The Deeply Biblical Celebration: Part 3-Consecration, Communion, and Conclusion

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After the conversation, comes the meal. Ceremonial meals have been a part of God's plan from the time of Israel. Indeed throughout the Gospel, there are many moments Christ ate meals with those He intended to save. After we have been baptized and are prepared to enter into a deeper relationship with God through true and sacramental repentance, we are free to become among His chosen people. So also in this is the evil one refuted from the beginning, he who once said to man that God does not want man to be like Him is contradicted. For not only was man made like God and meant for it but God through His grace and man's willingness also man to become like God once again through communion after having dealt with man's sin. Moreover, He does so in ways he prefigured in the Old testament and constructed in the New testament. The words exchanged during the Liturgy of the Eucharist testify to these things and make them truly present by them.

After the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist commences. As it was with Old testament sacrifices the Altar is prepared for sacrifice (mind you not in a bloody or graceless way as the Old Testament sacrifices were, since it recalls the one bloody sacrifices done once for all time; Hebrews 10:1-18). At the reception of God's gifts, symbols of man's labor with God's providence, the bread and wine are placed before the assembly, and praise is given to God (cf. 1 Chronicles 29:10;  Psalms 72:18-19; 119:10;  Luke 1:68 | cf. Genesis 14:20;  Psalms 66:20; 68:35). Next, we recall both what we are doing and who God is as we join the angels in praising God singing "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts..."(Isaiah 6:3;  Revelation 4:8), "Heaven and earth are full of your glory." (cf. Habakkuk 3:3;  Psalms 19:1; 57:5;  1 Corinthians 15:40-41), "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord...." (Psalms 118:26;  Mark 11:9;  Matthew 21:9;  Luke 19:38;  John 12:13), and "Hosanna in the highest" (Mark 11:10;  Matthew 21:9;  cf. Luke 19:38). Next, the gifts of bread and wine are already symbols of God's providence, and man's acceptance of it through labor is made to be His presence through the ministerial priesthood, prayer, and the Holy Spirit when the priest says: "Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you." (a combination of Mark 14:22;  Matthew 26:26;  Luke 22:19;  1 Corinthians 11:24), "Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins." (a combination of Mark 14:24;  Matthew 26:27b-28;  cf. Luke 22:17, 20;  1 Corinthians 11:25), and Do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24a, 25b). Next, we recall what was done for our salvation as its grace and actualities are made present. We do this by saying one of the following: "We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again." (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:22) or "When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again." (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:26) or "Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free." (cf. Matthew 8:25; Luke 4:42; Romans 8:21). The congregation then stands and gathers for prayer and worship and praise reciting the prayer Christ taught us with one voice (Matthew 6:9-13; cf. Luke 11:2-4; Mark 14:36; Galatians 4:6). The Priest then gathers this intense moment and praying to the Father says "Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil... as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13). The faithful recall God's Lordship over creation, His omnipotence,, our role as stewards of His creation and our dependence on His generosity saying, "For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours..." (cf. Revelation 4:11; Revelation 11:15; 1 Chronicles 29:11). Next, we recall the peace a life lived with God has said "Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles, 'I leave you peace, my peace I give you.'" (John 14:27) and "The peace of the Lord be with you always" (cf. John 16:33; John 20:19, 21, 26). The priest breaks the host symbolically recalling the breaking of Christ's body and what Jesus did after blessing the bread (Luke 24:30, 35; Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22, Luke 22:19, Acts of the Apostles 27:35, 1 Corinthians 11:24). The congregation mediates on this further as they sing "Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world".[1] The priest elevates the liquid and solid Eucharist proclaiming, "Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb." (John 1:29, 36;  Revelation 19:9). The congregation responds by recognizing God's generosity, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." (Matthew 8:8;  cf. Luke 7:1-10). After everyone who is able to receive communion return to kneeling, the Priest blesses the people (cf. Genesis 28:3;  Deuteronomy 14:29;  Numbers 6:23-27;  Psalms 29:11, cf. Luke 24:50). The priest then sends the people forth to go about their respective expression of the one mission spreading the good news, this is literal in the Latin "Ite, missa est" = "Go, you are sent/missioned". In English this is expressed often in one of these ways so that each may go out to do good works, praising and blessing God: "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord." (cf. Mark 16:15) or 
"Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life." (cf. Psalm 115:1;  1 Corinthians 10:31;  2 Thesselonians 1:12) or "Go in peace." (cf. Exodus 4:18;  Deuteronomy 10:11-13;  Judges 18:6;  1 Samuel 1:17;  Mark 5:34;  Luke 7:50; 8:48).

In conclusion, in the Mass, we see how Scripture and tradition are interdependent and correlated as much as any other place. "Hence there exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known.".[2] God now dwells with/in His Church in a capacity that was not possible without both the priesthood (New Testament Levites) and the Holy Spirit multiplying the fruit of both tradition and Scripture. Not only is it that He is present but also we participate in Him and His divine life by means of this communion. We are thereby divinized by this participation and behold we will be like God, especially Christ, He who became man to redeem man. Therefore, as supernatural as grace and the Eucharist are this is actually a very human mystery.


FN:
  1. Vivat Agnus Dei, post "Lamb of God, a title of Great Import" at https://vivatagnusdei.blogspot.com/2022/04/lamb-of-god-title-of-great-import.html.
  2. Dei Verbum, 9
I am a created entity, not a person.

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