Why we offer the Communion Cup at Mass

This article by Diana Macalintal originally appeared in The Valley Catholic, April 2009 issue.

Bishop Patrick J. McGrath has asked all the parishes of the diocese of San Jose to offer the Communion cup to all the faithful at Mass, especially at Sunday and feast day Masses. By asking parishes to follow this policy, Bishop McGrath is highlighting the directive of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), which has been in place since 1970:

Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it is distributed under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clear expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord…. (281)

Since the 16th century and the Council of Trent, the church has taught that Christ, whole and entire, is present in the consecrated bread, and if we receive only the Body of Christ, we receive the full grace of the sacrament. So why bother receiving from the cup?

The most important reason is that Jesus told us to. At every Eucharist, the presider repeats the command Jesus gave to us at the last supper:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it:
this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.
It will be shed for you and for all
so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.

Yet if Jesus gave us the sign of bread, why would he also direct us to take and drink from the cup? The GIRM gives us a clue. Something is made more clear, more evident when we drink from the cup. So then, what is more clear when we receive Christ’s Blood? And to whom is this evident?

What it means when we drink from the cup

Rev. Paul Bernier, SSS, says that what is clear from partaking of Christ’s Body is that we become members of that same body, here on earth. What becomes clear when we receive Christ’s Blood is how we will become one body.

It is only by pouring out our blood, our lives for others in the same way that Jesus did, that we can be true to our calling. Receiving from the cup is more than a reduplication of Communion under the form of bread, and far more than an empty ritual. It reminds us that Jesus’ own self-offering, his shedding his blood on the cross, is what brought about our salvation. Only the same gift of self to God will make us pleasing to him and enable us to be instruments of God’s life to others. (This Sunday’s Scripture)

In other words, what becomes clear in drinking from the cup of Christ’s Blood is the shedding of blood—Christ’s blood on the cross and our own blood, poured out in imitation of his great sacrifice.

Who drinking from the cup teaches

The call to sacrifice is first of all made more clear to those who participate in the sacrifice—the baptized faithful. As the church tells us, the sign is fuller and more complete when we share in both the Body and Blood of Christ, and, therefore, we receive a strong reminder of our baptismal promise to die to ourselves each time we drink from the cup.

But more importantly, the call to sacrifice becomes clearer to the children and the catechumens—those who are only beginning to understand the call to sacrifice. Our participation in the cup of salvation is an ongoing catechesis to those who are new to the faith about what faith requires—the shedding of blood.

We become what we eat—and drink

If Mass were only about receiving grace, then partaking only of the Body of Christ would surely be sufficient. But Eucharist is about much more than that. It is also about the reason we receive grace—to go in peace to love and serve the Lord. That service includes sacrifice, and the cup of salvation teaches us and those around us what that sacrifice ultimately demands. It demands that we proclaim the death of the Lord by becoming one with Christ’s Body—and his Blood.

Eucharist Matters: Hosts from the Tabernacle at Mass

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in The Valley Catholic, March 2009 issue.

Six years ago, Bishop Patrick J. McGrath, asked our diocese to examine its Communion practices at Mass. He asked parishes to ensure that:

1. Communion from the cup be made available to all the faithful at every Sunday and feast day Mass;
2. hosts from the tabernacle are not used at Mass—that is, except in cases of dire need, the Eucharistic bread that is shared by the faithful will be the same Eucharistic bread that is consecrated at that Mass; and
3. the assembly take a unified posture during the Eucharistic Prayer as well as remain standing and singing during the Communion procession.

Over the years, there has been significant improvement throughout the diocese in these norms, which have been directives of the Church since 1969. Because of the good work of ordained and lay ministers charged with preparing the Mass and the efforts of the faithful, almost all of our parishes now offer the Precious Blood at all Sunday and feast day Masses and a majority of assemblies remain standing throughout Communion. This has resulted in a deepened understanding of the sacrificial and communal aspects of Communion.

Over the next year, we will examine these norms and other elements of the Mass. We begin with the second norm—avoiding distributing hosts from the tabernacle at Mass.

What’s the difference?

Now, aren’t the hosts in the tabernacle the same Body of Christ as those received from the altar? Yes. Consecrated hosts not consumed at Mass are reserved in the tabernacle.

So why make a fuss? Because the difference is not in the consecrated elements but in the action that happens before we share those elements.

The Mass is made up of the Liturgy of the Word, in which we hear the Scriptures and respond to them through the homily and intercessions, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This second section is not simply when we share Communion. First, we must bring to the altar the bread and wine to be consecrated and our offering for the poor. In this simple presentation of gifts, we see one way the Eucharist is a sacrifice. We imitate Jesus, who gave his very life for others, by giving ourselves through the sacrifice of the earth and the work of our hands, that formed wheat into bread, grape into wine, and labor into care for those in need.

Sacrifice of praise

Next we unite with the priest who speaks the Eucharistic Prayer in the name of the community. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), the document that directs the Mass, says that the “meaning of the Prayer is that the entire congregation of the faithful should join itself with Christ in confessing the great deeds of God and in the offering of Sacrifice” (78).

