“A new attuning of the elements occurred" : a brief reflection on the sacrament of the Eucharist

Abstract

The celebration of the Eucharist [eucharistos, "grateful", charis, "favour", chairein, "to rejoice"] involves an unstinting reception of a great and generous gift, whose fullness exceeds our capacity to entirely receive it. The gift of great favour, the moment of sweet ["How pleasant your promise to my palate, sweeter than honey in my mouth," Psalm 119, 103] rejoicing ["1 have told you this so that my own joy be in you and your joy complete," John 15, 11] that is the Eucharist is simultaneously so exalted and yet so profound a truth that it eludes us both above and below; so fundamental that we overlook it, so transcendent that we cannot comprehend it: "I have dealt with great things that I do not understand: things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know" [Job 42,3].1