A Look at the Mass: The Eucharistic Prayer: Memorial Acclamation

We now encounter an interesting addition to the Roman Canon, found also in all the other Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Rite. While it does not seem to have any historical basis, we may say the apparent thought behind it is well-founded pastorally. In the Mass, the Sacrament of the Eucharist has just been Consecrated and then offered in sight to the Faithful for adoration, both under the species of bread and wine. We must remember, however, this portion of the Mass is given especially to the Sacrifice of the Cross, which is now present on our altars.

The Memorial Acclamation, then, is the means whereby the Liturgy calls us back to this focus. While it was understandable that faith and devotion required an adoration of the Divine King Who is now present among us, He came on this earth to redeem us, and the Mass is offered to make that Redemption present to us. The Mass is a commemoration of the events of the Paschal Mystery, as well as the offering of those very events made present. As Jungmann points out:

"In almost all the liturgies two ideas are used to define the mystery, the two being placed side by side and contrasted in various ways. The mystery is a commemoration or anamnesis; and it is an oblation, a sacrifice. . . . As a rule, however, the remembrance is mentioned first, but in participial form, so that, though it is first, yet the main stress will be on the oblation, expressed by means of a verb like offerimus [we offer] . . . (218, emphases in original)."

We must understand, then, the desire of the Church to remind us of this, perhaps especially following the Second Vatican Council when two ideas or practices were common in the Church. The first was the practice of many devotional practices during the Mass, such as the praying of the Rosary, which while debatable in itself does raise the question of how much a person was able to unite both the aspect of offering with the aspect of memorial. The second issue would be the denial of the Sacrificial nature of the Mass and the emphasis on its Sacramental nature, a common forerunner to churches no longer in union with Rome.

We may suggest, then, that the Memorial Acclamation was added to the Roman Missal to both remind us of the Sacrificial nature of the Mass, as well as to provide the Faithful another vocal means of uniting themselves with that Sacrifice, especially so close to the very moment upon which the Sacrifice is present on the altar.

Following the genuflection of adoration of the Precious Blood, the Priest arises, as well as the Deacon, for the Institution of the Eucharist is over, and he is now again to assist at "table." In those places as well, where the Faithful are not accustomed to kneel throughout the Eucharistic Prayer, they also here arise for the recommencement of the Great Prayer. The Priest then proclaims:

"The mystery of faith."

This line and wording itself comes from the words of Consecration of the Precious Blood in the Extraordinary Form, which are different than those of the Ordinary Form. Here, translated, for they are always recited in Latin, they are:

"FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD OF THE NEW AND EVERLASTING TESTAMENT: THE MYSTERY OF FAITH: WHICH WILL BE SHED FOR YOU AND FOR MANY UNTO THE REMISSION OF SINS."

We see here the text as much the same as the Ordinary Form, the translation differences are minor and can of course easily be accounted for. The beginning of "Take this..." and the conclusion of, "Do this..." are present in the Extraordinary Form, although not considered as part of the actual words of Consecration as they now are. In fact, the only main difference we can observe is the lack of, "The Mystery of Faith."

This "Mystery of Faith," is the anamnesis, which Jungmann referred to, and which the Church uses to explain the events of our salvation and redemption which we both recall and are made present in the Mass. This acclamation, and the following prayers, shall give an explanation of the content of the Mystery which has just come among us, namely the Paschal Mystery - the Passion and Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. But the anamnesis is more than just an explanation; by calling the Paschal Mystery to our minds we not only understand our presence at its events, but we are led to participate and adore God for them. The exposition leads our minds to understand what Jesus has done for us, and consequently, to pour forth thanksgivings to Him through the offering of the Eucharist, the Great Thanksgiving Itself!

By announcing, "The Mystery of Faith," the Priest proclaims the presence of the Paschal Mystery on our altars, and we are thus invited to make our first vocal participation of thanks and adoration. This may take any one of three formulas, each of which we shall now examine.

The first, and perhaps most common is:

"We proclaim your Death, O Lord,
and profess your Resurrection
until you come again."

It is easy to see here the proclamation of the Paschal Mystery; this acclamation is clearly an acknowledgment and simple profession of Faith in the very kerygma of the early Church, the belief that Christ died, rose again, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Through this acclamation we recall to our minds how our Lord died for us, how He rose from the dead, and how He ascended into Heaven, but will return in glory at the end of time. But the words go far deeper than that, which anyone could easily glean from simply reading the text. Let us, instead, go further in our reflection.