The culmination of Christ’s sacrifice of praise is our sharing in his Body and Blood. Thus, in the same way that Christ’s sacrifice of his very body is preceded by a life lived as an offering of praise to the Father, so too do we precede Communion with the sacrifice of our lives and our offering of praise to God. Through the Eucharistic Prayer, the bread and wine we place on the altar is intimately connected to the Body and Blood of Christ we receive from that same altar. This is why GIRM, 85, says, “[i]t is most desirable that the faithful, just as the priest himself is bound to do, receive the Lord's Body from hosts consecrated at the same Mass…so that even by means of the signs Communion will stand out more clearly as a participation in the sacrifice actually being celebrated.”

When we distribute hosts from the tabernacle at Mass, we devalue our participation in Christ’s sacrifice of praise to the Father and sever the sacrificial connection between the offering of our lives and Christ’s salvific offering of his. This connection is the heart of the Eucharist; it is what distinguishes Mass from a Communion service. This is why our Bishop has asked that hosts from the tabernacle should be used only for Communion to the sick outside of Mass and for the distribution of Holy Communion outside of Mass.

Managing Low Gluten Hosts at Mass

Todd Flowerday, who writes at Catholic Sensibility, has a regular feature called The Armchair Liturgist. Think of it as Monday-morning quarterbacking for Catholic geeks like you and me.

In this installment, he asks the question of how you handle giving Communion to those with wheat allergies who need low- or no-gluten hosts.

Here's a past article on the US Bishop's FAQ on Celiac Sprue Disease.

Click here to participate in the conversation at Todd's blog and to read the wisdom of his readers who have figured out how to make the Eucharistic table more hospitable to our brothers and sisters with this special need.

Resources for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord

The Liturgy Office of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has put together an extensive set of resources for the celebration of the Year of the Eucharist, especially the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ that takes place in the United States on Sunday, May 25, 2008. (In England and Wales, the solemnity takes place on the Thursday after the Most Holy Trinity. The booklet referenced below includes several sections on how to make weekday holy days more significant in the life of the parish.)

You can find all their resources here (you will need Adobe Reader to access some of the materials). Below is an excerpt from their booklet on Celebrating the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

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The Liturgies of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord
Each of the three elements described below requires, and will repay, careful preparation. The greatest attention should be paid to the preparation of the liturgy of the Mass. A planning sheet is provided at the end of this booklet

I. Liturgy of the Hours
The Offices of the Solemnity are found in the Volume III of the Divine Office. The Offices may be prayed in their own right, but may also be prayed during a time of Exposition. In addition they provide a resource for prayers and readings for other times of prayer.

II. Mass
a) Proper texts
The Proper of the Mass is found on pp 348-9 of the Roman Missal. One of the two Prefaces of the Holy Eucharist should be used (P 46 and P 47, Roman Missal, pp 467-9).

b) Penitential Rite
Themes related to the Solemnity are to the fore in a number of examples of Form C of the Penitential Rite, examples c ii, c vi, c viii (Roman Missal, pp 361-4).

c) Solemn Blessing
Any of the Solemn Blessings I – V for Ordinary Time may be used or of the Prayers over the People 1-24 (Roman Missal, pp 574-5 and 579-83 respectively).

d) Music
Some general notes are offered here. More detailed guidance on music and the Liturgy of the Eucharist may be found in the document Music and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Particular care should be taken on this day with regard to the music used at Mass, and especially during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Priority should be given to singing the key sung elements of the Common of the Mass – the Gospel and Eucharistic Acclamations, and the Gloria. In the Communion Rite best practice should be followed with regard to the Communion Song and the Period of Silence or Song after Communion.

Care should be taken to choose a Communion Song which can begin immediately after the communal recital of ‘Lord, I am not worthy to receive you...’ and continue until all the assembly have received Communion. So as not to encumber the assembly with books or service sheets during the procession the song may be led by a cantor or choir and include a repeated response or refrain from the assembly.

Suitable settings include:
Settings of Psalm 115 (116) (The Blessing Cup)
Settings of Psalm 33 (34) (Taste and See)
Amen, Amen So Shall It Be — Foster
Take and Eat — Joncas
How Blest — Schiavone
Eat This Bread — Taizé
Come Christ’s Beloved — Walsh

Although the Communion Song can be followed by another Song after Communion it may be preferable to allow a time of silence to allow for members of the assembly to offer their prayer of thanksgiving in silence, and to contemplate of the mystery celebrated. (This would be particularly appropriate if a time of extended exposition was to follow after Mass, or if a final hymn was to be sung.) If hymns are being sung then it is better for them to be sung as Entrance or Final Hymns rather than at other times.

