The Pentecost Novena, itself, can be found here.
"Heal our wounds, our strength renew; on our dryness pour your dew; wash our stains of guilt away." - From the Veni Sancte Spiritus, Sequence for Pentecost
Year after year we celebrate these Mysteries of salvation, and year after year the Church in Her Liturgy makes the same prayers and supplications. While at first it may seem that this is a monotonous gesture, and the risk is certainly there that it could become routine, a simple look at our lives and at nature will prove this is anything but the case! In fact, we shall see this is the best method that Holy Church, guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, could set forth to be maintained.
If we look simply at nature, we see a routine present in its maintenance. Each morning the dew waters the grass, and the sun dries it up, only to repeat the process again and again. Through the seasons of the year, the trees and plants produce their fruit and wither, only to be born again. Or even the human body, with its various routine functions, such as sleep and nourishment, while we may vary them, science has shown a routine is the healthiest. No one would suggest, however, that nature or humans should vary these things up so they don't get bored! That's folly.
Speaking of human lives, let us look at our practices. Do we not practice daily hygiene? And do we not naturally form a schedule to carry out our tasks? Order is a quality of God, and we, made in His image and likeness, share this affinity. There are so many things we do with little variance day by day and year by year, and yet we never fear boredom in it.
Why then should the Liturgy, our most intimate encounter with God be any different?! It only makes sense there should be an order and a repetition to it, for this not only speaks to the human soul, it gives a certain degree of comfort. Is it any less a new day when the dew touches the grass once again, or are the flowers less beautiful when they return because they have done so again and again over the years? The same is true with the Liturgy; it is no less beautiful because we have seen and heard the prayers before. Nor is it any less a new experience each time, because each time is a new encounter with the Holy Spirit!
This leads us then to the reason we make the same prayers again and again, and why we continually pray for the Holy Spirit to be ever more poured out in our souls. Our wounds are always in danger of reopening, and so we call on the Holy Spirit to heal us and preserve us from danger. Though we have never fallen to a certain temptation, we do not cease to pray that we will not, for our prayer is our protection against it.
We repeatedly pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and each time, like eating and drinking for nourishment is a new joy. And in the event we fall into simple repetition, we pray the Holy Spirit may awaken us and make us realize the newness and the joy of every experience in life, especially our spiritual lives by pouring Himself as dew upon our dry souls!
And finally, we pray continually that He may wash our stains of sin away. As our bodies will naturally accumulate dirt and grime and risk sickness if not properly and continuously washed, so our souls shall do the same while still in this fallen world. While we are in the world, we run the risk of being contaminated by its ideas, and becoming sick in sin. Yet the Holy Spirit, as a solicitous guide will always wash us of these infirmities and be our shield and medicine, so long as we go to Him, the Doctor of our souls
Showing posts with label Liturgy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Liturgy. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
A Look at the Mass: The Eucharistic Prayer: Memento for the Dead
The sacrificial portion of the Eucharistic Prayer now being completed, the Priest returns to more prayers of petition and intercession, such as we saw in the Te Igitur, the Memento for the Living, and the Communicantes. We noted before the Consecration, a great focus on the Church upon earth, as well as a recalling to mind of the Saints in Heaven who are present with us at the Liturgy, where Heaven and earth come together.
Holy Church would be negligent, however, if She did not remember the third state members of the Church might enjoy, the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is true, they can no longer merit on their own from attendance at the Mass, yet the Mass may be offered for their benefit, and we may even go so far as to suggest they receive the greatest of consolations from it, even when it is not applied to their souls. For it seems foolish to suggest they are present at it through the Communion of Saints and the Liturgy, yet without awareness of it. While we cannot know how they experience the Mass, we do know the Church has always held they have a connection to it. In the early Church, prayers were offered for the dead, especially the Mass, and this is where our prayer comes from.
While it took an especially long time for this prayer to find its permanent place in the Canon, since about the fourth century it occupied various places, but was deemed an important component. This makes sense in light of what we observed with the Memento for the Living and the Communicantes, where we wish to remind ourselves not only of those for whom the Sacrifice is offered, but of the union of the spiritual and physical realms.
The prayer itself is one of the simpler ones in the Canon; in fact it enjoys perhaps the least embellishment of all the separate prayers. The Priest or a Concelebrant, having resumed the orans posture, for he is again making intercession for souls, says:
"Remember also, Lord, your servants N. and N.,
who have gone before us with the sign of faith
and rest in the sleep of peace.
After this half, the Priest pauses as at the Memento for the Living, joins his hands and either in an inaudible voice or mentally he recites the names of those others for whom he wishes to pray. But let us now examine this first half of the prayer. First, let us note the separation that exists here unlike with the naming of the living. The names of one or perhaps even three or four souls may be mentioned audibly at the beginning of the prayer, but the rest should be reserved for the private portion of the Priest's prayer.
The same basic concepts apply here as they did at remembrance of the living; those who have some special connection to the intention of the Mass, or those for whom the Mass is offered if they are already deceased are to be mentioned here aloud, if it is deemed appropriate. One may even go so far as to say those specially joined to the community, such as a bishop or pastor who has died, or the benefactors of the church building, could be mentioned here as well.
Once again, though, it is not appropriate to here mention those who died outside of union with the Church. Holy Church has no knowledge of the state of their soul, and She will not hesitate to offer Her prayers for their happy repose, but as this is the Great Prayer of the Church, only those who are part of the Church may appropriately be mentioned here. Additionally, the very format of the prayer does not allow mention of those, at the very least, who died without Baptism of water, for it is said that those mentioned by name died, "with the sign of faith," namely the cross which was imprinted upon them at Baptism with Chrism, and which they may have been sealed with in Confirmation, and finally which they might also have been signed with one final time in the Anointing of the Sick, if they were able to receive that great Sacrament before death.
Let us also note, however, that the mentioning of a name also does not guarantee the soul is in Purgatory or Heaven. It is possible they condemned themselves to Hell, but as they presumably died within the good graces of the Church, the Church shall err on the side of benefit and pray for them. Otherwise, no one could be mentioned.
Of course, any soul may be mentioned in the silent recitation, for as alluded to, Holy Mother Church wishes all children to enjoy, "the sleep of peace," which St. Paul talks about (1 Thessalonians 4). The Church never refers in Her official prayers to these souls as "dead," but always as asleep or departed. This was the idea of the early Christians, to combat the ideas of the Pagans who saw death as the release from suffering of the body or the end of existence. Those souls in Heaven are now united to Christ forever in eternal life, and they will be reunited to their bodies at the end of time for enjoyment of physical life!
The souls of the Faithful Departed, however, do not enjoy that great privilege yet, and so Holy Church, though She cannot give them the remission of the punishment due to their sins, by Her prayers and indulgences She can merit on their behalf to free them from their torments.
At this pause of the Priest, then, let us remember all those departed souls for whom we wish to pray. There should be no soul excepted from our prayers, no matter how poor of a relationship we had with them while they were upon this earth, for their enjoyment of Heaven through our prayers will be to our eternal bliss and benefit! We should pray especially for our parents and ancestors, for all of our benefactors, and for all those who were in authority over us, or who were entrusted to our care.
Formerly, the same practice was performed here by the Deacon as at the Memento of the Living, where he would read off the names of the Faithful Departed on the Diptychs, for whom the entire community purposed to pray, but as this would easily become too long quickly, this practice was discontinued early on in favor of the current practice.
Once this silence is concluded, the Priest takes up the prayer again with hands extended and says:
"Grant them, O Lord, we pray,
and all who sleep in Christ,
a place of refreshment, light and peace.
The recommendation of the souls of the departed being complete, the Priest now makes the intercession of their souls. And how beautiful it is! Holy Church wishes they have refreshment, that is rest from their sufferings, for unlike us on earth who have periods of consolation, or the souls in Heaven who will never again know suffering, they have no rest from their suffering. They are in torment, of which their only consolation is that it is to end and they will assuredly enjoy eternal beatitude.
But how far away this seems for them! While they are assured of their salvation, many theologians speculate they have no knowledge of how quickly their suffering is in relation to eternity, and thus the torments for them are nigh unbearable. Yet bear them they must for their purification. The Church, however, as a loving Mother, sorrows to see them suffer so, and offers the Mass to bring them consolation and entrance into eternal light.
And that is the next thing prayed for, i.e. that the Faithful Departed may enjoy the Beatific Vision, under the context of "light." This relates to the great line of St. Paul, "Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood (1 Corinthians 13:12)." Once they attain the Lumen Gloriae, the Light of Glory, they, and hopefully us one day, shall see through the "eyes" of God, and thus shall understand all Mysteries to the extent they are capable!
And finally, Holy Church prays they may have peace, the peace which God alone can give, for He satisfies all our desires. Once the Beatific Vision is attained, there is no fear of losing It. Indeed, the heart shall love perfectly and shall have joy and rest in the attainment of the Ultimate Good!
As a final thought, though, we should not overlook the mention of, "and all who sleep in Christ." While the Church does not mention any souls who were presumably not in union with Her at the time of their death in the Canon, She makes no judgment as to the fact that there are likely innumerable souls who, purely by the mercy of God and no fault of their own, also share in the purifying fires of Purgatory. And it is for these, as well as all deceased members of the community who were not named or thought of, that She purposes to pray. There is no soul in Purgatory the Church does not wish to benefit from this Great Sacrifice.
At the Priest's discretion, he may then conclude the prayer with:
"Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
If he does so, he joins his hands as he says so. As we have already numerous times explained this conclusion and posture, we shall forgo doing so again.
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 Memento of the Dead, 237-248. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).
Holy Church would be negligent, however, if She did not remember the third state members of the Church might enjoy, the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is true, they can no longer merit on their own from attendance at the Mass, yet the Mass may be offered for their benefit, and we may even go so far as to suggest they receive the greatest of consolations from it, even when it is not applied to their souls. For it seems foolish to suggest they are present at it through the Communion of Saints and the Liturgy, yet without awareness of it. While we cannot know how they experience the Mass, we do know the Church has always held they have a connection to it. In the early Church, prayers were offered for the dead, especially the Mass, and this is where our prayer comes from.
While it took an especially long time for this prayer to find its permanent place in the Canon, since about the fourth century it occupied various places, but was deemed an important component. This makes sense in light of what we observed with the Memento for the Living and the Communicantes, where we wish to remind ourselves not only of those for whom the Sacrifice is offered, but of the union of the spiritual and physical realms.
The prayer itself is one of the simpler ones in the Canon; in fact it enjoys perhaps the least embellishment of all the separate prayers. The Priest or a Concelebrant, having resumed the orans posture, for he is again making intercession for souls, says:
"Remember also, Lord, your servants N. and N.,
who have gone before us with the sign of faith
and rest in the sleep of peace.
After this half, the Priest pauses as at the Memento for the Living, joins his hands and either in an inaudible voice or mentally he recites the names of those others for whom he wishes to pray. But let us now examine this first half of the prayer. First, let us note the separation that exists here unlike with the naming of the living. The names of one or perhaps even three or four souls may be mentioned audibly at the beginning of the prayer, but the rest should be reserved for the private portion of the Priest's prayer.
The same basic concepts apply here as they did at remembrance of the living; those who have some special connection to the intention of the Mass, or those for whom the Mass is offered if they are already deceased are to be mentioned here aloud, if it is deemed appropriate. One may even go so far as to say those specially joined to the community, such as a bishop or pastor who has died, or the benefactors of the church building, could be mentioned here as well.
Once again, though, it is not appropriate to here mention those who died outside of union with the Church. Holy Church has no knowledge of the state of their soul, and She will not hesitate to offer Her prayers for their happy repose, but as this is the Great Prayer of the Church, only those who are part of the Church may appropriately be mentioned here. Additionally, the very format of the prayer does not allow mention of those, at the very least, who died without Baptism of water, for it is said that those mentioned by name died, "with the sign of faith," namely the cross which was imprinted upon them at Baptism with Chrism, and which they may have been sealed with in Confirmation, and finally which they might also have been signed with one final time in the Anointing of the Sick, if they were able to receive that great Sacrament before death.
Let us also note, however, that the mentioning of a name also does not guarantee the soul is in Purgatory or Heaven. It is possible they condemned themselves to Hell, but as they presumably died within the good graces of the Church, the Church shall err on the side of benefit and pray for them. Otherwise, no one could be mentioned.
Of course, any soul may be mentioned in the silent recitation, for as alluded to, Holy Mother Church wishes all children to enjoy, "the sleep of peace," which St. Paul talks about (1 Thessalonians 4). The Church never refers in Her official prayers to these souls as "dead," but always as asleep or departed. This was the idea of the early Christians, to combat the ideas of the Pagans who saw death as the release from suffering of the body or the end of existence. Those souls in Heaven are now united to Christ forever in eternal life, and they will be reunited to their bodies at the end of time for enjoyment of physical life!
The souls of the Faithful Departed, however, do not enjoy that great privilege yet, and so Holy Church, though She cannot give them the remission of the punishment due to their sins, by Her prayers and indulgences She can merit on their behalf to free them from their torments.
At this pause of the Priest, then, let us remember all those departed souls for whom we wish to pray. There should be no soul excepted from our prayers, no matter how poor of a relationship we had with them while they were upon this earth, for their enjoyment of Heaven through our prayers will be to our eternal bliss and benefit! We should pray especially for our parents and ancestors, for all of our benefactors, and for all those who were in authority over us, or who were entrusted to our care.
Formerly, the same practice was performed here by the Deacon as at the Memento of the Living, where he would read off the names of the Faithful Departed on the Diptychs, for whom the entire community purposed to pray, but as this would easily become too long quickly, this practice was discontinued early on in favor of the current practice.
Once this silence is concluded, the Priest takes up the prayer again with hands extended and says:
"Grant them, O Lord, we pray,
and all who sleep in Christ,
a place of refreshment, light and peace.
The recommendation of the souls of the departed being complete, the Priest now makes the intercession of their souls. And how beautiful it is! Holy Church wishes they have refreshment, that is rest from their sufferings, for unlike us on earth who have periods of consolation, or the souls in Heaven who will never again know suffering, they have no rest from their suffering. They are in torment, of which their only consolation is that it is to end and they will assuredly enjoy eternal beatitude.
But how far away this seems for them! While they are assured of their salvation, many theologians speculate they have no knowledge of how quickly their suffering is in relation to eternity, and thus the torments for them are nigh unbearable. Yet bear them they must for their purification. The Church, however, as a loving Mother, sorrows to see them suffer so, and offers the Mass to bring them consolation and entrance into eternal light.
And that is the next thing prayed for, i.e. that the Faithful Departed may enjoy the Beatific Vision, under the context of "light." This relates to the great line of St. Paul, "Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood (1 Corinthians 13:12)." Once they attain the Lumen Gloriae, the Light of Glory, they, and hopefully us one day, shall see through the "eyes" of God, and thus shall understand all Mysteries to the extent they are capable!
And finally, Holy Church prays they may have peace, the peace which God alone can give, for He satisfies all our desires. Once the Beatific Vision is attained, there is no fear of losing It. Indeed, the heart shall love perfectly and shall have joy and rest in the attainment of the Ultimate Good!
As a final thought, though, we should not overlook the mention of, "and all who sleep in Christ." While the Church does not mention any souls who were presumably not in union with Her at the time of their death in the Canon, She makes no judgment as to the fact that there are likely innumerable souls who, purely by the mercy of God and no fault of their own, also share in the purifying fires of Purgatory. And it is for these, as well as all deceased members of the community who were not named or thought of, that She purposes to pray. There is no soul in Purgatory the Church does not wish to benefit from this Great Sacrifice.
At the Priest's discretion, he may then conclude the prayer with:
"Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
If he does so, he joins his hands as he says so. As we have already numerous times explained this conclusion and posture, we shall forgo doing so again.
