Eucharist and Eschatology Resource from Fr. Kevin Vogel

Eucharist and Eschatology

A. Eschatology

Eschatology – study of the 4 last things – we need to know our goal and purpose, determines what we do, our choices, how we live. 

Jesus started the kingdom of God, which we see visibly here and now in the Catholic Church, but it will be fulfilled in heaven – the already, but not yet of the kingdom – what we have here and now in the Church is to prepare us for eternity.  The Mass assists us on our way, transforms us to be like Christ who we receive.

4 last things – death, judgment, hell, heaven

1. Death – consequence of sin, we will die – Ash Wed: “Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return.”  You are terminal, and so am I.

“It is appointed that human beings die once, and after this is the judgment” (Heb 9:27)

2. Judgment – Will come either at the moment of death or at Christ’s second coming.  What I do today has consequences for when I die.

Justified (brought into right relationship) by faith (what God does in us), saved by grace (gift of divine life), judged by works  (Matthew 16, 25:41; Rev 2:23, (3:5), 20:11)

“What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?  For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.” (Mt 16:26-27)

3. Hell – Mt 25: not do the works of mercy:  “Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”  Those who die in mortal sin without asking for forgiveness and receiving the mercy of God go to hell.  Hell is self-inflicted. 

We hear judgment and all of us immediately think “bad,” but it need not be:  A+ on a test is a judgment; trophy to championship team is a judgment

4. Heaven – Mt 25: did the works of mercy:  “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”  (We don’t earn heaven, but we must act out of relationship with God.)  What would it be like to stand before God and hear “Well done.”

Who gets to go there?:  Those who die in his grace and friendship and are perfectly purified. (CCC 1023)  How do you feel about that right now?

4.1 Purgatory:  For those who die in his grace and friendship and are not yet perfectly purified.  Aim for heaven, but plan on purgatory.  God’s love cleanses his beloved children.

Think of working hard outside all day.  We are dirty and sweaty, and would it not break our heart to be told to simply come into the house and not clean up.  Rather we want to be clean, to take a shower – that is something what purgatory is like.  The suffering of purgatory comes in a large part from the soul being so close to God, but not yet in his full presence, so there is a pain of that final wait for their desire for God to be fulfilled.

We see God face to face – the beatific vision.  You will be you perfectly as you are intended to be

Literally cannot put into words (7 para. In CCC) – Jesus has to use images  - life, light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the Father’s house, heavenly Jerusalem, paradise

B. Eucharist

Mass – orients us in the proper direction each week – to our final goal, we can easily forget heaven.  

Puts is in deepest contact with God, sacramentally receiving his Body and Blood.

For God there is no time, no before or after, we enter God’s eternity

Past – Jesus’ self-offering on Calvary (Last Supper, Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension)

Present – we offer ourselves with Jesus to the Father

Future – the heavenly wedding banquet, we get a sharing in heaven (already, not yet)

The Heavenly Wedding Banquet – everything at Mass is to assist us in seeing the reality of heaven; 3 things in particular Art/Architecture, Music, Prayers).  We are connected with the angels and saints in heaven and their worship of God.  We participate now in the heavenly liturgy that we hope to enjoy for all eternity.

1. Art/Architecture

We cannot see heaven, but it is a reality at Mass – so we use the church building to assist us in making visible the invisible

Temple in Jerusalem:  represents the entire cosmos; Christians based their churches off the temple

Temple (dwelling place of God)	Churches (Where the temple of Jesus’ Body is)	Heavenly Reality
The Holy Place	Nave	Earth
The Holy of Holies	Sanctuary	Heaven
Veil (with cherubim)	Altar rail, iconostasis	Transition to heaven
Altar of Incense / Holocausts	Altar	Christ
Ark of the Covenant	Tabernacle	Presence of God
Specific building proportions	Use ordered proportions, symmetry	Good ordered creation
Cherubim, palm trees, open flowers	Images of saints, angels, imitate nature	Garden of Paradise; Heavenly Hosts
Clerestory windows	Windows; stained glass	Heavenly light

-          Statues and Stained glass – church build of the living stones of the People of God, communion of saints in heaven

-          Columns – trees in the heavenly paradise; people (Doric – men,  Ionic – mothers, Corinthians – virgins; often 12 for apostles)

-          Geometric patterns – order of creation

-          High ceilings, domes – raise our eyes and minds to God

-          Spires and steeples (Gothic style) – point out the in-breaking of heaven to the world around

Iconostasis in Eastern churches – does not hide the altar, but are windows and bridges into heaven

Iconography – designed to show saints in heaven

-          Faces of human nature transformed into the divine (“bright sadness”)

-          Nose, eyes, ears larger to receive God; mouth smaller and closed to speak little (silent prayer); large forehead represents wisdom

-          Full face:  Know something fully in heaven, see God face to face

-          Uncreated light of heaven – gold background, no reflected light in eye, no shadows

-          Inverted perspective – outside space and time

Gothic art – shows our pilgrimage to heaven

-          Nature of the good earth fused into the portrayal of heaven in icons

-          Statues, Stained glass, vertical height

-          Stained glass - Creates a “heavenly light” which was seen as the presence of God

o   Gems of the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22)

o   Analogy:  Stained glass is to light as saints are to God.

