1. Preface of E.P.2 . �He is the Word through whom you made the Universe� and who in the desert reached out to the hungering multitudes who sought Him. He taught them about your kingdom and later led them to experience your powerful and all loving providence by offering them enough bread to eat and be filled. The leftovers proclaim that your love never runs out but that even today we can experience its healing power if we come to you through Jesus for He is the Saviour you sent to redeem us.

2. Invoking of the Holy Spirit. � Lord You are Holy indeed, the fountain of all life and holiness�. Having created us you provide plentifully both of your life-giving word and also of nourishing bread. We bless you for the numerous people who share their bread and their lives with us bringing us your love and concern. Through the generosity of our brothers and sisters we have this bread which we bring today to your altar. Let your spirit come upon these gifts��.

3. After the Institution Narrative. �We thank you for counting us worthy to receive your nourishing word today which remind us that you always provide for us in difficult times. Lord, since you offer us much more than we need, teach us that your gifts are meant to be shared. So open our hearts to love and serve you in the needy of Sudan, the Middle East and India. May all of us who share ��.

4. �Lord remember your Church throughout the world, make us grow in love even to the extent that we will forget our own emptiness and share the little we have with others. For we believe that through our faith-filled openness we can take away all the hungers of our needy brothers and sisters. Make us your Church into true servants of the world, together with Pope John Paul��.

5. �Have mercy on us all�. Do not call to mind when we have closed our hearts to others and failed to share because we focused only on what we lacked. Make us more large-hearted; help us to forget ourselves even to the point of giving our very lives for others and thus make us worthy to share eternal life with Mary��.
Caution: We are not to insert all these insights into every possible place. Just one or two places will suffice. Overloading will be counter-productive. Preparation has to be done beforehand as ad-libs could be disastrous. More attention to this Prayer: The very articulation is itself a proclamation promoting an active and intelligent participation of the congregation. It shapes our attitude and teaches us how to praise and thank God in all circumstances. The Intercessory part reminds us that our blessings are always to be shared and that in the actual we give the greatest praise and thanks to the Father. �Happy are you if you put this into action�.

The Eucharist.
The Words Of Consecration: �Do this in remembrance of Me: More accurately, �as a memorial of Me�. Why? because we do not just recall a past event but �make present� once again a past historical event. We do exactly what Jesus did- the identical action, brought forward in time. How is this possible? By uniting the external action with the original intention of Jesus. Jesus� Action: 1 Took the bread. 2 Said the blessing. 3 Broke the bread. 4 Gave it.. saying Our action: 1 Took the bread-Preparation and presentation of gifts. 2 Said the blessing-Preface & Eucharist Prayer till �through Him, with Him�� 3 Broke the bread- Done after �Lamb of God�� 4 Gave it saying-Communion to concluding prayer. Jesus� Intention: He expressed His readiness to be broken, to pour out His blood and die for us. He was expressing His self-gift, a total, loving and obedient surrender to His Father�s plan. Our Intention: When I make present these actions of Jesus, I must unite my own personal, total, loving and obedient surrender to the Father Otherwise I am just �acting�.
Practical Applications:
Take the bread: Take our own life situation, the places where we experience difficulty in following God�s will. Say the blessing: Praise and thank God for our concrete crosses since it is through them we experience His goodness and see His glory. We start our praise in the Eucharist itself and continue al during the day. Break the bread: Specially at the time of the Consecration, we express our surrender together with Jesus. Gave it saying,� Take & Eat�� We give of ourselves to any one in need-the poor, sick, lonely,Aged and bed-ridden, those in despair. We work for justice and peace, standing up for the rights of the deprived, This is a true response to: �Do this as a memorial of Me�.

The Eucharist-Elevation
Undoubtedly, even today for most Christians the essential and most sacred action of the Eucharist is the �consecration�. Over the years we have come to accept and now even take for granted, that it is while these solemn and important words are pronounced, that our gifts of bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. That is the key reason why many priests take great care to pronounce these words correctly, distinctly and prayerfully, even if the rest of the Eucharistic Prayer is raced through. We also believe that the �double� consecration is needed to ensure that the Body and Blood of Christ are separately made present, thus indicating also their separation in the death of Christ. Anyone familiar with post-Vatican theology of the Eucharist can see immediately �how things have changed� in this important area.
Post-Vatican Terminology : We have alluded to these changes in previous issues, but to help refresh our memories, we mention them here briefly. We speak today more in terms of �sanctifying the gifts� by �the Institution Narrative� our prayer for an in-filling of the Spirit rather than of consecration. Further, the fact of a �double� action with bread and cup refers not so much to the separation of body from blood indicating the death of Christ, but rather to the Semitic way of emphasizing an action through repetition. The action with the bread would have come almost at the start of the Passover Meal, as a kind of �grace before meals�. The action with the Cup is practically the last gesture of the Meal and could be termed the �grace after meals�. Both have clear references to the first alliance or covenant made through Moses after God had prepared the people over several years of their desert journeying.
The double action simply emphasizes the importance of the action. Called today this section must be proclaimed in the same tone of voice used for the rest of the Eucharistic Prayer. In short, this section should not stand out as something special or different from the other sections of the Eucharistic Prayer. What possibly needs a fuller explanation is that post-Vatican Eucharistic theology does not focus on a �particular moment� in which the transformation is supposed to occur. The entire Eucharistic Prayer, and not any specific portion of it, is seen as the transformative prayer. This approach has been prevalent in the Eastern liturgies from almost the very beginning. Several practical implications follow from such an assertion. First, since the prayer from start to finish is seen as one integral whole, the entire prayer should be prayed in the same tone of voice. No special emphasis should be given to the parts printed in dark, bold letters in the missal.
Also, the �Institution Narrative� should be seen as the �story� of what Jesus did at the Last Supper, recounted lovingly and gratefully so that we can not only make it present here and now, but also enter into its dynamic as we seek to fulfill Christ�s command to �do this as a memorial of me�. As a narrative, it should be addressed to the Father and in the presence of the assembly equally, to elicit their wholehearted response of faith and love.
In no way are the words of the �Institution Narrative� to be addressed to the elements of bread and cup. Each of the various sections in the Eucharistic Prayer should get the same amount of emphasis, meaning that we do not pray any particular part with greater reverence, deliberation and so on. This was usually done for the �Institution Narrative�, while the rest was just raced through. Static Presence or Dynamic Action ? :
It is customary for priests to directly or indirectly invite the faithful to extend their adoration of the sacred species at the time of the �Institution Narrative�. In fact, there was a period in the history of the Eucharist when the Christian faithful came to the Eucharist only to gaze on the sacred Host. They believed that a mere loving and faith-filled gaze would bring them untold gifts, even miracles. And so they came to Church but remained outside while the Eucharist continued. A warning bell was rung to bring them in for the �consecration�. Their �active participation� consisted only in spending a few precious minutes gazing on the sacred Host, after which they would hastily leave. The Celebrant, of course, had his back to the people and so, in order that they might gaze on the sacred Host, he had to raise it high after the words of consecration had been pronounced.
This was the origin of the �elevation� of the sacred Host and Cup at this juncture. At times, depending on the devotion of the Celebrant, they would gaze on the sacred Host for as long as ten minutes. Once this was over, they left the Church and rushed to the next parish to catch the next Consecration-elevation. The movement from gazing on the sacred Host during the Eucharist to gazing on it outside of the celebration through �exposition� in a monstrance is but a natural outcome and a foregone conclusion.
However, we readily realise that such a �celebration� of Eucharist could do nothing for the lives of the people and that the Eucharist was approached only as a means of obtaining favours and blessings. The original intention of Jesus in giving us his presence in the form of bread broken and Cup shared was totally lost.
Today, of course, we stress the fact that Jesus is dynamically present during the Eucharist - He is there for us, in order to transform us into himself and to send us out on mission. Hence, in the context of a renewed Eucharistic Spirituality, a prominent raising of the sacred Host with a prolonged �adoration� or the uttering of ejaculations like �My Lord and My God� are totally out of place at the �Institution Narrative�. Again, given the fact that the Celebrant now faces the congregation, would the �elevation� be necessary? The proper place for this adoration is prayer before the Sacrament outside of the Eucharistic celebration.
Further, the power and challenge of the Eucharist lies not just in gazing on the sacred Host, but in �eating/drinking� or better, becoming one with Jesus in his redemptive mission. It invites us to �put on the mind of Christ� and empty or break ourselves for the benefit of others. We recall how the question of eating his flesh and drinking his blood became the point of rejection of Jesus by his Jewish followers who accused him of cannibalism, in the context of John�s Christian community. But, what Jesus asks of his followers is that they become assimilated into himself, become one with him to the extent of being ready to sacrifice their very lives for the benefit of others. This can be very demanding, as it requires us to become one with him to the extent of being ready to sacrifice their very lives for the benefit of others.
This can be very demanding, as it requires us to become bread for the hungry, eyes to the blind, feet to the lame and so on. It strips us of the conceit and self-centredness that, so often, characterise our lives. In Jewish culture, to share a meal with someone is to enter into a deep personal relationship with that person/family. Using this meaningful background, Jesus goes further, in that he offers himself not just as a co-sharer of the meal (which he also is), but more than that, he becomes the very food we share. This points to a far deeper union and oneness.
Conclusions : In our day, there are very few participants in the Eucharist who do not share in the bread and the Cup. Some �receive communion� even more than once a day! The practice of �gazing on the sacred Host� still continues but it is rarely exaggerated. Many today perhaps, need to be reminded that Jesus does not �come down on our altars� at the �Institution Narrative�, but is present to us in different forms throughout the Eucharistic celebration.
Nevertheless, a renewed Eucharistic Spirituality today challenges us to go back to the original intention of Jesus in giving us the Eucharist - not just that we may enjoy his continuing presence and adore him, but that we may be transformed by him and actively continue his redemptive mission in our surroundings. Once we can genuinely do that, then we will find that we can �see� Jesus everywhere and in every person we deal with. The Risen Lord dwelling within us will �open our eyes� to the reality of his dynamic presence all around us. �In him we live and move and have our being�. Our lives would be drawn into a marvelous unity and the effect of Christ�s transformation of us during the Eucharist would carry through into the rest of the day.
Everything we do or say would bear the stamp of his �paschal event�. Through our Christ-like efforts, we would truly see the whole of creation being transformed into what God originally meant it to be - a reflection of His own love and care for His creatures. Eucharist would then become not just something celebrated only in a ritual, but a way of life, a way of relating to all people around us, a new style of living in this world as being already God�s loving and loved children. Whether this transformed society and world will be only a dream of the future or a presently evolving reality � this is the challenge before us who celebrate the Eucharist.

