Eucharistic people can heal the world

Religion is the opium of the people,” a dictum attributed to Karl Marx, a German revolutionary and critic of political economy. He meant that religion was not only being used by those in power to oppress the workers, but it also made them feel better about being oppressed when they could not afford real opium. 

Ironically, the same dictum was echoed by Archbishop Bienvenu Manamika Bafouakouahou of Congo Brazzaville, in his presentation at the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress in Quito, Ecuador, that took place from September 8 to September 15. The prelate was lamenting the effects of the entertaining Congolese style of Mass, which had been introduced, as an expression of enculturation, and as a relief from the stress of colonial oppression and the post-independence political challenges. 

The archbishop confessed that the people’s expectations were not being met, as they went home, only to face the same challenges.

Support network

Religion is supposed to provide a support network and a sense of belonging. It is essentially associated with divine worship. God is our creator, our provider and our redeemer. He wants us to worship Him alone. Focusing on ourselves and our needs would be committing the grave sin of idolatry.

Although there are many religions in the world, God gave us one through which we can realise a healing and transforming relationship. It is the sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ. Christians call it the Eucharistic sacrifice. The principal priest in every Holy Mass is Jesus Christ who offers to His heavenly Father through the ministry of His ordained priest, His Body and Blood which were sacrificed on the cross. The Mass is the same sacrifice as the sacrifice of the cross. It is the only sacrifice acceptable to God.

Since the new worship ushered in by Jesus is God-made, it bears divine instructions. If these instructions are not strictly followed, our worship ends up being a “pie in the sky” (a very unrealistic goal).

This concern accounts for the existence of the Pontifical Council for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. Under the same council falls the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses (IEC). IEC is a gathering of clergy, religious, and laity to bear witness to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, which is an important Catholic doctrine. It takes place every four years, under a specific theme highlighting certain transformation aspects of the liturgy.

The theme for 53rd IEC was Fraternity to Heal the World. In a televised message, Pope Francis emphasised the deep connection between the Eucharist and fraternity. He urged participants to embrace a “radical fraternity” with God and one another to heal the world's wounds.

Entertainment or worship?

Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Minnesota USA, stressed that the paschal mystery of Christ, as being celebrated in each Eucharist as the path of the rebirth of fraternity in a wounded world. He clarified the issue of active participation during Mass. 

Firstly, it is about the vernacular but it most significantly, calls upon worshipers to let the Holy Spirit lead them into the transforming mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. This divine movement would, otherwise, be jeopardised by the entertaining or “happy-clappy” nature of worship. He recommended Eucharistic adoration as a way of acquiring this “let go, let God” spirituality.

What Eucharist is

Jesus instituted the Eucharist to heal and unite humanity. However, some Christians do not subscribe to the offer of this gift. Jesus had already faced this rejection when He insisted that His Body is real food and His blood real drink for eternal life (John 6:55-58). Those who claim that the word Eucharist is non-biblical are advised to read the Greek version. It means “thanksgiving”, because Jesus gave thanks to God, as He instituted the Sacrament on Holy Thursday. 

In Holy Communion, worshipers partake of the One Body of Christ, to heal divisions within the Church and to heal the world. Different people gave testimonies, manifesting how a Eucharistic person ought to be a healer of a world that has been wounded by political, economic, domestic, ethnic and social woes. The testimony of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador is classic. He spoke out against social injustice and violence amid the escalating conflict between the military government and left-wing insurgents that led to the Salvadoran Civil War. Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass.