DID YOU KNOW THIS IS WHAT WE DO?

WE GATHER TOGETHER

Every day people gather at different times in different groups and places for different purposes. Some of these times we have nothing to do but be there; we are a group of individuals together. Waiting for a bus or train to stop -- just being there is enough.

At other times we must do more than just be there. We must talk to others and if it is a birthday party we will sing “Happy Birthday”. In other words we have to participate in the action to fulfill the purpose of the assembly; or it is not an assembly, merely a group of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time.

What kind of an assembly are we when we gather on Sundays for Mass? Is just being there enough? NO! We assemble and praise God – together! We ask for God’s blessing – together! We listen to the Word and we sing – together! It is not easy, but it is what we as baptised Catholics are supposed to do – we gather together!

EVERYONE HAS A STORY.

Every Sunday our Catholic community gathers to hear our story. Our story begins with the Jewish people. Their traditions, and ours, are told in legends, myths, histories, genealogies, laws, customs, wise sayings, prophecies, parables, letters and songs. Whatever form they take these scriptures tell the story of a God who made and loved a people who could reveal to all people of all times who God is.

These stories are ours, the people in them are our people, the God who called and loved them calls and loves us and is fashioning us into a people who can reveal to all who this God is. Then we will understand that when we gather with the community in faith we have come home.

So we must listen. We must listen hard and we listen hard together. Next we must ponder. We need a moment of silence after each of the first two readings and then again after the homily. This is not free time. This is not the time to read the bulletin or get the money ready for the collection. This is time for us to ponder – to ponder hard and to ponder hard together.

Then we will begin to hear our stories anew. Then will those stories change us? Then we will carry God’s word into our world. Then, each time the story will be a new story. Then the Liturgy (Action) of the Word will carry on!

WE PREPARE FOR THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST.
WE PREPARE FOR THE ACTION OF THANKSGIVING.

We have a time to prepare for the Liturgy of the Word – the sharing of our stories. We prepare for the Action of Thanksgiving. We present gifts of bread and wine, symbols of everyday life and work..

Our money collection is a simple way of contributing to all that is needed for the celebration of the Eucharist. Our money buys what is necessary of the celebration. It supports the priest and the works of the Parish. It maintains our plant, particularly the Parish Church.

The Preparation of the Gifts (sometimes mistakenly called the Offertory) is a quiet and reflective time. After the high of the Liturgy of the Word, we relax a little before entering into the high of the Eucharist.

We prepare for the big offering – the memory of Christ’s offering on the Cross, reaching its peak in His Resurrection on the first Easter.

We can never forget what Christ told us to do: DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.

THE ACTION OF THANKS
(THE LITURGY OF EUCHARIST)

We Gather, we Tell the Stories, we Give Thanks – that is what we do at Sunday Mass. We Give Thanks to God, Creator and Father for what has been done by Jesus -- making it possible for us to have life and have it to the full. (John 10:10).

The Liturgy of the Eucharist, (The GIVING THANKS), begins with a dialogue between Priest Celebrant and the people present. It is the Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer. The Lord be with you. And also with you. etc. The Preface concludes with all praying the Holy, Holy.

The Eucharistic Prayer itself has its origins in the Jewish meal blessings. Early Christians (who were Jews) used them in their celebrations known first as “the breaking of the bread”, when they obeyed Jesus’ command “Do this in memory of Me.” Over time references to Jesus and the meaning of his life, death and resurrection were incorporated into these blessings.

At the heart of the Eucharistic Prayer is the repetition of the words of Jesus at the Last Supper. But the peak of the prayer is its conclusion: Through (Christ) with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory is yours, Almighty Father for ever and ever. AMEN.

We join our minds, our hearts, our voices to this THANKSGIVING PRAYER. In the end “Eucharist” is what our life as Christians is all about. In suffering or joy or confusion or routine, our life is always to be praise, always to be thanksgiving, always re-membering that “the One who is mighty has done great things for us” (Luke 2:49). We are re - mem - bered; we are put together again.

AMEN. YES, IT IS SO!

We have gathered together. We have listened to our stories. We have celebrated the Liturgy of the Word.

We have offered our thanks to the Father for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We have affirmed that through Christ, with Christ and in Christ in unity with the Holy Spirit, we have given all honour and glory to the Father. We have sung a resounding AMEN. We have celebrated the first part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Now the Father invites us to share in Communion. We pray together the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father. We exchange a greeting of peace with those around us. We say by this action that there are no walls. We form one community in Christ. Our focus returns to the altar.

The bread, the Body of Christ, is broken. The wine, the Blood of Christ, is poured into cups while all sing a Litany: Lamb of God, have mercy on us, give us your peace. We process to the Altar. When the minister gives us the sacred Bread and Chalice and says The Body of Christ, The Blood of Christ, we say AMEN. Yes, it is so; Yes, I believe. We receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, the food and drink for the journey. We are in communion with Christ and one another.

We are given a blessing. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. We continue our thanks. We love and serve. We continue our EUCHARIST. We take Christ to others. YES, AMEN. IT IS SO!

(With acknowledgement to Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago.)