Keynote Address by Rev Dr Tom Elich – 2012 ACN Conference in Brisbane
Fr. Elich began by challenging us to recognise that Sunday Mass is the central rite of the Catechumenate period. If Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic experience, then it must also be at the centre of our formation of catechumens and candidates.
However, “liturgy is an action of the whole Christ (Christus totus). It is the whole community, the Body of Christ united with its Head, that celebrates.” (CCC 1136) Thus, in forming our catechumens we are not simply encouraging them to attend Mass, but rather to become true and active participants in the eucharistic liturgy.
“Liturgical services are not private functions but are celebrations of the Church which is ‘the sacrament of unity,’ namely, the holy people united and organised under the authority of the bishops. Therefore, liturgical services pertain to the whole Body of the Church. They manifest it, and have effects upon it. But they touch individual members of the Church in different ways, depending on their orders, their role in the liturgical services, and their actual participation in them. For this reason, rites which are meant to be celebrated in common, with the faithful present and actively participating, should as far as possible be celebrated in that way rather than by an individual and quasi-privately”. (CCC 1140) Becoming ‘do-ers’ of the liturgy then is fundamental to how we form and encourage all members of our community in celebrating the Eucharist each Sunday.
Our liturgical spaces however often stifle this aim of full participation. They are set up like a theatre with a performance that we observe, no matter how deeply, rather than do. The sanctuary in one way or another is often separate from the congregation who ‘look-on’ while the ‘action’ happens. As catechists and leaders of liturgy, we need to think creatively about how, in theatrical parlance, we break down the ‘fourth wall’ and encourage true participation. Thus, in initiation, we need to move them, and us, to feel that they are doing the liturgy as much as the celebrating presider. We are there as the whole church, entire around the world and indeed history. We are participating in a cosmic event.
It is thus important to reflect upon what is it that we are doing. The Eucharist is also God’s work, a sacrifice – an offering to the Father for the salvation of the world. The event of the cross is the key narrative that instructs the Eucharist. We participate in God’s saving action in Christ.
How might we then undertake this participation? We remind ourselves that we are deeply immersed in a ritual process – something that ultimately has no beginning or end. This is not something we are naturally used to being involved with in everyday life. However, if we take the notion of sacrifice seriously, then indeed our whole life is one ongoing Eucharistic celebration, brought to climax and nourishment in the formal ritual celebration that is our Sunday celebration of Eucharist.
An understanding of the Real Presence is of course important, but it is also important to realise that the Real Presence is not the aim or end of the Eucharist. Rather it is the means to the end which is our participation in the sacrifice of Christ. Hospitality is also important, but again it is not an end in itself (people can after all find hospitality elsewhere!) but a means to the end of participation in the Paschal Mystery.
Some cultures have a better sense of this ongoing lengthy process of ritual. We think of African and Islander cultures where people may spend hours preparing, singing, celebrating and becoming immersed in the ritual of the Eucharist.
In summary, liturgy and teaching need to work together. The rituals are not simply sprinkled into a time period, but rather both are part of one whole ritual process.
