The Eucharist as a 'Person' of Loving Christ in the Light of Romano Guardini's Theology

Krzysztof Szwarc

Akademia Katolicka w Warszawie , Poland

Abstract

The article presents the personalistic perspective on the mystery of the eucharist, as an evolving relationship with people who love: God and man, in the view of Romano Guardini, the German theologian of italian descent. The eucharist makes present the whole life of Christ, who makes
himself known as the heights of love. A man proceeds in his human life to this summit and he comes to understand it in an encounter with the loving person of Christ. This is the love of the person of Christ, who absolutely devotes everything to save the man, whom He loves. That is why the act of love, which is revealed by the person of loving Christ, expresses itself in the dedication with a sacrifice of cross as its climax. The love of someone who is prepared for anything, may truly transform this to whom it is addressed. In the eucharist, there is not only the expression of that love of presence, but above all, it offers nourishment to the man, who provides him a participation in the love of the Loving person. The nourishment is life and sacrificial love, expressed ‘by’ and ‘in’ the person of Christ, who as a whole gives himself to the man out of love, feeding him with what he is, transforming him into himself.