THE EUCHARISTIC MARY AND CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP BY REV FR DR LAWRENCE OKWUOSA SDV

 THE EUCHARISTIC MARY AND CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP BY REV FR DR LAWRENCE OKWUOSA, SDV

INTRODUCTION

The Eucharist is basically about relationship – a life changing relationship, which we can liken to a re-creation, because it involves the gift of body (new identity) and blood (new life). In this relationship, Jesus Christ offers his body and blood to his disciples as eternal food of life. By eating and drinking his body and blood, Jesus’ disciples become one with Him. They become like Him and live Through Him, With Him and IN Him. 

The Eucharist is part of God’s divine plan for humanity. It started with the incarnation of the Word into the world. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ took the body and blood of the Virgin Mary and became a man. In this relationship, the lives of Mary and the Second Person of the Trinity were changed forever. Mary became Full of Grace and Mother of God, while the Son of God became the son of Mary and a human being. 

In the same vein, the lives of Christians are changed in every Eucharistic celebration. They enter into a new relationship with Jesus. Christ lives in them and makes them co-heirs of eternal life. Consequently, no true Christian can live authentically without the Eucharist. This is because the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life (Lumen Gentium, 11). It contains the Church’s entire spiritual wealth, Christ himself (Presbyterorum ordinis 5) and has a special place in the mission of the Church today. 

On this note, it is profitable for Christians to regularly talk about the Holy Eucharist. There is no better starting point in this talk than our Blessed Virgin Mary. Not only was she there when Christ entered the world as the Mother of God but also when the Church was born at Pentecost as the Mother of the Church. She is Christ’s first disciple, the first human Tabernacle, and the promoter of the Eucharist. Moreso, there is a similarity between Mary’s discipleship/vocation and our discipleship/vocation. Thus, Mary can help us understand better her son, Jesus Christ. 

THE HOLY EUCHARIST, WHAT IS IT?

The Eucharist is defined as the sacrament that makes present in the liturgical celebration of the Church the Person of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, and his redeeming sacrifice, in the fullness of the Paschal mystery of his passion, death and resurrection. Christ, in the Eucharist, makes himself present with the dynamism of his saving love. In the Eucharist, he invites us to accept the salvation he offers us and to receive the gift of his Body and Blood as the food of eternal life. This enables us to enter into FULL RELATIONSHIP with him, with his Person and his sacrifice, and also with all the members of his Mystical Body, the Church. 

The Eucharist is described in various ways as Thanksgiving to the Father; Memorial of the Son; the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, and the Bread of Heaven (cf. Jn 6:32-35; Jn 6:51-58). The Eucharist is the most exalted sacrament. All the other sacraments and all the works of the Church are directed towards the Eucharist because their aim is to lead the faithful to divine union/relationship with Christ, present in this sacrament (cf. CCC, 1324). 

THE BACKGROUND OF THE EUCHARIST

The Eucharist is not an afterthought of Christ’s redemptive mission on earth. It is at the center of the incarnation because the incarnation is about relationship. In Christ, True God and True man, heaven and earth are united, God and human beings are united. This is a kind of “re-creation of the human person” after the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Creation or re-creation implies the gift of body and soul (blood/breath). The Eucharist is all about – giving humanity a new body (identity) and a new blood (life) in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ through the gift of his body and blood (“This is my body” and “This is my blood”) changes the fate of the human person. He takes away the burden of sin and opens the way of grace (which Mary has in its fullness) to us. He opens a new relationship for us with God through Him, With Him and In Him. 

To further show us that the Eucharist is not an afterthought of Christ’s mission on earth but at its center, let us look at the two Eucharistic objects, Bread and Wine, which Christ used to establish his memory. The first temptation of Jesus at the desert was about the Eucharist. The devil tempted Jesus to turn stone into bread and He refused (Mathew 4:1-4). The reason is that the devil wanted to bastardize the Eucharist. Likewise, Christ’s first miracle at the wedding in Cana was about the Eucharist. Mary did exactly what the devil did but instead of bastardizing the Eucharist, she urged Christ to initiate his “hour of salvation” (John 2:1-12). The miracle is the catalyst for Christ’s “hour” of the Cross, glorification and salvation. In this event, Jesus referred to Mary as Woman (the new Eve against the old Eve) and she distinguished herself by saying to the servants: “whatever, He tells you do it” (John 2:5).