The Eucharist
This is My Body Broken/Given For you:
Implication 1 You are My Body (Recall the Offertory gesture: Bread be thou my body) All the good in you is mine-I am proud of you. All the evil in you is Mine. You are My Body! I am going to heal My Body. I care for it.
Implication 2 You are My Body broken for My people, to be given to them. You are Me taking My Father�s Love for His children. You will be exhausted, even broken in the process of taking and giving it.
Implication 3: If I am His Body and you re His Body, then I am your body and you are my body. That is we are members of the same Body. I must care for you as I care for my own body. Do This In memory Of Me: Do what I did for the whole of MY life, ending on Calvary: I LOVED, I simply loved according to the demands made on Me. Healing, teaching, comforting, consoling, understanding, uplifting, serving, suffering as each circumstance required. In Memory: What does a memorial do? It makes the past present. It is a monument. This monument is not a memory of a person who lived once upon a time. This person is HERE, ALIVE.
When you do THIS as a person, you are, as a person, my living memorial. When you do THIS as a community, you are, as a community, my living memorial. IN YOUR COMMUNION WITH ONE ANOTHER PEOPLE MEET ME, SEE ME EXPERIENCE ME. And conversely, when you don�t love, when there is no communion in your family or community people miss ME. I am not there. You are not a memorial of ME. Implication 1: The most effective and irresistible EVANGELIZATION OR PREACHING OF CHRIST IS A LIFE OF LOVE AND COMMUNION WITH ONE ANOTHER. Person to person love is individual evangelization. People to people love is mass evangelization.
Implication :What one does is less important than what one is. What one is more important than what one says or does. .Implication : In the person of a friend one meets Jesus. In the family/community in which one meets warm acceptance, one meets Jesus. Hence the priority of making a family/community a home of love.
Implication 4: A Christian is one who loves; a holy person is one who loves. God is holy and He does nothing else but love. All His power is at the service of love. When I love I am God-like. I am holy. Let Us Proclaim The Mystery Of Faith: The mystery is deeper than what appears on the surface of the Eucharistic acclamations. The deeper mystery is: A You are my Body as a person, as a community with all the good and evil in you. B You are my living monument whenever you do love as a person or as community. C You (singly and collectively) are the Church, i.e. the continuing presence of Christ on earth; the continuing presence of the Blessed Trinity, the living presence of God on earth.

The Eucharist
The Lord's Prayer: The Christian Mission As we prepare to commune with the Lord and enter more deeply and consciously into oneness with him and with one another we have reviewed what our Christian vision is. We look now at our Christian mission: how do we go about making this vision a reality, that is, glorifying God's name and establishing his kingdom? What do we need to do? What is our mission as Christians? We take up the three petitions addressed to the Father in the first person: 'Give us our daily bread, forgive us our sins and do not bring us to the hard testing�' Epiousios Bread
In the first petition for ourselves we pray the Father to give us each day our (not belonging to us, but characterizing us) bread. The term 'bread' stands for the entire meal, in fact, for all that sustains human life. But this bread is further qualified as 'daily' which adjective, we are told, is an inaccurate translation of the Greek term 'epiousios'. This is a term which occurs only once in the entire Bible. The fact that the word occurs only once in the entire Bible and that too in this place only, immediately tells us that the early Christians had to coin this new word, because there was no existing word to express the very special, distinctively Christian bread referred to here. Now, there is only one Christian reality that is so outstandingly special - the Eucharistic bread.
Since bread stands for all that we need to live, especially as Christians, we could include almost everything under this umbrella term. The important point is that as Christians receiving 'bread' each day from the Father we must, of necessity, go out and share generously with others according to their need. No gift is ever given to us for ourselves alone, to be hoarded or utilized for our personal benefit only. Whatever gifts we receive are always given that we may share our blessings with others. To understand this interpretation more clearly, we look at the parable that Luke gives immediately after the Lord's Prayer (11:5-8).
The teaching that follows on this parable (v. 9-13) reminds us that when we pray in this way (that we may share what we have received) we will most certainly get what we ask - for he who asks, receives, he who searches finds and he who knocks has the door opened for him. The Father will not refuse the Holy Spirit to those who ask in this truly Christian fashion. Notice that the Holy Spirit sums up all the gifts that a Christian would need to live out his Christian identity in a dynamic manner.
A Scriptural Example .The story of the rich man and Lazarus emphasizes the above truth when it tells us that Dives feasted sumptuously each day. This expression 'each day' links this story with the Lord's Prayer in such a way that we could say that if Dives did have the wherewithal to feast sumptuously each day, it was because the Father gave him that 'bread' each day in answer to his prayer. But the bread that the Father gives is basically oriented towards sharing and not for one's own selfish consumption; and since Dives did not share with the needy, he was judged to be deserving of hell. While the Father is generous to a fault in giving us all that we need to live our Christian calling, we have to ensure that we live out what we are meant to be, or else we destroy ourselves.
The same can be said with regard to the gift of forgiveness. In Luke's presentation of the Lord's Prayer, we pray that we be forgiven, 'as' we forgive, in the very act and in the very measure in which we forgive others. So therefore, if we do not forgive others, we ourselves should not expect to get any forgiveness ourselves. The important point we should not miss in all this is: it is when we share our 'bread' with the needy and extend our forgiveness to all, that is when God's name is made holy and his kingdom established in our midst.
Conclusion In making us pray the Lord's Prayer just before receiving the Lord's gift of himself in holy Communion, the Church reminds us of our true Christian identity. All that we are going to receive as we commune with the Lord and share his very life in Covenant - all that is meant to be shared with others in need. We come, therefore to receive not just for ourselves but that we may share with others. Hence at this part of the Eucharist, and especially after communing with the Lord, our thoughts and prayer need to reach out to people all over the world. That is the time we think least of ourselves and most of others. Having exercised our Christian identity (a Christian is one who lives not for himself but for others) during the Eucharist, we are then sent into the world so that we can exercise that same self-giving throughout the day in favour of all whom the Lord brings into our lives. Give and you will receive abundantly.

The Eucharist
Holy Communion: The Celebrant holding aloft the Sacred Host proclaims: �This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world�� He reminds us of the central purpose of Christ�s coming into the world: to take away sin and invite us once again into communion with the Father. But we need to remember that communion with God also demands communion with all people. So, even as I come forward to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, I am reminded of the community dimension of this sacrament and the part I play in making it a reality.
The Body Of Christ: Holding the Sacred Host before us the Celebrant Says: �The Body of Christ� To which we reply� Amen�. When the Celebrant points to the Host with the words �The Body of Christ� he does not only mean that this little piece of bread is the Risen Lord really present in it. But he also points out to the whole community of baptized- the Mystical Body of Christ. Take And Eat: So the celebrant says to each communicant: �This (myself, my body, my person) is the Body of Christ- take and eat, consume it for it is given for you. And this is what he is expected to do when he serves his parishioners throughout the day and week giving of his body, time talents, energy- the whole of himself that they may be nourished and grow in their Christ-life. He lives for others, or rather, he dies in slow degrees so that others may live.What is said of the priest and his self-giving applies equally to each person receiving Holy Communion. His/her life is meant to be apostolic-a breaking of self to feed others. This readiness to give of oneself is expressed by the �Amen�
Building Community: There is also the third dimension f the Body of Chris-the community. The Amen is a commitment to work to �make this body (Community) truly the Body of Christ� We notice that our parish communities are not yet truly the Body of Christ. There are so many divisions caused by criticisms, slander, backbiting, and unforgiveness. Fighting over property and wealth, jealousy and envy. Seeing all this and acknowledging our own part in it, the communicant commits himself/herself to fashion self and a little part of the Church into the authentic Body of Christ. Sharing in the Eucharistic Banquet is an action of one who accepts an adult responsibility in society and is determined to carry it out effectively.
Result: Parish � A Eucharistic Community
Nearly all our parishes are far from living out this ideal. What a wonderful parish community there would be if both pastor and parishioners lived out the full implications of their Eucharists! Led by the pastor, the Christians would no longer live for themselves, but for others. Like the early Christians they would place all of themselves and their belongings at the disposal of those in need. This would be the concrete result of trying to build up the Body of Christ.
When we talk of needs we usually limit ourselves to material needs. Today more than ever we see so many with deep psychological and emotional needs: the aged, sick, lonely and unwanted, the divorced or single parents, the unemployed, the drop-out the alcoholic and the drug addict, the aids patient, children from broken homes who receive little love � the list is endless.
Practical Applications:
Existing structures like the Vincent de Paul and the Legion of Mary are in a small way fulfilling these needs. But what is missing is the vision and the ideal. The pastoral plan of each diocese and the Synod recommendations put into practice will go along way to help God�s people to make the ideal a reality.

THE EUCHARIST
LEVELS OF COMMUNING IN THE EUCHARIST
In the minds of most Catholics Holy Communion is the most important part of the mass. However very few would know and be able to explain how exactly we �commune� with Jesus and how we need to prepare ourselves to derive the maximum benefit of such communing. This communion does not happen automatically or magically. Several modes of the real presence. There are different ways the Risen Lord is really present to us. Besides the Eucharist, there are the other sacraments and the Word of God through which we can commune with the Risen Lord. He is present to us in the Christian Community-�where two or three�� He is also present in the poor-�whatsoever you do�� He is present in the Hierarachy- �he who listen to you listens to me� And finally He is present to each baptized person. So we can meet the Risen Lord effectively in any one of these modes of His real presence.
While the Eucharist is the most marvelous and complete mode of His presence, His personal presence to baptized is the most foundational. This means that the presence of Jesus in all the other modes is at the service of His personal presence to the baptized. Th rest are meant to deepen and strengthen this personal presence. Thus the celebration of the Eucharist should result in a deper awareness of His presence in our lives a really as in the tabernacle. Every Christian is a living tabernacle of the Risen Lord. The deeper and more personal attachment we have to Jesus within ourselves, the easier would t be for us to recognize Him in the other forms of His presence.
Inter-personal communion: The kind we speak of here is an inter-personal communion and follows the same dynamics as when two human beings seek to enter into a deep relationship with other. Eg. You enter into a train compartment while at the same time a friend of yours enters by another door. As long as you have not seen or recognized each other your presence to each other is only material. Later you look up and recognize him. Both of you are present to each other in a slightly better way. Your eyes met, you make a sign and smile Your presence now is personal. You then take a seat next to him and talk with him on various subjects. At this stage your presence is even deeper as you both actually communicate. As you converse you notice your friend is disturbed and you ask him about it. He pours out his heart to you and you listen to him with compassion and empathy. At this level your communication is at its deepest. Of all these levels the last is truly communion� of two hearts and minds.
If this is true among human beings, then it must be true in our communion with the Lord. Yet for most of us this level of inter-personal communion is rather rare. Jesus asks just the bare minimum of us in this process: that we be fully there, attentive and receptive, through His Spirit He will do the rest. In receiving the Body of Christ we must consciously make ourselves aware that Jesus has something to say to us personally.
If we have been able to catch His message to us in the readings, this understanding will be a lot easier to us at Communion time. All we need to do is to let Him deepen and personalize this message much more. One such �encounter� with the Lord is worth more than a thousand Communions received mechanically. Towards the end of the distribution of Communion every effort should be made and sufficient silence provided so that each person in the assembly can truly commune with the Lord in the deepest recesses of his being.
Development of intimacy: The process of growth intimacy (communion) with the Lord is very similar to the process of growth in friendship and love between two human beings. There has to be interaction in frequency and intensity. Each partner sees the goodness in each other that binds them together as the bond of friendship deepens the lives mesh: they think of each other and spiritually commune with each other almost constantly. Everything is viewed in terms of each other: Eg. A husband and wife in deep and sincere intimacy. It is at this stage that the �presence� is internalized and cannot be erased except through neglect or conscious choice. Because this relationship is a living one it needs to be nourished through deep sharing, reminders, souvenirs and so on. The final stage could be called the �Mystical Stage� where both dwell in each other.
The same process applies in out relationship or communion with the Lord. Where this happens we dialogue with Him not only in prayer, but almost right through the day. The Gospel stories are not accounts of what Jesus did long ago, but what He does in our lives today. We begin to see Jesus as real and living, reflected in the lives of the people around us. We take criticism, failure, rejection, disappointment in our stride. We can appreciate the good in others and so, easily praise them selflessly and spontaneously.
Communion: then is not something that happens when we receive the sacred host. It begins at the start of the Eucharist as we joyfully welcome our brothers and sisters to the celebration. Continues all through the mass reaching a climax in the inter-personal communion through the sacred sins of broken bread and shared cup. This communion continues throughout the day as we make the effort to see each event in the light of the Gospel. �What would Jesus do if He were in my place?� This kind of living out of the Eucharist brings us to the next celebration with renewed vigour and enthusiasm to encounter the Lord even more deeply.

