STORY - "Pray Sisters and Brothers that Our Sacrifice May Be Acceptable..."

While our city and region has had its share of natural disasters in the form of earthquakes, storms and bushfires, these have not been on the major scale, for example, of the Asian tsunami that killed or injured thousands of people and destroyed many more homes. We find it difficult to comprehend that water or fire could obliterate whole villages and towns in seconds, even though we are reminded daily of the fragility and transitory nature of life on our planet.

Disasters of an individual nature occur on a much smaller scale but are just as personally devastating. Most of us at some period in our lives are confronted with our own shocking misfortunes. These might take the form of a serious car accident, a lingering debilitating illness, job retrenchment or the sudden death of a loved one. I immediately recall two recent personal experiences. The first occurred when I was abruptly and unexpectedly required to terminate a ministry that had engaged me in a life giving way over a long period of time. The second was the sudden death of my mother while I was on sabbatical in the United States. Both situations were beyond my control, and after such profound and painful experiences I find myself continuing to make adjustments in my life.

The procession of bread and wine to the table of Eucharistic sacrifice takes on a deeper meaning for me when I am confronted by such deep sadness or at moments of uncertainty. I place in faith on the table of sacrifice my own struggles and suffering because the church invites me to do so. Each of us presents the gift of our lives along with the tangible gifts of bread and wine. The priest asks “that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father”. We respond with a request that God will accept this sacrifice. But what exactly is this sacrifice?

One of the greatest mysteries for the Christian is the notion of the sacrifice of the cross that we commemorate each Sunday. This mystery has exercised the minds of many theologians throughout the centuries, as they have attempted to help us understand its meaning. On one hand it seems simple. Christ offered his life in complete self sacrifice that we might be released from the oppression of sin. We come to commemorate this at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. But in reality words fail us and comparisons are not possible because this is a divine sacrifice.

Bread and wine, taken, blessed, broken, poured and shared are the actions that carry the mystery of Christ’s sacrifice. In the Eucharistic Prayer we pray: “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Through the action of the Holy Spirit the gifts are transformed into the sacrifice of Christ that becomes present to us as we gather around the altar on the Lord’s Day. But what in reality are these gifts?

The church believes that through the graciousness of the Holy Spirit our lives, the events of our week become joined to the one sacrifice of Christ. My individual pain and joy has become OUR pain and joy in Christ. My suffering has become OUR suffering. It is the gift of our lives that becomes the gift we offer and the gift we receive back. In fact the living sacrifice of Christ in this place and at this time is most visible in the actions of our own lives. We, the Body of Christ, come to the table in faith to share the mystery that is the Body of Christ.

At the present time our church of Maitland-Newcastle continues to struggle in the face of fragility, uncertainty and deep anguish. At times we feel incredible pain and disbelief, anger or confusion as events unfold that affect us all so deeply. Whether directly or indirectly we are all involved because what affects one member affects the whole Body of Christ. God knows our pain and struggle at this time, just as the Creator has known the pain and struggle of peoples of any age. That is why Christ left us the legacy of the gift of Eucharist where our suffering can be given meaning and purpose when it is joined to Christ’s supreme sacrifice of the cross. Perhaps more than ever in the life of our diocese the Eucharist is our precious gift – it is our life source and also our consolation.

Carmel Pilcher RSJ
Diocesan Liturgy Consultant

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