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The Sacraments of Christian Initiation
An excerpt fromThe Catechism of the Catholic Church:
- The Sacrament of the Eucharist
- The Eucharist - Source and Summit of Ecclesial Life
- What is This Sacrament Called?
- The Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation
- The Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist
- The Sacramental Sacrifice Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence
- The Paschal Banquet
- The Eucharist - "Pledge of the Glory To Come"
- In Brief
Decree Concerning the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist
From the Thirteenth Session of the Council of Trent, 1545-1563. See also:
- Canons on the Most Holy Eucharist
Selected Ancient Liturgies of the Eucharist
- Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) of Addai and Mari or The Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles (1st-2nd century)
- Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) of Theodore of Mopsuestia (late 4th century)
- The Divine Liturgy of St. James (4th century) or Liturgy of St. James (Modern)
- The Divine Liturgy of St. Mark (4th century) or Liturgy of St. Mark (Modern)
- Coptic Liturgy of St. Basil(4th century) or Liturgy of St. Basil (Modern)
- Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church (Modern)
- Chaldean Mass (Modern)
- Selections from the Assyrian Liturgy
- The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom or Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Modern)
Tridentine Mass (Latin/English)
The Order of the Mass from the 1962 Edition of the Roman Missal. See also:
- The Ordinary of the Mass
New Order of the Mass in Latin & English (1975)
The Order of the Mass as it was promulgated after the Second Vatican Council. See also:
- Mass of the 1970 Missal
- The Ordinary of the Mass (Basic Texts for the Roman Catholic Eucharist)
- Prefaces from the Eucharistic Prayer of the Holy Mass
General Instruction of the Roman Missal (Third Typical Edition, 2002)
The revised Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, popularly known as the General Instruction of the Roman Missal as approved on Holy Thursday, 2000, by Pope John Paul II. This revision replaces the 1975 edition of the Institutio Generalis. These links are to the English language study edition published by the U.S. bishops with the consent of the Vatican. See especially:
- Preamble: A Witness to Unchanged Faith and Unbroken Tradition
- The Importance and Dignity of the Eucharistic Celebration
- The Structure of the Mass, Its Elements and Parts
For pastoral explanations of the changes in the revised GIRM (from the U.S. Bishops):
- The 2000 Revision of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani
- The Theological Vision of Sacrosanctum Concilium and the Roman Missal
- The Priest at Mass
- The Worshipping Assembly at Mass
- The Lector at Mass
- Hearing the Word of God at Mass
- Postures and Gestures at Mass
- The Eucharistic Prayer
For the official Latin translation:
- Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani
For official interpretations of certain points of the new General Instruction:
- Posture of the Faithful Following Communion
- Posture of the People During Mass
- On the Position of the Priest During the Eucharistic Liturgy
For an earlier edition:
- General Instruction of the Roman Missal (4th ed. - 1975)
The Eucharist and its Relationship to the Church (Ecclesia de Eucharistia)
Pope John Paul II's 2003 encyclical letter. See also by the Pope:
- The Mystery and Worship of the Eucharist (Dominicae Cenae)
- Keeping the Lord's Day Holy (Dies Domini)
- Eucharist, A Sacrament to be Adored
Reflections on Ecclesia de Eucharistia (From the official Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano):
- The Holy Eucharist is the Very 'Heart' of the Church by Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, C.M.F. (Congregation for the Causes of Saints)
- The Holy Eucharist in the Sources of Sacred Scripture by Father Albert Vanhoye, S.J.
- The Intimate Bond Between Eucharist and Church by Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J.
- The Holy Eucharist in the Fathers of the Church by Father Nello Cipriani, O.S.A. (Patristic Institute of the Augustinianum)
- The Eucharist as Beginning of the Parousia by Nicola Bux
- On the "Apostolicity" of the Eucharist by Father Antonio Miralles (Pontifical University of the Holy Cross)
- Art and Architecture and the Worship of the Heavenly Jerusalem by Father Cyril Vasil
- Eucharistic Worship Outside of Mass by Father Encrico dal Covolo, S.D.B.
- Observing the Liturgical Norms of Mass by Father James Conn, S.J. (Pontifical Gregorian University Faculty of Canon Law)
- At the School of Mary, Woman of the Eucharist by Archbishop Angelo Amato, S.D.B.
