We often encounter the phenomenon of the faithful worshiping the Virgin Mary before and after the celebration of the Eucharist. Some people come early to church to pray the Rosary before the Eucharistic celebration begins. Likewise, after the celebration of the Eucharist, some people stop in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary, both inside and outside the church to pray for a moment. So, what exactly is the relationship between the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary?
We summarize the answer to that question in the sentence that is the title of this simple article: Mary, Woman of the EucharistThis sentence is taken from Pope John Paul II's Ecclesia de Eucharistia, number 53. Throughout her life, Mary was a Eucharistic woman, and as such the faithful are called to imitate her in their relationship with the Eucharist and be open to her motherly role as they celebrate the mystery that unfolds. this holy.
This article is divided into four parts:
- Eucharist
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Mary, Woman of the Eucharist
- Several abbreviations appear in this article:
Ada beberapa singkatan yang muncul dalam tulisan ini:
EE : Ecclesia de Eucharistia (Surat Ensiklik Paus Yohanes Paulus II tentang Ekaristi dan hubungannya dengan Gereja)
KGK : Katekismus Gereja Katolik
LG : Lumen Gentium (Documents of the Second Vatican Council on the Church)
PO : Presbyterorum Ordinis (Dokumen Konsili Vatikan II tentang Kehidupan Imam)
RM : Redemtoris Mater (Surat Ensikli Paus Yohanes Paulus II tentang Perawan Maria dalam hidup Gereja yang berziarah)
RVM : Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Surat Apostolik Paus Yohanes Paulus II).
SC : Sacrosanctum Concilium (Documents of the Second Vatican Council on the Liturgy)
1. Eucharist
1.1 The Eucharist is the center of the whole Christian life
The Eucharist is the source and summit of all Christian life (LG 11). It is said so because all other celebrations of worship, as well as daily work and ministry in the Christian life, are closely related to the Eucharistic Celebration, rooted in the Eucharist and directed to the Eucharist. The peak of God's work to sanctify the world, and at the same time, the peak of human work to glorify the Father through Christ, the Son of God, in the Holy Spirit is manifested in the Eucharist. The Eucharist includes all the treasures of the Church, namely Christ himself (PO 5).
1.2 The Eucharist is a Thanksgiving and a Memory of Christ's Sacrifice
1.2.1 Eucharistein (gratitude)
The Eucharist comes from the Greek word eucharistein, which means "gratitude". The Eucharist is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God the Father. Praise and gratitude are an acknowledgment of the greatness and goodness of God. From the very beginning, the idea of gratitude was associated with sacrifice. Praise in the Old Testament was accompanied by sacrifice (Ps 56:13, 116:17; Jer 17:26; 33:11). The same thing is also found in the New Testament so that the term "thank offerings" (Hebrews 13:15) arose.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the Eucharist as follows:
The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father. It is the praise, by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all His goodness: for all that He accomplished in creation, redemption, and sanctification. So the Eucharist is first of all thanksgiving. (1360).
This sacrifice of thanksgiving is offered by the Church to the Father through Christ: by Christ, with Him and to be received in Him. The Church does this “in the name of all creation” (CCC 1359-1361).
1.2.2 Anamnesis (memories)
In the biblical sense, "remembering" (anamnesis) means remembering, recalling, and bringing back to life events in the past. Reminiscing is not the same as repeating or doing the event again. Reminiscing means making the same events from the past present in the present in real terms. In the Eucharist, the Church brings back the Easter of Christ, namely the mystery of His passion, death, and resurrection. In other words, in the Eucharist, what happens on Calvary is actualized on the altar.
