The Beauty of Eucharistic Identity

Glory At The Tomb | WGNC 2025

The Sacred Liturgy constitutes the heart of Catholic worship, encompassing the Church's official, public acts of praise, thanksgiving, and sanctification through which Christ unites Himself with His people. It is not merely a collection of rituals but an encounter with the divine, where the faithful participate in Christ's priestly office, offering themselves in union with His sacrifice. Rooted in Scripture and Tradition, the liturgy—particularly the Eucharist—serves as the "source and summit" of the Church's life, drawing believers into the mystery of salvation and fostering communion with God and one another.

God being infinite beauty, the soul united to Christ draws upon himself the admiring and tender gaze of the Angels, who, were they capable of any passion, would be filled with envy at his lot. Pope St. Pius X

Immersion in the Eucharistic Liturgy offers the believer an opportunity to grow in holiness, to grow in likeness to the Son, the perfect image of the Father, who is present to us in a most exquisite way. Wrapped and rapt in the glory of God, how can we not offer ourselves entirely and be willing to be transformed, illuminated by the beauty, truth and goodness of Jesus?

Definition and Nature of the Sacred Liturgy

In Catholic tradition, the Sacred Liturgy encompasses all the official services, rites, ceremonies, prayers, and sacraments carried out by the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ. It is the public and official worship of God's people, expressing the Church's identity and mission as founded by Christ. This includes the Mass (or Divine Liturgy in Eastern traditions), the sacraments, and the Divine Office, all aimed at glorifying God and sanctifying humanity through Christ the Redeemer.

The word "liturgy" comes from the Greek leitourgia, which means "public work" or "service of the people" to and for God, highlighting its shared, communal nature. It is distinct from private devotions, as it involves the entire Church—Head and members—in a sacred action that surpasses all other ecclesial activities in efficacy. For Eastern Churches, the term often specifically denotes the Eucharistic celebration, known as the Divine Liturgy, which integrates the proclamation of God's Word and the eucharistic rite as a unified mystery of offering and communion. In the Roman tradition, it broadly encompasses all official worship, with the Mass concluding in a missio (sending forth) to live out God's will in daily life.

4.1. UNITY OF THE SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS AND THE EUCHARISTIC SACRIFICE 

For Cabasilas the sacrifice is the objective of the liturgical action since it was the culmination of the economy of Christ. Investigation of the proskomide has already revealed that he sees the Lamb as a symbol of the incarnated Son, dedicated to the Father as sacrifice since the very beginning. In Cabasilas’ symbolic construction the theme of sacrifice recurs in later parts of the rite as well. During the Eucharistic prayer Christ’s sacrifice becomes actualised reality in the liturgy. After commemoration of and thanksgiving for the great events of the past, the priest pronounces the institution narrative and pleads for the Spirit’s descent. This is the high point of the consecration and transformation of the Eucharist bread and wine. Cabasilas designates this moment as the completion of the sacrifice. The fulfilment transpires when the bread and wine have been transformed into the body and blood of Christ. Carlos Esparza, p.82. Divine Presence in the Eucharistic Theology of Nicholas Cabasilas.

At its core, the Liturgy is Christ-centered: it is the exercise of His eternal priesthood, where He associates the Church with His own worship of the Father. As the Second Vatican Council teaches, "the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ," performed by His Body, the Church. This action signifies and effects sanctification through perceptible signs, uniting the horizontal (human community) and vertical (divine communion) dimensions of worship.

It is difficult to imagine that the preceding descriptions could apply to Masses that are clownish and disturbingly narcissistic, events that so wholly miss the opportunity to emulate the heavenly liturgy with nothing less than our most loving, most beautiful and most reverent intentions and actions in gratitude for Jesus' saving action. And yet, it is important to note that even a poorly organized Mass can still be valid, meaning the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ as long as there are no major impediments.

A Mass can be rendered invalid by several factors:

1. Incorrect Form: altering the words of the consecration or omitting essential parts of the Mass can invalidate it.
2. Invalid Matter: using inappropriate or contaminated bread and wine, such as grape juice instead of wine, is grounds for invalidation.
3. Lack of Valid Minister: a Mass must be celebrated by a validly ordained priest; if not, it is considered invalid.
4. Intention: the priest must have the intention of consecrating the Eucharist; if not, the Mass is invalid.

Of course, a beautiful Mass adorned with sacred music - chant, polyphony and hymnody - presented with the utmost skill and true intention, beautiful vestments that acknowledge the story of a given season or feast, altar servers whose gestures and service draw people deeper into reverent prayer, is likely not prone to carelessness and sacrilege. A beautiful and reverent Mass acknowledges Christ's Presence. Beautiful hearts and minds tend to increase in love and wisdom when cultivated in a field of orthodox preaching, reverent worship, and wholly reverent reception of Holy Communion.

Christ's Presence in the Liturgical Action

A defining feature of the Sacred Liturgy is the real presence of Christ, making every celebration a profound encounter between the Savior and His Church. He is present in multiple ways: in the sacrifice of the Mass, both through the minister and especially under the Eucharistic species; in the sacraments, where He acts directly (e.g., in Baptism); in His Word, as He speaks through the Scriptures; and in the praying assembly, fulfilling His promise: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mt 18:20).

