Eucharist


 

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EUCHARIST - HOME & SYLLABUS

The Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum concilium, prescribes: “The study of sacred liturgy is to be ranked among the compulsory and major courses in seminaries and religious houses of studies; in theological faculties it is to rank among the principal courses. It is to be taught under its theological, historical, spiritual, pastoral, and juridical aspects” (§16). In order to meet the formation goals articulated by the Second Vatican Council, this course is designed as a compliment to the liturgical practicum course on the Mass. This course offers a thorough investigation of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist from the various perspectives of sacramental theology, liturgical history, and the doctrines and pastoral initiatives articulated by the magisterium.

Required Texts

  1. Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. General Instruction of the Roman Missal. Washington DC: USCCB, 2003.

  2. Nichols, Aidan.  The Holy Eucharist: From the New Testament to Pope John Paul II.  Veritas Publications, 1991/

  3. O’Connor, James T. The Hidden Manna. San Francisco: Ignatius, 1988.

  4. Ratzinger, Joseph. The Spirit of the Liturgy.  San Francisco: Ignatius, 2000.

  5. Vogel, Cyrille. Medieval Liturgy: An Introduction to the Sources. Washington DC: Pastoral Press, 1986.

 

 

COURSE CALENDAR

 

 

Class 1, Monday 28 January   

TOPIC: Introduction: The Ideal, the Real, and Everything Else

 

PART I:  SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY

 

Class 2, Wednesday 30 January

TOPIC: Vetustatem novitas, umbram fugat veritas: The Eucharist and the Old Testament

READINGS:

·         Ratzinger, “Liturgy and Life,” pp. 13-23

·         Ratzinger, “From Old Testament to New,” pp. 35-50

 

Class 3, Monday 4 February

TOPIC: Dies enim solemnis agitur, in qua mensae prima recolitur huius institution: The Eucharist and the New Testament

READINGS:

·         Nichols, “The Eucharist in the New Testament,” pp. 9-33

 

February 6  – FERIA QUARTA CINERUM, no class

 

Class 4, Monday 11 February

TOPIC: The Eucharist and the Apostolic Fathers  

READINGS:

·         O’Connor, pp. 1-26

 

Class 5, Wednesday 13 February

TOPIC: The Eucharist and the Fathers of the Church, part I

READINGS:

·         O’Connor, pp. 26-49

 

February 18  – PRESIDENT’S DAY, no class

 

Class 6, Wednesday 20 February

TOPIC: The Eucharist and the Fathers of the Church, Part II

READINGS:

·         O’Connor, pp. 49-76

·         Nichols, “The Eucharist in the Age of the Fathers,” pp. 34-57

 

Class 7, Monday 25 February

TOPIC:  The First Debates

READINGS:

·         Nichols, “The Mediaevals on the Nature of the Real Presence,” pp. 58-75

·         O’Connor, pp. 82-93

 

Class 8, Wednesday 27 February

TOPIC: Early Medieval Theology and St Thomas

READINGS:

·         Nichols, “The Mediaevals on the Purpose of the Real Presence,” pp. 76-86

·         O’Connor, pp. 192-206

 

Class 9, Monday 3 March

TOPIC: Berengarius and His Legacy

READINGS:

·         O’Connor, pp. 94-129

·         Ratzinger, “The Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament,” pp. 85-91

 

Class 10, Wednesday 5 March  

TOPIC: Protestant Opinions

GUEST LECTURER: Dr John Gresham

READINGS:

·         O’Connor, pp. 129-51

 

Class 11, Monday 10 March

TOPIC: The Council of Trent

READINGS:

·         Council of Trent, Session 13: Decree Concerning the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist

·         Council of Trent, Session 21: The Doctrine of Communion Under Both Kinds and the Communion of Little Children

·         Council of Trent , Session 22: Doctrine Concerning the Sacrifice of the Mass  

·         Nichols, “The Eucharistic Sacrifice from Trent to the Nineteenth Century,” pp. 87-93 only

·         Recommended: O’Connor, pp. 206-235

 

Class 12, Wednesday 12 March

TOPIC: Eucharistic Theology after Trent  

READINGS:

·         Nichols, “The Eucharistic Sacrifice from Trent to the Nineteenth Century,” pp. 93-101 only

·         Nichols, “Catholic Eucharistic Theology in the Twentieth Century,” pp. 102-119

 

March 17–24, MAJOR HEBDOMADA et PASCHA, no class

 

