YEAR OF PRAYER
-Kevin J. Fritz
December 9, 2018
Adoration can be defined as: "The highest act and purpose of religious worship, which is directed in love and reverence to God alone in acknowledgment of his infinite perfection and goodness, and of his total dominion over creatures" (Catholic Word Book: New Haven, CT: Catholic Information Service, 2007).
Adoration is our acknowledgement of the greatness of God who made us and who saves us. It is not so much speaking to God in words but simply being present in the presence of the greatness of God. In adoration we humble ourselves before the God who made us with an attitude of gratitude for all the great things God has done for us.
One of the greatest acts of adoration is time spent in the Real Presence of Christ. John Paul II speaks of the importance of Eucharistic adoration: "The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and in contemplation that is full of faith and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease" (John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae: #3).
One form of Eucharistic adoration outside of the Mass is to spend time in the Real Presence of Christ in the tabernacle. Another form is during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament when the bread that is in reality the substance of the Body of Christ is placed in a monstrance in order to draw “…the faithful to an awareness of the sublime presence of Christ and invites them to inner communion with him”(Solemn Exposition of the Holy Eucharist. Liturgy Documentary Series 11: #60). At the end of the time of Exposition, the priest or deacon blesses the people with the Eucharist by making the sign of the cross with the monstrance referred to as Benediction.
We show adoration to the Real Presence of Christ by genuflecting. "A genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the Most Blessed Sacrament" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal: #274). This is why here at St. Mark neither we nor the priest genuflect when we enter the Nave (the main part of the Church). The Blessed Sacrament is not present since the tabernacle is located in the special Blessed Sacrament chapel. When we enter the Blessed Sacrament chapel we should genuflect. You will also notice during the Mass, the priest genuflects for the first time right after the consecration of the bread into the Body of Christ. He genuflects because now we are in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Church directs that “…(a) single genuflection is made in the presence of the blessed sacrament whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed for public adoration” (Congregation for Divine Worship, Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass. June 21, 1973: #84).
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December 2, 2018
During this Year of Prayer we have considered the Mass and examined what is meant by the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Real Presence of Christ begins at the Consecration of the Mass when the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the wine becomes the Blood of Christ. Although they have the appearance of bread and wine they are in reality the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. This Real Presence of Christ remains even after Mass is ended. The Church teaches us that the Real Presence of Christ "…endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist" (Catechism of the Catholic Church: #1377). After communion is distributed any Precious Blood that remains is consumed and any of the Body of Christ that remains is reserved in the tabernacle. The tabernacle is a receptacle that is solid, immovable, and locked.
In the early days of the Church the body of Christ was placed in a tabernacle so it could be brought to those who were sick and could not celebrate with the rest of the community. The Eucharist is still reserved today primarily for the distribution to those who are sick and homebound so they can be united sacramentally to Christ. The Church reminds us: "No one may carry the Most Holy Eucharist to his or her home, or to any place" (Redemptionis Sacramentum: #132). Only a priest, deacon, or extraordinary minister may bring the Eucharist to the sick and homebound.
Later as the faith of the people in the Real Presence of Christ in the tabernacle deepened, they began to come in silent adoration before the presence of Christ in the tabernacle and the Church continues to encourage and promote this. In his encyclical Mysterium Fidei in 1965, Pope Paul VI noted we "should not forget about paying a visit during the day to the Most Blessed Sacrament in the very special place of honor where it is reserved in churches in keeping with the liturgical laws, since this is a proof of gratitude and a pledge of love and a display of the adoration that is owed to Christ the Lord who is present there" (#66).
The tabernacle should be in a place that is visible and allows for quiet prayer with sufficient space to allow for seating and kneelers for those who wish to spend time in prayer. In 1973, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship suggested this can be more easily achieved where there is a chapel separate from the main part of the church. However, the tabernacle can be located within the main church.
In building the church here at St. Mark, the decision was made to provide a special Blessed Sacrament Chapel where anyone can come for quiet prayer in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ anytime the church building is open. Even when something else is taking place in the main part of the church, there is still the opportunity to be in the quiet presence of Christ in this chapel and many people come in throughout the day for prayer.
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November 25, 2018
This week we come to the end of our examination of the Mass during this Year of Prayer at St. Mark as we consider the Dismissal. We are dismissed and sent forth into the world to return to our daily life and work. “We are to live differently because we have become different around this table.” (Sedlak, Ken, “Worship, Contemplation, and Mission” (Liturgical Ministry, 18 (Fall 2009): 195).
The dismissal is proclaimed by the deacon or the priest if there is no deacon. Several options are given:
“Go forth, the Mass is ended.”
“Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.”
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
“Go in peace.”
We respond with “Thanks be to God.” This does not mean, thanks the Mass is finally over and we can go home now. It is our expression of thanks for this celebration in which we have encountered the risen Christ and allowed God to transform us by his Word and the Body and Blood of his Son, Jesus Christ.
The word Mass comes from the Latin word mittere, meaning to send and expresses the idea of being sent on a mission. The traditional Latin dismissal is “Ite, missa est.” Literally translated this means: Go, she (referring to the Church) has been sent. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops notes: “The liturgy does not simply come to an end. Those assembled are sent forth to bring the fruits of the Eucharist to the world” (Internet: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/concluding-rites/).
Gloria Schaab explains: “The dismissal at the end of Mass is a charge given to Christians, inviting them to work for the spread of the Gospel and the imbuing of society with Christian values” (Liturgical Ministry, 18 (Fall 2009): 171).
Pope Francis tells us how we can do this:
“At the end of Mass, we are sent forth with the words: “Go in peace”, that is: take peace with you in order to give it to others, give it through your life, your smile, your works of charity. Concrete commitment to peace is proof of the fact that we are truly Christ’s disciples. Making peace begins with little things” (Meeting with the Participants in the 12th International Pilgrimage of Altar Servers. Rome: St. Peter’s Square, July 31, 2018).
Nathan Mitchell gives a wonderful description of what liturgy is: “Liturgy is not something beautiful we do for God, but something beautiful God does for us and among us” (Worship, November 2010: 550). God has done something beautiful for us, among us, and within us. Now we go forth to bring what God has done for us to others. We go forth to allow God to continue his work through us.
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November 18, 2018
Last week we began our examination of the Concluding Rite of the Mass. After the announcements, we come to the Blessing.
We receive a blessing invoking the divine favor and acknowledging that our very existence is because of God’s goodness. To bless a person means to ask God to continue his generosity toward us through the gifts he gives us so we may use them as we go forth.
On more solemn celebrations the blessing may be preceded by a Prayer Over the People. The deacon or the priest is there is no deacon invites us to bow our heads and pray for God’s blessing. There is a Prayer Over the People for everyday during the season of Lent. The Roman Missal provides 28 options for this prayer that can be used at other times of the year. For example:
Graciously enlighten your family, O Lord, we pray, that by holding fast to what is pleasing to you, they may be worthy to accomplish all that is good.
Then we have the blessing. A simple blessing is when the priest makes the sign of the cross over the people as he says: “May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We also make the sign of the cross.
A solemn blessing contains several statements to which we respond “Amen” before the blessing with the sign of the cross.
For example:
May almighty God bless you in his kindness and pour out saving wisdom upon you. Amen.
May he nourish you always with the teachings of the faith and make you persevere in holy deeds. Amen.
May he turn your steps towards himself and show you the path of charity and peace. Amen.
Note that there are really only two times during the Mass when we make the Sign of the Cross – at the beginning and again at the end. Joyce Ann Zimmerman explains the significance of this: “…the Trinity gathers us and the Trinity sends us forth.” (Liturgical Ministry, 18 (Fall 2009): 198). In between this God acts within us to transform us and prepare us for mission.