- The Eucharist and the Calling Down of the Spirit by Msgr. Marcello Bordoni (Pontifical Lateran University)
Mane Nobiscum Domine
The Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II for the Year of the Eucharist (October 2004-October 2005). Includes a profound meditation on the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (see Luke 24). A quote: "Weighed down with sadness, they never imagined that this stranger was none other than their Master, risen from the dead. Yet they felt their hearts burning within them as he spoke to them and 'explained' the Scriptures....Amid our questions and difficulties, and even our bitter disappointments, the divine Wayfarer continues to walk at our side, opening to us the Scriptures and leading us to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of God. 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 fulfilment of his promise to 'be with us always, to the end of the age' (see Matthew 28:20)."
The Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist - 2005
Quotations from documents and interventions, edited and arranged to highlight issues of special concern to the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Includes links to the official Vatican summaries of Synod Interventions; Lineamenta (preliminary outline); the Instrumentum Laboris (working document); and an unofficial translation of the final Propositions of the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist to Benedict XVI: Propositions 1-4, 5-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-36, 37-40, 41-45, 46-50.
The Mystery of Faith (Mysterium Fidei)
Pope Paul VI's 1965 encyclical letter on the Eucharist.
On the Holy Eucharist (Mirae Caritatis)
Pope Leo XIII's encyclical letter of 1902.
Documents On the Tridentine Indult
In 1984, Pope John Paul II granted permission (an "indult") for the celebration of Mass according to the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal - the so-called Tridentine Mass. The following are documents relating to that Tridentine Mass:
- On the Use of the "Tridentine" Liturgy (Quattuor Abhinc Annos) by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 1984.
- The Church of God (Ecclesia Dei) by Pope John Paul II, 1988.
- Guidelines for the Celebration of the "Tridentine" Mass by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, 1991.
- Clarification on the Celebration of the "Tridentine" Mass by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei,1995.
- Clarification on the Celebration of the "Tridentine" Mass by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, 1997.
General Introduction to the Lectionary
Issued by the Vatican's Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship in 1981, contains a good discussion of the principles of the Liturgy and the role of the Bible in the celebration of the Mass. See also:
- Introduction to the Book of the Gospels
Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum
(On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist). Issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacrament, March 25, 2004
On the Eucharistic Prayers
A letter 1973 letter to the world's bishops by the Vatican's Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship.
The Reception of the Holy Communion by the Divorced and Remarried Members of the Faithful
Issued in 1994 by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Decree on First Communion
Issued in 1910 by the Vatican's Sacred Congregation of the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist: Basic Questions and Answers
A helpful, short document drawn up in 2001 by the U.S. Catholic Bishops.
On the Catholic Mass and the New Roman Missal
A fine series of reflections by Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. of Denver.
- How we pray shapes what we believe
- Nature of Priesthood Marks Catholic Faith
- Mass a Conversation of Love With God
- Deacons: Ministers of the Word, Altar and Charity
- Mass Shared Dialogue Between Priest and Faithful
- Introductory Rites
- Liturgy of the Word
- Homilies: Nourishment From the Table of the Word
- Presenting Gifts Allows Each to Make Offering of Self
- The Eucharistic Prayer: Heart of the Mass
- The 'Our Father': Appropriate Gestures for Prayer
- The Rite of Peace
- Communion Rite
- Ordinary, Extraordinary Ministers
- Receiving Communion
- Communion
- Concluding Rite
- Liturgy Series Concludes
See also these statements on the Eucharist by members of the U.S. hierarchy:
- All Praise and All Thanksgiving by Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick
- The Eucharist: To be Loved, To be Lived by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin
- The Eucharist: Sacrifice of Love by Bishop John J. Myers
Eucharistic Adoration
Rite of Eucharistic Devotion
The prayers and blessings in Latin and English.
Eucharist, A Sacrament to be Adored
Pope John Paul II's letter marking the 750th anniversary of the first celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi. See also the Pope's:
-
A Visit to the Blessed Sacrament is a Great Treasure of the Church (excerpt)
Instruction on Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery (Eucharisticum Mysterium)
An important teaching on the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Issued in 1967 by the Sacred Congregation of Rites. See also:
- Instruction on Certain Norms Concerning the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery (Inaestimabile donum) by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments Divine Worship, 1980
- Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass (Eucharistiae Sacramentum) by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments Divine Worship, 1973
- Perpetual Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament by the U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1997.
A Pastoral Letter on Reverence for the Eucharist
A good treatment by the late Bishop John R. Keating of Arlington, Virginia.