Lesson 4 - ECCLESIA de EUCHARISTIA
- In Chapter Five, what did you find most helpful or enlightening?
- How does “extravagance” in the Eucharistic celebration reveal the dignity of the Eucharist?
- What is your favorite way to be extravagant in your love for Jesus?
December 25th, 2006 at 11:51 am
#1 The Liturgy is a sacred work the evolves with the times of this age. The youth need this evolving, they need the feeling that they belong. With all the evil temptations that they face, the church has to be a home for them.
In keeping with the true Liturgy the Church is keeping the youth involved. Our youth need to be involved with the teachings of God.
#2 I am just a lowly person with a complete Love of God and Our Blessed Mother. All parishes have their own way of outward extravagance, That is where evolving for the people comes in.
My Mother’s Church is modern and my Church is of the old tradition. Mom’s church has the new alter and architecture where mine is from the 1800s’ we have the new alter but we also have the old high beautiful alter it is a beautiful mixture.
It is not what a church looks like or how new or old it is, what it contains, and that it is a Home for Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a place to worship and learn and receive the greatest Gift of all, The Eucharist., The precious Body and Blood of Jesus.
We are a total mix of generations from the very old to the newborns. Our Church is a place I call home a place where I feel the presence of God and where I feel happy, joy and Peace.
No one, no where, with any amount of money or earthly goods could ever give to God anything in comparison to what He has given to us. Only thing we can give is Our Love and Devotion and Praise.
#3 I show my extravagance by Praising God at anytime I am able. Making and giving away of Our Blessed Mother’s Prayer, The Rosary, so as to spread the life of Her Son Our Lord Jesus Christ.
August 20th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Question 1 - The reminders of doing all as a gift to the Lord! I need to be reminded of this. We should excel, to the best of our ability - at our God given gifts - thereby giving Him glory in His creation…us!
Question 2 - Forms of extravagant devotion during the Eucharistic Celebration enriches the experience of the faithful and confimrs our belief on the true Presence of Christ.
Question 3 - One of my favorite ways to be extravagant for Jesus is in preparation for Eucharistic Adoration. Making sure the monstrance is clean and glowing for His Divine Presence, the altar cloths crisp and clean; the candles fresh, the flowers in full bloom - the lights focused on His Presence, all as wonderful as possible during Adoration
November 17th, 2008 at 12:01 am
1. I am reminded that I need to be extravagant in my use of the God-given talents I have been given. He should always get the glory and I should not hold back just because I feel a certain way. He deserves my very best.
2. How we show extravagant devotion in the Eucharistic Celebration may differ depending on the size of the church or location, but what Jesus looks at is the heart of the people celebrating it. If we are giving all of ourselves during this time, then I feel it will be noticed as a place of worship for our Lord Jesus and a place He welcomes as His home.
3. I show my extravagance of God by praising Him throughout the day and sharing scripture I have memorized with others, as I feel the Holy Spirit lead me. I look for ways to spread the good news of the gospel to others and to be a bright light to others. Hopefully, pointing the way to salvation and a communion with Jesus, our Lord.
May 17th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
1. The Church, even in the changing condition of time, through her wisdom and the grace of God, took great responsibility to preserve the norms for the celebration of the Eucharist. Adaptation, renewal and liturgical reform have taken place over the centuries making progress in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit but the continuity in tradition which comes from the apostles, witnessing to the unchanging rule of faith remains at all times.
2. Philippians 2:6-8 states that the state of Jesus was divine, yet He did not cling to His equality with God but emptied Himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are; and being as all men are He was humbler yet even to accepting death, death on a cross.
In general, if someone presents me a gift, surely he deserves something in return, as a sign of respect or etiquette. Jesus has gone to the extent as to offer himself to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away. There is nothing that we can do in return to repay His great love for us. As a sign and an expression, the least that we can do is to be extravagance in the Eucharistic celebration. To be extravagance in the Eucharistic celebration, to me, means to be conscientiously alive while participating in the celebration – giving Him thanks, praising Him for having redeemed us by His death and made us sharers in immortal life through His resurrection.
3. One of my favorite ways to be extravagant for Jesus is to be in constant awareness that through the Sacrament of Baptism and receiving the Body of Christ, Jesus is in me and I am in Him. With this in mind, I am a reflection of Jesus for the world to encounter Him. I strive that my daily lifestyle in words and actions will draw people to want to know Jesus more.