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 Memento of the Dead, 237-248. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Seventh Sunday of Easter: Meditation on the Entrance Antiphon
"O Lord, hear my voice, for I have called to you; of you my heart has spoken: Seek his face; hide not your face from me, alleluia." - Entrance Antiphon for the Seventh Sunday of Easter
This Entrance Antiphon is quite unlike the other antiphons we have experienced and mediated upon throughout the Easter Season. In fact, it seems to bear quite a resemblance to the Entrance Antiphons we encountered throughout Lent, with the exception of the Alleluia of course. Instead of cries of rejoicing, we have pleas for assistance and protection. We have a request at the end that the Lord would not abandon us. Why this sudden change in thought, without the change of season? What does this mean?
Alas, while we are still in the Easter Season, the Church has undergone a drastic change! Her Divine Lord, Who we so intimately encountered throughout the forty days following Easter Sunday has ascended. He no longer dwells visibly among the Church, and this does cause a certain sorrow in us, for we are no longer able to be so privileged as such souls as Mary and Joseph, who were able to bear the Lord in their arms, or St. John the Baptist, who beheld him with his own eyes and saw and heard God the Father Himself attest to His Divinity and mission, or the glorious Apostles and holy women who walked with Him on His journeys and heard His teachings.
But this sorrow is not only balanced, it is outweighed by the joy and triumph we feel through the Ascension, as we shall explain shortly. The Entrance Antiphon, then, does not bear the same sentiment as those of Lent, but it instead is one of trusting confidence, and thus it continues to end with that word of joy, "alleluia." If we recall the words of our Lord, "If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I (John 14:28)," and, "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you (John 16:7)." This day is given to us, then, to recall the fact that our Lord has ascended but the Holy Spirit has come in His place, and thus our focus shifts.
The Liturgical Seasons in which we commemorate the Mysteries of our Redemption are drawing to a close, and we will soon enter into Ordinary Time, in which we focus on our own spiritual lives and our vocations as Christians in regards to evangelizing the world. In one week, we shall celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit was poured forth on the Church and the Apostles began to preach Christ to all the nations. Ordinary Time is very much a season in which we are to focus and meditate on our own evangelization.
We may notice how beautifully the Liturgical Year is arranged. About a third of it is given to meditation on the Mysteries of Christ's life and specific and focused prayer, while the rest is more general, and this may be seen as a reflection of the Christian Life. There are certain practices and devotions every Christian shares, points where they come together, but each soul's spiritual life is also unique and we are all called to different works and missions. After meeting together, primarily in the Liturgy, where we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we go forth to evangelize to the nations, each according to his or her own calling.
And as the ending to these two periods, we are given these ten days between the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost to examine our lives, meditate upon all the events we have celebrated, and to pray for an outpouring of the Spirit to assist us in our lives of evangelizing to all nations. This Entrance Antiphon, then, is meant primarily as a call to the Lord for His most gracious assistance. It is indeed good that He is now in Heaven, for we may seek Him at any moment, unlike those in the Gospel who had to go to Him to petition His Divine assistance (e.g. Mark 5:21-43). While it is true they could still pray to God their Father, they could not do so through the mediation of Christ. But now, as He reigns in Heaven, we can petition the Father through His Son, Christ our Lord, and how much greater does this make our petitions!
Not only that, however, but He now sends the Holy Spirit upon us, and through this Gift we are united to our Divine Head in Heaven! We are able to pray in new ways (Romans 8:26), we come to a deeper understanding of Divine Mysteries (John 16:13), and we are able to see Jesus, not as a special man, but as our Lord and God (Matthew 16:17). The Spirit takes us past this visible world of ours and opens our eyes to see Jesus, seated at the Right Hand of God, glorified in Heaven!
Christ tells us to rejoice because of where He has gone, because of the benefits it derives for us, but also because it is easier for us to understand just Who He is and what He calls us to. While He was on earth, there was much discussion and debate about Who He was (Matthew 16:14); it was hard to accept Him as the Son of God. But now that He has risen from the dead and gone before us into Heaven we are able, through the gift of Faith and the Holy Spirit able to easily see through the veils and proclaim Him as our Lord and God!
This is the significance of the Entrance Antiphon, especially appropriate as we enter into the Holy Mass. Although the Lord is not visibly with us, we know He is present to us, especially in the Church's Liturgy, and thus we begin our worship with a request that He may hear us. The Holy Spirit has taught us to pray in this way. We bring our petitions to the Altar, where Heaven and earth are joined, and thus we know that God the Father shall hear our prayer. For our cry goes up in the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ our Lord, and this is all on account of Christ having ascended into Heaven where He now pleads for us!
But let us also look at the next part of the antiphon, "Of you my heart has spoken: Seek his face; hide not your face from me." Even though we understand the benefits of our Lord ascending into Heaven and sending the Holy Spirit upon us, we are still left with an irresistible longing for Him. This is of course natural, for as beings composed of both body and soul, the spiritual consolation of the Spirit is not complete. Our bodies still require rest in Him, and this can only be completed at the time in the Resurrection of the Dead with new heavens and a new earth. Even our souls, though the Holy Spirit dwells in them, and thus through Him they are united to Christ, do not enjoy the full rest the Beatific Vision shall provide.
Thus, there is still this crying out to God and this seeking for Him. We know where we may find Him, but the journey to get there is still long and hard. This is all the more reason we pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit, for He can quicken our pilgrimage by His presence, but this is also the great benefit the Liturgy, especially the Holy Mass provides. In the Mass, we truly gaze on the Lord's Face, though under the Sacramental veils. In the public prayers of the Church we do not cry out to God as is the manner of all religions, but we cry out through the Holy Spirit, thus crying out in Heaven Itself!
These truths should give us a new found appreciation for the Liturgy; even though we may already know them to be true, meditation upon them can always give us new insights and understandings. And the importance of doing this cannot be overstressed. The Liturgy is a sure rock for our evangelization and our own spiritual development. It is the source whereby grace is imparted to our souls. It is the platform from which the Scriptures are proclaimed to us. It is the font from which we learn the Church's Faith. To separate oneself from the Liturgy is to risk separating oneself from the Church of Christ, and to devalue the Liturgy, to not care about it, to not make it a priority, is to exalt oneself above Christ.
Our pride leads us to do all these things, to value our personal prayers more than those given by Christ Himself through the Church, to think our own acts are more necessary than the act of participating in the Church's acts. But this is one of the great tricks Satan leads us into to ensnare us. He rejoices when a soul prays a rosary instead of going to Mass, when there are no circumstances or obstacles in the way to prevent Mass attendance, for then the soul has exalted a sacramental above a Sacrament! He rejoices when prayer is set aside to go to pro-life rallies and help the poor, for in doing so those works of mercy lose their supernatural merit.
The only way to begin to see the face of Christ here below is through the gift of faith the Holy Spirit gives, and the only way to definitively receive the Holy Spirit is through the Sacraments. In celebrating the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist this Easter Season, this is one of the parts we rejoice in. Though the Holy Spirit can come to any soul, a soul that presents itself for the Sacraments will receive the Holy Spirit regardless, as long as barrier is not put in the way.
O wondrous joy the Sacraments provide! If we want to see the face of Christ, there is no surer method than through the Sacraments, for while others may find God without the Sacraments, they do not have the guarantee of salvation, but those Who seek Him through the Church are promised salvation because God has bound Himself to grant it to them by the reception of the Sacrament.
This is the great mercy of God. This is why we must never cease to call upon Him, but not with hesitancy, but with confidence and joy! He has bound Himself to listen to the prayers offered through the Liturgy, for those prayers are offered through Christ our Lord. To refuse the prayers of Christ would present a contradiction in the Divine Will, for the Will of Father and Son are the one same Divine Will, as is the Holy Spirit with them.
And thus it is so important we pray to receive the Holy Spirit throughout these days and before we set off into Ordinary Time where we shall focus more especially on our evangelization and spiritual lives. If we want to see the Face of God, we would be wises to use the path God wishes us to use, and since the Spirit shares that Will, He can guide us in it.
In this final week of Easter, then, let us sing "Alleluia" in a new way. The Lord has gone before us into Heaven and there allows us to offer prayers through His intercession. May we unite ourselves to the Holy Spirit we have received, and pray that we may be shown the way we must go, and let us pray even more for a further outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for He can give us already here below the beginning of the sight of God. This will then stir up our ardor for Heaven even more, and increase our fervor on this earth. But the best part is, when we do finally reach our final goal in the Beatific Vision, those foretastes and small blessings and consolations we received here below will be realized to not only pale in comparison but to be literally as nothing compared with the True Sight!
This Entrance Antiphon is quite unlike the other antiphons we have experienced and mediated upon throughout the Easter Season. In fact, it seems to bear quite a resemblance to the Entrance Antiphons we encountered throughout Lent, with the exception of the Alleluia of course. Instead of cries of rejoicing, we have pleas for assistance and protection. We have a request at the end that the Lord would not abandon us. Why this sudden change in thought, without the change of season? What does this mean?
Alas, while we are still in the Easter Season, the Church has undergone a drastic change! Her Divine Lord, Who we so intimately encountered throughout the forty days following Easter Sunday has ascended. He no longer dwells visibly among the Church, and this does cause a certain sorrow in us, for we are no longer able to be so privileged as such souls as Mary and Joseph, who were able to bear the Lord in their arms, or St. John the Baptist, who beheld him with his own eyes and saw and heard God the Father Himself attest to His Divinity and mission, or the glorious Apostles and holy women who walked with Him on His journeys and heard His teachings.
But this sorrow is not only balanced, it is outweighed by the joy and triumph we feel through the Ascension, as we shall explain shortly. The Entrance Antiphon, then, does not bear the same sentiment as those of Lent, but it instead is one of trusting confidence, and thus it continues to end with that word of joy, "alleluia." If we recall the words of our Lord, "If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I (John 14:28)," and, "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you (John 16:7)." This day is given to us, then, to recall the fact that our Lord has ascended but the Holy Spirit has come in His place, and thus our focus shifts.
The Liturgical Seasons in which we commemorate the Mysteries of our Redemption are drawing to a close, and we will soon enter into Ordinary Time, in which we focus on our own spiritual lives and our vocations as Christians in regards to evangelizing the world. In one week, we shall celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit was poured forth on the Church and the Apostles began to preach Christ to all the nations. Ordinary Time is very much a season in which we are to focus and meditate on our own evangelization.
We may notice how beautifully the Liturgical Year is arranged. About a third of it is given to meditation on the Mysteries of Christ's life and specific and focused prayer, while the rest is more general, and this may be seen as a reflection of the Christian Life. There are certain practices and devotions every Christian shares, points where they come together, but each soul's spiritual life is also unique and we are all called to different works and missions. After meeting together, primarily in the Liturgy, where we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we go forth to evangelize to the nations, each according to his or her own calling.
And as the ending to these two periods, we are given these ten days between the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost to examine our lives, meditate upon all the events we have celebrated, and to pray for an outpouring of the Spirit to assist us in our lives of evangelizing to all nations. This Entrance Antiphon, then, is meant primarily as a call to the Lord for His most gracious assistance. It is indeed good that He is now in Heaven, for we may seek Him at any moment, unlike those in the Gospel who had to go to Him to petition His Divine assistance (e.g. Mark 5:21-43). While it is true they could still pray to God their Father, they could not do so through the mediation of Christ. But now, as He reigns in Heaven, we can petition the Father through His Son, Christ our Lord, and how much greater does this make our petitions!
Not only that, however, but He now sends the Holy Spirit upon us, and through this Gift we are united to our Divine Head in Heaven! We are able to pray in new ways (Romans 8:26), we come to a deeper understanding of Divine Mysteries (John 16:13), and we are able to see Jesus, not as a special man, but as our Lord and God (Matthew 16:17). The Spirit takes us past this visible world of ours and opens our eyes to see Jesus, seated at the Right Hand of God, glorified in Heaven!
Christ tells us to rejoice because of where He has gone, because of the benefits it derives for us, but also because it is easier for us to understand just Who He is and what He calls us to. While He was on earth, there was much discussion and debate about Who He was (Matthew 16:14); it was hard to accept Him as the Son of God. But now that He has risen from the dead and gone before us into Heaven we are able, through the gift of Faith and the Holy Spirit able to easily see through the veils and proclaim Him as our Lord and God!
This is the significance of the Entrance Antiphon, especially appropriate as we enter into the Holy Mass. Although the Lord is not visibly with us, we know He is present to us, especially in the Church's Liturgy, and thus we begin our worship with a request that He may hear us. The Holy Spirit has taught us to pray in this way. We bring our petitions to the Altar, where Heaven and earth are joined, and thus we know that God the Father shall hear our prayer. For our cry goes up in the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ our Lord, and this is all on account of Christ having ascended into Heaven where He now pleads for us!
But let us also look at the next part of the antiphon, "Of you my heart has spoken: Seek his face; hide not your face from me." Even though we understand the benefits of our Lord ascending into Heaven and sending the Holy Spirit upon us, we are still left with an irresistible longing for Him. This is of course natural, for as beings composed of both body and soul, the spiritual consolation of the Spirit is not complete. Our bodies still require rest in Him, and this can only be completed at the time in the Resurrection of the Dead with new heavens and a new earth. Even our souls, though the Holy Spirit dwells in them, and thus through Him they are united to Christ, do not enjoy the full rest the Beatific Vision shall provide.
Thus, there is still this crying out to God and this seeking for Him. We know where we may find Him, but the journey to get there is still long and hard. This is all the more reason we pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit, for He can quicken our pilgrimage by His presence, but this is also the great benefit the Liturgy, especially the Holy Mass provides. In the Mass, we truly gaze on the Lord's Face, though under the Sacramental veils. In the public prayers of the Church we do not cry out to God as is the manner of all religions, but we cry out through the Holy Spirit, thus crying out in Heaven Itself!
These truths should give us a new found appreciation for the Liturgy; even though we may already know them to be true, meditation upon them can always give us new insights and understandings. And the importance of doing this cannot be overstressed. The Liturgy is a sure rock for our evangelization and our own spiritual development. It is the source whereby grace is imparted to our souls. It is the platform from which the Scriptures are proclaimed to us. It is the font from which we learn the Church's Faith. To separate oneself from the Liturgy is to risk separating oneself from the Church of Christ, and to devalue the Liturgy, to not care about it, to not make it a priority, is to exalt oneself above Christ.
Our pride leads us to do all these things, to value our personal prayers more than those given by Christ Himself through the Church, to think our own acts are more necessary than the act of participating in the Church's acts. But this is one of the great tricks Satan leads us into to ensnare us. He rejoices when a soul prays a rosary instead of going to Mass, when there are no circumstances or obstacles in the way to prevent Mass attendance, for then the soul has exalted a sacramental above a Sacrament! He rejoices when prayer is set aside to go to pro-life rallies and help the poor, for in doing so those works of mercy lose their supernatural merit.
The only way to begin to see the face of Christ here below is through the gift of faith the Holy Spirit gives, and the only way to definitively receive the Holy Spirit is through the Sacraments. In celebrating the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist this Easter Season, this is one of the parts we rejoice in. Though the Holy Spirit can come to any soul, a soul that presents itself for the Sacraments will receive the Holy Spirit regardless, as long as barrier is not put in the way.
O wondrous joy the Sacraments provide! If we want to see the face of Christ, there is no surer method than through the Sacraments, for while others may find God without the Sacraments, they do not have the guarantee of salvation, but those Who seek Him through the Church are promised salvation because God has bound Himself to grant it to them by the reception of the Sacrament.
This is the great mercy of God. This is why we must never cease to call upon Him, but not with hesitancy, but with confidence and joy! He has bound Himself to listen to the prayers offered through the Liturgy, for those prayers are offered through Christ our Lord. To refuse the prayers of Christ would present a contradiction in the Divine Will, for the Will of Father and Son are the one same Divine Will, as is the Holy Spirit with them.
