About the Mass Series: Eucharistic Prayer Part 6

Part 2: ‘Memorial Prayer and Offering’.

Characteristic of all the Eucharistic Prayers is a statement of offering, which is linked to and in conjunction with the Memorial Prayer. It is an explicit declaration that the Church is offering the ‘bread and cup’ or some other elaborated equivalent.  

Eucharistic Prayer 1 requests that ‘the offering be accepted as were the sacrificial gifts of Abel, Abraham and Melchisedech’.  Eucharistic Prayer 11 speaks of offering ‘this life-giving bread, this saving cup’.  Eucharistic Prayer 111 refers to ‘this holy and living sacrifice,’ while Eucharistic Prayer 1V refers to the offering ‘Christ’s body and blood’.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2007) explains this ‘offering’ as follows:

‘In this memorial, the Church- and in particular the Church here and now assembled- offers the spotless victim to the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Church’s intention is that the faithful not only offer this victim, but also learn to offer themselves and so to surrender themselves, through Christ the Mediator, to an ever more complete union with the Father and with each other, so that at last God may be all in all’. (p.28).

In other words, there is only one offering action in the Mass, and it is celebrated during the Eucharistic Prayer.  It is an offering made by the whole Church, but especially by the community assembled in faith.  In a prayer of praise, the church unites itself to Christ who ‘forever lives to make intercession’ (Heb 7:25).

 Since the Eucharistic Prayer is the pledge of future glory, we also recall the Virgin Mary, the apostles, the martyrs and all the saints who already share in the heavenly banquet announced and prefigured by the Eucharist.  Therefore, the Eucharistic Prayer names only those with whom the ecclesial community share the faith.  

Christ, through the Church in every Mass gives us the opportunity to unite, offer and surrender ourselves, our lives and those whom we love to Him.The Mass is so rich in meaning and provides us with many grace-filled moments throughout.   

Do we fully appreciate the wonderful gift Christ gives us in the Mass for our pilgrim journey?