1.2.3 Sacrificium, Immolatio, Oblatio (sacrifice)
a. Eucharist Presents the Sacrifice of the Cross
The life of Christ which was given up and sacrificed for our salvation in the sacrifice of the Cross (Good Friday) is the same as that which was given and sacrificed at the Last Supper. The Eucharist brings back (not the same as repeating or renewing) the sacrifice of the cross of Christ. The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist is only one sacrifice, which Christ performs once and for all. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council sums it up very well:
At the last supper, on the night He was delivered, our Savior made the Eucharistic sacrifice of His body and blood. Thus He perpetuated the sacrifice of the cross forever and entrusted to the Church, His beloved bride, the memory of His death and resurrection: the sacrament of love, the symbol of unity, the bond of love, the Passover meal. In that supper Christ is welcomed, the soul is filled with grace, and we are given the assurance of the glory to come. (SC 47).
b. The Church Shares in Christ's Sacrifice
In the celebration of the Eucharist, the Church or the whole people, are invited to participate in Christ's sacrifice, namely by offering spiritual sacrifices (LG 34). Therefore, the Eucharist is also the sacrifice of the Church who participates in the sacrifice of her Head Jesus (CCC 1330, 1368). The Church offers her prayers, praises, thanksgivings, works, and sufferings to God and thus unites her offerings with the offerings of Christ. By uniting herself with the sacrifice of Christ, the Church is sanctified as His Body.
1.3 The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
1.3.1 Konsekrasi
In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the bread and wine consecrated by the priest are transformed into the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. The priest consecrates the bread and wine to be the Body and Blood of Christ with these affirmative words taken from the Scriptures: “This is my body, which is given up for you; do this in remembrance of me!” Likewise, He took the cup, after eating, and said:: “: “This cup is the new covenant which is sealed by my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me!”” (1Co 11:23-25).
1.3.2 Transubstansi
By the power of God, both the bread and the wine are completely transformed into Jesus Christ as a whole, in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Godhead. Thus a person who receives communion, whether under the appearance of bread or the appearance of wine, welcomes the whole of Christ. These changes are changes that occur in actual. Bread and wine no longer exist, although their form and nature are still bread and wine. This very important change by the Catholic Church is called an essential change or transubstantiation – the change of the entire substance of the bread into the substance of the Body of Christ, and the entire substance of the wine into the substance of His Blood. Transubstancy must be distinguished from the substance, in which the body and blood of Christ are present with bread and wine. Transubstantiation must also be distinguished from “symbol” in that the host is only a symbol or symbol of Christ's presence and not the actual presence of Christ.
1.3.3 Kehadiran Nyata
As the Creator and Provider of all things, God is everywhere. It is present through sanctifying grace in all souls who are in a state of grace. But His presence is a spiritual presence. The presence of Christ in the Eucharist – His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity – is a wholly unique, unique, and special Real Presence. The presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist continues as long as the form of bread and wine persists. When the consecrated host is swallowed or dissolved in water, so that it is no longer bread, it is no longer the Body and Blood of Christ.
2. Blessed Virgin Mary
2.1 The Blessed Virgin Mary in the Mystery of the Life of Jesus
The essence of the proclamation of the New Testament Scriptures is the person, life, and work of Jesus Christ. So when Mary is shown, it is always done about Jesus Christ. Mary is never shown in isolation from the person and work of Jesus Christ. The reason we talk about Mary today is that Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is believed to be the Son of God. In Him God comes to mankind. Salvation is fully accomplished through the intercession of Jesus Christ. So what exactly is the special relationship between Jesus and Mary?
2.1.1 Inkarnasi: Putera Allah Menjadi Manusia dalam Rahim Maria
The special relationship between Jesus and Mary occurs in the event of the Incarnation: God the Son became man. In the event of the incarnation, Mary played the role of the mother who conceived and gave birth to Jesus. That's why Mary is called the Mother of God. In the Documents of the Second Vatican Council on the Church we read:
God, who is merciful and all-wise, wants to carry out the redemption of the world. 'When the fullness of time came, He sent His Son, Begotten of a woman, . . . that we may be adopted as sons and daughters' (Gal 4:4-5); “Who came down from heaven, because we are human and because of our salvation, and became flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary” (LG 52).
The incarnation of Jesus was primarily the initiative and action of the Triune God himself. This Triune God freely wills Mary's involvement and requires Mary's free answer. The free answer is revealed in his FIAT: “Indeed I am a servant of God; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Thus, “he accepted the saving will of God” and “surrendered himself wholly as a man of God to the person and work of his Son. Under him and with him, by the grace of almighty God, he served the mystery of redemption” (LG 56). Therefore it is said that "Mary was not used by God passively alone, but that she, with free faith and obedience, cooperated for the salvation of men" (LG 56).
