Part One

This Sunday, the Psalm proclaims, “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge (Ps 90).. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about the importance of realizing what our true treasures are and letting them be built up in Heaven. When you and I come to Mass, we have an encounter with God’s Word and receive the gift of Christ’s Body and Blood—the food intended to strengthen us on our journey to Heaven. Often, as we come to Mass, we may miss the deeper significance of what we are hearing and who we are encountering at the celebration. For this reason, over the next few weeks, I would like to repeat a series of sermons on the Mass that I gave here one summer a few years ago.

Over the next three weeks, I would like to spend some time going over the Mass and explaining a little bit about why we do what we do at Mass and how the celebration of the Eucharist might bear more fruit in our faith lives. As I deliver these homilies over these three Sundays, I thought I would divide them up into three different topics. Today, I would like to talk about what the Mass is and why we celebrate it each Sunday. Next week, I would like to talk about the first two parts of the Mass, those being the Entrance Rites and the Liturgy of the Word. On the weekend of August 16 and 17, I will speak about the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Dismissal Rites.

The most important thing about the Eucharist, and the only reason why we celebrate it, is that Jesus told us to do so in memory of Him. The Eucharist has a central place in all of the Gospels and New Testament writings. It is what makes the Christian community. As the end of His time on earth approached, Jesus gathered His disciples to celebrate with them the Last Supper. The Last Supper is presented in some of the Gospels as a Passover Meal celebrated by Jesus with His Jewish Apostles. The Jews celebrated Passover in obedience to God’s command to Moses to recount the way in which God had saved the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and delivered them to freedom in the Promised Land. Exodus 12 recounts how God had commanded them to do this in order to recall how God had made them His people and saved them. As they celebrated the meal, the Scriptures were read to them and they heard the story of how God had saved them. The unleavened bread reminded them of the fact that they had to flee for their lives and did not have time to prepare the bread properly. This is why we use unleavened bread at Mass. As they recounted how God saved them, the Jews remembered how God had intervened in history to form them into His chosen people. The Passover Meal was a remembrance of the Covenant that God had formed with His people. It was celebrated to remind them of what God had done for them when he delivered them from Egypt to the Promised Land.

At the end of His ministry, Jesus arranged to celebrate this Passover Meal with His disciples and did something radically different. Once they have gathered at the table, He announced that He wished to give them a New Covenant; one that will be formed in His Body and Blood. Knowing that He was about to be betrayed by Judas, and handed over for crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples that He was giving them His Body and Blood to eat and drink so that they might live a New Covenant that will be formed by the spilling of His blood. By identifying this meal with the sacrifice that He is about to make for the “forgiveness of sins,” Jesus identifies the bread and wine as His Body and Blood and gives it a new significance and identity. As He did this, He told His disciples, who did not yet understand what was happening, that they were to celebrate this in memory of Him. At the Last Supper, Jesus identified the bread and wine as His Body and Blood that would be given to save the sins of all. Whereas the Passover meal celebrated that God delivered the People of Israel to the Promised Land, where they would live free from slavery in His presence, Jesus established the Last Supper as that meal that commemorated His sacrifice and gave us His Body and Blood to free us from death and so that He might dwell in us, wherever we might be, until the end of time.

I mentioned that some of the Gospels present the Last Supper as a Passover Meal. The one that does not is the Gospel of John. In John’s Gospel, the Last Supper is presented as a meal which takes place on the night before the Passover. Some scholars say that it might have been common at that time for friends to celebrate the Passover together earlier, while the main celebration would have taken place with the family on the night of the 14^th of Nissan. However, there is a more important reason why John has the Last Supper on the night before the Passover. On the night before the Passover, the Jews would have sacrificed the paschal lambs in the temple. These would then be taken home to be eaten by the families the next night. The lambs were sacrificed to remember the blood of the lambs that were placed on the doorposts of the Israelites to save their first born when the angel of death passed over Egypt. John presents Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and saves all people from their sins. By the sacrifice of His blood, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Every time that we celebrate Mass, we acknowledge this before we come to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we receive Christ and remember what He did to give us eternal life. This life is to begin “now” as He comes to dwell within us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and invites us to live in communion with Him now, in order that we might live in Communion with Him for all eternity.