III. Procession
A Eucharistic Procession ‘is a prolongation of the celebration of the Eucharist: immediately after Mass, the Sacred Host, consecrated during the Mass, is borne out of the Church for the Christian faithful to make public profession of faith and worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament’ (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 162)

Wherever it is possible in the judgement of the diocesan Bishop, a procession through the public streets should be held, especially on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ as a public witness of reverence for the Most Holy Sacrament, for the devout participation of the faithful in the eucharistic procession on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is a grace from the Lord which yearly fills with joy those who take part in it’. (Redemptionis Sacramentum, 143)

The Church’s guidance for such processions is given in the ritual book Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist outside Mass (part of the Roman Ritual).

It will normally begin immediately after the celebration of a Mass. It should normally go from one church to another, but may return to the same church where it began.

a) Music
No particular songs are required to be used during the procession, but suitable ones would include those listed above for use during Communion. Again it is helpful if the songs are sung by a choir with a chant for all participants (as many will be familiar with from the practice in Lourdes). Traditional hymns might most easily be sung at the beginning or end of the procession, when the congregation is stationary.

b) Good order of the procession
As already noted the decision as to whether a public procession may proceed belongs to the Bishop. Matters that he is likely to take into consideration are the likelihood of the procession provoking reactions of disrespect of the Church or blasphemy towards Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.

When a public procession cannot be held, the tradition of holding eucharistic processions should not be allowed to be lost. Instead, new ways should be sought of holding them in today’s conditions: for example, at shrines, or in public gardens if the civil authority agrees.(Redemptionis Sacramentum, 144)

Well in advance of any planned procession, the appropriate permissions must also be obtained from any necessary civil authorities – for example the local council or police force for processions taking place on public roads. The civil authorities will indicate the necessary health and safety measures that should be observed for the well-being of worshippers and the general public.

Giving thanks--"It's not something minor"

Here's a beautiful NPR StoryCorps recording about how the simple acts of eating and giving thanks can be more powerful than death. Click on the "Listen now" button at the top of the page to hear the sisters' story in their own words.

Communion Minister Training Guidelines

Communion Minister Training Guidelines
Prepared by the Associate for Liturgy
of the Diocese of San José
November 2006

Most Communion ministers want to do a good job, and they put a lot of effort into doing their ministry well. These suggestions will help pastors, liturgy directors, and Communion ministry coordinators assist Communion ministers, both ordinary and extraordinary, who strive for excellence to refine their skills and become even better ministers.

For a Word file that you can download and reprint for free for use in your parish, click here.

For more information on guidelines for Eucharistic ministers, see: http://www.nccbuscc.org/liturgy/girm/lit4.shtml


The Basics

Focus on the right things. The focus of the Communion minister’s attention is always on the two aspects of the Body and Blood of Christ:

• that is, the consecrated bread and wine, and
• the People of God who stand before them.

Communion ministers should try to minimize all other distractions and focus on the interaction of the Holy Spirit, through the minister, with each person who comes forward for Communion.


Take enough time. Communion is a moment of profound sharing. Communion ministers should let that moment linger with each person, sharing as much of themselves as possible in that brief moment. If there are a great number of communicants and time is usually short, the solution is to add more ministers and not hurry past this important moment in the liturgy.

There should be enough Communion ministers available so that Communion can be distributed in a reverent and orderly way (Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the Diocese of the United States of America, 27). Good equations to use are one Communion minister of the host per 100 communicants, and two Communion ministers of the cup per one Communion minister of the host.


The Communion Rite. The best time for extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to come forward from the assembly is at the beginning of the Communion Rite. The Communion Rite begins at the conclusion of the Great Amen. Communion ministers would come forward just before the Lord’s Prayer is prayed. Alternatively, they may also come forward during the Sign of Peace.

When they come forward, they come to a convenient place in the sanctuary. They would not approach the altar at this time. However, they may approach the altar after the priest has taken Communion (Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the Diocese of the United States of America, 38).

Communion ministers ordinarily share in Communion after the presider and before the assembly. This should be facilitated in such a way that the full and active participation of the assembly is neither diminished nor delayed. Therefore, this portion of the Communion Rite (the taking of Communion by the celebrant and concelebrants, the giving of Communion to the deacons and any extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion by the celebrant and concelebrants, and the giving of vessels by the priest or deacon) must be well-choreographed and rehearsed. In addition, the Communion song must begin immediately as the presider receives Communion (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 86).


Sharing the Body and Blood of Christ. The Communion minister follows these procedures:

• Make good eye contact with each communicant.
• Smile.
• Hold up the host or Communion cup.
• Say in a strong, clear voice, “The Body [Blood] of Christ!” Do not add any other words.
• Wait for the communicant to say, “Amen.”
• Reverently place the host or Communion cup in the communicant’s hands.
• If ministering the cup, unfold your purificator fully, wipe the rim inside and out with it, and give the cup a quarter turn before sharing it with the next person.

Purifying vessels. After all have shared in Communion, any hosts that are not consumed are reserved in the tabernacle, and Ministers of the cup consume any of the consecrated wine that remains. So as not to unduly delay the Mass or highlight the purification of vessels, cleaning the vessels is best done after the Mass. Therefore, once all remaining elements have been reserved or consumed, the empty vessels may be brought to a side table and suitably covered and placed on a corporal.

