The Eschatalogical Banquet

Having covered the entire liturgical aspect of the Eucharist, we now turn our gaze to some 'themes' connected with the inner meaning of Eucharist. Vatican II has invited us to refer to the Eucharist as a banquet, a celebration, a gathering of God's children in love. If these are going to be more than mere words or empty symbols, we would need to capture something of the deeper reality of Eucharist. Put another way, we could ask the question: 'What is the major difference between a Jew and a Christian?' The answer would be: 'The Jew still awaits the coming of the Messiah, whereas the Christian believes that the Messiah has already come - the messianic age has already begun!' We live now already in the 'eschatological times'; we are already in the Kingdom but not yet fully. What are the signs that his coming is already a reality in our midst?

"The sense, so present to St. Paul, that in Jesus Christ, the final, saving act of God had been realized, that, in him, the 'end' has already broken in, that our own existence is directed and drawn towards the conclusion and consummation realized in his death and resurrection, has largely faded from Christian consciousness" - says A. Heron. And the reason for this is quite clear for all to see. The early Christians waited for the Parousia, the second coming of Christ in triumph - and with it the triumphant establishment of the Kingdom of God over all its enemies. When the Parousia was delayed, the growing prominence of the memorial aspect of the Eucharist made the eschatological element fade into the background. Memorial for the Reformers applied to the completed past, while for the Catholics it is a celebration in the present, a continuation: the past brought forward and made present here and now. Yet the future dimension was neglected.

Nevertheless, this future dimension is integral to the complete and correct understanding of any liturgical action, particularly the Eucharist. It not only takes us back to the original event, making that event mysteriously present for us now; it also projects our minds forwards to the time of the total fulfillment of this reality in the definitive kingdom of God.

Practical Consequences for Celebration

This capacity to anticipate the future is a typically Jewish trait. The Jews are well known for the 'berakah' prayer they make; in fact, every devout Jew is expected to make one hundred such prayers of praise each day. Now it is not possible to find a hundred positive reasons or blessings for which to praise God each day. Hence, the Jew would have to learn to praise God even for what appears to be something negative or painful. Yet he does that with a very peculiar kind of reasoning. [See section on Berakah] The Exodus experience had taught them that when God chose to bless and liberate them, no power on earth could thwart God's action. Pharaoh might delay its fulfillment or even postpone it by his stubbornness and lack of cooperation. But, in the end God would succeed in achieving his purpose. That outcome was absolutely sure and so, without having to wait for it to actually happen, they could anticipate it and begin their joyful praise of God.

Similarly the Christian has every reason to anticipate the full victory of Jesus won already on the Cross. However, this victory must be seen in very concrete terms, not just as a blanket triumph over all evil. So, each Christian would need to bring to the Eucharist the concrete existential sins and failings s/he is conscious of - but not in a mournful, sorrowful, abject beggarly sort of manner. In a sense when we sin, even when we do this deliberately, we are the hapless victims of our stupidity and weakness. No wonder Jesus prayed for sinners on the Cross saying: "Father forgive them for they do not know what they do!" And Jesus came precisely to rescue us from our selves and our own madness! So, if we can bring our sins to the Eucharist with genuine humility, we have every reason to believe that Jesus will give us a share in his victory - even if we do not see or feel it immediately. We believe that it is present and some day it will come to light. Like the seed that falls into the ground needs some time before it gives evidence of sprouting with new life, so with us too as we celebrate Eucharist: apparently we are still miserable sinners but in truth are joyful conquerors with Christ.

History's most decisive event has taken place in the person and work of Jesus Christ through whom the old age dominated by sin has been brought to an end and the new age of grace ushered in. In the Eucharist we anticipate the end of this present age of sin and darkness. As a result the prevailing tone of each celebration is one of hope, expectancy and exultation. In each Eucharistic celebration, as much as we share in the cost of redemption, viz. the agony of Christ's death on the cross, we also share in the triumph of the Resurrection. As Jesus said, '…I shall drink it (the fruit of the vine) new with you in my Father's kingdom' or 'I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.'

Joyful Celebration

Frederic Debuyst finds that celebrations are powerfully communitarian experiences, and that the more successful they are, the more they induce 'a phenomenon of participation, an experience of communion, and … one who truly enters into its spirit must give up every inclination to egotism, arbitrary exclusivism and individualistic expropriation or possessiveness.'

Debuyst claims that a genuinely festive occasion requires three essential traits: Universality, unanimity, and a participation in eternity beyond the boundaries of time. Universality means that there are no strangers at the festive board. If, in fact, a stranger does appear at the door, he must become a guest, for if he is turned away or prevented from entering, this becomes a sin against openness and can ruin the spirit of the celebration. Unanimity requires that everyone share the same intentions and values. St. John Chrysostom says: "Where charity radiates its joy, there we have a feast." The third, eternity refers to the temporal duration of the feast. Even though the earthly celebration comes to an end, it is still possible to think of a perduring festival that is interior to the guests at the temporal feast - grounded in the sheer goodness of creation and the deeply rooted brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity. The Eucharist both recapitulates and deepens the three traits that are part of every human festivity.

This eschatological joy is the gift of salvation, and it is prepared by God not only for mankind but for the whole of creation also to share in it (Isa. 66:8ff; 25:6). This joy is essentially a return to the joy at the very outset of creation when it came forth 'good' at the hands of God, to Eden anew. If therefore we believe in the power of Christ's redemption, we ought to live this truth: 'Behold I make all things new!' (Rev. 21:5). 'If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has passed away, behold the new has come' (2 Cor. 5:16-17).

Christ and Messianic Joy

Conclusion

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