WELCOME TO THE APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF NORTHERN ARABIA

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PASTORAL LETTER   2009-2010
TO ALL THE CATHOLICS OF KUWAIT

FROM

BISHOP CAMILLO BALLIN, MCCJ
VICAR APOSTOLIC OF KUWAIT

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Released On: SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

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WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THE EUCHARIST!

A. INTRODUCTION

Dear brothers and sisters,

Peace be with you and your family, relatives and friends.

You shall remember my previous two pastoral letters which I addressed to you on 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.

The first one explained the first part of the Eucharist, from the beginning to the prayer of the faithful included. The second one from the offertory to the end of the Mass.

The two letters were very much appreciated by you. In fact, many of you expressed their thanks for the explanations given in those letters. I thank you all for the encouragement and I invite you again to read, from time to time, the first two letters so that you may understand even more what the Eucharist is.

The explanation of the different parts of the Mass is not all the possible explanations of the Eucharist; there are many other aspects which I could not mention. I now intend to present to you some important themes of the Eucharist, so that you may have a deeper understanding of this precious mystery.

We read in the Acts of the Martyrs, that Saturninus and his companions were killed in the year 305 AD during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. They are the first martyrs of the Eucharist. Their words and their example are a strong reminder and a hint for an examination of conscience for us, modern Christians. To the Roman judge who accused them of having broken the order of the emperor of not having meetings and to hand over the Bibles, one after another the martyrs said: "We cannot omit the celebration of the Divine Mysteries. The Christian cannot live without the Eucharist and the Eucharist without the Christian. Don’t you know that the Christian exists for the Eucharist and the Eucharist for the Christian? Yes, I participated with the brothers in the meeting, I celebrated the mysteries of the Lord and I have here with me, written in my heart, Divine Scripture. The Eucharist is the hope and the salvation of Christians".

I have taken from this testimony of the martyrs, the title of my pastoral letter. I invite you to discover once again the beauty and the amazement of the Eucharist and wish you to proclaim the same as the martyrs confessed: we cannot live without the Eucharist!

To facilitate the reading of my text, I thought of proceeding with a kind of interview. I will write here my responses to the questions you addressed to me in the last two years. Let us continue to remain in contact because a constant dialogue between you and me is the corner stone in building our Church in Kuwait.

B. QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND THE CELEBRATION OF THE HOLY MASS

01. Why should we know the Biblical roots of the Eucharist? Is it not enough to remember that Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper?

02. Where in the Mass can we see that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary and his resurrection are extended to us today?

03. What is the "Eucharistic Prayer"?

04. Since the Eucharistic Prayer is central of the Mass, why do we read the Readings? Is it not enough to say the Eucharistic Prayer, where there is also the consecration, and then we receive Communion? Why the two or three Readings and the Homily?

05. Sometimes I am disturbed by the choir singing very loudly "Amen!" at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer. I prefer to say "Amen!" silently in my heart.

06. Some priests mention the name of the dead person for whom I offered the Mass, others forget to mention. Is the Mass equally valid for the dead person?

07. So, what are the different parts of the Mass?

08. The priest says at the consecration: "He took bread and gave you thanks, he broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said…". Why did Jesus break the bread, to give a piece to each disciple?

09. How can we live the words of Jesus: This is my body, this is my blood?

10. Are the words of Jesus "Who feeds on me will have life because of me" (Jn.6:57) related to the Eucharist? How?

11. We have often been told that the communion in the Mass gives us strength to overcome our weakness. How is this?

12. So, the Eucharistic Communion is an intimate communion with God, isn’t it?

13. You spoke until now on the body of Jesus Christ that is given to us in the Eucharistic Communion. What about the blood of Jesus Christ? What can we say about it?

14. I see in our churches thousands of people participating in the Eucharist. Is this enough for our spiritual life?

15. What is contemplation and how to practice it?

16. How to combine the Eucharist and contemplation?

17. In his Gospel John doesn’t speak of the institution of the Eucharist like the other three evangelists (Matthew, Mark and Luke) and gives very much importance to the washing of feet. Why? What is the meaning of the washing of feet?

18. Many people say that they serve others: politicians, owners, etc. What is the difference between the service given by a Christian and the same service given by the world?

19. How to know better if my service is given according to the Christian spirit or not?

20. Sometimes during the Mass the priest invites us to help the poor. Should not this be done in other places? Why during the Eucharist?

21. What you said until now about the Eucharist is beautiful but how can we celebrate the Eucharist well since somewhere the people have to celebrate it in a flat without singing or in an insalubrious basement?

22. We believe that Jesus Christ is present in the Host and in the Cup with his body, blood, soul and divinity, but is there any Biblical image which can help us to understand more his presence?

23. Why should we sing during the celebration of the Eucharist? Is it not better to follow silently and secretly the prayers of the priest?

01. Question

Why should we know the Biblical roots of the Eucharist? Is it not enough to remember that Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper?

Answer

Yes, Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, but He followed the Jewish Passover and He changed something extremely important.

The Passover of the Jews was the celebration of their liberation from slavery in Egypt. They had the last supper in Egypt, and they then crossed the Red Sea. The bread that they ate was the sign of the violence they had to face in Egypt, the cup was the sign of the alliance that God wanted to have with them. God did not want to offer his salvation only to the people of that time, but to all generations to come. So he said: "This day must be commemorated by you" (Ex 12,14). Until this day the Jews are still celebrating their liberation from Egypt.

Jesus also used bread in his Last Supper, however this bread was no more the sign of the exodus from slavery in Egypt but of his own exodus from this world to the Father. And the bread was his own body. Similarly, the cup for Jesus was not the sign of the alliance on Sinai, but of the new covenant in his blood. Jesus also wanted that his Passover be extended to all generations to come, so he said: "Do this in remembrance of me ... do this as memorial of me" (1 Cor.11:24-25). Through baptism we enter once and for all in the death-resurrection of Jesus Christ, but we are not perfect. We are lost with many Pharaohs: sexual vice, impurity and sensuality, the worship of false gods and sorcery, antagonisms and rivalry, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels, disagreements, factions and malice, drunkenness, orgies and all such things (Gal 5,20-21), our selfishness, the desperate longing for richness, power, prestige, fame, self realisation beyond any limit and law. How do we free ourselves from all these Pharaohs? It is true: without the Eucharist which gradually frees us from our Pharaohs we cannot live. The Eucharist is our weekly or daily Passover. In the celebration of the Eucharist the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary and his resurrection are extended to us. We can say: when Jesus Christ was on the cross and when he resurrected we were also there!

02. Question

Where in the Mass can we see that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary and his resurrection are extended to us today?

Answer

Of course we must not divide the Eucharist into magical moments, as if only at those moments something special will happen. The entire Eucharist is the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and of our liberation. The acme where we are particularly united to the offering of Jesus Christ to the Father is when, after the consecration, the priest says:

"In memory of his death and resurrection,

We offer you, Father, this life-giving bread,

This saving cup.

We thank you for counting us worthy

To stand in your presence and serve you" (Eucharistic Prayer 2)

"Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation,

His glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven,

And ready to greet him when he comes again,

We offer you in thanksgiving

This holy and living sacrifice" (Eucharistic Prayer 3).

We notice that the bread is called "life-giving", i.e. it gives life, and the cup is called "saving", i.e. it gives salvation. The Eucharist gives us life for ever (= eternal life) and salvation.

03. Question

What is the "Eucharistic Prayer"?

Answer

It is the prayer which starts with: "The Lord be with you", "Lift up your hearts", "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God", until its solemn conclusion: "Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever". And the people respond: "Amen!".

With this prayer:

+ we thank God for different reasons (specified in the Preface which ends with "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord ...").

+ Then, a short praise to the Father ("Lord, you are holy indeed, the fountain of all holiness", Eucharistic Prayer 2),

+ invocation to the Holy Spirit to change the bread and the wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ,

+ consecration,

+ offering which I mentioned in the previous answer,

+ another invocation to the Holy Spirit but this time over the people to make them one in Jesus Christ,

+ intercessions for the Church (Pope, Bishop, clergy) and all the people,

+ intercession for the dead,

+ mention of the Virgin Mary and all the saints.

+ All these intercessions are presented to God the Father through Jesus Christ: "May we praise you in union with them, and give you glory through your Son, Jesus Christ" (Eucharistic Prayer 2).

We notice that the Eucharistic Prayer is the central prayer of the Mass.

04. Question

Since the Eucharistic Prayer is central of the Mass, why do we read the Readings? Is it not enough to say the Eucharistic Prayer, where there is also the consecration, and then we receive Communion? Why the two or three Readings and the Homily?

Answer

The purpose of the Readings is to remind us why we need to thank God in the Eucharistic Prayer. When the priest says: "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God", very often we are so far away in our thoughts that we don’t know what exactly we want to thank God for, so our thanks is so general and impersonal that it means almost nothing to us. The Readings remind us what God has done in the past and we know that God wants to do the same in the present, in our life today. For example, the first Reading of the 28^th Sunday B of the Ordinary Time speaks about true wisdom, which is "esteemed more than sceptres and thrones" to be loved "more than health or beauty" (Wisdom 7:7-11). The Gospel of the same Sunday (Mark 10:17-30) speaks about the rich man who has observed all the commandments and whom Jesus invites to "sell everything you own and give the money to the poor". But the man "went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth". That man did not understand that the true wisdom is Jesus. What about us? What is true wisdom for us? Is it Jesus? Let us be sincere: NO! the Eucharist takes us from the exaggerated attachments to material things and raises us to another level of life: to entrust our life in God’s hands. But we also recognize that God helps us many times to prefer him to the Devil. So, we want to thank him for these small victories due to his mercy and not due to our power. The homily aims at explaining what God wants to tell us this day through the Readings. You see that if you have followed the Readings attentively , you will have a "new" personal reason to thank God because many times he has rescued you from the wisdom of the world and has given you the strength to accept more deeply the true Wisdom, Jesus Christ. Once again, we cannot live without the Eucharist!

05. Question

Sometimes I am disturbed by the choir singing very loudly "Amen!" at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer. I prefer to say "Amen!" silently in my heart.

Answer

That "Amen!" is not just "OK, no objection!". It is a solemn personal involvement in what the priest has done. Like: I confirm! I believe! I am with you! St. Augustine wrote that to proclaim AMEN! is like putting a signature on a document, which has no value till it is signed. St. Jerome says that in Rome the AMEN! of the assembly was resounding like a thunder in the sky!

06. Question

Some priests mention the name of the dead person for whom I offered the Mass, others forget to mention. Is the Mass equally valid for the dead person?

Answer

To mention the name of a dead at Mass is possible, but it should not be understood in a magical way, as though the Mass was not beneficial for that dead person in case no mention of his/her name was made during the celebration. Besides that, let us not forget that the Mass is never restricted to one person or one intention; the offering made by Christ of himself on the cross and his resurrection is not for one person only but for everyone and for the whole world. If the Church allows the priests to have only one intention per Mass, it is not because the Mass is only for that intention but because the priest cannot take more than one stipend per Mass, this is to avoid any personal business through the Eucharist.

07. Question

So, what are the different parts of the Mass?

Answer

They are:

+ Initial greeting from the priest: "The Lord be with you!" (Bishop: "Peace be with you").

+ Penitential Rite ("I confess …")

+ Opening prayer ("Let us pray …")

+ Readings (two in week days, three on Sundays and solemnities)

+ Homily

+ Prayer of the faithful

+ Offertory. This offertory is more a "preparation of the offerings" (bread and wine). The true offertory is when the priest offers the body and blood of Jesus Christ to the Father and through this offertory we participate in the offering made on Calvary and in the resurrection. See 02.

+ Prayer over the gifts

+ Eucharistic Prayer

+ Our Father

+ Communion

+ Prayer after Communion

+ Blessing

+ Dismissal

08. Question

The priest says at the consecration: "He took bread and gave you thanks, he broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said…". Why did Jesus break the bread, to give a piece to each disciple?

