The Eucharist

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY! Eucharist: Literally means “thanksgiving”. A common name for the Mass, or the Lord’s Supper. Also, it is the third sacrament in the process of Christian initiation. Sacrament: An outward sign instituted by God to give grace. They are the most important rituals in the Catholic Church. There are seven Sacraments. Grace: The supernatural gift of God bestowed on us for our salvation.

“The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life.”

Going back to scripture What does the Bible say about the Eucharist? “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-30)

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist during the Last Supper, while he was sharing his final meal with the Twelve Apostles (his closest friends). The words of Christ are very clear >> “This is my body” At the Last Supper, the Jewish ritual meal of Passover was transformed by Christ into a celebration of the Eucharist, where the Apostles received the body and blood of Christ. The Catholic Church has continued this tradition for almost 2,000 years; we call this tradition Mass.

What is the Eucharist? A Blessing A Memorial The Presence of God Within and Among Us

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY! Transcendence: The quality of God that is beyond the range of normal human experience (in other words, we can’t touch or see God because God is transcendent). God is transcendent; apples are not. Salvation History: The story of God’s action in history, beginning with the Creation of the world, and culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

Eucharist as A Blessing The Eucharist allows us to experience the transcendence of God. We praise and thank God for the wonders of Creation and the world around us. When we celebrate the Eucharist in Mass, we are giving thanks to God for all of the goodness that He has done (in our lives, and throughout the course of salvation history).

Eucharist as a memorial “Do this in memory of me” When we remember God’s words and works of salvation, we experience God’s blessing, and respond by doing God’s will. It is a memorial (remembrance) of the events of salvation history.

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY! Consecration: The prayer of blessing that is said by the priest during Mass that transforms the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ Transubstantiation: The change from bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ

Eucharist as the presence of God When the bread and wine are consecrated by the priest, they are transformed into Jesus’ body and blood. Therefore, this is THE MOST SACRED part of the Mass. This transformation is called Transubstantiation. The Eucharist is the most personal encounter with God.

The Real Presence Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Mass) in four ways: In the Priest In the Scripture In the Community In the Consecrated Bread and Wine

The Ritual of the Eucharist The Catholic Mass

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY! Priest: An ordained minister in the Catholic Church who has the authority to oversee the celebration of certain sacraments (including the Eucharist) Rite: A religious ritual Congregation: A group of people who are assembled for religious worship Liturgy: The official ritual worship of the Church

Parts of the Mass There are two main parts of the Mass: The Liturgy of the Word The part of the Mass when we read Scripture The Liturgy of the Eucharist The part of the Mass when we receive the body and blood of Christ.

Parts of the Mass These two main parts are framed by two other rites: The Gathering Rites The Concluding Rite

Liturgy of the Eucharist Parts of the Mass Which means that there are 4 parts altogether: Liturgy of the Word Liturgy of the Eucharist Gathering Rites 1 2 3 4 Concluding Rite

The GATHERING Rites Entrance Procession: The priest enters the Church from the back, reverencing the altar (everyone bows; the priest kisses the altar). The Congregation stands and remains standing throughout the gathering rites. Greeting (the priest says a few words) Penitential Rite Sometimes we say the Confiteor (“I confess to Almighty God…”) We always say the Kyrie (“Lord, have mercy”)

After the Gloria (which is a hymn of praise to God) the Priest leads the congregation in an Opening Prayer by saying, “Let us pray…” This is followed by a brief period of silence, followed by an Opening Prayer recited by the Priest (this prayer is different at every Mass). After the Opening Prayer, everybody sits. The Opening Prayer leads us directly into the first MAJOR part of the Mass…the Liturgy of the Word.

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY! Old Testament: Also called the Hebrew Scriptures. The stories of the Jewish people (remember, Jesus was Jewish, and so these stories are very important for Christians as well). Psalms: Poetic prayers that are part of the Old Testament. New Testament: The Christian Scriptures, including stories about Jesus’ life, the letters of St. Paul, etc. Gospel: The stories about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that are part of the New Testament.