And thus it is so important we pray to receive the Holy Spirit throughout these days and before we set off into Ordinary Time where we shall focus more especially on our evangelization and spiritual lives. If we want to see the Face of God, we would be wises to use the path God wishes us to use, and since the Spirit shares that Will, He can guide us in it.
In this final week of Easter, then, let us sing "Alleluia" in a new way. The Lord has gone before us into Heaven and there allows us to offer prayers through His intercession. May we unite ourselves to the Holy Spirit we have received, and pray that we may be shown the way we must go, and let us pray even more for a further outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for He can give us already here below the beginning of the sight of God. This will then stir up our ardor for Heaven even more, and increase our fervor on this earth. But the best part is, when we do finally reach our final goal in the Beatific Vision, those foretastes and small blessings and consolations we received here below will be realized to not only pale in comparison but to be literally as nothing compared with the True Sight!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
The Ascension of the Lord: Mediation on the Entrance Antiphons
"You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; praise the Lord, who ascends above the highest heavens; his majesty and might are in the skies, alleluia." - Entrance Antiphon for the Vigil Mass of the Ascension of the Lord
"Men of Galilee, why gaze in wonder at the heavens? This Jesus whom you saw ascending into heaven will return as you saw him go, alleluia." - Entrance Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
These two Entrance Antiphons form an interesting pair for each other. For those who attend the Vigil Mass of the Ascension, they hear an antiphon which bids them to sing to God in the heavens, where Jesus Christ, the Conqueror of Sin and Death is seated in glory at the right hand of the Father. Yet those who attend Mass on the day of the Solemnity of the Ascension hear apparently the exact opposite. They have proclaimed the words of the angel to the Apostles immediately after Christ disappeared from their sight, to not gaze at the heavens.
The difference, we may say, lies in what each party is dwelling upon. The Apostles are at first rebuked for gazing at the heavens because they were still thinking in earthly terms. They had, right before the Ascension, asked Jesus when He was going to restore the Kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6). Jesus tells them, however, they are to go forth to every nation to proclaim the Gospel (Acts 1:8). After the Resurrection, though He dwelt upon our earth, Christ lived a glorified, spiritual life, and this is what He is calling the Apostles towards.
And this is what they finally began on the day of Pentecost, which shall occur in ten days. Pentecost ushered in the Age of the Church, and thus an age of spiritual living. We do not yet dwell upon this earth in glorified bodies, for that shall only occur after the Resurrection of the Dead when the new heavens and earth are ushered in, but we do begin to live spiritual lives.
But let us further define what we mean by the spiritual lives we now live, for we do not wish to fall into the Manichean heresy, which claimed that everything associated with the flesh was evil and all that was spirit was good. Indeed, this is a recurring idea throughout time. Similar versions are found in Plato, Gnosticism, and even some Christian denominations. It is true, after death, until the Resurrection of the Dead, we will dwell in Heaven in only a spiritual way, for the body is the physical component of man. Thus, without it we cannot have a physical presence in Heaven. Nonetheless, if we look at our Lord, the firstborn of the dead (Revelation 1:5), we know that on this day He ascended to Heaven and now dwells there in His physical body. Therefore, it cannot be that Heaven is closed to the realm of the physical.
Now as nothing impure can enter Heaven, it must follow that the body is not of itself naturally evil. So to say we now live spiritual lives is not to say we reject our physical lives. Instead, let us look at Christ and how He dwelt upon this earth for the forty days after His Resurrection. There is one key aspect we should look at, and it is that He eats with His Disciples (John 21:12-15). While theologians disagree on whether or not it will be necessary to eat after the Resurrection of the Dead, we can at least infer the body will be capable of eating. What's important for us to notice, though is the union the body and soul maintain.The body still partakes of its physical pleasures of eating, and this brings joy to the soul; the body is not mortified, but is able to enjoy itself through perfect temperance.
Just as on our earth, we are composed of body and soul, so at the end of time, we shall again be composed of body and soul forever in Heaven. If we ask for the difference, though, we may say that after the Resurrection of the Dead, there will no longer be discord between these two principles of man, but a perfect union. This, then, is what is meant by living a spiritual life, living a life where the body and soul are in union with one another.
But why call it a spiritual life, when the physical capacities of man are also involved. It is on account of the relation living a spiritual life bears to the Divine Life of God, Who is Spirit. We must recall that we believe and profess faith in One God, in Three Divine Persons. These Three Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, have a union of the one same Divine Nature, and therefore, there is but one God. In a similar manner, man, made in the image of God, most perfectly shows forth that image when his soul and body are united, both in action and in will.
Some may now object, there are many times when a man wills and acts towards something evil, and thus how can he show forth the image of God perfectly at this time? The simple and accurate response is that his will and actions are not in union with one another, nor is his soul and body. Although he might will this immediate evil, perceived as good, and act towards it, his action is not in accord with his ultimate will, which is for God, Perfect Goodness. The discord within the soul becomes greater as the evil acts increase, for although man can only ever will the good, the acts he performs will become more insidious, and this shall decrease his capacity to recognize good from evil. In fact, it will be so bad so that it will actually make him detest the good.
When the soul acts for true good, on the other hand, it becomes ever more united and conformed to God, for it is being conditioned to love Goodness Itself through created things which also reflect the goodness of their Creator. And this is what Jesus constantly wished to instill into His Disciples, an outlook for the Ultimate Good, i.e. God. This is why He upbraided the Apostles for their focus on the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel; they were thinking in terms of earthly happiness. While this does not sound bad at first, we should recall the Gospel passage where Jesus rebukes Peter for this thought:
"Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, 'God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.' But he turned said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men (Matthew 16:21-23)."
These words sound harsh to us, but we must glean from them the seriousness of only focusing on earthly affairs. While it is true that planning and work for earthly goods is necessary and praiseworthy, to do so without thought of Heaven and our final end is not. This was the constant mistake of the Apostles. Nationalism in and of itself is at the very least an indifferent sentiment, if not a good one, but when all one is focused on is the success of that nation, it becomes problematic. For one must love one's nation and assist it on account of Jesus Christ, the King of all Nations. Every government is given authority ultimately from God and it is to use that authority to promote the laws of God.
And these laws are those that benefit the bodies and souls of men. Governments are tasked with making sure all peoples are protected and to promote justice. While we often think of them as primarily tasked with the earthly needs of man, they do have a share in the spiritual needs of man. While they do not have the authority over souls that the Church has, in the natural needs of the soul, such as to teach and instill virtue and right living, they participate.
Thus we come to the first of our Entrance Antiphons, which calls on the "kingdoms of the earth," to "sing to God." It does not give a singular or personal usage, such as "peoples," but addresses the kingdoms on earth, states and nations. Jesus ascends into Heaven to reign over all the earth seated at the right hand of the Father, but the nations of the earth, which have always derived their authority from God, are called to a higher degree of governance, just as their citizens are called to a higher life, the life of the Gospel!
The nations of earth must now be spiritual nations; no longer can they just be concerned with conquest and power. Instead, just as the perfection of the union of body and soul in men shows forth more perfectly the image of God, so the union of the spiritual and earthly lives of the citizens of each nation, and the union of the kingdoms of the earth themselves will manifest the image and authority of God. While the Church is meant to be the spiritual kingdom, which transcends all earthly borders and is subject to no earthly power, each earthly nation is still called to live lives of the spirit and to focus on the promotion of the laws of God within its borders. Moreover every nation is called to promote and contribute to the spreading of the Gospel.
While we may disagree on how this may come about, we can say at the basis it will involve how the government is responsible for making sure all the requirements are met for its people to live in a healthy society. And for a deeper understanding of the meaning of what a healthy society is, let us turn to Pope St. John XXIII's encyclical, Pacem in Terris, which is quoted by the Catechism:
"Human society must primarily be considered something pertaining to the spiritual. Through it, in the bright light of truth, men should share their knowledge, be able to exercise their rights and fulfill their obligations, be inspired to seek spiritual values; mutually derive genuine pleasure from the beautiful, of whatever order it be; always be readily disposed to pass on to others the best of their own cultural heritage; and eagerly strive to make their own the spiritual achievements of others. These benefits not only influence, but at the same time give aim and scope to all that has bearing on cultural expressions, economic, and social institutions, political movements and forms, laws, and all other structures by which society is outwardly established and constantly developed (Pacem in Terris, 36)."
One may notice here the interesting paradox, if governments promote healthy and true Christian ideals, that nation will be given the means to flourish and will be itself conformed to Christ. And this is on account of the spiritual aims of its citizens. A good Christian wants his civil leaders to flourish, because even in their offices, the authority of Christ is seen. A two way street is created when both parties help each other to attain Heaven, which is in itself a reflection of the Faith. God comes to meet us, who journey to meet Him. While we do not help Him, He helps us, but also asks us to participate with Him in our salvation!
And this brings us to our second Entrance Antiphon, where the Apostles are rebuked for continuing to gaze into the sky. But this rebuke comes, not because their minds are set on Heaven, for as we have said, that is the disposition we must have in all our earthly acts in order to act rightly and progressively. Instead, their rebuke comes because their minds are set on things of earth and they expect Jesus to have done all the work for them, without any need of participation.
This is contrary to what Jesus Himself had told them before His Passion. He explained to them at the end of the world, the Son of man will come in glory with all His angels, and sit upon His throne for all the living and the dead to see (Matthew 25:31-32). But He then explained that they would be judged according to their deeds, primarily their service to their neighbor (Matthew 25:34-46). After His Resurrection as well, He enjoined His Disciples to go out and preach to the nations. Through their actions, they participate in Jesus' mission of salvation, but they also reflect Him to the nations.
We may conclude that this is one of the meanings of Jesus' final words at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, "Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matthew 28:20)." While He was physically upon earth, He was bound to one location. Yet now that He has ascended into Heaven, He may be present to every people and nation. Indeed, the preeminent way He is present is through the Holy Eucharist, where He is truly present. Yet He is also, as we know, present in His members, insofar as they are conformed to Him.
This is why the angel says to the disciples and to us, "This Jesus whom you saw ascending into heaven will return as you saw him go," so that we remember we will be judged on how much we have conformed ourselves to Jesus Christ. While He walked this earth, He gave us an example of service and prayer. Now that He is ascended, as St. Teresa of Avila said, "Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world." This is the importance, then, of making sure our bodies and souls are in harmony with each other, for only by a healthy disposition can we show Christ to the world, for only then can we be in His image. But this is also the importance of making sure our nation is conformed to the laws of God, for without them, not only will it be a tool for the destruction of the Gospel in society, it will spread its errors throughout the world.
Let us, then, understand these two antiphons not as oppositional ones, but as two parts of the whole. We cannot gaze in wonder at the heavens, wondering why Christ does not return to save us and subdue the nations. Rather, we ourselves must go forth and make disciples of all the nations. We must promote cultures which give food and drink to the hungry and thirsty, which clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison, for these are cultures which shall endure as Christ does, because they minister to Him in their midst, and He shall continue to abide with them. But we must never lose sight of Whom we are serving or Whom we are conformed to. If we do this, we shall become embittered and angry, for only with Christ can we have authentic charity.
The Ascension of the Lord is then, an opportunity for us. It is an act of mercy of God. Through us, He now wishes to go forth to the nations in a way He could not while on earth. Through us, He wishes to show His love. Let us submit to this reign of love now so that we may not have to submit to the reign of justice. Let us look towards Heaven, not with wonder, but with love and adoration, and with that vision still in our minds, may we go forth and transform our culture, by first transforming ourselves! Then, we shall understand Christ is still present among us, and that the Second Coming at the end of time will be the glorification of that presence!
"Men of Galilee, why gaze in wonder at the heavens? This Jesus whom you saw ascending into heaven will return as you saw him go, alleluia." - Entrance Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
These two Entrance Antiphons form an interesting pair for each other. For those who attend the Vigil Mass of the Ascension, they hear an antiphon which bids them to sing to God in the heavens, where Jesus Christ, the Conqueror of Sin and Death is seated in glory at the right hand of the Father. Yet those who attend Mass on the day of the Solemnity of the Ascension hear apparently the exact opposite. They have proclaimed the words of the angel to the Apostles immediately after Christ disappeared from their sight, to not gaze at the heavens.
The difference, we may say, lies in what each party is dwelling upon. The Apostles are at first rebuked for gazing at the heavens because they were still thinking in earthly terms. They had, right before the Ascension, asked Jesus when He was going to restore the Kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6). Jesus tells them, however, they are to go forth to every nation to proclaim the Gospel (Acts 1:8). After the Resurrection, though He dwelt upon our earth, Christ lived a glorified, spiritual life, and this is what He is calling the Apostles towards.
And this is what they finally began on the day of Pentecost, which shall occur in ten days. Pentecost ushered in the Age of the Church, and thus an age of spiritual living. We do not yet dwell upon this earth in glorified bodies, for that shall only occur after the Resurrection of the Dead when the new heavens and earth are ushered in, but we do begin to live spiritual lives.
But let us further define what we mean by the spiritual lives we now live, for we do not wish to fall into the Manichean heresy, which claimed that everything associated with the flesh was evil and all that was spirit was good. Indeed, this is a recurring idea throughout time. Similar versions are found in Plato, Gnosticism, and even some Christian denominations. It is true, after death, until the Resurrection of the Dead, we will dwell in Heaven in only a spiritual way, for the body is the physical component of man. Thus, without it we cannot have a physical presence in Heaven. Nonetheless, if we look at our Lord, the firstborn of the dead (Revelation 1:5), we know that on this day He ascended to Heaven and now dwells there in His physical body. Therefore, it cannot be that Heaven is closed to the realm of the physical.
Now as nothing impure can enter Heaven, it must follow that the body is not of itself naturally evil. So to say we now live spiritual lives is not to say we reject our physical lives. Instead, let us look at Christ and how He dwelt upon this earth for the forty days after His Resurrection. There is one key aspect we should look at, and it is that He eats with His Disciples (John 21:12-15). While theologians disagree on whether or not it will be necessary to eat after the Resurrection of the Dead, we can at least infer the body will be capable of eating. What's important for us to notice, though is the union the body and soul maintain.The body still partakes of its physical pleasures of eating, and this brings joy to the soul; the body is not mortified, but is able to enjoy itself through perfect temperance.
Just as on our earth, we are composed of body and soul, so at the end of time, we shall again be composed of body and soul forever in Heaven. If we ask for the difference, though, we may say that after the Resurrection of the Dead, there will no longer be discord between these two principles of man, but a perfect union. This, then, is what is meant by living a spiritual life, living a life where the body and soul are in union with one another.
But why call it a spiritual life, when the physical capacities of man are also involved. It is on account of the relation living a spiritual life bears to the Divine Life of God, Who is Spirit. We must recall that we believe and profess faith in One God, in Three Divine Persons. These Three Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, have a union of the one same Divine Nature, and therefore, there is but one God. In a similar manner, man, made in the image of God, most perfectly shows forth that image when his soul and body are united, both in action and in will.
Some may now object, there are many times when a man wills and acts towards something evil, and thus how can he show forth the image of God perfectly at this time? The simple and accurate response is that his will and actions are not in union with one another, nor is his soul and body. Although he might will this immediate evil, perceived as good, and act towards it, his action is not in accord with his ultimate will, which is for God, Perfect Goodness. The discord within the soul becomes greater as the evil acts increase, for although man can only ever will the good, the acts he performs will become more insidious, and this shall decrease his capacity to recognize good from evil. In fact, it will be so bad so that it will actually make him detest the good.
