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| Receiving the Eucharist in a worthy manner Paul VI and John Paul II reminded us of this many times. I cite only the following passage from the Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "The Catechism of the Catholic Churchrightly stipulates that 'anyone conscious of [having committed] a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion' (n. 1385). I therefore desire to reaffirm that in the Church there remains in force, now and in the future, the rule by which the Council of Trent gave concrete expression to the Apostle Paul's stern warning when it affirmed that, in order to receive the Eucharist in a worthy manner, 'one must first confess one's sins, when one is aware of mortal sin' (DH 1647, 1661)" (Eccleisa de Eucharistia, n. 36). An organic rather than a preconceived vision of the sacramental economy leads to expressing the specific role of the Eucharist. God is always ready to offer grace to the sinner for the transformation of his heart, but its reception and conversion depend upon the person, as a free and responsible being. Moreover, the Eucharist, centre of the life of the Church and of every Christian, does not render superfluous the other sacraments and acts of purification and sanctification (prayer, almsgiving, fasting, etc.). Hence, there is no difficulty in admitting that the full reconciliation of the Christian sinner is also the fruit of the Eucharist, to the extent that without the voto of the Eucharist, it would not be brought about, and that certain partial aspects and some phases of conversion are also brought about by the Eucharist alone, without the effective celebration of sacramental Penance. By increasing love, the Eucharist overcomes the obstacles that are created by the multiplication of venial sins, some of which seriously and permanently damage enthusiasm for Christ, preventing individuals from exercising their full efficacy of personal, ecclesial and social life. As a propitiatory sacrifice, the Eucharist applies the fruits of the sacrifice of propitiation and reconciliation of the Cross, not because it directly forgives even grave sins, but because, with the power of the Spirit, it moves people to repentance which, if it is perfect, reconciles them, always including the obligation to celebrate the sacrament of penance as soon as possible (DH 1677). The Christian sinner, who is not yet sufficiently repentant to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist, is at least helped by the Church's plea to the Lord for all, especially if the sacrifice is applied for him or her, and if the sinner is present, although unable to receive communion. Becoming aware of one's incoherent state, the sinner can be stimulated to full conversion and achieve forgiveness through the voto of the effective celebration of the sacrament of Penance. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has already explained the specific role of the Eucharist and of Penance. "The Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins —that is proper to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church" (n. 1395). John Paul II emphasized the connection between the two sacraments: "The two sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance are very closely connected. Because the Eucharist makes present the redeeming sacrifice of the Cross, perpetuating it sacramentally, it naturally gives rise to a continuous need for conversion, for a personal response to the appeal made by St. Paul to the Christians of Corinth: 'We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God' (II Cor 5:20). If a Christian's conscience is burdened by serious sin, then the path of penance through the sacrament of Reconciliation becomes necessary for full participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice" (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, n. 37). 'To that which you are you respond: Amen!' St. Augustine, in a discourse that he gave on the Solemnity of Pentecost, enables us to see the penitential process more clearly as aspiring to create the conditions for the historical completion of the Eucharist. Indeed, full participation in the Eucharist, "so that your Amen may be true", actuates, declares and brings to fulfillment the first admission of the neophyte into the ecclesial community and the readmission into it of the Christian who has sinned. The bread, consisting of many grains of wheat, ground, kneaded and baked, and the wine made from many pressed grapes, after the Consecration are the Body and Blood of Christ and at the same time effectively mean that "we, many though we are, are one body" (I Cor 10:17). "So if you are the Body and Members of Christ, your mystery is placed on the table. To that which you are you respond, 'Amen!', and by responding to it you assent to it.... Understand and enjoy unity, truth and charity.... "In this way the Lord Jesus also meant us, he wanted us to belong to him, he consecrated on his table the mystery of our peace and unity. Whoever receives the mystery of unity and is not bound by peace, does not receive the mystery in his or her favour but against themselves.... "Be converted to the Lord... let us give to him, with as pure a love that our littleness permits, supreme and sincere thanks, imploring him in his benevolence also to purge our actions and our thoughts of evil and to increase our faith, direct our minds, grant us holy thoughts and lead us to eternal beatitude" (St. Augustine, Sermone 271: PL 38, 1247). |
| Taken from: L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 28 June 2006, page 6
L'Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the Holy See.
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L'Osservatore Romano English Edition 320 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 Subscriptions: (410) 547-5315 Fax: (410) 332-1069 lormail@catholicreview.org also here CCC 1436 Eucharist and Penance. Daily conversion and penance find their source and nourishment in the Eucharist, for in it is made present the sacrifice of Christ which has reconciled us with God. Through the Eucharist those who live from the life of Christ are fed and strengthened. "It is a remedy to free us from our daily faults and to preserve us from mortal sins."35 1394 As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins.231 1437 Reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father - every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of conversion and repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of our sins. 1458 Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.59 Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful This article discusses it too: http://theeucharist.wordpress.com/index/chapter-10-eucharist-and-reconciliation/ Council of Trent :Council of Trent, Session 22, Chapter 2 The Sacrifice of the Mass is Propitiatory Both for the Living and the Dead "And inasmuch as in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass is contained and immolated in an unbloody manner the same Christ who once offered Himself in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross, the holy council teaches that this is truly propitiatory and has this effect, that if we, contrite and penitent, with sincere heart and upright faith, with fear and reverence, draw nigh to God, we obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid [Heb 4:16]. For, appeased by this sacrifice, the Lord grants the grace and gift of penitence and pardons even the gravest crimes and sins. For the victim is one and the same, the same now offering by the ministry of priests who then offered Himself on the cross, the manner alone of offering being different. The fruits of that bloody sacrifice, it is well understood, are received most abundantly through this unbloody one, so far is the latter from derogating in any way from the former. Where, according to the tradition of the Apostles, it is rightly offered not only for the sins, punishments, satisfactions and other necessities of the faithful who are living, but also for those departed in Christ but not yet fully purified." |
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