The Cross was present at the Eucharist in early Christianity as an idea, a gesture, and an object. Over time, these different actualizations of the quintessential symbol of Christianity have generated important questions about their meaning and function, among them: is the Eucharist a meal and/or a sacrifice? Can the sign of the Cross illuminate the absence of a Roman epiclesis? Is it pertinent -historically and theologically - to use an altar Cross? In this study, Daniel Cardó explores the relation between the Cross and the Eucharist. Offering a thorough and fresh reading of patristic and Roman liturgical texts, he identifies their emphases and common themes on the Cross and the Eucharist, and demonstrates their significance for the liturgical debates of recent decades.
- Brings into one conversation different kinds of sources (mainly patristic and liturgical) in a fresh and holistic approach
- Presents significant liturgical texts not available in English translation until now
- Gathers a substantial number of early sources, thematically organized to shed light on contemporary debates
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Reviews & endorsements
'It has always been a remarkable feature of Christianity that it is in love with the cross. In love with an instrument of torture - how can it be? Cardó's deep study answers the question … This book is one of the few fine examples of lex orandi grounding theological understanding. It undertakes an analysis of textual primary sources in order to offer insights in the field of sacramental theology … The scholar will appreciate the thorough footnotes, but of even more value for every reader is the fact that this book works on our symbolic imagination as well as on our historical faculties. From the richness of liturgical actions and texts, Cardó offers us the cross as a hermeneutical key for the Eucharist for our spiritual enrichment.' David W. Fagerberg, University of Notre Dame, Indiana

Customer reviews

17th Oct 2024 by UName-910499
I read this work shortly after being received into the Catholic Church, hoping to gain a deeper understanding of and devotion for the Eucharist. It’s a rigorously researched yet very accessible discussion of the Cross as integral to a right understanding of the Eucharist. I was aware of very few, if any, of these early sources, and reading both the texts themselves and Cardó’s exploration of them provided “new,” though really very ancient, insights. The work gives life and voice to many early sources ripe for both intellectual reflection and spiritual devotion. Perhaps most powerful is that even as a rigorous scholarly work, a deep and genuine love for the Eucharist clearly informs Cardó’s discussion. I recently read an article by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI identifying “the renewal of the faith in the reality of Jesus Christ given to us in the Blessed Sacrament” as the most important step for the Church in confronting current crises. Speaking just as a lay Catholic, I’d submit that by giving life and voice back to early Christian sources, this book can provide one such starting point for any Catholic, whether well-versed in or less familiar with contemporary discussions of the Eucharist. It is a rich and relevant work that has helped deepen my participation in the Mass—and I imagine it would help others do the same, offering both intellectual and spiritual ground for regaining “the true orientation of the Eucharistic action: toward Christ.”

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Product details
- Date Published: February 2020
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781108716574
- length: 204 pages
- dimensions: 230 x 153 x 15 mm
- weight: 0.36kg
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
Part I. The Cross and the Eucharist in Patristic Sources:
1. The continuity from the Cross to the Eucharist
2. The Cross as origin of the Eucharist
3. The identity of the Eucharistic flesh and blood of Christ with the flesh and blood on the Cross
4. The sacrifice of the Cross
5. The Cross at the Eucharist: gesture and object
Part II. The Cross and the Eucharist in Roman Liturgical Sources:
6. The early Roman Sacramentaries
7. The Roman Canon
8. The Ordines Romani
Part III. Contributions to Contemporary Debates:
9. The unity of the Last Supper and the Cross and the discussion of the Eucharist as meal
10. The sign of the Cross and the problem of the Roman epiclesis
11. The history and importance of the altar Cross.
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Author
Daniel Cardó, St John Vianney Theological Seminary, Colorado
Daniel Cardó is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Patristics, Sacraments, and Homiletics at St John Vianney Theological Seminary, Denver and Visiting Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado. He is author of La fe en el pensamiento de Joseph Ratzinger (2013).