Pope John Paul II: Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Part 14

In 2003, on Holy Thursday, 2003. Pope John Paul II issued what would be his final encyclical: Ecclesia de Eucharistia, "On the Eucharist and Its Relationship to the Church." This encyclical contains much to prayerfully ponder/meditate on. The encyclical's Chapter One, The Mystery of Faith, continues as follows:

"14. Christ's passover includes not only his passion and death, but also his resurrection. This is recalled by the assembly's acclamation following the consecration: 'We proclaim your resurrection'. The Eucharistic Sacrifice makes present not only the mystery of the Saviour's passion and death, but also the mystery of the resurrection which crowned his sacrifice. It is as the living and risen One that Christ can become in the Eucharist the 'bread of life' (Jn 6:35, 48), the 'living bread' (Jn 6:51). Saint Ambrose reminded the newly-initiated that the Eucharist applies the event of the resurrection to their lives: 'Today Christ is yours, yet each day he rises again for you'.²⁰ Saint Cyril of Alexandria also makes clear that sharing in the sacred mysteries 'is a true confession and a remembrance that the Lord died and returned to life for us and on our behalf'.²¹"

Notes

 ²⁰De Sacramentis, V, 4, 26: CSEL 73, 70.

²¹In Ioannis Evangelium, XII, 20: PG 74, 726.