Penance and the Eucharist in the mystery of Redemption

Wacław Świerzawski

Penance and the Eucharist in the

mystery of Redemption

Collectanea Theologica 54/Fasciculus specialis, 17-28

w a c ł a w Sw i e r z a w s k i, k r a k ó w

PENANCE AND THE EUCHARIST IN THE MYSTERY OF REDEMPTION*

The life and teaching of John Paul II are, as it w ere, a commen­ ta ry on the Second V atican Council, th e great w ork of his p re­ decessors, John XXIII and Paul VI. In his Introduction to th e Polish version of th e Council's Constitutions, D ecrees and Declarations, C ardinal K arol W ojtyła w rote, "Thanks to the Council the Church has entered, it seems, a new phase in h er faithfulness to C hrist's universal mission and in h er love for th e Divine w orks of creation, redem ption and sanctification". His first encyclical, at th e v ery start of the new pontificate, is y et another act of this testim ony and loyalty.

In my presentation of Jo h n Paul II's exposition of Penance and the Eucharist I cannot omit the context of th e w hole docum ent, in­ cluding its title. The title is clearly Christocentric, though w ith ą subdom inant of anthropology and personalism . The Christology of the encyclical is universalist: it describes th e act of redem ption in relation to creation and sanctification. It em phasises th e task and the achievem ent — the achievem ent of C hrist and the tasks of man­ kind. Both are subject to the predom inance of redem ption, the Divine act, intervention by the pow er of God breaking our chains and lead­ ing us to th e Kingdom of th e Divine Promise, to com munion w ith God and to salvation. These objective events req u ire a subjective resonance, a response from hum an beings w hose answ er to the proposed act of covenant is to m aintain, through th e ir own coopera­ tion, a communion w hose chief and principal initiator is God acting through Jesus Christ (the Redeemer) and th e H oly Spirit (the Sanc­ tifier). This communion is th e C hurch instituted through th e Eucha­ rist.

A lthough th e doctrine of Penance and th e Eucharist comprises quantitatively only a small p art of the encyclical, it is of founda- m ental im portance for its full understanding. John Paul II makes it clear that his thoughts and reflections on Jesus and the m ystery of redem ption are put forw ard through th e film of the Eucharist. He perceives Jesus C hrist not only in th e light of His

* An essa y based on the encyclical, of. Pope J o h n P a u l II R edem ptor ho­

minis.

18 W A CŁA W ŚW IERŻAWSKI

death and resurrection, but also through the m y stery of th e incar­ nation, w hich is a source of great value in th e understanding of theological anthropology and w hich provides an appropriate fram e­ w ork for th e theses of th e theology of tem poral reality. And finally the Pope's perspective extends to th e parousia — th e Second Coming to judgem ent w hen m an shall render account of his stew ardship. The wide range of this approach is m ade possible by th e „here and now " eucharistie presence in th e liturgy of "the w hole Christ", Christ in all His m ysteries, as is expressly recorded in some of the anam netic form ulae w hich m ention th e m ysteries of th e life of J e ­ sus Christ, from His birth, through His death, resurrection and ascension, Pentecost, to th e parousia. But w hen w e say "the w hole C h rist” we also m ean C hrist living in His Church. For it is here th at the fullness of the redem ptive dynam ism of the Son of God is revealed. Christ not only lives in the Eucharist, He is still active, and through th e Eucharist ruling th e C hurch and the world. The dynam ism of the sacram ental Eucharist is the ferm ent of the „Church of God's Mission".

Ju st after the close of the Second V atican Council the question was raised w hat th e Council had introduced to the theology of th e Eucharist. The same question is still being asked. It was posed again after th e prom ulgation of Redem pto i Hominis and y et again, m ore em phatically, after th e issue of Jo h n Paul II's Letter on th e m ystery and cult of th e Eucharist (24 F ebruary, 1980). In answ er to this question it is not enough to say (as is self-apparent to all readers of both those documents) th at th e Eucharist occupies a central posi­ tion in th e C hurch and th a t it has a distinctly ecclesial (and also ecumenical) note, th a t it is linked to th e w hole of C hristian life, being its life-giving spring, and th at it is the soul of apostolic love and devotion. An adequate answ er to this question requires the precedence in the rep ly of th e principal them e, w hich is th e exposi­ tion of the presence of th e risen C hrist in th e w hole of th e liturgy and celebration of th e Eucharist. In celebration of the Eucharist th ere appears the m ysterious presence of th e Lord for His people, th e Bridegroom for th e Bride. This presence is expressed through the liturgy of assem bly (Christ present in the community), in the li­ tu rg y of th e W ord (Christ presen t in His own words) and in th e liturgy of the tran sub stan tiatio n of th e gifts (Christ present in th e species of Bread and Wine). Finally, thanks to th e presence of C hrist through th e priest celebrating th e Eucharist, th e above w ays in w hich th e Lord is present are connected by a specific, dynam ic link, constituting a continuous and progressive chain. This dynamism supplies as it w ere a creativ e inspiration w hich brings new life not only to the m inister of th e liturgy, but also to those participating and coming in faith and love to m eet the revelation of Love.

The Body of the risen Lord, th e eucharistie Bread, th e Bread of redem ption and salvation carrying w ith it th e sanctifying dynam ism of th e Holy Spirit, this sacram ental rep ast in a m ysterious w ay transform s those taking p art in it w ith faith. Thanks to it, day by day th e com m unity is brought deeper and deeper into th e realm of the Kingdom. Each day th e w orld becomes m ore cleansed of sin, for penance and its offering up are an indispensable condition for fruitful participation in the Eucharist and the C ovenant. Thus th e C hurch becomes not only the salt of th e earth, but also th e ferm ent bringing new life to the world. She is m ade aw are of this through her ow n identity and th ro ug h her mission, th rough th e concrete n a­ tu re of her task.

It is in this extended context th at John Paul II's statem ent in

Redemptor Hominis on th e Eucharist and Penance m ust be under­

stood. If the docum ent is read from this view point, certain aspects become more ap parent in it leading to further thought. A highly telling and significant point is th e fact th a t from th e v ery w ide range of theological aspects of th e Eucharist the Pope chose only one, the Eucharist and Penance. This is a v ery im portant point. To draw attention to one aspect only in this relationship, th e indissolubility of the link betw een th e sacram ent of the Eucharist and th e sacra­ ment of Penance, w hich symbolises th e link betw een C hrist (the Eucharist) and His Church (Penance) is to contribute an extrem ely valuable inspiration for further study.

I. The Eucharist

1. T h e C h r i s t o c e n t r i s m o f t h e e u c h a r i s t i e s a c r i f i c e

W e all rem em ber well th a t th e abandoning of th e centuries-old tradition of the Eucharist celebrated by a priest facing th e same di­ rection as th e congregation, in other words facing th e w all (or rath er the retab le of the altar) and its replacem ent by th e new "Concilier " altar was a severe shock to m any. A lthough th e liturgists adm onish­ ed us not to regard th e question as a choice betw een alternatives, with the altar being either a table of sacrifice or a banqueting table, nevertheless the fact is th a t since the Second V atican Council there has been a shift in accent in the explanation of th e essence of the Holy Mass, from th e Sacrifice to th e com munity repast. As a result th ere has been a rise in the im portance of the liturgical assembly, w hich in m any countries has offered an opportunity for th e m a­ nifestation and celebration of the brotherhood of man, linked with the joyous m eeting w ith th e risen Lord in th e Eucharist, and which has become th e focal point of C hristian life. The practice of

trans-20 w a c ł a w Św i e r z a w s k i

ferring th e tab ernacle from its cen tral position to a side chapel is a phenom enon strictly connected w ith this trend.

All this is true. For th e life of th e C hristian com m unity is health y w hen it has th e life-giving presence of the Lord and is aw are of the presence of the risen C hrist in its midst. It is the Ky- rios who by His presence gives a special pow er to th e faithful's liturgical signs and th e w ords of its proclam ations. For the Lord w ants to m ake use of His presence w ithin His com m unity to achieve His epiphany throu gh w ord and sign. A fter Easter it w as during a m eal th a t He appeared and the disciples recognised their Lord (Mk 16:14; Lk 24:30—32; J 20:19—29; A cts 10:41). C hrist's presence then was an active presence. In their holy assem bly the disciples experienced th e tru th of His prom ise: w here tw o or th ree are g a­ thered in th e nam e of Jesus, th e re He Himself is in th eir midst (see Mt 18:20).

But we m ust n ever forget the first p art of th e drama. The Eucharist is not only a continuation of th e communion, of th e meal shared by th e risen C hrist w ith His disciples, it is also th e presence in the C hurch of His sacrifice on th e cross. T here is no contradic­ tion to this in the fact th a t th e sacram ent of th e Eucharist was in­ stituted during the Last Supper. It w ould be a m istake to claim that the repast is th e essence or fundam ental quality in th e celebration of the Eucharist, for though th e Mass m ay be called a sacrifice w ith the nature of a m eal (M ahlopfer) because its fulfilment and culm ina­ tion comes w ith a com m unity meal, it cannot, how ever, be term ed a sacrificial meal (Opiermahl), since the sacrificial m eal is only a constituent part, and not th e m ost im portant or fundam ental aspect, of th e w hole (J.A. Jungm ann). N either is it enough to say th at the Sacrifice is a represen tation of th e M eal, since th en th e M ass would not be a visible sacrifice, as it is described by th e Council of Trent (Sess. XXII, Can. 2) and the w hole of Tradition. It is w orth noting that until th e R eform ation in th e 16th century th e Eucharist was never referred to m erely as a meal.

W e read in Jo h n Paul II's text, "In th e sacram ent of th e Eucha­ rist the m y stery is continuously renew ed, b y th e will of Christ, of the sacrifice w hich He m ade of Himself to th e F ather on the altar of the cross, of th e sacrifice w hich th e F ather accepted, returning th e unlim ited gift of His Son, who had becom e obedient even unto death, w ith His P atern al gift, the gift of a new eternal life in the resurrection, for th e F ather has alw ays been th e prim e Source and Donor of life. This new life, com prising th e exulation of th e Body of th e crucufied Christ, has becom e th e effective sign of th e new gift to m ankind of th e H oly Spirit, th e gift w h ereby th e Divine Life existing in the F ather and given by Him to th e Son is p artak en of by all w ho are united in Christ. The Eucharist is th e most holy sa­ cram ent of this Union".

The com m em oration of th e Sacrifice as the dom inant feature in th e Eucharist is a t the sam e tim e an indication of how th e founda­ tions of a h ealthy com munion and perm anent com m unity are to be laid. O bviously enough, it gives us in a nutshell th e encyclical's integral thesis, as expressed in the v ery title Redem ptor Hominis. A lthough the m ain attention seems to be focused on man, although man is th e chief subject of theological anthropology, nevertheless the real centre is alw ays Jesus Christ. M an's dignity is his dignity in Christ. The Pope's w ords, "W ithout C hrist m an does not know himself", echoes this truth.

Thanks to our participation in th e Eucharist and, on a wider scale, thanks to our participation in th e "ro y al p riesthood” through w hich "we all sim ultaneously becom e »the Kingdom and its priests«", we participate in the „unique and irrev ersib le offering of m ankind and th e w hole w orld to the Father Himself, th e offering which He, th e »eternal Son« and, at th e sam e time, th e tru e Man, has m ade once and for all time". Thus th e Eucharist is th e most specific function of Christ th e King, the function of establishing "the eternal and u niversal kingdom: th e kingdom of tru th and life, the kingdom of holiness and grace, th e kingdom of justice, love and peace" (the Preface). The Sacrifice brings about unity; the Sacrifice establishes communion. Its first fruit is the Church.

2. T h e E u c h a r i s t b u i l d s t h e C h u r c h

This thesis, reiterated by th e Second V atican Council, has deep roots in the tradition of th e Church. To find th e real sense of the liturgical com m unity and to discover th e tru e dim ensions of every C hristian communion (w hether liturgical, in the family, in m arriage or in friendship), it m ust alw ays "be built and renew ed on the sal- v a to rv foundation of C hrist's sacrifice". The w ords of th e C onsecra­ tion, repeated by priests in th e form of th e cerem onial proclam ation about the "Body w hich has been given up" and th e "Blood which has been shed" for th e "rem ission of sins" are a continual rem inder of this. The thesis th at th e Eucharist establishes and builds the C hurch is also a rem inder th a t th e Church lives th rough th e Eucha­ rist. It is thanks to the Sacrifice — the sacrifice w hich is offered up and w hich is accepted, th e sacrifice of C hrist and th e sacrifice of the C hurch — th at the com munion betw een th e F ather and the C hurch is consolidated by C hrist through th e H oly Spirit. There also takes place the bringing to g eth er of th e People of God through m utual love. Their shared b ro th erly m eal acquires a special sense. As during the Last Supper, so now too, w hen the C hurch celebrates the Eucharist, the ingredients of the meal (bread and wine) comprise the sacrifice of C hrist's life, and th ey also com prise th e F ather's acceptance of this sacrifice, attested by the m iracle of th e