Answer

To break the bread in order to give a piece to everyone was so normal that there was no need to record it in the Gospel. That breaking meant immolation: Jesus was offering himself to the Father. The bread is Jesus Christ; in breaking the bread Jesus broke himself, as Isaiah said: "He was pierced for our offenses" (53:5). Jesus broke himself before God, i.e. "He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8). Through the breaking of bread Jesus wanted to tell us that he was submitting his human will totally to the Father: "Behold, I come to do your will, O God" (Heb 10:7). From this action of Jesus we understand that if we also do what Jesus did, we too have to "break" ourselves, to lay down any rigidness towards God, any rebellion against him or our brothers and sisters, we have to break our pride, submit ourselves and say "yes" till the end, to everything that God asks of us. We too have to repeat the words of Jesus: "Behold, I come to do your will, O God". To be like Jesus means to completely abandon ourselves to the will of God, our Father.

09. Question

How can we live the words of Jesus: This is my body, this is my blood?

Answer

"Body" doesn’t mean only our physical body but our entire life. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist he left for us as a gift all his life: silence, toils, fatigues, humiliations, prayer, etc.

Then, Jesus also said: this is my blood. What did the word "blood" add more to this since he has already given us all his life through his body? It adds: death! And not a normal death but a violent one! After he gave us his life, Jesus also gives us his death. St. Paul summarizes the violence in Jesus’ death by saying: "He emptied himself" (Phil 2:7). According to the mentality of that time, blood was the seed of life and its shedding was a clear sign of death. So, the Eucharist is the mystery of the body and blood of Jesus, i.e. of the life and death of the Lord!

When, in the Eucharist, we offer our body and blood together with Jesus, we also offer what Jesus offered: our life and our death. In offering our body we offer all that we live within our body: time, health, energies, affection, even a smile, etc. In offering our blood-death, we offer not only the end of our life but what is now already a sign of death: humiliations, failures, sickness, limitations due to our age or health, in a word everything which humiliates us.

All this requires from us that when we come out from the Eucharist we must act in order to realize concretely what we said, to offer really our "body", our life, to our brothers. Soon after he said: "Take, this is my body … Take, this is my blood", Jesus accomplished what he had promised: after some hours he gave his life and his blood on the cross. If we don’t put into practice what we offered in the Eucharist, we become liars. We should offer our life not only for those whom we love or for those who love us, but also for those whom we don’t love. Jesus said: "If you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?" (Mt 5:47). Let us not forget that we offer also our blood, i.e. our humiliations, failures, etc. Jesus emptied himself ! We should remember this when we are faced with injustice and everything in us is in violent rebellion. I can say: "Just as Jesus emptied himself, in the same way I want to empty myself renouncing myself and my ‘reasons’ "! This is true communion with Christ. Once again, we cannot live without the Eucharist!

10. Question

Are the words of Jesus "Who feeds on me will have life because of me" (Jn.6:57) related to the Eucharist? How?

Answer

The Pope St. Leo the Great said: "Our participation in the body and blood of Christ aims only at making us like what we eat". But, let us listen to what Jesus himself said: "Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me" (Jn.6:57). The word because indicates two things or two movements. First movement is "from" him. This means that whoever eats the body of Jesus lives, thanks to the life that comes from him. The second is "for" him, i.e. for his glory, his love, his Kingdom. As Jesus lives from the Father and for the Father, it is the same, when we receive his body and blood, we live from Jesus and for Jesus. When we go to the Eucharist, Jesus says, as St. Augustine wrote: "It is not you who will assimilate me to you, but it is me who will assimilate you to me". Concretely, this means that he makes us similar to him, he makes our feelings similar to his feelings, our desires to his desires, our way of thinking to his way of thinking. In a word he forms in us "the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus" (Phil 2:5). In the Eucharist we throw away our sin and any impurities to be destroyed, and Jesus gives us pure blood, which is the blood of the Immaculate Lamb, full of life and holiness.

11. Question

We have often been told that the communion in the Mass gives us strength to overcome our weakness. How is this?

Answer

St. Paul says: "Whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him" (1 Cor.6:17). This is exactly the strength of the Eucharistic communion, in it we become one spirit with Jesus and this "one spirit" is the Holy Spirit! In the sacrament it takes place continuously what happened only one time in history. At birth it is the Holy Spirit who gives Christ to the world (in fact the Virgin Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit); at the moment of death, it is Christ who gives to the world the Holy Spirit (dying, he handed over the Spirit, Jn.19:30). It is the same, in the Eucharist, at the consecration the Holy Spirit gives us Jesus Christ, in communion Jesus Christ gives us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes our intimacy with God. St. Cyril of Alexandria wrote: "As if you melt on the fire two pieces of wax and from the two you form one, the same in the Communion with the body of Christ and his precious blood we become one with him, he in us and we in him". In Communion Jesus Christ comes to us as the one who gives us the Spirit. Not as the one who one day, longtime ago, gave the Holy Spirit, but the one who now , after having offered his bloodless sacrifice on the altar, once again he hands over the Spirit (cfr Jn.19:30). Every Eucharistic Communion which doesn’t end with an act of love is incomplete. We are fully and definitely in union with Jesus Christ only if we are able to tell him, as Peter: "Lord, you know that I love you" (Jn 21,16). When we receive Jesus, we receive also the Father because the Father is in him: "… they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me" (Jn 17,23). We cannot receive Jesus without receiving at the same time the Father too. The reason is that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are a unique and inseparable divine nature, they are ONE! In fact, in each one of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity the other two are also included. The Eucharistic communion gives us strength because through it we receive in us the Holy Trinity.

12. Question

So, the Eucharistic Communion is an intimate communion with God, isn’t it?

Answer

Yes, but this is not all. When we receive Communion we cannot disinterest ourselves in our brother, and refuse him without refusing Christ himself or separate ourselves from unity. Now we understand the deep meaning of our Amen! when the priest proclaims: The body of Christ! We answer Amen! and this means that we say Amen! to the mystic body of Jesus, which is the Church and which is, concretely, our brothers who are near us in our lives or at the Eucharistic banquet. There could always be someone who causes us suffering, either by their fault or ours, it doesn’t matter, someone who opposes us, criticizes us or even slanders us. Then it becomes more difficult to say Amen! in this case but it hides a special grace. When we want to realize a special communion with Jesus or ask him a particular grace or we need special forgiveness from him, this is the way to obtain it: to receive Jesus, in Communion, together with "that" brother or "those" brothers. We should say to him explicitly: "Jesus, today I receive you together with that person (and here mention the name), I welcome him with you in my heart, I am happy if you bring him with you." This small gesture is very much loved by Jesus because he knows that in doing this we have to die a little.

