Below is the second part of the article on Eucharist by Fr. Gabriel OP. This is published in two parts on our Parish bulletin to enable us to have a deeper understanding of what we celebrate in the

Eucharist, to love what we celebrate and to grow closer to God through what we celebrate. We appreciate and are grateful to Fr. Gabriel for his efforts in writing this article.

Fr. Joseph D Souza OP
Pastor

Continued from last week


  • The Parts of the Mass

The Mass is composed of two main parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. These parts are intimately connected, forming a cohesive whole.


1. LITURGY OF THE WORD:

  • Introductory Rites: We gather, prepare our hearts, and seek forgiveness for our sins.

  • Scripture Readings: God speaks to us through the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Epistles, and the Gospel.

  • Homily: The priest or deacon breaks open the Word, applying it to our lives.

  • Creed: We profess our faith in the mysteries of Christ.

  • Prayers of the Faithful: We offer our petitions to God.


2. LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST:


  • Preparation of the Gifts: Bread and wine are brought to the altar.

  • Eucharistic Prayer: the “Preface” recalls the wonders of God in salvation history and ends up with the “Holy, Holy, Holy” (taken from Isaiah, chapter 6). Immediately after, the priest prays the prayer of consecration, invoking the Holy Spirit (epiclesis) and repeating the very words of Jesus in the Last Supper. The priests lifts up first the Sacred Host and then, the Chalice. He then proclaims the Mystery of Faith, the anamnesis or the Memorial of the Death, Resurrection and the Coming in glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
    The Eucharistic Prayer reaches its summit when the priest saying or chanting the doxology (“through Him and with Him and in Him…”) ends with “the great Amen” of the faithful.

  • Consecration: As the priest, “in Persona Christi” (in the person of Christ) says the very words of Jesus during the Last Supper, the bread and wine are “transubstantiated” as they become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of the risen Christ.

  • Communion Rite: after the doxology and the prayer of the Our Father, we share together the peace of Christ, and we call on the Lamb of God to have mercy on us and give us his Peace. Then, we receive Holy Communion, the sacred banquet of Christ's Body and Blood.

  • Concluding Rites: We are sent forth to be witnesses of Christ in the world.

Fire and Light of the Holy Spirit

St. Ephrem, a fourth-century theologian and hymnographer, had profound insights into the Eucharist. He described Holy Communion as being filled with the Fire and Light of the Holy Spirit. In receiving the Eucharist, we are enkindled with the fire of divine love and illuminated by the light of God's grace. This mystical encounter transforms us, making us bearers of Christ's light to the world.


  • The Final Dismissal: Sent as witnesses of Christ

At the end of the Mass, the final “dis-missal”, from the Latin, "Ite, Missa est," sends us forth to be “missionaries” and witnesses of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. We are called to live out the Eucharist in our daily lives, sharing the love, peace, and joy we have received with others. The Eucharist commissions us to be Christ's hands and feet, bringing His presence to a broken and hungry world.


  • Conclusion

The Eucharist is a profound mystery, a sacrament of love, and a source of immense spiritual richness. It unites us with Christ, nourishes our souls, and transforms our lives. As we partake in this sacred banquet, we are given a foretaste of Heaven, a glimpse of the divine, and a mission to be Christ's light in the world.

Let us embrace this gift with reverence, gratitude, and joy, allowing it to shape us into true disciples of Christ.