2.1.2 Mary and the Childhood of Jesus
The following are some of the events – narrated by the Gospels – that describe Mary's role in Jesus' childhood. First, having received Christ in her womb, Mary went to visit Elizabeth. Elizabeth called it happy because Mary believed in the promised salvation. The child (John) who was in Elizabeth's womb jumped for joy (Luke 1:41-45). Second, on the day of Jesus' birth, the Mother of God joyfully showed the Shepherds and Magi her eldest Son (Luke 2:8-20; Matt 2:1-12). Third, "when the time of purification according to the law of Moses was fulfilled" Mary and Joseph took Jesus to "Jerusalem to give Him over to the Lord." Our Lady heard Simeon declare that her Son would be “a sign that stirs up controversy” and that “a sword will pierce the soul” of His Mother, “that the thoughts of the hearts of many may be made manifest” (cf. Luke 2:34-35). Fourth, when the twelve-year-old Jesus lived in the temple in Jerusalem without his parents knowing. Mary and Joseph looked for him and they did not understand what he was saying but Mary “kept all things in her heart” (Luke 2:41-51).
2.1.3 Mary and the Public Life of Jesus
In the public life of Jesus, Mary appears in the following moments. First, at the wedding at Cana. Mary was moved by compassion, and her intercession encouraged Jesus to work His first sign (John 2:1-11). Second, In the proclamation of Jesus, she (Mary) accepted His word, when her Son exalted the Kingdom above thought and the bonds of flesh and blood, and declared blessed are those who hear and do the word of God (Mk 3:35 and its parallels; Luk 11:27-28 ), as he himself faithfully (Luke 2:19, 51). Third, Mary “faithfully maintained her union with the Son until the cross” (John 19:25). "She grieves with her Son with a mother's heart, agreeing with love that she is offered the sacrifice which she has given birth to" (LG 58). Fourth, Jesus Christ before His death on the cross, gave Mary to the disciples to be his mother. He said to Mary: "Mother, here is your child!" Then he said to his disciples, "This is your mother" (John 19:26-27).
2.1.4 Mary after Jesus' Ascension to Heaven
After Jesus' ascension to Heaven, Mary and the Apostles asked for the gift of the Spirit (Acts 1:14), “the Spirit who overshadowed her when she received the message” (LG 59). Then, “having completed the path of her mortal life, the blameless Virgin, ever impervious to all taints of original sin, was raised to heavenly glory with her body and soul” (LG 59).
2.2 Mary in the Mystery of the Church
2.2.1 Excellent Church Members
On the one hand, Mary is a member of the Church, but on the other hand, she is a unique and superior member of the Church (LG 53). Mary is a member of the Church because she too is saved, including among those who are redeemed by God's saving work. As a believer, Mary belongs to the community of believers. But Mary participates especially in the mystery and work of Jesus. “He was endowed with gifts worthy of such a lofty task” (LG 56).
By the gift of extraordinary grace, he far exceeds all creatures both in heaven and on earth” (LG 53). She was “given with a special light of holiness from the first moment she was conceived, and received the gracious greeting of the Angel of tidings, by the command of Allah” (LG 56). The Church Fathers used to “call the Mother of God wholly pure and clean from every stain of sin” (LG 56). He was “caught up above all the saints and angels in heaven” (LG 69). “He has been glorified in heaven with body and soul” (LG 68)
2.2.2 An Example for Believers
Our Lady is the example of the Church in faith, love, and perfect union with Christ (LG 63). Like Mary, the Church is also Mother because by her proclamation and washing she gives birth to sons and daughters, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of God, to eternal life. Like Mary, the Church is also a virgin who keeps intact and pure the fidelity given to the bride and while following the Mother of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church maintains perpetually complete faith, steadfast hope, and honest love (LG 64).
2.2.3 Typhos (exemplar) Church
Mary is the image and beginning of the future perfection of the Church (LG 58). Until the day of the Lord, it shines brightly as a sign of sure hope and a sign of consolation, for the People of God, who are on pilgrimage (LG 68). In Mary, the saving work of God through Jesus Christ was fully accomplished.
