaning no sign that will satisfy ((p. 50))their criteria for proof. His miracles and deeds of mercy will invite faith, but not coerce it. This painful exchange marks the end of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. From now on His focus will be on training His disciples in preparation for the culminating events of His life, and He will return to Galilee only once - in secret. (CCC 854)

●Mk 8:14-21 - The Leaven of the Pharisees - Here Jesus is again discussing hardness of heart, but this time with the disciples. However, where the Pharisees hardness of heart seems unyielding, the disciples are amenable, and open to change. We see this in the fact that they continue to follow and learn from Jesus, in spite of their hindered understanding. Mark begins by telling us that the disciples had forgotten bread, and that they only had one loaf with them in the boat. He clarifies in verse 16 that they actually had no bread - so what is the one load previously mentioned? It is Jesus! They had no earthly bread. This is the last time that bread will be mentioned in the Gospel until Jesus announces that the bread is His own body, to be given up for us on the cross. Jesus uses the time as a teaching moment and speaks to them about the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. The disciples again do not understand, so Jesus explains. Leaven, or yeast, is used to make dough rise, and only a tiny amount is needed to permeate the whole batch. What Jesus is speaking of here is a spiritual leaven - the hypocrisy, ill will, and insincerity of the Pharisees and Herod. This admonishment shows that even His disciples are not immune to these faults. Throughout the New Testament, leaven is used to refer to sinful attitudes that are left unchecked and corrupt the whole Christian community. This lesson also recalls the Exodus - Jews cleared all leaven out of their home during the Passover to commemorate the hasty flight from Egypt , where they was no time to let the dough rise. All of this goes right over the heads of the disciples, who still think that Jesus is scolding them for forgetting to bring bread. Even after seeing both the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand, they are still worried about their next meal. Jesus asks a series of seven questions to reprove them for their spiritual blindness. His emphasis on “understand, comprehend, see, hear, remember” accents the mental efforts required to grasp the hidden meaning of what they have witnessed. But the most stinging question is in verse 17 - “are your hearts hardened?” He asks “Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?” The emphasis on the number of wicker baskets may seem odd, but it not only reminds the disciples of His ability to provide nourishment, but also it represents all those who hear the gospel and gather in the church - the 12 tribes of Israel and the seven nations representing the Gentiles. They will all partake of the one loaf that is Jesus - and this is the mystery that He is urging them to understand. (CCC 1151, 1329, 1504)

●Mk 8:22-26- A Gradual Healing of Blindness - This miracle is unique in that it happens in two stages. Just as Mark concluded the first part of his gospel with the deaf-mute man, he concludes the bread section with this blind man. Both take place outside of Galilee, both occur at the request of others, and in both cases Jesus leads the man away, uses the laying on of hands, and asks for silence about the miracle. Both of these healings have a symbolic purpose - they are real life parables and signify the coming to faith of the disciples, whom He has just asked “Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?” These healings help drive home the face that only the Lord can overcome our spiritual blindness and deafness. The gradual nature of this recovery symbolizes the slow and difficult process of opening the disciples eyes to an understand of Jesus and His mission. The healing of the blind man will be followed by a radical confession of faith that will make the turning point of the Gospel. Although there will be further healings, Jesus priorities now lie with His journey toward Jerusalem and the training of His disciples. At the end of the journey there will be another healing of a blind man, this time instantaneous and complete. The two miracles of recovery of sight form a frame around the journey((p. 51)) narrative, symbolizing the disciples gradual growth in understanding. Their eyes are partly opened to see that Jesus is the Messiah, but their vision of Him is still shadowy and obscure. They will need a further divine enlightenment to recognize that His Messiahship is inextricably linked with the mystery of the cross.

Now, for the first time, the disciples, in the person of Peter, display a clear recognition of who Jesus really is. Peter’s confession of faith is the turning point in the Gospel. We will see as the narrative unfolds, however, that this confession of faith is only the beginning. Now will begin a period of instruction in which Jesus will unveil the mystery of His vocation to be a suffering messiah, who will lay down His life for His people, and the vocation of the disciples to follow in His footsteps.

