The Priest receives these gifts [the offering] and says a blessing over them, offering them to G-d, the work and fruit of our hands, highlighting the great mystery that G-d will take food and drink we have made and transform them into a Heavenly Meal, the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus.

After blessing the gifts, the Priest prays that G-d will cleanse him of all iniquity and symbolically washes his fingers which will touch the Lord.

The People then pray that G-d will accept the Priest’s Sacrifice “for the Praise and Glory of His Name, for our good and the good of all His Church.”

The Mass has its beginning in the Last Supper when Our Lord first changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood. But it also has its links in the great events of Good Friday. Each Mass is a continuation and a re-offering of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary. It takes the holocausts and burnt, bloody sacrifices of the Old Testament and transforms them into the Holy Sacrifice of the Lamb of G-d that redeemed all mankind. [RETURN]

After the Priest recites a short prayer of praise to G-d — the “Preface” — the People sing the Heavenly Chant of the “Sanctus” “with all the Angels and Saints:”

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,
G-d of Power and Might,
Heaven and Earth are full of Your glory
Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the Highest!

The People then kneel in readiness for the moment when Jesus will become truly, physically present on the altar.

The Priest begins to pray a great prayer of thanksgiving and supplication to G-d called the “Eucharistic Prayer.” There are a number of Eucharistic Prayers for the Priest to choose from:

The First Eucharistic Prayer is a translation of the Canon. The Canon was the only Eucharistic Prayer that was said in the Latin Rite from the time of the Counter-Reformation until Vatican II. It is rich in the history of the People of G-d, it calls on our Jewish heritage, it reminds us of our Heavenly goal, it calls on each of the Apostles and the Saints and the Martyrs of the Early Church, each by name, to intercede for us. (It is my personal favourite!)

The Second Eucharistic Prayer (one of the new ones introduced by Pope Paul VI after Vatican II) is based on the Eucharistic Prayers in use in the very early Church. It is beautiful in its simplicity and many appreciate how it links us to the prayer of the early Church. Many also appreciate that it is so much shorter than the others! (It is certainly the most often used, the “default” Eucharistic Prayer, if you like!)

The Third Eucharistic Prayer draws greatly on the liturgical traditions and imagery of the Eastern Church.

There is also a Fourth Eucharistic Prayer and a number written especially for Masses with Children.

The common elements of the Eucharistic Prayers are:

The Consecration -- the moment when the Priest transforms the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Our Lord by repeating the words of consecration:

This is my Body (hic est enim corpus meum)
This is the cup of my Blood (hoc est calix sanguinis meus)

Prayer for the Church

Prayer for the Pope, the local Ordinary (Bishop), all priests and all the Faithful

Prayer for the Faithful Departed (those Faithful who have died)

Invocation of the Blessed Virgin, the Apostles and the Saints

Finally, the Doxology of Praise by the Priest followed by the People’s “Great Amen”:

Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour are Yours, Almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

The People then stand to say the Lord’s Prayer together and to share the Kiss of Peace with each other (usually a handshake or a nod of the head!)

The Priest then breaks the Body of Christ while the People pray, “Lamb of G-d, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.” (Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis).

The Priest then invites us again to acknowledge our unworthiness in the “Domine, non sum dignus”:

“Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word, and I shall be healed.”

The Priest then eats and drinks the Body and Blood of the Lord before proceeding to distribute the Sacrament to each of the People in turn who wish and are able to receive communion.

This is the great pinnacle of the Mass, of the Christian Life, of the Church, the moment when Jesus, truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, enters into our very being, our bodies and souls, making us one together with Him and with each other, cleaving us to His Mystical Body, the Church.

Needless to say, a few moments’ quiet reflection and then a song of great joy and praise follow this blessed moment!

At this stage, a second collection is usually taken. The proceeds of this collection are for the needs of the parish (maintenance of the Church buildings, paying for the electricity, funds for the Parish School, etc.) and to provide for the priests.

After consuming any remaining Precious Blood and placing any remaining hosts in the Tabernacle, the Priest cleans and purifies the sacred vessels and then sits quietly for a time in reflection and thanksgiving.

For more information:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7775/xmas.htm