Eucharist and Life - Part 4

God's calling first given to us in Baptism is renewed every time we gather for the Eucharist. Implementation of the revised Roman Missal offers us an excellent opportunity to reflect on that calling. What is the deeper meaning of what we do at Mass, and what does that have to do with daily Christian life in the world? To what does Eucharist call us?

4. Called Together to Remember and Offer

From the presentation of gifts the liturgy moves to the Eucharistic Prayer. Although this prayer is proclaimed by the presider, it is the prayer of the entire assembly (CCC, nos. 1144 & 1188). This is made clear in several ways. The prayer is cast in the first person plural, the preface begins with a dialogue between presider and assembly, the prayer is interspersed with acclamations by the assembly, and it concludes with a great amen voiced by the assembly to ratify all that has been proclaimed. In the first part of the prayer we remember all that God has done for us in creation and salvation, culminating in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The prayer sums up that recital of God's saving deeds with the institution narrative. In the second part of the prayer we respond with a return offering made in thanksgiving and ask God to continue that saving work, transforming the assembly into the body of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus transformed, we are to continue the work of Christ on earth.

Several elements of this prayer are of great importance for a Eucharistic spirituality that can flow out into daily life and shape it. First, the words of institution end with the Lord's command to “do this in memory of me.” This is more than a simple rubrical direction to repeat his supper actions of taking bread and wine, saying the blessing over them, breaking the bread, and giving the bread and wine to his disciples to eat and drink. Jesus gave new reality and meaning to the bread, naming it his “body given up for you,” and to the wine, naming it his “blood poured out for you and for the many.” The meaning of his entire life is summed up in the death to which he freely commits himself with these words. His life has been one of self-emptying service for the coming of God's reign, one of total self-giving in love (Phil 2:5-11). That same total giving of self in love is what his followers are to do ever after in memory of him. We are to be bread “given up” for others, and that giving-up is at the cost of being “poured out” in love for them.

Second, the words which follow the recital of Christ's command are a pivotal moment for the assembly. In the implementation and catechesis of the Vatican II reform of the Mass they have not received the pastoral and catechetical attention they so rightly deserve. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal no. 79f (also CSL, no. 48) says that

in this very memorial, the Church—and in particular the Church here and now gathered—offers in the Holy Spirit the spotless Victim to the Father. The Church's intention, however, is that the faithful not only offer this spotless Victim but also learn to offer themselves . . . [emphasis added].

The text of Eucharistic Prayer III expresses this beautifully.

Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial
of the saving Passion of your Son,
his wondrous Resurrection
and Ascension into heaven,
and as we look forward to his second coming,
we offer you in thanksgiving
this holy and living sacrifice.

The phrase ‘living sacrifice’ is New Testament language for Christian life (e.g., Rm 12:1). It is at this moment that we complete what we began in the presentation of the gifts. We now offer our gift of daily witness and self-giving service in the world, our very lives, as a “holy and living sacrifice” in union with the self-offering of Christ. The Eucharistic Prayers typically go on to ask God to accept this offering. Vatican II (Lumen Gentium, no. 34) states that

… all their works, prayers and apostolic endeavors, their ordinary married and family life, their daily occupations, their physical and mental relaxation, if carried out in the Spirit, and even the hardships of life, if patiently borne—all these become “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Together with the offering of the Lord's body, they are most fittingly offered in the celebration of the Eucharist.

This is why we have gathered, to offer with Christ our lives and our world. This is truly a pivotal moment in the celebration, one of great significance for connecting Eucharist and daily life.

Third, the Eucharistic Prayer concludes with the great Amen. Acclaiming it three times focuses our attention on a word said so often in the liturgy that we tend to ignore it. But it is truly a word that defines and sums up the entirety of the liturgy. There is in fact only one Amen that can be said, the Amen that is Christ, who is “the Amen, the true and faithful witness, the beginning of God’s creation” (Rev 3:14). We noted earlier that liturgy is the action of the entire assembly. It must now be added that it is first and foremost the action of Christ, who is the head of the Body that celebrates with him and through him (CSL, no. 7). He is the liturgist (leitourgos) in the sanctuary not made by human hands (Hbr 8:2), where he continues to preside at the heavenly liturgy. It is to that liturgy that we lift up our hearts at the beginning of Eucharistic Prayer, in order to join in his Amen. Our liturgical Amen can be no other than that of Christ.

For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God. But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first installment(2 Cor 1:20-22).

Note that Yes/Amen in this passage moves in two directions. Jesus is God’s Yes to us and to the world; he is also our Amen to God. If we join the Lord in saying Amen to God in the liturgy, we must also join him in saying God’s Yes to all people and to the world. The liturgical Amen must re-echo in our daily lives of love and self-giving service for all God's people.

To be continued.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

[The reflections in this series are adapted, with permission, from an article published in Liturgical Ministry20 (Fall 2011).]