This turning point is signified by a geographical turn. Until now Jesus has been in and around Galilee. Now He begins the journey to Jerusalem , which He knows will lead to the culminating events of His life. This is often called the Travel Narrative. As the disciples follow Jesus on the “way” to Jerusalem, they learn the “way” of Christian discipleship, and the “way of the Lord” announced at the beginning of the Gospel. They are beginning to see, but not yet clearly. Three times along the way Jesus will prophesy His passion, and each prediction will be followed by an inept response by the disciples, which in turn will become an occasion for further teaching. (CCC 1151, 1504,699)

●Mk 8: 27-30 - Who Do You Say That I Am? - Peter’s confession serves as a hinge, marking the transition from the Bread Section to the Travel Narrative. This journey to Jerusalem is to be both a geographical and a spiritual journey in which the disciples learn that the way to share in Jesus’ glory is by first following Him on the way to the cross. Jesus asks His disciples “Who do people say that I am?” As often happens in the Gospel, Jesus question is a signal that He is about to give a new teaching. This question is in preparation for the second and more weighty question. The disciples response to this question are a litany of popular opinions ranging from John the Baptist to the prophets. People undoubtedly thought that these views represented a very high opinion of Jesus, however there is no speculation of Him as the Messiah. He then asks the question that is at the heart of the Gospel, directed not only to the disciples but to every reader - “Who do you say that I am?” Everything Mark has recounted so far has led up to this question. The form of the question is emphatic, and could be translated as, “But you, who do you say that I am?” As on other occasions, Peter acts as spokesman for the Twelve and his reply is equally emphatic: “You are the Messiah.” For us, Peter’s affirmation may seem to be the natural conclusion from all that they have seen, but the rehearsal of popular opinions we just heard helps convey the real life context. This is a stunning revelation that broke through the current notions of what the Messiah would be. By the time of Jesus there were a variety of theories about the Messiah - some waited for a Davidic warrior king, while others thought he would be a priestly Messiah descended from Aaron. Still others envisioned a superhuman figure that would usher in peace and prosperity. But no one had considered a Messiah like Jesus - a humble rabbi who walked among the villages of Galilee healing and casting out demons. Peter’s acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah means that he is saying that Jesus is the one through whom God will accomplish all He has promised. Peter represents all Christians, who are called to make his confession their own. After this stunning revelation, Jesus’ response is to tell them to keep this information to themselves. Why would He want them to keep this news quiet? In the ensuing conversation Mark will finally provide the key that explains the Messianic secret. Up to now, the disciples do not comprehend the true nature of Jesus’ Messiahship. They can not((p. 52)) be allowed to to fill its meaning with their own earthly dreams. Well meaning but misguided ideas could derail Jesus’s whole mission as they approach Jerusalem. The whole understanding of the Messiah had to be purged of its human connotations before it could be proclaimed openly to the world. Jesus’ mission had nothing to do with using political power or military power to overthrow enemies of Israel. It had everything to do with overthrowing sin through the power of the Cross. (CCC 472,

Video Worksheet

Helpful Vocabulary

●Corpus Christi - Latin words meaning ‘Body of Christ.’

●Real Presence - After the bread and wine are consecrated at Mass, they become the actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. He is really, truly, and substantially present. (CCC 1374)

●Transubstantiation - the process of the change of substances that takes place in the bread and wine at Mass when they become the Real Presence of Jesus, without any substance of bread and wine remaining, though it still appears to be bread and wine only

Video Notes

Week 8 - The Most Holy Eucharist, Part Three: CCC 1382-1419

●CCC 1382-1390 - The Paschal Banquet

●CCC 1382 - The celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is wholly directed toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion.

●CCC 1385 - To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and holy a moment.

●CCC 1385; 1 Cor 11:27-29, Let a man examine himself and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

●CCC 1387 - To prepare for worthy reception of this sacrament, the faithful should observe the fast required in their Church.

●CCC 1389 - The Church strongly encourages the faithful to receive the holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or more often still, even daily.

●CCC 1385 - Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to Communion

●CCC 1395 - The Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins - that is proper to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

●CCC 1390 - Christ is sacramentally present under each of the species; In the Host we receive the whole Christ

●CCC 1391 - 1396 - The Fruits of Holy Communion

○The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus: CCC 1391

○What material food produces in our bodily life, Holy Communion wonderfully achieves in our spiritual life: CCC 1392 53