Right after Mass, these vessels are purified by ensuring that any small particles from the consecrated host or any residual consecrated wine are consumed. This is done by using a corporal or one’s fingers to wipe any particles from the plates (patens) into one of the Communion cups. Make sure any particles left on purificators or your fingers are also placed into the cup. Then put water in the plate to gather any remaining particles, and pour that water into one of the cups. Swish the water in the cup to gather all the particles and residual wine, and then drink it. Do the same with all the vessels. Once this is done, rinse the vessels with water over the sacrarium, then wash them with soap and water over a different sink. Dry them well with a clean towel. Rinse used purifcators with water over the sacrarium. These are then laundered.

Never pour consecrated wine directly into the sacrarium or onto the ground. Consecrated wine should be consumed. Never bury consecrated hosts into the ground or drop them into the sacrarium. Hosts or wine that cannot be eaten or drunk because of decay or contamination by inedible particles should be completely dissolved in water and that water poured into the sacrarium.


The tabernacle. Communion is not to be distributed from the tabernacle. “The reason for which the Church reserves the eucharist outside Mass is, primarily, the administration of viaticum to the dying and, secondarily, communion of the sick, communion outside Mass, and adoration of Christ present in the sacrament” (see Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist outside Mass, 5; General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 85). Only under rare circumstances of necessity should the assembly at Mass receive Communion from the reserved sacrament in the tabernacle.


Dress. Standards will vary. Therefore it would be wise for each parish to discuss what is appropriate dress for their ministers. Generally, Communion ministers “should show the greatest reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist by their demeanor, their attire, and the manner in which they handle the consecrated bread or wine” (Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the Diocese of the United States of America, 29). Their attire should convey a sense of reverence, dignity, and importance of the ministry they do. Liturgical ministry is a sacred action, and our dress should reflect that.

“In the dioceses of the United States of America, acolytes, altar servers, lectors, and other lay ministers may wear the alb or other suitable vesture or other appropriate and dignified clothing” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 339).


Frequently-Asked Questions

Is it OK for Communion ministers to not drink from the cup?
The General Norms listed in the newly revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal say the following about Communion from the cup:

Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it is distributed under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clear expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord, as also the relationship between the Eucharistic banquet and the eschatological banquet in the Father's Kingdom. (281)

…The faithful should be encouraged to seek to participate more eagerly in this sacred rite, by which the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is made more fully evident. (282)

No one is required to share Communion from the cup. However, since the faithful are to be encouraged to do so, part of the ministry of the Communion minister is to offer that encouragement by example. If a Communion minister is unable to drink from the cup on a regular basis, some discernment with the Communion minister, the pastor, and other parish leaders might be needed to determine if this is the best ministry for that person to exercise.


Should Communion ministers sing during Communion?
The obvious answer to this question is, “Yes, of course.” However, Communion ministers have several duties to attend to, and singing while doing them is not always so simple. So how important is it that Communion ministers sing during Communion?

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says this: “While the priest is receiving the Sacrament, the Communion chant is begun. Its purpose is to express the communicants’ union in spirit by means of the unity of their voices, to show joy of heart, and to highlight more clearly the ‘communitarian’ nature of the procession to receive Communion” (86). It would seem that if the purpose of singing is to express the very unity Communion is meant to accomplish, then the ministers of Communion would regard singing as one of the highest priorities of their ministry. At the very least, Communion ministers would sing the Lamb of God, at the beginning and end of the Communion song, or whenever they are not attending to their ministerial duties. It would be best if Communion ministers sang the Communion song whenever they were not speaking as part of their ministry.

To sing well, however, requires the cooperation and assistance of the parish musicians. Obviously, the Communion ministers will not be able to hold song books during their ministry, so the musicians must choose music that is well known and can be sung by heart. If this isn’t the case in your community, perhaps a gentle encouragement to those who are in charge of the music will help so the Communion ministers can participate as fully as possible in their ministry.


What is the minimum age to become a Communion minister?
There is no universal minimum age to become either a lector or a Communion minister. Some dioceses have a policy regarding age; the Diocese of San José does not. The overriding standards for all liturgical service are competency, maturity, and readiness. Those who are competent in the tasks of the ministry, who show the maturity required to perform the tasks with dignity and grace, and are properly formed in the duties and spirituality of the ministry should not ordinarily be excluded from serving in liturgical ministries because of age. In the Diocese of San José, Communion ministers must be fully initiated (through the celebration of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist). In some circumstances, pastors or designated pastoral ministers (e.g., school principals) may make pastoral exceptions for otherwise-qualified parishioners or students who have not yet celebrated confirmation, but are receiving Communion, to become a Communion minister for their community.


