Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
August 16, 2000
Scripture and the Eucharist
What's so special about a "Eucharistic Congress"? And why should you join me, and thousands of other Catholics from around Colorado, at our own archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress on Sunday, September 17?
Because we'll be celebrating the presence of a special guest: Jesus Christ. Consider:
One of the biblical names for Jesus is Emmanuel, which means "God with us." Jesus is Emmanuel. Jesus is "God with us" . . . and He remains with us both in Scripture, which is the Word of God written down in human language, and in the Eucharist, which is the Word of God alive sacramentally in the real body and real blood of our Lord.
More than 35 years ago, the Pope called bishops from all around the world to gather in Rome for a great meeting. That meeting was the Second Vatican Council. And at that council, they reminded us that the mission of the Church is to do the work which Jesus gave to Peter when He said: If you love me Peter, feed my lambs, feed my sheep (see Jn 21:15-17). In the words of Vatican II, the Church exists to offer the bread of life to all the faithful "from the one table of the Word of God and the Body of Christ" (DV, 21).
Scripture and the Eucharist go together. We can't really separate them. They explain and complete each other. Scripture without the Eucharist is like a beautiful story without a living hero. And the Eucharist without Scripture is like a living hero without a story.
We need both Scripture and the Eucharist to grow as Christians. This is why we should never treat Mass as just another obligation. We don't think of food and water as "obligations," do we? Of course not. They give our bodies life. And so it is with the Mass. Together in the Mass, Scripture and the Eucharist give us life. Each of us has a hunger and a thirst for something more than this world can offer us. If we open our hearts and really participate, the Mass is the "one table" where Jesus Himself will satisfy our hunger and thirst.
The Letter to the Hebrews says, "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days, He has spoken to us by a Son . . . " (1:1-2). God is a good father. He teaches by example. In the Old Testament, God told us about the road to eternal life by the witness of holy men and women like Isaiah and Ruth. In the New Testament, He shows us the road to eternal life by becoming one of us in His son, Jesus Christ.
The Letter to the Hebrews also says that Jesus "reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of His nature . . . " (1:3). That's not so surprising, is it? A son usually reminds us of his father. But there's more. Jesus is God, but He's also a man. When God became man — when Jesus was born of Mary — human nature was stamped with the glory of God. Each of us, when we seek to follow Jesus, is stamped with that glory too.
And that's not so surprising either. God doesn't make "ordinary" people. He only makes heroes and saints. He made you to be stamped with His glory. Your home isn't here. Your home is heaven. The only thing blocking the way is our sins. And to set us free from those sins is the reason Jesus came into the world; lived and died for us; and then rose again from the dead.
Sin is an unpopular word these days. A lot of people will tell you that sin is an old-fashioned idea — that what we used to call "sin" is really just a social or mental problem, or even a matter of personal opinion. But ask yourselves a simple question: Who benefits when we stop believing in sin? I think we all know his name.
Scripture calls Satan "the Adversary" for a reason. Jesus called Satan the "father of lies" for a reason. When we stop believing in the reality of sin, the mission of Jesus makes no sense. The cross makes no sense. Jesus didn't come into the world to give us a bunch of pious sayings. He came to save us from the power of Satan, to break the power of death by His sacrifice. Jesus came to restore us to life — no matter what it cost. If we stop believing that sin is real and that sin separates us from God — God who is the source of all life and love — then we become blind to our own redemption.
Psalm 98 tells us to " . . . sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things! His right hand and holy arm have gotten Him victory (1-2) . . . Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth, break forth into joyous song and sing praises!" (4).
And listen to the angel in the Gospel of Luke: "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord" (2:10-11).
Joy is a powerful word. Joy is not "contentment," or "satisfaction," or even "happiness." Those are restful words. Joy is different. It's explosive. It's exhilarating. Joy is what a captive feels when someone sets him free. Joy is what a mother feels when she brings a beautiful new child into the world.
Joy is the message of Psalm 98, all the Gospels, the Great Jubilee and every Eucharistic Congress around the world: Our God has done marvelous things. God loves each of us so much — He longs for us and believes in us so much — that He sent us His only son to save us . . . and to remain with us always in Scripture and the Eucharist.
So "sing a new song" — sing it with the example of your lives, beginning today; sing it by coming together in worship and celebration at our Eucharistic Congress September 17. For truly, God is with us. And His presence is "good news of great joy" — the joy of new life, won by God's victory over sin, in Jesus Christ.
Eucharistic Congress tickets are free — but you must have a ticket for entry. Contact your local parish office for information or write Mrs. Carrie Sigman, Eucharistic Congress tickets, Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 South Steele Street, Denver CO 80210.
Register online at www.archden.org.