resurrec-22 W A CŁA W ŚWIERZAWSK1

tion. This sacrifice is a reality w hich has th e nature of a source; for it is from it th at th e com m unity of th e faithful draw s new life»

The Pope rem inds us th a t "our basic task and, above all, the visible grace and source of th e C hurch's sup ern atu ral pow er as the People of God, is to p ersev ere and m ake continual progress in the eucharistie life and in eucharistie piety, and to develop spiritually in the clim ate of the Eucharist". In this w ay he approaches a p a r­ ticu larly im portant but also im m ensely difficult pasto ral problem. The attitu d e of those who call them selves „believing but not p ractis­ ing C atholics” is w ell-known. The concern of priests anoxious about m ethods by w hich to bring th eir Sunday M ass congregations into the h eart of th e eucharistie M ystery and to fam iliarise them w ith the idea of frequent or daily H oly Communion is also w ell-know n. The requirem ent of a m ature form of catechetical instruction for adults as an introduction to the rich reality of th e Eucharist acquires, in this context, th e im portance of a highly responsible task. H ere it is precisely the aspect of th e Eucharist in its perspective as „the Sa­ cram ent of Sacrifice, th e Sacram ent of Communion and th e S acra­ m ent of Presence", as draw n attention to by th e Pope, th a t indicates the path for future progress.

So th e m atter is clear: th e altar is both a sacrificial and a ban­ queting table. The eucharistie Body and th e ecclesiological Body are inseparable; th e C hurch is th e m ystical Body of Christ. She is th e People of th e C ovenant w ith God. The sacrificial Paschal M y­ ste ry and th e C ovenant are one and the same. The celebration of the Paschal M ystery, th e saying of M ass and th e adm inistration of th e Eucharist are all an act m aintaining th e C ovenant — but only because th e foundation of th e Eucharist lies in th e redeem ing death of Jesus Christ. It is His d eath w hich is th e covenant-form ing event. A nd it is because of this th a t th e celebration and adm inistration of th e Eucharist is the m ost intensive act in th e life of th e Church, for th e C hurch’s most intense n atu re consists in th e union achieved by the subm ission of th e m em bers of C hrist's ecclesial Body to th e standard laid dow n b y His own s e n a to ria l sacrifice (1 Cor 11:17— 34).

3. O p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r a n d l i m i t s t o l i t u r g i c a l s p o n t a n e i t y

This problem is closely connected w ith the aspects of the Eucha­ rist as a Sacrifice, a Comm union and a Presence, and m ust therefore be resolved w ithin th eir context. W hen th e Pope talks about th e "necessity of a strict adherence to th e liturgical principles and also to all th a t shows th e com m unity w orship given to th e Lord, th e m ore so because in this sacram ental sign He commits Himself to us w ith so unlim ited a tru st as if He disregarded our hum an w eakness,

unw orthiness, and our habits, routine, or even th e possibility of our disrespect for Him" — he indicates th e tru e balance th at should perm eate relationship of the sacrifice to th e community (including the leader of th e celebration, who is also a member of th e com­ munity).

Faithfulness to the liturgical regulations and spontaneous litu r­ gical initiative m ay be determ ined by a proper understanding of the theology of the Eucharist which, as we have show n following the encyclical's tra in of thought, concentrates on the m aintenance of a balance betw een th e Sacrifice and the Banquet, as expressed in th e succinct abbreviation sacram entum sacrificii. Proceeding along these lines, a y ear after the publication of Redem ptor H om i­

