The Eucharist and the Priesthood of Jesus

Both our parishes, Saints Mary and Martha, sing with the psalmist: “What can we give back to God for the blessings he has poured out on us? We will lift high the cup of salvation” (Ps 116:12). We are so blessed to celebrate the first communion Mass for 36 children this weekend at Saint Mary's, and 29 children at Saint Martha's the following weekend. We will also be celebrating 25 years of priesthood for our pastor Fr. Joseph Mozer the weekend of May15. These celebrations are an opportunity for me to write about the Eucharist and the Priesthood of Jesus.

The Eucharist and the sacrament of priesthood are two sides of the same coin. The priesthood of Christ is the manifestation of an extreme love, a high form of charity and self-denial. As we read in the gospel of John: “Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, having loved those who were his in the world, loved them to the end” (Jn 13,1). It is this love that led Jesus to the Last Supper where he instituted the Eucharist. “I have ardently longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; because, I tell you, I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Lc 22, 15-16). Over the Passover meal, Jesus instituted the Eucharist through these very words: “This is my body given for you. This is my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me” (Mt 26:26-28, Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:17-20, 1Cor 11:23-25). Through the celebration of the Eucharist, the priest fulfils Jesus’s words: “Do this in remembrance of me”. Nevertheless, the Eucharist celebration through the priest is not a simple remembrance. It is the actualization of what Jesus himself celebrated at the Last Supper.

The institution of the Eucharist is to be understood in an intrinsic relation with the immense grace of the ministerial priesthood. A man who receives the ministerial priesthood, “by the sacred power he enjoys, teaches and rules the priestly people; acting in the person of Christ, he makes present the Eucharistic sacrifice, and offers it to God in the name of all the people. But the faithful, in virtue of their royal priesthood, join in the offering of the Eucharist” (Lumen Gentium, n. 10).

There is no Church without Eucharist and there is no Eucharist without Church. This is to say, these two realities are tied all together. In the heart of this dynamic is the priest. “The ministry of the priest is entirely on behalf of the Church; it aims at promoting the exercise of the common priesthood of the entire People of God” (John Paul II, Pastores dabo vobis, n. 16). The priesthood is fundamentally a loving service that the priest offers to the people of God on behalf of Jesus. The main purpose of this priesthood of the New Covenant is not only to perpetuate the memory but also to maintain the dynamics of salvation through the unique sacrifice of Jesus.

Through the ordination rite, God consecrates the priest giving him grace to perform the deeds of salvation. “Thanks to the priest’s preaching of the Gospel and his celebration of the sacraments, we are enabled to approach God and to be transformed gradually into the divine image. In the celebration of the sacraments, and in particular the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Christ’s sanctifying work is constantly made present and effective” (Benedict XVI). As Christ has entrusted to the Apostles and their successors the office of teaching, sanctifying, and governing the people of God, the priest, appointed by the bishop, has the duty and responsibility to carry out this ministry in the name of Jesus by the power of Holy Spirit.

We are so thankful to God for twenty-five years of ministry of our Pastor Fr. Joseph Mozer. Congratulations and thank you Father Joe for your vocation and your service to the people of God. May the Holy Spirit who helped you to respond to God’s call, grant you more and more the grace you need as you bring God to the world through the Eucharist celebration, preaching and witness to the Gospel, celebration of the sacraments, every day liturgical actions, etc.

Congratulations to all the children who receive their first communion. It is the first but not the last. We hope to see you at Mass. As you know, we cannot have Mass and first communion without a priest. Our Archdiocese of Boston needs priests. It is also your responsibility, dear parents, to talk to your children about the priesthood and religious life.