Preaching the Mystery of Faith

the texture of the liturgy warrants the use of the Lectionary readings as the basis for the homily. 33 A proper focus on the Lectionary readings as the prime source of the homily does not in any way preclude the homilist’s illustrating the implications of the biblical message also through reference to the orations of the particular Sunday liturgy, to elements of the Creed, to the Eucharistic Prayer, or to Church teaching found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church or other Church documents. 34 4. The Connection Between Eucharist and Mission Finally, the Emmaus story reminds us that the homily plays a key role in establishing the connection between the Eucharist and mission. Once they recognize the Risen Christ in “the breaking of the bread,” the two disciples resolve to return to Jerusalem, despite the lateness of the hour, and rejoin the community they had left. In a word, they reverse direction and head back to where they should be going. There, along with the rest of the disciples, they encounter the Risen Christ anew and are given the mission of being his wit nesses and preaching the Gospel of repentance and forgiveness to the world (Lk 24:36-49), a mission that would explode with power with the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. This dimension of the Emmaus account corresponds to the “sending on mission” that concludes the Mass of the Roman Rite: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” 35 Our encounter with Jesus inevitably leads to mission; our love for Jesus translates into our love for others. This is why the homily, which participates in the power of Christ’s word, ought to inspire a sense of mission for those who hear it, making them doers and proclaimers of that same word in the world. A homily that does not lead to mission is, therefore, incomplete.

33 See CIC, c. 767 §1; CCEO, c. 614 §1. 34 See Sacrosanctum Concilium , no. 52; Dei Verbum , no. 24; CIC, c. 768; and CCEO, c. 616. 35 Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal (International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc., 2010), 144.

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