May Week 4 — Mission Cleveland Parish

Virtue: Remembrance
Resolution: I choose to learn from the rich history of the Church and the mystery of the faith to hold me close to Christ.

Human Story: Irenaeus of Lyon (ca. 140-202 AD)

Irenaeus was bishop of Lyon, a Roman colony in southern France. He is one of the earliest Christian writers that stresses the importance of tradition in the faith. Tradition is simply handing down to others what has been handed down to you. This began with Jesus, continued through the apostles, then to the apostolic fathers, and so on. If someone came along making some claim that was in conflict with what was handed down, then it did not pass the tradition test. The one who taught Irenaeus was Polycarp. The one who taught Polycarp was the apostle John, who was of course taught by Christ himself. Irenaeus wrote two books that can be read today: Against Heresies and Proof of the Apostolic Preaching.

The Gnostic and the Marcionite sects of Christianity (which began in the first and second centuries, respectively) had both developed skewed views of what Christianity meant. Some of these erroneous beliefs had infiltrated the larger mainstream church. Irenaeus believed that if we have a perverted view of God, we will also have a perverted view of the world, of humanity, and of salvation. He thought that it is possible to make the Bible say anything we want it to say. Keep in mind that at this time there was no canonized version of the gospel. Teaching was often done orally as hand-written copies of scripture were rare. Irenaeus believed new Christians must be taught certain core beliefs of the faith. He called this process the “rule of faith.” Teachings included that God is triune, that there is one God who created the heavens and earth, that Christ became man and died on the cross and resurrected on the third day, that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, and that Christ will come again, the dead will rise, and all will be judged. This rule of faith served as the infancy stage for what the Apostles and Nicene Creeds became. One could not just come along making novel claims about Jesus and be believed unless those claims lined up with what had been taught by predecessors in the faith. These predecessors make up the rich history of the church, and we ignore them to our peril.

Lesson: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NIV)

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

The Eucharist (communion) goes all the way back to the day before Jesus died. Every time we take it, we are participating in something that has taken place for 2,000 years, and something that millions of Christians partake in weekly. The rich history of the church and the mystery of faith begin here.

Throughout 1 Corinthians, Paul is bringing up various problems the Corinthians are having and explaining how the good news about Jesus informs these problems. The gospel of Jesus affects every area of life, both individually and communally. Beginning in chapter 11, Paul focuses on problems in the weekly worship gathering. In the Corinthian church, there were higher-class members who were eating and drinking while those of lower socio-economic status were going hungry. Paul is arguing that this practice is sinful and opposes Christ’s intent. The weekly gathering is for everyone, regardless of age or socio-economic status.

The Eucharist has developed throughout centuries into what we practice today, and Christians throughout the world practice it in different ways. In our text it appears to be more of a communal meal, and Paul’s point is that the principle of love should guide us in our communal eating practices such that everyone in the body of Christ should have equal access. The importance Paul places on tradition is seen from the first verse above, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you….” In other words, Paul was handing down to others what had been taught to him. The tradition of the Eucharist is grounded in love and unity within the church. If we partake of the elements and neglect love and unity, we will be judged for our actions. If we do not examine ourselves before the taking of the elements, we miss the mark for Christ’s intent. Let us partake of the Eucharist weekly, being guided by the spirit of love and unity. By doing this we perpetuate the rich history of the church and the mystery of faith.

Remembrance: The apostle’s Creed

Rich Mullins Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
      creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
      born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      was crucified, died, and was buried;
      He descended to the dead.
      On the third day he rose again.
      He ascended into heaven,
      is seated at the right hand of God the Father,
      And will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy catholic* church,
      the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.

* catholic means the universal and apostolic church

Challenge

The Eucharist began as part of a larger communal meal. Next time you’re at a communal Christian meal, pay close attention to who you are sitting with. Who are you neglecting? Seek out those you don’t know as well and practice Christian love and unity.

Reflection

How does the following quote by Madeleine L’Engle challenge your view of partaking in the Eucharist?

If the Lord’s table is the prototype of the family table, then, if I think in terms of the family table, I know that I cannot sit down to bread and wine until I’ve said I’m sorry, until reparations have been made, relations restored. When one of our children had done something particularly unworthy, if it had come out into the open before dinner, if there had been an “I’m sorry,” and there had been acceptance, and love, then would follow the happiest dinner possible, full of laughter and fun. If there was something still hidden; if one child, or as sometimes happens, one parent, was out of joint with the family and the world, that would destroy the atmosphere of the whole meal.

- Madeleine L’Engle, A Circle of Quiet, p. 235.

Further Growth

Virtue: Remembrance Resolution: I choose to learn from the rich history of the Church and the mystery of the faith to hold me close to Christ.