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November 11, 2018
In our examination of the Mass, we now come to the last part – the Concluding Rite. The Concluding Rite consists of the Announcements, the Blessing, and the Dismissal.
The Concluding Rite of the Mass is very brief but has an important purpose – to send us forth united in Christ to bring Christ into the world in which we live. Our celebration of the Mass should transform us more and more into the way of Christ.
Gloria Schaab reminds us: “To be eucharistic people is to be the presence of Christ, transformed by the whole of the eucharistic event to take on the mind of Christ and to make the mission of Christ our own.” (Liturgical Ministry, 18 (Fall 2009): 171).
A recent saying distributed anonymously on the Internet notes: “Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.” Attending Mass does not make us a Christian unless we allow the Word of God to change and transform us and unless we allow the Body and Blood of Christ to become a part of us forming us into images of Christ. In some way we should be changed, even if it is a small change each week. For this to happen attending Mass is not enough. We really have to participate in the Mass fully, actively, and consciously.
St. John Chrysostom also comments on this:“Do you want to honor Christ’s body? Then do not scorn him in his nakedness, nor honor him here in the church with silken garments, while neglecting him outside where he is cold and naked. For he who said: This is my body, and made it so by his words, also said: You saw me hungry and did not feed me, and inasmuch as you did not do it for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did not do it for me.” (On the Gospel of Matthew LOH Vol 4: 182).
We have to go forth from our participation in the Mass to live what we have celebrated. This is the appropriate time for brief announcements concerning the activities in the parish to help us “transition from worship into renewed Christian witness in society.” (Introduction to the Order of the Mass p. 110).
Michael S. Driscoll suggests “…the announcements can be a ritual tool that proclaims to the parish and to the world at large how this group of Christians individually and collectively is living out the mission to which they are called in baptism and nourished in Eucharist.” (Driscoll, Michael S., “Introductory and Concluding Rites.” Liturgical Ministry, 20 (Summer 2011): 121).
The announcements provide ways that we can bring the Christ we receive in communion to others. For example, if we are told that the food pantry is in need of peanut butter, we have an opportunity to bring Christ to someone who is hungry. Or perhaps there is an opportunity being offered to help us grow in our knowledge of the faith. The bulletin we receive after Mass also provides many opportunities to grow in our faith and ways we can bring Christ to others.
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November 4, 2018
Having received and responded to the invitation to Communion, we now come forward in procession to receive to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. The Communion Procession reminds us that we are on a journey toward eternal life and the Body and Blood of Christ provides nourishment and strength for the journey. We move forward together in unity as one to receive the body and blood of Christ.
Receiving communion is not something I do but something that is done for me. It is a gift as Robert Taft points out: “…eucharistic communion does not mean ‘my communion with Jesus’ but our communion with one another in Jesus. Furthermore, this communion is expressed not only through partaking of the eucharistic Body and Blood of Christ but in the entire movement of offering our gifts to God and having him return them as his gifts to us” (Taft, Robert F., “Communion from the Tabernacle - A Luturgio-Theological Oxymoron.” Worship, 88 (January 2014): 3).
We have the option of receiving the Body of Christ on our tongue or in our hand. “When receiving the Eucharist in the hand, the communicant approaches the minister with one hand resting on the palm of the other. After responding ‘Amen’ the communicant steps to the side and reverently places the Eucharist in his or her mouth” (Introduction to the Order of the Mass: 104).
We are then invited to receive the Blood of Christ. The Church teaches us that “Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species” (CCC: #1377). This means that when we receive the Body of Christ, we receive the whole Christ. Receiving the Blood of Christ is an option of our own choosing.
We respond “Amen” to the words of the minister – “The Body of Christ” and “The Blood of Christ”. The Amen we say when receiving the Body and Blood of Christ should be the most important word we say each week. Amen – I believe!
St. Augustine tells us: “You are saying "Amen" to what you are: your response is a personal signature, affirming your faith. When you hear "The body of Christ", you reply "Amen." Be a member of Christ's body, then, so that your ‘Amen’ may ring true!” (Augustine “Sermon 272: On the Nature of the Eucharist.”).
During the distribution of communion we join together in the song as a sign of our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ. The purpose of the communion hymn is “…to express the spiritual union of the communicants by means of the unity of their voices, to show gladness of heart, and to bring out more clearly the ‘communitarian’ character of the procession to receive the Eucharist. The singing is prolonged for as long as the Sacrament is being administered to the faithful” (General Instruction: #86).
Once the distribution of communion is complete we observe a period of silence as “an opportunity for interior prayer and contemplation on the Eucharistic mystery” (Introduction to the Order of the Mass: 107).
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October 28, 2018
After the Sign of Peace, the priest assisted by the deacon breaks the bread that is the Body of Christ – the Eucharistic Bread. The Eucharistic Bread is broken so it may be shared but it also represents our unity. Just as many grains of wheat have come together to make one bread, this one bread is now broken and distributed to us so we may become one body – one community – in Christ.
When breaking the Eucharistic bread a piece is placed in the chalice of the Blood of Christ “to signify the unity of the Body and Blood of the Lord in the work of salvation…” (GIRM #83) As this is done, the priest prays: May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.
This action is accompanied by the singing of the Agnes Dei (Lamb of God). Jesus is the lamb who was sacrificed to take away our sins and conquer death so that we might have the fullness of life – the gift of salvation. When we say Lamb of God we make reference to the title given to Jesus by John the Baptist: “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,* who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
“In the Eucharistic Bread, broken for the life of the world, the prayerful assembly recognizes the true Lamb of God, namely, Christ the Redeemer, and implores him: “Have mercy on us ... grant us peace” (Francis, General Audience, March 14, 2018).
We now prepare ourselves to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in communion. “The priest prepares himself by a prayer said quietly, so that he might faithfully receive the Body and Blood of Christ. The faithful do the same, praying silently” (General Instruction: #84).
We are now invited to receive the Body and Blood of Christ” “Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” The invitation to communion is an invitation to the marriage feast of the lamb, an invitation that “…calls us to experience intimate union with Christ, the source of joy and holiness” (Francis, General Audience, March 21, 2018).
We respond using the words of the Roman centurion in the Gospel who placed his faith and trust in Christ knowing that his servant could be healed (see Matthew 8:5-13): “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” With faith and trust we approach to receive the Body and Blood of Christ so we may be healed of our sinfulness and transformed into images of Christ.
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October 21, 2018
After the prayer for peace, the priest then prays: “The peace of the Lord be with you always” to which we respond “And with your spirit.” Now we are invited to share this peace of Christ with one another before we receive the Body and Blood of Christ in communion.
The Sign of Peace or Kiss of Peace is very ancient. In the Old Testament we find it as a sign of respect and friendship. In the New Testament we see it was a sign of friendship and welcome. In the conclusion of his letters to the Romans and the Corinthians, Paul says: “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16 and 1Corinthians 16:20 and 2 Corinthians 13:12). The first letter of Peter associates this kiss with love and peace. “Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ” (1Peter 5:14).
It was used in the early Church within the liturgy and became part of the preparation for communion. “It was felt that since Communion established and deepened the fellowship of Christ’s body, the Church, this gesture of peace and unity should be exchanged before the actual participation in the body and blood of Christ” (“The Sign of Peace.” Newsletter, Bishop’s Committee on the Liturgy, 7 (January-February 1971).
The Sign of Peace that we share with one another is not a sign of reconciliation with or forgiveness of our brothers and sisters. We did that at the beginning of Mass in the Penitential Act. Peace in the biblical sense is a gift from God that enables us to live in harmony with God, ourselves, other people, and creation. This peace has been gained for us by the risen Christ who is present among us in his Body and Blood.