Liturgy of the Word During a typical Sunday Mass there are 3 readings. The first reading comes from the Old Testament. Reflects the continuity between Israel and Jesus, who came to fulfill the promises made by God to Israel. Following the first reading, there is a Responsorial Psalm, typically set to music.

Liturgy of the Word The second reading is from the New Testament. Usually from one of the epistles (letters) in the New Testament. Response to both the first and second readings: “Thanks be to God” After the second reading, we STAND and sing “Alleluia!” It heralds (or welcomes) the Gospel reading, which comes next.

Alleluia! “Alleluia” means “Praise the Lord!” During the Alleluia, the Priest raises the Gospel. This introduces the most important part of the Liturgy of the Word. During Lent, we never say “Alleluia,” because it is an exclamation of praise to the Risen Lord.

The Gospel Reading PRIEST: “The Lord be with you” RESPONSE: “And also with you.” PRIEST: “A reading from the Holy Gospel according to…” RESPONSE: (While making the sign of the cross on your forehead, lips and heart) “Glory to you, Oh Lord” READING by the PRIEST PRIEST: “The Gospel of the Lord” RESPONSE: “Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ”

Who does the Reading? All readings come from the Lectionary, which is NOT a Bible. It contains readings FROM the Bible, organized in a different way (according to the time of year). Only a priest or deacon can do the reading from the Gospel. After each reading, a period of silence for reflection is appropriate.

The Homily The Homily is a (quick) sermon given by the priest or deacon The Homily is supposed to help us understand the scripture that was just read.

Profession of Faith Following the Homily, the congregation stands and recites the Nicene Creed. “We believe in one God…” The Nicene Creed summarizes everything that the Church has taught for the past 2,000 years.

General Intercessions From the chair, the priest invites the people to pray. LECTOR: “…let us pray to the Lord.” RESPONSE: “Lord, hear our prayer.” Repeated after each prayer petition.

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY! Altar: The place of sacrifice, as well as the table from which Christians are fed. It is the central focus of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Liturgy of the Eucharist The second major part of the Mass. The Liturgy of the Word focuses on Scripture, but the Liturgy of the Eucharist focuses on the altar.

Eucharistic Actions Basic format of the traditional Jewish meal, followed by Jesus at the Last Supper: Taking the bread Speaking a prayer of blessing Breaking and distributing the bread Sharing the bread with those who are present This format appears during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

1. TAKEN 2. BLESSED 3. BROKEN 4. GIVEN

Preparation of the Altar The gifts of bread and wine are placed at the back of the church before the service. Collection basket is passed around; sign of support for the ministry of the church. In procession, people bring the gifts (bread and wine) forward to the priest. This is called the offertory procession. This act echoes offerings of early church, when people would bring the bread and wine (and other stuff) they made in preparation for the Lord’s Supper.

Priest accepting the gifts of the community that are brought forth 1. TAKEN Priest accepting the gifts of the community that are brought forth 2. BLESSED 3. BROKEN 4. GIVEN

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY! Paten: A small plate, usually made out of silver or gold, used to hold Body of Christ (the consecrated bread). Chalice: A standing cup, usually made out of silver or gold, used to hold the Blood of Christ (the consecrated wine).

Preparation of the Gifts Priest pours the wine into the chalice, and adds a few drops of water, symbolizing the union of the humanity and divinity of Christ. When he receives the gifts, the priest recites prayers based on those used during the Jewish Passover meal. The priest lifts the paten of bread above the altar. PRIEST: “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, through your goodness…” The priest does the same thing with the chalice of wine.

Why does the priest wash his hands? The priest then washes his hands. Why? Comes from a 1st century Jewish ritual. During Passover, the high priest would wash his hands before sacrificing the unblemished lamb in the Temple of Jerusalem. During Mass, the priest prepares to offer up the Lamb of God (Jesus) to God the Father, so he ceremonially washes his hands to offer an unblemished sacrifice.