When the soul acts for true good, on the other hand, it becomes ever more united and conformed to God, for it is being conditioned to love Goodness Itself through created things which also reflect the goodness of their Creator. And this is what Jesus constantly wished to instill into His Disciples, an outlook for the Ultimate Good, i.e. God. This is why He upbraided the Apostles for their focus on the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel; they were thinking in terms of earthly happiness. While this does not sound bad at first, we should recall the Gospel passage where Jesus rebukes Peter for this thought:
"Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, 'God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.' But he turned said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men (Matthew 16:21-23)."
These words sound harsh to us, but we must glean from them the seriousness of only focusing on earthly affairs. While it is true that planning and work for earthly goods is necessary and praiseworthy, to do so without thought of Heaven and our final end is not. This was the constant mistake of the Apostles. Nationalism in and of itself is at the very least an indifferent sentiment, if not a good one, but when all one is focused on is the success of that nation, it becomes problematic. For one must love one's nation and assist it on account of Jesus Christ, the King of all Nations. Every government is given authority ultimately from God and it is to use that authority to promote the laws of God.
And these laws are those that benefit the bodies and souls of men. Governments are tasked with making sure all peoples are protected and to promote justice. While we often think of them as primarily tasked with the earthly needs of man, they do have a share in the spiritual needs of man. While they do not have the authority over souls that the Church has, in the natural needs of the soul, such as to teach and instill virtue and right living, they participate.
Thus we come to the first of our Entrance Antiphons, which calls on the "kingdoms of the earth," to "sing to God." It does not give a singular or personal usage, such as "peoples," but addresses the kingdoms on earth, states and nations. Jesus ascends into Heaven to reign over all the earth seated at the right hand of the Father, but the nations of the earth, which have always derived their authority from God, are called to a higher degree of governance, just as their citizens are called to a higher life, the life of the Gospel!
The nations of earth must now be spiritual nations; no longer can they just be concerned with conquest and power. Instead, just as the perfection of the union of body and soul in men shows forth more perfectly the image of God, so the union of the spiritual and earthly lives of the citizens of each nation, and the union of the kingdoms of the earth themselves will manifest the image and authority of God. While the Church is meant to be the spiritual kingdom, which transcends all earthly borders and is subject to no earthly power, each earthly nation is still called to live lives of the spirit and to focus on the promotion of the laws of God within its borders. Moreover every nation is called to promote and contribute to the spreading of the Gospel.
While we may disagree on how this may come about, we can say at the basis it will involve how the government is responsible for making sure all the requirements are met for its people to live in a healthy society. And for a deeper understanding of the meaning of what a healthy society is, let us turn to Pope St. John XXIII's encyclical, Pacem in Terris, which is quoted by the Catechism:
"Human society must primarily be considered something pertaining to the spiritual. Through it, in the bright light of truth, men should share their knowledge, be able to exercise their rights and fulfill their obligations, be inspired to seek spiritual values; mutually derive genuine pleasure from the beautiful, of whatever order it be; always be readily disposed to pass on to others the best of their own cultural heritage; and eagerly strive to make their own the spiritual achievements of others. These benefits not only influence, but at the same time give aim and scope to all that has bearing on cultural expressions, economic, and social institutions, political movements and forms, laws, and all other structures by which society is outwardly established and constantly developed (Pacem in Terris, 36)."
One may notice here the interesting paradox, if governments promote healthy and true Christian ideals, that nation will be given the means to flourish and will be itself conformed to Christ. And this is on account of the spiritual aims of its citizens. A good Christian wants his civil leaders to flourish, because even in their offices, the authority of Christ is seen. A two way street is created when both parties help each other to attain Heaven, which is in itself a reflection of the Faith. God comes to meet us, who journey to meet Him. While we do not help Him, He helps us, but also asks us to participate with Him in our salvation!
And this brings us to our second Entrance Antiphon, where the Apostles are rebuked for continuing to gaze into the sky. But this rebuke comes, not because their minds are set on Heaven, for as we have said, that is the disposition we must have in all our earthly acts in order to act rightly and progressively. Instead, their rebuke comes because their minds are set on things of earth and they expect Jesus to have done all the work for them, without any need of participation.
This is contrary to what Jesus Himself had told them before His Passion. He explained to them at the end of the world, the Son of man will come in glory with all His angels, and sit upon His throne for all the living and the dead to see (Matthew 25:31-32). But He then explained that they would be judged according to their deeds, primarily their service to their neighbor (Matthew 25:34-46). After His Resurrection as well, He enjoined His Disciples to go out and preach to the nations. Through their actions, they participate in Jesus' mission of salvation, but they also reflect Him to the nations.
We may conclude that this is one of the meanings of Jesus' final words at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, "Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matthew 28:20)." While He was physically upon earth, He was bound to one location. Yet now that He has ascended into Heaven, He may be present to every people and nation. Indeed, the preeminent way He is present is through the Holy Eucharist, where He is truly present. Yet He is also, as we know, present in His members, insofar as they are conformed to Him.
This is why the angel says to the disciples and to us, "This Jesus whom you saw ascending into heaven will return as you saw him go," so that we remember we will be judged on how much we have conformed ourselves to Jesus Christ. While He walked this earth, He gave us an example of service and prayer. Now that He is ascended, as St. Teresa of Avila said, "Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world." This is the importance, then, of making sure our bodies and souls are in harmony with each other, for only by a healthy disposition can we show Christ to the world, for only then can we be in His image. But this is also the importance of making sure our nation is conformed to the laws of God, for without them, not only will it be a tool for the destruction of the Gospel in society, it will spread its errors throughout the world.
Let us, then, understand these two antiphons not as oppositional ones, but as two parts of the whole. We cannot gaze in wonder at the heavens, wondering why Christ does not return to save us and subdue the nations. Rather, we ourselves must go forth and make disciples of all the nations. We must promote cultures which give food and drink to the hungry and thirsty, which clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison, for these are cultures which shall endure as Christ does, because they minister to Him in their midst, and He shall continue to abide with them. But we must never lose sight of Whom we are serving or Whom we are conformed to. If we do this, we shall become embittered and angry, for only with Christ can we have authentic charity.
The Ascension of the Lord is then, an opportunity for us. It is an act of mercy of God. Through us, He now wishes to go forth to the nations in a way He could not while on earth. Through us, He wishes to show His love. Let us submit to this reign of love now so that we may not have to submit to the reign of justice. Let us look towards Heaven, not with wonder, but with love and adoration, and with that vision still in our minds, may we go forth and transform our culture, by first transforming ourselves! Then, we shall understand Christ is still present among us, and that the Second Coming at the end of time will be the glorification of that presence!
Pentecost Novena: Day Two
The Pentecost Novena, itself, can be found here.
"Come, Father of the poor! Come, source of all our store! Come, within our bosoms shine." - From the Veni Sancte Spiritus, Sequence for Pentecost
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. . . . Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. . . . Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:3, 5, 8)." The possession of the Holy Spirit in our souls is what makes us the richest of all the people of the earth! And this is because we have a Treasure that not only can never be lost, even after death, except through our own negligence and fault, and because He satisfies every part of our being.
The Holy Spirit can only enter into the heart of the poor, not necessarily the poor monetarily, but the poor in spirit. And this is because when He enters a soul He conforms it to the image of Jesus Christ. The less the soul bears its self-image the greater we say it is poor in spirit, and the more it harbors selfishness and acts for its own interests, the greater its spiritual poverty is! The Holy Spirit is the source of all our store, He is the source of any real treasure we may possess, for earthly luxuries will only satisfy us insofar as we see them as reflecting God, our final end.
Nonetheless, this view, this insight can only be had when we possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially those of counsel and understanding, for these will allow us to see the will of God and allow us to see His reflection in His creation. But we primarily think of these as intellectual faculties, whereas we have just said the Holy Spirit can only enter the poor in spirit, since they are the only ones with room for him, and poverty of spirit comes not from the mind, but from the heart!
Charity, then, is the basis of our being made fit vessels for the Holy Spirit to enter into us. This is only appropriate, for the greater the treasure, the more precious we desire its vessel to be, and the way to become the greatest is by exercising the greatest charity, for as our Lord said, "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant (Matthew 23:11)." But this is not with a stewardship of monetary service or bondage, but one of love.
And charity brings with it a self-emptying, for in order to serve others, we must deny ourselves. Then, as we become more and more involved with serving others, we find an emptiness within ourselves, but this emptiness is not the end, as certain philosophies, especially some of the Eastern ones, think. Rather, the end follows this, for we must then be filled through service of God, which does not end the service of neighbor, but rather completes it. Of course, in serving God, first through prayer, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, that Divine Fire.
In the days of this novena, then, let us pray that we may be emptied of all our self-love and be open to receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts on the day of Pentecost. For in this reception, He shall then begin to shine forth in our service, so that it will not be us who serve, but Christ Who serves through us. Then, as the Apostles before us, we shall spread and witness the Gospel to all nations of the earth!
"Come, Father of the poor! Come, source of all our store! Come, within our bosoms shine." - From the Veni Sancte Spiritus, Sequence for Pentecost
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. . . . Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. . . . Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:3, 5, 8)." The possession of the Holy Spirit in our souls is what makes us the richest of all the people of the earth! And this is because we have a Treasure that not only can never be lost, even after death, except through our own negligence and fault, and because He satisfies every part of our being.
The Holy Spirit can only enter into the heart of the poor, not necessarily the poor monetarily, but the poor in spirit. And this is because when He enters a soul He conforms it to the image of Jesus Christ. The less the soul bears its self-image the greater we say it is poor in spirit, and the more it harbors selfishness and acts for its own interests, the greater its spiritual poverty is! The Holy Spirit is the source of all our store, He is the source of any real treasure we may possess, for earthly luxuries will only satisfy us insofar as we see them as reflecting God, our final end.
Nonetheless, this view, this insight can only be had when we possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially those of counsel and understanding, for these will allow us to see the will of God and allow us to see His reflection in His creation. But we primarily think of these as intellectual faculties, whereas we have just said the Holy Spirit can only enter the poor in spirit, since they are the only ones with room for him, and poverty of spirit comes not from the mind, but from the heart!
Charity, then, is the basis of our being made fit vessels for the Holy Spirit to enter into us. This is only appropriate, for the greater the treasure, the more precious we desire its vessel to be, and the way to become the greatest is by exercising the greatest charity, for as our Lord said, "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant (Matthew 23:11)." But this is not with a stewardship of monetary service or bondage, but one of love.
And charity brings with it a self-emptying, for in order to serve others, we must deny ourselves. Then, as we become more and more involved with serving others, we find an emptiness within ourselves, but this emptiness is not the end, as certain philosophies, especially some of the Eastern ones, think. Rather, the end follows this, for we must then be filled through service of God, which does not end the service of neighbor, but rather completes it. Of course, in serving God, first through prayer, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, that Divine Fire.
In the days of this novena, then, let us pray that we may be emptied of all our self-love and be open to receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts on the day of Pentecost. For in this reception, He shall then begin to shine forth in our service, so that it will not be us who serve, but Christ Who serves through us. Then, as the Apostles before us, we shall spread and witness the Gospel to all nations of the earth!
A Look at the Mass: The Eucharistic Prayer: Supplices
The final part of the explanation of the Sacrificial nature of the Eucharist and the pleading the Priest has been doing for acceptance now takes on a more serious tone. For now the Priest is to formally beg that the sacrifices and prayers of the Church in Her Faithful may be joined to the Offering of the Divine Victim on the Altar of the Cross.
In order to emphasize the humility with which the Priest is making this request, he joins his hands and bows, as do any Concelebrants, and says the following:
"In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God:
command that these gifts be borne
by the hands of your holy Angel
to your altar on high
in the sight of your divine majesty,
so that all of us, who through this participation at the altar
receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son,
We must interpret this posture to speak of the humility present, but also the urgency of the request. It is common practice, even today, to assume a bow or bended knee before a royal, especially when making a request of them. For this shows the subservience of the one making the request to their master, but the posture also shows how much they desire to have what they ask. It is for this reason the Church, in the Rite of Ordination, has the Ordinandi prostrate themselves. By putting their very faces to the ground as they plead with God to pour forth His grace upon them, they show they are completely His servants, but they also show this is the greatest thing they can currently ask of God and for which they stand in most need, i.e. His mercy, as well as the intercession of all the Saints.
Obviously it is not possible for the Priest to prostrate himself and still speak. To even kneel would be impractical, for this would put him below the altar and out of sight of the Missal from which he reads, so the Church has adopted the practice of a bowed posture. Additionally, once again the hands are joined, as the Priest is making it clear that this prayer is being directed and ascending towards God the Father in Heaven, as the prayer itself expressly says.
The Priest is acknowledging his inability to convey the Sacrifice all the way to the throne of God, He can only offer it upon earth. Thus, he assumes this humble position, and begs of God to be pleased to accept the Sacrifice and to receive It into His court, nay to the very altar in Heaven. Jungmann notes and explains well the connection borne with the Book of Revelation:
"The Apocalypse, 8:3-5, tells of an altar in heaven on which the angel deposits incense and the prayers of the saints: 'And there was given to him (the angel) much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all the saints, upon the golden altar which is before the throne of God.' This is but a figure of spiritual activity, just as it is only a figure to speak of the throne of God (231)."
What the Priest is asking for, then, is not that an angel actually convey the prayers physically to an altar, since neither of angels nor prayers are physical things, but the Priest is begging these prayers be pleasing to God and that He may grant them hearing.
One portion of this prayer which stands out, however, is the capitalization of the word "Angel," and this has given rise to many interpretations over the centuries.The prevailing idea, though, is that this term refers not to any member of the nine choirs of angels, but to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Gueranger gives us this explanation:
"Observe the meaning of the word Angel: it signifies sent, and the Son of God was the One Sent, by the Father; He came down upon earth among men . . . . He is the Angel by excellence, He is, as the Scripture expresses it, the Angel of the Great Counsel . . . . So then, the Priest begs of God that the Angel may bear away haec (What is upon the Altar), and may place It upon the Altar of Heaven; he makes this petition in order to show the identity of the Sacrifice of Heaven, with the Sacrifice of earth (The Holy Mass, Section: Supplices Te Rogamus, emphases in original)."
It is worth noting, since we primarily use both liturgists, that Jungmann highly disagrees with this interpretation, but this is not the place for such a discussion. Rather, we shall take up this most popular position, with some further elaboration perhaps.
We noted that the entire Paschal Mystery is made present on our altars, and it is evident how the Death and Resurrection of Christ is made present, as through the Consecration the Death of our Lord was made present, but it is Christ in His Risen Body which we adore in the Eucharist. In this prayer, however, we may say the Ascension is that portion of the Mystery which takes central place. For an exposition of this, let us refer to the Letter to the Hebrews, that great letter we so often consider for an understanding of the Mass:
"When Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. . . . Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, . . . . Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly . . . (Hebrews 9:11-12, 15, 24-25)."
It is only through Jesus' ultimate Ascension into Heaven that the Priest is able to make present the Sacrifice, for as we continually note, Heaven and earth are brought together in the Liturgy. If Christ is not in Heaven, the Mass, which makes Christ truly present to us, cannot make Heaven present to us, for it would be bound by the limits of space and time. Even more, if Jesus did not ascend into Heaven, we are still barred from entering into Heaven's gates, for through His Ascension Christ has so dignified our nature and made it worthy to enter the Heavenly Realms. Where He has gone before us, we hope to follow!
Furthermore, in this prayer, the reception of Holy Communion is being anticipated. Why is it so necessary that this Sacrifice find acceptance before the Throne of God? Because it is through this Sacrifice and Sacrament the recipients will be conformed to Jesus Christ and thus divinized! Heaven is the realm for those united to the Divine Nature through the Beatific Vision. Thus, if those who are being presented are not pleasing to God, they cannot be conformed to God, for in so doing divine things would be barred from the realm of the Divine, a nonsensical idea!
