The priest continues the Incarnation of the Word. What does this mean for the Eucharistic Year proclaimed by the Holy Father?

(Prof. Jose Vidamor B. Yu, Manila)

The Apostolic Letter of John Paul II "Stay with us Lord" (Mane Nobiscum Domine) was proclaimed to the Bishops, Priests, and Lay People on the occasion of the Eucharistic Year (October 2004-October 2005). The document allows the Church to journey once more on the value and the mystery of the Eucharist which is considered as the "summit and source" of Christian life. (cf LG 11) On several occasions, John Paul II had constantly invited us to solemnly reflect, prayerfully meditate, and consciously live out the Holy Eucharist. These were highlighted in his encyclical letter on the Eucharist "Ecclesia de Eucharistia" which reminded us regarding the Eucharist as a sacrament that proclaims Jesus as its spiritual wealth, "our Passover and living bread." (EE1)

The priest continues the Incarnation of the Word because he is primarily a believer of the Word. Faith comes from what is heard and what is seen. The priest preaches what he believes. Priests read, meditate, and pray on the Word of God. The priest who believes in the Word of God is a lover of the Word. It is because the Word of God is spirit and life. Vatican II reminds us that the ministry of the Word which is exercised in many different ways will largely depend on two basic things: first, according to the needs of those who desire to hear it, and second, on the spiritual gifts of the preachers. (cf PO 4)

As a lover of the Word, the priests celebrate the Word. They make present the Word of God to the people. It is through the revelation of the Word that the mystery of salvation becomes present in the world. In celebrating the sacraments especially the Holy Eucharist, priests as ministers of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, participate in the priesthood of Christ. As believers of the Word, priests draw people to the Word through words and witnessing. The priests who proclaim and witness become agents of renewal in the world today. The priest is believer and a minister of the Word in nomine Christi et nomine Ecclesiae. As a minister of the Word, the priest does not only believe and proclaim the Kingdom of God but he makes the Kingdom of God a reality and present in the people’s midst. The word of God is not only an instruction about God but it is life itself for those who believe in Him.

The priest as a preacher of the Word proclaims Christ. The Word of God as preached is not only a message but it is a divine and a life-giving experience for those who trusts, hears, obeys and lives out his Word. Incarnating the Word of God does not only have its purpose of knowing and instructing people about God but it is experiencing God Himself through the spoken word. It is through the Word that is proclaimed that God acts in the Church with the power of the Holy Spirit. Vatican II speaks of preaching as the first task of the priest. Salvation is received from what is believed in since nobody may be saved who has not first believed. (cf Mk 16:16)

As a preacher of the Word, the priest stirs up the hearts of those who hear it. Man in the world today desires for one who journeys with him. Many desire for a renewed understanding and faith in Christ. The Holy Father in his apostolic letter, Mane Nobiscum Domine reminds us of Jesus as the companion on our way who explains to us the scriptures and allows us to experience and discover more the mysteries of the Word. As we journey amid the difficulties of life, the challenges that beset the world today, and the disappointments man encounters, Jesus serves as the companion who walks by our side. (MND 2) The celebration of the Eucharistic Year concretely brings us once more to the mystery of the Eucharist wherein the presence of Christ is experienced, his Word proclaimed and His Body and Blood received, and discover once again Christ’s companionship in us.

The priest as the preacher of the Word makes Jesus present in the hearts of every man and woman. He allows the accompaniment of Jesus experienced as the priest reads, reflects, prays and proclaims the Word of God to them. Opening the scriptures and leading the faithful to penetrate into the profound mysteries of God is the vocation and task of the priest. Like Jesus with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, He opened the scriptures, explained it to them, and made them experience Christ, lighting up their hearts and making them realize that Christ is always present until the end of time. The proclamation of the Word reaches its climax at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist where the believer of the Word experiences the mystery of "being with" Christ. John Paul II clearly states that "when we meet him fully, we will pass from the light of the Word to the light streaming from the "Bread of life", the supreme fulfillment of his promise to "be with us always, to the end of the age" (cf. Mt 28:20). (MND 2)

Priest as Presider "In Personal Christi Capitis"

The priest celebrates the Eucharist in persona Christi capitis. The Eucharist becomes the source and summit of preaching the Word of God. Whenever the priest celebrates the Eucharist, he is fully conscious of being a living instrument of Christ. The church’s duty is to make present, bear witness, and to proclaim the mystery of God in the Holy Eucharist. The presence of Christ is manifested through the action of the priest who does things in the person of Christ. He feeds the flock, gathers the people of God, and leads them to sanctity. (cf Directory for the ministry and life of priests 7)

As the priest celebrates the Holy Eucharist he acts as a minister of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit to continue the work of salvation among God’s people. In this manner, he participates in the priesthood of Christ. The triple munus Christi are exercised and he opens every heart to receive with faith the incarnated Word of God. It is the task of the priest to make the Eucharist incarnated and lived in the hearts of all the faithful. The Eucharist is at the heart of Christian life. It is also the core of community life. In parishes, the perpetual adoration chapels for Eucharistic devotion symbolize this continual incarnation of the Word and Eucharist in the hearts of those who come to worship Him.

