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We Remember, We Celebrate, We Believe
"Stay with Us Lord"
(Luke 24:29)
(Luke 24:29)
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
THE PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS:
The gifts of bread and wine are brought up by members of the congregation.
The priest prays over the bread:
“Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread
to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the
bread of life.” If the people are not singing a hymn, they respond: “Blessed be God
forever.”
The priest or deacon then pours wine and a little water into the chalice and says: “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.” In the west the mingling of water and wine
came to represent the union of Christ with the faithful: just as wine receives water, so Christ
takes us and our sins to himself. In the east the wine and water represent the divine and
human natures of Christ. I also see a connection between this mingling and the fact that,
when the soldier pierced the side of Christ on the Cross, blood and water poured out. There
is an intimate connection between the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and the sacrificial
aspect of the Mass.
The priest prays over the wine: “Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your
goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will
become our spiritual drink. ”
The priest then prays quietly: “Lord God, we ask you to receive us and be pleased with the
sacrifice we offer you with humble and contrite hearts.”
The priest washes his hands in accord with Psalm 51: 2. He expresses his need for inward
purification: “Lord, wash away my iniquity; cleanse me from my sin.”
He then invites the congregation: “Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may
be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.”
And we respond: “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and
glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his Church.”
The gifts of bread and wine are brought up by members of the congregation.
The priest prays over the bread:
“Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread
to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the
bread of life.” If the people are not singing a hymn, they respond: “Blessed be God
forever.”
The priest or deacon then pours wine and a little water into the chalice and says: “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.” In the west the mingling of water and wine
came to represent the union of Christ with the faithful: just as wine receives water, so Christ
takes us and our sins to himself. In the east the wine and water represent the divine and
human natures of Christ. I also see a connection between this mingling and the fact that,
when the soldier pierced the side of Christ on the Cross, blood and water poured out. There
is an intimate connection between the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and the sacrificial
aspect of the Mass.
The priest prays over the wine: “Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your
goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will
become our spiritual drink. ”
The priest then prays quietly: “Lord God, we ask you to receive us and be pleased with the
sacrifice we offer you with humble and contrite hearts.”
The priest washes his hands in accord with Psalm 51: 2. He expresses his need for inward
purification: “Lord, wash away my iniquity; cleanse me from my sin.”
He then invites the congregation: “Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may
be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.”
And we respond: “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and
glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his Church.”
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“The New Testament accounts of the Last Supper highlight certain foundational actions of Jesus
at the meal He shared with His apostles on the occasion of the Passover. Toward the beginning
of the meal proper He 1) took bread; 2) gave thanks; 3) broke bread; 4) and gave the bread to
His disciples; toward the end of the meal Christ 5) took a cup of wine; 6) gave thanks; and
shared the cup with those present.” – The Mystery of Faith by Lawrence J. Johnson.
at the meal He shared with His apostles on the occasion of the Passover. Toward the beginning
of the meal proper He 1) took bread; 2) gave thanks; 3) broke bread; 4) and gave the bread to
His disciples; toward the end of the meal Christ 5) took a cup of wine; 6) gave thanks; and
shared the cup with those present.” – The Mystery of Faith by Lawrence J. Johnson.
THE PREFACE:
The Preface prepares us spiritually for the consecration of the bread and wine by offering special
reasons for praising God. There are over eighty prefaces in the present Sacramentary.
The Preface prepares us spiritually for the consecration of the bread and wine by offering special
reasons for praising God. There are over eighty prefaces in the present Sacramentary.
THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
The Eucharistic Prayer is the prayer of the Church where the bread and wine become the Body
and Blood of Christ. It begins with calling upon the Holy Spirit to come upon these gifts and
make them holy.
The priest blesses the bread and wine as he prays that they become the Body and Blood of
Christ.
The words of consecration are given to us by Jesus at the Last Supper. “Take this, all of you,
and eat it. This is my Body which will be given up for you.”
The priest genuflects out of respect for the Body of Christ.
“Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new
and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.”
The priest genuflects out of respect for the Blood of Christ.
We believe that Jesus is truly present on the altar. We believe that the bread and wine have
now become the Body and Blood of Christ, not simply a sign or a symbol but the Body and
Blood of Christ. And so we proclaim our faith: “Christ has died. Christ is Risen. Christ will come
again.”
When Jesus asks us to do this in memory of Him, this is more than simply a remembrance. It is
actually making present for us here and now the saving action of Jesus Christ when He died on
the cross and rose from the dead. This is an astounding claim but this gift of the Body and
Blood of Christ is given to us by Jesus Himself. It is marvelous to behold.
The second part of the Eucharistic prayer contains intercessions for the Pope and our Diocesan
Bishop, for the living and the dead.
We assent to the Eucharistic Prayer and make it our own by the Great Amen: “Through Him,
with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Almighty
Father, forever and ever. AMEN.
The Eucharistic Prayer is the prayer of the Church where the bread and wine become the Body
and Blood of Christ. It begins with calling upon the Holy Spirit to come upon these gifts and
make them holy.
The priest blesses the bread and wine as he prays that they become the Body and Blood of
Christ.
The words of consecration are given to us by Jesus at the Last Supper. “Take this, all of you,
and eat it. This is my Body which will be given up for you.”
The priest genuflects out of respect for the Body of Christ.
“Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new
and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.”
The priest genuflects out of respect for the Blood of Christ.
We believe that Jesus is truly present on the altar. We believe that the bread and wine have
now become the Body and Blood of Christ, not simply a sign or a symbol but the Body and
Blood of Christ. And so we proclaim our faith: “Christ has died. Christ is Risen. Christ will come
again.”
When Jesus asks us to do this in memory of Him, this is more than simply a remembrance. It is
actually making present for us here and now the saving action of Jesus Christ when He died on
the cross and rose from the dead. This is an astounding claim but this gift of the Body and
Blood of Christ is given to us by Jesus Himself. It is marvelous to behold.
The second part of the Eucharistic prayer contains intercessions for the Pope and our Diocesan
Bishop, for the living and the dead.
We assent to the Eucharistic Prayer and make it our own by the Great Amen: “Through Him,
with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Almighty
Father, forever and ever. AMEN.
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
The text is inspired by the vision of Isaiah 6: 2 – 3: “Seraphim were stationed above; each of
them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two
they hovered aloft. ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts’ they cried one to the other. ‘All the
earth is filled with his glory.’” Blessed is the acclamation used by the people to greet Christ as
He entered Jerusalem (Matthew 21: 9).
The text is inspired by the vision of Isaiah 6: 2 – 3: “Seraphim were stationed above; each of
them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two
they hovered aloft. ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts’ they cried one to the other. ‘All the
earth is filled with his glory.’” Blessed is the acclamation used by the people to greet Christ as
He entered Jerusalem (Matthew 21: 9).
The
Consecration
Consecration
The Parish of the Holy Cross