Thus, the prayers and sacrifices of the people are formally presented so that God the Father may send forth the Spirit, through His Divine Son, to open our hearts in preparation for the reception of Holy Communion, so that the Sacrament may bear fruit in our souls. But it is on account of the Cross that this may occur, for the Cross is the source of all blessings in the world. With this thought in mind, the Priest shall now sign himself with the Sign of the Cross as he returns to an upright position saying:
"may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing."
The humble petition is ended, and the Priest is confident that God the Father will not refuse the prayers which have been united with the Sacrifice of Christ and which is presented by Jesus Himself, for these prayers and petitions were joined to Him on the Cross and now go with Him to Heaven through His Ascension. To signify this idea even further, the Priest may end the prayer, and really all three of these preceding prayers for acceptance, with:
"Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Before we conclude, however, let us consider the Sign of the Cross made by the Priest at this portion. He is, in a sense, giving himself a blessing, and in so doing he is bestowing it upon all the people. And this blessing is so that all may now unite themselves to the Offering of the Cross here present and be found acceptable to the Divine Majesty, and may thus enjoy a fruitful Communion. Yet it also emphasizes the power of the Cross, and that all blessings come through it. Consequently, as the Mass makes the Cross present, all blessings come to us through the Mass. And even further, as authentic Liturgy is always an extension of the Mass, so all blessings come to us and to the world through the Liturgy.
This is why it is so important for us to participate in the Liturgy, especially the Holy Mass! It is through this font that Christ has ordained to pour forth His Spirit upon us and to fill us with blessings. Therefore, we must never think to offer ourselves to God apart from it. And why would we? As we have noted, by uniting ourselves to the Liturgy, we unite ourselves to the offering of Christ, and in doing so we are taken up to Heaven already with Him, where the blessings of the Divine Life are already given to us, through participation at the Heavenly Altar, even though we still dwell here below!
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: Supra Quae and Supplices, 226-237. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).
In order to emphasize the humility with which the Priest is making this request, he joins his hands and bows, as do any Concelebrants, and says the following:
"In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God:
command that these gifts be borne
by the hands of your holy Angel
to your altar on high
in the sight of your divine majesty,
so that all of us, who through this participation at the altar
receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son,
We must interpret this posture to speak of the humility present, but also the urgency of the request. It is common practice, even today, to assume a bow or bended knee before a royal, especially when making a request of them. For this shows the subservience of the one making the request to their master, but the posture also shows how much they desire to have what they ask. It is for this reason the Church, in the Rite of Ordination, has the Ordinandi prostrate themselves. By putting their very faces to the ground as they plead with God to pour forth His grace upon them, they show they are completely His servants, but they also show this is the greatest thing they can currently ask of God and for which they stand in most need, i.e. His mercy, as well as the intercession of all the Saints.
Obviously it is not possible for the Priest to prostrate himself and still speak. To even kneel would be impractical, for this would put him below the altar and out of sight of the Missal from which he reads, so the Church has adopted the practice of a bowed posture. Additionally, once again the hands are joined, as the Priest is making it clear that this prayer is being directed and ascending towards God the Father in Heaven, as the prayer itself expressly says.
The Priest is acknowledging his inability to convey the Sacrifice all the way to the throne of God, He can only offer it upon earth. Thus, he assumes this humble position, and begs of God to be pleased to accept the Sacrifice and to receive It into His court, nay to the very altar in Heaven. Jungmann notes and explains well the connection borne with the Book of Revelation:
"The Apocalypse, 8:3-5, tells of an altar in heaven on which the angel deposits incense and the prayers of the saints: 'And there was given to him (the angel) much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all the saints, upon the golden altar which is before the throne of God.' This is but a figure of spiritual activity, just as it is only a figure to speak of the throne of God (231)."
What the Priest is asking for, then, is not that an angel actually convey the prayers physically to an altar, since neither of angels nor prayers are physical things, but the Priest is begging these prayers be pleasing to God and that He may grant them hearing.
One portion of this prayer which stands out, however, is the capitalization of the word "Angel," and this has given rise to many interpretations over the centuries.The prevailing idea, though, is that this term refers not to any member of the nine choirs of angels, but to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Gueranger gives us this explanation:
"Observe the meaning of the word Angel: it signifies sent, and the Son of God was the One Sent, by the Father; He came down upon earth among men . . . . He is the Angel by excellence, He is, as the Scripture expresses it, the Angel of the Great Counsel . . . . So then, the Priest begs of God that the Angel may bear away haec (What is upon the Altar), and may place It upon the Altar of Heaven; he makes this petition in order to show the identity of the Sacrifice of Heaven, with the Sacrifice of earth (The Holy Mass, Section: Supplices Te Rogamus, emphases in original)."
It is worth noting, since we primarily use both liturgists, that Jungmann highly disagrees with this interpretation, but this is not the place for such a discussion. Rather, we shall take up this most popular position, with some further elaboration perhaps.
We noted that the entire Paschal Mystery is made present on our altars, and it is evident how the Death and Resurrection of Christ is made present, as through the Consecration the Death of our Lord was made present, but it is Christ in His Risen Body which we adore in the Eucharist. In this prayer, however, we may say the Ascension is that portion of the Mystery which takes central place. For an exposition of this, let us refer to the Letter to the Hebrews, that great letter we so often consider for an understanding of the Mass:
"When Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. . . . Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, . . . . Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly . . . (Hebrews 9:11-12, 15, 24-25)."
It is only through Jesus' ultimate Ascension into Heaven that the Priest is able to make present the Sacrifice, for as we continually note, Heaven and earth are brought together in the Liturgy. If Christ is not in Heaven, the Mass, which makes Christ truly present to us, cannot make Heaven present to us, for it would be bound by the limits of space and time. Even more, if Jesus did not ascend into Heaven, we are still barred from entering into Heaven's gates, for through His Ascension Christ has so dignified our nature and made it worthy to enter the Heavenly Realms. Where He has gone before us, we hope to follow!
Furthermore, in this prayer, the reception of Holy Communion is being anticipated. Why is it so necessary that this Sacrifice find acceptance before the Throne of God? Because it is through this Sacrifice and Sacrament the recipients will be conformed to Jesus Christ and thus divinized! Heaven is the realm for those united to the Divine Nature through the Beatific Vision. Thus, if those who are being presented are not pleasing to God, they cannot be conformed to God, for in so doing divine things would be barred from the realm of the Divine, a nonsensical idea!
Thus, the prayers and sacrifices of the people are formally presented so that God the Father may send forth the Spirit, through His Divine Son, to open our hearts in preparation for the reception of Holy Communion, so that the Sacrament may bear fruit in our souls. But it is on account of the Cross that this may occur, for the Cross is the source of all blessings in the world. With this thought in mind, the Priest shall now sign himself with the Sign of the Cross as he returns to an upright position saying:
"may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing."
The humble petition is ended, and the Priest is confident that God the Father will not refuse the prayers which have been united with the Sacrifice of Christ and which is presented by Jesus Himself, for these prayers and petitions were joined to Him on the Cross and now go with Him to Heaven through His Ascension. To signify this idea even further, the Priest may end the prayer, and really all three of these preceding prayers for acceptance, with:
"Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Before we conclude, however, let us consider the Sign of the Cross made by the Priest at this portion. He is, in a sense, giving himself a blessing, and in so doing he is bestowing it upon all the people. And this blessing is so that all may now unite themselves to the Offering of the Cross here present and be found acceptable to the Divine Majesty, and may thus enjoy a fruitful Communion. Yet it also emphasizes the power of the Cross, and that all blessings come through it. Consequently, as the Mass makes the Cross present, all blessings come to us through the Mass. And even further, as authentic Liturgy is always an extension of the Mass, so all blessings come to us and to the world through the Liturgy.
This is why it is so important for us to participate in the Liturgy, especially the Holy Mass! It is through this font that Christ has ordained to pour forth His Spirit upon us and to fill us with blessings. Therefore, we must never think to offer ourselves to God apart from it. And why would we? As we have noted, by uniting ourselves to the Liturgy, we unite ourselves to the offering of Christ, and in doing so we are taken up to Heaven already with Him, where the blessings of the Divine Life are already given to us, through participation at the Heavenly Altar, even though we still dwell here below!
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: Supra Quae and Supplices, 226-237. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).
Friday, May 15, 2015
Pentecost Novena: First Day
The Pentecost Novena, itself, can be found here.
"Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home shed a ray of light divine!" - From the Veni Sancte Spiritus, Sequence for Pentecost
Over these nine days between the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Solemnity of Pentecost, when we, as the Apostles first did, pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us, we shall take as the basis of our mediation the Veni Sancte Spiritus, which is used on Pentecost Day for the Sequence before the Gospel.
The Sequence may be seen as the beginning of the proclamation of the Gospel at Mass, for it is meant to enlighten our minds in a special way on the truth that will be proclaimed to us in the Gospel, and this is especially appropriate today! The last line of the Gospel is, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven the, and whose sins you retain are retained." This is, in a sense, the first gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and consequently to the Church. It is the foretaste of what they received on the day of Pentecost in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for from that moment the Apostles truly became a part of the Church, which would begin to go out to all nations on Pentecost.
After the Death of our Lord on Good Friday, the Church was only present in the person of our Lady, who remained faithful to the Resurrection, for in faith, although wrapped in sorrow, she did not abandon our Lord and His promise as the Apostles did. On the evening of the day of the Resurrection, they became witnesses to the Resurrection and their faith was confirmed. It was not until the day of Pentecost, however, that they began to spread this Faith, for it was not until that moment they had the power to do so, as attested to by our Lord (Acts 1:8). We may learn an important truth from this - it is the Holy Spirit, and Him alone, Who brings souls into the Church and spreads the Faith, albeit through us.
This is the basis for one of the mysterious truths we commemorate in the Solemnity of Pentecost. On that day, we recall the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church and Its beginnings as the vehicle of salvation and truth to the nations, but we also conclude the Easter Season. And these two events are of course intrinsically tied together. Before we can witness to the truth of the Resurrection and the life of grace it brings, we must experience that Resurrection, for Christ calls us to be "witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Thus, the Gospel read to us is the one we heard on the Day of Easter.
Throughout the Easter Season, the Risen Christ has been brought before us, and this was to allow us the opportunity to experience His love, the love we must now spread to the rest of the world. Thus, we pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit once again; we pray He will be poured into our souls, and this for two reasons. The first is to enlighten our minds with His Divine Light so that we may continue to understand the Mysteries of the Divine Life and dwell in the celestial realm already in spirit. The second is, by thus dwelling in us, He will use us to spread the Faith to the nations.
This is what we should spend these days between the Ascension and Pentecost praying for. We must beseech the Lord that our celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost will be an opportunity for us to understand our vocation in the world. We must pour forth prayers that we shall be transformed into vessels of the Holy Spirit, and thus be able to spread that Spirit, that Divine Fire of Love, to all peoples and thus bring them to the love of God. In so doing, we shall all be able to travel together steadily and surely to our celestial homeland where we shall dwell with the Risen Christ for all eternity!
"Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home shed a ray of light divine!" - From the Veni Sancte Spiritus, Sequence for Pentecost
Over these nine days between the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Solemnity of Pentecost, when we, as the Apostles first did, pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us, we shall take as the basis of our mediation the Veni Sancte Spiritus, which is used on Pentecost Day for the Sequence before the Gospel.
The Sequence may be seen as the beginning of the proclamation of the Gospel at Mass, for it is meant to enlighten our minds in a special way on the truth that will be proclaimed to us in the Gospel, and this is especially appropriate today! The last line of the Gospel is, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven the, and whose sins you retain are retained." This is, in a sense, the first gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and consequently to the Church. It is the foretaste of what they received on the day of Pentecost in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for from that moment the Apostles truly became a part of the Church, which would begin to go out to all nations on Pentecost.
After the Death of our Lord on Good Friday, the Church was only present in the person of our Lady, who remained faithful to the Resurrection, for in faith, although wrapped in sorrow, she did not abandon our Lord and His promise as the Apostles did. On the evening of the day of the Resurrection, they became witnesses to the Resurrection and their faith was confirmed. It was not until the day of Pentecost, however, that they began to spread this Faith, for it was not until that moment they had the power to do so, as attested to by our Lord (Acts 1:8). We may learn an important truth from this - it is the Holy Spirit, and Him alone, Who brings souls into the Church and spreads the Faith, albeit through us.
This is the basis for one of the mysterious truths we commemorate in the Solemnity of Pentecost. On that day, we recall the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church and Its beginnings as the vehicle of salvation and truth to the nations, but we also conclude the Easter Season. And these two events are of course intrinsically tied together. Before we can witness to the truth of the Resurrection and the life of grace it brings, we must experience that Resurrection, for Christ calls us to be "witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Thus, the Gospel read to us is the one we heard on the Day of Easter.
Throughout the Easter Season, the Risen Christ has been brought before us, and this was to allow us the opportunity to experience His love, the love we must now spread to the rest of the world. Thus, we pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit once again; we pray He will be poured into our souls, and this for two reasons. The first is to enlighten our minds with His Divine Light so that we may continue to understand the Mysteries of the Divine Life and dwell in the celestial realm already in spirit. The second is, by thus dwelling in us, He will use us to spread the Faith to the nations.
This is what we should spend these days between the Ascension and Pentecost praying for. We must beseech the Lord that our celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost will be an opportunity for us to understand our vocation in the world. We must pour forth prayers that we shall be transformed into vessels of the Holy Spirit, and thus be able to spread that Spirit, that Divine Fire of Love, to all peoples and thus bring them to the love of God. In so doing, we shall all be able to travel together steadily and surely to our celestial homeland where we shall dwell with the Risen Christ for all eternity!
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
A Look at the Mass: The Eucharistic Prayer: Supra Quae Propitio
We saw in the Unde et Memores the explanation of the Sacrifice that is present on our altar, as well as the intertwining with it of a plea for acceptance. While we may say the explanation was took the first place in that prayer, in these next two prayers, which are really a continuation of the first, the plea for acceptance shall take the forefront. Nevertheless, the Priest shall still beg the Father to accept the Sacrifice of the Church on account of the Cross, the Mystery of which he shall continue explaining.
The Main Celebrant and any Concelebrants present continue all praying together, in the orans position, and say:
"Be pleased to look upon these offerings
with a serene and kindly countenance,
and to accept them,
as once you were pleased to accept
the gifts of your servant Abel the just,
the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith,
and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek,
a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim."
We quickly note the main thought is God's acceptance of the offerings, but we must examine, now more in-depth, what exactly the "offerings" are. As we have previously explained in the preceding post, the offerings cannot really refer to the Sacrifice of Christ which the Priest is offering, for it is impossible for the Gift of His Beloved Son not to find favor with God. Rather, the offerings referred to must be those of the Faithful, the prayers they bring and their souls which they wish to commend into the hands of God. But we may even include the actions of the Priest himself, all of the ritual prayers he recites, with the exception of the Institution Narrative, which is purely the action of Christ.
Jungmann explains this idea well:
"If we reflect for a moment that the sacrifice of the New Law, being an act of official worship, is essentially placed in the hands of the Church, which in turn relies on the sacrifice of Christ, then it becomes clear at once that we possess therein, despite the solemnity of its essential core, only an external symbol by which the Church - or more immediately, the congregation - honors God. And God can really receive it from her hands as a gift of homage only when at least the lowest degree of an internal will to give on the part of the participants accompanies and quickens the external offering (227-228)."
While the essential core Jungmann speaks of, i.e. the Consecration within the Institution Narrative, is given us expressly by Jesus Christ with Himself as the Actor, the rituals and prayers which surround this inner Holy of Holies, are prescribed and created by the Church, and therefore, while based upon the Divine commands, still actions of a human, and for the benefit of the Faithful, for God is not benefited by these actions, but the Mass is wrapped in them to translate the inner mysteries to us.