The priest finds his identity as he participates in Christ. He acts "as a visible continuation and sacramental sign of Christ in his own position before the Church and the world, as the enduring and ever-new source of salvation." (Directory of Ministry and Life of Priests 4) The priest provides the avenues of communion between God and the people. He radiates a special disposition of thanksgiving in the Eucharist to draw all humanity to Christ. Besides, the priest does not only draw people to celebrate Jesus but he makes the breaking of the bread an experience of Christ’s presence but also the center of the Church’s life. John Paul II says that the "breaking of bread" as the Eucharist was called in earliest times has always been at the centre of the Church’s life. Through it Christ makes present within time the mystery of his death and resurrection."(MND 3)

New evangelization demands new evangelizers of the Word of God. Priests who act in persona Christi should have a renewed zeal of ministering the Word of God. Evangelization means to allow men and women live authentically their Christian faith amidst the challenges and problems of their Christian identity in the world today. As new evangelizers of the Word and in the fulfillment of their ministry, priests should love to talk daily with Christ in their visit to the most Blessed Sacrament and in their personal devotion to it. (cf PO 18) It is only by this personal experience that the priest may be able to incarnate the Word continually in the world.

As a new evangelizer of the Word today, the priest promotes the sacrifice of the Mass. He is convinced of the fruits of the Eucharist everytime it is celebrated because he first experiences the grace of the sacrament himself. Vatican II reminds us that there should be the zeal of promoting and restoring of the sacred liturgy among the people and this zeal would rightly be a sign of the providential disposition of God in our time and the movement of the Holy Spirit in the Church. (cf SC 43)

The promotion of the Holy Eucharist will provide the opportunity to discover Christ more profoundly like the two disciples who walked with Christ to Emmaus. "They recognized him in the breaking of the bread." (Lk 24:35) "There is no doubt that the most evident dimension of the Eucharist is that it is a meal." (MND 15) The frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist would mean that the work of salvation is most accomplished. The Eucharist is not a private celebration but a service of the whole Church which makes the Word of God incarnate and experienced. The sign of the Word being incarnated in the liturgy is found on its effects such as conversion and renewal among the faithful.

The evangelization and the renewal of the clergy are indicative of the fruits and incarnation of the Word today. Priests as evangelizers should experience moments of interior conversion as they encounter the Word of God in their ministry. They should be more attentive and more devoted to the Holy Eucharist that it might be more promoted and celebrated in the Christian communities today. John Paul II says that "during this year of grace, priests in their pastoral ministry should be even more attentive to Sunday Mass as the celebration which brings together the entire parish community, with the participation of different groups, movements and associations." (MND 23)

The disposition of the minister of the Holy Eucharist is essential in the celebration of the Word. The Holy Eucharist is efficacious and visible. It demands the continuous renewal and conversion of the ministers of the sacrament. The reason for this is that there is a profound unity between the Word and the sacrament, and this unity is expressed more perceptibly in the Holy Eucharist. The Bread that is blessed, offered to God, and consecrated by the priest is a gift of God. It must be prayed for and received since it is man’s daily food.

Priests as evangelizers of the Word need to be evangelized. Renewal among the priests should be on-going and consistent like the Word of God which is Good News and alive each day. John Paul II advises priests that they "be challenged by the grace of this special Year; celebrate Holy Mass each day with the same joy and fervor with which you celebrated your first Mass, and willingly spend time in prayer before the tabernacle." (MND 30)

Incarnation of the Word means communion. The manifestation of communion is on the reception of the Holy Eucharist. The priest is an agent of Communion. "Receiving the Eucharist means entering into a profound communion with Jesus." (MND 19) The Church that hears the Word of God gathers before the table of the Word and the table of the Eucharist. The Church is much more than an organization: it is the community of the Holy Spirit and it is a community that is alive. The Church grows through the grace of the Holy Spirit and Christ has formed it as His own Body. The community of disciples, the Church is present in the Eucharist and it is the Eucharist that builds the Church. To say that the priest continues the incarnation of the Word means that he continues to effect communion in any Eucharistic celebration.

The starting point of communion is the communion of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit and this fellowship is proclaimed by the Church. The biblical context of "communio" has a theological and liturgical implication. St. Paul explicitly wrote: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a communion in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body" (1 Cor 10:16ff.) The Eucharist is an encounter with the risen Lord. It is not only partaking the bread and wine in a Eucharistic sacrifice but we partake Christ himself in the form of the sacred species. It is sacrament of union with Christ and the Eucharistic life means today, a life of hope. The priest incarnates the Word that is manifested in communion. Where there is the proclamation of the Word and the celebration of the Eucharist there is communion.

The incarnated Word of God has its missionary dimension. Our encounter of Christ in both Word and Sacrament urges us for mission. An experience of Christ pushes one for the mission. After the two disciples had heard how Christ explained the scriptures and broke bread together, "they set out immediately" (Lk 24:33) They went to proclaim and shared the wonderful encounter with the Lord.

John Paul II says that the Eucharist does not only provide strength for those in mission but it is the principle and plan of the mission. "The Eucharist is not merely an expression of communion in the Church's life; it is also a project of solidarity for all of humanity." (MND 27) What John Paul II mentioned reflects Vatican II’s concept of mission vis-à-vis the plan of God. Mission of the Church is linked with God’s plan. The mission of preaching and celebrating the sacraments are missionary activities and makes the Eucharist as the center and summit of missionary activity. (cf AG 9) Missionary activity makes Christ present in the world. It is the Word of God and the Eucharist that restores mankind from sin to grace. "The Christian who takes part in the Eucharist learns to become a promoter of communion, peace and solidarity in every situation." (MND 27)