The Relationship Between the Parish Eucharist And the Life of Small Christian Communities in Their Neighborhoods
For many people, the Sunday Eucharist is a routine ritual performed without much attention to the link it has with daily life. In our parishes we talk about the need to reach people who do not come for Sunday Mass, but not about the quality of participation by the huge majority of people who actually attend. It is generally the case that people fulfill the Sunday obligation without really celebrating and living the Eucharist. Unlike the early Christians, for whom the breaking of bread led to fellowship, sharing and service (Acts 2:42-45), today for many Catholics the Sunday obligation is a requirement simply to be physically present in the church. A great deal of help is needed to enable these celebrations to transform communities. The latter tend to sustain their caste-cultural differences, contrary to the true meaning of the Eucharist.The introduction of small Christian communities (SCCs) into the parishes of so many dioceses of India is having a significant impact on this situation. Pope Paul VI called SCCs a true expression of communion and a means to construct a more profound communion in the Church. Pope John Paul II stated that SCCs are instruments of evangelization, centers of formation and seedbeds for new ministries; they decentralize parishes and help them to organize themselves with a common commitment to respond to local needs. Thousands of SCCs in India bear witness to this in varying ways. The purpose of this research project is to investigate how SCCs can make a difference to the lives of their members and in particular to the way in which they celebrate the Eucharist. Barde Nagar SCC in the parish of Mary Queen of the Apostles, Nagpur, India, was the focus of the investigation. The members' initial understanding of the Eucharist was ascertained through an oral interview, five sessions on Eucharist were given to them, and the impact of these sessions was subsequently evaluated. Results show that the members of the SCC experienced a deepening of their Eucharistic faith and spirituality. They spontaneously expressed their desire to celebrate a communal rite of reconciliation, and that was followed by a Eucharist celebrated together and a fellowship meal. Realizing the importance of growing in fellowship, they decided to meet with those members of the SCC who do not normally attend SCC meetings. They resolved to prepare for Eucharist more sincerely and to participate in it more devoutly. Some of them reflected on how to translate the Eucharistic sacrifice into the daily sacrifices of life.It is verified in this particular instance that SCCs can make a significant difference to the living out of the Eucharist in daily life, and can help in the fulfillment of Henri Lubac's principle that the Eucharist makes the Church.
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