As we read the accounts of the Last Supper in the Gospels, it is clear that the disciples did not understand at the time what Jesus was doing. In fact, it was impossible that they could understand until He had risen from the dead.  Following the meal, when Jesus was arrested, the disciples all ran away in fear. The only one to remain at His side was John and the Blessed Mother, who watched at the cross. It was only after His resurrection that the disciples began to understand what he had done at the Last Supper. On the day that Jesus rose form the dead, being a Sunday, the first day of the week, Jesus began to appear to His disciples and explain the Scriptures to them, while breaking the bread with them (Luke 24:13-35). It was at these Sunday gatherings, when the Risen Christ Himself appeared to the disciples and broke the bread with them, that they began to understand that He had risen and that the Eucharist was the meal at which He would continue His presence with them. During the first forty days after His resurrection, Jesus Himself appeared in their midst to show Himself present with them. However, as He did on the Road to Emmaus, once they had recognized Him in the breaking of the bread, He did not need to remain present to them in any other form than his Body and Blood. Following His resurrection appearances, the Church would celebrate His resurrection every Sunday at the celebration of the Eucharist.

Following the example of Jesus’ resurrection appearances, the Church learned to do what Jesus had commanded them to do “in memory of Him” every Sunday. As the day on which Jesus rose from the dead, Sunday is the day on which the Church celebrates all of creation being renewed and saved. In the Old Covenant, the Jews rested on the day that God rested after creating the world. Christians observed the day of rest on the day that Christ had renewed all of creation by His resurrection. In fact, from the Christian perspective, there would have been no point in God creating humanity if we were doomed simply to die. Christ redeemed and recreated the world by His resurrection. His death and resurrection restored all that had been lost by original sin. Had he not redeemed us, all of God’s work of creation would have been lost and in vain.

This salvation is what we are called to celebrate every Sunday. It is why Sunday is different from any other day. While a person can go to Mass every day of the week, Catholics are obliged to go to Mass on Sundays to remember what Christ has done for us in His resurrection and to do what He has commanded us to do “in memory of Him.” As we receive Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist, Christ Himself is again present to us as He was to the early disciples and we are called to be His presence in the world today. At each Mass, we listen to His Word and encounter His true presence in the Eucharist. After we have heard His Word proclaimed for us today and eaten His Body and Blood, we are sent into the world to continue His work. As this Sunday’s readings speak to us of the call to hear God’s Word and build up real treasure in Heaven, we are reminded that we must each prepare our hearts to encounter Christ in the Mass, and that this preparation and the understanding that we bring to the Eucharist, are an essential part of the preparation that we give our hearts to receive Him in Word and Sacrament.

Next week, we will look at the first two parts of the Mass- the Entrance Rites and the Liturgy of the Word. The following week, we will look at the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Dismissal Rites. This will assist us to prepare our hearts to receive the gift that is given to us each time we celebrate the Eucharist.

May we always be aware of the precious gift we receive in the Eucharist.

Part Two—Introductory Rites and the Liturgy of the Word

Last Sunday, the Gospel presented us with a parable about a rich man who wanted to build new barns to store all his many possessions. As he planned to do so, the story told us that he would be taken in the middle of the night and all of his work and possession would be in vain; if he did not also exercise care for his eternal well being. As the series of parables continues, this Sunday, we hear a parable about the need to be ready each day to encounter the Lord, for we never know when we will meet him. Each one of us could meet our end at any point. I certainly watch in fear many days, as parishioners cross in front of the church to and from the subway station, never looking for oncoming traffic. As a public service announcement, let me just remind you that there is a light a block away.