The gospel of John presents to us another background to the Eucharist. The discourse on the Eucharist was very challenging to Jesus as some of his disciples did not understand Him and they left Him. They rejected the idea of Jesus giving them his body and blood as food (John 6:25-70). However, Jesus did not change his mind because unless we eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his body, we will have no life in us (John 6:53). The manna, which our ancestors ate in the desert (John 6:48) and the bread Jesus multiplied for the crowd (Mathew 14:13-21) do not give eternal life. What gives eternal life is the Body and Blood of Jesus. Hence, Jesus at the Last Supper offered his disciples his body and blood, and they accepted them. They did not challenge him. They knew what he was doing and as Mary advised them, they obeyed Jesus Christ. He further ordered them, saying: “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). This is the only injunction Jesus gave in his own name and it is very crucial to all Christians. 

MARY AND THE EUCHARIST

As the mother of God, Mary is involved in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no other relationship with Christ that comes close to that between mother and son. Hence, Mary’s relationship with Jesus serves as a model for all other relationships with Christ, including that of the Eucharist. For this, Saint John Paul II said: 

If we wish to discover in all its richness the profound relationship between the Church and the Eucharist, we cannot neglect Mary, Mother and model of the Church…Mary can guide us toward this most holy sacrament because she herself has a profound relationship with it (Ecclesia de Eucharistia).

In fact, if we take the Incarnation seriously, we will understand that the Jesus who is truly present in the Holy Eucharist is the same Jesus who lived in the womb of Virgin Mary for nine months. Citing St. Ambrose, Thomas Aquinas wrote: “It is clear that the Virgin gave birth to Christ beyond the order of nature. And that which we consecrate is the body born from the Virgin” (Summa Theologiae III, q. 75, a. 4c). Mary did not only provide flesh for the Eucharist, but she also provided the wine too. She asked Jesus Christ to turn water into wine at Cana. We can, thus, say that “In a certain sense Mary lived her Eucharistic faith even before the institution of the Eucharist, by the very fact that she offered her virginal womb for the Incarnation of God's Word” (Ecclesia Eucharistia no. 55). 

There is nothing we can say about the Eucharist that does not correspond to Mary’s life. The entire life of Mary was Eucharistic. It was about the reception, adoration, contemplation and service of the Son of God, who is also the son of Mary. Mary lived a Eucharistic life. She was in full communion with her son. She bore Jesus in her womb. She gave birth to Him and nurtured Him. She made enormous sacrifices to nurture, care and safeguard Him from King Herod. When his disciples abandoned him, she remained with Him and on the way to Golgotha when they met, she did not discourage Him but with unspoken words encouraged Him to remain faithful to God’s will. She was united with Him in suffering as He died on the cross. In an utterly singular way, she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the salvific mission of her Son by embracing totally the responsibility of taking care of the Church. 

As Mother of the Church, Mary was with the Apostles on the Pentecost day and continues to be with the Church, especially at the Eucharist when the Holy Spirit descends on the gifts at mass turning them into the Body and Blood of Christ (EPICLESIS). Invariably, to receive the Eucharist is to receive in reality that humanity which Mary gave to Jesus at birth and which Jesus turned to food of eternal life. In other words, to receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ is to receive, to a great extent, the body and blood, which Mary gave to Him. This does not mean that we receive Mary in the Eucharist, but we are impacted by her sacrifice and guidance of the Church. It means that to be a disciple of the Eucharist, “Eucharistic Christian”, one needs to imbibe the virtues of Mary, which made her the first living Tabernacle of God and the perfect disciple of Jesus Christ.

It is important to note that since the conception of Jesus Christ, nothing has changed in the relationship between Mary and Jesus Christ. They are inseparably united. Hence, it is erroneous to accept Jesus and reject Mary at any point in the mystery of our salvation or to claim to be “born again” Christian without identifying with Mary, the mother of Christ and His Church. Mary is the new Eve, who God used to start a new relationship with humanity by making her the mother of his Son and the Church. God never planned to reveal the mystery of salvation in any other way. Mary is, thus, indispensable in the mystery of our faith, including the Eucharist. In fact, no one can encounter Jesus without encountering Mary too.  