nis, Jo h n Paul II, in his instruction Inaestim abile Donum (on the

question of certain standards relatin g to th e cult of the eucharistie m ystery), form ulated the general principle m ore explicitly. In this docum ent he repeats, after St. Thomas A quinas, th at "w hoever would celebrate the Holy Rite in disregard of th e m ethod establish­ ed through th e authority of God by th e C hurch and hallow ed by tradition w ould be a forger”. The Pope gives a personal addition: "The faithful have the right to th e tru e liturgy, th at is to th e liturgy in accordance w ith th e wishes and stipulations of th e Church which has also considered the possibilities of adapting th e liturgy to the pastoral requirem ents of p articular places and com munities w here such need m ay arise. Inappropriate experim ents, innovations or ideas confuse the congregation. The use of unauthorised texts leads to th e disruption of th e link betw een the le x orandi and th e le x cre­

dendi. In this connection it might be w orth-w hile to recall th e w arn ­

ing issued by the Second V atican C ouncil th a t »no person, not even a priest, m ay add to, tak e aw ay, or alter anything in the liturgy on his own account«. The last Holy Father, Paul VI, w rote that »whoever m ade use of th e liturgical reform to carry out wilful experim ents was w asting th e C hurch's energy and offending her sense«".

These exhortations, requiring celebrants in particular to adhere w ell-nigh ascetically to th e regulations laid down by th e com petent liturgical legislator, th at is th e H oly See and th e local dioceses, are no obstacle to a w ell-conceived spontaneity. H ow ever, th ey provide a clear indication as to th e dom inant factor here. For spon­ tan eity should not m ean boundless "creativity" in continual search for innovations, just as in good music faithfuleness to th e score is required but leaves room for th e virtuoso's creative inventiveness in his in terpretation of the piece. The resurrectio n is born out of the cross, and life is born out of death; so spontaneity in th e liturgy comes from faithfulness to th e "m aster's w ords in His Gospel through th e service of truth, but also through hopeful and loving submission to His redeem ing pow er at w ork". This aspect of

litur-24 W A CŁA W SW IERZAWSKI

gical activity too, as m entioned by th e Pope, m ay be linked with St. Paul's w ords: "Let a m an exam ine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (1 C or 11:28). It is of even g reater re ­ levance to the relationship betw een th e Eucharist and Penance.

II. Penance

1. C o n v e r s i o n a n d t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f G o d Together w ith th e erection of a "com m unity altar", a symbol stressing the aspect of th e M eal or B anquet in the Eucharist, in m any W estern countries so-called ” reconciliation room s" started to be set up for th e sacram ent of P enance alongside th e confessional box. The purpose of this w as th e enrichm ent of the peniten'ts m eet­ ing w ith th e confessor th rough personalistic elem ents, w hich (it should be noted) are best expressed through th e w ell-conceived institution of spiritual guidance, unfortunately operating rath er inadequately in the W est. As a resu lt th ere arose dem ands for a m ore and m ore shared experience of the sacram ent of Penance, sometimes substituting it by a general absolution. There is a certain sim ilarity betw een this tendency and th e trends appearing in the p astoral practice of the sacram ent of th e Eucharist. The backgrounds to both rev eal theological interpretations oscillating betw een em pha­ sis on Sacrifice and Communion, th e Cross and th e R esurrection.

Basically th e re w ould be nothing w rong in this, if th e correct proportions betw een the tw o w ere observed. The h isto ry of the C hurch tells us th a t a certain degree of polarisation, causing th e altern ate shift of em phasis from one to the other, has probably alw ays been in existence. The dam age started when, after th e Se­ cond V atican Council, in some countries the link betw een th e sa­ cram ent of the Eucharist and the sacram ent of Penance w as made laxer, w hich in certain com munities led to th e decline of the latter. This in tu rn started to lead to th e dim inishing of th e spirit of sacri­ fice and penance, and p rop er p rep aratio n for taking p art in th e Eucharist.

John Paul II's statem ent on the Eucharist and P enance shows the prim ary interdependence of th e tw o sacram ents. It points to the necessity of a proper p rep aratio n for participation in th e Eucharist through participation in Penance; and it also em phasises the con­ verse, th e need for continual conversion as a result of fruitful Holy Communion.