As I stated in the homily last weekend, these parables and the attention they give to caring for the spiritual wellbeing of our lives, provide a good opportunity to reflect on the Mass and the Eucharist, which is so essential for our spiritual wellbeing. In particular, these Gospel readings provide an opportunity to reflect more on the Mass and an effort to increase the participation of parishioners in the celebration of the Eucharist. Last Sunday, I began this series of homilies about the Mass by preaching about why we celebrate the Mass and what it is that we believe we are doing when we do so. This week, I would like to speak about the Introductory Rites to Mass and the Liturgy of the Word. Next weekend, I will conclude by speaking about the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Dismissal Rites. As this division suggests, the Mass is divided into four parts that form a unity, these are: 1) The Introductory Rites; 2) The Liturgy of the Word; 3) The Liturgy of the Eucharist; and 4) the Dismissal Rites.

1. The Introductory Rites:
At the beginning of each Roman Missal, the book used for the celebration of Mass, there is an instruction that has the official name The General Instruction to the Roman Missal. This document explains how Mass is to be celebrated and the way in which the members of the Church are to participate in the celebration of the Mass. It is an essential document for all who really wish to understand the Mass and the way in which it is to be celebrated. This document divides the Introductory Rites into six parts. These are: 1) The Entrance Hymn; 2) The Greeting; 3) The Penitential Rite; 4) the Kyrie; 5) The Gloria; and 6) The Collect or Opening Prayer. A brief look at each aspect of the Introductory Rites is helpful.

i. The Opening Hymn:
The purpose of the Opening Hymn is to help us who come to Mass make a transition from the busy world we come from as individuals and to assist to form us into a worshipping community. Through baptism we were all made members of the Body of Christ. When we gather as a community, we are intended to be one community of God’s people united in prayer. The hymn is important for helping us to make this transition and for forming us into one. For this reason, it is important that we arrive on time to participate in the opening hymn and that we add our voices to the assembly. If we choose not to sing, we are very subtly choosing not to be formed into the one community. Many people have different opinions about what is good music. However, by singing along, we allow our preferences to be put aside so that we can all be members of the one community. Others choose not to sing because they think they do not have a good voice. For those who feel their voice might not be good enough for singing, I share with you something that a priest once said to me: “If God gave you a good voice, sing out loud and praise Him. If God gave you a bad voice, sing out twice as loud and get Him back.” One of the most important ways that we can participate in the Mass is by singing out loud and joining in the hymns and responses.

ii. The Greeting:
When we gather as a liturgical assembly, the priest who is presiding greets us with a short greeting that is taken from scripture. This greeting is different from those that begin a normal meeting. It reminds us that our assembly is gathered together in the name of the Lord. The greeting may be “The Lord be with you.” Whatever greeting that is used, it reminds us that we are not a regular group of people meeting on our own. We gather in the name of the Lord who has called us together to celebrate the Eucharist in memory of Him. Ours is a sacred assembly. Then the priest may express a few words about the specific nature of the gathering, perhaps mentioning the nature of the feast or a few words from the Gospel to centre us on the purpose of the gathering. As Christ’s people, we gather in His presence and He is with us in our celebration.

iii. The Penitential Rite:
After the Greeting, the celebrant invites us to ask God for His mercy before we begin our celebration. We are invited to the Eucharist as a result of our baptisms. The Penitential Rite is an opportunity to acknowledge the times that we have failed to live our baptismal call and to love God and neighbour as self. While mortal and serious sins are forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we often come to Mass with venial or less serious sins. These can be forgiven at the Penitential Rite. Some people think that Christians believe they are perfect or that those who come to Church are somehow better then others. The fact that we begin each Mass with an acknowledgment that we are all sinners in “need of God’s love and mercy,” is for me a very powerful reminder that only with God’s help can we be the people that we are called to be. The Christian religion is not about how good those in the Church are; it is about how good and merciful God is and what we can become through His grace alone.

