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Liturgy of the Eucharist (Part I)
Last week, I wrote about the Liturgy of the Word, the part of the Mass in which we encounter Christ, the living Word of God, in the Scriptures proclaimed at Mass.
We now turn to the Liturgy of the Eucharist when we encounter Christ who becomes really present through the words of the priest and who we receive under the appearances of bread and wine, although it is really and truly
the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.
The Second Vatican Council and subsequently the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the Eucharist as the “source and summit” of the Christian life and so the Liturgy of the Eucharist is of great importance in the Mass (Lumen Gentium 11). The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the preparation of the altar and the offering of the gifts. It is important to remember that we do not just offer bread and wine to be sacrificed in the Eucharist, but we also offer ourselves – our worries and concerns, as well as our joys and hopes. We offer our lives to the Lord to be transformed, so that our lives can be
conformed to the mystery that we celebrate.
I encourage you to intentionally offer yourself and all your needs during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Bring him everything and allow the Lord to take it, bless it, and transform it, so that when you receive Holy Communion, you can receive back what you gave to the Lord, but transformed by his grace.
Next time, I will turn to the rest of the Eucharistic Prayer.
Fr. Aaron, Parochial Vicar
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