"The Eucharist and Penance", th e Pope w rites, "are thus as it w ere a binary, but at th e same tim e profoundly cohesive, m easure of th e authentic life in the spirit of the Gospel, a life th at is tru ly C hristian. The C hrist w ho invites us to th e eucharistie banquet is alw ays the sam e C hrist w ho exhorts us to penance and w ho says,

»Repent!« W ithout this c c r .n u a l, and continuously renew ed effort of conversion, participation in th e Eucharist on its own w ould r e ­ main bereft of th e fullness of its redem ptive effectiveness. The specific readiness to render God a »spiritual offering« would be lost, or at any rate considerably reduced".

Let us retu rn for a mom ent to our fundam ental idea. Between Penance and the Eucharist th e re exists a perm anent and v ery deep link w hich can never be broken. It is generally regarded that the sacram ent of Penance prepares the w ay for participation in the Eucharist. This is true, but it is also tru e th at the Eucharist prepares us for full participation in th e sacram ent of Penance. Taking part in the Eucharist envisaged as the joint offering of C hrist and our­ selves stim ulates in th e com m unicants a spirit of sacrifice and pe­ nance in a w ider sense than that covered by the penitential acts. It is th e road leading to "the h eart of th e san ctu ary for th e com­ m unity m eeting w ith God", it is the road leading to the experience of God. Let us recall how in the m ystery of Easter revealing the im m ensity of God's love for all m en th e road blocked by sin is ope­ ned. The sacrifice of th e cross thus becom es not only th e cause of forgiveness and th e w ashing aw ay of sin, but also th e foundation of th e C ovenant w ith God and of friendship w ith th e Bridegroom. This intervention by Jesus C hrist is extended th rough th e sacra­ m ental liturgy, particu larly in th e sacram ents of initiation and also in the sacram ent of Penance or reconciliation. It is this sacram ent th a t sums up and, in a w ay, repeats th e process of initiation in those who have followed th e w ay of th e "prodigal sons". Participation in the sacram ent of Penance, know n as "arduous baptism ", is thus an expression of a conscious decision, the choice of th e road back to reconciliation w ith Christ. A confession of sin is a profession of faith in God. In the act of sacram ental forgiveness God Himself fills the place of sin in the hum an soul. Because of this there is no other w ay to th e real m eeting w ith and know ledge of God except through repentance. To th e individual prior to this conversion God can only be a word, a concept, a presentim ent or a desire, th e God of the philosophers and th e poets, but not God revealed through His Love, not God saying to the prodigal son on his retu rn , "all th at is m ine is yours" (Lk 15:31). In His act of forgiveness God allows us to know Himself, takes us into His communion, into His friendship, and lets us experience jo y on account of His closeness. "The m an who knows his own sin", w rites St. Isaac Syrus (6th cen­ tury) describing Christian penance, "is g reater than the man who brings back the dead through p rayer. He w ho know s his w eakness is g reater than he who sees angels. He who follows Christ, alone and contrite, is g reater than he who receives applause in the Church."

26 w a c ł a w Św i e r z a w s k i

2. T h e c o m m u n i t y d i m e n s i o n o f p e n a n c e r e q u i r e s a d e e p e n i n g

o f t h e s p i r i t o f p e r s o n a l s a c r i f i c e

The C hurch's g reatest paradox is h er people, already redeem ed but still having continuously to com plete its redem ption. In this process of bringing to com pletion th e chief role is played by the Eucharist and Penance. The Eucharist is th e centre for the cleansing and qualitative grow th of the Church. It is the Eucharist that libe­ rates the Church from sin, for during its celebration the Blood shed for the rem ission of sins (Mt 26:28) is a dynam ism clam ouring for purification and a purifying power. The Eucharist gradually e ra ­ dicates from the souls of th e baptised th e clim ate itself of (or ten ­ dency for) sin, w hich identifies itself w ith the spirit of this world but w hich has been vanquished by the death of Christ. It is here th at the C hurch intensifies h er natu re through a spiritual Exodus, thanks to w hich th e disciples of C hrist pass from death to light, from sin to sanctity. H ere th e Promised Land — union w ith Christ and w ith our b reth ren — is attained.