Can a lector also serve as a Communion minister?
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy says: “In liturgical celebrations each person, minister or layman, who has an office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to his office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy” (28). What that means is, if you hold the “office” of lector, you would not ordinarily also hold the “office” of Communion minister or any other liturgical ministry. Many parishes do not really think of the roles of liturgical ministers (other than the priest) as “offices,” and so many people serve in more than one ministry during a liturgy. However, a central goal of the Second Vatican Council was to distribute the liturgical roles as widely as possible among the assembly to create a more powerful symbol of the various members of the Body of Christ working together to do the action of the liturgy.

There is no strict prohibition against lectors serving as Communion ministers, but it goes against the spirit and intent of the liturgical norms. The ideal would be that lectors would only be lectors, and other persons would be Communion ministers. But, unlike a priest, you aren’t necessarily bound to your office for life. After serving as a lector for a few years (or a term of “office”), a lector could resign his or her role as lector and be trained to be a Communion minister, and vice versa.


What do I do if someone who is not Catholic comes to me for Communion?
In most cases, you should give them Communion. As Communion ministers, we are not responsible for judging who is worthy of sharing in Communion with us. We cannot know the heart or conscience of the person standing in front of us. Our primary obligation is to act as Jesus would and to be as hospitable and welcoming as possible. If you have serious concerns, speak to your pastor after Mass. But do not cause a disruption during the Mass by refusing Communion to anyone. If the person is unsure of what to do with the host after receiving it, kindly ask them to consume it.


What should I do if I drop a host or spill some wine?
First, don't panic. It's not the end of the world; everything will be fine. Simply pick up the dropped host. Be careful not to spill anymore hosts while you are retrieving the dropped one. You might have to stop the procession before you can pick it up. Do so courteously, remembering that Jesus is also present in the members of the assembly whom you are stopping.

If you spill some consecrated wine, and if you can manage the cup with only one hand, wipe the wine off the floor with your purificator. If your floor is carpeted, place the purificator on top of the spill and try to soak up as much of the wine as possible. If your cup is too full for you to manage this gracefully, ask another Communion minister, an acolyte, an usher, or the next person in line to hold your cup while you take care of the spill. After wiping or soaking up the spill, ask an acolyte or other assistant to get a clean purificator from the sacristy for you. If someone if unable to do this for you, you may need to kindly ask the next person in line to wait while you get a clean purificator. (It may be a good idea to have a few extra purificators on-hand at a nearby side table for these occasions.) Or you can direct those in your line to another nearby Communion minister. Make note of the place where the wine was spilled. After the Mass, this area should be washed with water and the water poured into the sacrarium.


Do I need to wash my hands?
Of course. The most appropriate time for washing your hands is before leaving your home for Mass or just before Mass begins. The usual practices of good hygiene should also be observed, such as washing your hands after using the restroom, avoiding touching your nose, mouth, or eyes with your fingers, and not coughing into your hands. Wash your hands well and often.

Some parishes use a liquid anti-bacterial gel, such as Purell. If your parish decides to have your Communion ministers use this, the washing must be done as discreetly as possible. The bottle of Purell should not be part of the liturgical space by placing it on a side-table or the altar. The most discrete way to use such kinds of cleansers would be to give all Communion ministers a small bottle of their own which they use at their place before they come forward to distribute Communion.

Eucharist: Many Ways to Describe Our One Mission

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in The Valley Catholic, January 2005, the diocesan newspaper of San Jose.

In his letter inaugurating the Year of the Eucharist, Pope John Paul II reminds us to begin at the end:

The dismissal at the end of each Mass is a charge given to Christians, inviting them to work for the spread of the Gospel and the imbuing of society with Christian values. The Eucharist not only provides the interior strength needed for this mission, but is also —in some sense—its plan. (Mane Nobiscum Domine,
24-25)

Throughout this year, we will explore how the Eucharist we celebrate every Sunday is a plan for spreading the Gospel. We begin by looking at some of the ways our tradition has described what we do on Sunday.

Eucharist
Our celebration of the Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving,” reminds us that all of creation is a gift from God. Our ongoing and public thankfulness for all God has given us is a powerful witness to those who are unaware of God’s bountiful love. “Eucharist” says we are dependent on a loving creator for all we have.

Lord’s Supper
The Eucharist is also called the “Lord’s Supper” because what we celebrate is a meal. Of all of Jesus’ meals, it is especially his “last supper,” the meal before his death, which gives shape to Eucharist. In that final meal, Jesus gave us the mandate to “do this in memory of me.” As disciples, we continue to gather around the table to eat and drink in constant faithfulness to the Risen Christ.

Breaking of the Bread
The Eucharist was first called the “breaking of the bread.” When the consecrated bread is broken, it is the Body of Christ that is broken. When the wine is poured out, it is the Blood of Christ that flows. These simple actions remind us that our Eucharist is not only a meal; it is also a sacrifice. And, the Pope suggests, it is also a plan for how we are to follow Christ’s example. In the breaking of the bread, we offer ourselves to be broken for the sake of the world, especially the poor.

