In Luke’s Gospel today, we hear of the unfolding elements of the gathered Christian community — elements that we should recognize with some familiarity. What do we hear?
- So they…returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them. (Lk 24:33)
- Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread…
- Jesus stood in their midst and said “Peace be with you”
- “He asked them “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them…
- Then he opened their minds to understand the scripture…
- “You are witnesses of these things”… (Lk 24:35-36,41b-43,45)
What are the elements that we might recognize?
- Gathered together assembly…
- The recounting and interpretation of scripture…
- The peace of Christ offered…
- The breaking of bread and eating of a meal…
- The sending forth as witnesses…
In this early-post resurrection event, the elements are evident of our Christian community gathered today for worship and thanksgiving in the Mass, nearly two thousand years later. Is this a coincidence? I think not….
Christ himself sets forth the elements of the gathered Christian community at the Last Supper when he institutes the Eucharist, and says “Do this in memory of me” While specifically he is referring to the Eucharist itself, His “Do this…” is inclusive: Do all of this…
- The gathering…
- The proclamation of scripture…
- The sharing of peace…
- The breaking of bread…
- The sending forth as Christian witnesses…
And so the Christian community has for nearly two thousand years.
We know this from some of the earliest Christian writers. One of these is St. Justin the Martyr, a Greek Christian convert and apologist who lived approximately in the time period of 100 to 165 AD and is venerated as an early Church Father. He ended up in Rome and appealed to the Roman emperor of the time to end the persecution of Christians, writing the first of two surviving discourses, known as apologies, to the Emperor, defending Christianity. [In the early Roman calendar, his feast day was today.] In his first apology, written about 155 AD, he describes the gathered Chistian community. Listen to hear what you recognize:
And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things…(1st Apology, Chapter 67) [Scripture readings, and homily given by the priest]
Then we all rise and pray (1st Apology, Chapter 67) …offer[ing] hearty prayers for ourselves, and for the baptized, and for all others in every place…. [The Universal Prayer of the Faithful]
Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss…[The exchange of a sign of peace]
There is then brought to the presider of the [gathered] bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands. And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen…[The Eucharistic Prayer prayed by the priest and the Great Amen of the Faithful]
…those who are called by us deacons [then] give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion. (Apology 1 Chapter 65) [The distribution of the Eucharist in Communion and taking Eucharist to the homebound]
For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but …we [have] been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. (Apology 1 Chapter 66) [Belief in the True Presence]
And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who… in a word takes care of all who are in need. [The offertory and collection]
Does this sound familiar? The order of prayer of their gathered assembly 1,869 years ago is our very same order of prayer in this Mass today! This is what we call Apostolic tradition — those elements of our belief and prayer that have been handed down to us over the ages. An unbroken line of succession through the ages, over the generations, from Christ to the Apostles and first disciples, and from them to all the bishops, clergy and faithful over two millennia. This is the tradition with which we are nurtured in the faith. And this is the tradition which we bear responsibility for participating in and handing on to future generations. This is our moment, our role, our responsibility in Christian history.
It has been said that there is no such thing as a Christian in isolation; that is, there is no such thing as being a lone Christian, deliberately living apart from the Christian Community. We are Christians, by definition and fundamentally, in community. We live and express our faith as Christians by gathering. That we gather as Christians to proclaim the Word, to instruct, to pray for each other, to give thanks, to consecrate, to celebrate the sacraments, is none other than to live and offer our lives in imitation of our God who is the deepest indwelling, the purest expression, the most beautiful dance of Unity, Community and Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Let us not then fail to continue to gather, to enter into community, to continue the dance of our Lord and our God.