The Eucharist:
Go In Peace To�.
We now come to the conclusion or �Dismissal Rite� The Assembly had been formally gathered in the name of Christ, and so it needs to be formally dismissed in the name of the same Christ. If we have understood the real meaning of the Eucharist, then we must know and accept that our Eucharist can never end, except in death. The most fitting dismissal text is: �The mass is ended, go in peace to love and serve the Lord�. It sums up our whole Christian life- our attempt to love and serve the Lord�but in and through His brothers and sisters.
Empowered in Christ: Having been enriched by God�s good gifts we are sent forth as ambassadors to share His riches with others. However we are reminded that it is not merely in our own name that we go, but in the name of the Lord. That is why the Celebrant blesses us in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our 1st commissioning in the name of the three Divine Persons was done at our Baptism .This Trinitarian blessing recaptures that initial zeal and fervour.
Peace, The Touchstone: The fact that we go forth in the name of the Lord will be seen precisely by our peace-filled lives. Peace is not only the 1st gift of the Risen Lord to His disciples, but also the clearest sign that His kingdom has come. (Mt. 10/12-13) So, as we go forth to build up His kingdom in our lives and extend it to the lives of others, we will actually be spreading His peace. We respond to this challenge with gratitude: �Thanks be to God�.
Live The Eucharist: This is, in a sense, the most important part of the Eucharist: all that we did in church is a preparation for the actual living of our Eucharist. A teenager preparing for Confirmation when asked why she thought the dismissal rite was the most important part of the mass she replied: �The purpose of the Eucharist is to nourish us with the word of the Lord and His Body and Blood, so that we may go forth to bear witness to Him and bring about the Kingdom of God into existence�. She continued, �The Eucharist does not end with the dismissal rite, in a sense, it begins with it�. If in the Eucharist I consciously said with Jesus: �This is my body- given for you� take and eatthen, all during the day I need to live that out. Whether I work in an office or factory, teach, prepare the food, nurse the sick, visit the aged and bedridden and listen to them with patience, etc., I actually give of myself �for you�. I should allow my self cheerfully to be eaten, consumed totally- how demanding!
Another consideration: I am sent to do (breaking of myself) by the Lord Jesus, because �you do this as a memorial of me�. Hence I owe it to Him�He depends on my contribution. If I fail to give it, that little bit will always remain incomplete. When I ma made aware of this could I afford to let Him down? Finally, in all humility, we must admit that with all or study of the Eucharist we still know next to nothing of this great Mystery. So we need to continue our search and our learning�till we contemplate the reality of God�s life

Eucharist and Unity
That the Eucharist is the sacrament of unity should be a foregone conclusion for every Christian familiar with St. John's Passion narrative. We all remember how during the Last Supper Jesus prayed specifically that his disciples remain united in him, and through him with the Father. "Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us� I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me".
Symbolism We are all aware of the meaning of the symbolism of the bread and wine, the main elements used in making Jesus, the Risen Lord, present again at the Eucharist. Just as many grains of wheat need to be crushed and ground into flour, which when mixed produces the one bread, and just as several grapes need to be crushed to produce wine - so all the members who participate in the Eucharist become one body in Christ. This is also the prayer that is said as part of the Eucharistic Prayer III: we pray the Father to send down his Spirit to mould all Christians into one body, one spirit in Christ.
When talking of the Christian community Paul compares it to a human body that is made up of different parts, each having its own proper function. While these various functions are different, yet they all work together for the good of the entire body. Thus it is that the Spirit distributes his gifts differently to various members of the Church - so that they all work together for the benefit of the entire Body of Christ.
It is worth noticing that when describing the inner life of the Church, Paul uses the analogy of an organic body, but while talking of the structure he refers to a building constructed with several bricks. In this latter case, the unity is somewhat external, while in the former the unity is organic, living and pulsating with the same life that is in God. Jesus brings out this last point through the analogy of the vine and the branches and prays his disciples to 'remain in me'. For just as a branch that is cut off from the tree withers and dies, so will anyone who remains cut off from Christ and his brethren. Eucharist Produces or Presumes Unity?
This is a further question that always comes up in connection with Christian unity: does the Eucharist presume unity, in the sense that if there is no unity, there cannot be a real Eucharistic celebration? This is the point that Paul seems to make in his fiery communication with the Corinthian community: "when you gather together as a Church, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat, since when the time comes to eat, everyone is in such a hurry to start his own supper that one person goes hungry while another is getting drunk...And so, everyone is to recollect himself before eating this bread and drinking this cup; because a person who eats and drinks without recognizing the Body is eating and drinking his own condemnation." In other words, if one discerns a lack of genuine unity in the group, and that he himself is the cause, he should refrain from celebrating the Eucharist.In fact, if he does, it would even cease to be Eucharist at all for him.
The other side of the coin is that, granting that there is at least a minimal amount of unity in the celebrating community, the Eucharistic celebration will cement them into a deeper unity, since it also produces unity. This is the understanding behind the value of celebrating of Eucharist with other Christian groups. Most of us would have had the experience of Eucharist as a profoundly binding force, as is even mentioned in the Preface for Reconciliation: 'Your Spirit changes our hearts, enemies begin to speak to one another, those who were estranged join hands in friendship and nations seek the way of peace together.'
If the Spirit does bring Catholics celebrating Eucharist together into such a deep unity, there is no reason to feel that the Spirit cannot unite people separated by even greater divisions, into one faith-filled body. This of course, requires much greater cooperation from the divided parties, as God never forces our will; if we bring the minimum desire for such a deep and lasting unity, it will surely be a reality. Unfortunately, such a desire requires great detachment and a readiness to 'lose' on different levels - one's material possessions, prestige, a sense of being in the right, position and power and a host of other benefits. Often this is what prevents the Eucharist from producing unity among Christians.
But where people are ready and willing to allow God's Spirit to prevail, marvelous examples of a deep and lasting unity are seen. Over the centuries, several splinter groups have rejoined the parent Church of Rome and now live in peace and harmony. The reunion of at least a part of the Jacobite Church in India to the Catholic Church in the 1930s is an example of this. Even in our own day, regular meetings are held among Christian Churches, all of which ensures that the thrust towards a complete unity is alive and there is hope that one day the prayer of Jesus will be fulfilled.
Unity in Diversity Yet, if such a deep and pervasive unity is to be achieved we have to realize that the kind of unity Jesus prays for is a unity in diversity: it is not the same as uniformity. The tendency in all of us is to equate unity with uniformity. However, from the very beginning, a marvellous unity in diversity existed among the various communities established by the apostles. Gradually, various divisions arose because of different reasons; could the main reason have been that Christians forgot what the very nature of unity is all about?
Jesus prayed for a unity among Christians based on the unity existing within the Blessed Trinity. But here we see that Father, Son and Spirit are three distinct Persons, each different from the Other and yet sharing their nature so fully that there is only one God. While we humans would never be able to attain that kind of unity, yet it is the ideal that Jesus places before us. In order to achieve this kind of unity in diversity, we would need to learn to value differences.
Another quality we would need is genuine trust in the other. Because the other person has a different way of expressing the truth, we should not be quick to believe that he is wrong and that only our way of expressing it is correct. If in the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds Jesus was prepared to allow the weeds to grow unchecked until harvest time, even though weeds are harmful to the growth of the wheat, how much more would he not want different varieties of wheat (but genuine wheat) growing side by side?
It is worth investigating why people are so intolerant of differences, especially where worship and service of God and neighbour are concerned. Maybe what we would discover underneath all our suspicion of one another is our own insecurities and lack of self-acceptance. Tolerating differences is not the same as compromising with the Truth. The latter can never be tolerated while the former calls for great inner emotional strength and assurance.
Again, the kind of unity Jesus wishes and prays for is not a 'live and let live' kind of approach where everyone does whatever he wills. It calls for a genuine respect for and trust in the other, and a readiness to collaborate at whatever levels and in whatever measure is possible at the present moment.
Practical Ways of Promoting Unity One simple way of fostering unity is to pray for other Christian churches [Join the HSI Prayer Circle and pray for Christian Unity], to look on their work with appreciation and gratitude, to thank the Lord for the people he touches through their ministries and so on. Further, we could meet with some of the members of other Churches and pray with them, or meet them over a cup of tea or in other forms of sharing. Knowing one another better and removing fear and misunderstanding as much as possible would in fact, go a long way towards building bridges and breaking down barriers. If we could also share some ministries together in a fraternal manner - that would help too.
The key point that we need to keep in mind is that celebrating the Eucharist as Jesus wanted us to, will not let us rest without doing something to further Christian unity within our own communities and also among various communities around us. Success is not ours to guarantee, but we can certainly make the necessary effort while leaving the rest to Jesus and his powerful Spirit. Where love and charity thrive, there God abides.

The Daily Eucharist
Celebrating the Eucharist every day allows us to be present to the one and same sacrifice of Jesus enacted on CalvaryYears ago, while I was teaching at the Papal Athenaeum (Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth), Pune, one of the seminarians asked me a pointed question: �Why should our bishops and staff members insist on our attendance at the daily Eucharist? After all, in the early Church, the Mass was said apparently only once a week. The superiors should leave us free in this matter and allow us to grow in maturity and freedom.� Then he said, �Father, what is your personal conviction and practice about the daily Eucharist? Is it so important and meaningful to you?� I said to him, �Yes, I never skip or drop my celebration of the daily Eucharist, unless I am impeded by some unavoidable circumstance from doing so.�
And I shared with him my personal reflection about the Eucharist: My celebration of the Eucharist depends ultimately on who Jesus is to me in my personal life as a Christian. If Jesus is my personal Lord, Saviour, my divinely human and humanly divine companion and intimate, unfailing friend, I shall always do spontaneously and with all my heart what He has asked me to do. Everything depends on this personal relationship between Jesus and me. If He has asked me to �Do this in memory of Me�, I shall certainly do it as often as I can.
By way of illustration let me narrate the following story in the life of a young man. His name was John. He was engaged to a very noble and beautiful girl, Mary. In a couple of years they were going to get married. They truly loved each other with a single-minded attachment: really meant for each other. Once it happened that Mary had to go with her parents for about three months to a remote village in a distant country. There was no Internet or mobile or even a proper telephone system. The two would be away from each other for such a long period. But she had to go.
The night before Mary�s departure, John had been to her house. Both were sitting together. Tears were welling in the eyes of both. It was time now for John to wish �Happy Journey� to Mary and her parents. At that moment Mary put her hand in her pocket and removed a small handkerchief. She wiped her tears with it; she wiped John�s tears also with it and after kissing it lovingly gave it to him saying, �John, treasure this with you till I come back. And do me a favour: every morning when you get up, you kiss it as a remembrance of my love for you. Do this until I return.� John never missed to do what Mary had asked him. Why? Because Mary meant so much - in fact, everything - to him. It was Mary who had asked him to do it.
Coming back to the theme of the celebration of the Eucharist in my life, as to how often I should celebrate it, the answer ultimately depends upon who Jesus is to me. There are very few instances in the Gospels where Jesus has told His close disciples explicitly to do something. One is: �Love one another as I have loved you�. The other is: �Do this in memory of me�. If Jesus has asked me to do this in remembrance of Him, I�ll do it as often as I can, in fact daily if possible, because of my relationship of love and loyalty to Him. Unlike the situation and practice in the early Church, we are privileged in our times that the Eucharist is celebrated daily in most Catholic churches. This gives a wonderful opportunity for us to meet our Lord and renew our contact with Him in a sacramental way and receive Him as He gives Himself to us totally (His body and blood) and personally in His act of self-sacrificing love.
The passage in which Jesus gives this command to the disciples, is found in 1 Cor.11: 23-27 (cf. Also Lk. 22:19-20). This is the earliest written account in the New Testament about the institution of the Eucharist. St Paul tells the Corinthian Christians: �23 I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, �This is My body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance (eis�anamnesin) of Me.� 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, �This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance (eis...anamnesin) of me�. 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim (katangellete) the Lord�s death until He comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.
We notice that every time the disciples do the action of �eating this bread and drinking the cup�, they �proclaim the Lord�s death�. It means that the disciples announce as good news here and now in the present that the Lord Jesus is dying on the Cross and the salvific effects or fruits of His sacrificial death are now received by the disciples in the Eucharistic meal.
The disciples� eating of �the bread� signifies their actual communion or sharing (koinonia) with the body (=�person�, according to the Bible) of the Lord. The drinking of �the cup� signifies their actual sharing in the blood (=�life�) of the Lord. About this truth St Paul, while warning the Christians of Corinth to shun idol worship and pagan sacrifices, reminds them of the following words: �The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation (koinonia) in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation (koinonia) in the body of Christ?� (1 Cor. 10:16).
In other words, in the Eucharistic meal the risen Lord shares His own life with the disciples here and now. Hence it becomes a real proclamation, a grateful and joyous celebration for the community of disciples. The past event of Calvary becomes truly present to the disciples. The Eucharist becomes a re-enactment in the present or actualisation of the once-and-for-all past event of Jesus� death on the Cross, and they receive in the action of the Lord�s Supper its salvific fruits. We saw that in the action of eating the body of Christ and drinking His blood, the disciples proclaim the death of the Lord. And this very action they do �in remembrance� of the Lord. This is evident from the adverb �for� at the beginning of the verse 26.
What does this �in (eis) remembrance� of Me� imply? The Greek eis would imply that the disciples� action �Do this� is for the purpose of remembrance of Jesus, or in order to recall, bring to their mind, Jesus. So this �remembrance� (anamnesis) is not an act of the mind, when we think of someone, for example, our dead, but it refers to an action (Do this�) of the disciples, which causes remembrance and makes present to them a past event of Jesus� redemptive death. We may say, the risen Lord himself now becomes present to them in His action of dying for them in self-giving love, and communicates to them the salvific fruits of His sacrifice. This actualisation of the past event of Calvary brings to their mind (anamnesis) who their Lord is and how much He loves them in His giving himself for them and to them totally and completely: �All that I am and all that I have, I give for your sake completely. See how much I love you� (cf. Gal. 2:20: �He loved me and gave Himself up for me�).
So real is this Eucharistic action (and not just a mental, psychological or affective act), that St Paul reminds the Christians, saying: �Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and the blood of the Lord� (1 Cor. 11:27). �Do this in memory of ME� It is important to note that the Eucharistic action brings to the mind of the disciples not only the action of Jesus in his self-giving love for all on the Cross, but the person of Jesus (�in memory of ME�).
The Eucharist is the actualisation of the event that was Jesus: His person, His mission and all that He lived and stood for. So the action of dying on the Cross on the part of Jesus includes by implication all that led Jesus to acceptance on the cross, namely the mission which He continues to the end in obedience to the Father�s will and in love for all human beings. In the total giving of His body and blood Jesus sums up the gift of His entire life and His constant fidelity to His identity and mission. So the command of the Lord to His disciples at the Eucharistic meal to remember Him is an exhortation to renew their contact experientially and really with Him, the source of their new life in God. That is the purpose of the �memory� or �remembrance�.
In this renewal of their contact with the Lord Jesus, as they �eat His body and drink His blood, they have eternal life�, they �abide in Him and He in them� (John 6:54,56). Their union with Him and with one another becomes more intimate and strong. And as Jesus assimilates the disciples to Himself and even transforms them into Himself, He also involves them in His mission and work. St Paul exhorts us Christians to �walk in love (agape) as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God� (Eph. 5:2). The Corinthian Christians were reprimanded by Paul precisely because they were not living the Lord�s Supper in their community gatherings.
One final point in the disciples� celebration of the Eucharist as �doing this in memory of Me� and the �proclamation of the death of the Lord� needs some comment: How to accept this mystery of a past action that exerts an efficacy down the centuries? Xavier Leon-Dufour, S.J. has suggested the following symbolic analogy: Day after day we repeat: �The sun is risen,� even though we know perfectly well that the sun does not �rise�, and that on the contrary, the earth each morning enters the presence of the sun, the centre of the system in which it exists. The same holds for the action of Jesus in sacrificing Himself for all human beings.
He is henceforth the centre of the �Christian system� in as much as He is the one on whom all depend and from whom all receive eternal life. Day after day I say that I am actualising that action, rendering it present; I know perfectly well, however, that the contrary alone is true. Each morning I become present to the sacrifice of Jesus which, though an action within past time, has a supra temporal dimension and allows me to be present to it despite the distance created by time which from my point of view flows on unceasingly and inexorably. As a result, time itself acquires not only a footing in eternity but a dynamism that is solidly rooted in the saving act of God and opens me to an all-embracing reconciliation. (Sharing the Eucharistic Bread, Paulist Press, New 1987,.116)Fr Francis Periera, S.J.

God Experience in the Eucharist
There are many factors that can make the Liturgy, specially the Eucharist a God-experience, that is an encounter with the living God who reaches out to us through the incarnate word, Jesus Christ. Though there is no human guarantee for such an experience, we can facilitate it.
Living in God�s presence:
One way is to make an effort to see God in all creation, in the people we meet daily and in the events of life. If we do not meet him in this way it becomes difficult to experience him in the Eucharist. But the liturgy, specially the mass bubbles with life when we are energized by the Spirit.
As a Person God reaches out to persons: Another channel of God-experience is the personal touch in the celebration. God does not deal with a nameless crowd. He baptizes not a group of persons but Joshua, Nirmala, Manisha etc. The ideal is not bigger churches, but smaller ones so that those who gather relate to one another so personally that in that very encounter they can experience Christ who is in their midst (Mt. 18/20) Of course a big celebration like a wedding, funeral or Ordination can be personalized and participative. But this is more easily brought about in a smaller community expressing itself in gestures, postures, signs and symbols, song and dance and even silence.
Responding to felt needs of the parish community: Another factor to facilitate God-experience would be the way in which the celebration expresses the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the people who actually form that community. It means that the Celebrant specially should recognize and understand the world in which we live, its expectations, longings and its often dramatic traits. Most of all be aware of the way his parishioners think and behave. When the local community experience that their life is celebrated, the whole celebrating community can become a channel of a God-experience.
Joy, Enthusiasm and Conviction:
Many masses lack the element of celebration. For convenience, people attend mass in different churches. As strangers to one another they do not see any reason for relating to one another, still less form a community, even temporary. So the celebrant has to make them feel �at home� by a smile and warm words of welcome. Rather than have a fixed, solemn gaze he should look around in a familiar manner and himself be excited about the celebration, urging those present to participate whole-heartedly.
How often we forget that God is excited about His own plan of Love and is determined to see it through! His Son�s incarnation manifests the sincerity of God�s determination. Liturgical celebrations, like the Eucharist, should radiate God�s joy. They should proclaim and celebrate our conviction and enthusiasm about God�s eternal plan. According to the age, culture and type of participants the celebrant is expected to make the celebration, joyful, festive, fraternal and meditative.
Conclusion: Of course not all the members of the congregation will agree and feel at ease with the ways of celebration. This is no cause for worry. We are different and unique. The congregation should be challenged to grow in openness and in our understanding of others. Let us also not expect every mass to be original, fresh and fascinating. �We want creativity. But periods of calm and reflection and the ordinary rhythm of daily life are needed for creativity that springs from genuine depth. To destroy or taste for the ordinary is to interfere with the foundation of our life. To enjoy the unusual, we must have a steady taste for the usual.� (Ladislaus Orsy, S.J.) (Adapted from �God-experience in the Liturgy� by Gerwin van Leeuwen O.F.M.)

LIVING A EUCHARISTIC LIFE
There is nothing magical about the Eucharist. Jesus is not at the beck and call of every priest who at the Consecration suddenly makes him present where he did not exist before. He does not appear in a vacuum, leaping down from heaven. His presence is situated in a whole network of relationships, a network of presences in and for the community. In other words, there are different ways in which Jesus is present to us and all of these are related to the Eucharist where these modes of presence converge.
To think of Jesus� presence in the Eucharist as a form of local presence is restricting and static. The Eucharistic presence goes beyond saying that Jesus is �there� in that host or tabernacle. Rather we are speaking of contact with the living Lord himself, Body & Blood. This is a personal encounter with the risen Christ and as such requires our presence and response as well.
The Eucharist is a gift to us in whom Jesus already lives by his Spirit. It is the summit of all the other ways or modes of presence which come together in the Eucharist. It is given to nourish the life already begun in us. Jesus is present in many ways to serve His Mystical Body. We here consider just three ways.
First of all in the Community of the baptized. The presence of Jesus at mass is an offered presence. It is offered to those who celebrate the mystery of their being Church. Jesus is already present in those gathered in his name. His sacramental presence is not an end in itself. It is meant to nourish the inner life of those who receive him in Holy Communion. St. Aug. captures this graphically when he says: �If you are the Body of Christ and his members, it is your mystery which has been placed on the altar of the Lord; you receive your own mystery. You answer �Amen� to what your are.� This Eucharistic presence challenges us to live like Christ. As we grow into the likeness of Jesus and bring to the Eucharist a faith-filled presence, the Eucharistic Christ will become more and more enfleshed within us.
econdly, Jesus is present in the person of the priest. But we do not think of him as merely having the power to change bread & wine into the Body & Blood of Christ. Rather, as the visible sign of both the believing community and the head of that community, Christ Himself. The priest is an active sign of Jesus gathering us to share in his banquet. As the living sign of Christ his ability to preside in his name comes from his pastoral ministry of Christ-like mercy & compassion. In the Eucharist the priest mirrors the continuing service of Jesus to his brethren.
Thirdly, Jesus is present in the word and in the Eucharistic prayer. Christ�s presence in the word does not end with the homily. The fulfillment of God�s saving word is yet to take place in the commitment of the Church to God we call the Eucharistic Prayer. It is during and because of the Eucharistic Prayer that Christ�s sacramental presence is effected. The united action of the word and the Holy Spirit during mass makes our entire life of faith. Moved by God�s word we live his law of love. Thanks to the Holy Spirit the power of that word enables us to live like Christ each living moment.
So we see that the Eucharistic presence of Christ is not his sudden appearance in a place where till now he was absent. He was already present in the assembly of the faithful, in the priest and in his word. His presence is intensified and becomes redemptive because of our understanding & belief in the three modes or ways he is really present to us. To repeat what we considered earlier: The Eucharist is a personal encounter with the Risen Christ and as such requires our presence and response as well.
An important consideration: The historical Jesus is really absent. His sacramental presence is that of one person to another. It requires our response to make us instruments of salvation to our full capacity. In this sense, Jesus� presence is offered to us and awaits our response, an acceptance and recognition of love and faith. Without this, it is like a hand of friendship that is offered but never clasped. This encounter that Jesus seeks to bring about is the heart of the Eucharistic mystery.
Jesus waits our recognition and response. This response is not shown by emotional feelings of piety and reverence. Rather by living as Jesus lived, loving one another as he has loved us. The Eucharistic presence is not some object or person that we keep and worship. It is part of the total reality of Christ�s presence to his people � a far richer concept.
We are also made aware of the purpose of Christ�s presence. We are brought face to face with him as were the first disciples. We can ignore him, pick and choose the things we like, or commit ourselves entirely to him in loving response. It is this total response Jesus looks for from us. The Eucharistic presence of Christ is at the heart of the Church. But it will be a redeeming presence for us only if the whole mystery of Christ�s life is accepted and lived. Only in this way will the Church become the presence of Jesus in the world. ( Abridged and adapted from �Bread broken and shared� by Fr Paul Bernier,S.S.S. )

