Liturgy of the Eucharist

As the Mass progresses, the focus shifts from the table of the Word to the table of Eucharist.  The Liturgy of the Eucharist falls into three parts.  The first is a preparatory phase called the Preparation of Gifts; the second is the solemn prayer of praise and petition over the gifts of bread and wine called the Eucharistic Prayer; and the third is the Communion Rite during which the faithful are fed with the Body and Blood of Christ.  Each of these is built up out of smaller units.

Preparation of Gifts

While the altar table is prepared with cloths and vessels and missal, a collection is taken up.  This gives everyone the opportunity to make an offering “for the poor or for the Church” (GIRM #73). Asking for financial support is not at all a recent practice; its origins can be traced back to Paul the apostle’s appeal to the Corinthians and others to support the struggling community in Jerusalem (see 2 Corinthians 8-9).  It was rooted in his powerful sense of unity between the churches and his theology of the Body of Christ.

Once the monetary collection is complete, the gifts of bread and wine are brought forward in procession through the body of the church to be handed over to the priest.  The bread should “truly have the appearance of bread” and should be large enough for the priest “to break it into parts and distribute these to at least some of the faithful”; the wine “must be from the fruit of the vine” (GIRM # 321).  

When the collection is brought forward at the same time as the bread and wine, a link is made between these two forms of gift.  Both express self-giving in the spirit of Jesus Christ who became poor for our sake that we might become rich in him (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The priest prays a short prayer of blessing over the bread and over the wine, then washes his hands in a symbolic gesture, before inviting the whole assembly to be united with him in prayer.  The final element in this unit is called the Prayer Over the Offerings.

Eucharistic Prayer

The centrepiece of Sunday Mass is the Eucharistic Prayer.  This is an extended solemn prayer offered by the priest in the name of the whole congregation.  It begins with a short dialogue between the priest and people.  This exchange allows the assembly to voice its approval, as it were, for the priest to be “the tongue of the body.”  

The primary form of the people’s participation is attentive listening, but the prayer is punctuated by three moments of active involvement.  At the end of the first part of the prayer (the Preface), everyone sings or recites the acclamation Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts, often called the Sanctus.  Further on, after the priest has proclaimed the Institution Narrative, he announces “The mystery of faith.”  In response the congregation either says or sings one of three Memorial Acclamations.  The very last word belongs to the whole assembly.  Once the priest prays the concluding section of the prayer, the Doxology, everyone gives their assent with the Great Amen.

The Eucharistic Prayer may seem rather complex but its underlying structure is simple.  It begins as a prayer of thankful remembrance and then becomes a prayer of confident petition.  First the church gives thanks for God’s work of creation and salvation.  The highlight of this grateful remembering is the action of Jesus at the Last Supper.   Just as he took bread and wine and gave them to his disciples as his Body and Blood, so the church obeys his command to do so in his memory.  It asks God to send the Holy Spirit to consecrate the gifts of bread and wine and to make the church “one body, one spirit, in Christ.”  It goes on to intercede for both the living and dead before concluding with a burst of praise and the people’s Amen.

There are ten authorised Eucharistic Prayers.  The first four are simply known by their number, eg Eucharistic Prayer II.  Eucharistic Prayer I is also known as the Roman Canon.  In addition there are two Eucharistic Prayers on the theme of reconciliation, three for use with young children, and one for “Use in Masses for Various Needs” that comes in four distinct versions.

Most of these Eucharistic Prayers begin with their own fixed Preface, but for Eucharistic Prayers I-III a choice may be made from a wide range of Prefaces, each of which has its own character.

Communion Rite

Sunday Mass comes to a climax with the Communion rite.  The Word of God has been proclaimed, the gifts of bread and wine have been consecrated, and now the faithful are invited to Holy Communion to become one with Christ and with one another.  This part of the Mass proceeds through a series of steps.

To prepare for Holy Communion everyone stands to pray together the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, the Lord’s Prayer.  This is followed by a prayer for peace and an invitation to offer a Sign of Peace to those nearby.  This is much more than a friendly social gesture; it is a profound expression of fraternal love.  It readies everyone for Holy Communion by affirming unity among the members of the Body of Christ.

The unity of the church is also signified when a single bread has been consecrated for all to share.  The one bread is broken so that all can receive one part and become one body in Christ (GIRM # 321).  One of the earliest names for the Eucharist was in fact “the breaking of bread.”  This moment in the celebration is called the Fraction Rite.  As this takes place, and the chalices are prepared, everyone recites or sings the litany known as the Lamb of God or Agnus Dei.

After the priest has shown the holy gifts to the assembly and invited them to pray, he and the Ministers of Holy Communion take up their stations.  The faithful process forward to receive the Body, then the Blood, of Christ.  The normal manner of receiving the Body of Christ is to stand and be given the host in uplifted open hands for transfer to the mouth.  To receive the Blood of Christ the communicant is given the chalice by the minister, takes a sip, and hands it back.  For reasons of hygiene, the minister will wipe the rim of the chalice and turn it for the next communicant.  The Body of Christ is given to be eaten, and the Blood of Christ to be drunk, hence the practice of intinction (ie the communicant dipping the host into the consecrated wine) is officially discouraged.

A processional song may be sung to accompany the distribution of Holy Communion.  All are encouraged to observe a period of silence after Communion.  This may be followed by a song of thanksgiving.  The Communion rite concludes with the Prayer after Communion offered by the priest.