“Eucharist” means “thanksgiving” and this thanksgiving is expressed very clearly in the Preface. In it, the priest, in the name of the holy people, glorifies God the Father and gives Him thanks for the work of salvation or for one of these aspects in particular.
The preface consists of four parts:
- The initial dialogue, always the same, of very ancient origin, beginning with: “The Lord be with you…”, and ending with the response of the assembly “… it is right and just” that from the beginning binds the people to the priest’s prayer, and at the same time lifts up their hearts to God (Colossians 3:1-2).
- The elevation to the Father takes up the last words of the assembly, “it is right and just “, and with slight variations, raises the prayer of the Church to the heavenly Father. In this way the preface, and with it the whole Eucharistic prayer, addresses the prayer of the Church precisely to the Father. Thus, we do Christ’s will: “When you pray, say Father” (Luke 11:2).
- The central part, the most variable in its contents, depending on the different days and feasts, joyfully proclaims the fundamental motives of thanksgiving, which always revolve around creation and redemption.
- The end of the preface, which is a prologue to the Sanctus that follows, associates the Eucharistic prayer of the Church on earth with the worship of the heavenly liturgy, making the former an echo of the latter: “Therefore, with the angels and the saints, we proclaim your glory, by saying…”
The purpose of the preface is to thank and praise the greatness of God for all the gifts, all the benefits that throughout salvation history he has granted us, since this thanksgiving and praise are “right and just”.
Let us lift our hearts to the Lord not only as a ritual response, but as an expression of what is happening in this heart that rises and drags others upwards. Let us try to live always remembering the great benefits that the Lord has done for us.
López, Félix “Explanation of the Mass: The Preface”, Home of the Mother, Accessed 16 March 2024, https://www.homeofthemother.org/en/resources/eucharist/549-explanation-of-the-mass/2385-preface