But grace is needed for the Priest and other Sacred Ministers to worthily and well perform these actions. It is needed additionally by the Faithful so that they may understand and profit from them, for while a Sacrament is given in the Mass, and therefore works ex opere operato, grace can only be received from it if the heart be open.
This leads us to the reason for the three figures of the Book of Genesis and their offerings which are next mentioned by the Priest. When we discussed the incensations at the Offertory (here), we suggested that the reason they were chosen by the Church, as opposed to any of the Old Law sacrifices which are all absent from the Roman Canon, was because of the disposition of the offerers.We shall now pick up this idea, especially as regards Abel and Abraham.
The first human we meet in the Scriptures who is acknowledged as just before God is Abel, and he is also the first we know of who makes any sort of offering to the Lord. We know little of this offering except what is recorded in the Scriptures and this is:
"In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard (Genesis 4:3-5)."
The general interpretation of this passage and the reason Cain's offering was rejected while Abel's was accepted lies in the specification that Abel offered the firstlings of his flock. To the Lord, in a spirit of humility and thankfulness, he gave back what he had received. Cain, on the other hand, simply made an offering to the Lord, without thought of the humility and proper spirit required for it to be acceptable.
We may here see the relation with Cain to the priests and Israelites in the time of the Prophets and in the time of Jesus Himself. They are constantly admonished because, although they follow the prescriptions of the Law in offering sacrifice, they do not make an offering of their hearts. They offer only out of obedience and fear, but God wants hearts of love. He wants to be praised because of His goodness, not feared because of His justice!
Jungmann makes a further interpretation of this sacrifice of Abel to the Sacrifice of Christ on our altars to which we join our gifts. "Innocent Abel, who made a sacrifice of the firstlings of his flock and himself succumbed to his brother's hate - our gift is 'the Lamb of God,' the first-born of all creation, who turned His death, suffered at the hands of His own people, into a sacrifice of redemption (228)." We cannot underestimate the importance of the typological reasons these three figures have in being part of the Canon as well, as we shall see especially with Melchizedek.
The blood of Abel cried out from the ground to God for vengeance and brought a curse upon Cain and his race (Genesis 4:10-11). The Blood of Christ, however, murdered even more unjustly by His brothers, cries out to God for mercy and brings salvation to the human race. Abel offered the best of his flock in humility, but Jesus offered His very self in total obedience to His Father. If we unite ourselves to the Sacrifice of Christ, in the spirit of Abel, the Father cannot refuse the gift of ourselves, for if Abel's sacrifice was pleasing to God, how much more is that of Jesus!?
But let us next consider the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith. This great sacrifice, related to us in Genesis 22:1-19, and is considered the foremost type of the Passion in the Old Testament, so much so that it is read as one of the seven readings for the Easter Vigil.
Abraham gives us a glimpse into God the Father, Who, unlike Abraham, ends up with the consummation of the Sacrifice of His Son. However, let us look at the obedience of the Son, Jesus, as opposed to that of Isaac. Jesus willingly sacrifices Himself to redeem the world. Isaac, we may perhaps infer, was not willing to be sacrificed, as we have no record in the Scriptures of him again speaking to Abraham, and afterwards, in Genesis 24, we see Abraham speaking to Isaac through a servant.
Isaac likely knew as Abraham did of the promise that through him a nation would be raised up, thus, he could not die and return to the dust, yet he did not believe. Abraham, however, believed and it was counted to him as righteousness and his sacrifice was most pleasing to God. Yet, perhaps because of Isaac's disbelief, the nation that was raised up was often most displeasing to the Lord and their sacrifices were detestable.
Of course, we can only theorize on this, but the point we must derive from it is we must go to the altar with the disposition of Abraham. We must be willing to offer all we have, even our most beloved, to the Lord. There is nothing we should not put on the Altar of Sacrifice in union with Christ's Sacrifice, for like Abraham, we shall be blessed before all the earth (Genesis 22:15-19) and have everything returned to us a hundredfold (Matthew 19:29).
It is with this complete trust we must approach the altar, for in order to unite ourselves with the Sacrifice of Christ, we can hold nothing back. Jesus gave His entire self, and while it may not be required of us all to die a bloody death as he did, we must empty ourselves completely so that we may be filled with His grace and blessing with which He wants to fill us!
With the sacrifice of Abraham, it is extremely easy to see the foreshadowing of Calvary. Abraham sacrifices his son, Isaac, who carried the wood on his back, just as the Father sacrifices His Beloved Son, Who carries the Cross for His own Sacrifice. The difference being that Abraham did not have to consummate his sacrifice, since it would have been to no avail as Isaac could not take away sin; his death would have been to misery. But Jesus is not spared, for His death gives life and joy! As Abraham told Isaac, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering (Genesis 22:8)," so it was fulfilled. In order to confirm the faith of all peoples Jesus is given, for through Him, we can now inherit the promises God has promised to us.
Yet there is the third figure mentioned in the Eucharistic Prayer, Melchizedek, and his appearance, while not being a mystery, cannot be for the same reasons as Abel and Abraham, for while we know their faith, Melchizedek is a priest veiled in mystery. He appears only briefly in Genesis 14, where it says, "And Melchiz'edek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him [Abram] and said, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!'" The only other mention we have of Melchizedek is in Psalm 110, where it is written, "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchiz'edek (Psalm 110:4).'" This has been interpreted as referring to our Lord Jesus Christ.
So what are we to make of this mention of Melchizedek? Throughout history the connection between the offering of bread and wine has been made, Melchizedek offering bread and wine to God, while in the Mass and at the Last Supper Christ offers bread and wine which become His Body and Blood. Others, such as Jungmann, make a connection between Abel and Melchizedek to symbolize the Mass, for Abel offers a lamb and Melchizedek bread and wine, all of which are offered in the Mass - first bread and wine and then the Lamb of God (229).
While all of these types and connections certainly give us insight into the Sacrifice of the Mass, let us propose an alternative explanation for Melchizedek. We shall suppose Melchizedek to be one of the foremost representations of Christ given to us in the Old Testament, and this on account of Jesus' threefold office of Priest, Prophet, and King. Thus, we may call Melchizedek a Priest, Prophet, and King, and consequently a type for all Christians, primarily as regards making offering to God.
When Melchizedek is introduced, it is as "king of Salem," thus we may establish he has a royal dignity. Yet he is also called, "a priest of God Most High," and consequently, we may say his royal dignity and his priestly dignity coincide, much in the same way Jesus' does, for Jesus is called a "Priest in the order of Melchizedek." Thus, He has a royal Priesthood. But Melchizedek may also be called a prophet, for he blesses Abraham, and we may say he thus speaks on God's behalf.
It is, then, through Melchizedek being priest, prophet, and king, that he foreshadows Christ, and that Christ may be a priest according to his order, as opposed to Aaronite priesthood, which only exercised the order of priest. Additionally, as Melchizedek's offering of bread and wine brought peace between Abraham and the nations that opposed him, this is another foreshadowing of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, for through the oblation of bread and wine which become the Body and Blood of Christ, peace is brought to God's Faithful and those who oppose the Church of Christ are vanquished!
The final words of this prayer once again refer to the Offering on our altars as, "a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim." It is well to state this fact again, especially after the three prefigurations of this perfect offering, for while the sacrifices of Abel, Abraham, and Melchizedek may have been done in holiness, they paled in comparison to the Sacrifice of Christ. And this is because they were offered by sinners and were offerings of this fallen nature of ours. The Sacrifice of Jesus, however, being that of God is a spiritual and incorruptible Sacrifice, made in perfect holiness and without ever being touched by sin, and It may thus ascend to the altar of God as no sacrifice of old could, and this thought leads us into the next prayer.
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: Supra Quae and Supplices, 226-237. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).
The Main Celebrant and any Concelebrants present continue all praying together, in the orans position, and say:
"Be pleased to look upon these offerings
with a serene and kindly countenance,
and to accept them,
as once you were pleased to accept
the gifts of your servant Abel the just,
the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith,
and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek,
a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim."
We quickly note the main thought is God's acceptance of the offerings, but we must examine, now more in-depth, what exactly the "offerings" are. As we have previously explained in the preceding post, the offerings cannot really refer to the Sacrifice of Christ which the Priest is offering, for it is impossible for the Gift of His Beloved Son not to find favor with God. Rather, the offerings referred to must be those of the Faithful, the prayers they bring and their souls which they wish to commend into the hands of God. But we may even include the actions of the Priest himself, all of the ritual prayers he recites, with the exception of the Institution Narrative, which is purely the action of Christ.
Jungmann explains this idea well:
"If we reflect for a moment that the sacrifice of the New Law, being an act of official worship, is essentially placed in the hands of the Church, which in turn relies on the sacrifice of Christ, then it becomes clear at once that we possess therein, despite the solemnity of its essential core, only an external symbol by which the Church - or more immediately, the congregation - honors God. And God can really receive it from her hands as a gift of homage only when at least the lowest degree of an internal will to give on the part of the participants accompanies and quickens the external offering (227-228)."
While the essential core Jungmann speaks of, i.e. the Consecration within the Institution Narrative, is given us expressly by Jesus Christ with Himself as the Actor, the rituals and prayers which surround this inner Holy of Holies, are prescribed and created by the Church, and therefore, while based upon the Divine commands, still actions of a human, and for the benefit of the Faithful, for God is not benefited by these actions, but the Mass is wrapped in them to translate the inner mysteries to us.
But grace is needed for the Priest and other Sacred Ministers to worthily and well perform these actions. It is needed additionally by the Faithful so that they may understand and profit from them, for while a Sacrament is given in the Mass, and therefore works ex opere operato, grace can only be received from it if the heart be open.
This leads us to the reason for the three figures of the Book of Genesis and their offerings which are next mentioned by the Priest. When we discussed the incensations at the Offertory (here), we suggested that the reason they were chosen by the Church, as opposed to any of the Old Law sacrifices which are all absent from the Roman Canon, was because of the disposition of the offerers.We shall now pick up this idea, especially as regards Abel and Abraham.
The first human we meet in the Scriptures who is acknowledged as just before God is Abel, and he is also the first we know of who makes any sort of offering to the Lord. We know little of this offering except what is recorded in the Scriptures and this is:
"In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard (Genesis 4:3-5)."
The general interpretation of this passage and the reason Cain's offering was rejected while Abel's was accepted lies in the specification that Abel offered the firstlings of his flock. To the Lord, in a spirit of humility and thankfulness, he gave back what he had received. Cain, on the other hand, simply made an offering to the Lord, without thought of the humility and proper spirit required for it to be acceptable.
We may here see the relation with Cain to the priests and Israelites in the time of the Prophets and in the time of Jesus Himself. They are constantly admonished because, although they follow the prescriptions of the Law in offering sacrifice, they do not make an offering of their hearts. They offer only out of obedience and fear, but God wants hearts of love. He wants to be praised because of His goodness, not feared because of His justice!
Jungmann makes a further interpretation of this sacrifice of Abel to the Sacrifice of Christ on our altars to which we join our gifts. "Innocent Abel, who made a sacrifice of the firstlings of his flock and himself succumbed to his brother's hate - our gift is 'the Lamb of God,' the first-born of all creation, who turned His death, suffered at the hands of His own people, into a sacrifice of redemption (228)." We cannot underestimate the importance of the typological reasons these three figures have in being part of the Canon as well, as we shall see especially with Melchizedek.
The blood of Abel cried out from the ground to God for vengeance and brought a curse upon Cain and his race (Genesis 4:10-11). The Blood of Christ, however, murdered even more unjustly by His brothers, cries out to God for mercy and brings salvation to the human race. Abel offered the best of his flock in humility, but Jesus offered His very self in total obedience to His Father. If we unite ourselves to the Sacrifice of Christ, in the spirit of Abel, the Father cannot refuse the gift of ourselves, for if Abel's sacrifice was pleasing to God, how much more is that of Jesus!?
But let us next consider the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith. This great sacrifice, related to us in Genesis 22:1-19, and is considered the foremost type of the Passion in the Old Testament, so much so that it is read as one of the seven readings for the Easter Vigil.
Abraham gives us a glimpse into God the Father, Who, unlike Abraham, ends up with the consummation of the Sacrifice of His Son. However, let us look at the obedience of the Son, Jesus, as opposed to that of Isaac. Jesus willingly sacrifices Himself to redeem the world. Isaac, we may perhaps infer, was not willing to be sacrificed, as we have no record in the Scriptures of him again speaking to Abraham, and afterwards, in Genesis 24, we see Abraham speaking to Isaac through a servant.
Isaac likely knew as Abraham did of the promise that through him a nation would be raised up, thus, he could not die and return to the dust, yet he did not believe. Abraham, however, believed and it was counted to him as righteousness and his sacrifice was most pleasing to God. Yet, perhaps because of Isaac's disbelief, the nation that was raised up was often most displeasing to the Lord and their sacrifices were detestable.
Of course, we can only theorize on this, but the point we must derive from it is we must go to the altar with the disposition of Abraham. We must be willing to offer all we have, even our most beloved, to the Lord. There is nothing we should not put on the Altar of Sacrifice in union with Christ's Sacrifice, for like Abraham, we shall be blessed before all the earth (Genesis 22:15-19) and have everything returned to us a hundredfold (Matthew 19:29).
It is with this complete trust we must approach the altar, for in order to unite ourselves with the Sacrifice of Christ, we can hold nothing back. Jesus gave His entire self, and while it may not be required of us all to die a bloody death as he did, we must empty ourselves completely so that we may be filled with His grace and blessing with which He wants to fill us!
With the sacrifice of Abraham, it is extremely easy to see the foreshadowing of Calvary. Abraham sacrifices his son, Isaac, who carried the wood on his back, just as the Father sacrifices His Beloved Son, Who carries the Cross for His own Sacrifice. The difference being that Abraham did not have to consummate his sacrifice, since it would have been to no avail as Isaac could not take away sin; his death would have been to misery. But Jesus is not spared, for His death gives life and joy! As Abraham told Isaac, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering (Genesis 22:8)," so it was fulfilled. In order to confirm the faith of all peoples Jesus is given, for through Him, we can now inherit the promises God has promised to us.
Yet there is the third figure mentioned in the Eucharistic Prayer, Melchizedek, and his appearance, while not being a mystery, cannot be for the same reasons as Abel and Abraham, for while we know their faith, Melchizedek is a priest veiled in mystery. He appears only briefly in Genesis 14, where it says, "And Melchiz'edek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him [Abram] and said, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!'" The only other mention we have of Melchizedek is in Psalm 110, where it is written, "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchiz'edek (Psalm 110:4).'" This has been interpreted as referring to our Lord Jesus Christ.
So what are we to make of this mention of Melchizedek? Throughout history the connection between the offering of bread and wine has been made, Melchizedek offering bread and wine to God, while in the Mass and at the Last Supper Christ offers bread and wine which become His Body and Blood. Others, such as Jungmann, make a connection between Abel and Melchizedek to symbolize the Mass, for Abel offers a lamb and Melchizedek bread and wine, all of which are offered in the Mass - first bread and wine and then the Lamb of God (229).
While all of these types and connections certainly give us insight into the Sacrifice of the Mass, let us propose an alternative explanation for Melchizedek. We shall suppose Melchizedek to be one of the foremost representations of Christ given to us in the Old Testament, and this on account of Jesus' threefold office of Priest, Prophet, and King. Thus, we may call Melchizedek a Priest, Prophet, and King, and consequently a type for all Christians, primarily as regards making offering to God.
When Melchizedek is introduced, it is as "king of Salem," thus we may establish he has a royal dignity. Yet he is also called, "a priest of God Most High," and consequently, we may say his royal dignity and his priestly dignity coincide, much in the same way Jesus' does, for Jesus is called a "Priest in the order of Melchizedek." Thus, He has a royal Priesthood. But Melchizedek may also be called a prophet, for he blesses Abraham, and we may say he thus speaks on God's behalf.
