The Mass: Liturgy of the Eucharist - Part III

In our look at the Liturgy of the Eucharist last week, recall the gifts of bread and wine were presented to the priest. The next action that takes place is a prayer of blessing over the gifts.

This is one of the places in the Mass where we have commonality with the seder meal of our Jewish brothers and sisters. The Last Supper, of course, was a seder meal. At a seder, the leader recites the following over the unleavened bread: “Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz.” This means “We praise God, Spirit of everything who brings bread from the land.” This is very similar in word and structure to what the priest says, in the prayer over the bread: “Blessed are you, God of all creation, for through your goodness we have this bread to offer…”. A similar prayer of blessing over the wine, recalling the seder prayer, is then prayed.

In this part of the Mass, we recognize that the bread and wine come from human labor, but originate as God’s gifts of wheat and grapes to us. In preparing this simple bread and wine, we offer it back to God, so that they may be changed into Jesus’ Body and Blood, his Real Presence.

You will notice before the wine is offered that the deacon takes the cruet of water and places a drop of it into the wine. In doing so, the deacon prays the following softly: “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” This action recalls the days when wine was very thick, and needed thinning. Now, however, we remember that both the wine and the bread, once they have truly become Jesus, will allow us to share in his very self as God.

“For as the bread, which is produced from the earth, (...) is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly; so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, having the hope of the resurrection to eternity.” – Irenaeus, Against Heresies, IV:8, 5.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact me at eucharist@stmli.org.