Are the congregation, the reading of the Word and the Eucharist equal?

[skirjohn]

Last Thursday I attended mass and was challenged or misunderstood something the priest talked about during his homily. He talked about the “word” the “community” and the “Eucharist” being equal. Perhaps I am confused between “equil” and the “same”. We were challenged as to why we bow and kneel before the consecrated cup and bread but not to each other or the word.
He said that according to vatican 2 you must have the word and community for the consecration to be valid. I thought this was protastant theology to believe that consecration was the result of the community presence. Can you clarify this?

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

There is a current fallacy floating around in some Catholic circles that equates the Eucharist with the Word of God and the congregation, gathered for the Mass. The Eucharist is the very body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ who is God and the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Only the Father and the Holy Spirit are equal to Him. To say otherwise is not only the result of fuzzy thinking, it’s heresy!

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.