Creating the Environment for Receiving and Living the Eucharist

1. Transformation
in Christ
CREATING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR RECEIVING
AND LIVING THE EUCHARIST

2. “Going to Mass on Sunday makes little
sense unless we understand it within the
context of how we live the other six days
of the week. The reason we go to Mass in
the first place is because, through our
baptism, we have made a commitment to
something and someone. If we truly
understood what it means to practice our
baptism, we would see more clearly that
participating fully, consciously, and
actively in Sunday Mass is an integral and
necessary part of the ongoing and life-
changing experience of following Jesus
Christ.”
-Fr. Dom Grassi and Joe Paprocki, DMin

3. The Eucharist is “The
Great Mystery of
Mysteries”
Transubstantiation
and our ongoing
transformation

4. Imago Dei
&
Imitatio Dei
“But I say to you, love your
enemies, and pray for those
who persecute you, that you
may be children of your
heavenly Father, for he makes
his sun rise on the bad and
the good, and causes rain to
fall on the just and the
unjust…
So be perfect, just as your
heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matt. 5:44-45, 48

5. The “Formula of
Exchange”
“By the mystery of this
water and wine may we
come to share in the
divinity of Christ who
humbled himself to
share in our humanity.”

6. Mystery of the
Eucharist in the Life of
the Church
 “The salvation offered in the Life, Death, and
Resurrection of Christ is nothing less than
sharing in the very life of God, in the
communion of love among the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is no greater
gift that God could possibly give us. In
Christ, we are sharers in the divine nature (2
Pt 1:4). The Church Fathers referred to this
participation in the divine life as
“divinization.” The eternal Son of God made
this possible by becoming man and uniting
humanity to his divine Person.”
 “When we receive Holy Communion, Christ is
giving himself to us… Christ gives himself to
us so that we may continue the pilgrim path
toward life with him in the fullness of the
Kingdom of God.”

7. The Language of Mystery
 “The Language of Mystery that is spoken in
the Kingdom of God predisposes us to the
possibility of an alternate reality.
 The Kingdom of God is, in fact, an alternate
reality embedded within the one we can see
and hear. We are called to enter this reality
by training our eyes, ears, and spirits to
perceive the world anew.
 Knowing the language of mystery can help
us answer the call. This is what the catechesis
is all about.”

8. The Language of Mystery

9. “The language of mystery permeates the
Mass. And yet, for some reason, when we
enter the realm of catechesis, we are
suddenly at a loss for the nonverbal. The
language of mystery is forgotten, and we
revert to words, words, words.
Wordiness tends to reign in catechetical
settings. However, wordiness does not
reign in the Reign of God! For these
reasons, I can’t emphasize enough the fact
that our catechesis should resemble the
Mass more than class.”
-Joe Paprocki, DMin

10. In the Old Testament, we read of how ordinary people would
mark a space where they encountered God by building an
altar. Likewise, in the New Testament, Jesus sent his disciples
ahead of him to prepare a space for the Last Supper.
Sacred Space

11. In our churches where we celebrate the
Eucharist, We designate many sacred spaces.
Sacred Space

12. In our faith formation spaces, we should designate a
sacred space – a prayer center.
Sacred Space

13. Often, in Scripture, people mark their encounters
with God by breaking into song. After the Last
Supper, Jesus and the Apostles “sang a hymn”
before Jesus went out into the Garden.
Music & Song

14. In our liturgies, we sing… or at least we should be!
Music & Song

15. Music and song should be a part of our faith
formation.
Music & Song

16. In Scripture, when people encountered God, some were
rendered silent (such as Elijah). Silence acknowledges and
raises the profundity of any experience and is a proper way of
honoring the profundity of God’s presence.
Silence/Quiet

17. At Mass, we have (or should have) moments of silence:
after the Scripture readings, the homily, and Communion.
Silence/Quiet

18. In our faith formation, we should integrate moments of
silence and quiet time for prayer and guided reflections
Silent/Quiet

19. Stories were one of the most powerful mechanisms that
Jesus relied on to proclaim the Kingdom of God.
Storytelling

20. At Mass, we hear stories from our salvation history
Storytelling

21. In our faith formation, we must include stories: from
Scripture, the lives of the saints, and from our own lives
Storytelling

22. In Scripture, when people encounter the Divine, they bow,
fall on their face, dance, hide their face, fall to their knees,
raise their hands, beat their breast, and so on. (Example of
David dancing)
Movement & Gesture

23. Movement is integral to the celebration of the Mass: processions,
genuflecting, bowing, signing our forehead, lips, and heart with
the cross, shaking hands, striking the breast, etc.
Movement & Gesture

24. Many of these same movements and gestures can and should be
incorporated into our faith formation sessions
Movement & Gesture

25. Scripture and
Tradition are
“awash” with
sign, symbols,
and sacred
objects
Sign & Symbol

26. Our churches are filled with signs and symbols – sacred objects
that speak of the Divine
Sign & Symbol

27. Sacred objects should be a part of the sacred space we create in
our faith formation space. Likewise, a sacred object such as a
lantern can be held by each participant as they read from a
textbook.
Sign & Symbol

28. In Scripture, we learn of the institution of the Passover
ritual to make present God’s saving action in the Exodus.
It was this ritual that Jesus used to institute the Eucharist
which we continue to celebrate as our central act of
worship.
Ritual

29. The Mass is such a recognizable ritual, that we could travel
anywhere in the world and, even if it was in a different language,
we would recognize and be able to participate.
Ritual

30. This is
the
Day
the
Lord
has
Made!
Let
us
rejoic
e and
be
glad!
We can and should incorporate rituals in our faith formation
settings such as opening processions around the room and ritual
greetings such as the above (and following slide)
Ritual

31. • Dt 6:4 – Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
• Psalm 27:1 – The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
• Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
• Psalm 121:1-2 – My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and
earth.
• John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
• Phil 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice.
• Liturgy of the Hours: O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste
to help me.
Ritual

32. Scripture tells us that faith
without works is dead.
Works of Mercy

33. The Mass sends us forth, with God’s blessing, to bring his good
news to the world through our words and actions
Works of Mercy

34. Our faith formation experiences should apprentice young people
and people of all ages in acts of mercy
Works of Mercy

35. “Real presence does not stop with
Jesus in the Eucharist, however. As
people nourished by the Eucharist, we
are called to be truly present to those
we encounter in our homes,
workplaces, and communities. In each
encounter we have, we can ask
ourselves, “Am I offering a real
presence to this person?’”
-Joe Paprocki, DMin

36. Mystery of the
Eucharist in the Life of
the Church
 The personal and moral transformation
that is sustained by the Eucharist
reaches out to every sphere of human
life. The love of Christ can permeate all
of our relationships: with our families,
our friends, and our neighbors. It can
also reshape the life of our society as a
whole…
 This love extends particularly and
“preferentially” to the poor and the
most vulnerable. We all need to be
consistent in bringing the love of Christ
not only to our personal lives, but also
to every dimension of our public lives.

37. Thank you!
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The Archdiocese of New York is served by:
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