Friday, 11/6/15
There is something I wonder about at Mass every morning. The
way some people speak about going to Communion at Mass, they seem to be
regarding it as something they do apart from following the Mass, much in the same way as some
people still say the Rosary during Mass.
We have old historical records of the wording of the Mass in
the second and third centuries. They professed themselves to be doing
everything the way Jesus did it at the Last Supper. They were following the table blessing formula in use for solemn
occasions like the Last Supper.
That table blessing had three sections. First, the host
asked everyone to recall God’s favors. Secondly, he asked them to be aware of
God’s presence with them. Thirdly, he asked them to make themselves into one
pleasing gift to God. They did that by offering God their complete obedience
and love.
It was at the Last Supper, when Jesus was beginning that
third section (the section where the diners united themselves in one pleasing
gift to God) that he gave the Apostles his body and blood. He wanted them to
become one with him not only spiritually, but physically --by their sharing his
body and blood.
The Greek for that third part of the table blessing, the
Pleasing Gift, was Eu-charis.
The proper way for us to hear Mass is for us to join with
Jesus by becoming part of his Pleasing Gift.
We do that in a twofold way. We do that spiritually by
joining him in his act of obedience and love to God. Then, we do that
physically by taking his body and blood into our being.
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