Why does the Priest Wash His Hands? In addition to bread and wine, people used to present other gifts, such as cheese, oil, fresh fuits and vegetables so that they could be distributed to the poor. After handling the food and other gifts, the priest needed to wash his hands before handling the eucharistic gifts at the altar. Over time, the washing of the hands took on a greater spiritual significance (symbolizing purification).

Why does the priest wash his hands? Since the old practices have died out, it has become almost entirely symbolic. Now, when the priest washes his hands, he says (silently): “Lord, wash away my iniquity; cleanse me from my sin.” This action symbolizes a ritual purification and integrity before the most sacred part of the Mass.

Eucharistic Prayer After washing his hands the priest invites the community to prepare for the Eucharist with him. The Preface Dialogue (“…Lift up your hearts…”) The Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy) The community prays the prayer to Christ from the Book of Revelation The priest then chooses one of several Eucharistic Prayers to recount the story of the Last Supper

The Consecration During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest is acting in persona Christi (as the person of Christ). At the moment of the consecration, the priest is Jesus. The priest takes the paten and says, “This is my body…” Then he elevates the host for the congregation to see, and genuflects in front of the altar. He takes the chalice and says, “This is the cup of My Blood”

The Consecration At the moment of consecration, a miracle occurs. The bread is transformed into the body of Christ. We call this Transubstantiation.

1. TAKEN 2. BLESSED 3. BROKEN 4. GIVEN Priest accepting the gifts of the community that are brought forth 2. BLESSED The consecration of the bread and wine during the Eucharistic Prayer 3. BROKEN 4. GIVEN

After the Consecration The community recites together the Memorial Acclamation (“Christ has died…” is the most common) Prayers for the entire Church, now joined together as one through the Eucharist, are spoken. The Eucharistic Prayer ends with a Doxology (“Through him, with him, in him…) Community responds with a Great Amen (“I believe!”)

Communion Rite The Communion Rite opens in the model of Jesus with the Lord’s Prayer. While holding hands, we either sing or recite the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father…”). The Lord’s Prayer is followed by the Sign of Peace. Sign of peace was once used to resolve conflicts with a neighbor before receiving the Eucharist

Breaking of the Bread The priest breaks the bread and prepares the Eucharist for the Communion procession. Congregation recites the Agnus Dei or “Lamb of God,” recalling the Passover sacrifice of a lamb to save the life of God’s people Priest holds up consecrated bread and wine to the congregation, who publically declares its unworthiness to receive it (“Lord, I am not worthy…)

1. TAKEN 2. BLESSED 3. BROKEN 4. GIVEN Priest accepting the gifts of the community that are brought forth 2. BLESSED The consecration of the bread and wine during the Eucharistic Prayer 3. BROKEN The breaking of the bread by the priest, following the sign of peace 4. GIVEN

The Communion Procession Priest or Extraordinary Minister: “The Body of Christ” RESPONSE: “Amen” Saying “Amen” is another way of saying “Yes, I believe that this is truly the Body of Christ.” After receiving Holy Communion, we go back to the pew, kneel (or sit) and pray silently for a few minutes, or sing the Communion song

1. TAKEN 2. BLESSED 3. BROKEN 4. GIVEN Priest accepting the gifts of the community that are brought forth 2. BLESSED The consecration of the bread and wine during the Eucharistic Prayer 3. BROKEN The breaking of the bread by the priest, following the sign of peace 4. GIVEN The Communion Procession

Who May Receive Communion? Who should not receive Communion? Non-Catholics Catholics who have not fasted prior to Communion Catholics who haven’t made their First Confession and First Communion.

Bread and Wine Bread and Wine are the two species of Eucharist Usually everyone takes the bread The wine is optional Wine was once reserved for those celebrating and helping Wine is sometimes not offered for practical reasons Some parishes allow you to dip host in wine

Concluding Rite and Dismissal After a closing prayer, the priest blesses and dismisses the people The name “Mass” comes from the Latin Ite, missa est (roughly translated as “Go, you are sent forth”), the priest’s final words “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord and one another” The Community united by Eucharist is called to be a community OUTSIDE of the Mass.