Skip to main content

Our One Great Act of Fidelity



Our Great Act of Fidelity: Waiting for Christ in the Eucharist by Ronald Rolheiser

Ronald Rolheiser in his gift for broadening our horizons on teachings of the faith, including the Eucharist, shares with his readers a unique perspective on this sacred sacrament in his book, Our Great Act of Fidelity.  Rolheiser begins with the central tenant of the faith, namely that in the Incarnation God became flesh.  From this point, he makes the claim that the continuation of the Incarnation, of Christ’s presence is mediated or found in the Body of Christ, the Supper.  Yet, God still has skin in this world not only in the Eucharist but in the body of Christ, his church (16-17)

Ronald outlines the difference between Catholics and Protestants as a difference in focus, one is focused on the Eucharist as giving meaning to the entirety of the Mass and the other tradition places the Word of God front and center, making worship flow from the Word.  Yet, Ronald focuses on the complementary lenses upon which we should look at the Supper, namely that the Supper invites us to see it as a memorial, as an act of reconciliation, forgiveness and unity, etc (28-29).  Yet, all these approaches can be taken together, for there is not one Scriptural or theological position on the Eucharist that trumps them all.

One of the chapters on the intensification of our unity within the body of Christ struck a chord with me.  Ronald writes, “The Eucharist tries, first of all, to change us so that we become what we receive, one body, one community, one heart, one spirit (38).”  Be what you are, in other words meditate on the fact that as you are joined to Christ in union with him you are also joined to each other believer in an indestructible bond.  This unity helps us fight off the loneliness that comes with broken relationships, depression, and sin.  The Eucharist is also a call to send us out to in grace for service, to wash another’s feet, to bring hospitality to those who need it (68).

Although I don’t have the same view in terms of the physical concepts of the Eucharist as Ronald, I really appreciated this book as it challenged me to see the Eucharist as embodying both union with Christ and his body.  Furthermore, Ronald pushes us out of our comfort zones to see the Eucharist as besieging us with grace to go out into the world in service.


Thanks to Blogging for Books and Image for this book in return for an honest review.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rise of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman

  The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman Navigating the culture that we take up residence in, with its laser focus on sexual identity, tolerance, and an individualism that raises its head at every corner, Christians need a robust account of how we got to this point in our Western culture without retreating to our churches nor morphing with the latest trends.   Carl Trueman, professor of religion and theology at Grove City College, brings his keen historical research to bear on this issue in his new book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.   Part historical survey and philosophical analysis, Dr. Trueman traces the trajectories of key thinkers such as Rousseau, Freud, and Marx, while also incorporating the insights of Charles Taylor and Phillip Rieff to form a cogent argument as to how we got to this point in our history, both in our expressive individualism and sexual freedom outlooks.   The book is surprisingly insightful and yet demands from the reader the pa
Post a Comment
Read more

The Conditioned Mind

The Conditioned Mind: Overcoming the Crippling Effects of Sin and Guilt by Michael J. Mannia Counselor and author Michael J. Mannia knows firsthand how the spiraling of sin and guilt can eat away at life.  His new book, The Conditioned Mind, is a look into how believers can overcome the effects of sin and guilt and live in the freedom that we have in Christ.  Through a careful look into the patterns that we develop and the mindsets that we get ingrained in, Michael is able to offer ways through guilt that bring freedom and healing.  I think this is not only a timely but a book that aims toward bringing real healing to its readers. In the first chapter Michael looks at two needs that we have: our need for love and our need for security.  Love isn’t something optional for the human race, but something it needs at its core.  “Additionally, we need to reciprocate love.  We need to feel loved as much as we need to love others (8).”  Love is a two-way street that inv
Post a Comment
Read more

Passover and Jesus

The Messiah in the Passover , Edited by Darrell Bock and Mitch Glaser Why should Christians celebrate and remember the Passover?   This is a striking question that needs to be understood as well as the historical and theological context of the Passover.   However obscure we sometimes view the Old Testament, there is some significant reasons why we should reach back and study the Passover.   Mitch Glaser in the Introduction states, “When Christians celebrate the Passover, they grow in their understanding of the Old Testament, affirm the Jewishness of the Gospel, deepen our understanding of the Lord’s Supper, and build community with fellow Christians…” (20).   This book is answer to why celebrate the Passover but even more importantly an answer to what the Passover is and what it signifies to us today.   The various contributors of this book, Messiah in the Passover, bring a wealth of ministry experience in relating the Jewishness of both Jesus and the Old Testament to
Post a Comment
Read more