Eucharistic adventures

For the second day in a row, I celebrated Mass with high school students today, and for the second day in a row, I must admit that I have more questions than answers.

There was great care and attention given to detail in the planning and execution of this most recent celebration, but there are a number of questions left in the mind and heart of one who perhpas knows too much about the way things are.

For many years now, Catholics in French-language Canada have relied on resources such as Signe d'aujourd'hui and Vie liturgique to provide ideas and suggestions for the liturgical action that takes place when the faithful gather. The problem with becoming too dependant on such resources is that we can become laissez-faire about the work involved in planning liturgy, relying on pre-structured celebrations. Although these may be beautiful in their own right, they leave much to the discretion of individual taste, and can actually contravene the established norms (more on this below).

On Holy Thursday of 2003, the Holy Father, John Paul II published an Encyclical Letter entitled Ecclesia de Eucharistia (translated the Church of the Eucharist) in which he spoke of the central role of the Eucharist in the life of God's people. In this encyclical, His Holiness reflected on various aspects of the life that is drawn from the Eucharist and the strength that sustains all those who receive it. He also made reference to the fact that He had at that time asked the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments and the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith to establish norms for the celebration of the Eucharist.

One year later, these Congregations published the Instruction Redemptoris Sacramentum which outlined 'certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist'. These matters include such details as who can validly preside at the celebration of the Eucharist, the approved materials (officially referred to as the matter) to be employed for the preparation of the bread and wine which is transformed into the body and blood of the Lord, the proper reception of the Eucharist by priests and the faithful, care of the sacred vessels, vestiture for the celebration of Mass ... and many other such details. This instruction now forms the basis for the proper celebration of the Eucharist and should be followed whenever the faithful gather for this celebration.

Admittedly, there is always room for cultural adaptations, and this Instruction has indeed posed a number of questions in the interest of limiting the creativity that can be employed when planning a Eucharistic celebration, but the fact remains that there is still much work to be done in the realm of education for all those who have the important task of catechising our children and students, not to mention the adults who are part of the Church, who themselves may benefit from a deeper understanding and appreciation of the beauty contained in the gestures and words proper to the celebration of our common prayer.