This is a review of Bishop Robert Barron’s book, Eucharist, by Barbara Flynn
A PEW Forum conducted in recent years in Catholic congregations across dioceses of the United States indicated that 70 per cent of those surveyed “did not believe in the real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist”.
Bishop Robert Barron notes that the survey reveals “for many Eucharist is a gathering of like-minded Catholics remembering Christ’s life while believing that Jesus is only symbolically present”.
In Bishop Barron’s recent book, he gives authoritative teaching on three Eucharistic themes which are the ground of every Mass.
The themes being developed sequentially are: Sacred Meal; Sacrifice; and Real Presence.
Using precise and deliberate explanations, he develops each theme theologically with its historical antecedents in Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament writings).
Elaborating on the elements in turn within each theme he explains that the Sacred Meal is where communion is received; Sacrifice makes communion possible; and the Real Presence of Jesus in Eucharist gives spiritual food for the soul while uniting us to God and to one another in the Body of Christ.
Bishop Barron is a notable theologian, author and evangelist presently Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in southern Minnesota, USA.
His material employs deftly woven biblical references within the text, Church history and the writings of Church Fathers, Popes, theologians and material from the Second Vatican Council.
The extensive bibliography encourages readers to do further research.
Interestingly, Bishop Barron introduces his material with story a about the film called Babette’s Feast.
In this narrative a poverty-stricken chef, Babette, is accepted into a somewhat dysfunctional household as a servant.
Bishop Barron draws a comparison between the sacrificial life of Jesus given for all and the actions of Babette who sacrifices all she has so that members of the household might overcome their divisions and differences and be united in a common purpose for their lives.
During the development of themes on the Eucharist, Bishop Barron alludes at times to parts of Babette’s story.
Chapter one discusses the concept of Eucharist as Sacred Meal.
God’s provision of food and water for His chosen people is shown through historical analysis of events recounted in the Hebrew Scriptures, first to Adam and Eve.
But they sin against God through self-will and disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit.
Bishop Barron highlights aspects of Israel’s progressive history to reveal God’s continuous loving and forgiving ways with Israel.
The thread of disobedience permeating the history of the Israelites culminates in God establishing the sacred covenant called Passover.
The Passover meal, a most sacred event of the Hebrew calendar unites Jewish people around a common table to eat common food of sacrificed lamb for a common purpose of remembering God’s providence towards them.
Understanding God’s involvement in the history of the Israelite people, Bishop Barron asserts, is necessary to understanding Christ’s Last Supper, which prefigures the Sacred Meal (communion) during Eucharist.
Bishop Barron insists that Yahweh‘s principle desire for His people is to restore community and relationship with Himself and one another lost previously through sin.
As we reflect on parts of the Mass this is evident.
Jesus (human and divine) in his life and ministry shared meals with sinners and the marginalised reconciling them with God. On the night of Passover, at the Last Supper “Jesus (Yahweh) gathered the disciples in an easy intimacy around the Passover table as a sign of His covenant with Israel”.
Jesus words, as He blessed the unleavened bread and the cup, Bishop Barron asserts, are significant to acceptance of the profound truth of the Real Presence.
“To say ‘body’ and ‘blood’ in the nondualist context of first century Judaism, is to say ‘self’ and thus Jesus was inviting His disciples to feed on Him and draw His life into theirs conforming themselves to Him,” he writes.
Bishop Barron emphasises “that the Catholic doctrine of the Real presence flows also from conversations Jesus had in the beginning of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John”.
Other elements in the Eucharistic liturgy are considered in the concluding section – the universal dimension; the heavenly aspect; the cosmic element and eschatological quality of every Mass.
In Chapter Two, Bishop Barron continues his three part theological treatise exploring “the sacrificial dimension of the Eucharist through an analysis within a wide biblical framework.”
He starts considering sacrifice in the Old Testament.
Bishop Barron’s discussion provides the reader with an enriched understanding of the prophetic words of Jeremiah and Isaiah and later John the Baptist in relation to Jesus.
He is the Lamb of God “who will be the Lamb of both covenant and sacrifice”.
Importantly Bishop Barron emphasises the significance of “the Eucharist as both meal and sacrifice and indicates that there can be no Eucharistic table that is not at the same time an altar of sacrifice”.
The explicit connection between sacrifice and covenant has importance to participants at Eucharist.
Bishop Barron encourages Catholics to unite their personal sacrifices and sufferings to the sacrifice of Christ.
The doctrine of the Real Presence and its theological justification are examined in Chapter three.
Some historical objections are noted.
The truth of faith in the Real Presence is convincingly presented through writings of St Thomas Aquinas, the Church Fathers, Pope Benedict XVI and an encyclical by St Pope Paul VI.
Bishop Barron concludes this teaching reminding readers that “the power and presence of God in the Eucharist will change the person who consumes it”.
The Emmaus Supper and the way it can be linked to understanding the Mass is the Epilogue to this spiritually nourishing dissertation on the Eucharistic sacrifice, “the source and summit of Catholic life.”
A highly-recommended book showing extensive reliable research and grounded in Church and biblical authority.
Obtainable through sales@wordonlife.org or at amazon.com.au