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
In Chapter Five, what did you find most helpful or enlightening?
This chapter helped me to see the reasoning behind why the Church at times spares no expense when designing, building, and decorating her churches. I am guilty of being one of those Judases who have said why are they spending so much to beautify the church instead of using it to help the poor. The Bible reference to Mary the sister of Lazarus, who poured the expensive perfume on Jesus, clearly shows that it is kind of silly to be cheap when we are dealing with our Lord.
How does “extravagance” in the Eucharistic celebration reveal the dignity of the Eucharist?
I think that the extravagance displayed in Catholic Churches adds to the sense of holiness of the celebration. It reminds people that something special is going on. I think that it helps remind us that we are participating in the heavenly liturgy. I recently went on a retreat and there was going to be Mass said and it was not going to be said in a chapel or church building but in a room at the retreat center. Our group brought a number of religious items such as icons, flowers, paintings, linens, and statues and it really added a lot to the celebration. It really helped to focus people on the holiness of the Mass.
What is your favorite way to be extravagant in your love for Jesus?
My extravagance is in the time I am trying to devote to my faith. At this time in my life I am be called to give much of my “free” time to becoming more deeply involved in my faith. I have a family and they support the work I am doing but it is not always easy, but how do you say no to the Lord.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I appreciated the strong statements regarding the need for all adaptations of the liturgy be undertaken “in close association with the Holy See,” to insure that they maintain their essential oneness. The needs of the local culture must be protected from isolating any group from the universal Church. A similarly strong statement is made regarding the “forms” of the liturgical tradition: “I consider it my duty, therefore to appeal urgently that the liturgical norms for the celebration of the Eucharist be observed with great fidelity. These norms are a concrete expression of teh authentically ecclesial nature of the Eucharist; this is their deepest meaning.” “Duty,” “urgently,” “great fidelity.” Strong terms.
Also, I have been meditating on a connection that I had never recognized before: the extravagance of Mary of Bethany and pouring out our all for Christ. And just as Judas protested that the money could have been used for the poor, many people today protest that the Church’s extravagance deprives the poor.
But it would not suit our human needs to have presidents and popes living in more extravagance than the Lord Himself in our tabernacles. We are moved by what we see and hear, and the Church (understanding our humanness) has always encouraged the greatest artistry in music, architecture and decoration to lift our thoughts and sentiments in worship spaces. Even more important, if we believe that Christ Himself is present - body, blood, soul, and divinity - in the Eucharist, then it is fitting that we express this faith and devotion in (in human terms) “extravagance.” If we believe what we profess, how could we express this with less than the best? We cannot. The Eucharist is “source and summit,” and as such should be celebrated with the best we have to offer.
My extravagance is in doing the smallest things, the things others do not notice, with “all of me.” This may seem like it is unnecessary, and in that sense it is an extravagance of love - to sort socks with great love, to prepare even a cup of coffee for my husband with great attention out of love, to pick up something dropped and offer that moment of ordinariness with all my heart. These are little and hidden ways to pour the rich oil of my love out for Christ.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
1. Chapter 5 was most helpful and enlightening in explaining the extravagance with respect to the interior and exterior architecture of our churches, in particular. Before I read this article, I was inclined to think like Judas and wonder we were neglecting the poor and needy people to some degree; we appeared to be freely spending when it was associated with the church. Now I understand the importance of the extraordinary involvement in making the churches such “a special place.” As Jesus said in Mark 14: 7 “you will always have the poor among you, and they badly need your help, and you can aid them whenever you want to; but I won’t be here much longer.” We do offer aid to the poor and needy; The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which I am a member, is just one of the organization that offers assistance to the poor. I do appreciate that over the centuries we felt the celebration of the Eucharist was so worthy of such adoration and respect. The styles of architecture, sculpture, artwork and music of each culture express their love for the Lord and his gifts. Churches were built with this in mind.