2.2.4 Intermediary
Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. However, this “does not rule out the possibility but rather creates various kinds of participatory cooperation from a single source” (LG 62). In this regard, Vatican II teaches:
However, Mary's role as Mother to humanity does not at all obscure and diminish this only intermediary task of Christ, but shows its power. For all the influence of the Holy Virgin on mankind which brings salvation, does not originate in any necessity, but in divine favor and the abundance of Christ's merits. That influence rests on His intercession and is dependent on Him, and draws all its strength from Him. It in no way hinders the direct union between the faithful and Christ but fosters it. (LG60).
2.2.5 Mary, Mother of the Church
Pada tanggal 21 November 1964 (pada sesi ketiga Konsili Vatikan II) Paus Paulus VI menyatakan Maria sebagai “Bunda Gereja, yaitu Bunda dari semua umat Kristen, umat beriman dan gembala-gembala mereka, yang menyebut dia Bunda mereka yang penuh kasih.” Maria adalah Bunda Gereja, ibu semua orang beriman oleh karena Maria menjadi ibu Kristus, Juru selamat. Dengan melahirkan Juru Selamat, Maria secara tak langsung melahirkan mereka semua yang mau diselamatkan Kristus.
This motherhood “continues uninterruptedly, from the approval which she gives at her preaching, and which she maintains without hesitation under the cross, to the eternal consummation of all the elect (LG 62). Mary not only physically-biologically became the mother of Jesus but also personally and completely involved herself in her motherhood. Therefore, complete and personal involvement with Jesus as savior means personal and complete involvement with all those who (want to) be saved. As the mother of Jesus, Mary with motherly love loves and cares for all her children, all the faithful. Mary remains meaningful and meaningful to everyone, just as her earthly existence is meaningful and meaningful to all. That meaning and meaning are superior because Mary's position and role in her earthly existence are superior, to all others.
2.3 Duties of the Faithful to the Mother of God
2.3.1 Menghormati Maria Secara Khusus
Having been raised above all angels and men to become the most holy Mother of God, who participates in a special way in the mystery and work of Jesus, Mary deserves special respect by the Church, above all other angels and saints. Although honoring Mary is special, it is fundamentally different from the worship services given to Jesus, just like the Father and the Holy Spirit (LG 66). In theology, a service that can only be delivered to God is called a latreia (Latin: adoratio); while the service to a human being is called douleia. So the douleia's target is someone else who is devoted to God. Because Mary is the most holy of all saints, the special veneration of Mary is called hyper-douleia (super-devotional).
2.3.2 Penghormatan Kepada Maria yang Benar
Terdapat berbagai bentuk penghormatan kepada Maria, seperti doa rosario, doa novena, ziarah marial, ibadat marial, dst. Penghormatan kepada Maria yang sejati selalu menghantar orang untuk lebih mengenal, mencintai dan memuliakan Yesus Kristus (LG 66). Semakin seseorang menghormati Maria, maka ia pun semakin bersatu dan serupa dengan Yesus Kristus. Maria tidak pernah terpisah dari Yesus Kristus. Tugas dan privilese Maria selalu menyangkut Yesus Kristus, sumber segala kebenaran, kekudusan dan kesalehan (LG 67). “Karena itu apabila ia (Maria) diwartakan dan dihormati, ia mengarahkan orang beriman kepada Puteranya dan kepada kurbanNya serta kepada cinta akan Bapa. Sebaliknya Gereja, yang mengejar kemuliaan Kristus, menjadi lebih serupa dengan citra unggulnya, karena ia senantiasa maju dalam iman, harapan dan cinta kasih, dan mencari serta taat dalam segala hal kepada kehendak ilahi” (LG 65).
