The Parish As A Eucharistic Community
By Monsignor Vincent J. Grimalia, V.G.
 

In his first message, at the end of the Eucharistic concelebration with the College of Cardinals, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the Eucharist as “… the heart of Christian life and the source of the Church's evangelizing mission... The Eucharist makes constantly present the Risen Christ who continues to give himself to us, calling us to participate in the banquet of his Body and his Blood. From full communion with him flows every other element of the Church's life: first of all, communion among all the faithful, the commitment to proclaiming and witnessing to the Gospel, the ardor of love for all, especially the poorest and lowliest.”

He was expressing his own thoughts and affirming the teaching of Pope John Paul II who, in his 2003 encyclical on the Eucharist, noted: “The Eucharist thus appears as both the source and the summit of all evangelization, since its goal is the communion of mankind with Christ and in him with the Father and the Holy Spirit.”

In these statements we see the twofold aspects and goal of evangelization. The mission of the Church is both “Go and teach” as well as “That all may be one.”

An understanding of both Communion and Mission are necessary for an accurate understanding of the mystery and mission of the universal Church and its expression in the Diocese and in the local parish. From the perspective of communion, the parish must see itself in relationship to parishes throughout the Diocese under the leadership of the Diocesan Bishop.

The second Eucharistic prayer says: “May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit.” It continues, “Lord, remember your Church throughout the world: make us grow in love, together with Benedict our pope, Joseph our bishop, and all the clergy.”

From the perspective of mission, the parish is concerned with evangelization, the promotion of Christian vocations and pastoral care. It is not the maintenance of buildings and structures that once served a purpose, but may no longer be useful or necessary to the evangelizing mission that is important, but the mission of the Church.

The process for developing a Parish Mission Statement and the process for Parish Self-Study will evaluate the parish, its resources, and its capacity to fulfill its mission in the context of the mission of the universal Church and Diocese. It will help evaluate and develop the parish’s sense of sharing in the diocesan communion and mission, and evaluate and develop its level of cooperation and collaboration with other parishes.

When a parish is working on a Parish Mission Statement and Parish Self-Study, there will be an opportunity for all of its members to pray and study for a deeper understanding of the meaning of Church, diocese and parish. A more complete understanding will lead to the formation of attitudes that will guide the activities of the parish.

Spirituality of Communion

The spirituality of Communion, as identified in the writings of the late Pope John Paul II, flows from an authentic understanding of the Church as a Eucharistic community and leads to a spirituality of mission and service.

Some basic questions to consider include the following: How does authentic Eucharistic devotion find expression in daily life? How do parish organizations, societies, activities and services express faith in the Eucharist? How does an authentic understanding of the Eucharist promote cooperation and collaboration in the mission of the universal and diocesan Church?

How do neighboring parishes cooperate in mission? How does Eucharistic devotion and faith promote charity, justice and respect for every human person of every race, ethnic group, language and culture? How does an understanding of the Eucharist promote respect for the sanctity and dignity of human life? How does our understanding and devotion to the Eucharist promote a sense of vocation, meaning and Christian responsibility? How does the Eucharist help the formation of the parish as a “supportive community”?

In Novo Millennio Ineunte, Pope John Paul II described a spirituality of communion in these words: “To make the Church the home and the school of communion: that is the great challenge facing us in the millennium which is now beginning, if we wish to be faithful to God's plan and respond to the world's deepest yearnings.”

Then he raised an important question: “But what does this mean in practice? Here too, our thoughts could run immediately to the action to be undertaken, but that would not be the right impulse to follow. Before making practical plans, we need to promote a spirituality of communion, making it the guiding principle of education wherever individuals and Christians are formed, wherever ministers of the altar, consecrated persons, and pastoral workers are trained, wherever families and communities are being built up.”

He further outlines four important elements to be considered when people are examining their lives and when a parish is looking at its mission and life:

1. “A spirituality of communion indicates above all the heart's contemplation of the mystery of the Trinity dwelling in us, and whose light we must also be able to see shining on the face of the brothers and sisters around us.”

2. “A spirituality of communion also means an ability to think of our brothers and sisters in faith within the profound unity of the Mystical Body, and therefore as ‘those who are a part of me.’ This makes us able to share their joys and sufferings, to sense their desires and attend to their needs, to offer them deep and genuine friendship.”

3. “A spirituality of communion implies also the ability to see what is positive in others, to welcome it and prize it as a gift from God: not only as a gift for the brother or sister who has received it directly, but also as a ‘gift for me’.”

4. “A spirituality of communion means, finally, to know how to ‘make room’ for our brothers and sisters, bearing ‘each other's burdens’ (Gal 6:2) and resisting the selfish temptations which constantly beset us and provoke competition, careerism, distrust and jealousy.”

