A Look at the Mass: The Mixing of the Water and Wine and Offering of the Wine

As man depends on both food and drink to survive, so it is only appropriate that in the Sacrament given to us for spiritual nourishment here below there be a food and drink portion. Thus, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist consists under the forms of bread and wine, although Christ is fully present under either species. We shall meditate upon other meanings we can derive from this twofold accidental presence of the Blessed Sacrament later in this series, but for now let us content ourselves with the idea of sustenance.

We shall begin with the rite of mixing water with the wine poured into the chalice, a practice that dates from the time of Christ. These two basic drinks of man, wine and water, are mingled together in the Mass in what will become our heavenly nourishment here below, but let us first examine the rite itself, before we examine the significance of wine and water.

It is given to the deacon to perform this ceremony of mixing the water with the wine, and for this reason he is often given the title of "Minister of the Chalice" in regards to his role in the Mass. What insights may we gain from this high order given to the deacon? Practically speaking, his role of pouring the wine into the chalice and then mixing the water with the wine may be said to serve the purpose of expediency, for the priest would be offering the bread at that point. However, when we look at the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, this prayer is prayed by the priest, even though the deacon and subdeacon perform the action. To further seemingly complicate the situation, there were places in history where the offering of the chalice was done by the deacon, and not the priest.

These seeming contradictions can easily be cleared up by looking at the role of the deacon in the Sacred Mass. It may be said that he has a twofold function. In the first place, he is an extension of the celebrant, who is especially deputed the good news to the Faithful. For this reason, he is given the role of proclaiming the Gospel as well as further parts which we shall examine later on. In the second place, though, he may be said to be an extension of the people, for he leads them in prayer in a unique way, and presents their intercessions before God in the General Intercessions.

This role of representative of the people may be said to belong to all the grades of Holy Orders, but it is exercised in different ways. The priest exercises it by offering the Sacrifice to God the Father on their behalf. The deacon may be said to exercise it by bringing the Faithful to the altar, and this is symbolized especially in the mixing of the water with the wine. As Jungmann gathers from St. Cyprian, and eloquently phrases:

"Just as the wine receives the water in itself, so has Christ taken to Himself us and our sins. Therefore, the mixing of the water with the wine symbolizes the intimate union of the faithful with Him to whom they have bound themselves in faith; and this union is so firm that nothing can sever it, just as the water can no longer be separated from the wine (38-39)."

We may say, then, that within the Chalice the Church Herself is symbolized - Jesus Christ, the Head, by the wine, and the Faithful, the Body, by the water. Of course, this is most appropriate since the wine will become the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus in the Consecration. Then, through our reception of Holy Communion we will receive the principal fruit of the Sacrament mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which says:

"The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Lord said: 'He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.' Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet (1391)."

The Catechism continues in its explanation of Holy Communion making us one with Christ through His Church by stating:

"Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body - the Church. Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens this incorporation into the Church, already achieved by Baptism. In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. The Eucharist fulfills this call (1396)."

The mixing of the water and wine, is then, a prayer that the Eucharist may accomplish within the souls of the Faithful divinization and union with Christ and His Church. This reference itself, comes from Scripture, for just as through the piercing of the side of Christ, the Church was born (John 19:34), so through the Precious Blood received in Holy Communion, we are born into Christ. To further see this, let us look at the silent prayer used by the deacon (or the priest in a deacon's absence) as he pours the wine into the chalice and mixes the water with it:

"By the mystery of this water and wine
may we come to share in the divinity of Christ
who humbled himself to share in our humanity."

In the Extraordinary Form the prayer, prayed silently by the priest is:

"O God, + Who, in creating human nature, did wonderfully dignify it, and still more wonderfully restore it, grant that by the Mystery of this water and wine, we may be made partakers of His divine nature, Who vouchsafed to be made partaker of our human nature, even Jesus Christ, our Lord, Thy Son: Who with Thee lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God: world without end. Amen."

As we can see, the prayers are essentially the same in their inner meaning, the Ordinary Form was simply shortened, likely for easier memorization. The extension of the prayer in the Extraordinary Form is because of the origin of the prayer itself, for it was an ancient Christmas prayer, to which the words, "by the Mystery of this water and wine," were added to suit the action it was then put to use with. If those words are subtracted, we can see the liturgical format and how it would suit the Mystery of the Incarnation.

This brings us to the second mystery which shines forth in this ancient rite, and that is the Incarnation of Christ, and its importance for our salvation. Let us recall the words of St. Athanasius that, "That which is not assumed is not redeemed," meaning that if Christ did not assume a human nature, humanity is not redeemed by Jesus' death. Naturally, it is highly appropriate that the matter which will make present for us the Saving Death of the God-man have contained within it a stamp of the Incarnation. In the words of Gueranger:

"The Wine and Water here used are figures: the Wine represents Jesus Christ as God, the Water represents Him as Man. The weakness of the Water, compared with the strength of the Wine, expresses the difference which exists between the Humanity and the Divinity of Jesus Christ (The Holy Mass, Section: The Offertory)."

Finally, there is another interpretation of this rite, which Jungmann notes, and it behooves us to mention, though as it has never been the main idea, we do not have the time to delve into it. We will simply note that Jungmann says:

"The reference [in the formula used when mixing the water and wine] to the blood and water from the side of Christ . . . did, of course, come within the compass of the ordinary allegorism which explained the Mass in terms of Christ's Passion. The notion was kept alive . . . especially by the regulation that the chalice was to stand on the altar to the right of the host (64)."

As he notes, this is certainly a valid interpretation, for each action in the Mass can have numerous meanings, though as it is not the central one, we shall continue with the two previously mentioned ideas of the representation of the Incarnation and of the Church.

