EUCHARIST - PREPARATION

 Our pilgrimage to Mass begins before we leave home, in our morning prayers and preparation. Once in church our preparation intensifies as we pray silently. Perhaps we may read over the scripture readings and the words of a hymn. The priest enters and we stand together. This is the moment we become a community. Recently we celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi during which St Paul reminded us that “we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf”. That is why when come together we seek forgiveness and then join the angels of Bethlehem singing “Glory to God in the highest”, peace to people of goodwill. The Collect (the opening prayer) is prayed, so called because it collects our individual prayers together. Then we listen to God’s Word, attentively and prayerfully.

If we make time to be still and silently pray, “What, Lord, do you want me to hear today?” He may have a personal word with us! This is what happened to St Francis when he heard the Gospel read one day in Assisi. Through the words of consecration, through the power of the Holy Spirit, St Francis tells us: “Christ, the Son of the living God, is present on the altar in the hands of a priest! Let everyone be struck with fear, let the whole world tremble, and let the heavens exult.”

As we come to the end of the run of the big festivals celebrating our Easter faith; Ascension, Pentecost, Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, Sacred Heart and Ss Peter and Paul we are remembering that every celebration of the Eucharist is, for us, a foretaste of heaven. Let us seek to prepare, with all creatures of heaven and earth to sing a new song in adoration, and with all the host of Angels, cry out, and without end we acclaim, Holy, Holy Holy!

Adapted from The Living Word, Redemptorist Publications