Month: March 2024

The “Holy” or Sanctus has been an integral part of the Eucharistic Prayer in both the East and the West since before the year 400. With it concludes the variable part of the prayer called the preface. Its text is composed of two sections, both inspired by Scripture and both conclude with the phrase, “Hosanna in the Highest”.

The juxtaposition of the two parts underscores two very different aspects of God. In the first part, the amazement and awe of the divine majesty stand out, and in the second, the humility of Jesus, God made man.

Holy is the very name of God, and more than a moral quality of God, it designates the very infinite quality of the divine being: He alone is the Holy One (Leviticus 11:44), and at the same time He is the only “source of all holiness” (Eucharistic Prayer II).

The first section of this prayer evokes the image of the transcendent God seated on his throne and the incessant liturgy that surrounds him, as described in the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-5) and in the book of Revelations (Revelation 4:2-8)

The second part of the Sanctus has its origin in Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The account describes the startling image of a humble God arriving in the Holy City on a donkey amid the acclamations of the people who rejoiced at the coming of salvation (Matthew 21:1-9).

The apparent contradiction in the portrayal of God in the two sections of the Sanctus is due to the prophetic nature of the first and the eschatological nature of the second. Jesus appears as the humble prophet who arrives in a city that will reject him and execute him. But he is also the spokesman for God who heralds the new time, and who tears the cosmos apart by destroying the distinction between the pure and the impure. He enters the Temple and drives out the coin changers who had turned God’s house into a den of bandits.

Let us join the heavenly choir by singing with praise the Sanctus during the celebration of the Eucharist, the sacramental memorial of the Lord’s Death, as Christian people let us proclaim to Jesus the same acclamations that the people addressed to him when he entered Jerusalem.

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López, Félix “Explanation of the Mass – The Sanctus” Home of the Mother, accessed 19 March 2024 https://www.homeofthemother.org/en/resources/eucharist/549-explanation-of-the-mass/2413-the-sanctus

“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:

1. 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).
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).
3. 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.
4. 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.

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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

The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist are not two different acts of worship, but two moments of one same mystery. The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the preparation of the gifts.

 “The presentation of the offerings at the altar takes up the gesture of Melchizedek and commits the Creator’s gifts into the hands of Christ who, in His sacrifice, brings to perfection all human attempts to offer sacrifices.” (CCC 1350) It is a rite full of richness and expressiveness

This is the privileged moment for the collection, so that the faithful may offer their material assistance to their brothers in need. “From the very beginning Christians have brought, along with the bread and wine for the Eucharist, gifts to share with those in need. This custom of the collection (1 Corinthians 16:1), ever appropriate, is inspired by the example of Christ who became poor to make us rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Pope Benedict XVI on his Apostolic Exhortation “Sacramentum caritatis” mentions how all of creation is taken up by Christ to be presented to the Father in the sacrifice of the Mass. In this moment, every man presents, with Christ, his sufferings, joys and work, which is considered as a collaboration in the creative work of God, according to the commandment of Genesis: “Fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28).

In the rite, the priest first takes the paten with the bread and, with both hands, slightly lifts it up over the altar, while saying the corresponding prayer. He does the same with the wine. The two almost identical prayers that the priest pronounces, out loud or quietly, are similar to those that Jesus used in his prayers of blessing, to which the assembly responds “Blessed be God forever” (Romans. 9:5; 2 Corinthians 11:31)

After presenting the bread and wine, the priest bows before the altar and prays quietly. In this way the priest prepares to celebrate the Eucharist “in spirit and in truth,” knowing that “a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalms 50)

The priest then washes his hands, thus obtaining his “interior purification.” Once at the altar again, he calls all present to prayer in order that our mutual sacrifice may be acceptable to God. And the assembly prays for the communal good and of the Church.

Let us remember that, along with the gifts, there is also the fruit of our sacrifice, that all human realities and all creation are included in the bread and wine, in all their simplicity. May the Lord our God accept our sacrifice for our good and all of His Holy Church.