We are invited to share the peace of Christ with one another as “a gesture expressing the belief that we are members, one with another, in the body of Christ” acknowledging “that Christ whom we receive in the sacrament is already present in our neighbor.” (Introduction to the Order of the Mass: 96-97) We share the peace that Christ gives us as a gift with one another.
We are not perfectly in peace and unity with one another and so in many ways the exchange of this sign of peace is a prayer that we may advance in unity and peace. Pope Francis reminds us: “Peace is his gift; it transforms us, so that, as members of Jesus’ body, we can share in his sentiments, think as he thinks – the same sentiments as Jesus, and think as Jesus thinks! – love as he loves. And this brings peace“ (Francis, Meeting of His Holiness Pope Francis with the Participants in the 12th International Pilgrimage of Altar Servers. Rome: St. Peter’s Square, July 31, 2018).
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October 14, 2018
We begin the Communion Rite with the Lord’s Prayer. As a people in fellowship (communion) with Christ and one another, this prayer given to us by Jesus himself, is our family prayer in which we call upon God our Father as St. Cyprian (210-258 AD) points out: “To ask the Father in words his Son has given us, to let him hear the prayer of Christ ringing in his ears, is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer” (Cyprian, “On the Lord’s Prayer 1-3.” LOH Vol 2: 106). Pope Francis refers to it as “…the prayer of the children of God” (General Audience, March 14, 2018) to our Father in heaven.
As we prepare to receive the Body and Blood of Christ we pray that we may do God’s will here on earth. We ask for our daily bread – not just bread to nourish our bodies but also the bread of the Body of Christ to nourish us on our journey through life “…which we need in order to live as children of God” (Francis, General Audience, March 14, 2018).
We ask for forgiveness from God for our sins and pledge to forgive our brothers and sisters. Then we ask to be delivered from the evil “…which separates us from him and divides us from our brothers and sisters” (Francis, General Audience, March 14, 2018).
The Lord’s Prayer is followed by the prayer called the Embolism from the Greek word meaning insertion. In this prayer we continue the last petition of the Lord’s Prayer “…deliver us from evil” by asking God to deliver us “from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days” and keep us “always free from sin and safe from all distress.”
We conclude this prayer with a doxology of hope in the “coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” A doxology is a formula of praise to God and in this doxology we acclaim: “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever.”
Another prayer follows in “…which the Church entreats peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family” (General Instruction: #82). We address this prayer to Christ asking him not to look on our sins but on our faith, “…the faith of the whole Church” and to “…grant her peace and unity according to your will.” The peace we ask for is not the kind of peace the world gives but the peace that can only come from risen Christ who told his Apostles: “Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you.”
Pope Francis gives us some insight to this peace which only Christ can give us: “Christ’s peace cannot take root in a heart incapable of experiencing fraternity and of restoring it after it has been wounded. Peace is granted by the Lord: he grants us the grace to forgive those who have offended us”(Francis, General Audience, March 14, 2018).
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October 7, 2018
During this Year of Prayer at St. Mark we have realized there are many types of prayer and we have provided various opportunities to experience and learn about different types of prayer. We have also recognized that the most important way we pray is when we come together to celebrate the Mass. For this reason, in these weekly articles we have reflected on the Mass with the hope that the Mass can become a more meaningful expression of prayer as we open our hearts to allow God to do something beautiful for us, among us, and within us – the challenge we are reminded of each week as we are invited to introduce ourselves to one another before we begin the Mass.
We have seen that the Mass consists of two main parts – the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist – preceded by an Introductory Rite and ending with the Concluding Rite. We are currently examining the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We reflected on the first two parts of the Liturgy of the Eucharist – the Preparation of the Gifts and the Eucharistic Prayer. Now we move to the third part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist – the Communion Rite.
The word communion comes from the Latin word communio meaning fellowship. We celebrate “our fellowship and union with Jesus and other baptized Christians in the Church, which has its source and summit in the celebration of the Eucharist.” (CCC, Glossary)
The rite of communion is not a personal action but an action of the whole body of Christ, the Church. It is something we do in union with one another
The Communion Rite consists of the Lord’s Prayer, the Embolism and Doxology, the Prayer for Peace, the Sign of Peace, the Fraction of the Bread, the Agnus Dei, the Preparation Prayer, the Invitation to Communion, the Distribution of Communion, and the Prayer after Communion.
Over the next few weeks we will examine each of these elements of the Communion Rite to help us celebrate the Mass in a more active, full, and conscious way.
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September 30, 2018
Continuing our reflections on the Eucharistic Prayer we move to the Intercessions. To intercede means to plead or petition on behalf of someone else. It comes from two Latin words: Inter meaning between and cedere meaning to pass or go.
In the intercessions we pray for the whole church “spread throughout the world” (EP II). We pray for the pope, the bishop of the local diocese, “the Order of Bishops, all the clergy, and the entire people you have gained for your own” (EP III).
We remember the entire world as “…we pray, O Lord, advance the peace and salvation of all the world” (EPIII), “…those who take part in this offering, those gathered here before you, your entire people, and all who seek you with a sincere heart” (EPIV).
The whole Church also includes the dead “who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of death” (EP I). In “…the hope of the resurrection” we ask the mercy of God to “…welcome them into the light your face” (EPII). This includes those deceased members of our family and friends but also “…all the dead, whose faith you alone have known” (EPIV).
Then we pray for ourselves asking “…when our earthly pilgrimage is done, that we may come to an eternal dwelling place and live with you for ever” (EP Various Needs) “…so that freed from the corruption of sin and death, may we glorify you through Christ our Lord” (EPIV).
We ask the intercession of the saints who have gone before us that “we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life” with Mary, the Mother of God, St. Joseph her spouse, the Apostles and Martyrs, and “…all the Saints who have pleased you throughout the ages” (EPII) and “…on whose constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailing help” (EPIII).
In this way “…all of the human race are linked to honoring and commemorating the saints…a reminder that the ultimate purpose of our lives on earth is to join in the everlasting destiny of the saints” (Groeschel, Benedict J., Listening At Prayer : 69).
The Eucharistic Prayer concludes with a doxology - a hymn of praise to God. It comes from two Greek words: Doxa meaning praise and legein meaning to speak. We speak praise to God saying:
“Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.”
The assembly gives its assent and affirmation to the whole of the Eucharistic Prayer by saying “Amen.” This is a Hebrew word that means it is true and expresses acceptance.
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September 23, 2018
Continuing our reflections on the Eucharistic Prayer we move from the Memorial Acclamation into the Anamnesis and Offering. Anamnesis means reproducing in memory or recollecting. It comes from two Greek words: Ana meaning back and mimneskein meaning to call to mind. We call to mind the Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ and we look forward to his return. We are not just remembering the past but calling it to mind so it can become present and “their fullness and power may be effective here and now.” (Introduction to the Order of the Mass, p. 91)
We “…celebrate the memorial of the saving Passion of your Son, his wondrous Resurrection and Ascension into heaven” while “…we look forward to his second coming” (EPIII). In this Anamnesis we proclaim “…the work of your love until he comes again” (EP Various Needs) reminding us of the great unconditional love of the Father in sending his Son through whose Death and Resurrection we are offered the great gift of salvation despite our sinfulness.
This leads directly into the Offering of the Body and Blood of Christ to the Father. We “…offer to your glorious majesty from the gifts you have given us…the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation” (EPI).
We offer this sacrifice of Christ for the whole church. “We offer you his Body and Blood, the sacrifice acceptable to you which brings salvation to the whole world” (EP IV) As we offer the Body and Blood of Christ, we also learn to offer the gift of ourselves in lives of ministry, commitment, and service “giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you” (EP II).
We pray for unity “…that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit” (EPII) so that we “…may truly become a living sacrifice in Christ to the praise of your glory” (EPIV). We call upon the Holy Spirit “…who heals every division” (EPRI) and “takes away everything that estranges us from one another” (EPRII). We pray that “…by the power of the Spirit of your love, we may be counted now and until the day of eternity among the members of your Son, in whose Body and Blood we have communion” (EP Various Needs).