SUNDAY MASS SHOULD BE SEEN AS A JOY
Sunday Mass is not an imposition but a joy and a need for Catholics, says Benedict XVI. The Pope delivered that message from the window of his study recently before praying the Angelus with the more than 40,000 people gathered below in St. Peter�s Square.
The Holy Father�s brief address was centred on the Year of the Eucharist, which closes with a synod of the world�s bishops this October in Rome. Pope John Paul II had convoked the Year of the Eucharist �to reawaken ever more, in the consciences of believers, wonder toward this great Sacrament,� said Benedict XVI, eliciting applause from his listeners several times.

In this singular Eucharistic time, one of the recurring topics is Sunday, the Day of the Lord, a topic that was also at the centre of the recent Italian Eucharistic Congress, held in Bari,� he said. Benedict XVI attended the close of the Congress May 29, 2005.
A need :�During the conclusive celebration,� the Holy Father continued, �I also underlined how participation at Sunday Mass must be seen by a Catholic not as an imposition or weight, but as a need and joy. �To meet with brothers, to listen to the Word of God and to be nourished of Christ, immolated for us, is an experience that gives meaning to life, which infuses peace in the heart. Without Sunday, we Catholics cannot live.� Noting the large crowd in St. Peter�s Square, the Holy Father noted: �Italian pilgrims are very numerous, as always. Thank you for your enthusiasm.� (End O talk by Pope Benedict)
Eucharist: "The Sunday precept is not, therefore, an externally-imposed duty, a burden on our shoulders. On the contrary, taking part in the celebration, being nourished by the Eucharistic bread and experiencing the communion of their brothers and sisters in Christ is a need for Christians, it is a joy; Christians can thus replenish the energy they need to continue on the journey we must make every week" -- homily during the closing Mass of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress in Bari, May 29.
The peak of all Christian healing, especially in deeper faith, hope and love on a spiritual plane should be found in our frequent and devout reception of the Holy Eucharist In this sacrament we approach God the consuming fire with great expectancy�.that the deep roots of sinfulness in us will be replace with a new surge of God�s eternal resurrectional life in us. Of all the sacraments, the Eucharist is the climax because here Jesus Christ gives himself unto eternal life. Here w must experience a sharing un His glorious Resurrection as the Spirit dissolves in us our lack of love for God and for neighbour (Fr. George Maloney on the Eucharist).

BREAD FOR A NEW WORLD
The existing world order is contrary to the values of the Eucharist. For most of the world�s people it is poverty, hunger and suffering. The world exploits greedily but the Eucharis implies sharing in love. The world is racist, the Eucharist Universalist. The world is arrogant domination; the Eucharist is the sacrament of humble service. The Eucharist is bread for the multitudes. The world is just bread for trade. Is it possible to continue celebrating the Eucharist and remain unconcerned about national and international poverty and injustice?
The Eucharist today offers us comfort. It has little courage to challenge. It is ready to console and edify. It does not break self satisfaction and shatter our indifference. The trouble is the Eucharist has become doctrine, institution and security. It is not an event but routine ritual.
Properly understood, the Eucharist is Jesus telling us that we are capable of sacrifice, discipline, of moral and spiritual courage. Human nature must constantly be challenged by Jesus and Mark�s Gospel helps us to do that. The fact that 12 baskets remained neatly provides one for each apostle. It is the task of Jesus� disciples down through the ages to distribute the blessings that Jesus brought to the world.
Why was so much bread left over? Mark answers the question in Ch 7 where ritualism of religion can prevent just distribution. The Pharisees developed human traditions about partaking in meals which excluded the ritually impure from participation. Today such an attitude shows itself in the liturgical and social areas. In the liturgy we are more concerned about the proper bread and wine to be used, the postures and decorum to be observed than our brothers and sisters who participate. We categorize those who are worthy and those who are unworthy to share in Christ�s cup and salvation. Socially, we are indifferent to the needs of our neighbour, perhaps even our poor relations, while we give generously at the Offertory. Jesus gives us a clue to our narrow behaviour. He says it is not what comes into us from outside that defile us but what comes out from our hearts: greed, malice, deceit, envy arrogance.
There is still another reason why bread is still left over: we restrict salvation- food only to �the chosen people�. We limit our help to our own parish, church, community and religious group rather than give to all in need whoever they may be. The miracles of the loaves and fish tell us of the abundance with which Jesus graces us, abundance which is more than enough for everyone. Yet we fear that we will be depriving ourselves.
On the international level, we have seen such selfishness recently in the G8 summit. The rich and developed nations agreed to give a few billions to the African countries but were not prepared to wipe out their debt. The Eucharist has tremendous power to bring about personal and global transformation. If Christians did what Jesus taught by his own example when he took, blessed, broke and gave bread to be distributed, many of the world�s problems at the personal and institutional levels would be solved.
(Abridged & Adapted from �Bread For A New World� by Fr. Paul Bernier,S.S.S.)

HOLY COMMUNION A UNION OF HEARTS
Our Eucharistic celebration propels us into a deep union with Jesus, the goal of which is Holy Communion. If we are to be one with Him in Holy Communion then we must be willing to sacrifice ourselves to the Father as he did. When we consume the consecrated bread and wine we affirm that we are willing to live as he lives, totally dedicated to the Father and His values and totally sacrificing ourselves for others.
To the degree to which we are intending to live in deep relationship with Jesus, we will then be willing to come into union with others, simply because that is the way he lives. Only by choosing to be like Jesus do we receive Communion with integrity and sincerity. This spiritual union with Christ and others is what it means to be the Body of Christ. Communion is one important way Jesus creates His Body on earth.
From God�s heart flows all that is good, and so as we rest in His heart in Holy Communion we are consumed by Him, filled with Him, re-vitalized in Him, provided we have consciously united ourselves with the bread and wine. Because with the transformed gifts we enter into Jesus� heart. We are now filled with him because we have emptied ourselves of all desires other than to be close to Him.
As we are filled with God, we can be nothing but filled with new life- that is re-vitalized, renewed, transformed, healed and humanized. For we are at the origin of our human natures when we are in our Father�s heart, and He knows what we need, what we seek and what we are capable of doing. Communion is that union of our hearts with God�s that brings life to fulfillment in us. In this way the Eucharist expands and humanizes our egos, allowing the best in us to be freed and expressed.
Testimony of Fr Dobson: There was a time when the sacrifice God asked of me was my apostolate. It was one that I loved and one in which I found deep meaning for my life. I was confused, wondering whether the idea for the apostolate that had fallen apart was mine or God�s. I agonized with this question through sleepless nights and long hours with my spiritual director and friends.
My problem became all too clear. I knew I must sacrifice the lost apostolate to God. I gave my life to Him, but then quickly added my expectations of how He should take care of me. I was afraid. My sacrifice was not unconditional. Then, attending a conference I was told by friends that I had to give up my apostolate to God because I loved Him, not out of fear of Him.
I celebrated mass giving my life and apostolate to God, with great effort focusing on Him first and on what I wanted second. I did not suggest to Him what I thought the outcome in my life should be. When I received the Body & Blood of Jesus, I believed with everything in me that God was transforming me and purifying me of my attachments to the apostolate. Then the miracle took place. Everything in me broke free and my last attachment the apostolate I so loved was shattered. I was free to find a new direction in which God was leading my life. To my surprise, in a few days God sent me on a new mission in which He blessed me with all I could ever hope for. The personal freedom and faith that came from the Eucharist was the result of His love breaking my unconditional clinging to a thing in which I had found great security, and filling me with a clinging to Him.
To we see how the Eucharist brings us to an experience of love that frees us from needing anything else. It prepares us little by little for the experience of being in God�s hands as we know it in this life, and as we shall know it in the next. The Eucharist gently and persistently reminds us that all we have for security in this life is God alone. Every other security is an illusion.. In the Eucharist we come to know that love which is strong enough to be our security in every situation. From the experience of His love, as we rest in His heart, we learn to love. We find out that to love is the most perfect attitude, for it guides us into that selflessness that makes us whole and holy. (Adapted from �A Union Of Hearts� by Fr. Theodore Dobson )

HOLY COMMUNION AND CHANGE
Holy Communion is all about change. The Eucharist is Christ changing the world.. He changes our gifts; he changes our worship; he changes us. At the start of the Eucharist our gifts are simply bread and wine, the signs of our ordinary life which we wish to give to God. By the time Communion these gifts have become Christ�s Body and Blood. All this is part of God�s design that through these gifts we be changed, so that we in turn might help him in changing the world.
Truly, the action of God is wonderful. It can, if we allow it, change us from within, changing not only our ideas but our hearts, our habits and our inmost selves. In the Eucharist through the Holy Spirit, Christ changes bread and wine into his own Body & Blood, because his purpose is to change us. The same deep reaching action of the Spirit of God, which changes our gifts, is going to change our hearts, which the gifts represent. We do not see any change in the external appearances of our offerings. Yet, while the outer appearances remain the same our faith believes that the inner reality has been changed. This is what we mean by Transubstantiation.
Similarly with the change in ourselves. On receiving Holy Communion we cannot always feel differently. A change may or may not take place in our feelings, but the inner change is the one Our Lord is most concerned about, and that is something which goes to the very depths of our being. A change which reaches below the surface of our moods and feelings. It helps us to grow slowly into the fullness of Christ.
Just as we need faith to accept the change of bread and wine, so we need faith to accept the reality of this inner change in grace. St. Paul tells us that we are being renewed everyday. (2Cor. 4/16) We are being changed into the likeness of Christ. (2Cor. 3/8) The great saints of the Eastern Church tell us that we are being transformed, transfigured, and divinized by the growing reality of Christ within us.
Transfiguration: For just one blinding moment the inner reality of Christ, hidden all along suddenly shines before His three disciples. St Ephraim tells us that just as Christ�s clothing covered the weakness of his body, so his body veiled the splendour of his divine nature. . But on the mountain, his divinity shone through his body and his face dazzled them like the sun. Scripture tells us that something similar is going to happen to us. �Then shall the just shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father�. (Mt. 13/43)