2.3.3 Dua Hal Ekstrem yang Harus Dihindari
There are two extremes to avoid in respect of Mary. First, marian minimalism or mariophobia. This attitude arises because people completely ignore human cooperation in God's work of salvation. Because humans are considered to have no role in saving, then no human (including Mary) deserves to be respected, because such respect is considered to reduce the glory that must be given to God. Second, marian maximalism or mariocentrism. This attitude arises because people overestimate the role of humans in salvation to ignore the divine role and under-emphasize the efficacy of Christ's intercession work. Jesus is not seen as an intermediary between God and man but rather as a God who is far from sinful man. That's why humans need help from Mary. Here one exaggerates the instrumental causality of Mary and disentangles the instrumental causality of Christ's humanity.
3. Mary Woman of the Eucharist
3.1 Mary Attends the Celebration of the First Community Eucharist
At first glance, there is the impression that the Scriptures have nothing to say about Mary in relation to the Eucharist. The account of the Eucharistic foundation at the Last Supper does not mention Mary's name. However, we do know that Mary was present among the Apostles who “continued with one accord in prayer together” (Acts 1:14), in the early community that gathered after Jesus' Ascension awaiting Pentecost. We can be sure that Mary was present at the Eucharist in the first generation of Christians, “who always gathered together to break bread and pray” (Acts 2:42). An indirect picture of the relationship between Mary and the Eucharist – before she took part in the celebration of the Eucharist in the first generation of Christians – can be found in the Bible. The relationship begins with Maria's inner preparation (interior disposition). She “was the 'Eucharistic woman', all her life” (EE 53).
3.2 The Special Relationship Between Mary and the Eucharist
The relationship between Mary and the Eucharist flows from these two fundamental aspects: First, the continuity of the mystery of the Incarnation. Second, the Eucharist is a memorial to the death and resurrection of Christ. Let's look at these two things one by one.
3.2.1 Continuity of the Mystery of the Incarnation (the mystery of God becoming man)
What is meant by the continuity of the mystery of the Incarnation here is the indissoluble relationship between the “Word made flesh” (John 1:14) and the “flesh” that Jesus gave “for the life of the world” (John 6:51). Since the Mystery of the Incarnation is closely related to Mary, there is also a close connection between the Eucharist and Mary. We have seen in the previous description that Mary's role in the Incarnation was as the Mother of God. In the event of the incarnation, Mary played the role of the mother who gave birth to the Son of God. It was from Mary that God the Son received His body. We then eat this same body in the Eucharist.
In his composition on the Eucharist Mozart says: “Ave Verum Corpus, ex Virgine Marie” (Hail the True Body, born of the Virgin Mary). Beginning the conclusion of the encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Pope John Paul II wrote: “Ave Verum Corpus natum de Maria! Hail the true body born of Mary!” (EE 56). The body of Jesus Christ came from Mary. In the celebration of the Eucharist, the bread is transformed into the Body of Christ, which at the same time contains His Blood. So everyone who receives the Body of Christ properly receives the body and blood that comes from the body and blood of Our Lady. Saint Albert the Great also said: "Mary is wholly in Jesus."
3.2.2 The Eucharist as a Memory of Christ's Death and Resurrection
As mentioned earlier, the Eucharist brings back Christ's Easter, namely the mystery of the cross, His death, and resurrection. Thus in every Eucharist, the event of Calvary is brought back. The union between Mary and her Son reaches its climax on Calvary, when Jesus Christ “offered himself to God as an offering without blemish” (Hebrews 9:14) and Mary was present (John 19:25). Mary suffered greatly with her Son and lovingly consented and united herself to the self-offering of Christ to the Father. If in the Eucharist the event of Calvary is presented again, then Mary – who stands at the foot of the cross of Jesus representing all human beings – is also present in every Eucharistic celebration. In every Eucharist, Mary stands at the altar just as she stands at the foot of the cross on Calvary. Therefore, awareness and sensitivity to its presence in every Eucharist must be nurtured and developed.
3.3 Indirect Relationship
3.3.1 Eucharistic Faith
Upon receiving the Good News from the Angel of the Lord, “Mary conceived the Son of God in the physical reality of her body and blood.” Thus, to a certain degree Mary “precedes in herself, which occurs sacramentally in every believer, who welcomes the Body and Blood of the Lord, in the sign of bread and wine” (EE 55).