Pope Francis explains the significance of this offering: “The Church wishes to be joined to Christ and become one body and one spirit with the Lord. This is the grace and the fruit of sacramental Communion: we are nourished of the Body of Christ to become, we who eat of it, his Body living today in the world” (Francis, General Audience, March 7, 2018).
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September 16, 2018
In this Year of Prayer we have been examining the Mass which is the most important prayer we offer – the public prayer of the Church. The goal of these articles is to help us better understand the Mass leading us to a more full, conscious, and active participation.
We are currently examining the Eucharistic Prayer which is the high point and center of the Mass. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek word eucharistein which means thanksgiving. This is a great prayer of thanksgiving to God in which we enter into the Paschal Mystery – the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ through which he accomplished his work of Redemption setting us free from the slavery of sin.
After examining the Institution Narrative and the Consecration in which the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, we spent four weeks considering what we mean by the Real Presence of Christ. Now we return to the Eucharistic Prayer which continues with the Memorial Acclamation.
In the Memorial Acclamation we acclaim our faith in the Death and Resurrection of Christ who is present among us. The word acclaim comes from two Latin words: “ad” meaning “to” and “clamare” meaning “to shout or to call.” An acclamation means “to shout to” or “to call to.” This implies that our acclamation is addressed (shouted) to someone, in this case to Jesus Christ.
This acclamation of our faith recalls the Paschal Mystery – the death and resurrection of Christ – but they do more than just recall the Paschal Mystery since “…they express our participation in the mystery, at liturgy and in our life” (Joseph DeGrocco, “The Church At Prayer: The Mystery of Faith.”).
There are three options for the Memorial Acclamation:
Option A: We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
Option B: When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.
Option C: Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set us free.
“By acclaiming the mystery of faith, the faithful announce the central truth of our faith, give voice to their participation in the central action of the Mass, and so further offer themselves to be lifted up in Christ’s prayer and to be transformed more deeply into living His life through the mystery they are celebrating” (Joseph DeGrocco, “The Church At Prayer: The Mystery of Faith.”).
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September 9, 2018
We come the final week of our understanding of the Real Presence of Christ.
In the 11th century we find the first use of the word transubstantiation to explain the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Fourth Council of Lateran in 1215 officially used the word transubstantiation in describing how the bread and wine through the power of God become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Canon 1 of the council states: “Jesus Christ, whose body and blood are truly contained in the sacrament of the altar under the forms of bread and wine; the bread being changed (transsubstantiatio) by divine power into the body, and the wine into the blood" (Medieval Sourcebook: Twelfth Ecumenical Council: Lateran IV 1215).
Thomas Aquinas used the term transubstantiation to explain the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist distinguishing between substance (what something is) and accident (what something looks like). By substance we mean reality. The reality is that the bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. By accident we mean that the bread and wine retain their shape, color, and texture. They still look like bread and wine even though in reality they have become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Bishop Robert Barron suggests we can use the terms reality and appearance in place of substance and accident to understand the meaning of this distinction better. Reality and appearance very often are the same. Something is what it looks like but there are exceptions. For example, it appears as though the sun moves from one end of the sky to the other but the reality is the sun does not move. It is the earth that is moving. Appearance and reality are not the same.
Bishop Robert Barron gives another good example from the world of baseball. A runner slides into third base and you say he is safe, but the umpire says he is out. To you he appears to be safe but the reality is the player is out because the umpire said so. The word of the umpire has power while your word that he is safe has no power to change the game (see Robert Barron, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith. New York: Image Books, 2011: 186-187).
So we can see that human words have power when they are spoken with authority. God's words have even greater power. What God says happens. So when Jesus Christ, the Son of God says: “This is my Body; this is my Blood” these words have power. What Jesus says happens. The bread becomes his Body and the wine becomes his Blood. These words continue to have the same power at the consecration when the priest says not his own words but the words of Christ. What appears to be bread is in reality the Body of Christ; what appears to be wine is in reality the Blood of Christ.
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September 2, 2018
We continue our consideration of the Real Presence of Christ and look at what the Tradition of the Church says.
Based on the institution narratives in Paul and the Gospel according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke along with the Bread of Life Discourse found in the Gospel according to John (which we considered last week), the Church has always taught the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist since the earliest days.
The Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association has a website (Internet: http://www.therealpresence. org/eucharst/father/a5.html (accessed August 7, 2018)) which lists many examples of the belief in the Real Presence in the early Church. A few of those examples are provided here.
Ignatius of Antioch in 106 speaks of his desire for the bread of life which he refers to as the flesh of Christ and to drink the blood of Christ noting "...the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, the flesh which suffered for our sins.”
Justin Martyr wrote his First Apology around 155 in which he states: "For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God's Word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the Word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus."
Irenaeus in his writing Against Heresies around 180 states the belief that Christ declared the bread to be his Body and the wine to be his Blood.
In a homily in 350 Ephrem speaks of the apostles at the Last Supper saying "...they understood by faith that they had eaten of Christ's body" and then Jesus "...explained to them that the cup which they were drinking was His own Blood.”
In his Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew in 428, Cyril of Alexandria notes: "The offerings, by the hidden power of God Almighty, are changed into Christ's Body and Blood, and by receiving these we come to share in the life-giving and sanctifying efficacy of Christ.”
In one of his sermons Augustine comments: "That Bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the Body of Christ. The chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the Blood of Christ."
So we see that from the very early days of the Church, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist was affirmed and is a part of the Tradition of the Church handed down to us today.
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August 26, 2018
We continue our consideration of the Real Presence of Christ and look at what Scripture says.
The earliest reference to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is found in the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians written around the year 56 which is earlier than the written Gospels. Paul tells us that he is handing on what he received from the Lord Jesus.
“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” (1Corinthians 11:23-25).
Paul asks the Corinthians and he asks us: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1Corinthians 10:16).
We also find the account of the institution of the Eucharist in the Gospels according to Matthew (26:26-28), Mark (14:22-24), and Luke (22:19-20).
The Gospel according to John does not give us an account of the institution of the Eucharist but instead gives us the Bread of Life Discourse in chapter 6. The chapter begins with the account of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes to give the people physical food. The people want to make Jesus a king so he goes off to a quiet place on the mountain while the disciples cross the sea in a boat. When a storm arises at sea, Jesus comes to them walking on the water. We see the divine power of Jesus walking on the water and the concern of Jesus to feed his people.
When the people come looking for Jesus, he begins to teach them in the Bread of Life Discourse. He has given them physical food but now he tells them he will give “…the food that endures for eternal life” (John 6:27). He tells them that he himself is the Bread of Life and refers to this bread as his flesh saying you must eat my flesh and drink my blood in order to have life within you.
Bishop Robert Barron points out that for the Jewish people eating flesh with blood would be repulsive and so many people leave. Jesus could have said: Come back. I was only speaking symbolically. But he did not do this. He tells them it is real and not just symbolic by using the Greek word trogein meaning to eat as an animal does by gnawing instead of the Greek word phagein meaning the normal way human beings eat (see Robert Barron, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith. New York: Image Books, 2011: 186-187).
So many people leave and Jesus says to the twelve apostles: “Do you also want to leave?” Peter answers for them: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67).
How do we respond to the Real Presence of Jesus, the Bread of Life?
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August 19, 2018
In our examination of the elements in the Eucharistic Prayer, last week we came to the Institution Narrative and the Consecration. Before we continue, we will spend four weeks considering what we mean by the Real Presence of Christ in the Consecration.