When the Word was made flesh, it was not just a wonder for a day and then was all over. It was rather the beginning of a process.. The Word being made flesh was part of a great plan by which all flesh, all humankind would be transformed into a state of being which the human heart has never dreamed of. �Heaven is where we belong, and from there we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transfigure these bodies of our lowliness to be like his glorious body, according to the power by which he can subdue all things to himself.� (Plilips. 3/20)
A New Earth: Not just the followers of Christ but the whole of Creation will be enveloped in change. On the Last Day there will be a new heaven and a new earth. (Apoc. 21/1) The whole of creation will be set free. ( Rom. 8/20). The Cosmic Christ, the centre of the Universe will be all in all.(Col. 3/11). He will celebrate a truly cosmic Liturgy when he hands over all things into the hands of his Father, so that God may be all in all. (1Cor. 15/8)
But the future is prepared for in the present, as the transfiguration of the universe is already under way. In making his love a reality among us, Christ is changing the world. By communicating his divine life to us he is transfiguring the human race. We see this clearly in the lives of the saints and is already a fact in all who are living the life of grace. Christ is helping us to grow in love, and live transfigures those whom it touches.
Eucharist as Centre: At the centre of the transfiguration of the universe stands the Eucharist. The early saints referred to the change of the bread and wine as the transfiguration. How else will that preparation for a new heaven and a new earth be carried on if not by the Sacrament of the Altar? It is above all at the Centre of the Eucharist that Christ is working for the transfiguration of the universe. One day Jesus will transfigure our bodies in the resurrection from the dead. By this same power he will subdue and transfigure the entire universe. Now by this same power he changes bread and wine into his Body & Blood.
The transfiguration of the universe started on the morning of the Resurrection when Christ�s body rose from the dead. It is continued in every mass as bread and wine are changed into his glorified Body and Precious Blood. Our humble gifts, that is, our weak and sinful lives are touched by something of that final mystery and conflagration. We believe that such extraordinary things are taking place because at the centre of the Eucharist is the divine nature of Christ. The mystery of transfiguration in the Eucharist is possible because Christ is the Son of God. �Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the human heart to conceive the things God has prepared for those who love him�. (1Cor. 2/9)
( Abridged & adapted from �The Splendid Eucharist� by Fr. Raymond Moloney S.J.)

SUNDAY MASS SHOULD BE SEEN AS A JOY Sunday Mass is not an imposition but a joy and a need for Catholics, says Benedict XVI. The Pope delivered that message from the window of his study recently before praying the Angelus with the more than 40,000 people gathered below in St. Peter�s Square.
The Holy Father�s brief address was centred on the Year of the Eucharist, which closes with a synod of the world�s bishops this October in Rome. Pope John Paul II had convoked the Year of the Eucharist �to reawaken ever more, in the consciences of believers, wonder toward this great Sacrament,� said Benedict XVI, eliciting applause from his listeners several times.
In this singular Eucharistic time, one of the recurring topics is Sunday, the Day of the Lord, a topic that was also at the centre of the recent Italian Eucharistic Congress, held in Bari,� he said. Benedict XVI attended the close of the Congress May 29, 2005.
A need :�During the conclusive celebration,� the Holy Father continued, �I also underlined how participation at Sunday Mass must be seen by a Catholic not as an imposition or weight, but as a need and joy. �To meet with brothers, to listen to the Word of God and to be nourished of Christ, immolated for us, is an experience that gives meaning to life, which infuses peace in the heart. Without Sunday, we Catholics cannot live.� Noting the large crowd in St. Peter�s Square, the Holy Father noted: �Italian pilgrims are very numerous, as always. Thank you for your enthusiasm.� (End O talk by Pope Benedict)
Eucharist: "The Sunday precept is not, therefore, an externally-imposed duty, a burden on our shoulders. On the contrary, taking part in the celebration, being nourished by the Eucharistic bread and experiencing the communion of their brothers and sisters in Christ is a need for Christians, it is a joy; Christians can thus replenish the energy they need to continue on the journey we must make every week" -- homily during the closing Mass of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress in Bari, May 29.
The peak of all Christian healing, especially in deeper faith, hope and love on a spiritual plane should be found in our frequent and devout reception of the Holy Eucharist In this sacrament we approach God the consuming fire with great expectancy�.that the deep roots of sinfulness in us will be replace with a new surge of God�s eternal resurrectional life in us. Of all the sacraments, the Eucharist is the climax because here Jesus Christ gives himself unto eternal life. Here w must experience a sharing un His glorious Resurrection as the Spirit dissolves in us our lack of love for God and for neighbour (Fr. George Maloney on the Eucharist).

SHOUTS OF JOY IN THE EUCHARIST
He�s a Jolly Good Fellow, Cheers, Congratulations are lively tome honoured �shouts of joy� that make our picnics, parties and get-togethers complete. Even when we have no time , space or money for an elaborate party, we never omit such cheerful greetings because they quickly and potently sum up the celebration.
The Acclamations: The Church�s Liturgy also has its own enthusiastic refrains. The Liturgy of the Word incorporates eager one-liners before and after the gospel. The Liturgy of the Eucharist has three exuberant acclamations: the Holy, Holy, Holy; the Memorial and the Great Amen. Such acclamations are spirited, public demonstrations of esteem and approval. These shouts of joy run through the Mass, briefly yet powerfully declaring the faith of the assembly. They are the key songs of our celebration and deserve careful planning.
Some parts of the Mass belong to the rite itself and are of prime importance �the Gloria, Responsorial Psalm, Acclamations; while others accompany a rite-the songs during the processions viz., Entrance, Offertory, Communion and Recession. To quote a few Church documents: � the acclamations foster and bring about communion between priest and people. In choosing parts to be sung, preference should be given to those sung by the priest with the people responding. In selecting the parts that are to be sung, one should start with those of greater importance. Others may be gradually added.�If tunes for the liturgy�s acclamations are selected first, our Church�s services would at once turn into joyous celebrations of and by the people.
The Sanctus: We hear many homemade versions of the Holy, Holy at our Masses. Some examples: �Hosanna, Hosanna�Lord we lift up your Name� �Let all that is within m cry Holy,�.� �I�ll sing a song to you Lord�� The only one approved is what we have in the text of the Missal. This text joins the Song of the Angels in the vision of Isaiah (6/3) in the temple of Jerusalem to the one sung unceasingly in the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 4/8) After our lips sanctified spiritually as Isaiah was done by the burning coal 6/6) we pray that God may pour out his Holy Spirit upon the gifts placed on the altar.
The Memorial Acclamation; It�s a shout of joy that follo9ws the words of Consecration. It remembers the Paschal Mystery, past, present and future. It calls for singing with a tune that matches the Holy, Holy. The four different acclamations focus people�s attention on the core of the Mass and sets a platform for the Celebrant�s Memorail prayer that follows. Each acclamation brings out the theme of the feast, season or Sunday that lend variety to our celebrations.
The Doxology: the priest sings this alone. The congregation ratifies it by the �Great Amen�. Since Jesus ois our �Amen�, our �Yes� to God this concluding word of praise is sung �through Him, with Him, and in Him� (2Cor. 1/20) Let the Great Amen sound like a thunderclap, just as it did among the early Christians.. It is a sign of the heart�s joy.
Mother Church desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the Liturgy and to which the Christian people have a right and obligation by their Baptism which has made priestly people. This is the aim to be considered before all else in the restoration of the liturgy.
The Checklists: To help song leaders and choirs to handle these recommendations I have written 50 versions of the Holy, Holy , often with matching tunes for the Memorial and the Doxology. We can now use short, simple versions on weekdays, keeping special ones for Sundays and Feasts. This book, entitled � The Complete Mass Book� includes a checklist to streamline and summarize the planning of every mass and to examine whether one respects the theme of the celebration. (Abridged from � Shouts Of joy In The Eucharist� by Fr. Aniceto Nazareth)

BREAD FOR A NEW WORLD
The existing world order is contrary to the values of the Eucharist. For most of the world�s people it is poverty, hunger and suffering. The world exploits greedily but the Eucharis implies sharing in love. The world is racist, the Eucharist Universalist. The world is arrogant domination; the Eucharist is the sacrament of humble service. The Eucharist is bread for the multitudes. The world is just bread for trade. Is it possible to continue celebrating the Eucharist and remain unconcerned about national and international poverty and injustice?
The Eucharist today offers us comfort. It has little courage to challenge. It is ready to console and edify. It does not break self satisfaction and shatter our indifference. The trouble is the Eucharist has become doctrine, institution and security. It is not an event but routine ritual.
Properly understood, the Eucharist is Jesus telling us that we are capable of sacrifice, discipline, of moral and spiritual courage. Human nature must constantly be challenged by Jesus and Mark�s Gospel helps us to do that. The fact that 12 baskets remained neatly provides one for each apostle. It is the task of Jesus� disciples down through the ages to distribute the blessings that Jesus brought to the world.
Why was so much bread left over? Mark answers the question in Ch 7 where ritualism of religion can prevent just distribution. The Pharisees developed human traditions about partaking in meals which excluded the ritually impure from participation. Today such an attitude shows itself in the liturgical and social areas. In the liturgy we are more concerned about the proper bread and wine to be used, the postures and decorum to be observed than our brothers and sisters who participate. We categorize those who are worthy and those who are unworthy to share in Christ�s cup and salvation. Socially, we are indifferent to the needs of our neighbour, perhaps even our poor relations, while we give generously at the Offertory. Jesus gives us a clue to our narrow behaviour. He says it is not what comes into us from outside that defile us but what comes out from our hearts: greed, malice, deceit, envy arrogance.
There is still another reason why bread is still left over: we restrict salvation- food only to �the chosen people�. We limit our help to our own parish, church, community and religious group rather than give to all in need whoever they may be. The miracles of the loaves and fish tell us of the abundance with which Jesus graces us, abundance which is more than enough for everyone. Yet we fear that we will be depriving ourselves. On the international level, we have seen such selfishness recently in the G8 summit. The rich and developed nations agreed to give a few billions to the African countries but were not prepared to wipe out their debt. The Eucharist has tremendous power to bring about personal and global transformation. If Christians did what Jesus taught by his own example when he took, blessed, broke and gave bread to be distributed, many of the world�s problems at the personal and institutional levels would be solved. (Abridged & Adapted from �Bread For A New World� by Fr. Paul Bernier,S.S.S.

