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Rev. Alan Weber, Director
(813) 988-3727
13005 N 50th St
Tampa, FL 33617-1022
director@catholicusf.org
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The Second Vatican Council, in Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 14 urged individual Catholics, and Catholic communities, to strive for "fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations." This refers preeminently to participation in the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. The Diocese of St. Petersburg's Living Eucharist Initiative is an opportunity for parishes and individuals to accomplish the Council's goals for Sunday worship.
The idea of "fully conscious, and active participation" is not a new one. Rather, it represents the reclaiming of a set of very old, traditional Catholic values. Our Lenten Faith Series will be dedicated this year to examining the sources of these ancient values.
There will be readings for each week of Lent chosen from ancient sources, beginning with the Christian Scriptures, and continuing with sub-apostolic writers. The purpose of our readings will be to catch a glimpse of the attitudes and practices of the first few generations of believers, beginning with those who heard the Apostles preach.
Each week we will discuss the assigned reading, and identify how the faith and practices of the Apostles has both influenced our experience of the Faith, and stands as the measure of our experience of the Faith. Participants will also receive a brief introduction to the next reading assignment. Group discussions will take place on Sunday mornings after the 10:00 a.m. liturgy, and online below. All Catholics, of all ages, are invited to participate.
The reading for the Fifth Week of Lent (March 29, 2009), is taken fromThe Apostolic Tradition by Hippolytus of Rome. This text was written early in the third century, but contains a record of late second century Roman liturgical and administrative practices. You may read the entire document, but for the purposes of this Lenten Faith Renewal Series, we will focus on Chapter 4. Fr. Alan's reflections will be posted on Monday following our Sunday gathering.
You may post your comments and questions about the readings beginning on each Sunday of Lent, and continuing through the following week.
You can read Bishop Lynch's Pastoral Letter, and get more information about this process of renewal on the Living Eucharist website.
In order to participate in this on-line discussion you must register your name and email address with Fr. Alan. This discussion room will be open only during the weeks of Lent. You do not need to register for the discussion in order to read the posted comments.
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Subject Week Three - St. Ignatius of Antioch
Date Sun Mar 22 2009 20:59
Author Fr. Alan (director@catholicusf.org)
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Our readings this week were Ignatius’ letters to the Smyrnaeans, Romans and the Ephesians. You may read the entire documents, but for the purposes of this Lenten Faith Renewal Series, we will focus on Chapters 8 of the Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Chapters 4 & 7 of the Letter to the Romans, and Chapters 5 & 20 of the Letter to the Ephesians. Ignatius was bishop of Antioch in Syria at the end of the first century. He was martyred in Rome between 98 AD and 117 AD. His remains are interred at St. Clement’s basilica in Rome, a short distance from the Colosseum. Ignatius was arrested during a persecution of Christians by the emperor Trajan. He was taken to Rome to be tried and executed. During his journey to Rome he authored seven letters that were well known and influential in the early church. His writings indicate that he was concerned with the teachings of two groups who opposed the Christian faith: the Judaizers, who did not accept the authority of the writings that later came to be known as the New Testament, and the Docetists, who held that Christ's Incarnation, Passion and death were not real, but only apparent. The controversies that Ignatius faced did not end with his death. In the sixteenth century the reformer John Calvin wanted Ignatius’ writings banned due to their insistence that the ministry of the bishop was indispensable to the life of the Church and their numerous references to the efficacy of the Eucharist. Although he does not refer to known Christian writings by name, Ignatius quotes the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the Acts of the Apostles and Paul’s letters to the Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians. Ignatius’ writings provide insight into the late first/early second century Church’s views on the Christian life. Among other things, Ignatius employs the oldest known written use of the term “Catholic Church.” (Smyrnaeans 8) Our readings this week are drawn from three of Ignatius’ letters. The eighth chapter of the letter to the Smyrnaeans reflects the state of development of ordained ministries at the end of the first century. Ignatius refers to the preeminence of the ministry of the bishop, along with the presbyters (priests), and the deacons. Ignatius sees the ministry of bishop as pivotal to the celebration of Eucharist. Ignatius also uses the traditional term “love feast” to refer to the community’s celebration. The two selections from the letter to the Romans, Chapters Four and Seven, demonstrate a common viewpoint of the time regarding martyrdom. It probably sounds odd to us today, but the early Christians considered martyrdom to be a gift from God granted to a few, privileged persons. Martyrdom was considered a blessing because it afforded to a believer the closest possible imitation of the death of Jesus: an innocent put to death because of fidelity to God. Ignatius pleads with the Church at Rome not to intervene on his behalf. Rather, he desires to be put to death in the arena. His plea is pertinent to our reading because he uses a Eucharistic metaphor to describe his impending death. He writes, “I am the wheat of God, and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God.” (Rom 4) He sees death as victory over the weakness of human flesh. “I desire the bread of God, the heavenly bread, the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Rom 7) In the letter to the Ephesians we have an early reference to the belief, which would develop later in eastern Christian thought, that the death of Jesus was a sort of medicine that treated the moral illness of sin. Ignatius writes that the Eucharist shared by the Christian community “is the medicine of immortality, and the antidote to prevent us from dying, but [which causes] that we should live for ever in Jesus Christ.” (Eph 20) One of the ancient practices that the Second Vatican Council reintroduced to the Church’s pastoral ministry is viaticum. The word means, literally, ‘along with you.’ Prior to the Council it was customary to provide “extreme unction” for the dying, or even the dead. This practice represented a corruption of the Church’s practice of praying for the recovery of the sick. The Church’s ministry to the sick had its origins in Jesus’ own healing ministry. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick restored the older practice of prayer, absolution, anointing and intercession for the sick (who were expected to recover from their illness). Viaticum was the Church’s original pastoral response to those who were dying, or in the case of the martyrs, facing an immanent death. Viaticum was “last communion,” “that which goes with you,” food for the journey from this life into the next. Ignatius’ writing about the Eucharist in his letter to the Romans is an expression of the belief that holy communion unites us with Christ in this life, and guides our passage into Christ’s kingdom. Ignatius’ belief that Eucharist is “the bread of life,” “the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” and “incorruptible love and eternal life” (Rom 7), is precisely what we believe today. Unfortunately for the Church, I think that we have lost touch with the fervent commitment to the person of Jesus that led Ignatius to embrace martyrdom as an act of love for God. |
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Proclaiming the Gospel of Hope
