Dennis J. Billy - The Beauty of the Eucharist: Voices from the Church Fathers

Dennis J. Billy C.Ss.R

Voices from the Church Fathers

First Sunday of Advent

Luke 21: 2528, 3436

The sign of the diaper and car seat

For the umpteenth time, youre changing your babys diaper; or youre unbuckling your child from the car seat and lifting him out and then repeating the process in reverse later. Youre exhausted. Granted, these are not moments usually given to great spiritual insight. But as you fasten the diaper, your little girl giggles; as you struggle to maneuver the safety seat, your little boy gives you a hug. And in that moment, you are filled with the incredible joy and wonder of this miracle before you.

Or you are balancing your check book or completing your tax return. Making the dollars stretch to cover all the family expenses can be a delicate balancing act. But our checkbooks and tax returns are unmistakable signs of how lucky and blessed we are. While were not quite on the Fortune 500 list, most of us have built comfortable lives for ourselves and our families. And thats reason enough for gratitude.

Or you and your spouse are doing errands at the mall. As you have done since you dated, you hold hands. And it dawns on you how happy you are to be married to this person, how your love has remained constant through births and deaths and triumphs and disappointments and diapers and report cards and mortgages and errands at the mall.

On this First Sunday of Advent, Jesus calls us to pay attention, to wake up and realize the man signs of Gods love in our midst. In the midst of our own individual disasters and calamities, God somehow manages to make his healing and compassionate presence known if we are attentive enough to realize it.

Advent begins at the end the promised return of Christ at the end of time. For the faithful disciple, history is a moving forward, a journey to the fulfillment of Gods reign when Gods Christ will return as Lord of all. We therefore live in a permanent state of Advent: the disciples life is one of watchfulness, preparation and perseverance as we await the return of the Holy One. Jesus calls us to pay attention to the signs of Gods Advent presence, to stand erect and raise our heads to realize Gods presence in our midst.

The moments we are given in this experience of life are precious and few. God gives us these days in order that we might come to discover him and know him in the love of others and the goodness of this world in anticipation of the next.

New City Press
Hyde Park, New York

Published in the United States by New City Press

202 Comforter Blvd., Hyde Park, NY 12538

www.newcitypress.com

2010 Dennis J. Billy

Cover design by Durva Correia

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Billy, Dennis Joseph.

The beauty of the Eucharist : voices from the church Fathers / Dennis J. Billy.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-56548-328-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Lords SupperHistory of doctrinesEarly church, ca. 30-600. 2. Fathers of the church. I. Title.

BV823.B55 2010

234.16309dc22 2009026400

1st printing: August 2009

2nd printing: November 2009

Printed in the United States of America

In memory of

Alfred C. Rush, C.Ss.R.

19112001

Be careful, then, to observe a single Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and one cup of his blood that makes us one, and one altar, just as there is one bishop along with the presbytery and the deacons, my fellow slaves. In that way, whatever you do is in line with Gods will.

Ignatius of Antioch

Dennis J. Billy C.Ss.R

At the School of the Fathers:

The Challenge of the Eucharist

Logo

New City

London

First published in 2009

in Great Britain by

New City

Unit 17, Sovereign Park

Coronation Road

London NW10 7QP

Dennis J. Billy C.Ss.R

Cover design Tomeu Mayans

British Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue copy for this book is available is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-1-905039-08-1

Typeset in Great Britain by

New City, London

Printed and bound in Great Britain by

The Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, Wiltshire

Contents

Acknowledgments.....................................................

Abbreviations........................................................

Introduction.......................................................

Voice One Clement of Rome: Evolving Structures.....................

Voice Two Ignatius of Antioch: Real Discipleship.....................

Voice Three The Martyrdom of Polycarp : Dying for Christ.............

Voice Four The Didache : Church Order............................

Voice Five Justin Martyr: Explaining the Faith.......................

Voice Six Irenaeus of Lyons: Correcting Error......................

Voice Seven Clement of Alexandria: Christian Gnosis.................

Voice Eight Tertullian of Carthage: Emerging Concepts...............

Voice Nine The Apostolic Tradition : A Eucharistic Prayer..............

Voice Ten Origen of Alexandria: Spiritual Meanings.................

Voice Eleven Cyprian of Carthage: Mingling Water with Wine.........

Voice Twelve Athanasius of Alexandria: Countering the Arian Threat ..

Voice Thirteen Cyril of Jerusalem: Sharing the Fullness of Life........

Voice Fourteen Hilary of Poitiers: Defending of the Faith...............

Voice Fifteen Ambrose of Milan: Food for the Journey...............

Voice Sixteen Basil the Great: Loving Service of God and Others....

Voice Seventeen Gregory of Nazianzus: Receiving Divine Medicine........

Voice Eighteen Gregory of Nyssa: Restoring the Divine Image.........

Voice Nineteen John Chrysostom: Real Presence and Real Sacrifice......

Voice Twenty St. Jerome: True Sacrament of Passover...........

Voice Twenty-One Augustine of Hippo: Bread of Love...............

Voice Twenty-Two Leo the Great: Proclaiming the Real Presence...

Voice Twenty-Three Gregory the Great: Holy Sacrifice of Christ........

Conclusion....................................................

Acknowledgments

Parts of this book were previously published as: Clement of Rome on the Eucharist, Emmanuel , 109(no. 4, 2003): 245-55 [Voice One]; Ignatius of Antioch on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 110(no. 1, 2004): 14-21 [Voice Two]; Eucharist in The Martyrdom of Polycarp , Emmanuel 110(no. 3, 2004): 196-204 [Voice Three]; Christian Eucharist in The Didache , Emmanuel 109(no. 5, 2003): 338-45 [Voice Four]; Justin Martyr on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 109(no. 3, 2003): 132-41 [Voice Five]; Irenaeus of Lyons on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 110(no. 2, 2004): 100-108 [Voice Six]; Clement of Alexandria on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 110(no. 6, 2004): 495-503 [Voice Seven]; Tertullian on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 110(no. 4, 2004): 292-301 [Voice Eight]; Hippolytus of Rome on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 111(no. 1, 2005): 14-22, 34 [Voice Nine]; Origen on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 111(no. 2, 2005): 114-22[Voice Ten]; Mingling Water with Wine: Cyprian of Carthage on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 111(no. 3, 2005): 218-26[Voice Eleven]; Athanasius on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 111(no. 4, 2005): 326-34 [Voice Twelve]; Cyril of Jerusalem on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 111(no. 6, 2005): 485-93 [Voice Thirteen]; Hilary of Poitiers on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 111(no. 5, 2005): 406-14 [Voice Fourteen]; Ambrose of Milan on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 112(no. 5, 2006): 388-96 [Voice Fifteen]; Basil the Great on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 112(no. 1, 2006):4-13 [Voice Sixteen]; Gregory Nazianzus on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 112(no., 2, 2006): 116-25 [Voice Seventeen]; Gregory of Nyssa on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 112(no. 3, 2006): 209-17 [Voice Eighteen]; John Chrysostom on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 112(no. 4, 2006): 303-11 [Voice Nineteen]; St. Jerome on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 112(no. 6, 2006): 485-93[Voice Twenty]; Augustine of Hippo, Emmanuel 113(no. 1, 2007): 4-12[Voice Twenty-One]; Leo the Great on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 113(no. 2, 2007): 116-23[Voice Twenty-Two]; Gregory the Great on the Eucharist, Emmanuel 113(no. 3, 2007): 218-26 [Voice Twenty-Three].