The forgotten sacramental—community

It seems to me that in The Catholic Church, at least in much of the Roman Rite, we have forgotten one of the most important sacramentals; the one that goes hand and hand with the Sacrament which the Catechism of the Church describes as the source and summit of our Christian lives.

In the not too distant past I had the privledge to visit with a community of Ge'ez Rite Catholics. Now if you haven't heard of the Ge'ez rite don't feel too bad, I hadn't either until a friend told me about them. This rite, which dates back to the 4th century Ethiopia and has its roots in the Coptic Rite, has only one parish in the US. Their belief in God and in the Presence could be seen in every part of their two hour liturgy. It was quite beautiful, and unlike their Roman co-religionists they did not complain ever five minutes after the liturgy last longer than an hour. However, what struck me most was how welcoming these people were—AFTER the liturgy was over and all had had sufficient time for thanksgiving, we were greeted by numerous worshipers and their priest and deacon. Whats more despite the length of the liturgy, or maybe because of it, almost all those present at the liturgy proceeded directly to the parish hall to begin the fellowship and feasting that was common to the early Christians but has been forgotten by many in the Roman Rite.

We say that as a parish community we are the people of God. Yet it strikes me that in most parishes after a Mass has ended people immediately shift gears and no longer want anything to do with the people of God. Sure, there are coffee hours and small clicks that get together after Mass—some talking in loud voices in the Church before, after, and sometimes during the liturgy—most of these involving the elderly of the community. However for the majority Catholics, fifteen minutes after the kiss of peace and receiving the bread of heaven, they are beeping and yelling at their brothers and sisters in Christ, so that they can leave the church parking lot all the more rapidly.

All people Catholic or not, are children of God. Each person in their uniqueness is a mystery that in his own way reveals the goodness and glory of God and in a specially way
Catholics, after having received the bread from heaven, are icons of the divine. The community that we gather together to pray with in a special way is a gift from Christ that gives grace. Just as the family is the domestic Church, so the Church is a supernatural family. In a unique way we are bound to the people of God through baptism, and we reject God's gift of grace when we reject the fellowship and community of life that is essential to a parish community and that flows out of the communion we make in the Eucharist.

In a solemn way Christ broke bread and gave it to his disciples and in a similar way he gave the chalice of wine to them, and it is important to remember that this breaking of bread was the institution of a supernatural sacrifice consummated on Calvary. We must never confuse the sacrifice of the Mass with a community meal the way our separated brothers in Christ have. However while not confusing the sacrifice with the meal is their any reason why we as Catholic ought not celebrate both?? Both the sacrifice of the Mass followed by the feast of thanksgiving and community?