The sinner comes to the sacram ent of P enance as th e prodigal son retu rn s to the Father. He acknow ledges and confesses his sins, realising th e fact of his unw orthiness w ith respect to God and to his brethren. To his sacram ental encounter he brings w ith him "a contrite heart", repen tan ce and a spirit of penance. Thus the m aterial of th e sacram ent is som ething personal: contrition, humble confession, satisfaction and retu rn to th e communion of th e Church as rep resented by th e priest. Thus in the act of sacram ental Penance the communal aspect is com bined w ith th e individual one. The in­ dividual's spirit of sacrifice, in w hich "the individual expresses himself from th e depth of his conscience th rough his feeling of sin­ fulness and his tru st in God", becom es as it w ere th e ferm ent for the en tire assem bled communion. In re tu rn th e oommunion of the C hurch — by m eans of its love, prayer, exam ple and particularly through acts of penance (where the communal dim ension of penance is m ore and m ore extensive, especially in th e penitential services) — perform s a tru ly m aternal function w ith respect to th e individual: both the individual w ho needs to be brought to Christ and th e indi­ vidual who needs to be united even m ore strongly w ith Him.

Realising the m ultidim ensional n atu re of these situations, "the Church, in her defense of the sacram ent of Penance, m akes a special profession of her faith in th e M ystery of Redem ption as a vital and life-giving reality w hich is in agreem ent w ith the tru th about m an­ kind's spiritual condition; w hich recognised hum an sinfulness, but w hich also recognises the longing of th e hum an conscience". Thus, on the one hand, th e sacram ent of Penance m ay be seen in its appropriate context in relation to th e Eucharist, particu larly if it

is regarded as a privileged point of spiritual guidance; and it con­ tributes to th e deepening of penance as a virtue, on the other.

A lthough th e Pope does not m ention expressly th e forms of penance in his encyclical, nevertheless by referring his readers to Paul V i's A postolic C onstitution Paenitem ini (1966) he does indicate w hat he means by penance. This Constitution, w hich introduced certain changes in the practice of penance, established th e standards of contem porary ascesis. It contains a w arning against th e adoption of th e inner, religious ch aracter of penance only, encouraging the outw ard practice of this v irtu e and laying great stress on its in­ dispensability in m odern com m unity life. A part from th e traditional forms of penance, fasting and abstinence, it also recom mends the search for new forms. The com m unity forms of penance ju st men­ tioned enrich the penitential practice of modern Church.

3. T h e E u c h a r i s t a n d P e n a n c e a s a f e r m e n t i n t h e " C h u r c h o f G o d ’s M i s s i o n "

To conclude these rem arks let us re tu rn to their most im portant point. D eliberately com bining tw o selected aspects of sacram ento- logy, the Eucharist and Penance, the Pope m akes his aim v ery clear: "It is obvious th at th e Church, w hich is continually preparing for th e Lord's second coming, m ust be a C hurch of the Eucharist and of Penance. O nly in this spiritual profile of her vitality and activity can she be th e C hurch of God's Mission, the C hurch in statu m is­

sionis, as revealed by th e Second V atican Council".

Hence, th e Pope rem inds us th a t it is not ourselves who have to m ake the Church m issionary in character; th at it is not our own dynam ism which will m ake h er a 'burning bush'. But our realisation of th e C hurch's n atu re will transform us into m issionaries. By our recognition of our own identity thanks to belonging to th e Church we becom e the "leaven". This we experience in a privileged way, taking p art in the Eucharist. Listening to th e W ord of God in the Eucharist, we learn and come to know th e m y stery of C hrist — or in other w ords, th e m ystery of C hrist and ourselves, th e m ystery of the Church. Submitting to His redeem ing pow er at w ork through the sacram ent, we discover in H oly Communion a source of apo­ stolic and m issionary dynamism. Thus th e celebration of th e Eucha­ rist is a m issionary act. This m ay sound paradoxical, but it is a re ­ ality. Receiving C hrist in Holy Communion w e receive His missio­ n ary dynamism. This dynam ism contributes to our continual spiri­ tual grow th and m aturity, and it also brings about the realisation of C hrist's deepest w ish — it kindles a great fire from th e spark brought into the w orld by Him. The Redem ptor Hominis is alive now and fulfilling His m y stery of salvation, dw elling in His dis­ ciples.

28 W A CŁA W SW IERZAWSKI

"The N ew Life", as Jo h n Paul II rem inds us, "w hich comprises the adoration of the Body of th e crucified Christ, has becom e an effective sign of th e new giving to m ankind of th e H oly Spirit, through W hom the Divine Life w hich the F ather has in Himself and w hich He gives to the Son is shared in by all w ho are united w ith C hrist.”