Do You Know Your Faith?

10-21-2018Weekly ReflectionRev. Emmanuel I. Ihemedu

Do you know what happens during the Consecration? After the Sanctus, the priest now asks God to send the Spirit to transform the gifts of bread and wineinto the Body and Blood of Jesus. The priest then begins the narrative of the Last Supper. He recalls how Jesus took the bread, blessed it, gave thanks,and said, “This is my body.”

The Eucharistic presence of Jesus is not merely for the sake of presence. He is present to do something. “This is the cup of my blood…it will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.” With these words of consecration, Jesus is present as an offering to his Father in order to continue tobring reconciliation and healing between the Father and us, his children.

After consecration, the priest invites the people to proclaim the mystery of faith. With the faith given to us in baptism, we recite the prayer that Jesus died for our sins, rose from death, and will return in glory.

After the acclamation, the Eucharistic prayer becomes a prayer of offering. Jesus offered himself on behalf of his people. So, the offering of Jesus nowis accompanied with prayers of intercession for the entire Church, the living and dead.

The priest concludes the prayer of offering by raising the bread and cup, a gesture suggestive of offering. But it is no longer Jesus alone who is offered to the Father; it is now Jesus with all of us, the Church. After this prayer, we all say a resounding Amen, meaning that we profess our faith that what has taken place is real and true. We unite ourselves with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ and prepare ourselves to receive his body in Holy Communion.

Fr. Emmanuel

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