Sacrifice
When we join ourselves to Jesus’ sacrifice, we are doing what our Jewish ancestors did when they offered sacrifices in the temple. They were giving back to God some of what God had first given to them. In doing so, they were offering their very selves to God. When we offer ourselves as a sacrifice to be broken and poured out for the world, we do so in union with Jesus and with each other as an assembly of believers.

Eucharistic Assembly
“Assembly” comes from the Greek ekklesia, which is, itself, a translation of the older Hebrew word, qahal. A qahal is a divine summons to gather. “The Old Testament qahal is an assembly of those who are gathered together by the Lord for life in the presence of the Lord” (John Gallen, SJ, “Assembly,” The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship, 71). When the faithful assemble for the Eucharist, we become “the visible expression of the Church” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1329).

Liturgy
“Liturgy” means “public work of the people.” The Church teaches that “the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 10). The Eucharist is the public work of all the people of God in union with Christ. While it is not the total work of the Church, liturgy is its most central and most fundamental work.

Mass
“Mass” brings us back to the end. We are sent forth (missio) “so that [the faithful] may fulfill God’s will in their daily lives” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1332). The purpose of Eucharist is the sending forth to accomplish the plan that has just been set out for us in our thanksgiving. In this sense, the Eucharist is mostly about what happens after the dismissal. As Pope John Paul II says:

It is the impulse which the Eucharist gives to the community for a practical commitment to building a more just and fraternal society. In the Eucharist our God has shown love in the extreme, overturning all those criteria of power which too often govern human relations and radically affirming the criterion of service: “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mt 9:35). (28, emphasis in original)

In the next article, we will look at Communion and its relationship to Eucharist.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

The Work of Human Hands: Active Participation

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries 243, June 2004.

Watch an artistic cook in the kitchen. She brings together the freshest vegetables and herbs, the choicest meats, the finest spices, mixes them with friends and strangers, hungry of belly and heart, and with her skill she creates a feast. Out of her labor, time, money and love, she gives nourishment for body and soul. Yet it was God who began her work by giving her the seed and the soil, the sun and the rain, her skill and art, the earth and life itself, and a heart full of love. Here, the work of divine goodness and the work of human hands co-operate to feed the body and to bond companions together.

In the Eucharist, the same collaboration is at work. The love of God gathers us together. In return we mix in not just bread and wine, but our whole selves—talents and hungers, joys and sorrows, faith and doubt. We are given the Word of life. In return we use that Word to shape our stories and name the moments of grace seen and unseen, and we draw out a word of comfort and hope for our shadowed world. We are freely given the Body of Christ and the Cup of Salvation. In return we let ourselves be kneaded into bread for those who hunger for food and crushed into wine for those who thirst for justice. We are given a commission—not payment for a task completed—but a charge to do “out there” what we have done “in here.” In return, we pay with the daily action of our lives in service to the Lord who we find in neighbor and stranger.

Those who gather around the table of a true cook receive food in abundance. But for this food to become a meal, all are expected to contribute their full presence and active participation in the table exchange. Like a meal, the Eucharist is both gift given and work done. But it is also sacrifice, an unequal, freely-offered gift-exchange made in love between the One from whom all good things come and us who have only the work of our human hands to give in return. Therefore, our Eucharistic meal cannot end at the table, or else it becomes a self-satiating act. The gift we receive carries an obligation and sends us out into the world to do the divinely human work we began in our Eucharist. Blessed be God who calls us to use our human hands to freely give what we have to those who cannot pay us back in return.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Eucharist and Communion: What's the Difference?

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries 243, June 2004.

There’s a huge difference between Eucharist and Communion. Eucharist, in its best sense, is an action we do and a means of becoming more than ourselves, while Communion, in its most limited sense, is something we get that we use for our own. At our best, we move outward from Eucharist to love and serve the Lord whom we see most clearly in the poor and outcast; at our worst, we isolate ourselves from the distractions of that world in order to commune with the Lord we cannot see.

In a 2002 keynote to the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, Capuchin priest Edward Foley asserts that one of the key fruits of the Eucharist (the Mass) is a renewal of our call to mission. In other words, the primary effect of our celebrating the Mass should be our strengthened desire to proclaim the Gospel and feed the hungry wherever we go. Fr. Foley believes that, by itself, the act of participating in Holy Communion does not send us out into the world with the same force as our eucharistic celebration. This is because of the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist which Holy Communion, by itself, does not always fully express.

Fr. Foley was comparing primarily the difference between the celebration of the Mass and the distribution of Holy Communion outside of Mass (in weekday Communion services or Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest). But sometimes, we treat Eucharist as though it were simply a Communion service by minimizing the sacrificial symbols and actions that are integral to the Mass. If our sharing in Holy Communion within Mass is to bear good fruit for the world, we must reconnect it to the broader action of the Eucharist and, as Fr. Foley advocates, strengthen the symbols of sacrifice that call us to mission in the world.

