Our liturgists have changed the tenses of Our Lord's words at the Last Supper.

Thursday, 4/19/17

Let me say something about how the composers of our Eucharistic liturgies seems to have changed the Bible readings for the Mass.

They have been intent on our seeing our Mass as a repetition of Our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross, and to emphasize that, they have changed the tenses of the Our Lord’s words a the Last Supper.

In the Bible accounts Jesus said, “This is my body which is offered for you,” and, “This is the chalice of my blood which is poured out for you.”

But in our Eucharistic prayers they have changed that to, “This is my body which will be offered up for you,” and, “This is the chalice of my blood which will be poured out for you.”

The liturgist are right in seeing Our Lord’s sacrifice as being completed on the cross, but they are wrong in ignoring the fact that his sacrifice began at the Last Supper.

Jesus, as the host at the Last Supper, led the Apostles in a traditional formal blessing known as the Berakah; and its three parts were always the Anamnesis, the Epiclesis, and the Eucharistia. In English that would be the Calling God’s blessings to Mind Prayer, the Calling God down Prayer, and the Pleasing Gift Prayer.  

St. Augustan in 400 was to say, that the worshippers, united with Jesus as one pleasing gift (one Eucharist) is what made the Last Supper and our Mass a sacrifice.

In the First Century, when Christians came together to worship on Sundays, they followed a handbook called “The Teaching of the Apostles.”  It told them, “Begin by confessing your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure: and if you have a difference with your neighbor, be reconciled so that it does not harm your sacrifice.”

St. Paul and t. Luke told us that it was at the Pleasing Gift part of the Last Supper that Jesus took the bread, blessed it, and gave it. His single purpose was that we might be physically part of one Pleasing Gift with him.

To make the Mass our sacrifice we must be giving God all our obedience and all our love. In doing that we are one with Jesus who is giving the Father all his obedience and love. We are making ourselves one Eucharist with Jesus.

Jesus, as the host at the Last Supper, led the Apostles in a traditional formal blessing known as the Berakah; and its three parts were always the Anamnesis, the Epiclesis, and the Eucharistia. In English that would be the Calling to mind God’s blessings, the Calling God down Prayer, and the Pleasing Gift Prayer.  

St. Augustan in 400 was to say, that the worshippers, united with Jesus as one pleasing gift (one Eucharist) is what made the Last Supper and our Mass a sacrifice.

In the First Century, when Christians came together to worship on Sundays, they followed a handbook called “The Teaching of the Apostles.”  It told them, “Begin by confessing your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure: and if you have a difference with your neighbor, be reconciled so that it does not harm your sacrifice.”

St. Paul and t. Luke told us that it was at the Pleasing Gift part of the Last Supper that Jesus took the bread, blessed it, and gave it. His single purpose was that we might be physically part of one Pleasing Gift with him.

To make the Mass our sacrifice we must be giving God all our obedience and all our love. In doing that we are one with Jesus who is giving the Father all his obedience and love. We are making ourselves one Eucharist with Jesus.