iv. The Kyrie:
In the ancient liturgy, the “Lord have Mercy” was expressed in Greek with the words “Kyrie eleison.” It is sometimes included as a part of the Penitential Rite, but is actually intended as a separate form of praise of the God who is all merciful. It derived it’s place in the liturgy as a type of litany praising Christ as the Lord. Today, it remains in the Mass as a threefold form of praising Christ and His attributes.

v. The Gloria:
This is an ancient hymn that goes back to the third century. It echoes the praises that were sung by the angels in the Gospel of Luke when Christ was born (Luke 2:14). It is sung or said at Mass on feasts and solemnities. Because Sunday is a solemnity that celebrates the resurrection of Christ, we sing it on all the Sundays of the year, except during the seasons of Advent and Lent. It reminds us that just as Christ was born into the poverty of the manger on Christmas Day, so too at the celebration of each Mass, He will come into our midst in the Eucharist. At every Mass, we are to be joyful that Christ is coming into our midst. Taking our proper part in singing this hymn and responding to all of the parts of the Mass that belong to each of us is one of the most important ways that we can participate in the celebration of the Eucharist.

vi. The Collect (or Opening Prayer):
As the Opening Rites come to an end, the hope is that they will have been effective in forming us into a community. The priest who is presiding at the Mass now turns to God the Father to present all of our prayers on our behalf. As the priest is bringing all of our prayers to present to the Father, the opening prayer has the official name “the collect.” This is to indicate that the priest is gathering the prayers of our one community to present them to the Father on our behalf. We ought to listen to the prayer and add our own thoughts and intentions to it. As the prayer is concluded we are to give our assent to what is asked in the prayer by giving our “Amen” at its conclusion. The fact that all of these rites are intended to form us in to a community that will celebrate Christ’s resurrection points out to us why it is significant that we be present for these rites in order that they might effectively incorporate us into the celebrating community.

2. The Liturgy of the Word:
Although I have said that the General Instruction to the Roman Missal speaks of the four different parts of the one Mass, often the Mass is spoken of being divided into its two essential but united aspects: The Liturgy of the Word and The Liturgy of the Eucharist. Just as we get to know human beings through their spoken voice and visible bodies, so too in the Mass, Christ both speaks to us and is made present in His Body. In Catholic theology the expression is often used of “Word and Sacrament.” At Mass, we have the Altar of the Word, from which Christ’s Word is proclaimed, and the Altar of Sacrifice, from which we receive His Body and Blood. By God’s Word, we always mean the Sacred Scriptures. The readings at Mass must always come from the Bible. The Catholic Sacraments are revealed in the Scriptures and it is from the Scriptures that we learn of their meaning and significance. We cannot have the Sacraments without God’s revealed Word. The Scriptures are our Books which reveal who Christ is and speak His word to us today. In fact, the word ‘today” is very important because we believe that when the Scriptures are proclaimed at Mass, it is Christ who speaks to us today in His Word. The homily is intended to interpret God’s Word for us today and put it into the present context in a way that is meaningful to us.

As we speak about the Liturgy of the Word, I would like to say just a little bit about how the readings that we hear proclaimed are chosen. At a Council in the 1960’s, called the Second Vatican Council, the bishops of the Church decided that we should hear from a more abundant selection of Scripture at Mass. It was decided that there should be a three-year cycle for Sunday readings. Because there was a long tradition of reading the Gospel of John each year in the Seasons of Lent, Easter and Christmas, this three-year cycle was to be based on the reading of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Those who decided on this cycle gave these years the very fancy names of “Year A, Year B and Year C.” In year A, we read the Gospel of Matthew, in Year B the Gospel of Mark, and in Year C that of Luke. This year, we are in Year C, and so we have been reading from Luke’s Gospel. The idea is to go through the events of Christ’s life each year, so that today these mysteries might touch our lives anew. The way in which you and I hear these events as children is different than the way we hear them as adults, and this is different than how we hear them as senior citizens. The message of Christ’s life hits us differently at the different stages of our own lives. The hope is that by hearing His message over and over though the course of our lives, it will mold us to be like Him and strengthen us on our own paths. We may think that Christ is not with us in our trials, but then hear how he was present to His disciples in their difficulties and come to a new and hopeful realization of His presence in our lives.