13. Question

You spoke until now on the body of Jesus Christ that is given to us in the Eucharistic Communion. What about the blood of Jesus Christ? What can we say about it?

Answer

Jesus said: "Amen, Amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you … For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (Jn.6:53-55). In the institution of the Eucharist Jesus said: "Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying: Drink from it, all of you, for this is the blood of my covenant…" (Mt 26:26-28). St. Paul confirms the faithful execution of this commandment mentioning the communion with the blood of Christ even before the communion with his body: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Cor.10:16). On the second Sunday after Pentecost the Liturgy celebrates the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharistic cult outside the Mass had a big development along the centuries but always centered on the Body of Christ. Through the shedding of his blood, Jesus showed a love that no greater love can exist: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (Jn.15:13). So, the blood is the sign of obedience to the Father and a love for us even unto death. But the blood of Christ doesn’t indicate only his obedience and his love, it also indicates a precise event that happened at a precise time and place: "Christ entered once and for all into the sanctuary, not with blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption" (Heb 9:12). It is from here that the blood has its unique strength. The blood of Christ puts us in direct contact with the death of Jesus Christ. From its color and warmth, blood, and its image which is wine, is somehow similar to fire, which recalls the Holy Spirit. An ancient author said that through the blood which was shed for us, we receive the Holy Spirit. Even though for practical reasons, seeing the huge number of faithful in our Masses, we cannot give Communion with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, perhaps it would be useful to celebrate sometimes Mass using a transparent cup of glass or crystal, or, in a particular circumstance, to have a Eucharistic adoration before the body and blood of Christ or even before the blood only, in order to remind us that in the blood also Jesus Christ is there in his entirety, with his body, blood, soul and divinity; or to have a procession, at the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, not only with the body but also with the blood.

 

14. Question

I see in our churches thousands of people participating in the Eucharist. Is this enough for our spiritual life?

Answer

The Sacraments (Eucharist, Confession and all the other Sacraments) are the base of our spiritual life. They put us in an immediate and objective contact with the salvation made by Jesus Christ once and for all. But alone, they are not enough. It is necessary that along with them there also be an interior life, or a life of contemplation. In fact, contemplation is the necessary means to understand more the Sacraments and to become open to their action. There is no Christian life which doesn’t spring from contemplation. Christian life goes from the Sacraments to contemplation and from contemplation to the Sacraments. The primacy given to contemplation in its relation with action doesn’t mean that contemplation is bigger than the active life but that it comes "before", it is its source.

15. Question

What is contemplation and how to practice it?

Answer

To assimilate ourselves to Jesus Christ is not enough to eat his body and drink his blood; we must also contemplate this mystery. After the Annunciation, the Virgin Mary was full of Jesus not only in her body but also in her spirit; she was full of Jesus because she was thinking of him, waiting for him, loving him. The Christian also has to welcome Jesus in his mind after he receives him in his body. To welcome Jesus in our mind means to concretely think of him, to look at him, to remember him. We have two kinds of remembering. First of all we remember Jesus to the Father, we remember Jesus in what he has done for us (as if he doesn’t know!). In other words, we remember Jesus to the Father so that the Father remembers us. We say to God: Remember Jesus, your Son, and his sacrifice! The Eucharistic Prayers, and especially the Eucharistic Prayer No. 4, remember the Father in the work of Jesus saying: "Father, you so loved the world that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Savior. He was conceived ... and born of the Virgin Mary … in fulfillment of your will he gave himself up to death … he sent the Holy Spirit". Only after we remember Jesus to the Father, we pray to the Father to remember us: "Lord, remember those for whom we offer this sacrifice … remember your Church …". The second kind of remembering is to remember Jesus not to the Father but to ourselves. The remembering of Jesus must be our joy and our strength in this land of pilgrimage. To repeat in our mind or on our lips an invocation of the name of Jesus during our work or even in the night when we don’t sleep, is a very precious means to assimilate in us the grace of the Eucharist. The invocation of the name of Jesus helps us especially in breaking the very beginning of the thought of pride, self complaisance, anger, impure thoughts, and to foster good thoughts. In this way we learn to think as God does and not as human beings do (Cfr Mt 16:23).

16. Question

How to combine the Eucharist and contemplation?

Answer

The first way of Eucharistic contemplation is the Liturgy of the Word, the Readings that we listen to in the Mass. A Reading or a verse of it can enlighten us about our life, our personal situation and invite us to reflection and prayer. (See question no. 4).

Another way is the time that we give for preparation and thanksgiving before and after Communion.

But the way, par excellence, of Eucharistic contemplation is the silent adoration before the Holy Sacrament. During the celebration of the Eucharist the center of the church should be the altar. But, after it, the center of the church should be the tabernacle, for private or common adoration. Eucharistic adoration is nothing else than a gift to be able to establish a heart to heart contact with Jesus really present in the Host and, through him, to raise ourselves to the Father by the grace of the Holy Spirit. It has to be like the contemplation of a man in the Parish of Ars (France) whom St. John Mary Vianney asked how and why he passes every day so many hours looking silently at the tabernacle. The man answered: I look at Him and He looks at me! Wonderful contemplation! In fact, our contemplation can be done like that: to look at the tabernacle without saying any prayer, any word, just in perfect silence. What is important to God is not whether we say good prayers or not, or whether we ask many or few things: "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Mt 6,8); what is important for God is the length of time that we give Him, not what we say during this time!

In heaven consecration and Communion will end, but the contemplation of the slain Lamb will never stop. This is what the saints do in heaven (Rev 5:12ff).

 

17. Question

In his Gospel John doesn’t speak of the institution of the Eucharist like the other three evangelists (Matthew, Mark and Luke) and gives very much importance to the washing of feet. Why? What is the meaning of the washing of feet?