Mary conceived Jesus in her womb after she first expressed her consent to the Angel who delivered the Good News of God. With that agreement, Mary believed that the Son she bore "by the Holy Spirit" was the "Son of God". So Elizabeth greeted him this way: “Blessed is he who believes” (Luke 1:45). In other words, there is a deep resemblance between Fiat Maria when it received the Good News from the Angels and "Amen" as the faithful's response when welcoming the Body of God." Thus it can be said, “Mary has also begun, in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Eucharistic faith of the Church” (EE 55).
3.3.2 Eucharistic Sacrifice
The sacrificial dimension of the Eucharist becomes evident in Mary's life not only on Calvary. When he and Joseph brought Jesus' children to the Temple in Jerusalem to “offer him to the Lord” (Luke 2:22), “he heard Simon's prophecy that the child would be a 'sign of conflict' and that a sword would pierce his heart (cf. Luke 2:34-35)” (EE 55). Thus the event of his Son's crucifixion was prophesied there. So the following days are part of the preparation for Calvary and in that preparation “Mary experienced a kind of 'Eucharistic anticipation' – perhaps one might say 'spiritual communion' – a longing for offering that would culminate in her union with her Son in passion, and then find expression after Easter. , in his participation in the Eucharist, which the Apostles celebrated as a memorial of the passion” (EE 56)
3.3.3 Sikap Ekaristi
As mentioned earlier, the Eucharist is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for all the goodness of God in creation, redemption, and sanctification. This sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving is offered by the Church to the Father through Christ. This dimension of praise and gratitude is also found in Madah Maria, Magnificat (My soul glorifies God). "When Mary uttered: 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in the Lord my savior', she has conceived Jesus in her womb. He glorifies God 'through' Jesus, and he also praises God 'in' and 'with' Jesus. This is the true attitude of the 'true Eucharist'” (EE 56).
3.3.4 The First Tabernacle in the Church
After receiving the Good News, Mary, who was in her womb the Word made flesh, visited Elizabeth. In this context, Mary becomes the 'tabernacle', the first tabernacle in the Church. The Son of God, yet to be seen by human eyes, allowed himself to be worshiped by Elisabeth, shining his light through the eyes and voice of Mary. (EE 55).
4. Mary and the Faithful Celebrating the Eucharist
4.1 Maria as a Model
4.1.1 Fiat Maria as a Model for Our Amen
The Church, which views Mary as a model, is also called to imitate Mary in its relation to the Eucharist. Mary is an example of the Church in terms of love and faith. Pope Paul VI wrote:
To perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross, the Savior instituted the sacrifice of the Eucharist, the memory of His death and resurrection, and entrusted it to His bride, the Church, which in particular, on Sundays gathers the faithful to celebrate the Lord's Passover until His return. The Church does this in union with the saints in heaven and in particular with Our Lady, whom the Church imitates in her fiery love and unwavering faith.” [Pope Paul VI, Apostolic exhortation Marialis Cultus, 1974, p. 20].
As already mentioned, there are similarities between FIAT Maria and AMEN which we say when welcoming the Body of God. The word "Amen" in Hebrew means, "really," "true" or "it is so." In Scripture, "Amen" is a solemn affirmation and a cry of justification. “Amen” is not only a firm and serious statement but also a statement of the authority of the one who made the statement. Following Mary's example, we are invited to believe that the same Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary, is present in the fullness of His humanity and divinity in the sign of the bread and wine.
4.1.2 Bringing Christ to Life
As Mary became the first Tabernacle in the Church: "when, hearing the greeting of Mary, the child that was in Elizabeth's womb jumped up" (Luke 1:41), we should bring the Christ we welcome in the Eucharist into our daily lives, so that people around us also experience His presence. Communion deepens our union with Jesus, this is based on the words of Jesus, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him" (CCC 1391). Our union with Christ does not only last during the Eucharist. After the Eucharist, we are sent to bring Christ into our lives, in our encounters with others. In this case, Mary is a model for us because she is the first tabernacle in the Church.