Class 13, Wednesday 26 March

MID-SEMESTER EXAM

PART II:  LITURGIOLOGY

Class 14, Monday 31 March

TOPIC: The Origins of Liturgical Books and the First Sacramentaries

READINGS:

·         Vogel, “General Introduction,” pp. 1-29

·         Vogel, “The Period of Creative Beginnings,” pp. 31-59

·         Vogel, “The Romano-Frankish and Romano-Germanic Periods,” pp. 61-106

 

Class 15, Wednesday 2 April

TOPIC: The Ordines Romani, Gradual Unification of the Liturgy, and the Development of Lectionaries

READINGS:

·         Vogel, “The Romano-Frankish/Romano-Germanic Period,” pp. 135-197

·         Vogel, pp. 225-257, 291-319, 349-355

·         Ratzinger, “Sacred Time,” pp. 92-111

                                                                           

Class 16, Monday 7 April

TOPIC: Mass Books from Trent to the Present

READINGS:

·         Pope Pius V, Apostolic Constitution Quo primum (14 July 1570)

·         Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum (3 April 1969)

·         Collection of Mass texts [to be distributed by professor]

·         Ratzinger, “The Altar and the Direction of Liturgical Prayer,” pp. 74-84

 

PART III:  MAGISTERIAL INITIATIVES:

THE EUCHARIST AND PASTORAL CARE

Class 17, Wednesday 9 April

TOPIC: Effects of Mass and Reception of Holy Communion

READINGS:

·         Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical on the Holy Eucharist Mirae caritatis (18 May 1902)

·         Sacred Congregation of Rites, Decree on Frequent and Daily Eucharistic Communion Sacra Tridentina synodus (20 December 1905)

 

Class 18, Monday 14 April

TOPIC: Pius XII and Vatican II

READINGS:

·         Pope Pius XII, Encyclical on the Sacred Liturgy Mediator Dei (20 November 1947) §§ 1-13, 66-135

·         Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum concilium (4 December 1963) §§ 1-13, 47-58

·         Recommended: O’Connor, pp. 250-267

 

Class 19, Wednesday 16 April

TOPIC: Doctrinal Formulae and the Institutio generalis

READINGS:

·         Pope Paul VI, Encyclical on the Holy Eucharist Mysterium fidei (3 September 1965), entire

·         O’Connor, pp. 259-67

·         General Instruction on the Roman Missal §§ 1-111

 

Class 20, Monday 21 April

TOPIC: The Mass and the Priest

READINGS:

·         Pope John Paul II, Letter Dominicae cenae (24 February 1980)  

·         Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, Inaestimabile donum (3 April 1980)

·         Recommended: Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter on the Eucharist in Its Relationship to the Church Ecclesia de Eucharistia (17 April 2003)

 

Class 21, Wednesday 23 April

TOPIC: Liturgical Language: Latin and the Vernacular

READINGS:

·         Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Fifth Instruction For the Right Implementation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council Liturgiam authenticam (28 March 2001)

 

Saturday April 26, Final paper due by midnight

 

Class 22, Monday 28 April

TOPIC: Liturgical Abuse and Healthy Rubricism

READINGS:

·         Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction on Certain Matters to be Observed or to be Avoided Regarding the Most Holy Eucharist Redemptionis Sacramentum (23 April 2004)

 

Class 23, Wednesday 30 April

TOPIC: Sit laus plena, sit sonora, sit iucunda, sit decora mentis iubilatio: Music and the Mass

READINGS:

·         Ratzinger, “Music and Liturgy (pp. 136-56) and “The Human Voice” (207-216)

·         Pope Pius X, Motu proprio Tra le sollecitudini (11 November 1903)

·         Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum concilium (4 December 1963) §§ 112-121

·         Pope John Paul II, Chirograph on Sacred Music (22 November 2003)

·         Recommended: Pope Pius XII, Encyclical on Sacred Music Musica sacrae disciplina (25 December 1955)

 

Class 24, Monday 5 May

TOPIC: Beauty and the Feast

READINGS:

·         Pope Benedict XVI, Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Church’s Life and Mission Sacramentum caritatis (22 February 2007)

·         Ratzinger, “The Question of Images,” pp. 115-135

·         Ratzinger, “Sacred Places – The Significance of the Church Building,” pp. 62-73

 

 

FINAL EXAM: to be held on the last day of class, Wednesday 7 May

 

 

 

† The Professor reserves the right to make substitutions, deletions, or additions to the schedule of readings.