Answer

We will understand very well the purpose of the washing of feet if we compare it with the hymn to Christ in St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians (2:5-7): "Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, who … emptied himself, taking the form of a slave". In fact, at the washing of feet, Jesus "took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist … and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel" (Jn.13:4-5). Jesus was aware of who he was, in fact John writes: "(Jesus) fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God" (Jn.13:3). St. Paul says: "Though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped" (Phil 2:6). Jesus, in spite of his being God, took out his garments (John) emptied himself (Paul), undressed himself and took a towel, which is an object of a servant, and began to wash the disciples’ feet. Jesus became the servant of God and of the people. There was a discussion between the disciples: "Then an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest" (Lk.22:24). Jesus intervened and said: "… let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant … I am among you as the one who serves" (Lk.22:26-27). Through the washing of feet Jesus wanted to give a concrete example to his disciples about their attitude towards the others: to be their servants! The entire life of Jesus has been a washing of feet, i.e. to serve others. If we don’t serve and, on the contrary, we want to dominate others, we are not disciples of Jesus Christ. After the washing of feet Jesus said: "You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master’, and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do" (Jn.13:13-15). Through the washing of feet Jesus gives us an example, we have to imitate him. The Eucharist is a celebration where we can obtain the grace to serve any person we meet. Once again, we cannot live without the Eucharist!

 

18. Question

Many people say that they serve others: politicians, owners, etc. What is the difference between the service given by a Christian and the same service given by the world?

Answer

The difference is in the reasons why somebody serves. We may have politicians and others who serve with a Christian spirit. A service is given according to the world’s spirit: when I serve to seek approval, appreciation, love, support, success, more money, or even only the satisfaction to feel that I am a benefactor. The Gospel is radical on this point: "Do not let your left hand know what your right is doing" (Mt.6:3). All that I do "in order that people may see" (Mt.6:1) is not a service but a research for my own glory and success. The reason for my service is myself.

On the contrary, the Christian spirit of service is based on the example of Jesus Christ, who "did not please himself" (Rom 15:3). What has been the deep reason why Jesus washed the disciples’ feet? We read in the Gospel of St. John (13:1): "He loved his own in the world and loved them to the end". So, Christian service comes from love which "does not seek its own interests" (1 Cor.13:5). That’s why service according to the Gospel is the opposite of service according to the world. In the Christian spirit, service is not given only by the inferior or the needy but by those who possess, who are on high and have authority! Let us remember the passage quoted above: "… let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant" (Lk.22:26).

19. Question

How to know better if my service is given according to the Christian spirit or not?

Answer

We should be humble. Jesus said: "I am meek and humble of heart" (Mt 11:29). How could he define himself humble? Because, in spite of being teacher and master, he came down, undressed himself and washed the feet of the others. We should revise our life: our attitudes with the others, responsibilities, time-table of our work, in order to see if we are really serving the others or if we are using the others for our personal utility, if in our service there are love and humility. We serve surely according to the Christian spirit when nobody, not even the person whom we serve, knows our service. Let us often ask ourselves this simple question: Am I serving others or am I dominating them? The rule of service is always the same: (Jesus Christ) "did not please himself" (Rom 15:3).

20. Question

Sometimes during the Mass the priest invites us to help the poor. Should not this be done in other places? Why during the Eucharist?

Answer

With the adoration we proclaim that Jesus Christ is "true God". But he is also "true man" and we proclaim this aspect of our faith by helping the poor. The adoration expresses an essential aspect of the Eucharistic mystery but alone is not enough; it is necessary also with the adoration there be a sharing. Jesus said: "This is my body" and he said the same words to the poor. He said them when he proclaimed: "I was hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, in prison … I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me" (Mt 25:35 ff). St. Justin, who died a martyr around 150 AD, handed down a description of the main moments of the Mass. He gave a particular importance to the care of the poor, the prisoners, the sick, not as something detached from the Mass but as an integral part of it. St. Paul himself had taught that the Communion of the Eucharistic body of Christ is inseparable from the communion with our brothers (1 Cor.11:17-34). The Church keeps this tradition all through the centuries because she knows that Jesus Christ identified himself with the poor.

21. Question

What you said until now about the Eucharist is beautiful but how can we celebrate the Eucharist well since somewhere the people have to celebrate it in a flat without singing or in an insalubrious basement?

Answer

Courage, my brothers and sisters! During the first three centuries, at the time of persecutions, Sunday was for the Christians the day of the celebration of the Eucharist but not of abstention from work. Even during that time the celebration of the Eucharist was done secretly, early in the morning, to escape the warrants and then, to resume normal work like the others. It happened only with the Emperor Constantine, in the fourth century, that Sunday became a holiday and the Christians could celebrate the Eucharist not in the catacombs but under the light of the sun. Somewhere or the other we are in a similar situation. Like the Christians of the first centuries were faithful to Jesus Christ, in the same way we have to be bound to him. Jesus Christ knows our situation and he is not sleeping in our boat, he is awake and wants to help us. Even though the celebration of the Sunday Eucharist takes place on Friday, a holiday in the Arab region, it thus became a tradition in our churches, we must however not forget the essential importance of Sunday. In the Eucharist we celebrate the paschal mystery, i.e. death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the resurrection which crowned the death and Jesus Christ resurrected on Sunday. Sunday is an essential appointment that we have with Jesus Christ, to join his death and resurrection, so that we can say: "When you died I was there, under your cross, and I came to see your empty tomb!." Sunday is so important for a Christian that I plan to write, in another year, a Pastoral Letter on this subject. My brothers and sisters, let us not be discouraged, let us endure, Christ will win! Courage!

22. Question

We believe that Jesus Christ is present in the Host and in the Cup with his body, blood, soul and divinity, but is there any Biblical image which can help us to understand more his presence?

Answer

Yes, it is the image of the Lamb that we find in the book of Revelation (5:6-7): "a Lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed; it had seven horns and it had seven eyes … (The Lamb) came forward to take the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne…". We notice that this Lamb has been sacrificed, dead, but it is living again, glorious, victorious! In the Eucharist there is Jesus born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem, the same who "went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil" (Acts 10:38), who died on the cross and was resurrected the third day, who lives today in the world not in a vague presence but in a real one as he was present in the Holy Land two thousand years ago. The Eucharist is the means that God established to remain forever Emmanuel, God-with-us. This presence is not a warranty and a protection for the Church only but for all the world: "God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself" (2 Cor.5:19) reconciling the entire world, all the people, not only the Christians! The Lamb in the book of Revelation is an exact image of the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist: dead and resurrected for all! That’s why I have chosen as cover of this booklet the picture of a Lamb slaughtered and living!