4.1.3 Gaze at the Body of Christ in Amazement as Mary Looked at the Baby Jesus
“Pandangan terpukau dari Maria, tatkala merenungkan wajah Kristus yang baru lahir dan yang mengasuhnya dalam ayunan tangannya” merupakan “model kasih yang tiada tara, pantas mengilhami setiap kali menyambut komuni Ekaristi” (EE 56). Dalam Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Yohanes Paulus II menulis:
In Mary, the contemplation of the face of Christ finds an incomparable model. In a unique way, the face of the Son is created in Mary. In the womb of Mary Jesus was formed, humanly resembling her; and it shows an even greater spiritual closeness. No one has ever concentrated his contemplation on the face of Christ as sincerely as Mary. The eyes of Mary's heart have been on Jesus since she received the angel's message since she conceived him by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the months that followed he began to feel His presence and knit His organs. When giving birth to Him in Bethlehem, her eyes met tenderly on the face of the Son, as he “wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger” (cf. Lk 2:7). (RVM 10)
4.1.4 Magnificat
The spirit or attitude of Mary expressed in the Magnificate (Mary Mary) should be a model for us in experiencing the Eucharist. As mentioned earlier, magnificence is an attitude of the Eucharist. The Magnificate expresses the spirituality of Mary, and it is the most sublime of all spiritualities to help us experience the mystery of the Eucharist. The Eucharist has been given to us so that our lives, like Mary's, become more and more perfect as Magnificates (EE 58).
4.1.5 “Pertukaran” yang Terjadi pada Maria Akan Terjadi Juga pada Umat Beriman dan Hal itu Dialami Secara Antisipatif dalam Ekaristi
Jesus identified himself as the “bread of life”, that is, food that can give life deeply. He said: “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). The body of Jesus, His concrete humanity, came from the Virgin Mary. God took from Mary a human body to enter into our human condition. And in turn, after Mary had completed her life on earth, Mary's body was taken up into heavenly glory by God. This exchange is the result of God's initiative. However, in this exchange, in a sense, Jesus also needed Mary, needed her “yes” answer, needed her flesh, needed her concrete existence that would provide for what was His sacrifice: the body and blood offered on the cross as a means of eternal life and offered in the Eucharist as spiritual food and drink. (Message of Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus, on August 16, 2009).
Apa yang terjadi pada Maria juga berlaku, meskipun dengan cara yang berbeda, bagi setiap orang, karena Allah meminta kita untuk menyambutNya, untuk menyatukan diri dengan Dia dalam Sakramen Ekaristi. Dan jika kita menjawab “ya” seperti Maria, maka pertukaran mengagumkan ini akan juga terjadi bagi kita dan dalam kita: kita akan di angkat ke dalam martabat Dia yang telah mengambil kemanusiaan kita. (Pesan Angelus Paus Benediktus XVI, pada 16 Agustus 2009).
The Eucharist is a means of this mutual transformation. Whoever eats this bread and lives in communion with Jesus allows himself to be transformed by Him and in Him, being saved from eternal death: of course, such a person will die as do others, partaking in the mystery of Christ's sufferings and cross, but he does not again a servant of the dead, and he will be resurrected in the last days to enjoy an eternal feast with Mary and all the saints. The mystery of this feast has already begun here, being tested in the Eucharist. It is a mystery of faith, hope and love celebrated in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, and expressed in fraternal fellowship and service to others (Message of Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus, August 16, 2009).
4.2 Maria sebagai Ibu
4.2.1 Motherhood of Mary Experienced by Believers in the Eucharist
Mary's maternal love for the faithful is experienced in the celebration of the Eucharist. Pope John Paul II, in detail, describes how Our Lady in a very special way participates in the Eucharist:
Her motherhood is recognized and experienced in a special way by the faithful at the Holy Communion – the liturgical celebration of the mystery of redemption – in which Christ, His body born of the Virgin Mary becomes truly present. The piety of Christians rightly feels a deep bond between devotion to Our Lady and the liturgy of the Eucharist: this is a fact that can be seen in the western and eastern liturgies, in the traditions of the religious family, in modern spirituality movements, including for the young. and in the pastoral praxis of the Marian shrines. Mary sends the faithful to the Eucharist. (RM 44).