Baroque art – shows the world after the fall; but God has come to us to save us

-          Use of light and darkness

-          View from far:  “I am coming to you.”

Complementarity

-          Icons - Draws us up to heaven

-          Gothic - Sustains us and directs us on our pilgrimage to heaven

-          Baroque - God comes down to us in our suffering on earth

There is no one ideal style, but the style must tell the truth about the liturgy and heaven.  Sacred art is a witness to the Incarnation – God being made visible.  We see glimpses of the heavenly realities through them.

2. Sacred Music

Sacred music is the highest form of art since it is combined with the sacred texts themselves.

Sacred Music cannot simply mimic music of our time: too earthly – must help us enter into eternity

Gregorian Chant, Polyphony, other forms that follow from the previous traditions (ex. English plainsong) - must tell the truth about the liturgy and heaven. 

-          Provides an elevated tone of voice that conveys the liturgy’s special character as a foretaste of heaven.  Does not resemble anything from the everyday world.

-          Modern metrical music has a set beat which emphasizes the passage of time – chant has a pattern of beats in twos and threes that disrupts the measurement of time – we step out of our time into eternity

-          Music that we consume often pulls us into our emotions.  Sacred music draws our senses into spirit and so brings man into wholeness.  [Whether we ‘like’ chant is irrelevant.  We are meant to be transformed by it to the perfection of heaven.  Sacred music is about our end goal, not entertainment.]

-          Resolves into silence, where we can most easily hear God (silence in heaven, Revelation 8:1)

-          Polyphony (many voices):  We cannot understand many spoken voices, but we do seem to be able to understand multiple sung voices.  Human minds striving to imitate angelic minds and Divine Mind.  Mixing and joining of voices – Divinization – the soul becoming godlike. 

-          Sung prayer:  sung with energy and forward motion, but with sobriety, simplicity and restraint. Requires a mind disciplined in the art of prayer as well as in the art of music.  The music humbly follows the sacred text, the text is primary.  The musician must have the humility to show heaven, not oneself.

3. Prayers (Scripture and Sacred Liturgical Texts)

Sacred Music sets the words of the Liturgy, which are mainly Scripture.  As we sing and say the appointed ‘sacred formulas’ of the Mass, the word of God is coming to us through the ministry of the Church.  God comes down to us and we are taken up to heaven.

The prayers remind us of our final goal, we hear about all of the last things

Book of Revelation:  Heavenly Vision of St. John used many times in both the words and actions of the Mass

Death		And when through disobedience he had lost your friendship, you did not abandon him to the domain of death. (EPIV)
	Funeral	In him the hope of blessed resurrection has dawned that those saddened by the certainty of dying might be consoled by the promise of immortality to come.  Indeed for your faithful, Lord, life is changed not ended, and, when this earthly dwelling turns to dust, an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven. (Preface I Dead)
Judgment		Readings at end of OT
	EPI	… admit us, we beseech you, into their company, not weighing our merits, but granting us your pardon (EPI)
	EPII	… we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life (EPII)
	Funeral	… that he, who did not doubt your Son to be a loving Savior, may find in him a merciful Judge. (Offertory Prayer A, Outside Easter)
Second Coming	Advent	Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom. (Collect, Advent 1)
Hell		… command that we be delivered from eternal damnation and counted among the flock of those you have chosen (EPI)
Purgatory	Praying for the Dead	… Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy:  welcome them into the light of your face (EPII)
Heaven	Angels	Gloria:  angels’ song of praise at Christ’s birth Preface:  “And so with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of your glory” Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy):  Angels surrounding God’s throne (Isaiah 6, Revelation 4) “… command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high in the sight of your divine majesty” (EPI) “… in your presence are  countless hosts of Angels, who serve you day and night and, gazing upon the glory of your face, glorify you without ceasing” (Preface EPIV)
	Saints	Mary, Joseph, Apostles, List of saints in EPI, can add saint name to (EPIII) “May he make of us an eternal offering to you, so we may gain an inheritance with your elect …” (EPIII)
	Lamb of God	Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.  Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb. (Wedding feast of the Lamb in Rev 19)
	End of OT	Grant, O Lord, we pray, that, benefiting from participation in heavenly things, we may be helped by that you give in this present age and prepared for the gifts that are eternal. (Communion Prayer, 29 Sun OT)
	Wedding	Grant, holy Father, that, desiring to approach your table as a couple joined in Marriage in your presence, they may one day have the joy of taking part in your great banquet in heaven.