The third part of the Mass is the most important part of the celebration – the Liturgy of the Eucharist. It’s the heart of the ceremony, and it has 3 main parts:
- The Presentation of the Gifts
- The Eucharistic Prayer
- The Communion Rite
During the Presentation of the Gifts, the altar is prepared and the gifts of bread and wine are brought forward. This is an ancient tradition.
Before Jesus sat down with his disciples to celebrate the Last Supper, he instructed that they prepare for the event, by organising the Upper Room, preparing the bread and buying the wine. This is what we do at every Mass.
As well, when the first Christians gathered in people’s homes, they brought bread and wine with them for the sacred meal. Today, we continue this tradition when members of the assembly bring forward gifts of bread and wine that will be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.
Importantly, these gifts also symbolise the gift we made of ourselves at Baptism, when we were transformed into ‘new Christs’ by becoming his disciples.
Preparing the Offerings
After the bread and wine are brought forward, they are placed on the altar by the presider and/or deacon. Then the presider, speaking silently or aloud, says the prayers over the bread and wine. This is an ancient prayer that begins,
‘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 work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.’
In presenting the ‘fruit of the earth and the work of human hands,’ we are also symbolically offering ourselves to be transformed with the bread and wine on the altar. And in allowing ourselves to be transformed, we are accepting responsibility for Jesus’ mission here on earth.
As well, although we place ‘our’ gifts before God, in our prayers we admit that they are not just the ‘work of human hands’ because they ultimately come from God. For this reason, we bless God for his goodness and ask him to accept and transform these gifts into ‘bread of life’ and ‘spiritual drink.’
So, we respond by saying,
‘Blessed be God forever!’
Then holding the chalice, the priest says,
‘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.’
Again, we respond,
‘Blessed be God forever!’
Now, you may have noticed that in preparing the chalice, the presider or deacon places a drop of water into the chalice with the wine. Doing this, he says:
‘By the mingling of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.’
This is an ancient custom that uniquely symbolizes what we pray for. During the Mass, we offer our lives in union with Christ. And in all our weakness and smallness, we pray that we might be united to the divine. So, the small drops of water symbolise us.
And just as the water mingles with the wine, we pray that we too may become inseparably united to Jesus Christ.
The priest then washes his hands, and prays that he may be cleansed from his sin and freed from any iniquity.
The Presentation of the Gifts reaches its climax when we rise to our feet in response to the presider’s invitation:
‘Pray, my brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.’
And we reply:
‘May the Lord accept this sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.’
[During the Presentation of the Gifts, a collection takes place. Most people think this is just fundraising, but it is actually a deeply spiritual act. So far in the Mass we’ve heard about God giving, giving and giving. This is our turn to give back, by sharing the many graces he has given us and to help ensure our relationship with God and his people can continue long into the future.]
The Eucharistic Prayer
Now that the gifts have been received and the altar is prepared, the presider begins the Eucharistic Prayer, which is ‘the centre and high point of the entire celebration’ (GIRM n.78).
Only the presider prays the words of the Eucharistic Prayer, however he is praying them on behalf of, and in union with, everyone gathered for worship.
There are 13 Eucharistic Prayers authorised for use in Australia, including 4 standard ones, 3 for Children, 2 for Reconciliation and the others for special needs and occasions.
Eucharistic Prayer 1
- Called the ‘Roman Canon,’ this is the oldest version of this prayer and it dates back to 1570. It is based on a prayer written by St Ambrose in the 4th Century.
- It was the only Eucharistic Prayer permitted from the Council of Trent (1545-1563) until Vatican II.
- It tells the story of salvation history, beginning with the Jewish people and continuing through the apostles, saints and martyrs who we call upon for help to achieve our ultimate goal – union with God in heaven.
- This is the only Eucharistic Prayer that can be used all-year round, however it’s probably the least used today.
Eucharistic Prayer II
- This was written after Vatican II, however its roots are in a 3rd-Century eucharistic prayer written by St Hippolytus of Rome.
- It is brief, simple and beautiful, and the most commonly used version.
- It’s especially suitable for weekdays.
Eucharistic Prayer III
- Similar to Eucharistic Prayer I, but shorter, this prayer focuses on God’s saving action, and it calls on all of God’s children ‘scattered throughout the world’ to come together as one.
- It highlights the presence of the Holy Spirit, mentioning him 4 times.
- It is especially suitable for Sundays.
- It provides for the commemoration of the saint of the day or the patron of the place or community.