Christ is present in many ways. He is present in the Church, in prayer, in the poor, the sick, and those in prison. Christ is present in many ways especially at Mass where he is present in the Word of God which is proclaimed, in the assembly gathered together, and in the priest who acts in the person of Christ.
Christ is present in the fullest sense in the Eucharist which is his Body and Blood. We call this the Real Presence. This does not mean that the other ways Christ is present are not real but this is presence in the fullest sense.
When we speak of the Real Presence of Christ we are referring to the Eucharist in which the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the wine becomes the Blood of Christ. Real Presence means that the bread and wine are not symbols of Christ and they are not something that points to Christ. They are really and truly the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Real Presence of Christ is not a symbolic or a spiritual presence. It is a real presence. Blessed Paul VI reminds us it "…indicates presence par excellence, because it is substantial and through it Christ becomes present whole and entire, God and man” (Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei. September 3, 1965: #39).
Thomas Aquinas tells us that the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is "...not like natural changes, but is entirely supernatural, and effected by God's power alone" (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae III, 75, 4). It is a supernatural act. In essence it is a miracle which can be believed only by faith.
As John Chrysostom pointed out in the fourth century, it is not the words of the priest that causes this change but the power of God. "It is not man who makes what is put before him the Body and Blood of Christ, but Christ Himself who was crucified for us. The priest standing there in the place of Christ says these words, but their power and grace are from God. This is my Body, he says, and these words transform what lies before him" (John Chrysostom, Homily on Matthew quoted by Paul VI in Mysterium Fidei #47).
The Real Presence of Christ is whole and entire in each one of the species. When we receive the Body of Christ we receive the whole Christ even if we do not receive his Blood; when we receive the Blood of Christ we receive the whole Christ even if we do not receive his Body.
The belief in the Real Presence goes back to the very beginning of the Church and is found in Scripture and Tradition as we shall see.
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August 12, 2018
Each Eucharistic Prayer contains the institution narrative of the Last Supper on the night “…before he was to suffer” (EPI) when Jesus “…was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion” (EPII) “…to give his life to set us free” (EPRII).
In the Institution Narrative we recognize four actions of Jesus at the Last Supper – taking, blessing, breaking, and giving.
“For on the night he was betrayed he himself took bread, and , giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples” (EPIII).
These actions are more than just a remembrance of what Jesus did at the Last Supper. They are real and present to us now. We have seen how at the Preparation of the Gifts, the priest or deacon takes the bread and wine which is brought forward from the assembly. In what we noted is the Berakah Prayer the bread and the wine are blessed. Later in the Communion Rite we will see that the bread is broken and mingled with the wine – the bread that by that time is now the body of Christ and the wine which is the blood of Christ. These will be given to us in Communion.
We move right into the words of consecration by which the bread and wine become the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The words of consecration are the same in every Eucharistic Prayer. Using the words of Jesus in the first person, the priest acts in the person of Christ when he says:
“Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body which will be given for you” (Roman Missal).
“Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant , which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Roman Missal).
A question arises about the reference to “many” instead of to “all” especially since the word “all” was used until 2011 when it was changed to “many.” The change was made to reflect more accurately the words of Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew: “…this is the blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)
It is important to remember that this change from “all” to “many” does not limit the salvation of Jesus so that only some people, but not all, can be saved. God’s love and the gift of salvation are offered to everyone as a free gift and everyone can be saved. But like any gift it is not forced on us. We need to decide whether or not we will accept this gift. This change reflected the fact that many will accept the gift but some can choose not to accept it.
This is a time for us to renew our acceptance of the gift of salvation offered to us by Jesus Christ whose blood was “poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Roman Missal).
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August 5, 2018
The next element in the Eucharistic Prayer that we consider is the Epiclesis which comes from the Greek word meaning an invocation or calling upon. The epiclesis calls upon the Holy Spirit to bless the bread and wine so they may become the body and blood of Christ and to gather us into one to build up the body of Christ in the world.
The priest extends his hands over the bread and wine in an ancient gesture used to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit as he prays that God the Father will “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eucharistic Prayer II). All of the Eucharistic Prayers have an epiclesis calling on the Holy Spirit except for Eucharistic Prayer I which has no mention of the Holy Spirit.
The term “dewfall” used in Eucharistic Prayer II is an allusion to the manna that came with the dewfall to the Israelites as they journeyed in the desert. “In the morning a dew lay all about the camp, and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground” (Exodus 16:13-14). Moses told them: “This is the bread the Lord has given you to eat” (Exodus 16:17) in response to their grumbling that Moses had led them into the desert to die of famine.
Joseph DeGrocco explains that this image “…is rich in meaning, not only in terms of divine action, but also in its connection to bread from heaven and as a symbol of new life, refreshment and hope. The bread and wine will become the Body and Blood of Christ, the heavenly food for our journey to the Promised Land of Heaven” (Joseph DeGrocco, “The Church At Prayer: Eucharistic Prayer: Post-Sanctus and Institution Narrative).
There is a second epiclesis invoking the Holy Spirit to come upon us and “grant that we, who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son and filled with his Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ” (Eucharistic Prayer III). This second epiclesis is found in all the Eucharistic Prayers except Eucharist Prayer I.
Just as we call upon the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, we also call upon the Holy Spirit to transform us. John H. McKenna describes epiclesis as “An appeal to the Holy Spirit to transform or sanctify the bread and wine so they may benefit those who partake of them worthily.” He notes “the fact that the transformation of the gifts has for its aim the benefit or transformation of the assembled faithful” (Liturgical Ministry, Fall 2010: 178-179).
Eucharist is more than just making Christ present in the bread and wine by the consecration into his Body and Blood. It is also about allowing Christ to change us into his body and blood for others. This transformation comes from the reception of the gifts that are transformed and sanctified through the power of the Holy Spirit uniting us into one body.
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July 29, 2018
In our examination of the Liturgy of the Eucharist we have considered the Dialogue between the priest and the assembly that introduces the Preface. This leads us to the Sanctus Acclamation in which the entire assembly acclaims God as holy using the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:3)
We join our voices with those in heaven as we sing glory and praise to God acclaiming that “heaven and earth are full of your glory” (Roman Missal). We shout “Hosanna” – a Hebrew word that means: Save us, we pray – as we remember the words used by the crowd when Jesus entered Jerusalem before his passion. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Roman Missal). Jesus is the one who came to save us.
In the Sanctus: “The whole assembly joins its voice to that of the Angels and Saints to praise and glorify God” (Francis, General Audience, March 7, 2018).
After the Sanctus Acclamation, we move into the Eucharistic Prayer proper which can be any one of the ten offered in the Roman Missal.
The first part can be very brief or it can be extended. We call this the Post-Sanctus. For example, Eucharistic Prayer II is very brief consisting of one sentence: “You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.”
Eucharistic Prayer III is also one sentence but is more extended: “You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and all you have created rightly gives you praise, for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power and working of the Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and make them holy, and you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting, a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name.”
Eucharistic Prayer IV is much lengthier giving a beautiful description of salvation history from creation through the covenants of the Old Testament to the “…fullness of time” when “…you sent your Only Begotten Son to be our Savior” who “…destroyed death and restored life” and “…sent the Holy Spirit”.
The two Eucharistic Prayers of Reconciliation speak of the idea of the merciful gift of God who sent his Son Jesus Christ to be “…the hand you extend to sinners, the way by which your peace is offered to us.”
The four Eucharistic Prayers for Various Needs remind us of the love of God who walks “with us on the journey of life” and “opens the Scriptures and breaks the bread.”
There is no Post-Sanctus in Eucharistic Prayer I which has a very different structure than all the other Eucharistic Prayers.
