EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL. This is part 16 of my series on the USA’s Bishops’ document The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church. Past articles on this Revival, the whole document, and a free study guide, are on our Parish website: stmaryrutherford.org; click on National Eucharistic Revival Bulletin Articles.
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A quote from the Common Preface IV “For, although you have no need of our praise, |
EUCHARIST MEANS THANKSGIVING. This weekend, as we continue to celebrate the secular Feast of Thanksgiving, I take a break from a 10-part reflection on Eucharist Adoration Outside of Mass (next week is the last one) and return to my ‘walk-through’ explanation of the above-mentioned Bishops’ document. I left off, back on September 18, with a series of articles on Part I: Eucharist as THE GIFT; now we move onto Part II: OUR RESPONSE. And as our parents (hopefully!) taught us from an early age: our RESPONSE to receiving a GIFT must be to express our THANKS.
EVERYTHING IS A GIFT FROM GOD. First, we must begin by admitting that ALL is a GIFT: our life, our world, and everything in it! For only God can create from nothing; so ultimately, everything is a gift that must be used as God, the Gift-Giver, intended. We use the word ‘grace’ for all the unearned, unpaid for, undeserved, and unmerited gifts God so freely gives us. What does God ask in return for His countless, gracious gifts?
A verse from the hymn ‘All Good Gifts’ sums it up perfectly: “And all that we can offer, your boundless love imparts; the gifts to you most pleasing are humble, thankful hearts.” Once our hearts are moved by such a sense of gratitude, the rest of our body must follow. We must love as Christ loves; give as totally and as freely as Christ gives; seek to strive to know and to do the Father’s will as Christ did. And when we are NOT like Christ, we must seek God’s pardon and forgiveness for forgetting we are stewards or caretakers – not owners – of God’s gracious gifts.
The holy Mass is the greatest act of thanksgiving, since through it, we offer back to God His greatest Gift to us: our Lord Jesus Christ, truly present in the Eucharist – so our regular, active participation at holy Mass is essential. For as the psalmist asks, “How can I repay the LORD for all the great good done for me? I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.” (Psalm 116:12-13) No wonder the Church makes this the Psalm we sing at Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper, for we best fulfill this command by following the Lord Jesus’ example and command to “do this (the Eucharist) in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19)
The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church document then makes two points. 1) As the 1960’s Second Vatican Council stated: to properly give thanks for the Eucharist, everyone should “take a full, conscious, and active part in the liturgical celebration.” This means that we must be conscious of what we are doing, what is happening, and Who is present in the sacred mysteries. We must also engage our minds, our hearts, and our bodies by joining in the communal actions of sitting, standing, kneeling, bowing, other gestures – and in moments of silence. We must actively listen to the prayers and the homily, join in singing hymns, reciting creeds and other prayers – even if we have said them or have heard them – countless times before.
The document calls every Ordained and Lay Minister who leads or serves at holy Mass to remember that they are servants, not owners, of liturgical Rites. One of the reasons the clergy wear special vestments is to help us – and you – remember it is not us personally who do or say all we do or say – but Christ who, by our Ordination, works in and through us. As Pope Francis recently wrote to the Bishops of the world: “I ask you to be vigilant in ensuring that every liturgy be celebrated with decorum and fidelity to the liturgical books promulgated after Vatican Council II, without the eccentricities that can easily degenerate into abuses.” It then calls for the ongoing formation of clergy and laity who serve in any liturgical role so we can more closely achieve every liturgical ideal. How can we better offer our thanksgiving to the Lord than when we gather for the Most Holy Eucharist?
With God’s love and my prayers,
Very Rev. Michael J. Kreder, VF, KCHS
EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL. This is part 16 of my series on the USA’s Bishops’ document The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church. Past articles on this Revival, the whole document, and a free study guide, are on our Parish website: stmaryrutherford.org; click on National Eucharistic Revival Bulletin Articles.
|
A quote from the Common Preface IV “For, although you have no need of our praise, |
EUCHARIST MEANS THANKSGIVING. This weekend, as we continue to celebrate the secular Feast of Thanksgiving, I take a break from a 10-part reflection on Eucharist Adoration Outside of Mass (next week is the last one) and return to my ‘walk-through’ explanation of the above-mentioned Bishops’ document. I left off, back on September 18, with a series of articles on Part I: Eucharist as THE GIFT; now we move onto Part II: OUR RESPONSE. And as our parents (hopefully!) taught us from an early age: our RESPONSE to receiving a GIFT must be to express our THANKS.
EVERYTHING IS A GIFT FROM GOD. First, we must begin by admitting that ALL is a GIFT: our life, our world, and everything in it! For only God can create from nothing; so ultimately, everything is a gift that must be used as God, the Gift-Giver, intended. We use the word ‘grace’ for all the unearned, unpaid for, undeserved, and unmerited gifts God so freely gives us. What does God ask in return for His countless, gracious gifts?
A verse from the hymn ‘All Good Gifts’ sums it up perfectly: “And all that we can offer, your boundless love imparts; the gifts to you most pleasing are humble, thankful hearts.” Once our hearts are moved by such a sense of gratitude, the rest of our body must follow. We must love as Christ loves; give as totally and as freely as Christ gives; seek to strive to know and to do the Father’s will as Christ did. And when we are NOT like Christ, we must seek God’s pardon and forgiveness for forgetting we are stewards or caretakers – not owners – of God’s gracious gifts.
The holy Mass is the greatest act of thanksgiving, since through it, we offer back to God His greatest Gift to us: our Lord Jesus Christ, truly present in the Eucharist – so our regular, active participation at holy Mass is essential. For as the psalmist asks, “How can I repay the LORD for all the great good done for me? I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.” (Psalm 116:12-13) No wonder the Church makes this the Psalm we sing at Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper, for we best fulfill this command by following the Lord Jesus’ example and command to “do this (the Eucharist) in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19)
The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church document then makes two points. 1) As the 1960’s Second Vatican Council stated: to properly give thanks for the Eucharist, everyone should “take a full, conscious, and active part in the liturgical celebration.” This means that we must be conscious of what we are doing, what is happening, and Who is present in the sacred mysteries. We must also engage our minds, our hearts, and our bodies by joining in the communal actions of sitting, standing, kneeling, bowing, other gestures – and in moments of silence. We must actively listen to the prayers and the homily, join in singing hymns, reciting creeds and other prayers – even if we have said them or have heard them – countless times before.
The document calls every Ordained and Lay Minister who leads or serves at holy Mass to remember that they are servants, not owners, of liturgical Rites. One of the reasons the clergy wear special vestments is to help us – and you – remember it is not us personally who do or say all we do or say – but Christ who, by our Ordination, works in and through us. As Pope Francis recently wrote to the Bishops of the world: “I ask you to be vigilant in ensuring that every liturgy be celebrated with decorum and fidelity to the liturgical books promulgated after Vatican Council II, without the eccentricities that can easily degenerate into abuses.” It then calls for the ongoing formation of clergy and laity who serve in any liturgical role so we can more closely achieve every liturgical ideal. How can we better offer our thanksgiving to the Lord than when we gather for the Most Holy Eucharist?
With God’s love and my prayers,
Very Rev. Michael J. Kreder, VF, KCHS