It is, then, through Melchizedek being priest, prophet, and king, that he foreshadows Christ, and that Christ may be a priest according to his order, as opposed to Aaronite priesthood, which only exercised the order of priest. Additionally, as Melchizedek's offering of bread and wine brought peace between Abraham and the nations that opposed him, this is another foreshadowing of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, for through the oblation of bread and wine which become the Body and Blood of Christ, peace is brought to God's Faithful and those who oppose the Church of Christ are vanquished!
The final words of this prayer once again refer to the Offering on our altars as, "a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim." It is well to state this fact again, especially after the three prefigurations of this perfect offering, for while the sacrifices of Abel, Abraham, and Melchizedek may have been done in holiness, they paled in comparison to the Sacrifice of Christ. And this is because they were offered by sinners and were offerings of this fallen nature of ours. The Sacrifice of Jesus, however, being that of God is a spiritual and incorruptible Sacrifice, made in perfect holiness and without ever being touched by sin, and It may thus ascend to the altar of God as no sacrifice of old could, and this thought leads us into the next prayer.
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: Supra Quae and Supplices, 226-237. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Sixth Sunday of Easter: Meditation on the Entrance Antiphon
"Proclaim a joyful sound and let it be heard; proclaim to the ends of the earth: The Lord has freed his people, alleluia." - Entrance Antiphon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter
Throughout the Easter Season, the Entrance Antiphons have often been a cry to sing and rejoice, or to make a proclamation to the nations. Today's antiphon contains all of those features, and it may lead us to ask why we are called to this? Let us consider the ending of the three Synoptic Gospels. They all end with a command to preach to the nations the Resurrection of Christ.
In Matthew we read:
"Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matthew 28:16-20).'"
Mark's Gospel concludes:
"Afterward he [Jesus] appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.' So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen (Mark 16:14-20)."
Finally, the conclusion of Luke's Gospel, which leads us into the second half of his letter, Acts of the Apostles, which we shall also see, is:
"Then he [Jesus] opened their [the eleven] minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things . . . . (Luke 24:45-48)
"He [Jesus] said to them . . . . 'You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samar'ia and to the end of all the earth (Acts 1:7-8).'"
The Acts of the Apostles then in its entirety goes on to tell the preaching of the Apostles and the beginnings of the Church.
We have provided these quotes so that all may quickly see the ending of the visible mission of Christ on earth is really but an extension of everything in the Gospels. In Matthew, extensive explanations on a proper manner of living are given and Jesus commands these to be continually taught along with the Sacrament of Baptism. Here we may see clearly that Baptism brings one into a new life, with a new way of living, free from sin. In Mark, we see the necessity of conviction in preaching the Gospel and in baptizing; Jesus admonishes the disciples for not believing in the Resurrection, especially with all the signs that He has given to testify to it! And the signs to corroborate the preaching of the Gospel to the nations will not cease, but shall continue so that people may be firm in their new life. And then we come to Luke's Gospel and Acts of the Apostles. We see that it is witnesses who are to preach to the nations. Only after they have experienced and understand what Christ and the Holy Spirit have done can they boldly proclaim the Gospel and the Resurrection!
All of this is what is contained in our Entrance Antiphon for today! "Proclaim a joyful shout and let it be heard." To shout something, to proclaim it, this requires a firm conviction; it speaks of the importance of what is being said. And is there anything more important than the Resurrection of our Lord? This is the good news for all times, "The Lord has freed his people!" "Alleluia" penetrates the Easter Season, it ends every antiphon used during it, for unlike Lent when we considered our bondage, now we consider the new life of freedom we have inherited. Anyone who truly understands this freedom cannot help but do two things, to rejoice and to proclaim it!
The Cross is what gives meaning to this "veil of tears," our earthly exile from the Beatific Vision, perfect happiness itself, for the Cross gives meaning to suffering. It says, "This is not for nothing; this is for purification, illumination, and contemplation." The Cross is a means where we are purified of sin. The Cross is that whereby we understand all the trials of this life. The Cross is the point where we are able to contemplate the love of God, for on the Cross we see Jesus, the gateway to contemplation of the inner Life of God.
Yet the Cross only gains its effectiveness from the Resurrection, for unless He rose from the dead, Jesus would not be God, and if He is not God He could not pay the penalty for sin and consequently free us. Perhaps this is one of the reasons the Apostles were so slow to believe; they were still attached to sin and with the newness of life Christ brought through the Cross, they would definitively have to reject sin and live the new life of grace.
However, while we cannot speak for the Apostles reasons for being slow to believe, we can certainly say this is a stumbling block for many of us. Sin, as a habit, is addictive for us. We are comfortable in it, and therefore we don't want to have to change, for that will require discipline and hurt. Yet as St. Paul says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)." If we consider all of the things we are willing to discipline ourselves for in this life - a steady income, good health, etc. - how can we even for a moment consider not disciplining ourselves for eternal life? "For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life (Mark 8:36)?"
Let us return to St. Paul's comparison. If you ask many runners why they run, it is not only for the "crown," or the medal, but for the personal accomplishment. It is about overcoming their defects, about setting a goal and then accomplishing it. In doing this, they become better people. The same can be analogously applied to the spiritual life. There are many "goals" we set, to go to daily Mass, to pray a Rosary every day, etc., so that we may advance in the spiritual realm and grow closer to God and be conformed more and more to Jesus Christ.
And as we do these things, we become more and more convinced of the truth of what we participate in! It is not some psychological trick, however, where we are convincing ourselves of something, but it is because our works are accompanied by signs and testimonies.
We see not only the good effects produced in our souls, but we see our lives transform in ways we never thought possible. Sins which once seemed as if we would never be able to escape them, are suddenly thrown off like a tattered shirt. Our neighbors who we despised are suddenly images of Jesus Christ.
But something else also happens. As we grow deeper in the Christian life, we begin to see our participation in the Body of Christ. We become aware of being part of something bigger than ourselves. We are called to reach out to others, to help those in need, to share the experiences we have undergone. We are empowered to build up the Church! And, we are not only called, but we succeed! Others are touched through our outreach.
These are all also signs Jesus promised to the Apostles, the sick in soul recover, the demons that plague us are banished, and the poisons of this world fail to harm us. True, physical miracles often accompany the preaching of the Faith as well, but the main testimony and evangelization to the world is the proper living of the Christian life!
We come now to the ultimate and fundamental meaning of our Entrance Antiphon. We are called to evangelize the world! But we are called to do this, as we saw from the words of Jesus in the concluding of the three Gospels, with joy, with conviction, and with a proper living of life. These qualities accompany the only effective preaching and spreading of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
St. Francis of Assisi is well known for his famous command to, "Preach always, and when necessary use words." How accurate this injunction is! We should always be preaching the message of Jesus Christ, for we should always be living out the Christian life with joy! We are freed from sin; we already begin to live here below the life we shall joyfully live in Heaven! The joy and conviction, the absolute trust we place in the Lord, while it may cause some to laugh, it will undoubtedly cause all to at least begrudgingly respect us. For they will see and understand that we have something steady in our lives that penetrates us, that carries us through every day.
Let us consider one final thing, however, for St. Paul ends his comparison of the Christian life to the athlete with, "I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:26-27)." It is here that we are able to see the necessity of preaching by living. If we believe that evangelization is nothing more than words and action, we will quickly tire ourselves out. Not only that, but without the life to accompany the message, our words will be empty. We may have the faith, but without the works, who will believe that? Indeed, can it even be true we can believe in the Resurrection without letting it transform us?
In these final days of the Easter Season, and for the rest of our earthly lives, may we always be transformed joyfully by the good news of Christ's triumph over death. May we embrace the Cross with loving arms and open hearts, so that through it, we may come to know God Who shall share with us His inner life and inner joy. In this way, we shall truly proclaim a joyful shout which shall be heard by all nations. For all will know God has set us free!
Throughout the Easter Season, the Entrance Antiphons have often been a cry to sing and rejoice, or to make a proclamation to the nations. Today's antiphon contains all of those features, and it may lead us to ask why we are called to this? Let us consider the ending of the three Synoptic Gospels. They all end with a command to preach to the nations the Resurrection of Christ.
In Matthew we read:
"Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matthew 28:16-20).'"
Mark's Gospel concludes:
"Afterward he [Jesus] appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.' So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen (Mark 16:14-20)."
Finally, the conclusion of Luke's Gospel, which leads us into the second half of his letter, Acts of the Apostles, which we shall also see, is:
"Then he [Jesus] opened their [the eleven] minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things . . . . (Luke 24:45-48)
"He [Jesus] said to them . . . . 'You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samar'ia and to the end of all the earth (Acts 1:7-8).'"
The Acts of the Apostles then in its entirety goes on to tell the preaching of the Apostles and the beginnings of the Church.
We have provided these quotes so that all may quickly see the ending of the visible mission of Christ on earth is really but an extension of everything in the Gospels. In Matthew, extensive explanations on a proper manner of living are given and Jesus commands these to be continually taught along with the Sacrament of Baptism. Here we may see clearly that Baptism brings one into a new life, with a new way of living, free from sin. In Mark, we see the necessity of conviction in preaching the Gospel and in baptizing; Jesus admonishes the disciples for not believing in the Resurrection, especially with all the signs that He has given to testify to it! And the signs to corroborate the preaching of the Gospel to the nations will not cease, but shall continue so that people may be firm in their new life. And then we come to Luke's Gospel and Acts of the Apostles. We see that it is witnesses who are to preach to the nations. Only after they have experienced and understand what Christ and the Holy Spirit have done can they boldly proclaim the Gospel and the Resurrection!
All of this is what is contained in our Entrance Antiphon for today! "Proclaim a joyful shout and let it be heard." To shout something, to proclaim it, this requires a firm conviction; it speaks of the importance of what is being said. And is there anything more important than the Resurrection of our Lord? This is the good news for all times, "The Lord has freed his people!" "Alleluia" penetrates the Easter Season, it ends every antiphon used during it, for unlike Lent when we considered our bondage, now we consider the new life of freedom we have inherited. Anyone who truly understands this freedom cannot help but do two things, to rejoice and to proclaim it!
The Cross is what gives meaning to this "veil of tears," our earthly exile from the Beatific Vision, perfect happiness itself, for the Cross gives meaning to suffering. It says, "This is not for nothing; this is for purification, illumination, and contemplation." The Cross is a means where we are purified of sin. The Cross is that whereby we understand all the trials of this life. The Cross is the point where we are able to contemplate the love of God, for on the Cross we see Jesus, the gateway to contemplation of the inner Life of God.
Yet the Cross only gains its effectiveness from the Resurrection, for unless He rose from the dead, Jesus would not be God, and if He is not God He could not pay the penalty for sin and consequently free us. Perhaps this is one of the reasons the Apostles were so slow to believe; they were still attached to sin and with the newness of life Christ brought through the Cross, they would definitively have to reject sin and live the new life of grace.
However, while we cannot speak for the Apostles reasons for being slow to believe, we can certainly say this is a stumbling block for many of us. Sin, as a habit, is addictive for us. We are comfortable in it, and therefore we don't want to have to change, for that will require discipline and hurt. Yet as St. Paul says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)." If we consider all of the things we are willing to discipline ourselves for in this life - a steady income, good health, etc. - how can we even for a moment consider not disciplining ourselves for eternal life? "For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life (Mark 8:36)?"
Let us return to St. Paul's comparison. If you ask many runners why they run, it is not only for the "crown," or the medal, but for the personal accomplishment. It is about overcoming their defects, about setting a goal and then accomplishing it. In doing this, they become better people. The same can be analogously applied to the spiritual life. There are many "goals" we set, to go to daily Mass, to pray a Rosary every day, etc., so that we may advance in the spiritual realm and grow closer to God and be conformed more and more to Jesus Christ.
And as we do these things, we become more and more convinced of the truth of what we participate in! It is not some psychological trick, however, where we are convincing ourselves of something, but it is because our works are accompanied by signs and testimonies.
We see not only the good effects produced in our souls, but we see our lives transform in ways we never thought possible. Sins which once seemed as if we would never be able to escape them, are suddenly thrown off like a tattered shirt. Our neighbors who we despised are suddenly images of Jesus Christ.
But something else also happens. As we grow deeper in the Christian life, we begin to see our participation in the Body of Christ. We become aware of being part of something bigger than ourselves. We are called to reach out to others, to help those in need, to share the experiences we have undergone. We are empowered to build up the Church! And, we are not only called, but we succeed! Others are touched through our outreach.
These are all also signs Jesus promised to the Apostles, the sick in soul recover, the demons that plague us are banished, and the poisons of this world fail to harm us. True, physical miracles often accompany the preaching of the Faith as well, but the main testimony and evangelization to the world is the proper living of the Christian life!
We come now to the ultimate and fundamental meaning of our Entrance Antiphon. We are called to evangelize the world! But we are called to do this, as we saw from the words of Jesus in the concluding of the three Gospels, with joy, with conviction, and with a proper living of life. These qualities accompany the only effective preaching and spreading of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
St. Francis of Assisi is well known for his famous command to, "Preach always, and when necessary use words." How accurate this injunction is! We should always be preaching the message of Jesus Christ, for we should always be living out the Christian life with joy! We are freed from sin; we already begin to live here below the life we shall joyfully live in Heaven! The joy and conviction, the absolute trust we place in the Lord, while it may cause some to laugh, it will undoubtedly cause all to at least begrudgingly respect us. For they will see and understand that we have something steady in our lives that penetrates us, that carries us through every day.
Let us consider one final thing, however, for St. Paul ends his comparison of the Christian life to the athlete with, "I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:26-27)." It is here that we are able to see the necessity of preaching by living. If we believe that evangelization is nothing more than words and action, we will quickly tire ourselves out. Not only that, but without the life to accompany the message, our words will be empty. We may have the faith, but without the works, who will believe that? Indeed, can it even be true we can believe in the Resurrection without letting it transform us?
In these final days of the Easter Season, and for the rest of our earthly lives, may we always be transformed joyfully by the good news of Christ's triumph over death. May we embrace the Cross with loving arms and open hearts, so that through it, we may come to know God Who shall share with us His inner life and inner joy. In this way, we shall truly proclaim a joyful shout which shall be heard by all nations. For all will know God has set us free!
Friday, May 8, 2015
A Look at the Mass: The Eucharistic Prayer: Unde et Memores
The climax of the Eucharistic Prayer and all ceremonies of adoration being completed, the Priest now resumes his position as representative of the people and continues the Great Prayer interceding to the Father that the Sacrifice now present on the altar may avail unto salvation for all present and for the whole world. The continuation of his prayer continues the theme of the anamnesis, i.e. the memorial of the Lord's Passion and Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, and then quickly moves into the idea of Sacrifice, which shall be continued for the next two prayers.
As we shall see this prayer has no concluding formula option, i.e. "Through Christ our Lord. Amen." We may take from this that it is once again part of a threefold prayer, and it is especially important to note that as it is required that all the Priests celebrating the Mass say this prayer, we may conclude it forms part of the inner sanctuary of the Eucharistic Prayer, just as the Hanc Oblationem did.
Thus we see the importance of anamnesis in the Holy Mass. If we recall the ending of the Consecration of the wine, "Do this in memory of me," we see the clear command of Jesus that the Sacrifice is not only to be perpetuated, but it is to be done as a memorial - a calling to mind - of the Redemption. St. Paul says, "As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26)." To partake of the Eucharist is to call to mind Christ's Death and Resurrection, for as we remember, the Eucharist is the Risen Body and Blood of Christ, and the Resurrection could not have occurred without His Death. Even more, the Church would not be celebrating the Paschal Mystery if not for the Ascension of Christ, for it was not until our Lord ascended that the Age of the Church began, on the day of Pentecost.