On most Sundays, there are four readings from Scripture: the first reading, psalm, second reading, and the Gospel. These are all chosen with a certain logic. As I mentioned that each year we work our way through one of the Gospels of either Matthew, Mark or Luke, the Gospel was the first reading that was chosen in the selection of the Sunday readings. Once the Gospel was chosen, a reading from the Old Testament was chosen for the first reading, in order to shed light on the meaning of the Gospel. This always helps us to understand the extent to which God has gone to save us. His plan has been at work since creation and He is always seeking to save us. Once the first reading from the Old Testament has been proclaimed, the Psalm is chosen as a response to the Word that has been proclaimed in the Old Testament reading. The purpose of the Responsorial Psalm is that we all ought to respond to God’s Word. Even when we do not respond, we are choosing a response. This is another moment when our response is important. This Sunday, as the first reading from the Book Wisdom spoke of God’s choosing the people of Israel and His call to them, we are invited to respond through the Responsorial Psalm by proclaiming: “Blessed are the people the Lord has chosen to be His own.” Once the Responsorial Psalm has been concluded, the second reading is proclaimed. This Sunday, the beautiful Letter to the Hebrews also speaks of God’s call to Abraham and the response to be given by people of faith. The reform of the liturgy which took place after Second Vatican Council added the second reading as a way giving greater exposure to some of the New Testament letters that were not widely read. While they are not chosen in relation to the Gospel, or other readings proclaimed on a particular Sunday, there is often a subtle relationship based on the fact that they announce the same Good News of Christ’s salvation. Once the second reading has been proclaimed, we are all invited to respond to it by singing the “Alleluia” which announces the joyful anticipation of the Gospel that will be proclaimed.

The proclamation of the Gospel is the highpoint of the Liturgy of the Word. We believe that when it is read, it is Christ Himself speaking to us today. This is why we stand when the Gospel is read. During the singing of the Alleluia, we hear a verse of Scripture sung that helps to shed some light on the meaning of the Gospel. As the priest announces the Gospel, he and we, cross our foreheads, lips and hearts, while quietly saying to ourselves: “May the Lord be on my mind, on my lips and on my heart.” By these words, we remind ourselves that this lifegiving Word that is proclaimed is to penetrate and take root in our minds and hearts, so that we might speak it to others, be changed by I, and have it in mind as we think about our lives and plans. Once the Gospel has been proclaimed, we are seated for the homily. Pope Francis has said that the homily should be about ten to twelve minutes in length. In some traditions, especially those which do not have the Eucharist, the homily or the sermon may be an hour. The purpose of the homily is to make the Word that is proclaimed, or a part of the liturgy, relevant or alive for us today. The homily is usually based on the readings, but it could also be based on another part of the liturgy like the Eucharistic Prayer or a mystery being celebrated; for example Christmas or Easter. The homily is often the most difficult part of Mass for the priest who must prepare it, and the people who must listen to it. In order to get more out of the homily, it is important that both the preacher and the listener prepare. Taking a few minutes before Mass to read the Scripture readings in the Missal can add greatly to our appreciation of the Mass. When a person has read the Scripture readings beforehand, he or she can listen better and even have an idea of what he or she might have said differently. If you want to get more out of Mass, please consider praying over the Scripture readings before Mass. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.

