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Pastor's Desk Archive (July 2008)Understanding The Mass: Preparation of the Gifts (7/6/2008) Understanding The Mass: Preparation of the Gifts (7/6/2008)Up until this point of the Mass our focal point has been the Table of God’s Word. Now it is time for us to shift our focus to the Table of God’s Sacrament and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. But this part of the Mass also unfolds in distinctive parts beginning with the Preparation of the Gifts. The primary gifts that need to be prepared are the bread and wine. These have been purchased by the people and have been initially placed on a table near the Baptistry. But if we are going to grasp fully the significance of the procession and presentation of these gifts to the deacon or priest, we need to consider the equally important gift of ourselves. Many people think of the collection as a merely practical matter in which we are all able to contribute to the financial support of the parish. But if you will consider for a moment how important money is to us, parting with some of it offers each of us the opportunity to make a kind of sacrifice. Like the sacrifices we make week in and week out on behalf of our family members—or even just ourselves—placing a generous gift in the offering basket signals that we are willing to place our very selves in the service of God and the Church. Think ahead for a moment to the prayerful exchange that takes place when the priest says: Please pray, my friends, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the Father Almighty. To which all respond: May the Lord accept this sacrifice from your hands for the glory of His Name and for the good of all His Church. The term sacrifice is, of course, referring primarily to what Christ did for us on the cross at Calvary. But the offering of our gifts of bread and wine, our prayers, and our very selves as expressed through our monetary gifts contributes to making our part in Christ’s sacrifice acceptable to God. Otherwise, this part of the Mass is reduced to a handful of people merely carrying a bunch of things down the aisle and handing them over to the priest or deacon. The reason we are usually singing during this procession is to help make it clear that we are all participating in this action. There was a time in the history of the Church’s worship when each participant moved towards the altar and placed their gifts on or about it along with bread and wine—and then remained standing around it for the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving. The deacon or priest accepts these gifts and then places them on the altar where they are prepared and arranged often with the help of a communion minister. When all is ready, the assembly is invited to stand as they signal their desire that the sacrifice that is about to be offered on the altar will truly be acceptable to God, our almighty Father. Understanding The Mass: The Eucharistic Prayer (7/13/2008)Since the Greek word Eucharist means to give thanks, this central part of the Mass may also be called The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving. This prayer is led by the priest because he is the one who presides at worship in the person of Christ. This does not at all mean that the worshippers are reduced to the role of passive spectators since this is, in fact, the prayer of the whole Church—of Christ and the members of His Body. It is We who are called to lift up our hearts and We who give thanks and praise to God. To underscore the communal nature of this prayer, it begins with a dialogue between priest and people and includes three great Acclamations by the assembly: The Holy, Holy, Holy; the Mystery of Faith; and the Great Amen. It is in this prayer that Christ and the Church offer to God what is aptly called a perfect sacrifice of praise. In it we are being obedient to the command that Christ gave at the Last Supper. We are perpetuating His sacrifice on the cross by doing this is memory of Him. So while what Christ did on the cross is unrepeatable, through our participation in the Mass we are able to access its power and grace. Its power enables us to triumph over sin and death. Its grace frees us to love and serve the Lord. We certainly believe that the sacrifice that Christ offered on the cross was acceptable to God. So what makes the Mass—as a sacrifice of praise—acceptable to God? It is nothing less than this: the same Christ who once lovingly laid down His life for us on the cross, becomes present to us and for us in a miraculous manner as real food and real drink in the Holy Eucharist. We set our gifts of simple bread and wine on the altar, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, they become for us the very Body and Blood of Christ. Our worship is offered in spirit and truth to God because the sacrifice of the cross and of the Mass are offered by the same Christ. One was offered in a bloody manner, the other in a sacramental manner. The Eucharistic Prayer reaches its climactic moment when the priest and the deacon elevate the Body and Blood of Christ and he sings, Through Him, with Him, and In Him, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever…..and all respond with the singing of the Great Amen! This is the precise moment in which we—The Church—offer to God this sacrifice of thanks and praise. The word sacrifice means to make holy. By offering Himself to God on the cross, Christ made it possible for those who believe in Him to become holy. By offering the Mass—with, in, and through Christ—we give concrete expression to our faith and communicate our desire to God to make us holy—to make us One Body, One Spirit in Christ. Understanding The Mass: The Rite of Communion (7/20/2008)The Communion Rite begins as all stand for the Our Father at the conclusion of the Great Amen. At St. Andrew’s and at countless other parishes, we are invited to join hands as an expression of unity. This practice visibly underscores the communal nature of this prayer. After all, Jesus taught us not to call God my Father but our Father. Contrary to what you may have heard or read, while this practice is not mandatory, it has not been forbidden either by the Vatican or the American Bishops. What is far more important than any debates over hand-holding is that this prayer is so familiar that we may fail to weigh its words and sentiments carefully enough. In it we are asking that God’s kingdom be made visible on earth through our doing of His will as it is in heaven. We are also asking God to forgive us our sins but only to the extent that we forgive the sins of others. This prayer requires real courage & humility if we are to pray it with sincere hearts. We should also notice that the Lord’s Prayer has been given a liturgical ending—prayed by the priest alone—in which we ask to be freed of sin throughout the day and to be protected from all fear and anxiety. That protection will be given, we are assured, as we wait in joyful hope for the second coming of Christ. Then we all conclude with the doxology which we used to think was something only Protestant prayed: For the kingdom, and the power, and the Glory are Yours now and forever! Should you be praying the Lord’s prayer with any Protestant friends, then, don’t be reluctant to add the words: “For thine is the kingdom, etc.”