Models of the Eucharist

by Kevin W. Irwin

In this provocative book that will surely be subject of much discussion, Kevin Irwin reflects on the jewel in the crown of Catholicism―the celebration of the Eucharist. He articulates what we believe from what we say and do when we celebrate the Mass and puts forth a theology of the Eucharist derived from the liturgy―lex orandi, lex credendi. The author explores and explains what happens when Mass is celebrated and what our central act of worship means in terms of Catholic belief and living the Christian life. His work is meant to be theological, pastoral and current. In essence it is concerned with issues about the Eucharist that face us today, some forty years after the truly historical and unprecedented revisions that took place in our liturgy after the Second Vatican Council. Some of these concerns are the result of unforeseen developments about the Eucharist resulting from other factors, for example the decline in numbers of clergy leading in some places to Sunday celebrations without the Mass. Other concerns arise from a lack of proper catechesis about the Mass, e.g., doctrine of the real presence and eucharistic sacrifice, and a keen desire to understand why and how the Eucharist is at the center of Catholic life. In addition to being expressly theological this book is also expressly pastoral in that it is a reflection on the lived life of the church as it enacts the Eucharist. ―educated Catholics who seek a deeper appreciation of what the Eucharist is and who want to appropriate that understanding in the way they live their lives ―pastoral ministers, both those present and those in training, and the communities of faith whom they serve. Topics covered in this book are ―Cosmic Mass ―the Church's Eucharist ―the Effective Word of God ―Memorial of the Paschal Mystery ―Covenant Renewal ―The Lord's Supper ―Food for the Journey ―Sacramental Sacrifice ―Active Presence ―Work of the Holy Spirit ―Liturgical Spirituality of the Eucharist. †

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Religion

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2005

Reviews

[Joyce Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep dive into the how and why of the Mass

This is still a classic exploration of the Mass, even if some of the words Msgr. Irwin explores have been revised in the current translation. There is much value in his 10 models. The real good is in how he connects the Mass to the spirituality of the Christian life. Worth your time.

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before Covid began I was in the middle of a study of the Mass by Brandt Pitre called Lectio: Eucharist. As part of the course I made an effort to check out or buy all of the additional reading materials that were recommended in Dr. Pitre's study guide. Unfortunately, the outbreak of Covid in March of 2020 brought this fantastic class to a screeching halt. For a while I tried to keep up with the reading schedule I had developed for myself, but when it became a certainty that our class could not resume, many of those books were left unfinished including Models of the Eucharist. Thankfully, it occurred to me to pick it up again as part of my Advent reading. I have really loved this book. At one time, many traditional Catholic friends gave me books on the Latin Mass and its beauty in an effort to encourage our family to join them in attending the Latin Mass. I found the books interesting and probably would have made the switch except for my husband's reluctance. I did find the Latin Mass more spiritual, but even at the time, I knew it wasn't because of the Latin, or the traditional priests and format of the Latin Mass, but because I had to focus on the Latin/English simplified Mass book in order to follow the Latin Mass. It kept me focused on the prayers and kept me from being so easily distracted by everything else. As part of Dr. Pitre's class, I put together my own booklet full of inspirational quotes for each section of the Mass so that I would have my own version of a Mass book to keep me focused on the Mass and not on everything else. Many of the quotes in my little book have been pulled from Models of the Eucharist which gives a beautiful, multi-faceted explanation of the whys of the change to the Novus Ordo Mass and its beauty.

The Ten Models that Dr. Irwin focuses on to develop the appreciation of the post Vatican II Mass are: Cosmic Mass, The Church's Eucharist, The Effective Word of God, Memorial of the Paschal Mystery, Covenant Renewal, The Lord's Supper, Food for the Journey, Sacramental Sacrifice, Active Presence, and Work of the Holy Spirit.

I have extensively underlined and bracketed portions of this book with many stars and exclamation marks added for emphasis. A prayer that I pray at almost every Mass I attend is inspired by a passage in the conclusion of the book which is summing up the Model: Memorial of the Paschal Mystery. In this portion of the conclusion Dr. Irwin recommends that a short prayer like this be prayed in a brief period of silence which is supposed to take place prior to the collect. (The collect takes place after the Penitential rite and the Gloria and before the first reading. It is prefaced by the priest saying "Let us pray.") My priests don't have a noticeable pause before this prayer so I usually say my prayer between the collect and the first reading. This is my version of the recommended prayer:

Dear Lord, I am a sinner yet You are merciful to me. I glorify You. I bring with me today this cross _______. As we commemorate Your death and resurrection, please give me paschal clarity and healing. Help me to die with You so that I and all of Your Church may be reborn, so that You may be glorified in the miracles of our lives, and so that we may be joined to Your triumphant victory.

I got so much out of this book, most importantly, a greater love for the Mass. This book is slightly dated as it does not have the most recent changes made in the Novus Ordo, but that is only a slight drawback. I highly recommend Models of the Eucharist to anyone who would like to understand the Mass better and who desires to be better inspired at Mass.

[Fr. Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good entry to mid-level sacramental theology book on the Eucharist. If you've read his book Context and Text: A Method for Liturgical Theology, this book reads mostly as a restructuring of it, emphasizing on the Eucharist.

[Sayomara Vesper · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a liberal modernist Catholic view on the Eucharist. Irwin is a good place to check out. His first model is literally the earth mother model. Sacrifice is very much diminished as problematic.

I would rank it lower but Irwin does a good job back up his points and you get a lot of good history even if he uses it in strange ways.

It is what it is.