In order to have a full understanding of the Eucharist, it is necessary, then, to call to mind these events. Furthermore, as the Sacrifice is here made present, it behooves the Priest to call to mind, on behalf of all the Faithful, the great and saving deeds which he is commemorating, in the manner of an exposition, so that he may have at the forefront of his mind that which he is offering and the Faithful may understand that in which they participate.
The first third of this prayer of the Priest is then:
"Therefore, O Lord,
as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion,
the Resurrection from the dead,
and the glorious Ascension into heaven
of Christ, your Son, our Lord,
we, your servants and your holy people,
offer to your glorious majesty
from the gifts that you have given us,
this pure victim,
this holy victim,
this spotless victim,
the holy Bread of eternal life
and the Chalice of everlasting salvation."
As we said, before the Sacrifice shall continue, the Priest shall explain that which is occurring and he does so with the first half of this prayer. As he has resumed the orans posture, he also resumes his address to God the Father with, "Therefore, O Lord," but as noted numerous times already, even though addressed to the Father, much of what is contained in the prayer is for the benefit of the Faithful, so that we may fully understand the Mysteries happening.
In the memorial of the Paschal Mystery, then, he first calls the Passion of the Lord Jesus, "blessed." Within these two words are contained all the elements of the final hours of the Lord before His death. While other Liturgies may add features, the Roman Rite has remained content with brevity. Not wishing to simply mention the Death of Christ, though, for it is within the entire Passion that His love for mankind and wondrous salvation is shown, She chooses to instead call to mind the entire Passion.
As Jungmann points out, "we surely have reason for hailing the Passion as blessed, since it is the root of our salvation (220)." True that God has chosen that we should be redeemed by His Son's Death on the Cross, and thus that is the moment of total expiation for sin, but the entire Passion is blessed, for the Death on the Cross hinges upon all of its events. As we are blessed because of our union with Christ, so the Agony in the Garden, the Betrayal and Denial, the Trials before the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate, the Scourging and Crowing with Thorns, and the Way of the Cross are all blessed because of their union with the Sacrifice of the Cross, i.e. Christ's expiatory Death. Each moment is an atonement for sin and each moment and aspect offers us a unique and new vision of the love God has for us and that He shows us in the Incarnation of Christ.
Yet the Cross is the victory over death because of the Resurrection of Christ! Thus, in recalling the Cross, we must recall the Resurrection from the dead. We may notice that of the three events of the Paschal Mystery, the Resurrection is apparently without an adjective, but this would be a false assumption. Rather it may be supposed the adjective, "blessed," is joined to it as well. The Cross and the Resurrection are so intimately tied together, for the Cross proves the humanity of Christ, while the Resurrection proves the Divinity. We cannot contemplate the one without the other. The Passion is blessed on account of the Cross, but the Cross is blessed because of Jesus' Divinity. As the great Crux Fidelis proclaims, "Sweet the timber, sweet the iron, sweet the burden that they bear!" The Cross is the greatest of all trees; it is the new Tree of Life, due to the Fruit it bears, namely our Lord Jesus Christ. And this Cross and Risen King are now present on our altar!
But we also call to mind that third portion of the Paschal Mystery, "the glorious Ascension into heaven." Because Christ has ascended into the Heavens and sits at the right hand of the Father, He is able to make intercession for us. He is now the one Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), and thus, it is Christ Who shall present the prayers of the Church to the Father and gain a gracious hearing. It is on account of His Ascension, then, these sacrifices and the prayers offered by the Priest may have merit in the sight of God then, for it is Christ Himself Who offers them.
Furthermore, the Eucharist is so intimately tied to the Ascension of Christ it cannot be contemplated fully apart from it. The Blessed Sacrament is the fulfillment of Christ's promise to remain with us until the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). Through the Eucharist we are glorified and raised up to the Heavenly Life, because we are united to the Risen and Ascended Lord Who reigns in glory in that Life!
Now as we have mentioned, after expounding on these three parts of the Paschal Mystery, the Great Prayer moves into mention of the Sacrifice here offered. But before the Sacrifice shall be defined, we must take note of this interesting phrase, "we your servants and your holy people offer...." There are two possibilities we may here consider. The first is that "we your servants," refers to the Priests offering the Mass, whereas, "your holy people," refers to the Faithful who offer themselves and their prayers in union with the Sacrifice of Christ offered by the Priest. This interpretation would fit well with the Latin of the Prayer especially, for a comma separates the two groups and, nos - Latin for "we" - is joined with, "servants," and not, "your holy people," both by punctuation and by grammatical agreement
Yet we shall here propose an alternative interpretation, and this is that the Priest is speaking as a representative of the people here, and thus speaks on behalf of the entire congregation, who are all the servants and holy people of God. For support of this idea, we shall look at the Second Letter of St. Peter where he says, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people (1 Peter 2:9)." St. Peter is addressing himself not to clergy, but to all Christians, and these same terms have taken up residence in the Eucharistic Prayer to characterize all who participate in this Offering.
But we must be careful in our interpretation here, for the Priest acts in Persona Christi in offering the Sacrifice of the Cross to the Father, whereas the people do not. Nevertheless, we must remember the Priest is also a representative of the people and offers the sacrifice of the Church, namely the prayers and petitions which the Faithful bring to the Mass in union with the Cross, and it is these prayers which must find favor with God and which the Faithful offer through the Priest, who is also offering the Sacrifice of the Cross. As far as these sacrifices and prayers are thus united to the one Sacrifice they are part of the Oblation of Christ.
The Priest is, then, praying in these three prayers that God will accept the sacrifices and petitions of His Church, as we shall continue to examine in the next two posts. The first reason for acceptance is here given and it is also the first explanation of the Sacrifice on our altar, for these two ideas go together. Jesus Himself is the offering here Who is pure, holy, and spotless, but His Sacrifice has been made present to us through the gifts we have offered to God. Only through our own gifts of bread and wine can the Eucharist be Consecrated. Nonetheless, we must hearken our thoughts back to the Offertory Rites, where we praised the Father for giving us these very gifts of bread and wine.
It is true; we have the means of offering to God the Body and Blood of Christ because God has provided them for us! But as we said then, so we repeat now, this is an act of the mercy of God. Though condemned to receive bread and wine only through the sweat of his brow (Genesis 3:19), man now has been given the means whereby that bread and wine may become, "the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation." If, then, we are willing to cooperate with God and offer the sacrifice of, "a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17)," we may be saved by the Sacrifice of Christ which our sacrifices shall be joined in perfect union to!
We must not, however, harbor the thought that the Cross gains its value from the state of our souls, but the reverse is true, our sacrifices only gain value through the Cross. For the Victim on the Cross is pure and spotless in a way the oblations of the Old Law never could be, for the Victim is Jesus Christ, Who was never touched by sin or defect. Even to the end, not a bone of His was broken (John 19:36). The Victim on the Cross was also holy, but not in the same manner of the sheep and goats of the Old Testament which were holy because they were simply set apart, but Jesus is holy because He is the source of all holiness, God Himself.
The offerings of the Church which the Priest is presenting to God are therefore acceptable to God insofar as they are offered with pure, holy, and spotless hearts. For as God found the sacrifices of the Old Law detestable when they were offered in sin (Amos 5:21-23), so He will be even less pleased with our own attempts to offer His Most Beloved Son to His Glorious Majesty in an unworthy manner. Instead, we must make oblations in the manner of Abel, Abraham, and Melchizedek, which shall be pleasing to God and which we shall now consider!
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: Unde et memores, 218-226. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).
As we shall see this prayer has no concluding formula option, i.e. "Through Christ our Lord. Amen." We may take from this that it is once again part of a threefold prayer, and it is especially important to note that as it is required that all the Priests celebrating the Mass say this prayer, we may conclude it forms part of the inner sanctuary of the Eucharistic Prayer, just as the Hanc Oblationem did.
Thus we see the importance of anamnesis in the Holy Mass. If we recall the ending of the Consecration of the wine, "Do this in memory of me," we see the clear command of Jesus that the Sacrifice is not only to be perpetuated, but it is to be done as a memorial - a calling to mind - of the Redemption. St. Paul says, "As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26)." To partake of the Eucharist is to call to mind Christ's Death and Resurrection, for as we remember, the Eucharist is the Risen Body and Blood of Christ, and the Resurrection could not have occurred without His Death. Even more, the Church would not be celebrating the Paschal Mystery if not for the Ascension of Christ, for it was not until our Lord ascended that the Age of the Church began, on the day of Pentecost.
In order to have a full understanding of the Eucharist, it is necessary, then, to call to mind these events. Furthermore, as the Sacrifice is here made present, it behooves the Priest to call to mind, on behalf of all the Faithful, the great and saving deeds which he is commemorating, in the manner of an exposition, so that he may have at the forefront of his mind that which he is offering and the Faithful may understand that in which they participate.
The first third of this prayer of the Priest is then:
"Therefore, O Lord,
as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion,
the Resurrection from the dead,
and the glorious Ascension into heaven
of Christ, your Son, our Lord,
we, your servants and your holy people,
offer to your glorious majesty
from the gifts that you have given us,
this pure victim,
this holy victim,
this spotless victim,
the holy Bread of eternal life
and the Chalice of everlasting salvation."
As we said, before the Sacrifice shall continue, the Priest shall explain that which is occurring and he does so with the first half of this prayer. As he has resumed the orans posture, he also resumes his address to God the Father with, "Therefore, O Lord," but as noted numerous times already, even though addressed to the Father, much of what is contained in the prayer is for the benefit of the Faithful, so that we may fully understand the Mysteries happening.
In the memorial of the Paschal Mystery, then, he first calls the Passion of the Lord Jesus, "blessed." Within these two words are contained all the elements of the final hours of the Lord before His death. While other Liturgies may add features, the Roman Rite has remained content with brevity. Not wishing to simply mention the Death of Christ, though, for it is within the entire Passion that His love for mankind and wondrous salvation is shown, She chooses to instead call to mind the entire Passion.
As Jungmann points out, "we surely have reason for hailing the Passion as blessed, since it is the root of our salvation (220)." True that God has chosen that we should be redeemed by His Son's Death on the Cross, and thus that is the moment of total expiation for sin, but the entire Passion is blessed, for the Death on the Cross hinges upon all of its events. As we are blessed because of our union with Christ, so the Agony in the Garden, the Betrayal and Denial, the Trials before the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate, the Scourging and Crowing with Thorns, and the Way of the Cross are all blessed because of their union with the Sacrifice of the Cross, i.e. Christ's expiatory Death. Each moment is an atonement for sin and each moment and aspect offers us a unique and new vision of the love God has for us and that He shows us in the Incarnation of Christ.
Yet the Cross is the victory over death because of the Resurrection of Christ! Thus, in recalling the Cross, we must recall the Resurrection from the dead. We may notice that of the three events of the Paschal Mystery, the Resurrection is apparently without an adjective, but this would be a false assumption. Rather it may be supposed the adjective, "blessed," is joined to it as well. The Cross and the Resurrection are so intimately tied together, for the Cross proves the humanity of Christ, while the Resurrection proves the Divinity. We cannot contemplate the one without the other. The Passion is blessed on account of the Cross, but the Cross is blessed because of Jesus' Divinity. As the great Crux Fidelis proclaims, "Sweet the timber, sweet the iron, sweet the burden that they bear!" The Cross is the greatest of all trees; it is the new Tree of Life, due to the Fruit it bears, namely our Lord Jesus Christ. And this Cross and Risen King are now present on our altar!
But we also call to mind that third portion of the Paschal Mystery, "the glorious Ascension into heaven." Because Christ has ascended into the Heavens and sits at the right hand of the Father, He is able to make intercession for us. He is now the one Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), and thus, it is Christ Who shall present the prayers of the Church to the Father and gain a gracious hearing. It is on account of His Ascension, then, these sacrifices and the prayers offered by the Priest may have merit in the sight of God then, for it is Christ Himself Who offers them.
Furthermore, the Eucharist is so intimately tied to the Ascension of Christ it cannot be contemplated fully apart from it. The Blessed Sacrament is the fulfillment of Christ's promise to remain with us until the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). Through the Eucharist we are glorified and raised up to the Heavenly Life, because we are united to the Risen and Ascended Lord Who reigns in glory in that Life!
Now as we have mentioned, after expounding on these three parts of the Paschal Mystery, the Great Prayer moves into mention of the Sacrifice here offered. But before the Sacrifice shall be defined, we must take note of this interesting phrase, "we your servants and your holy people offer...." There are two possibilities we may here consider. The first is that "we your servants," refers to the Priests offering the Mass, whereas, "your holy people," refers to the Faithful who offer themselves and their prayers in union with the Sacrifice of Christ offered by the Priest. This interpretation would fit well with the Latin of the Prayer especially, for a comma separates the two groups and, nos - Latin for "we" - is joined with, "servants," and not, "your holy people," both by punctuation and by grammatical agreement
Yet we shall here propose an alternative interpretation, and this is that the Priest is speaking as a representative of the people here, and thus speaks on behalf of the entire congregation, who are all the servants and holy people of God. For support of this idea, we shall look at the Second Letter of St. Peter where he says, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people (1 Peter 2:9)." St. Peter is addressing himself not to clergy, but to all Christians, and these same terms have taken up residence in the Eucharistic Prayer to characterize all who participate in this Offering.
But we must be careful in our interpretation here, for the Priest acts in Persona Christi in offering the Sacrifice of the Cross to the Father, whereas the people do not. Nevertheless, we must remember the Priest is also a representative of the people and offers the sacrifice of the Church, namely the prayers and petitions which the Faithful bring to the Mass in union with the Cross, and it is these prayers which must find favor with God and which the Faithful offer through the Priest, who is also offering the Sacrifice of the Cross. As far as these sacrifices and prayers are thus united to the one Sacrifice they are part of the Oblation of Christ.
The Priest is, then, praying in these three prayers that God will accept the sacrifices and petitions of His Church, as we shall continue to examine in the next two posts. The first reason for acceptance is here given and it is also the first explanation of the Sacrifice on our altar, for these two ideas go together. Jesus Himself is the offering here Who is pure, holy, and spotless, but His Sacrifice has been made present to us through the gifts we have offered to God. Only through our own gifts of bread and wine can the Eucharist be Consecrated. Nonetheless, we must hearken our thoughts back to the Offertory Rites, where we praised the Father for giving us these very gifts of bread and wine.
It is true; we have the means of offering to God the Body and Blood of Christ because God has provided them for us! But as we said then, so we repeat now, this is an act of the mercy of God. Though condemned to receive bread and wine only through the sweat of his brow (Genesis 3:19), man now has been given the means whereby that bread and wine may become, "the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation." If, then, we are willing to cooperate with God and offer the sacrifice of, "a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17)," we may be saved by the Sacrifice of Christ which our sacrifices shall be joined in perfect union to!
We must not, however, harbor the thought that the Cross gains its value from the state of our souls, but the reverse is true, our sacrifices only gain value through the Cross. For the Victim on the Cross is pure and spotless in a way the oblations of the Old Law never could be, for the Victim is Jesus Christ, Who was never touched by sin or defect. Even to the end, not a bone of His was broken (John 19:36). The Victim on the Cross was also holy, but not in the same manner of the sheep and goats of the Old Testament which were holy because they were simply set apart, but Jesus is holy because He is the source of all holiness, God Himself.
The offerings of the Church which the Priest is presenting to God are therefore acceptable to God insofar as they are offered with pure, holy, and spotless hearts. For as God found the sacrifices of the Old Law detestable when they were offered in sin (Amos 5:21-23), so He will be even less pleased with our own attempts to offer His Most Beloved Son to His Glorious Majesty in an unworthy manner. Instead, we must make oblations in the manner of Abel, Abraham, and Melchizedek, which shall be pleasing to God and which we shall now consider!
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: Unde et memores, 218-226. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
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!
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!
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