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The Feast of the Eucharist

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2024

Giles Hibbert O.P.
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In this antiphon is to be found what is probably one of the most perfect expressions—being both precise and comprehensive—of the nature and function of the mass or eucharist. It comes from the liturgical office of the feast of Corpus Christi and is also used on other occasions connected with the eucharist. It is of the mass as a whole however that it is descriptive, as its opening words show: O sacrum convivium—the sacred feast in which Christ is preached, made present and then eaten.

To translate it into English is not easy for each original word contains overtones, depth of meaning and openness to further interpretation, the exact equivalent of which cannot all be captured in translation. Thus as well as translating and considering each phrase in turn it will be well to comment almost word by word, bringing out the meaning of each within its overall context.

Type
Research Article
Information
Life of the Spirit , Volume 17 , Issue 193 , September 1962 , pp. 77 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © 1962 Provincial Council of the English Province of the Order of Preachers

References

1 Cfr. the ‘communion meal’ of Exodus 24. 9-11. This concept of a meal is typically a Semitic one.

2 See J. Bourke, Encounter with God in LIFE OF THE SPIRIT, March, 1961.

3 Cfr. Jn 1.11,12. ‘Accepting’ in this context can be said to add to ‘receiving’ the idea of adhering to Truth itself.

4 Cfr. St Ambrose Apologia prophetae David xii 58: Facie ad faciem te mihi, Christe, demonstrasti, in tuis te invenio sacramentis.

5 see V. White, The All-Sufficient Sacrifice in LIFE OF THE SPIRIT, June 1957; reprinted in Soul and Psyche (London, i960), pp. 248-257.

6 Cfr. the 9 council of Trent in Session 22, ch. 2.

7 Such an interpretation of memoria would not be strange to any thirteenth century Augustinian, nor all that strange to St Thomas either, as recourse to the De Veritate (q. 10, art. 7, 8.) will show.

8 Council of Trent, he. cit.

9 All grace is eucharistic, says St Thomas (S.T. 3a. 73. 3).

10 See my brief notes on Silence, in LIFE OF THE SPIRIT, February, 1961.