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July 22, 2018
After the Dialogue between the priest and the assembly which begins the Eucharistic Prayer we move to the Preface. The Preface is part of the Eucharistic Prayer and serves as an introduction. It comes from two Latin words: Prae meaning before or in front of and fari meaning speak. A preface introduces what is to follow. It introduces the prayer of thanksgiving by giving a particular motive or reason to give thanks to God.
There are about 100 different prefaces that celebrate the liturgical seasons, different feasts, and other celebrations such as funerals, weddings, and other ritual Masses. They are specific to the celebration. There are more generic prefaces for use during the season of Ordinary Time (eight for Sundays and six for weekdays).
The prefaces help connect “…a specific movement in the life of Christ with the entirety of his Paschal Mystery” inviting “…each of us to continue the work accomplished by Christ’s entire life, death, resurrection, and ascension” (“The Preface: Praying Across Liturgical Time and Space.” Newsletter, Committee on Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, LIII (February 2017): 7).
The preface consists of three parts. We begin with the statement: “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our Lord” (Roman Missal). This is followed by a reason to thank God. Listen to the words of the preface and reflect on what we are giving thanks to God for at this particular Mass.
The second part is the variable part that gives a specific reason or motive for our thanksgiving. For example, one of the prefaces for the season of Lent states: “For you will that our self-denial should give you thanks, humble our sinful pride, contribute to the feeding of the poor, and so help us imitate you in your kindness” (Preface III of Lent).
Finally, the preface concludes with an acclamation of praise in union with the choirs of angels in heaven. For example: “And so, with the company of Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of your praise, as without end we acclaim…” (Roman Missal).
We “…connect the earthly worship being offered with the eternal worship occurring in the heavens” (“The Preface: Praying Across Liturgical Time and Space.” Newsletter, Committee on Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, LIII (February 2017): 7). This leads us into the Sanctus Acclamation in which the entire assembly joins.
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July 15, 2018
Pope Francis teaches us that the Eucharistic Prayer “…teaches us to cultivate three attitudes that should never be lacking in Jesus’ disciples. The three attitudes: first, learn “to give thanks, always and everywhere”, and not only on certain occasions, when all is going well; second, to make of our life a gift of love, freely given; third, to build concrete communion, in the Church and with everyone. Thus, this central Prayer of the Mass teaches us, little by little, to make of our whole life a “Eucharist”, that is, an act of thanksgiving” (Francis, General Audience, March 7, 2018).
There are several elements in the Eucharistic Prayer: Dialogue, Preface, Sanctus Acclamation, Post Sanctus, Epiclesis, Institution Narrative and Consecration, Memorial Acclamation, Anamnesis, Offering, Intercessions, Doxology, and the Great Amen. The elements may not always follow in this order in each of the Eucharistic Prayers but most of them are included in all of the prayers. We will examine each one of these elements to gain a greater understanding of the Eucharist Prayer so we may join our hearts and minds more consciously in this central act of the Mass.
However, Joseph DeGrocco reminds us: “As a memorial prayer of thanksgiving and intercession, the Eucharistic Prayer has an inherent unity as all the units, or parts, flow from one to the other, and each must be understood in terms of its place in relationship to the whole. No one part of the prayer should be isolated as more important or more central than another” (Joseph DeGrocco, “The Church At Prayer: Eucharistic Prayer: Post-Sanctus and Institution Narrative, The Long Island Catholic, 51 (August 8, 2012)).
The Eucharistic Prayer begins with a dialogue between the priest and the assembly. We are invited to lift up our hearts.To lift up our hearts means to give ourselves completely to God and not just during Mass but our whole lives – we keep our focus on God as the center of our lives.
Then we are invited to join in the prayer of thanksgiving. We respond that it is right and just. This is a translation of the Latin: Dignum et iustum est.
Dignum means right or appropriate and Iustum means “just” or “righteous.” Thomas Aquinas, the great 13th century theologian, suggests that justice is to give to someone what is due to them. So when the priest says “let us give thanks to the Lord our God” and we respond with “it is right and just” we are saying that it is right and appropriate to give thanks to God. Not only is it right but it is also just because thanks is something that is due to God in response to all God has given us, especially the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
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July 8, 2018
Now we come to the second part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist -The Eucharistic Prayer which is the high point and center of the Mass. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek word eucharisteinwhich means thanksgiving. This is a great prayer of thanksgiving to God for creation and salvation.
It is also a prayer of sanctification. Sanctify comes from two Latin words: Sanctus meaning holy andfacere meaning to make. To sanctify is to make something holy. In the Eucharistic Prayer we ask God to send the Holy Spirit to sanctify the gifts of bread and wine “so they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eucharistic Prayer II).
Sanctify also means to render productive or conducive to holiness. In the Eucharistic Prayer we also pray that we may be made holy so that we “may become one body, one spirit in Christ.” (Eucharistic Prayer III).
This prayer is addressed “in the name of the entire community to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit….The Eucharistic Prayer requires that everybody listens to it with reverence and in silence.” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal #78) We listen silently but we also join in the introductory Dialogue, the Sanctus Acclamation, the Memorial Acclamation, and the Great Amen which concludes the prayer.
There are ten Eucharistic Prayers that can be used. Eucharistic Prayer I is the traditional Roman Canon which dates back to at least the seventh century in the revision of Pope Gregory I although parts of it are much older. Very minor revisions were made since the time of Pope Gregory I. This was the only Eucharistic Prayer used until 1968 when Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV were introduced. Eucharistic Prayer II is based on a much older source the Anaphora of the Apostolic Tradition. Eucharistic Prayers III and IV are much more recent compositions.
There are also two Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation and four Eucharistic Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions each with a different theme (The Church on the Path of Unity; God Guides His Church along the Way of Salvation; Jesus, the Way to the Father; Jesus, Who Went About Doing Good).
In the Eucharistic Prayer we enter into the Paschal Mystery – the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ through which he accomplished his work of Redemption setting us free from the slavery of sin. Benedict Groeschel tells us that the Paschal Mystery “…means that we are a people, fallen, wounded, lost, and then saved by sonship in Christ and promised eternal life; we are united with the Son of God as He offers to His Father the worship of a world redeemed” (Benedict J Groeschel, Listening At Prayer: 65).
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July 1, 2018
We have examined four of the six elements that make up the Preparation of the Gifts: Preparation of the Altar, Presentation of the Gifts, The Berakah Prayer, and the Offering of Incense. This week we consider the final two elements: The Washing of Hands, and the Prayer over the Gifts.
The priest washes his hands. This is not meant to be a physical washing but a spiritual washing. In Judaism and in the early days of the Church the idea of washing one’s hands expressed “the need for inner purity at the beginning of a religious act” (Introduction to the Order of the Mass: 77).
The priest prays: “Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Roman Missal). This prayer is prayed inaudibly so we do not hear it. It is a prayer of purification on the part of the priest and not on the part of the assembly.
At the conclusion of the Preparation of the Gifts the priest invites us to pray that this sacrifice “may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father” (Roman Missal). “What we offer is given back to us to be used for God’s glory and for the building up of the Church” (Joseph DeGrocco, “The Church At Prayer: The Preparation of the Gifts.” The Long Island Catholic, 50 (April 25, 2012). Therefore, we respond by praying that this sacrifice may give praise to God and be of benefit to us and all the Church.
Pope Francis reminds us:
“Certainly our offering is small but Christ needs this small amount. The Lord asks little of us and he gives us so much. He asks for little. He asks us for good will in our ordinary lives; he asks us for an open heart; he asks us to seek to be better in order to welcome the One who offers himself to us in the Eucharist; he asks us for these symbolic offerings which will become his Body and Blood” (Francis, General Audience, February 28, 2018).
Then in the Prayer over the Gifts we pray that God will transform us into images of Christ in the world through these offerings of bread and wine which will become the Body and Blood of Christ. For example:
“Accept, O Lord, we pray, the offerings which we bring from the abundance of your gifts, that through the powerful working of your grace these most sacred mysteries many sanctify our present way of life and lead us to eternal gladness” (Roman Missal, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time).