THE EUCHARIST, MARY AND CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP

Having seen the role Mary played and continues to play in the Eucharist, we can unequivocally say that she can illumine the mystery for us. She can serve as a model for Christians, who seek to make the best out of the Eucharist. Like Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) said:

We ask for the grace of receiving Communion as Mary received the Word and letting it become flesh again in me; for the grace to receive the Eucharist from the hands of the Church, putting our hands out like a paten (meaning manger), feeling that it is our Lady who places the host there and entrusts it to us; for the grace to sing with Mary the Magnificat in that moment of silence that follows communion; the grace to look forward in the Eucharist all that will be in our day or week, with all the good and positive offered together with the bread, and all that is suffering and passion offered along with the wine; for the grace to believe and to put with love all our hope in that first fruit and pledge of salvation that we already have in each Eucharist, in order to then shape our life in the image of what we receive (Eucharistic Congress in Quebec, 2008).

Yes, we have a lot to learn from Virgin Mary. Christians can learn from Mary on how to keep their minds and bodies pure as Mary did by making herself a perfect human tabernacle of Jesus Christ. They can learn from her on how to be faithful to their vocation as “there is a profound analogy between the Fiat which Mary said in reply to the angel, and the Amen which every believer says when receiving the Body of the Lord” (Blessed John Paul II). 

Mary can teach Christians the virtue of self-emptying which is necessary for grace. In her humility, Mary was made Full of Grace (Luke 1:28), which includes all graces known and unknown, possible and imagined, real and unreal. Mary’s state of life as “Full of Grace” makes her a model for all who are called to receive the Body of Christ. She reminds them of the need to be in the state of grace, before and after the reception of the holy communion. They are to be free of mortal sins and approach the altar with the sole intention to please God and be in right relationship with Him.  

By sharing the joy of the presence of Christ in her womb with her cousin Elizabeth, Mary is the model of Christian charity, love, service, generosity and companionship. She gave herself fully in service of God and humanity without minding the inherent cost and suffering.

Principally, a good imitation of our Blessed Mother Mary by Christians who receive the Eucharist as she received Jesus Christ, would lead to the following:   

BEING LIVING EUCHARIST

The incarnation changed Mary. It changed her world view. She made Christ’s vision and mission her own and let them determine her whole life. What is Jesus’ vision and mission that Mary made her own? Jesus offered himself as the Bread of Life – broken for the salvation of the world. Mary shared in this brokenness as prophesied by Simeon, “A sword will pierce your own soul too”. Mary offered her life as a sacrifice to God and humanity by accepting to be the mother of God. 

Invariably, by receiving Christ in the Eucharist, we accept to be guided by the same principle that shaped the lives of Christ and his mother. We turn in ourselves as Bread of Life to the world. We become living Eucharists or Eucharistians. In this way, we become truly what we eat and drink – we become truly the body and blood of Christ. St Paul captured this well, when he said: “It is Christ, who lives me” (Galatians 2:20). This would further mean that we are ready to make sacrifices for the world, in line, with being the SALT and LIGHT of the world (Mathew 5:13-14).

BEING EUCHARISTIC CHURCH

Where there is no Eucharist there is no Church of Christ and vice versa. This makes the Eucharist an indelible mark in the fellowship of Christ. Christ himself said in reference to the institution of the Eucharist “Do this in memory of me”. The implication of this injunction is enormous. 

It is not only the last injunction Jesus gave his disciples, but also the only injunction he gave in his own name and for himself. As the last injunction, it is the most powerful and covers all other injunctions that were given. This resembles the Igbo traditional Ika Ekpe. In this situation, an old honorable person invites the family to a meal and tells them the story of his/her life. She/he will clearly announce to them of his or her imminent death and the need to keep to his/her instructions. Whatever instruction the person gives to the family is taking seriously and adhered to the letter. 

The Eucharistic injunction which has Christ as its subject and object reinforces the relationship between Jesus Christ and his disciples. It means, if you are to be my disciple, and I am to be your Lord, then, you have to celebrate the Eucharist. You have to it in my memory. There is no contestation to this. Doing this confirms Christ’s promise to be with His Church till the end of time. So, where there is no Eucharist, there is no Church, and no authentic Christian discipleship. 

The Eucharist defines the identity and quality of the Church (as Community of God’s people). As the Holy Spirit united Jesus Christ/God and Mary, the Holy Spirit unites in the Eucharist, the Church/Congregation and God. Without the Eucharist, the Church and Christian discipleship are empty. Because the Church is a Eucharistic Church, it is a Sacrament of Christ or Salvation. Meaning that the Church is a visible reality which Christ has formed in this world as a sacred sign of His presence. The Eucharist informs the Church’s mission in the world as St John Paul II said: “A truly Eucharistic community cannot be closed in upon itself” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia no. 39); rather the Eucharist challenges us to recognize our place within a community and the human family.  