Eucharist and Peace/Justice FR. Erasto Fernandez SSS. In our modern context we are conscious of the different levels at which injustices, inequalities and divisive forces exist among us; we read of them constantly in each day's news and so celebrating Eucharist as the gathering of all of God's beloved children must be a very challenging event for us. The political scenario of any country in today's world is rife with injustice, the rich exploiting the poor, the very systems of government set up to ensure that the rich continue to get richer at the expense of the under-privileged - all of this presents a very difficult yet challenging backdrop for a fruitful celebration of Eucharist.
If Jesus came to take away the sin of the world, then as we celebrate Eucharist we need to be keenly conscious of the presence of sin and division in our surroundings and much more within our own hearts and lives. Our very coming together for Eucharist says that we want to leave behind our sinful ways, that we will not place self at the center of our lives, but be always ready to break of ourselves for the sake of our brothers and sisters, especially the disadvantaged. The effect of sin is division not only of mankind from God, but also of one human being from another. Adam turned against Eve and blamed her as the cause of their downfall.
When Jesus through his dying-rising took away the sin of the world, he struck at the very roots of this division, so that all peoples could come together and live in harmony. The other then is no more seen as an enemy, a rival, a threat, a stranger or foreigner, but as a brother - different undoubtedly, but yet loved and cherished equally by the Father of us all. The measure in which we can live together in peace and harmony is the extent to which God's reign has come among us
. Jesus our Peace However, all these aspirations will remain as nothing more than wonderful wishes and hopes, failing to become a reality for us until we allow Jesus to grow within us through his Spirit. Only then will there be some hope of people living in peace. Paul put it this way: "But now in Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law. This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single body and reconcile them with God. In his own person he killed the hostility�Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father" (Eph. 2:13-22).
Further, Jesus is our Covenant with the Father and while each of us makes that covenant personally through our own personal 'yes', the consequence of our covenant with God is that we become brothers and sisters to one another. We cannot all be true children of God and not be brothers and sisters to one another at the same time. Now as children of the same Father we cannot afford to have the attitude of Cain who asked: 'Am I my brother's keeper?' So, we live in peace with one another and foster good in each person around us. Their growth and happiness is our happiness too.
This ideal of peace and harmony in the Christian community is portrayed beautifully in the early Church where we are told: "The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common. The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power and they were all given great respect. None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need" (Acts 4:32-35). While we are today still miles away from having attained this ideal, yet that is the direction in which the Eucharist takes us.
Positive Peace Measures However, it must always be borne in mind that the peace that exists among Christians is not just the absence of war and strife. That would be only the negative side of Christian peace and unity; this kind of peace is sometimes called, 'the peace of the graveyard.' The true Christian not only avoids strife, but positively fosters all that promotes peace. If in the Eucharist the Christian is challenged to 'do this in memory of Me' and so like Christ to break himself for the other, then throughout the rest of the day, the Christian literally becomes 'bread broken' for the other. With his 'self' sacrificed at the Eucharist, the Christian can begin to be 'all things to all people' as Jesus himself was. He becomes an active agent of peace, concord and harmony.
Again, believing that each baptized Christian is Christ, a part of the mystical Body of Christ, he respects each person as he would respect Christ himself. This attitude cuts off all desire to take unjust advantage of the other, to exploit the other or to use the other for one's own gain. Not that this transformation happens or can happen all at once, yet each celebration of the Eucharist brings to the fore this tendency in all of us, inviting us to truly break of this sinful self within us. The Spirit of Jesus dwelling within us first of all points out to us the areas in which we are in complicity with Sin. Often what happens is that we have been so accustomed to un-Christ-like ways that we don't even notice what is wrong with our behaviour. And so, the Spirit first of all draws our attention to these areas.
At the same time he sows within our hearts the desire for a change, drawing us to work on this change step by step. We begin to understand the roots of our slavery to the ways of the world, to consumerism that makes us crave for more and more, often even at the expense of others around us. The Spirit further gives us the strength to uproot these evil tendencies in ourselves and walk along the path of justice and peace. Gradually we come to the point of having not just the absence of craving for these material things, but also a readiness to be despoiled of them, even unjustly. As long as we are close to Jesus, we don't mind the loss of all things: 'let them take it all' we are able to say with Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 19:25-30).
Eucharist, our Peace-building Bread When we pray the Lord's Prayer in the Eucharist, we ask the Father to give us each day our 'epiousios' bread - that very special bread that characterizes us as Christians: bread which is meant to be broken and shared with all, especially with those who are in need. But we cannot genuinely share with another unless we are at peace with him/them. For, our sharing is not just a disposal of the surplus we have onto others who do not have. It involves the genuine recognition of the worth of the other. So, the very act of sharing at Eucharist invites us to build bridges of peace and harmony so that our sharing may be effective and Christ-like.
All that we have said about sharing bread can be applied equally to sharing of forgiveness and other aspects of our lives. We pray that the forgiveness we ourselves ask for and receive, we will share (at the very same moment) with anyone who is in need of our forgiveness, even if he does not ask for it. Again, we cannot really forgive another without accepting him back into the circle of our friendship and love. Christian forgiveness is not a matter of merely saying 'forget about it - it does not matter.' It demands a breaching of the gap effected by sin. We must remember that when we do all this in and with Christ, share our bread, extend our forgiveness to others, we actually give glory to God and bring about his kingdom. With this kingdom among us, we shall all live in peace and harmony. Lord, You are our true Peace!

Sent on Mission Fr. Erasto Fernandez
We come now to the end of the celebration, but we immediately remind ourselves that the Eucharist and the values it inculcates never end. Ideally, we celebrate what we have lived which means that we bring our very lives to the celebration. But we also ought to live what we celebrate, taking the celebration with its principal attitudes, particularly thanksgiving, back into daily living. As the Preface reminds us: 'It is right to give him thanks and praise� it is our duty and our salvation to praise God, always and everywhere' Having been enriched by the renewal of the covenant with the Father, having strengthened our living union with him through the Word and the Bread, we are sent out to sanctify the world through our very lives.
Eucharist, a Commitment From the way St. Luke's presents the Last Supper (22:14-38) we learn that for the Lukan Christians, celebrating the Eucharist was primarily an act of commitment to continue the work of building God's kingdom. They were reminded that in this process, the two great obstacles they already faced in achieving their objective were: Self portrayed by the betrayal of Judas and Fear personified in Peter's denial. Both of these were evident in the life of their communities and at times, even while they celebrated Eucharist. That these two are also prominently present in the lives of most of us is beyond doubt, yet the Lord assures us of his presence and of his Spirit to guide us at every step. So, as we conclude our celebration we are commissioned to go out and transform the world, to live out the transformation we ourselves have experienced in the Eucharist.
While this might sound a very daunting task, yet when we ask ourselves what it means to extend God's kingdom, the matter appears as very simple and clear. All that God asks of us is to spread the message and reality of his infinite and unconditional love - not just through words, but primarily in action. "Greater love than this no man has that he lay down his life for his friends." Having participated in the Eucharist, we ourselves become 'bread that is broken for a new world'. We remember Jesus' words to his apostles at the feeding of the five thousand: 'You yourselves give them something to eat!' Could this be translated also as" 'You give them yourselves to eat'? We break of ourselves constantly and give of our very being (and not just our material goods) to those who are in need thus ensuring that there is not a single person who is wanting in any way.
As far as possible, we seek to spread this attitude of self-giving among those we live with, knowing full well that not everyone will respond positively. Further, the persons who choose the path of selfishness and self-gain or fear will resent our very presence and will do everything in their power to make life difficult for us. And since Evil always seems to be more powerful than Good in practice, we would need to be ready even for persecution and death as we work to build God's kingdom of love.
The Mystery of Faith - Life through Death Yet, we recall what we have celebrated is the 'mystery of our faith': Christ has died but he is risen and will come again in glory. So we realize that if we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we too will have to embrace death (in all its forms: rejection, ridicule, ostracism, criticism and ultimately physical death too) - but that will not be the end of the story. Like Jesus and with Jesus we too will be raised to share in his eternal glory. Where this faith is really strong, Christians will do a lot to transform the world and make it a better place to live in, for themselves and for others.
In a world steeped in corruption and immorality, the Christian can and does stand out as an honest upright person who will not give, and much less receive, a bribe, who can be relied upon in everything and who honours his word, no matter what the consequences. When everyone around him tends to be lazy and reactive to all the negative situations prevailing, or confines himself to prayer as the only possible means of changing things, the Christian who lives his Eucharist can be and is proactive, even ready to sacrifice himself for the benefit of his brethren. He faces the challenge squarely and finds new and creative ways of living his mission of love. Thus, Christian living can be very demanding at times, requiring of us that we be totally selfless and fearless in our following of Christ.
In the Gospels Jesus describes the role and power of his followers in terms of them being the salt of the earth, the leaven in the dough and the light of the world. It is revealing to see what this really means in practice, when we tease out the deeper meaning of these metaphors. Firstly, all three objects are small and almost insignificant and yet possess a tremendous power to influence their surroundings. A small amount of each brings huge benefits and change in the prevailing situation. Secondly, each of the three is not meant for itself alone and its own growth and preservation: each is radically oriented towards something else. All three find their fulfillment precisely in giving of themselves to others. Thirdly, they do not draw attention to themselves except when they are absent in a given situation.
Thus, we immediately notice when a dish has no salt or even less salt than is necessary. But when there is sufficient salt, hardly anyone pays attention to salt as such: it is taken for granted. This is what the Christian is challenged to be and do - influence the world for the better silently yet effectively wherever he is, and that too just by being himself, by being what s/he is meant to be - bread broken for the life of the world.
Church: Community and Support Undoubtedly, we are helped in all this by the example and presence of other like-minded Christians who join hands with us. Thus, while it is very difficult for one Christian alone to publicly fight against injustice and oppression of the poor, or to redress an unjust situation in society, this becomes relatively easy when several get together as a body. And here too the Eucharist is our strength for it brings us together as a body, all sharing the same Word of God and hence having the same vision for world and society. At the Eucharist, all are nourished by the same food, Christ, and energized to produce the same effect: a world in which all live as brothers and sisters in harmony and love.
Thus, through Eucharist, we share a common vision of God's kingdom and equally we share our responsibilities in this task of bringing about this kingdom by each one contributing his/her special gifts and talents. When any one person fails, the others are there to correct, support, lift up and set him/her again on the path of fidelity. Thus bearing one another's burdens, the Church as a body, is Christ extended today in flesh and blood, working at his mission to spread God's kingdom here on earth.
It is helpful to recall that even with the best of cooperation from every single Christian, this work will always remain little, insignificant and apparently a failure. In the three comparisons referred to above: salt, light and yeast, the Church is indicated as being a tiny yet effective reality in the world. Besides, there are bound to be weeds among the wheat and wolves eager to devour the sheep, as Jesus himself foretold. Hence, we should not expect total success or even accolades for our work of building God's kingdom. Our true reward comes from him who sent us.
When Peter asked: 'Look, Lord, we have left everything to follow you; what about us?' Jesus replied: "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life" (Mt. 19:27-29).
Luke records something similar in the context of the Last Supper, the farewell meal of Jesus: "You are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trials; and now I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me: you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and you will sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel." If we can put our faith in these words of Jesus we would have the courage to step out and change the world around us. But if we look for immediate rewards, we would soon be discouraged in the face of all the difficulties we encounter.
Sometimes, these obstacles will come from our own kith and kin, members of our own communities or even from our co-workers, people who we could have presumed would help us - but instead, they are the ones who pose all kinds of difficulties. At other times, it would be outsiders whose vested interests are threatened who will prove to be our major opponents.
In the Preface No. V for Sundays, we pray: � "All things are of your making, all times and seasons obey your laws, but you chose to create man in your own image, setting him over the whole world in all its wonder. You made man the steward of creation, to praise you day by day for the marvels of your wisdom and power, through Christ our Lord." Thus, each Eucharist we celebrate thrusts us forward towards the ultimate fulfillment of God's Kingdom, bouyed by our hope in Jesus' assurance: "do not be afraid, I have overcome the world." Even though we see very little by way of success, we continue, knowing that the work of Jesus is always an apparent failure. We need to go through death as we await the resurrection. Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to grant you the kingdom.