Once the homily is concluded there ought to be a short silence for people to reflect on the Word that has been proclaimed. Silence is also to have a place in our liturgy as it gives space for the individual to let the Word take root and grow. The response to the proclaimed Word on a Sunday is the invitation to proclaim our faith by reciting the Creed. The Creed is a summary of all that is essential to the faith. The proclamation of the Word was to strengthen our conviction in the faith and our desire to live it. There are two Creeds that might be used: either the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed. The Apostles Creed is the more ancient and the Nicene Creed was composed to answer certain challenges to the Divinity of Christ and other questions about His relationship to the other eternal members of the Holy Trinity. Following the Creed, we place our needs and intentions before God, asking His assistance in the Prayers of the Faithful. Normally these prayers express the needs of the Church, pray for our civil leaders, ask for God’s help with world and local needs, and pray for the sick and deceased.

The Liturgy of the Word concludes at the end of the Prayers of the Faithful. The Word has prepared the assembly to receive Christ in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. To really be ready to receive this great gift, it is necessary that we prepare our hearts appropriately by participating fully and actively in the Introductory Rites and the Liturgy of the Word. Next Sunday, I will reflect on the source and summit of the Christian life in the Liturgy of the Eucharist and Dismissal Rites.

May the Lord give all of us the grace to celebrate the Eucharist each Sunday in a manner that allows us to receive this wonderful gift and bear fruit in the life of the Church.

Part Three—The Liturgy of the Eucharist and Dismissal Rites

The Gospel of Luke today continues the series of parables that we have been listening to these past few weeks with parables about what true discipleship is about and will entail. For the Church, the greatest treasure that it knows of is Christ and the eternal life that He has won for us through His life, death and resurrection. The Christian is to have so much confidence in Christ, and His victory over death, that we are to be willing to give everything to obtain that salvation. Today’s Gospel passage tells us that we should not let even family and friends stand in the way of our relationship with Christ. However, because it is often difficult to remember that Christ has won salvation for us through His life, death and resurrection, Jesus has commanded us to celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday “in remembrance” of Him so that we may be strengthened to live our faith with the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.

This Sunday, I will conclude the three-part homily on the Mass by speaking about the high point of the celebration of Mass, the Eucharistic Liturgy and the Dismissal Rites, which send us out into the world to bring to others the same Christ whom we have received in the Eucharist at Mass. Let’s start with the Eucharistic Liturgy.

3. The Liturgy of the Eucharist:
i. The Offertory and the Preparation of the Gifts:
We left off last week with the conclusion of the Liturgy of the Word as the Prayers of the Faithful came to an end. The Eucharistic Liturgy begins with the Offertory and the Preparation of the Gifts. In the early Church, the person offering the Mass intention would provide the bread and wine for the Mass. Today, the collection is taken up to provide for the needs of the Church. This is needed to pay the staff that cares for the Church, the hydro, gas, taxes, insurance and many of the same costs that people have in their homes. Although it is a very unpopular way to participate in the Mass, helping your parish pay its expenses is a real obligation for the members of the community. This collection to support the Church is brought up with the bread and wine as a sign of what we hope to offer to God from the many blessings that He has given us. Such an offering is not intended to be the token five-dollar bill that so many give, but a real sign of our offering something back to God from the blessings that He has given us. A tangible and real sign of our thanks.

As the bread and wine are brought forward, they are offered to God with a prayer that recognizes God as the giver of all the gifts that we have received. The prayer said by the priest follows the form of blessing spoken in ancient Jewish rites, as it proclaims: “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received this bread, this wine…” As the gifts are offered we are all invited to present the troubles and worries of our lives to the Lord that they may be transformed by the Body and Blood of Christ coming to us. Often this part is said silently during the Offertory Hymn. After the gifts are offered the priest bows and prays that the gifts that are offered may be accepted by God for the community. The gifts may be incensed at this time. The priest then washes his hands and prays that he will be worthy to offer the sacrifice. Once he has done that, he invites the entire community to pray that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the Almighty Father. After the community responds: “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.” What is offered by the priest, is for the whole community. The priest then concludes the offertory with the prayer over the gifts which asks God to accept the offering of the community. That offering is the bread and wine which will be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ for the spiritual nourishment of the community gathered.