We respond “Amen” in which we “express the depth of the willingness of all present to offer themselves through Christ, and with Him, and in Him, and the willingness themselves to be offerings transformed, just as the offerings of bread and wine are transformed.” (Joseph DeGrocco, The Long Island Catholic, May 9, 2012)
As we move to the Eucharistic Prayer and the Communion Rite, we join the offering of bread, wine, and ourselves to the offering of Christ. “The bread and wine, offered to the God who doesn’t need them, will return to the offerers immeasurably elevated as the Body and Blood of Christ” (Robert Barron, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith: 184).
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June 24, 2018
Last week we considered the Berakah Prayers that are prayed over the bread and the wine brought forth from the assembly when they are placed on the altar. Notice in these prayers we are reminded that God created the world and everything we have comes from him. We use God’s gifts in our human labor. In bringing gifts of bread and wine we bring something from creation. Timothy P. O’Malley notes that “…we offer the gift of creation back to God” (Bored Again Catholic: How the Mass Could Save Your Life: 118).
Bishop Robert Barron explains why these gifts of bread and wine symbolize all of creation:
“To say bread and wine is to imply wheat and vine; and to say wheat and vine is to imply earth, soil, water, wind, and sunshine; and to say earth, soil, water, wind, and sunshine is to imply the solar system and indeed the cosmos itself” (Robert Barron, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith: 183).
But there is even more to this. In presenting gifts of bread and wine, we also bring the gift of ourselves with all our goodness and also with all our imperfections. “In effect, what we place on the table is all our work, our very lives, and creation itself, as a gift to be offered to God.” (Gilbert Ostdiek, “A Mystagogy of the Eucharist.” Liturgical Ministry, 20 (Fall 2011): 163).
We may recall the prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola:
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.
On more solemn occasions, the gifts may be incensed along with the altar and the cross “…to signify the Church’s offering and prayer rising like incense in the sight of God.” The priest and the assembly are also incensed – the priest “…because of his sacred ministry” and the people “…by reason of their baptismal dignity” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal # 75).
Pope Francis explains the deeper meaning of the use of incense:
“An image of this offering of prayer is represented by incense which, consumed by fire, releases a perfumed smoke that rises upwards: incensing the offerings, as is done on feast days, incensing the Cross and the altar, the priest and the priestly people visibly manifest their bond of offering which unites these realities to Christ’s Sacrifice” (Francis, General Audience, February 28, 2018).
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June 17, 2018
The Preparation of the Gifts is the first of the three main parts of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We will consider six elements which make up this part of the Mass: Preparation of the Altar, Presentation of the Gifts, The Berakah Prayer, the Offering of Incense, Washing of Hands, and the Prayer over the Offerings.
The Liturgy of the Word is centered at the ambo from which the Word of God is proclaimed. Now in the Liturgy of the Eucharist the focus moves to the altar which is empty. The first thing we do is prepare the altar with what is needed for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This “…indicates that a new and important stage of the liturgy is about to begin.” (Introduction to the Order of the Mass: 76). In addition, during this time the collection is taken in which we offer monetary gifts for the needs of church and for the poor who are in need of our assistance.
Once the altar is prepared, members of the assembly bring forth the gifts of bread, wine, and the monetary gifts for presentation to the priest or deacon assisted by the altar servers.
“The procession with the gifts is a powerful expression of the participation of all present in the Eucharist and in the social mission of the Church. It is an expression of a humble and contrite heart, the disposition of self that is necessary for making the true offering, which Jesus gave his people to make with him” (Introduction to the Order of the Mass: 77).
The priest prays what is called the Berakah Prayer. This is a form of prayer that goes back to the Old Testament and is a way of thanking God for all we have received from him. It is a prayer of blessing over the bread and the wine which are gifts from God but also the work of our hands.
First the prayer over the bread:
“Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and the work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life” (Roman Missal).
An ancient practice was to add water to wine to make it less strong. This later took on a symbolic meaning of the union of Christ with the Church as well as the union of divinity and humanity in Christ. The priest prays quietly:
“By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity” (Roman Missal).
Now the prayer over the wine:
“Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you; fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink” (Roman Missal).
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June 10, 2018
As we continue our Year of Prayer we turn back to our reflections on the Mass in order that we may grow into a fuller more active and conscious participation as the assembly in this important form of prayer. We have seen that the Mass has two major parts – the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist – preceded by a short Introductory Rite and ending with an even shorter Concluding Rite. We are reminded, however, that each of these parts of the Mass are “…so closely interconnected that they form but one single act of worship” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal: #28).
In order for us to grow in our understanding of the Mass, we need to examine each part of the Mass in more detail. So far this year we have examined the Introductory Rite and the Liturgy of the Word. You can find these bulletin articles archived on the parish website stmarktampa.org (Faith Formation/Adults/Adult Faith Formation At Your Convenience).
Now we turn to the second major part of the Mass – the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us that he “…received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said: “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying: “This is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.” (1Cor 11:23-25)
In the Liturgy of the Eucharist we do these same four actions of Jesus: take, thank, break, and give. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is divided into three parts. In the Preparation of the Gifts we take the gifts of bread and wine. In the Eucharistic Prayer we offer thanks and the bread and wine become the very body and blood of Jesus Christ. Then in the Communion Rite we break the bread that is the Body of Christ and it is given to us along with the cup of the wine which is the Blood of Christ.
Pope Francis expands on this idea:
“Obedient to Jesus’ commands, the Church organized the Eucharistic Liturgy into moments which correspond to the words and the actions performed by him on the eve of his Passion. Thus in the preparation of the gifts, the bread and the wine — that is, the elements which Christ took into his hands — are brought to the altar. In the Eucharistic Prayer, we give thanks to God for the whole work of redemption, and the offerings become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This is followed by the breaking of the Bread and Communion, through which we relive the experience of the Apostles who received the Eucharistic gifts from Christ’s own hands” (Francis, General Audience, February 28, 2018).
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June 3, 2018
During this Year of Prayer at St. Mark we are trying to offer different types of prayer experiences so each of us can find a type of prayer that is meaningful for us as an individual. As we learned, different types of prayer are suited to different types of personality.
One type of prayer we considered last week is a Novena. We noted that there are many different Novenas which can be prayed privately. Novenas can also be prayed together in a group and here at St. Mark there is a group that meets every Thursday night in the St. Michael room in the Church at 7 PM to pray the Novena in honor of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. You are welcome to come any Thursday night to experience this type of prayer.
On Nov 27, 1830 Catherine Laboure (a member of the Daughters of Charity in France) had a vision of Mary and a voice told her: “Have a medal struck after this model. All those who wear it will receive great graces. It should be worn around the neck” (Perpetual Novena in Honor of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Philadelphia, PA: The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal, 1963: 12).
On the front of the medal is an image of Mary crushing the head of a serpent while standing on a globe. She stretches out her hands with rays of light extending to all. Around this image are the words: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
On the back of the medal is the letter M above which is a cross. Under the letter M are two hearts representing the heart of Jesus crowned with thorns and the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword.
These medals began to be produced in 1832 and became known as the Miraculous Medal. In 1905 St. Pius X established the Association of the Miraculous Medal “…to render due honor to Mary Immaculate, first by sanctifying ourselves, and second by contributing to the sanctification of our neighbor” (Perpetual Novena in Honor of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Philadelphia, PA: The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal, 1963: 13-14).
A novena in honor of the Miraculous Medal began at a shrine in the Germantown area of Philadelphia in 1927. It was celebrated for nine days in February, May, August, and November. In 1930 (the 100th anniversary of the vision) due to its popularity it became a perpetual novena celebrated once a week every Monday and has continued uninterrupted to this day at the shrine. This novena spread to other parishes and is prayed privately by many people and also publicly in groups as we do each Thursday night here at St. Mark.at 7 PM.
