An emperor was making a visit to a city under his reign. The citizens were greatly honored and wanted to prepare the city as best they could. They cleaned the roads and planted blooming flowers along the way. They raised triumphal arches and hoisted the city and state flags in his honor. They adorned their homes magnificently and made ready to set up a large illumination at night. A visitor asked, “Why all this fuss?” The citizens answered, “the emperor is coming! It is important that we honor him.”

In the most Holy Eucharist, the Lord visits us and it is necessary that we be prepared. After having cleansed our souls of sin, we adorn ourselves with finery and blossoms of the holy virtues.

CELEBRATION - Growth in love- 4th stage
MEDITATION- SACRAMENTS-54-EUCHARIST 28

After the recitation of the creed of the Church the people of God join in the general intercessions for the purpose of pray for the needs of the Church community and of the world. The prayers are introduced and closed by the Priest, who represents Christ in His sacrifice. They are offered by the deacon who represents Christ as servant. The content of the prayers of the faithful include intercession for intentions of the Pope and local Bishop and for the Church at large, for the needs of all people and for the world. When the community prays in common, they represent the Body of Christ, and the prayers are like those Christ prayed when he was on earth in his human body.

Jesus often prayed to the father, either silently on a mountain at night before selecting his apostles, or aloud when he prayed before the tomb of Lazarus. One of the most meaningful prayers He left us was his prayers from the Cross, often called the 7 last words. When we listen to His prayers, we gain some insight into the meaning of the the prayers of the mystical body of Christ (the faithful). His first prayer, “forgive them Father, they know not what they do!” could be anyone’s prayer. Our admission that we do not know what we do, when we fail to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, visit the sick or imprisoned. The prayers of the faithful are meant to involve everyone. As the prayers are read, we personally enter into each intention with a sincere desire that God’s will be done in our lives and in the Church. It is helpful to our individual spirituality to pray this prayer of forgiveness for ourselves, as these prayers are being read.

The purpose of the prayers of the faithful is not only to invoke God’s mercy upon the Church and the world, but to prepare our souls for the Eucharistic sacrifice which we are about to celebrate. A lack of forgiveness is one of the greatest obstacles to our full participation in the celebration of the Eucharist. We celebrate the Eucharist in anticipation of the return of the Crucified, Resurrected, Ascended Christ and it is necessary that we be worthy of his presence. We recall that he asked us for such a preparation when he said, “when you offer your gift at the altar and recall that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, go settle with your brother, then return and present your gift.” This statement of Jesus presents us with a challenge to reconcile with anyone who has anything against us before beginning to celebrate Mass. It is necessary that we go to that person and if at all possible obtain forgiveness before we present our gift at the altar. You may wonder what gift can I present. All the Lord wants is that you offer yourself entirely to him. In becoming a worthy gift to him, it will be possible to join into the consecration of bread and wine to join in their transubstantiation in such a manner that you become his flesh with the bread and his blood with the wine.

NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM
ARTICLE NO. 1355

In the communion, preceded by The Lord’s prayer and the breaking of the bread, the faithful receive “the bread from heaven” and “the cup of salvation” the body and blood of Christ who “offered himself” for the life of the world. (Jn 6:51)

Because the bread and the wine have been made Eucharist (eucharized) according to the ancient expression) “we call the food Eucharist and no one may take part in it unless he believes that what we teach is true, has received baptism for the forgiveness of sins and new birth and lives in keeping with what Christ taught.” (St. Justin Apol. 1, 66 1-2 PG 6, 428)

EUCHARIZATION

Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

The breaking of the bread Eucharistic

Recalls Christ broken and crucified

Becomes nourishment for the mystic

And faithful are deified

Faith is nourished by bread from heaven

Thirst is quenched by cup of salvation

To be strengthened against earthly leven

Empowered to evangelize all nations

As Christ offer himself without hesitation

Christians nourished by his body and blood

Are commissioned to His holy vocation

To serve all souls as Jesus would

Because bread and wine are eucharized

And must in no way be aggrieved

Heavenly food is highly prized

Only in grace is it received.

To be nourished by such holy food

Requires baptism and forgiveness of sin

To live in love all sin to exclude

Opens the soul, God’s glory to win