THE EUCHARISTIC CHRISTIANS/EUCHARISTIANS 

We are truly Christians when we obey the words or injunctions of Jesus Christ especially his last injunction “Do this in memory of me”. This is really what Mary communicated to the servants at the marriage in Cana, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). No one can claim to be a true Christian, who does not live out this injunction, in and out of the Holy Mass. It is an injunction to incarnate the new order of relationship of love that dismantles the old order of sin, hatred, segregation, division, violence, injustice and systematic degradation of human life and dignity. If the good Lord has changed our fate from slavery to sonship, from servants to heirs then, then our “fraternal communion” in the Eucharist has to translate to “a determination to transform unjust structures and to restore respect for the dignity of all men and women, created in God’s image and likeness” (Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis no. 89). “A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented” (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est no. 14). 

LIFE OF ADORATION/PERPETUAL ADORERS 

In line with the Eucharistic Mary, who lived her life adoring Jesus in her womb, manger, temple, on the way to Golgotha and on the Cross at Calvary, Christians are called to adore Jesus in the Eucharist. Eucharistic adoration is adoration of Jesus Christ, truly present in the Holy Eucharist through prayer. Adoration is an extension of the Mass as instituted on the Last Supper and the one-hour Christ requested of His apostles to stay with Him after the meal at the Garden of Gethsemane and pray with Him - "Could you not watch one hour with Me" (Matthew 26:40). 

The Eucharistic adoration fulfils in a way Christ’s promise that He will always be with us till the end of time. In this union, we see him as He presented himself to us in the Eucharist. This is also a foretaste of the beatific vision when we shall be like Him and see Him face to face. Christians need to believe as Mary believed that the Jesus, they received is alive in them and in the world. After receiving Jesus in the holy communion, no Christian lives alone. Jesus lives in the heart of the Christian as he lived in the womb of Mary. 

Consequently, to meaningfully adore Jesus Christ:

Christians are to “incarnate” Jesus everywhere they are, in their actions, thoughts and wills.

Christian life is to consist of worshipping God and honouring humanity simultaneously in every life situation. In this spiritual communion, Christ is the union of God and Humanity, which is salvation. 

Christians are to celebrate each mass as if it is their first mass or their last mass. 

Every mass is a renewal of Christian covenant with God. It requires purity of heart and body. This purity is to be extended to the sacramentals and places of worship. 

The Eucharist is not just celebrated but also prayed and meditated as Mary did. 

The Eucharistic homily, songs, decorations and ringing of bells are not for entertainment. They remind us of Christ’s solemn mystery and sacrifice.

Christians are to bear in mind that the Eucharist is a thanksgiving with a painful sacrifice. At every Eucharist, Christ is dying so that we may have eternal life.  

CONCLUSION

Two women approached God at the end of their lives and were visibly angry with him. The first woman, Eve, from the Old Testament angrily accused God of making Mary sinless. But God calmly reminded her that He created her without sin. The other unknown woman from the New Testament also accused God of partiality for making Mary the mother of his son, Jesus Christ. God responded with a smile, “Mary carried Jesus in her womb for only nine months but if you wish you can carry Jesus in your heart everyday by receiving Him in the Eucharist”. 

What do we learn from this story? We are a blessed generation. Through the Eucharist, we can make ourselves a living Eucharist by having Jesus in our hearts every day and being one with Him. We are what we eat. The Eucharist makes us living Jesus Christs. It is no longer us who live but Christ living in us. 

By being the living Eucharist, we accept to be broken by God as Christ was broken for us. We imbibe the spirit of Christ, who though is the Son of God did not come to be served but to serve (cf. Mathew 20:28). We are the mouth, hands and legs of Jesus Christ. We are called to be part of his redemptive mission by abandoning ourselves to the mystery of the Eucharist. Our Eucharistic relationship with Christ goes beyond the celebration of the sacrament in the church. It puts us on a mission in the world as the Eucharist, the world sees outside of the Church’s walls.  

QUESTIONS

Is there a real hunger for the Eucharist in my life?

What is my relationship with Christ in the Eucharist?

Do I see myself as a living tabernacle of the Eucharist?

Does the Eucharist influence my world view?  

How does the Eucharistic meal compel me to care for others?