4.2.2 Mary Helps and Guides Us to Achieving the Disposition of Faith
The Eucharist is “a mystery of faith so great beyond our understanding… no one is equal to Mary in helping and guiding us to reach this disposition” (EE 54). At the Last Supper Jesus gave the command: "Do this in remembrance of Me!" (Luke 22:19). In carrying out this commandment, the faithful also accepts Mary's invitation to obey her Son's command without hesitation: “Do what he says to you” (John 2:5).
With the same maternal concern she showed at the wedding in Cana, Mary seems to be saying to us: 'Do not be afraid, believe the words of my Son. When He has been able to turn water into wine, He will also be able to turn bread and wine into His Body and Blood, and through this mystery He gives the faithful the living Easter memorial, thus becoming the 'bread of life” (EE 54).
4.2.3 In the Eucharist We Also Welcome Mary as Mother
Dalam Ekaristi, peristiwa Kalvari dihadirkan kembali. Maka “segala sesuatu yang dilakukan oleh Kristus dalam sengsara dan wafatNya hadir” dalam Ekaristi. Maka “segala sesuatu yang dilakukan oleh Kristus kepada BundaNya demi kita” dihadirkan. Itu berarti Maria juga hadir dalam Ekaristi. Dalam Ekaristi dihadirkan juga peristiwa Yesus “menyerahkan murid kesayanganNya dan, dalam murid ini, setiap orang dari kita: ‘Inilah anakmu.’ Kepada setiap orang dari kita, Dia juga berkata: ‘Inilah ibumu!’ (Yoh 19:26-27)” (EE 57).
Celebrating the death of Christ in the Eucharist also means welcoming – like John – Mary as the Mother given to us. “It also means that we commit to being like Christ, enter ourselves into the school of His Mother while inviting Mary to be with us. Mary is always present, with the Church and as Mother of the Church, at every celebration of our Eucharist. If the Church and the Eucharist are inseparably united, the same should be said of Mary and the Eucharist. This is one of the reasons why from the very beginning, the memorial of Mary has always been part of the Eucharistic celebration of the East and West Churches” (EE 57).
Closing
There is a close relationship between Mary and the celebration of the Eucharist, between Mary and the faithful who celebrate the Eucharist. The relationship between Mary and the Eucharist can be condensed in this sentence: Mary is the Eucharistic Woman. Mary has a Eucharistic attitude because she is a model for us in celebrating the Eucharist. More than just as a Model, Mary is present in the Eucharistic Celebration. With her motherly love, she helps us to be able to celebrate the Eucharist well and welcome Christ with a worthy heart. The more we honor Mary, the more our attitude becomes the attitude of the Eucharist. Mary and the Eucharist are inseparable.
RP. Gregorius Pasi, SMM
READING LIST
Church Documents:
- Ecclesia de Eucharistia (Pope John Paul II's Encyclical Letter on the Eucharist and its relationship to the Church)
- Catechism of the Catholic Church Lumen Gentium (Documents of the Second Vatican Council on the Church)
- Presbyterorum Ordinis (Documents of the Second Vatican Council on the Life of Priests)
- Redemtoris Mater (Pope John Paul II's Encyclical Letter on the Virgin Mary in the Church's pilgrimage)
- Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II on the Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
- Sacrosanctum Concilium (Documents of the Second Vatican Council on the Liturgy)
Supporting Books:
DE FIORES, Stefano, sulla lungezza d‘onda di Maria, Roma: Edizioni Montfortane, 1983.
————-, Maria nel mistero di Cristo e della chiesa, Roma: Edizioni Montfortane, 1995.
————-, Maria Madre di Gesù. Sintesi storico-savifica, Bologna: Edizioni Dehoniane, 1992.
De MONTFORT, Louis Marie Grignion, True Devotion to Mary, Transl. R. Isak Doera, Bandung: The Company of Maria 2000.
GARRIGOU-LAGRANGE, R., O.P., Mother of Savior and Our Interior Life, Charlotte: Tan Books, 1993.
HAFNER, Paul, The Mystery of Mary, Chicago, Liturgy of the Training Publication Archdiocese of Chicago, 2004.