This presence transforms the liturgy into a participation in the Paschal Mystery—the Cross and Resurrection—where heaven and earth meet in glorification of God. The liturgical assembly, gathered by the Holy Spirit, transcends human divisions, forming the one Body of Christ in communion. As Pope Francis emphasizes, the liturgy is the Church's public prayer, where Christ becomes present in the power of the Holy Spirit through sacramental signs like bread, wine, water, and oil, mirroring His Incarnation among us. In the Eucharist, this culminates in the Christus totus—the total Christ—uniting the historical, sacramental, and ecclesial bodies of the Lord in a single offering.

In a world where there is so much noise, so much bewilderment, there is a need for silent adoration of Jesus concealed in the Host. Be assiduous in the prayer of adoration and teach it to the faithful. It is a source of comfort and light, particularly to those who are suffering. Pope Benedict XVI

For Eastern traditions, the Divine Liturgy vividly expresses this: Christ is present in the Word, making the homily an integral proclamation of salvation history, and in the eucharistic rite, where believers receive not only His Body and Blood but His very soul, mind, and will in perfect union.

The Role and Importance of the Sacred Liturgy in the Church's Life

The Sacred Liturgy is the "summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed" and the "fount from which all her power flows," as it actualizes Christ's redemptive sacrifice and builds up the ecclesial community. It sanctifies the faithful, drawing them into ever-deeper union with God and each other, so that "God may be all in all." Through the liturgy, the Church offers the Immaculate Victim—Christ—while learning to offer herself, nourished by Word and Sacrament.

How many of you say: I should like to see His face, His garments, His shoes. You do see Him, you touch Him, you eat Him. He gives Himself to you, not only that you may see Him, but also to be your food and nourishment. Saint John Chrysostom

This public worship makes the Church visible as the sign of Christ, especially in the Eucharist, which "makes the Church" by uniting members in His total gift of self. It grounds all Christian spirituality, enriching personal prayer and calling the faithful to active, conscious participation. The Liturgy's efficacy stems from its divine origin: as an action of Christ the Priest and His Body, it glorifies the Trinity and extends salvation to the world.

Adorned with the beauty of historical and theological continuity.

The Eucharist is the central mystery. Recent teachings, such as those from Vatican II, prioritize full participation while preserving Tradition.

The faith by which we live shall never vary in any age . . . for one is the faith which sanctifies the Just of all ages. Pope St. Leo the Great

Active Participation of the Faithful

The Church earnestly desires that the faithful engage in the liturgy "conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration," instructed by God's Word and nourished at the Lord's table. This participation is not passive but an offering of oneself with the priest, fostering union with Christ and the community. As the assembly becomes the Christus totus at worship, it embodies mankind's movement toward God, met by Christ's movement toward humanity.

We come to know ourselves best in Jesus, when we are united with Him through the reverent reception of His body and blood in the holy Eucharist. When we receive Jesus in Communion, we relinquish ourselves to Him. In turn, Jesus draws us into Himself, healing, transforming and elevating us through the gift of His life within our souls. Through fruitful reception of Communion, we are progressively transformed more and more into His image and likeness. (cf. 2 Cor 3:18) We will experience not just a change of heart but even an exchange of hearts. This will foster our true and unique identity—our eucharistic identity—and we will become who God created us to be—another Christ. | Ann Lankford

We can say that we join in with purpose, our bodies and minds fully united in heartfelt worship of the living God. Together, we participate in Jesus Christ’s self-offering to His Father in the Holy Spirit.

In the presence of Jesus in the Holy Sacrament we ought to be like the Blessed in heaven before the Divine Essence. St Teresa of Avila

Pope Francis called all to interiorize the liturgy's treasures in personal prayer, offering lives as a "holy and pleasing sacrifice" in union with Christ. In practice, this means

1. faithful attendance at Sunday Mass,
2. attentive listening to the Word,
3. reverent reception of the Eucharist,
4. extending the liturgy's fruits into daily witness.

The Sacred Liturgy is the living expression of the Church's communion with Christ, inviting believers into divine worship that sanctifies and sends them forth in the mission to share the Good News of Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls.

Sources

1. Sacrosanctum Concilium 7
2. General Audience of 3 February 2021 - Catechesis on prayer - 23. Praying in the liturgy
3. Catholic Encyclopedia, Liturgy
4. Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Christian East Liturgy
5. Mediator Dei 171
6. Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches 53
7. CCC 1332
8. To the Bishops of France (Provence-Méditerranée Region) on their ad Limina visit (March 8, 1997)
9. The Bavarian’s Surprise: Ratzinger’s Spirit of the Liturgy as the Spirit of the Council p.20
10. CCC 1097

Additional Reading

Discovering Your True Identity in Christ Through the Holy Eucharist

Maria Cecilia Escobedo

https://www.catholic365.com/article/38460/discovering-your-true-identity-in-christ-through-the-holy-eucharist.html

The Eucharistic Dynamic of Beauty

Mary Catherine Levri

https://adoremus.org/2023/07/the-eucharistic-dynamic-of-beauty/