. Following the Lord’s Prayer is the Prayer and Greeting of Peace. This is not the kind of peace that the world can give, but the peace that comes directly from Christ and is rooted in His unity with The Father. Regrettably, the greeting of peace as celebrated in many American parishes has been turned into a kind of breezy “Hi, how are you.” You’ll even notice people waving at each other from a distance. But what the pastors of the church envisioned when it restored this element to the Mass more than 40 years ago was an opportunity for a prayerful exchange of Christ’s own peace. Some are even concerned that as presently practiced it disturbs the spirit of reverence required at this point in the Mass. I’ve read that the Pope has recommended that it be moved to a point after the Intercessory Prayers. Maybe so. Next Week: The Communion Rite—Part II Understanding The Mass: The Rite of Communion Part II (7/27/2008)During the Greeting of Peace, the singing of the Lamb of God begins. It draws our attention back to the altar where the priest has begun the Breaking of the Bread. This involves distributing the consecrated bread among the smaller dishes from which it will be served to communicants. The song, in which we implore God’s mercy and peace, continues until the breaking and distributing of the Bread of Life has been concluded. And as it concludes, we kneel as a sign of adoration and reverence. Most Catholics would agree that great reverence is called for as they are about to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion. But a smaller number would be aware of what it is meant by the term adoration. This is an action by which we show our profound respect, love, and devotion for the real presence of the Risen Christ in our midst. While we can and do engage in adoration even while sitting or standing, kneeling and bowing add an extra dimension that expresses our profound humility in God’s presence. Lifting the Body and Blood Christ for all to see, the priest prays in these or similar words: Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, happy and blessed are all who are called to grow in holiness at His holy table. To which all respond: Lord, I am not worthy to receive You but only say the Word and I shall be healed. This is an interesting and puzzling response in contrast to what we prayed during the Eucharistic Prayer when we gave thanks to God for counting us worthy to stand in his presence to serve him. It helps if we know the context of the use of the word unworthy. It was a Roman Centurion who protested that he was unworthy of Jesus having to come all the way to his house to cure his servant boy. But we are God’s own children — not pagans — and so we are deemed worthy to serve God even while feeling unworthy (in the sense of unready) to be made holy through the reception of Holy Communion. This prayer is also intended to remind us that we run the serious risk of receiving communion unworthily if we have not first examined our consciences to make sure that we are not guilty of any mortal sins from which we have not yet been absolved in the sacrament of Penance. St. Paul stated quite clearly to the Corinthians that some of them were falling ill and some were even dying because they were taking communion unworthily. It has become apparent to me that many Catholics either don’t understand or believe this. It is quite possible that they have, knowingly or unknowingly, adopted the Protestant practice of thinking of “Communion” as a kind of fellowship meal to which all Christians are welcome regardless of whether they are repentant or unrepentant sinners. These communities, after all, do not even believe in a sacrament of Holy Orders by which deacons, priests, and bishops are ordained to lead the Church in authentic worship. Neither do they believe in the Sacrament of Penance through which Christ himself continues to forgive repentant sinners. And, finally, they don’t believe that Jesus Christ is really present in Holy Communion. They believe instead that the bread and wine are merely symbols of his presence. (To be fair, there are some Protestant churches that do not welcome just anyone to Holy Communion, but not many.) There are Catholics who also don’t understand why we do not welcome non-Catholic Christians to receive Communion. They think we are being inhospitable or disrespectful for doing so. Here’s what the Church believes and has always believed: This sacrament is called Holy Communionbecause it reflects the unity that we have with Benedict, our Pope and Eusebius, our Bishop. So it is not sufficient to claim a kind of invisible unity with Christ, while not being visibly united to the Apostles He has called to lead and serve His church. It may help us to be reminded of one of the most important reasons that Christ becomes really present in the Eucharist: So that he may make us one with Him and with each other so that, in turn, the whole world may come to know that He is THE Savior that God sent. Isn’t it a little odd that we believe that God can transform simple bread and wine into this Body & Blood, but seem less certain that he can transform us sinners into a holy people? Why are we offered Communion under the forms of both bread and wine? Because Jesus said, Take and eat, Take and drink. But we are not required to do so because the Church believes that the whole Christ is fully present in each of the forms. It is up to the bishop and the pastor to make both forms available; and it is up to each member to decide whether to receive Christ under one or both. People who should avoid alcohol or those who may have a communicable disease should obviously refrain from receiving the cup. The bishops have decided that the normative manner of receiving Holy Communion is while standing. Catholics are instructed, however, to bow before the presence of Christ just prior to receiving one or both forms. We sing during Communion as a tangible expression of our unity. After the song, we spend some time in silent prayer and adoration. |
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