A “spirituality of communion” is meant to be lived, to give meaning, support and direction to our lives and to our parishes. If we fail to pursue the “spirituality of communion,” if we do not focus our attention and give our cooperation to the grace of the Eucharist, the late pontiff cautions, “Let us have no illusions: unless we follow this spiritual path, external structures of communion will serve very little purpose. They would become mechanisms without a soul, ‘masks’ of communion rather than its means of expression and growth.”

His caution and instruction has been repeated by Pope Benedict XVI: “In your plan of pastoral renewal, you are faced with the delicate task of the reorganization of parishes and also of dioceses. This can never be carried out in an appropriate way by simple social models of restructuring. Without Christ, we can do nothing (cf. John 15:5). Prayer roots us in truth, reminds us incessantly of the primacy of Christ and, in union with him, the primacy of the interior life and of holiness.

“The parishes are therefore, rightly considered above all as houses and schools of communion. Consequently, the reorganization of parishes is essentially an exercise of spiritual renewal. This calls for a pastoral promotion of holiness, so that the faithful remain attentive to the will of God, from whom we share true life, becoming participants of the divine nature.”

From his first days with us and with the direction and instruction that he gave for the formation of Parish Pastoral Councils, Bishop Martino has consistently ordered and taught that prayer and study are important and must be a part of our councils and our Parish Self-Study. But there must be also a variety of opportunities for all members of the parish for ongoing faith formation, for both the Parish Mission Statement and Parish Self-Study to be appreciated. During the past several months, people have asked: what is there to study or what needs to be studied? There are a number of church documents that are beneficial.

For example, in his encyclical on the Eucharist, Pope John Paul II clearly stated: “Every commitment to holiness, every activity aimed at carrying out the church’s mission, every work of pastoral planning, must draw the strength it needs from the Eucharistic mystery, and in turn be directed to that mystery as its culmination.”

In On the Mystery and Worship of the Eucharist, issued on Feb. 24, 1980, Pope John Paul II made the link between the Eucharist and Charity in these words: “The Eucharist signifies this Charity, and therefore recalls it, makes it present at the same time it brings it about. Every time that we consciously share in it, there opens in our souls a real dimension of that unfathomable love that includes everything that God has done and continues to do for us human beings…”

The Eucharist and Personal Vocation

Evangelization, pastoral care and the cultivation of Christian vocations are interconnected and at the center of the parish mission.

Pope John Paul II taught: “Eucharistic worship is therefore precisely the expression of that love which is the authentic and deepest characteristic of the Christian vocation.” More recently, Pope Benedict said: “The parish is a beacon that radiates the light of faith, above all in our largely secularized world. Thus it meets the most profound and authentic desires of the human heart, giving meaning and hope to the lives of individuals and families.”

This statement raises a further question: What are the signs of life in the parish community? Pope John Paul II stated: “The authentic sense of the Eucharist becomes of itself the school of active love… We know this is the true and full order of love that the Lord has taught us: ‘By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.’ The Eucharist educates us to this love in a deeper way; it shows us in fact, what value each person, our brother or sister, has in God’s eyes. Christ offers himself equally to each one, under the species of bread and wine.”

In the encyclical on the Eucharist, the late pope stated: “The Eucharist creates communion and fosters communion. Saint Paul wrote to the faithful of Corinth explaining how their divisions, reflected in their Eucharistic gatherings, contradicted what they were celebrating, the Lord's Supper. The apostle then urged them to reflect on the true reality of the Eucharist in order to return to the spirit of fraternal communion (cf. 1 Cor 11:17- 34).”

Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical God is Love, continues this line of thinking when he states: “A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented. Conversely … the ‘commandment’ of love is only possible because it is more than a requirement. Love can be ‘commanded’ because it has first been given.”

Does the parish mission statement call people to holiness, love, prayer and communion? What activities promote holiness, prayer, love and communion in the life of the parish?

Pope John Paul II further directed our attention in this importance matter with these words: “Let us learn to discover with respect this inner self that becomes the dwelling place of God present in the Eucharist. Christ comes into the hearts of our brothers and sisters and visits their consciences. How the image of each and every one changes, when we become aware of this reality, when we make it the subject of our reflections! The sense of the Eucharistic mystery leads us to a love for our neighbor, to a love for every human being.”

How do Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion witness to their Eucharistic faith in their daily lives? How do lectors who read the Word of God, proclaim the Good News by the witness of their lives? How do cantors, choir members, musicians, altar servers and sacristans express their faith and Eucharistic devotion by the way they serve and live? Are they supported by days of in-service or recollection?

How do parish societies and activities express respect and love for their members? How are members of the Parish Finance Council and the Parish Pastoral Council helped to express love and respect in their meetings, through non-defensive listening? How do members of the parish staff and its volunteers show love and respect in their cooperation and activities? Do they see this as a consequence of their faith and devotion from an authentic understanding of the Eucharist?

Are there opportunities for prayer and ongoing faith formation for those involved in the liturgy and for all members of the parish? How are parishioners helped to express the grace and meaning of the Eucharist in their homes, at work, in the activities of the parish, and in the local community?