2. Extravagance in celebrating the Eucharist is expressed in the church architecture, interior and exterior, the artwork, paintings, the music, choir, children’s choir, and the liturgy all add to making the celebration very special. We are showing respect for our Lord who give us the gift of the Eucharist; His gift was extravagant; our thanks can never be exaggerated; it deserves our utmost dignity. I love to visit the historic churches just to appreciate their architecture, interior fine craftmanship, and view the art; I never cease to be amazed at the outstanding beauty. The church I attend is a lovely stone cathedral displaying fine, interior woodwork and art. It stands as a testimony to the appreciated of our ancestors over 135 years ago.
3. My favourite ways to be extravagant in my love for Jesus is showing respect for Mass and the Eucharist, thanking Jesus for our gifts, praying for people in need; serving my community by volunteering at the Food Bank and Society for St. Vincent de Paul. There are so many ways to show our extravagance and if each person can do some act of kindness, the good deeds will forever be expressed and acknowledged.
February 24th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
1 Liturgy is sacred and it helps us better understand what we do during Mass. Since liturgy developed from experience way down from the Jewish traditions, some of it has changed with time and age and hence changes from tradition to tradition and different cultures for better understanding of the holy Mass. And since liturgy is never anyones private property, it can be changed provided that the meaning of the Mass is retained.
2 Our extravagant love for the LORD is first of all an interior form of devotion.This alone is not enough because we are not alone in this world. So the celebration of the of the Eucharist is a community experience. This outward form of devotion enhances the the experience of the faithful while giving testimony to others that Christ is here present in the Eucharist. That is why in all that we do in Mass, at work , at home, in school ,etc should be done to glorify God. Also we should use our talents enthusiastically in the visual environment at Mass from natural fresh flowers and plants to candles to furnishings, vestments and so on.
3 My fvourite way I am extravagant in the love of Christ is the love To be with Him in the Adoration Chapel infront of the Blessed Sacrament, also the love to pray the rosary daily in the morning, reading the holy Scripture and reflecting on the same and my personal prayers.
I also have love for jesus in showing respect for holy Mass and receiving the Body of Christ. as a parent and the head of my family, I show love for Jesus in taking care of them( feeding them). On Tuesdays at about 1400hrs GMT we have Small Christian Community meetings where we love sharing words from the scripture as well as getting update form the parish and this is my responsibility.
March 31st, 2010 at 8:31 am
1. I discovered the Judas in me too and that I should not be judgmental about how the church spends its money. The extravagance in the designs and building of churches helps to enhance the sacred atmosphere that is required for worship because when we see the beauty in the architecture, we can feel a sense of belonging, a sense of holiness and awe when we step into the church.
I’ve seen a number of beautiful churches during my travels and I am amazed at the architecture, sculpturing and intricacies of the decorations and statues – all real solid gold pieces or engraves, embedded in the walls even. These artists took great pains and love to be able to use their talents to show us how important and beautiful God is although we can’t see him “in person” but we can use these pictures and statues to help us visualize our God and His awesomeness.
2. The article on “How to celebrate a Mass: “Not an academic question” is spot on in setting guidelines on the celebration of the Eucharist. Many a time, the preacher doesn’t realize that his homily is too long. People’s minds tend to switch if he goes on for more than 10 mins. If we adults get bored and can’t grasp the essence of the homily once it gets too long winded, what more the children? A recent publication in the Catholic News reminded the clergy to keep their homilies short, sharp and to the point in 8 mins.
The Liturgical aspect also needs to be looked into. The hymns chosen should be appropriate and according to the message of the day. Sometimes, it is the words of the hymn that touches people – even if only 1 person is touched, it is enough. The choir should sing with their heart and mean what they sing. The Cantor should proclaim the psalm such that it feels that God is speaking to us through him/her. This is why God used these musicians to create and use music since some people understand things better through music.
3. Mother Teresa said, “It is not how much we do or give, but how much love we put in the doing & giving.” I have this little quote at the end of my signature when I sign off in my yahoo mail account. I believe strongly in it as even the smallest thing we do which may not be of much significance to us could make a huge difference in someone’s life. She also said that we should do little things with great love. This is the way I want to show people that Jesus loves them no matter who they are or what they have done. Sometimes it is difficult but I try. My other favorite is to always sing praises throughout the day. You know how sometimes, we have a song stuck in our head the whole day? For me, it is 90% a thanksgiving or praise song for Jesus. He gave me a beautiful voice to sing praises to him and I use it to help in the singing during the lunch time Eucharist on Tuesdays in our Cathedral. Praise God!