23. Question

Why should we sing during the celebration of the Eucharist? Is it not better to follow silently and secretly the prayers of the priest?

Answer

Hymns are very important in the Eucharist. A Mass without hymns is an exception and we have to tolerate it somewhere for special reasons, as I explained in the answer to question 21. To sing together during the Mass is a sign of common prayer. In the hymns we don’t pray with our own words but we all use the same words, so it is a sign of unity. It is also an expression of joy and praise. I know that to participate in the hymns requires a sacrifice from us, especially when we are not much familiar with the language. The Psalm says: "Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God" (Ps 49:14) and the same experience is repeated in the verse 23: "A sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me". Sacrifice of thanksgiving is another term to define the Eucharist. We proclaim in the Eucharistic Prayer No. 1 (called "Roman Canon"): "We offer you this sacrifice of praise". Of course, the Eucharist is not only a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise, it is the continuation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ offered to us, but the Eucharist is also a sacrifice of praise. Many moments of the Eucharist reminds us of this aspect. The true beginning of the Mass is the Entry Hymn, which is not sung just to create an atmosphere but in order to introduce us with joy into the mystery that we are going to celebrate. The Psalm after the first reading and the "Gloria" also presents to us reasons to glorify the Lord. Besides that, we should pay attention to the Prayers said by the priest on our behalf (Opening Prayer, Prayer Over the Gifts, Prayer after Communion); these prayers start with a praise: Lord, our God … God our Father … God of mercy … Almighty and ever living God … God of power, etc. and end with a solemn praise: Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Later, at the beginning of the Preface we find the invitation: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God! When we participate in the hymns in the Eucharist it is another way to say to God: I love you! So, the Eucharist is the sacrament of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He instituted it in order to change ourselves and to make us like him, to remove our hearts of stone and give us a heart of flesh (Cfr. Ez.36:26), to give us eternal life! What an amazement the Eucharist is! Again and again: we cannot live without the Eucharist!

God give you peace!

May the Virgin Mary intercede for us all!

Your Bishop

+ Camillo Ballin, mccj

Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait

2nd September 2009
The Fourth Anniversary of my Episcopal Ordination

C. THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST
Taken from the COMPENDIUM OF THE CATECHISM
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
(CCC Reference Article 3 Paragraph 1322 to 1419)

271. What is the Eucharist?

The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory. Thus he entrusted to his Church this memorial of his death and Resurrection. It is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.

272. When did Jesus Christ institute the Eucharist?

Jesus instituted the Eucharist on Holy Thursday "the night on which he was betrayed" (1 Corinthians 11:23), as he celebrated the Last Supper with his apostles.

273. How did he institute the Eucharist?

After he had gathered with his apostles in the Cenacle, Jesus took bread in his hands. He broke it and gave it to them saying, "Take this and eat it, all of you; this is my Body which will be given up for you". Then, he took the cup of wine in his hands and said, "Take this and drink of this, all of you. This is the cup of my Blood, the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgive. Do this in memory of me".

274. What does the Eucharist represent in the life of the Church?

It is the source and summit of all Christian life. In the Eucharist, the sanctifying action of God in our regard and our worship of him reach their high point. It contains the whole spiritual good of the Church, Christ himself, our Pasch. Communion with divine life and the unity of the People of God are both expressed and effected by the Eucharist. Through the Eucharistic celebration we are united already with the liturgy of heaven and we have a foretaste of eternal life.

275. What are the names for this sacrament?

The unfathomable richness of this sacrament is expressed in different names which evoke its various aspects. The most common names are: the Eucharist, Holy Mass, the Lord’s Supper, the Breaking of the Bread, the Eucharistic Celebration, the Memorial of the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord, the Holy Sacrifice, the Holy and Divine Liturgy, the Sacred Mysteries, the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and Holy Communion.

276. Where does the Eucharist fit in the divine plan of salvation?

The Eucharist was foreshadowed in the Old Covenant above all in the annual Passover meal celebrated every year by the Jews with unleavened bread to commemorate their hasty, liberating departure from Egypt. Jesus foretold it in his teaching and he instituted it when he celebrated the Last Supper with his apostles in a Passover meal. The Church, faithful to the command of her Lord, "Do this in memory of me" (1 Corinthians 11:24), has always celebrated the Eucharist, especially on Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of Jesus.

277. How is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist carried out?

The Eucharist unfolds in two great parts which together form one, single act of worship. The Liturgy of the Word involves proclaiming and listening to the Word of God. The Liturgy of the Eucharist includes the presentation of the bread and wine, the prayer or the anaphora containing the words of consecration, and communion.

278. Who is the minister for the celebration of the Eucharist?

The celebrant of the Eucharist is a validly ordained priest (bishop or priest) who acts in the Person of Christ the Head and in the name of the Church.

279. What are the essential and necessary elements for celebrating the Eucharist?

The essential elements are wheat bread and grape wine.

280. In what way is the Eucharist a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ?

The Eucharist is a memorial in the sense that it makes present and actual the sacrifice which Christ offered to the Father on the cross, once and for all on behalf of mankind. The sacrificial character of the Holy Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution, "This is my Body which is given for you" and "This cup is the New Covenant in my Blood that will be shed for you" (Luke 22:19-20). The sacrifice of the cross and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one and the same sacrifice. The priest and the victim are the same; only the manner of offering is different: in a bloody manner on the cross, in an un-bloody manner in the Eucharist.

281. In what way does the Church participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice?

In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, their suffering, their prayers, their work, are united to those of Christ. In as much as it is a sacrifice, the Eucharist is likewise offered for all the faithful, living and dead, in reparation for the sins of all and to obtain spiritual and temporal benefits from God. The Church in heaven is also united to the offering of Christ.

