Devotion for today: We are part of a treasure

We have just praised God and joined with the angels in singing Hosanna! Now we kneel and face the altar, ready to begin the most solemn part of the Mass. This is called the Canon of the Mass and it has several parts. Today we will look at a brief summary of each part before looking individually at the history and purpose of each. Again, my prayer is that by studying the Mass in a slow and systematic fashion, we can come to appreciate its rich heritage and roots in the Bible, and see the tremendous gift Christ gave us at the last supper. It is up to us, however, to bring our whole being into the Church, and to work hard to concentrate on the words being said. To go to Mass simply to fulfill an obligation, to avoid sin or because our parents once told us we had to do it, is to miss the incredible gift of grace that awaits us at every Mass. Let us not waste time worrying if the priest is a great homilist or if the altar servers are well trained or if the music is modern/traditional enough for us. Rather, let us thank God that we can attend a Mass, and let us pray for the many people in the world who suffer persecution, and who are willing to die, to appear before the altar of God. It is a reality for much of the world, so being present at the Eucharistic feast is a tremendous gift and treasure. We should treat it as such by dressing up, maintaining a respectful silence in the Church before Mass, receiving Communion in a reverent fashion, staying until the priest leaves the church and teaching our children the importance and beauty of what is unfolding before them. A treasure mistreated and neglected eventually becomes a treasure lost.

The Important parts of the Canon of the Mass (the major body of the Eucharistic prayer)

1)       Epiclesis: the priest places his hands over the bread and wine, blesses them and prays to God to send down the Holy Spirit that, through His power, the gifts will become the body and blood of Christ.

2)      Institution narrative: the words of Christ, used at the Last Supper are now used by the priest (in union with the Holy Spirit) to consecrate the bread and wine, and through transubstantiation, make sacramentally present the body and blood of Christ.

3)      Anamnesis: “remembrance”: Here we remember the passion, death and resurrection of Our Lord, His eminent coming again, and His presence now in our living mystery of the Mass.

4)      Supplices: The priests asks God to take the sacrifice we have just offered to His heavenly altar so that those who will receive it will “be filled with every heavenly grace and blessing”.

5)      Petitions: “We pray for”: Here we invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the Apostles, martyrs and all the saints to help us pray for the intentions of our Pope, Bishop, and the living and deceased members of the Church. (adapted from Straight Answers II, Rev. William P. Saunders, PhD., Cathedral Foundation Press, 2003)

 Psalm 96: Call to Worship the Lord the Righteous Judge

Sing to the Lord a new song;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;

Bring an offering and come into His courts.
Worship the Lord in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.”

 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
 Before the Lord, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.