After the deacon has mingled the water with the wine into the chalice, he hands the chalice back to the priest. Herein we may see the distinction in order, for while the deacon assists in the Sacrifice, he is but a servant at the table of the Lord's Word and of His Body. It is given to the priest to offer the Sacrifice as an alter Christus, therefore, it is most appropriate that he be the one who says the prayer which raise the bread and wine to the rank of oblations, which will become THE Oblation of Christ upon the Cross.

The priest then raises the chalice above the altar and says, either silently or in an audible voice:

"Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received
the wine we offer you:
fruit of the vine and work of human hands,
it will become our spiritual drink."

If said audibly, the people respond:

"Blessed be God for ever."

It is easy to note here the direct relation to the prayer used in offering the bread (which was discussed here), and the origin of the prayer is the same. Therefore, we shall not repeat that which was said before, for the same ideas apply, but we shall note one which was not discussed before. This is especially the context of the Eucharist as a meal. While this idea has been taken to extremes and liturgical abuses in places, for example with the celebration of Mass around a giant table instead of at an altar, there is a legitimate and true theology of the Mass as a meal, where we are fed with our spiritual food.

We must note the important symbolism bread, wine, and water carry, for in our modern day cultures, especially in places where these are readily available, the meaning is lost. These three things are considered the most basic food and drink for mankind. Bread is the "fruit of the earth," for it is harvested from man's labors in the field, and almost every society on earth has this as the most basic food. It is present in every social class. When the poor cannot afford bread has traditionally been the sign of the most depravity.

Wine is "the fruit of the vine," for it is the product of mankind's labors among the trees and bushes. While in certain places today, it is known only as another alcohol product, in ancient times, and in many regions today, it is considered to be a necessary drink for health. For example, in Italy a bottle of wine can be purchased for three euro. We even read of this belief in the Scriptures, for it is written, "Thou dost cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen man's heart (Psalm 104:14-15)." Science itself testifies to the health benefits of a glass of wine. We hardly need to mention the necessity of water, the most basic and plentiful resource for humans. Without water, humans die, and where there is water, civilizations thrive.

These three resources, then, bread, wine, and water, are given to mankind as the basic support of life, but in the Mass they become the greatest and sublime Food for our Salvation! We may here read into the priest's prayer these words, "Lord, You have given us life and you sustain us in our earthly lives, but You will more wondrously raise these basic supports of human life to the rank of divinizing us!"

These meal prayers are so highly appropriate because, as the Catechism points out:

"What material food produces in our bodily life, Holy Communion wonderfully achieves in our spiritual life. Communion with the flesh of the risen Christ . . . preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace received at Baptism. This growth in Christian life needs the nourishment of Eucharistic Communion, the bread for our pilgrimage until the moment of death (1392)."

We can never neglect to forget the Mass is meant to be a "Sacred Banquet" for us, as St. Thomas Aquinas called in in O Sacrum Convivium. For this reason, St. Pius X, was so insistent on the daily reception of Holy Communion by the Faithful. It separates us from sin, it increases charity in our souls, it raises us to the Divine Life (CCC 1391-1395)! Let us not become so focused on offering ourselves to God, that we neglect to receive the graces He wishes to give and thus send us forth. 

Lastly, we should note the prayer used in the Extraordinary Form for the offering of the chalice, always said silently by the priest, and this is:

"We offer, Thee, O Lord, the chalice of salvation, beseeching Thy clemency, that it may ascend before Thy divine Majesty, as a sweet fragrance, for our salvation, and for that of the whole world. Amen."

As with the offering of the bread, this prayer developed during the Middle Ages, and as with the prayer, since it is not the standard for the Roman Rite, we cannot devote much meditation to it, though there are a few select points we should glean from it, as it was used for centuries and is of exquisite beauty.

Specific mention is made to call it, "the chalice of salvation," and this for two reasons. The first is that within the Mass, the bread and wine are Consecrated separately, though both become fully the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The meaning of this is that during the Passion of our Lord, His Precious Blood was separated from His Body by Its outpouring for our salvation. Thus, in the Mass they are separately Consecrated, symbolizing the separation of Christ's Body and Blood in Death, and later a piece of the Host will be dropped into the Precious Blood, symbolizing the reunification of Christ's Body and Blood in the Resurrection.

Further, "beseeching Thy clemency," follows upon those words, since in the ancient cultures of the world, it was practice to offer a libation to the gods, as a prayer for their favor and thanks for their benefits. This, however, was but a drop. However, we devote our entire spiritual drink in prayer and thanks to God, as we say in the Psalm, "What shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord (Psalm 116:12-13)." In this we show God to be our All, our Origin and Final End, the very Sustainer of our existence.

For the rest of the prayer, we cannot do better than the words of Gueranger, so we shall conclude our considerations of these prayers of the Mass with his exquisite beauty in explaining the prayers. He says:

"In this prayer, Holy Church is thinking, in advance, of that which this Chalice is to become. As yet it holds only Wine; but, later on, there will remain of this Wine only the accidents, the species or appearances; the Substance will give place to the very Blood of Our Lord Himself. Holy Church, therefore, prays God to vouchsafe to look beyond that which she is actually offering to Him at this moment, and she begs that this Chalice may be in His sight as an odour of sweetness, that is to say, that it may be agreeable to His Divine Majesty, so as to operate the salvation of us all (The Holy Mass, Section: The Offertory)."

All historical information taken from:
Rev. Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development. Volume 2. Part IV: The Matter for the Sacrifice, 31-41; Laying the Offerings on the Altar. The Accompanying Prayers, 41-70. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).