Share the cup
One of the primary sacrificial actions of the Eucharist is the offering and drinking from the Communion cup. When Holy Communion is given outside of Mass, the cup is not offered. When, in Mass, the cup is not offered or many of the faithful refrain from taking it, the sacrificial action is less clear. Yes, drinking the cup by the faithful is optional. But if we are to fully participate in the obligation to serve that marks us as the body of Christ, we must drink the cup, for it teaches us how to pour out ourselves for others. Yes, there is fear of sharing a common cup with strangers. But if we are to face the fear of taking up the cross every day and walking toward Jerusalem, we must take up the cup that Jesus in his own fear did not resist. Eating the Body of Christ shows us who we are to become; drinking the Blood of Christ shows us how to do that, and to do that on Christ’s terms, not ours (Foley, 2002 keynote).

Eat the bread from the altar
Often at a Mass, a large portion of the bread offered to the faithful comes from hosts from the tabernacle and not from the bread consecrated at that altar in that same Mass. This seemingly harmless act disconnects the sacrifice of Christ with the sacrifice of the faithful—the offering of bread and wine they presented as well as the work of their prayer over those same gifts. Using primarily hosts from the tabernacle at Mass discounts their participation and work and makes the Eucharist something we get instead of something we do.

Eucharist demands sacrifice. Make every sharing of Communion within the Eucharistic celebration a full expression of the sacrificial love we are called to give to the world.

The Presentation of Gifts

From the beginning of our Church, bread and wine have been brought forward by the people for the celebration of the Eucharist. In apostolic times, these gatherings took place in homes and privately-owned meeting rooms, and this presentation of gifts was a simple gesture of placing the bread and wine that would be blessed and shared at the altar. By the 3rd century, deacons assisted by collecting these gifts from the assembly who came forward bringing home-baked bread and flasks of wine. The deacons took some of the bread and wine to the altar. The rest they distributed to the poor who often lingered in the gathering areas of the church throughout the week. As this rite developed, other gifts for the poor and for the work of the church, such as candles, wheat, and grapes, were presented by the assembly.

As the number of people who participated in Communion declined and as the church changed to using unleavened bread, this procession of gifts gradually disappeared. By the 11th century, this presentation of bread and wine by the assembly was replaced by the collection of money. Vatican II restored this simple procession of bread and wine. Today, representative members of the assembly carry forward bread, wine, and gifts for the poor.

Music in Catholic Worship, 46, reminds us that this rite is meant to be very simple and secondary to the Eucharistic Prayer that will follow it.

The purpose of the rite is to prepare bread and wine for the sacrifice. The secondary character of the rite determines the manner of the celebration. It consists very simply of bringing the gifts to the altar, possibly accompanied by song, prayers to be said by the celebrant as he prepares the gifts and the prayer over the gifts. Of these elements the bringing of the gifts, the placing of the gifts on the altar, and the prayer over the gifts are primary. All else is secondary.

Bearing this in mind, we need to be careful that we do not add additional symbols or texts to this rite that would detract from the primary symbols of bread, wine, gifts for the poor, and prayer. It is not always appropriate to present other symbols, nor does a verbal explanation of the symbols contribute to the simple power of this rite. When preparing this ritual, pay attention to the following:

• Music must serve the ritual action and never dominate. Although a solo or choral piece can be appropriate here, it cannot stall the flow of the liturgy by being too long in length for the ritual action. Unlike the gathering song, a song during the preparation of the gifts should end once the ritual action is completed.
• Consider using an instrumental piece or even silence during this procession.
• If a song is sung by the entire assembly at this time, consider inviting the assembly to stand for the last refrain or stanza of the song. This prepares the assembly for the posture of the prayer over the gifts and it subtly changes the energy of the liturgy from the more passive action of preparing the gifts to a more active stance of prayer over those gifts.
• Instruct those who carry the gifts forward to hold them high and to walk slowly with purpose to the altar.
• Consider having the gifts carried all the way to the altar and there, handed to the presider. The common practice of having the presider and acolytes wait at the foot of the altar to receive the gifts is possibly an unconscious remnant from the times when altar rails separated the faithful from the sanctuary. Of course, be conscious of those who may not be able to walk up steps if you have them around the altar.
• Some parishes have revived the ancient practice of inviting the assembly to come forward to place their monetary gifts in baskets near the altar. (The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph and Most Holy Trinity are two parishes that have done this very well.) This helps the assembly be less passive during this rite, it gives children the opportunity to actively participate in caring for the poor and supporting the ministry of the church, it makes our active participation in the work of the church more visible, and it gets people moving who may have been sitting in their pews for some time. Of course, the layout of your church and makeup of your assembly will determine if and how this could be a feasible action for your liturgies.
• If you use baskets on poles to collect money from the assembly, consider using instead baskets without the poles. The ushers hand the basket to a person at the end of a pew, and this basket is passed from person to person. This enables the assembly to engage with one another rather than passively sitting and avoiding contact with their neighbor.

As simple as this action is, it can convey a deeper meaning of sacrifice, offering, participation, and discipleship. The “work of our hands” that we present is really us, ourselves. In that bread and wine and in the gifts we give, we place our very lives upon that altar, and we commit to give ourselves to each other, especially the poor. Our participation in presenting the gifts is a sign of our commitment to become what we will soon share—the Body and Blood of Christ.