We proclaim the Death of the Lord; we do not simply believe it, but we preach it to the world. It is the very basis of evangelization, as St. Paul says, "When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)." The Death of Christ is the means of the world's liberation from sin, the gateway to eternal happiness, and the eternal sign of God's love for the world. How can any man or woman who has come to know this keep from proclaiming the Cross!? Only through the Cross can our lives and sufferings begin to make sense. Therefore, let us proclaim the Crucifixion with joy, for not only has it happened, but it is made present in our lives, and, by being present at it in the Mass, we can begin to understand the depth of it.

But we also, of course, profess the Resurrection of Christ, for as St. Paul also says, "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ . . . . If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:14-15, 17)." Without the Resurrection, the Sacrifice of the Cross would be of no avail to us, for the Resurrection is the proof of Jesus' Divinity, and without being God, He could not redeem us from sin. These two proclamations and professions go together then; we proclaim the salvation of Christ through the Cross because we profess His Resurrection and consequent Divinity.

In the Eucharist, as we have said, it is the Risen Christ Who comes to us, under the veil of the Eucharistic species, until He shall come again in power and majesty at the end of time, and the eternal Liturgy of Heaven shall be ushered in, unveiled to us! The final line then is a profession in the Ascension of Christ, ushering in the age of the Church. The time in which we live is the time wherein we have been given to accept God's salvation to join ourselves with the Church. This is the age of the Sacraments, which shall cease in Heaven, for what they prepare us for and symbolize shall be received and realized.

The recalling to mind of the Paschal Mystery here, then, is important because it prepares us for what we shall eternally proclaim and celebrate. As we consider, especially in this Easter Season, how we have begun to live here below the life of blessedness which we shall live in Heaven, let us take joy in proclaiming the Memorial Acclamation, for this time during the Mass, when Heaven and earth come together is the closest we shall be to the eternal Beatitude until we enjoy it in Heaven.

However, there are two other Memorial Acclamations which may here be used, and while they also proclaim the Paschal Mystery, they emphasize different aspects of it, so we must quickly consider them as well. The second option is:

"When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your Death, O Lord,
until you come again."

In this Memorial Acclamation option, we easily see a reference tied between the Sacramental and Sacrificial natures of the Eucharist, and it comes from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, in his exhortation on the Eucharist (1 Corinthians 11:26). In this exhortation St. Paul tells the Corinthians the necessity of consuming the Body and Blood of Christ worthily, that is without being in the state of sin and with fitting preparation. In these words, then, we are acknowledging our participation in the Death and Resurrection of Christ, for each time we attend Mass and each time we receive Holy Communion, we renew our Baptism wherein we died and rose with Christ.

It is necessary to participate in the Sacrificial nature of the Eucharist, and thus the Mass, in order to fully derive the graces of Holy Communion, for in order to be conformed fully to Christ, we must die to ourselves. We must undergo death in our bodies and our spirits so that we may rise in the image of Christ. And at every Holy Mass we are given the opportunity for this. By partaking in Holy Communion we are made partakers not only of the Heavenly Banquet, in which we hope to feast in for all eternity when the Lord comes again, but we are also made sharers in the Death and Resurrection of Christ in a more intimate way, and thus bear the fruits of this!

Yet there is one final option for the Memorial Acclamation, which is:

"Save us, Savior of the world,
for by your Cross and Resurrection
you have set us free."

Here, we have the proclamation of the Paschal Mystery contained in the form of a plea to Jesus. It is worth noting it bears a slight resemblance to the Adoramus Te Christe, which is perhaps part of its origins, which runs, "We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world." These two acclamations bear the same feature that they are both acts of thanksgiving for the Redemption brought through the wood of the Cross, and this idea would be especially appropriate here in the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving, especially after the climactic moment of it.

Nonetheless, we cannot overlook the feature of a petition which this acclamation bears. We may interpret it as a plea that the graces of the Sacrament, which come through the Cross, may may avail us to salvation. While the Eucharist may not be received in the state of mortal sin, for only Baptism or Confession can cleanse the soul of that degree, the Eucharist bears the power of absolving one from the penalties of venial sins which have been committed. It restores life to the soul as the Cross and Resurrection restored life to the world.

This final petition, then, is a cry for mercy, of adoration, and of thanksgiving. It is a cry of mercy insofar as the it begs that we, unworthy as we are, may still attain the graces offered to us through the Mass and by the Cross and Resurrection of Christ. It is a cry of adoration in that it praises Jesus Christ for the events which we call to mind and which bore us our salvation. And finally, it is an acclamation of thanksgiving, for by calling these events to mind, we cannot help but thank God for His love and the graces He bestows through them!