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May 27, 2018
We have been examining the Mass as part of our Year of Prayer here at St. Mark. The public prayer of the Church in the liturgy is the highest form of prayer and the most important but related to this is the idea of devotional prayer which “…refers to the numerous forms of personalized prayer that have grown up outside, but complementary to, the liturgical prayer of the Church” (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. Washington DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2006: 509).
“Faithful practice of popular devotional practices can help us experience God in our everyday lives and conform us more closely to Jesus Christ” (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. Washington DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2006: 301). Some popular types of devotional prayer are the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, and Novenas. Before we continue our examination of the Mass, we will take time in this Year of Prayer to consider what we mean by a Novena which is another type of prayer that appeals to many people.
The English word novena comes from the Latin word novem meaning nine. A novena refers to nine days of prayer. This prayer can be directly to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or it can invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary or a saint. It can be prayed for nine days in a row or one day a week for nine weeks or once a month for nine months. Some novenas are perpetual novenas that do not end after nine times but continue on a regular basis. A novena can be done publicly in a group or can be prayed privately.
The idea of nine days of prayer comes from the nine days Mary and the disciples of Jesus spent in prayer between the Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The apostles “…devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” (Acts 1:14).
Novenas often request intercession for certain requests and petitions but we must also remember: “Novenas should not be seen as magical incantations that guarantee desired results. God controls the universe and we certainly do not control God. …This means that whatever good intentions we pray for, we must accept the fact that God knows what’s best for us, whether we understand His divine intention or not. “Thy will be done” is the proper posture of all Christian prayer. Any so-called novena prayer circulating around that contains guaranteed results, and threatening misfortune for those who fail to devote themselves to it is merely a chain-letter; these should be ignored” (“How to Pray a Novena” (accessed May 16, 2018).)
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May 20, 2018
We have been examining the Mass as part of our Year of Prayer here at St. Mark. We completed a look at the first two parts of the Mass: The Introductory Rite and the Liturgy of the Word. Before we continue, this is a good time to reflect on the Year of Prayer.
In prayer we develop a personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. During this Year of Prayer we considered how we can pray based on our personality types with a presentation by Brian Lemoi in February. We learned that there are many different ways to pray and each one of us needs to find the way that is best for us. This is different for each person.
We offered an experience of the Divine Mercy prayer on Divine Mercy Sunday on April 8. We also offered an experience of the Liturgy of the Hours when we celebrated Vespers (Evening Prayer) together on the Feast of St. Mark on April 25. On May 19 we offered an experience on the Rosary. We are working on more experiences of different types of prayer as we continue this year. Please watch for announcements in the bulletin.
Our relationship with God is personal in many ways as we have learned. We seek to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jane Regan notes: “While personal in nature, the relationship with Jesus is not individual. We are called into communion with Jesus Christ in the context of a community of faith. It is within the faith community that each person’s relationship with Jesus is defined and strengthened” (Toward an Adult Church: 159).
The most important way (not the only way) we pray together as a community of faith is in the celebration of the Mass. This is why we have been reflecting on the Mass with the hope that as a community here at St. Mark we will grow in a fuller, more active and conscious participation in the Mass. When we offer ourselves to God at Mass, we allow God to transform us and do something beautiful for us, among us, and within us.
We are doing this in these weekly articles as we reflect on each of the parts of the Mass. I hope this has been helpful. You can access copies of each article on the St. Mark website under Faith Formation/Adults/Adult Faith Formation (or stmarktampa.org/adult-faith- formation-at-your-convenience) .
We also provided a video presentation by Fr. Mike Schmitz called Altaration: The Mystery of the Mass Revealed. This was done over a period of six weeks before Mass during Lent. Many people missed parts of this and have asked about seeing it. It is not available on the internet since it must be purchased. We will present the full video (one hour) for those who wish to view it. Please watch the bulletin for more information once we can schedule a time for this presentation.
Hopefully, we have grown and can continue to grow in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ within the context of our faith community here at St. Mark as we continue this Year of Prayer.
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May 13, 2018
The Liturgy of the Word concludes with the Universal Prayer also known as the Prayer of the Faithful or General Intercessions. Thomas Richstatter explains the purpose of the Universal Prayer. He notes that we often look in the mirror in the morning to comb our hair, put on makeup, or adjust our tie. We look to see if we are presenting ourselves to the world the way we want to have others see us. We often find we need to make some adjustments to our hair, makeup, or tie. He suggests that “...we look into the readings as we would look into a mirror to see if the Christ presented there resembles the Body of Christ here in this assembly.” (Eucharist Jesus With Us June 2005) We realize that adjustments are needed and we pray that God will open all of us throughout the world to be changed. The intentions we pray for “help us to become who God is calling us to be.” (Richstatter, Catholic Update September 2011).
Pope Francis notes: “The intentions for which the faithful people are invited to pray must give voice to the concrete needs of the ecclesial community and of the world”(Francis, General Audience, February 14, 2018). In the Universal Prayer we look beyond just the needs of the local community and are united with the local Church of the diocese and the universal Church. We begin with an Invitation to prayer by the priest. A series of Intentions are offered and we are asked to pray in a spirit of petition (for example: “Lord hear our prayer.”).
Intentions are offered for the church, public authorities and the salvation of the world, those who experience particular needs, and the local community. If there is not deacon these intentions are offered by a reader, cantor, or other member of the assembly. The priest concludes with a prayer to God the Father asking for our petitions to be heard.
This prayer does not need to include everything. God already knows what we need. “We are not setting God’s agenda, nor are we here to tell God what to do. Intercessions serve as a means of lifting up our needs and those of others in prayer to remind us that we depend on God’s goodness. They help us bring our neighbors to mind so that we might not forget our obligation to each other” (Janiga, p. 10).
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May 6, 2018
After the homily and the dismissal of the Catechumens (if they are present), we stand to profess our faith in the Creed. Creed comes from the Latin word credo which means “I believe.” The articles of faith which we profess are based on the scriptures and that is why it is appropriate that we profess this faith right after the proclamation of the Word of God in the readings which have been heard and in the homily where this Word of God has been explained.
This profession of faith is essential to receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in communion. This is why the Catechumens are dismissed before the Creed since they are not yet in full communion with the Church. We send them forth with these words: “We look forward to the day when you will share fully in the Lord’s Table” (RCIA #67). In the Creed we “…confess the great mysteries of the faith by proclaiming the rule of faith…before the celebration of these mysteries in the Eucharist” (GIRM #67).
We show our unity by confessing the same faith together in a summary of the essential beliefs of that faith. But it is more than just a statement of what we believe. “It is a response not only to doctrinal propositions but also to the person of Christ in the world” (Lawrence J. Johnson, The Mystery of Faith: A Study of the Structural Elements of the Order of the Mass. Washington DC: Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, 1994: 51).
It is a commitment of our lives to God. We made that commitment at the time of our baptism and now we renew that commitment. This is why we state: “I believe.” Our profession is personal. But it is also communal in the sense that each personal assent is joined to the personal assent of each member of the community. “To say the Credo with faith is to enter into communion with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and also with the whole Church which transmits the faith to us and in whose midst we believe” (Catechism of the Catholic Church: # 197).
Two creeds have a special place in the Church – the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed – and either one can be used at Mass. However, most of the time we use the Nicene Creed which came from the Council of Nicea in 325 and was completed during the Council of Constantinople in 381. The Apostles Creed which is shorter and much older is “…considered to be a faithful summary of the apostles’ faith” (Catechism of the Catholic Church: #194). It originated in Rome in the early days of the Church.
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