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López, Félix “Explanation of the Mass – The Preparation of the Gifts”, Home of the Mother, Accessed 10 March 2024, https://www.homeofthemother.org/en/resources/eucharist/549-explanation-of-the-mass/2435-preparation-of-the-gifts

The Prayer of the Faithful is an important part of the mass, it is the moment when the congregation comes together as one to repeat their plea to the Lord, asking for his blessing for the Church and for the world. In this way, we answer the call of Saint Paul: “Do not be anxious about anything, but, in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6).¹

The Prayer of the Faithful is the intercession made by the baptized, at the proposal of the deacon or the lector, who indicates the intention for which to pray. That is to say, the reason for prayer is pointed out to all those present and then the faithful pray together for that intention: “Lord, listen and have mercy”, “We beg you, hear us”, “Lord, hear our prayer”. This is the prayer of the faithful because, in the first place, it is made by all the faithful – not by a reader – and, in the second place, because they address God directly. That answer of all is the true Prayer of the faithful.

Therefore, the Prayer of the Faithful is the prayerful response of the whole assembly to the Lord to an intention that the deacon or a lector proposes to everyone. Let us not confuse the terms: each of the requests that are pointed out is not the prayer of the faithful because they are simply monitions, indications; nor is it the prayer of the faithful, understanding that each request – sometimes in a language not of admonition, but directly addressed to God, not to the faithful – is made by a different reader. The Prayer of the Faithful is the common prayer that everyone makes: “Lord hear our prayer”²

The Prayer of the Faithful caps the Liturgy of the Word in a way similar to the reception of Holy Communion at the end of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. For in the Universal Prayer, the baptized exercise the very priesthood of Christ by mediating “for holy Church, for the civil authorities, for those oppressed by various needs, for all mankind, and for the salvation of the entire world” (Sacrosanctum Concilium 53).³

Let us pay attention during petitions, make them our own, and respond with our prayer, for our Lord Jesus Christ has told us that whatever we ask in His name will be fulfilled (John 14:13, Luke 18:1-7).

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¹ Anonymous, “Prayers of the Faithful” Hozana, Accesed on 2 March 2024, https://hozana.org/en/prayer/of-the-faithful

² Sanchez Martínez, Javier “La Oración de los fieles (I)” Fundacion InfoCatólica – Liturgia, fuente y culmen, 7 March 2017, https://www.infocatolica.com/blog/liturgiafuenteyculmen.php/1703030114-la-oracion-de-los-fieles-i

³ Priest, Jeremy, “Is the Universal Prayer (Prayers of the Faithful or General Intercessions) required at every Mass?” Adoremus, 9 September 2019, https://adoremus.org/2019/09/q-is-the-universal-prayer-prayers-of-the-faithful-or-general-intercessions-required-at-every-mass/

The Creed serves as a personal profession of faith, which is why it begins with “I” rather than “We”, and is also called the “Symbol of Faith.”

We should also consider where the Creed is placed in the Mass. Why not begin our liturgy with the Creed to verify the communion of faith we are about to celebrate? Or profess it at the end to remind us of the faith we are to carry into the world? The Creed’s place immediately after the homily gives it particular significance.

The liturgy is a conversation between God and God’s people in which the priest serves as representative of both, and so speaks on behalf of both at different times. It is important to remember who is speaking and what is being proclaimed. In the biblical readings, God is speaking to the people. This conversation reaches a climax in the proclamation of the Gospel in which Jesus is proclaimed as the Word of God incarnate who now speaks to his body, the Church. For this reason, we stand for the Gospel and show other appropriate signs of reverence.

Following the Gospel, the priest or deacon proclaims the homily which continues the Word of God as it is applied to our daily lives, leading us more deeply into the Paschal Mystery we are called to live and the memorial of which we are about to celebrate in the Eucharist.

The Profession of Faith is our opportunity as God’s people to respond to the Lord’s self-revelation and salvation. The word of God must be understood and accepted, lest we be passive spectators rather than active listeners (James 1:22).

The Creed is how we say to God: We have heard you and we believe you! The Creed is a summary of Scripture. It expresses our faith in God who is a Trinity of Persons that has acted in historical events and is revealed definitively in the person of Jesus. This revelation continues to mature and grow through the Holy Spirit present in the Church. We are proclaiming that we believe all this revelation, not just part of it, and that God offers it to us as an effective testament of his saving and redeeming love for us.

The next time we profess the Creed at Mass, let us remember to whom we are speaking. Think about what God has just said to us in the Scriptures and in the homily. Reflect on what it means to be a member of Christ’s people accepting the fullness of what God has revealed and eager to witness Christ to the world.

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Mueggenborg, Daniel “Why do we say the Creed at every Sunday Mass?”, Northwest Catholic, 27 August 2021, https://nwcatholic.org/voices/daniel-mueggenborg/why-do-we-say-the-creed-at-every-sunday-mass