The Eucharistic Presence and Making Christ Present in the Word of God: A Study Inspired by the Views of Robert Sokolowski (original) (raw)
Related papers
2021
Robert Sokolowski wrote that biblical words activate the presence of God. But can we speak of the "sacramentality of the word" analogous to the sacrament itself? This paper collects reflections on the "making present" of the word of God intra mysteriorum celebrationem. This issue is related to the theme of the relationship between past and present in the Eucharist, which was dealt with by Sokolowski. The article summarizes this philosopher's views on the Eucharistic presence, in dialogue with which it then reflects on the presence of Christ in the word of God. From the "Passovercentricity" of the Holy Scriptures stems a kind of making present the anticipatory selfgiving of God in the events to which the inspired texts testify. The liturgy of the word must lead to the climactic event of Passover and its sacramental making present. There can be no question of "two presences" of the Lord at Mass. The words of institution from the Last Supper have a role in the actualization of the Passover, while the inspired words are not in the same way "instituting" words. It is only in their inner orientation that they lead to the mystery of Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.
Experiencing the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist (Journal of Analytic Theology)
We present a new understanding of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist on the model of Stump’s account of God’s omnipresence and Green and Quan’s account of experiencing God in Scripture. On this understanding, Christ is derivatively, rather than fundamentally, located in the consecrated bread and wine, such that Christ is present to the believer through the consecrated bread and wine, thereby making available to the believer a second-person experience of Christ, where the consecrated bread and wine are the way in which she shares attention with him. The consecrated bread and wine are then, in a sense, icons of Christ.
THE EUCHARIST: SACRAMENT OF REAL PRESENCE AND HOW IT AFFECTS AND INSPIRES HOLINESS OF LIFE
Eucharistia, 2023
The doctrine of the ‘Real presence’ holds that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist, not merely symbolically or metaphorically, but in a true real substantial way. This is a common agreement for both Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and the Reformed sects, but as to the mode in which this occurs marks the differential. Jacob A. Clayton even attests to further divides amongst the Reform movements. Some theological terms, like Transubstantiation, consubstantiation and suprasubstantiation, represents the major lines of divide. At the end of the spectrum is Huldrych Zwingli’s denial of the Real presence, on the pretext of cannibalism. It is quite important to note in the flow of Church history, the role of theological discussions and creedal statements of history. They can be instructive today for countering modern day false teaching and for establishing a polemic against falsehood. Thus said, we shall articulate the Catholic teachings on the Eucharist on the real presence and its centrality to the Christian life of holiness.
Tokens of Presence: Second-Personal Presence and Baptistic Accounts of the Eucharist
Pro Ecclesia, 2022
This paper attempts to provide a bridge between the two predominant Baptistic accounts of divine presence in Eucharist, with the help of Eleonore Stump's account of second-personal presence and theories of emergence. Predominantly understood in either Zwinglian (memorialist) or Reformed (instrumentalist) categories, a dividing wall is erected with baptistic theology over the question of whether or not communion is strictly an act of human remembrance or involves divine presence in some form or fashion. After identifying three key problems with the memorialist account, this paper attempts to provide a middle way between the two views, arguing that the Spirit appropriates the bread and wine as tokens through which he communicates the thoughts, intentions, desires, and second-personal presence of Christ to the gathered body in order to strengthen the church's union with Christ.
The Last Supper and the Holy Mass according to the teaching of the Roman Church – an ecumenical perspective, 2022
The article describes the Mass as a celebration not primarily performed by a validly ordained priest who does so in the historical past after the Last Supper. The article shows the celebration performed by each priest as a celebration in the Upper Room, where Jesus celebrates it the night before His death at the cross at Golgotha. The man-celebrant and his Eucharistic community are moved by the power of God into the Upper Room every time when they celebrate Eucharist in their historically distant time from the time of Jesus's celebration. The main celebrant of each Eucharist is Jesus celebrating in the Upper Room before His Death at Golgotha; every priest-celebrant participates in His priesthood in His historically once-time celebration. The author articulates the truth of the Holy Mass as the making present of us in the Last Supper. It is quite the opposite of making present the Last Supper in our celebration of the Holy Mass – as it is according to the common understanding. This understanding of making-present creates a new perspective in the ecumenical dialog. Table of contents: Introduction 1. What is the Holy Mass in relation to the Last Supper? 2. The making present of the Glory of Jesus after the making present of His Sacrifice 3. The time after the Last Supper and after the Holy Masskairos 4. Appendix: Clarification of the problems of Pius XII's time Conclusion The article was published in Polish in 2004 as part of the book: J. Immakulata Adamska OCD, W zadziwieniu Eucharystią. Rok Eucharystyczny 2004-2005 [In Amazement of the Eucharist. The Eucharistic Year 2004-2005], Borne-Sulinowo 2004, pp. 246-260. The translation into English was published first on the Academia.edu website on 7. December 2022.
Experiencing the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
Journal of Analytic Theology
We present a new understanding of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist on the model of Stump’s account of God’s omnipresence and Green and Quan’s account of experiencing God in Scripture. On this understanding, Christ is derivatively, rather than fundamentally, located in the consecrated bread and wine, such that Christ is present to the believer through the consecrated bread and wine, thereby making available to the believer a second-person experience of Christ, where the consecrated bread and wine are the way in which she shares attention with him. The consecrated bread and wine are then, in a sense, icons of Christ.