ii. The Eucharistic Prayer:

a. The Preface:
The Eucharistic Prayer is the heart of the celebration. It recounts Christ’s actions and words that He spoke when He instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper and commanded that we celebrate it in memory of Him. The Eucharistic Prayer begins with a Preface that sets the tone for the celebration. At a Jewish ritual meal, prayers known as the Kiddush Prayers are said to indicate the nature of the celebration. So too, the Preface sets the tone for the Eucharistic celebration. There are special Prefaces for different Solemnities, Sundays, Saints celebrations and occasions, like weddings and funerals. The Preface speaks about why we are gathering for a specific Sunday or event. It begins with the dialogue that we are all familiar with, in which we express the reason that the sacrifice is being offered. This dialogue begins with “The Lord be with you,” and continues on to express the reason for our “thanksgiving” in the celebration of the Eucharist.

b. The Sanctus:
The transition from the Preface into the text of the Eucharistic Prayer takes place through the signing of the Sanctus. This text which is often sung, proclaims the holiness of God and reminds us that at the Eucharist, we are coming into God’s presence. It is made up of two texts from Scripture. The first from Isaiah 6:3 when Isaiah had a vision of God in Heaven surrounded by the angels calling out: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty: the whole earth is full of His glory.” The second text is from Matthew 21:9 when the crowds welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. They shouted, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” It anticipates the arrival of Christ on the altar in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. This was added to the Roman Rite in about the late fifth century.

c. The Eucharistic Prayer Itself:
After the Sanctus, we kneel for the praying of the Eucharistic Prayer. This is offered by the priest to the Father on Chris’s behalf for the whole community. The priest acts for the whole community in persona Christi—in the person of Christ. We should all be attentive to the words of the Eucharistic prayer and quietly pray along as it is offered. There are a number of different Eucharistic Prayers, but there are four main ones that are offered most frequently. Today, I will use the Third Eucharistic Prayer as the model for this discussion.

• • • Epiclesis(Request for the Holy Spirit): After proclaiming God’s holiness and the certainty of His work in the celebration of the liturgy, the prayer asks God to send His Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine, so that they may become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This request for the sending down of the Holy Spirit, is accompanied by the gesture of the priest holding his hands over the gifts and making the sign of the cross.
    • The Institution Narrative and Consecration: The priest then recounts the actual words of Christ at the Last Supper, when He gave His Body and Blood for us as a sacrifice for our sins. As He did so, He commanded us to celebrate the Eucharist as a memorial of His dying to give us life eternal. As we receive His Body and Blood, we participate in His passion and are fed with the food of eternal life. Once these words have been spoken, we believe that Christ is present on the altar in the sacrament of His Body and Blood and for this reason, the priest genuflects after holding up the Body and Blood of our Lord. Many say quietly to themselves at this time, the words of St. Thomas when he recognized the Risen Christ in his midst, “My Lord and my God.” This is followed by the Mystery of Faith, in which we proclaim that “Christ has died, Christ has Risen and Christ will come again.”
    • Offering, Anamnesis (Remembering) and Thanksgiving: After the consecration, the prayer makes reference to the reason why the Eucharist is offered. It is celebrated as a memorial to Christ’s death, Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven. In thanksgiving for these works of salvation, The Eucharist is offered to the Father in thanksgiving.
    • Second Epiclesis(Request for the Holy Spirit): The Eucharistic Prayer then contains a second request for the Holy Spirit. It asks that those of us who receive the Body and Blood of Christ, might also be filled with the Holy Spirit and become one body and one spirit in Christ. When we receive the Eucharist, we are to receive the Holy Spirit and become the Church. Through this gift, we are to become Christ’s Body, the Church, so that we might be sent out into the world to make Him present.
    • Intercessions: There are then a series of intercessions for the Church on earth and in Heaven. We pray that the Church on earth will be united as our sacrifice is offered in union with Francis our Pope and Francis our bishop. Although made up of many members, the Church is one in Christ. We can never forget that we are all part of the one Church saved by Christ’s Blood. We should always pray for the Pope, our bishop and the Church around the world. Not only does the Church exist on earth, but it is also in communion with the Church in Heaven. Our Mass is offered in communion with the Church in Heaven. We ask the saints for their intercession, and remember our beloved dead who we hope through God’s mercy are also in Heaven. This is an ideal time to pray for our deceased loved ones in the secret of our own hearts. The Mass prefigures the eternal banquet of Heaven and is our food for the journey to our true homeland.
    • Doxology(Praise): The Eucharistic Prayer concludes with the Doxology in which we praise God for the gifts received and pray that all glory and honour will be given to the Holy Trinity for this great gift. The gifts are held up as we all sing “Amen” to conclude this brief hymn of praise.