Eucharistic Prayer IV
- Modelled on prayers from the West Syrian Liturgy, this version uses images from Scripture – creation, the covenant, the Incarnation – to tell the story of salvation history.
- It’s not often used today, and not usually used at funeral Masses because it does not provide for the deceased to be mentioned by name.
The Eucharistic Prayer has 6 parts:
- The Preface
- The Epiclesis
- The Institution Narrative
- The Anamnesis
- The Intercessions
- The Final Doxology
The Preface:
The Prefaceseeks to ensure that we are ready to enter into the mystery and significance of the Eucharistic Prayer by praising and giving thanks to God. It begins with the priest saying, ‘The Lord be with you.’
We reply, ‘And with your spirit.’
Then: ‘Lift up your hearts.’
Wereply: ‘We lift them up to the Lord.’
Then: ‘Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!’
We reply: ‘It is right and just.’
Why is it ‘right and just’? Because this truly is something wonderful.
The presider then echoes our last words, by declaring:
‘It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks,’ because…
Each Preface then goes on to describe something wonderful that God has done for us and that we should thank him for. There are 84 Prefaces, some specifically for the special seasons of the year, some focussed on particular events or truths about God, and some celebrating special moments in the Christian life, like holidays, marriage and death.
Once our hearts are lifted up to God in gratitude, we are ready to sing with the angels, joining our voices to the chorus of ‘all the heavenly hosts’ by singing the Sanctus, the hymn of God’s glory:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
The Sanctus comes from a Jewish synagogue prayer from the 2nd Century, and it’s based on the Song of the Angels from Isaiah 6:1-8.
These words also echo the cries of the crowd when Jesus entered Jerusalem on his donkey, in Matthew 21:9-11. ‘Hosanna’ not only means high praise and adoration, but it also means ‘save us.’ It is a prayer, a plea for help and a request for freedom. The ‘God of Hosts’ means the ‘God of the armies of angels.’
Now we are ready to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Eucharist, and so we kneel.
The Epiclesis:
‘Epiclesis’ is Greek for the Invocation or the Calling Down. When called upon, God always comes through. Here, the presider asks the Father to send his Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. These words are from Eucharistic Prayer II:
You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.
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.
The Institution Narrative:
This iswhen transubstantiation takes place – through the presider and the words he speaks, Jesus and the Holy Spirit change the essence of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Only validly ordained priests and bishops may do this.
These words come from EPII:
At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take this, all of you, and eat of it: for this is my Body which will be given up for you.
In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying: Take this, all of you, and drink from it: for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.
At this point, what were once ordinary bread and wine have now become the Body and Blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jesus commanded his apostles to perpetuate this action, and this is how we enter into communion with the Real Presence of Jesus himself.
(Although the essence of the bread and wine have been fundamentally changed, outwardly they appear no different. I discuss this in my final post: ‘Additional Insights into the Eucharist.’)
The consecration that has just concluded has made a tremendous change in the celebration, for Jesus is now on the altar. We accept this in faith because we cannot fully comprehend it simply by reason. So, the presider announces:
The Mystery of faith.
And in response, we proclaim one of three acclamations:
When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again. Or
We proclaim your death O Lord, and profess your resurrection, until you come again. Or
Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and resurrection you have set us free.
The Anamnesis:
Anamnesis is Greek for ‘the Remembering.’In the Eucharistic Prayer, we remind ourselves once again of all thewonderful ways that God has shown his love for us. Here, we remember the passion, resurrection and glorious return of Jesus.
This is more than just recalling ancient events, however. As we saw before, this Mass is a memorial that makes present Jesus’ sacrifice. The presider says:
Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you. (EPII)
The Intercessions:
Here we are joined by the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth, and we ask our heavenly friends to pray for our needs and for those who have died. The presider continues:
Remember, Lord, your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with N. our Pope and N. our Bishop and all the clergy.
[In Masses for the Dead: Remember your servant N., whom you have called (today) from this world to yourself. Grant that he (she) who was united with your Son in a death like his, may also be one with him in his Resurrection.]
Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of your face. Have mercy on us all, we pray, that with the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the blessed Apostles, and all the Saints who have pleased you throughout the ages, we may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify you through your Son, Jesus Christ.
Final Doxology:
The Eucharistic Prayer comes to its climactic conclusion when the presider raises the consecrated host over the chalice, and prays this doxology:
Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, for ever and ever.
These words summarise what has just taken place: the sacrificial offering of the Son to the Father through the Holy Spirit. In holding up the sacred host to the Father, the presider not only offers up Jesus, but also ourselves.