282. How is Christ present in the Eucharist?

Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in a unique and incomparable way. He is present in a true, real and substantial way, with his Body and his Blood, with his Soul and his Divinity. In the Eucharist, therefore, there is present in a sacramental way, that is, under the Eucharistic species of bread and wine, Christ whole and entire, God and Man.

283. What is the meaning of transubstantiation?

Transubstantiation means the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of the whole substance of wine into the substance of his Blood. This change is brought about in the Eucharistic prayer through the efficacy of the word of Christ and by the action of the Holy Spirit. However, the outward characteristics of bread and wine, that is the "Eucharistic species", remain unaltered.

284. Does the breaking of the bread divide Christ?

The breaking of the bread does not divide Christ. He is present whole and entire in each of the Eucharistic species and in each of their parts.

285. How long does the presence of Christ last in the Eucharist?

The presence of Christ continues in the Eucharist as long as the Eucharistic species subsist.

286. What kind of worship is due to the sacrament of the Eucharist?

The worship due to the sacrament of the Eucharist, whether during the celebration of the Mass or outside it, is the worship of latria, that is, the adoration given to God alone. The Church guards with the greatest care Hosts that have been consecrated. She brings them to the sick and to other persons who find it impossible to participate at Mass. She also presents them for the solemn adoration of the faithful and she bears them in processions. The Church encourages the faithful to make frequent visits to adore the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle.

287. Why is the Holy Eucharist the paschal banquet?

The Holy Eucharist is the paschal banquet in as much as Christ sacramentally makes present his Passover and gives us his Body and Blood, offered as food and drink, uniting us to himself and to one another in his sacrifice.

288. What is the meaning of the altar?

The altar is the symbol of Christ himself who is present both as sacrificial victim (the altar of the sacrifice) and as food from heaven which is given to us (the table of the Lord).

289. When does the Church oblige her members to participate at Holy Mass?

The Church obliges the faithful to participate at Holy Mass every Sunday and on holy days of obligation. She recommends participation at Holy Mass on other days as well.

290. When must one receive Holy Communion?

The Church recommends that the faithful, if they have the required dispositions, receive Holy Communion whenever they participate at Holy Mass. However, the Church obliges them to receive Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter season.

291. What is required to receive Holy Communion?

To receive Holy Communion one must be fully incorporated into the Catholic Church and be in the state of grace, that is, not conscious of being in mortal sin. Anyone who is conscious of having committed a grave sin must first receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before going to Communion. Also important for those receiving Holy Communion are a spirit of recollection and prayer, observance of the fast prescribed by the Church, and an appropriate disposition of the body (gestures and dress) as a sign of respect for Christ.

292. What are the fruits of Holy Communion?

Holy Communion increases our union with Christ and with his Church. It preserves and renews the life of grace received at Baptism and Confirmation and makes us grow in love for our neighbor. It strengthens us in charity, wipes away venial sins and preserves us from mortal sin in the future.

293. When is it possible to give Holy Communion to other Christians?

Catholic ministers may give Holy Communion licitly to members of the Oriental Churches which are not in full communion with the Catholic Church whenever they ask for it of their own will and possess the required dispositions. Catholic ministers may licitly give Holy Communion to members of other ecclesial communities only if, in grave necessity, they ask for it of their own will, possess the required dispositions, and give evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding the sacrament.

294. Why is the Eucharist a "pledge of future glory"?

The Eucharist is a pledge of future glory because it fills us with every grace and heavenly blessing. It fortifies us for our pilgrimage in this life and makes us long for eternal life. It unites us already to Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, to the Church in heaven and to the Blessed Virgin and all the saints.

In the Eucharist, we "break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death and the food that makes us live forever in Jesus Christ." (Saint Ignatius of Antioch)

271. What is the Eucharist?

The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory. Thus he entrusted to his Church this memorial of his death and Resurrection. It is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.

272. When did Jesus Christ institute the Eucharist?

Jesus instituted the Eucharist on Holy Thursday "the night on which he was betrayed" (1 Corinthians 11:23), as he celebrated the Last Supper with his apostles.

273. How did he institute the Eucharist?

After he had gathered with his apostles in the Cenacle, Jesus took bread in his hands. He broke it and gave it to them saying, "Take this and eat it, all of you; this is my Body which will be given up for you". Then, he took the cup of wine in his hands and said, "Take this and drink of this, all of you. This is the cup of my Blood, the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgive. Do this in memory of me".

274. What does the Eucharist represent in the life of the Church?

It is the source and summit of all Christian life. In the Eucharist, the sanctifying action of God in our regard and our worship of him reach their high point. It contains the whole spiritual good of the Church, Christ himself, our Pasch. Communion with divine life and the unity of the People of God are both expressed and effected by the Eucharist. Through the Eucharistic celebration we are united already with the liturgy of heaven and we have a foretaste of eternal life.

275. What are the names for this sacrament?

The unfathomable richness of this sacrament is expressed in different names which evoke its various aspects. The most common names are: the Eucharist, Holy Mass, the Lord’s Supper, the Breaking of the Bread, the Eucharistic Celebration, the Memorial of the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord, the Holy Sacrifice, the Holy and Divine Liturgy, the Sacred Mysteries, the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and Holy Communion.

276. Where does the Eucharist fit in the divine plan of salvation?

The Eucharist was foreshadowed in the Old Covenant above all in the annual Passover meal celebrated every year by the Jews with unleavened bread to commemorate their hasty, liberating departure from Egypt. Jesus foretold it in his teaching and he instituted it when he celebrated the Last Supper with his apostles in a Passover meal. The Church, faithful to the command of her Lord, "Do this in memory of me" (1 Corinthians 11:24), has always celebrated the Eucharist, especially on Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of Jesus.

277. How is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist carried out?

The Eucharist unfolds in two great parts which together form one, single act of worship. The Liturgy of the Word involves proclaiming and listening to the Word of God. The Liturgy of the Eucharist includes the presentation of the bread and wine, the prayer or the anaphora containing the words of consecration, and communion.

278. Who is the minister for the celebration of the Eucharist?

The celebrant of the Eucharist is a validly ordained priest (bishop or priest) who acts in the Person of Christ the Head and in the name of the Church.

279. What are the essential and necessary elements for celebrating the Eucharist?

The essential elements are wheat bread and grape wine.