iii.  The Communion Rite:
In the Communion Rite, we pray the Our Father, asking that we might do God’s will. It is for this purpose that Jesus gives us His Body and Blood: that we might live in “communion” with the Holy Trinity and do God’s will for each of us in our lives. As Jesus appeared to His disciples after His Resurrection, and wished them His peace, He now appears in our midst on the altar and invites us to know the peace that is to be found in knowing that He has destroyed death and will be with us through the adversities of life. As His death has forgiven our sins, we are also called to live in peace with our brothers and sisters and to forgive their sins. We are to live in the peace of Christ. Before approaching the altar, we kneel again to acknowledge that who we are about to receive, is the Lamb of God- Christ Himself—who has come into our world to forgive us our sins. We acknowledge that we are not worthy of this gift, but because of His Word, our souls are healed and made worthy.

• • Receiving Communion: We are then invited to come forward to receive the greatest gift of all—Christ Himself in the Eucharist. As we come forward, we may prayerfully join the singing of the Communion hymn or silently reflect on the great gift that we are to receive. Before receiving the host, we are asked to make a profound bow as a sign of reverence and to receive on either the tongue or in the hand. If we receive in the hand, we are to consume the host immediately. The minister has the obligation to see that the host is consumed and must ask the individual to do so before they return to their seats. Once we have returned to our pew, a time of silent prayer and thanksgiving is to take place as we enjoy this intimate communion with Christ who has come to dwell within us.

The Communion Rite ends with the Prayer after Communion, offered by the celebrant on behalf of us all. It asks that tremendous gift that we have received will bear fruit in our lives. This concludes the Eucharistic Liturgy.

4. The Dismissal Rites:
i. Announcements:
Before we are actually sent out in to the world, some announcements may be made to speak about different parish programs and the ways in which we might live what we have celebrated.

ii. The Dismissal and Sending:
Most people do not think of this as an important part of the liturgy. However, it is extremely important. We are sent to make Christ, whom we have received, present in the world. Having heard Christ’s Word and received His Body and Blood, each one of us lives our Baptismal ministry by taking Christ into our homes, work places and schools to proclaim His love to those to whom we are sent. For this reason, the Eucharist and our participation in it, are the foundation of all that we do as a Church. The Eucharist makes us Church. This is why I wanted to respond to the parish survey by addressing our understanding of the Eucharist and participation in it first. The other goals of community, faith formation, and community outreach all begin in the Eucharist and flow from it, as it is the source and summit of the Church’s entire life.

As I conclude these homilies on the Eucharist, I understand that I have said much, and yet I have said very little. I propose to offer a series of talks this fall on the liturgy on Thursday nights to continue this effort. All of us must take very seriously the words that we have heard in the parables of the last few weeks. The Eucharist is a great gift, given by our generous God. We must prepare our hearts to receive, nurture this gift, and truly treasure what we receive in it as the greatest of all gifts.

May our celebration of the Eucharist, lead us to find that treasure which gives all meaning to our lives—Christ the Lord.

Fr. Michael McGourty
Pastor—St. Peter’s Parish—Toronto, Ontario