But what do these words mean? Charles Belmonte tells us:
Through him: Through Jesus’ mediation, we have access to God
With him: We are children of God, through the adoption that Christ won for us
In him: There is one and the same life in him and in us
In the unity of the Holy Spirit: The Church is a unity brought together by the Holy Spirit. He joins us together as believers and gives us the life of grace by which we become children of God. He dwells in us, enabling us to offer the sacrifice of praise to God, together with the entire Church
We then respond with the ‘Great Amen.’ This amen expresses our ownership of all that has just happened, and it confirms that all the words of the Eucharistic Prayer are ours, too.
The Communion Rite
In the Communion Rite we get a foretaste of heaven, as we enter the ‘end time,’ the time of Christ’s total victory over sin and death, when the whole redeemed human race will be together in perfect peace and unity. We express this by saying the Lord’s Prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer has been part of the Mass since the 4th century. The presider begins it by saying,
‘At the Saviour’s command, and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say…’
And together we say the Our Father.
This is the prayer that Jesus taught us, and when we say ‘give us this day our daily bread,’ we should remember that we are about to receive exactly that in Holy Communion.
In this prayer we also emphasise our desire for peace and unity with each other when we say, ‘And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ As well, we are acknowledging our unworthiness to receive Jesus, because we are asking to be freed from evil and temptation.
We end the Lord’s Prayer with the Doxology: ‘For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever, Amen.’ These words are not in the Bible. They are an ancient tradition that comes from the Church Fathers.
The Exchange of Peace
The presider then prays for peace, and invites us to reach out in peace to each other.
This sign of peace points to the end time, when Christ’s victory will be complete and all God’s children will be happy in heaven. In shaking hands or acknowledging our neighbour, we are not saying that we have already reached total peace. Rather, we are saying that we believe, and we hope that when we get to heaven all will be perfect between us.
We are also saying that we are open to this peace, and we ask Jesus to help us make it real. That’s why we go on to pray that the Lamb of God ‘takes away the sins of the world,’ and that he will ‘Grant us peace’ in the Agnus Dei.
Breaking of the Bread
As we chant the Agnus Dei, the presider breaks the bread, just as Jesus did when he fed the multitudes. That’s where he ‘looked up to heaven, blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd’ (Lk.9:16).
The Elevation:
The presider then holds the host above the chalice and says, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the lamb.’
The real meaning of this proclamation is ‘Blessed are those who are going to die!’ This is what it means to be called to the supper of the lamb. This is the Church’s triumphant shout in the face of every persecution and threat and even death itself. Why? It’s because Jesus has conquered sin and death, and nothing can harm us. He has taken away the sins of the world.
We respond by praying the words of the humble centurion of Capernaum (Mt.8:8),
‘Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.’
Following the elevation, the presider places the host and the chalice on the altar, and genuflects in adoration of the Lord Jesus.
Communion
Thenwe receive the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is where we physically meet Jesus, who is the source of life itself. The minister offers the consecrated host to us, saying ‘The Body of Christ.’ In response we say, ‘Amen.’
This ‘Amen’ means that we agree that this truly is the Body of our Lord and Saviour.
It also means that we acknowledge that we are taking Jesus into ourselves, so that we may be transformed by his presence – that we may become like him.
And it means that yes, we are prepared to take responsibility for Jesus’ unfinished mission in our world today.
After Communion
After receiving communion, we return to our seat. This is a profound moment and an important time for silent prayer, when we talk to and give thanks to God, whom we have just taken into ourselves.
Purification of the Vessels
After communion, the presider or deacon purifies the sacred vessels used for Mass. These vessels are carefully purified to ensure that any particles of the Hosts are collected into the chalice and consumed. Why? It’s because the smallest particle of God is still God, and therefore it has to be handled appropriately.
While purifying the Chalice, the priest quietly says, ‘What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity.’
Prayer after Communion
The prayer after communion is usually short, and easily missed because we’re usually thinking about what we’re doing after Mass. However, the words in this prayer are profound. In essence, they reflect on all we have heard, said and done in the Mass. We recall the amazing gift we’ve just received; we ask that Jesus will strengthen us as we go out into the world, and we look toward sharing the fullness of life with him Heaven.
Communion to the Sick
At about this time, Communion Ministers to the Sick are thinking about collecting their pyxes from the presider. Normally, the presider will call the minister forward, give them their pyx and a blessing, and send them off to deliver Jesus to the sick and infirm. It’s important that this be done reverently, and efficiently.