FILED UNDER: LITURGY

The Gathering Song

The Gathering Song is one of the most important pieces of music of the Mass. This is because it sets the whole tone for the liturgy in a similar way that the overture sets the mood for an opera or ballet. But the gathering song does not do this simply by how it sounds but more importantly by how it is sung. Who sings it (and who doesn't) and how long it is sung are just as important as what is sung.

In some parishes, the gathering song lasts only as long as it takes the procession of ministers to get from the front door of the church to the altar. In this case, only one or two verses of music is sung. This makes the gathering a mere perfunctory act and puts the value of efficiency over the real purpose of the gathering song.

After the people have gathered, the Entrance chant begins as the priest enters with the deacon and ministers. The purpose of this chant is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical season or festivity, and accompany the procession of the priest and ministers (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 47).

Note that the purpose of the gathering song is:

• to open the celebration,
• to foster the unity of those who have been gathered,
• to introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical season or festivity,
• and lastly, to accompany the procession.

The first point is obvious. The song is the "official" opening of Mass, though people have been engaging in the rituals of gathering--vesting in Sunday's best, processing to church, greeting one another, focusing thoughts--long before the first note of the song.

The second point is often ignored. The song must foster unity. This is done best when everyone can sing a song together. The gathering song is the worst time to use a new song, especially one that is difficult for people to learn. The gathering song should be so familiar for people that it makes them feel like they belong to this group of people. And the singing goes as long as it takes to foster this sense of unity. For most typical assemblies on a Sunday morning, their voices and bodies are just starting to get warmed up at the end of the second verse. Most assemblies need at least three or four verses to begin feeling and acting as one body. Liturgy is work! The song has to get people warmed up and ready to do this work. Remember that the purpose of all the gathering rites is to make this disparate group of individuals one Body of Christ, ready to hear God's word and share the Eucharist.

Further, if you are singing a hymn for the gathering song, the lyrical structure of the song usually requires that the whole hymn be sung for the complete message to be understood. Read through the verses of your hymns and note how the last verse is often a "turning point" verse or one that summarizes the thought of the hymn. If you leave out this last verse, it's almost like you have an incomplete prayer.

The third purpose of the gathering song is to set an appropriate tone for the celebration and liturgical season. To do this, consider using a "seasonal" gathering song. A seasonal song is one that you select for a whole season (Lent, Christmas, Advent, or Easter), and you do that song for all the Sundays of that season. We already do this pretty well for Advent when we use "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" as the opening song for all four Sundays of Advent. But also consider a seasonal song for the other times of year, even blocks of Ordinary Time. (We'll discuss seasonal songs more in a future blog.)

The last purpose of the gathering song is to accompany the procession. But be careful. This doesn't mean that the song ends once the procession is done (otherwise the previous three purposes of the song don't make sense). This song accompanies the procession in that it needs to sound like a song for a procession. It needs to be strong with a good solid walking beat and tempo. It needs to be familiar enough so that people can participate in the procession either by being in it (as the ministers are) or by watching it without needing to glue their eyes to a song book.

I know that for a long time, for many reasons, music ministers have been in the habit of doing only one or two verses of the gathering song--because of a real time-cruch in the Sunday Mass schedule, or because Father or the parishioners will give you that "look" if you do more than the alotted verses, or because we've always just done it that way. But if we continue to do this, we are seriously hampering the liturgy's ability to be the powerful action of Christ that it is meant to be. If singing a whole song feels daunting, start slowly. Sing one more verse than you normally do for the next month. Then add one more verse the next month. In the same way that we gradually learn our bad habits, we can train ourselves to learn good habits.

FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Who Do You Say That I Am?

This is the question Jesus asks his disciples in this Sunday's Gospel. In a similar way, you are being asked the same question when you take up the task of writing invocations for the penitential rite. Who is Jesus for you? Describe Christ for your community? Why is the Son of God important for the world? When you write these invocations, you are putting into words the indescribable relationship between God and God's people through Christ. You are expressing a "christology"--a way of describing, understanding, and knowing Christ. But theology must always start from one's faith, otherwise it's just academic knowledge.

As you practice writing invocations, begin first with prayer and meditative reflection upon the readings. Then ask yourself these questions:

• How do I know Christ? Where and in whom do I encounter Christ?
• Why is Christ important today? for my parish? for our children? for the marginalized? for the poor?
• What are some reasons to give praise to Christ? in my life? in my parish's life? in the world?
• What hurts have been healed? What broken relationships have been mended? What sins have been forgiven? What gives me hope?

Then from out of this spirit of thanksgiving and praise, write your invocations. This exercise may also be a good faith-sharing tool for small groups and families. From the group's reflections, the one responsible for writing the invocations can be inspired and the invocations can be a more authentic confession of praise of the whole community.

FILED UNDER: LITURGY