280. In what way is the Eucharist a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ?

The Eucharist is a memorial in the sense that it makes present and actual the sacrifice which Christ offered to the Father on the cross, once and for all on behalf of mankind. The sacrificial character of the Holy Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution, "This is my Body which is given for you" and "This cup is the New Covenant in my Blood that will be shed for you" (Luke 22:19-20). The sacrifice of the cross and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one and the same sacrifice. The priest and the victim are the same; only the manner of offering is different: in a bloody manner on the cross, in an un-bloody manner in the Eucharist.

281. In what way does the Church participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice?

In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, their suffering, their prayers, their work, are united to those of Christ. In as much as it is a sacrifice, the Eucharist is likewise offered for all the faithful, living and dead, in reparation for the sins of all and to obtain spiritual and temporal benefits from God. The Church in heaven is also united to the offering of Christ.

282. How is Christ present in the Eucharist?

Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in a unique and incomparable way. He is present in a true, real and substantial way, with his Body and his Blood, with his Soul and his Divinity. In the Eucharist, therefore, there is present in a sacramental way, that is, under the Eucharistic species of bread and wine, Christ whole and entire, God and Man.

283. What is the meaning of transubstantiation?

Transubstantiation means the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of the whole substance of wine into the substance of his Blood. This change is brought about in the Eucharistic prayer through the efficacy of the word of Christ and by the action of the Holy Spirit. However, the outward characteristics of bread and wine, that is the "Eucharistic species", remain unaltered.

284. Does the breaking of the bread divide Christ?

The breaking of the bread does not divide Christ. He is present whole and entire in each of the Eucharistic species and in each of their parts.

285. How long does the presence of Christ last in the Eucharist?

The presence of Christ continues in the Eucharist as long as the Eucharistic species subsist.

286. What kind of worship is due to the sacrament of the Eucharist?

The worship due to the sacrament of the Eucharist, whether during the celebration of the Mass or outside it, is the worship of latria, that is, the adoration given to God alone. The Church guards with the greatest care Hosts that have been consecrated. She brings them to the sick and to other persons who find it impossible to participate at Mass. She also presents them for the solemn adoration of the faithful and she bears them in processions. The Church encourages the faithful to make frequent visits to adore the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle.

287. Why is the Holy Eucharist the paschal banquet?

The Holy Eucharist is the paschal banquet in as much as Christ sacramentally makes present his Passover and gives us his Body and Blood, offered as food and drink, uniting us to himself and to one another in his sacrifice.

288. What is the meaning of the altar?

The altar is the symbol of Christ himself who is present both as sacrificial victim (the altar of the sacrifice) and as food from heaven which is given to us (the table of the Lord).

289. When does the Church oblige her members to participate at Holy Mass?

The Church obliges the faithful to participate at Holy Mass every Sunday and on holy days of obligation. She recommends participation at Holy Mass on other days as well.

290. When must one receive Holy Communion?

The Church recommends that the faithful, if they have the required dispositions, receive Holy Communion whenever they participate at Holy Mass. However, the Church obliges them to receive Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter season.

291. What is required to receive Holy Communion?

To receive Holy Communion one must be fully incorporated into the Catholic Church and be in the state of grace, that is, not conscious of being in mortal sin. Anyone who is conscious of having committed a grave sin must first receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before going to Communion. Also important for those receiving Holy Communion are a spirit of recollection and prayer, observance of the fast prescribed by the Church, and an appropriate disposition of the body (gestures and dress) as a sign of respect for Christ.

292. What are the fruits of Holy Communion?

Holy Communion increases our union with Christ and with his Church. It preserves and renews the life of grace received at Baptism and Confirmation and makes us grow in love for our neighbor. It strengthens us in charity, wipes away venial sins and preserves us from mortal sin in the future.

293. When is it possible to give Holy Communion to other Christians?

Catholic ministers may give Holy Communion licitly to members of the Oriental Churches which are not in full communion with the Catholic Church whenever they ask for it of their own will and possess the required dispositions. Catholic ministers may licitly give Holy Communion to members of other ecclesial communities only if, in grave necessity, they ask for it of their own will, possess the required dispositions, and give evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding the sacrament.

294. Why is the Eucharist a "pledge of future glory"?

The Eucharist is a pledge of future glory because it fills us with every grace and heavenly blessing. It fortifies us for our pilgrimage in this life and makes us long for eternal life. It unites us already to Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, to the Church in heaven and to the Blessed Virgin and all the saints.

In the Eucharist, we "break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death and the food that makes us live forever in Jesus Christ." (Saint Ignatius of Antioch)

C. REGULATIONS
ON FAST AND ABSTINENCE

Fast and Abstinence are prescribed for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, limited to the ages between 21 to 60.

2. Abstinence is prescribed as a general rule for every Friday in Lent, applicable to the age of 14 onwards. But for particular circumstances in the Vicariate of Kuwait, Abstinence is to be observed on the Wednesdays of Lent. Out of devotion Abstinence may be observed every Wednesday during the year.

3. Eucharistic Fast: The faithful must abstain from solids and liquids for one hour before receiving Holy Communion. This regulation is applicable to Masses celebrated in the morning, afternoon, evening or at midnight. Water does not break the fast. Those who are sick, even though not confined to bed, may take any liquid or food as medicines at any time before Holy Communion without asking permission.

4. Feasts of obligation:

a. Sundays or Fridays or Saturday evenings

b. Christmas (25^{th December})

c. Solemnity of Mary Mother of God (January 1st)

d. St. Thomas: 3rd July (obligation is only for the Syro-Malabar Rite)

e. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15th August)

f. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 8th September (obligation is only for the Syro-Malankara Rite)

5. Feasts of devotion:

a. St. Joseph (19th March)

b. St. Mark the Evangelist: 25th April (for the Coptic Rite)

c. SS Peter and Paul (29th June)

d. All Saints (1st November)

e. All Souls: Commemoration of all the faithful departed (2nd November)

f. Immaculate Conception (8th December)

6. Feasts transferred to the following Friday / Sunday:

a. Epiphany

b. Corpus Christi

c. Ascension

d. St. Maroun (9th February)