Mary � �Woman of the Eucharist
�During this culturally tumultuous era, when secular culture rages against God and godliness, the upsurge in devotion to Our Lady is leading vast numbers of people to greater homage to Our Lord in the Eucharist. What of the many Eucharistic Chapels, opened in these latter years, affording time for quiet prayer and Eucharistic Vigils, directed to the Real Presence. Together with this, is the world-wide awakening to the age-old appreciation for perpetual adoration.
Against such a background, Our Holy Father�s encyclical �Ecclesia de Eucharistica� written in the 25th year of his pontificate, dedicated to Mary, is just perfectly timed. In Chapter 6, �Mary and the Eucharist�, Our Holy Father explores the profound relationship that Mary has with the Mystery of the Eucharist. He encourages us to find a deeper meaning in Mary�s Magnificat, which is an expression of her Spirituality. There is nothing greater than this Spirituality for helping us to experience the Mystery of the Eucharist. �Let us make every Magnificat we recite, a hymn of thanks to Mary and through her, to God, for the Most Holy Eucharist� (P.J.P II).
The words of her Magnificat, reveal a profound depth in the light of her relationship with the Eucharistic Mystery. This Mystery will provide food � the Body of the Lord to the hungry and the Blood of the Lord to the thirsty. This is the promise made of old to Abraham. Like Abraham our father in faith, who stood at the opening of the Old Testament, Mary, a woman of Faith, stands at the opening of the New Testament, awaiting the unfolding of the Eucharistic Mystery. She was �the first Ciborium, the first Tabernacle�. She gave us the Blessed Sacrament, when she gave Jesus His Body and Blood. She is, in so realistic a way � �Woman of the Eucharist� (P.J.P. II).
Mary�s unique relationship with the Eucharist stems from the two great hours of grace in her life � that of Nazareth and Calvary. St Augustine says �Christ, took flesh from the flesh of Mary. In this flesh, He walked on earth and He gives us the same flesh as the food of Salvation�. Jesus� humanity comes from Mary�s humanity. Peter Chrysologus reflects: �Christ is the bread that was sowed in the Virgin, leavened in her flesh, kneaded in the Passion, baked in the oven of the Sepulchre, kept in the churches, taken to the altars and given to the Faithful, as Heavenly food�.
Mary lived her Eucharistic faith long before even the Last Supper, when she embraced the sacrificial death of Jesus right from Simeon�s prophecy in the Temple, to the agonizing experience of Calvary. The Eucharist is the memorial of the death of Christ, and it is in that moment of Calvary, through her personal self-offering and presence, that Mary is most closely associated with the Mystery and offering of Christ to the Father. In the recent film on �The Passion�, the Marian references, along with depictions of the Eucharist and redemptive suffering, have an almost subliminal impact.
In the Eucharistic Mystery, we believe that He whom she conceived is the Son of God and son of Mary � that Jesus is present in His full humanity and divinity under the signs of bread and wine. The Body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is the same body of Christ, that Mary gave us at Bethlehem � the �House of Bread�. Mary�s �fiat� made it possible for us to share the Eucharistic Body and Blood of her son. Her Motherly care and concern for her faithful children, is epitomized in the fact that, as Woman, �she gave us the Son she bore, the Bread of Life�.
Mary, Mother of the Church, and Woman of the Eucharist is present at each Eucharistic Celebration. If the Church and the Eucharist are inseparable, the same is true of Mary and the Eucharist. Our visits to the Blessed Sacrament should be made in company with her, because as St Bonaventure says: �It is only through her that we can penetrate the �marrow� of the Eucharist�. She who brought Jesus into the world, still leads us to Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
�Throughout her life, Mary remained in Communion with her Son, by ties of blood and especially by love. As we give thanks for the 20 Centuries of Mary�s protection of the Church, let us together, ask her to lead believers towards an ever more perfect knowledge of the saving power of the Sacrifice of Christ, who is present in the Eucharist� (P.J.P. II). Sr. Gerard Paul rjm


< Eucharistic Meditations - The Cross by Fr. Erasto Fernandez
The Cross floods our hearts with several stimulating thoughts: The Father's love for us - "God so loved the world �" It also speaks of Jesus' love for the Father - he would rather accept death on a cross than disobey his Father. The Cross further proclaims Christ's love for us: 'greater love no man has than that he lay down his life for his friends�' From being a despicable sign of total human degradation and rejection, Jesus has turned it into a resplendent banner of human freedom and heroic love. The magic wand he wove over it bringing about this transformation is his total, loving, obedient and free surrender into the Father's hands. Obedience makes the Cross desirable!
Lord, you taught us that we too can transform the atrocities of our daily human situation into a glorious crown by bringing our loving and trustful surrender to bear on these situations. However, the catch is: while the Father's unshakeable love was a living reality for you, we never seem to be able to hold on to this truth firmly and consistently. The slightest pain scuttles our convictions like nine pins. Fear paralyses our imaginations no sooner the prospect of the Cross looms large before us.
Simon of Cyrene seems such a hero, Lord, when we consider how he almost casually accepted a share of your Cross as you trudged your way to Calvary's height. You did not place too much of the burden on him, shouldering the heavier side of it yourself. You are present to us, too, shouldering our cross, never allowing us to be crushed or overpowered by its oppressiveness. You called your disciples to watch one hour with you as you grappled with conflicting options in Gethsemane; would you not stand by us as we struggle with ours? And then we could reach out to our suffering brothers and sisters, whose crosses weigh heavily on their bruised shoulders.
It is said that crosses are formed when God's will, like the vertical beam, goes contrary to our own desires and plans - which are the horizontal beam! We need to learn the art of placing our provisional plans alongside God's productive plans, and then we would have no crosses at all. But God's ways are not our ways, and hence we will always have a fair share of crosses, until we have learnt to put on the 'mind of Christ'.
St. Paul's understanding of the Cross opens up other vistas: to the Romans, he points out that the Cross is the sign put forth by the Father himself, to announce the unconditional gift of his forgiveness. He compares it to the Mercy Seat covered with the blood of the lamb on the day of Yom Kippur, guaranteeing forgiveness - just as the white ribbon replacing the red one across the main doorway did. Heading the procession at the beginning of the Eucharist, the Cross proclaims that God is on our side and that every Eucharist celebrates God's forgiving (or fore-given) love.

Eucharistic Meditations - The Cup by Fr. Erasto Fernandez Lord, I begin this Eucharistic meditation by gazing at the Cup used at today's Eucharist. It evokes your question to the two ambitious brothers: "Can you drink the Cup that I am to drink?" Taking this question seriously could radically change my life! I recall first, Lord, that your Cup has different names, each with its own rich connotation. As the 'Cup of Salvation' it reminds me that there can be no glory without the Cross; that the more I drink of this Cup the more I share in your glory. I shudder to think of the innumerable times when, like them, I too said a bold 'Yes' as I drank of it at the Eucharist, but no sooner the real Passion began, I was the first to flee. As the 'Cup of Sorrow' it challenges me to accept my adversities as part of the Father's will - which is painful at times, yet always opens out on to multiple blessings. Through the 'Cup of Blessing' I thank the Father for his unbelievable love and goodness to us. I need to take up this Cup more often, Lord, making the whole of my life a continual song of praise and thanks. I can never adequately repay the Father for his ever-present love: I can only dedicate my life to praising him and to serving him wherever I may be. The 'Cup of Joy and Feasting' is what appeals to me most: in it I celebrate your glorious rising and victory over sin and death. When I hold this Cup I no longer fear my own frailty and tendency to sin, for these have been nailed to the Tree at your dying. Some day your grace will triumph over the evil that still lurks in me and bring me to your heavenly banquet. As I continue to gaze at this Cup, I realize that it is empty and waits to be filled for only then is it of practical use. It is open to receive whatever is put into it: whether its contents are beneficial or harmful. A Cup can give only what it contains: I check what it is that I choose to fill my life with - the good or the evil around me? If it is to fulfill its function I need to hold the Cup in my hands, appropriate it, make it my own - as an extension of myself, as it were. Again, while a Cup could be made out of different materials, its value lies not in its external shape and beauty but in its openness to receive and give. Even when the outside is damaged, the Cup is still useful as long as it can hold something. Lord, do I not focus only on the externals in my life without reflecting too much on your transforming love within that makes me unique? Further, a Cup can only receive according to its capacity: the bigger it is, the more it contains and hence can give to others.

1 Love is Blind - Yes, it is blind, but only before marriage – after marriage spouses start using magnifying glasses to look at each other and find out innumerable faults.

2 Love is Admiration - It is advisable for every husband to admire his own beautiful wife, rather than turn to admire all the PYT’s (Pretty Young Things) who may be crossing his path daily. After all, with age, beauty fades, hair greys and the physical structure sags, but only true love will then endure and stand the test of time.

3 Love is Giving, and not only receiving - both spouses have to give of their time, energy and love to make their Marriage work. In every Marriage, Physical, Emotional and Sexual Compatibility are very important.
Some Do’s and Don’ts for a Good Marriage to become even better:

1 Wives, love your husbands a little, but understand them a lot and Husbands, love your wives a lot, but don’t try to understand them at all.

2 Husbands, make sure to attend to your wives’ emotional needs.

3 Make Communication an important part of your Marriage.

4 Do not try to change your spouse in any way, because he/she will never change. Instead be the change that you want to see in your spouse.

5 Parents, do not interfere in your children’s Marriage, and never ever take sides when marital tensions arise, unless you want the Marriage to finally go ‘kaput’.

6 Wives, never let the sun set on an argument between you and your husband.
The homily was followed by a very touching Service of the Renewal of Marriage Vows for all Married Couples present in the Church.
On Tuesday, March 3rd, the Morning Liturgy focused on the Word of God, which was also, highlighted though mime. We must read and absorb the Word of God in our lives in order to get rid of our brokenness and become whole again. In the evening, the theme was Sin and Reconciliation. Sin is a break-down of our relationship with God, a turning away of the unconditional and merciful love of God. It has 2 dimensions, personal and communitarian. This means that when we commit sin, we sin not only against ourselves but also against the people around us. In the ‘Dual Pulpit’ that followed, Fr. Shane (on our behalf) asked questions pertaining to Confession and Fr. Neville gave the answers. When we make our Confession, we must focus on the following areas, mainly, our Relationship with God, our Relationship with our Family, our Relationship with our Neighbours, our Relationship with others in the Workplace, and ourselves. This was followed by Confession and Counselling.
On Wednesday, March 4th, the Liturgy focused on Faith - having faith in God means having full trust in Him, letting go of ourselves and letting God do His will in our life. Only then will the impossible become possible. Faith and work go hand in hand: it is through our work that we can bring greater harmony in God’s creation. The evening’s theme was Family Life. Some do’s for parents are as follows:

1 Appreciate and encourage the youth to find their way and do not destroy their confidence

2 Accept each of your children as they are, in their own uniqueness and do not compare and contrast them with others

3 Always correct them with love and not anger, do not pamper your children, make your house a Home of Prayer by saying the Rosary daily and communicate with your children

4 Children in turn must try to understand their parents and help them with housework