SACRAMENTS

A.Meaning

Celebrations of the key events of life (birth,

entering adulthood, nourishment, healing,
reconciliation, leadership and marriage) in
which we express our belief that God is
present in mystery and offers us new life: life
to the full, which is participation in the R8sen
life of Christ.
The whole ritual or celebration of a sacrament
has many themes. It makes use of symbols and
storytelling which point beyond themselves.
Symbol points towards another dimension in
life.
We appreciate the sacraments because through
them, we enter into the story of our salvation
which is reported in the Hebrew and Christian
Scriptures and continues to be written in the
life of the church and the human community.
Sacraments are not done for individuals. The
yare celebrations of the community. They affect
the whole community and individuals are
affected by the celebrations of the sacraments
only, in as far as the individuals are part of the
celebrating community.
THE EUCHARIST
SEE

Donna goes to the church everyday to attend the

mass. Like attending a party she can arrive there
anytime she likes and leave anytime that she
likes.

Chris and Rosy are on a date. But they need to

fulfil their Sunday obligation, so they rush to
church and choose to stay outside. That way, they
will be among the first to go, when the mass ends,
allowing them to have more time together on
their date.
Susan is a high school student, whose crush
Justine serves as an acolyte in the daily
Eucharistic celebration in their parish. So, she
goes to mass everyday.

Manong Doring is drunk almost everyday,

except on Sunday. On Sunday, he takes a
bath, wears his best shirt and goes to mass
with his family. But as soon as the mass is
over, he starts drinking again and becomes
violent to his wife and his children.
Cora wants to work in the USA as a nurse. She
wants to be certain that she will be employed.
After all, she qualified. But she believes that
she has to go to the novena of the Mother of
Perpetual Help and has to go to the mass at the
Pink Sisters to be able to submit a prayer
request.
For Sr. Agnes, the most important part of the
Eucharist is the Communion, when the bread
and wine turn into the body and blood of
Christ.
Mrs. Lopez, however, believes that the most
important part of the mass is the last blessing.
So, as long as she gets there after the
communion, she is happy. She sees no need to
stay too long in the church, she is needed at
her grocery store that is flourishing in the
town.
Aling Nora looks back with nostalgia to the
times when the mass was in Latin and that
they had to go to mass with their veils, missal
and Sunday clothes.
Motivation for celebrating the Eucharist/going to
mass:

Some see it as obligation they have to fulfill.

Others want to please their parents or want to
show they are good.
Some go because it is what they have been doing
through the years.
They believe that the mass is the source of
material blessings.
Others go to mass because everyone else does.
Because their friends will go to mass.
Because they have to see someone at the mass.
There are even those who go to mass because
the church building can be a good venue for
parading a new outfit or hairdo or for showing
off heir new car.

These reasons are certainly weak and often

discourage the young who want to know better
reasons for going to Mass.
In the Philippines, we still have a high regard
for the Eucharist, which we call “Holy Mass”.
Our churches are still crowded on Sundays
and holy days of obligation, as well as some
days of Lent, particularly during the Holy
Week. We also have many activities, which
start and end with a Eucharistic celebration.
Because of the frequent celebrations we have
become too familiar with it. The Eucharist
becomes routinary and therefore ordinary for
us. It is no longer a meaningful event.
But the most serious weakness is that many of
us separate the Eucharist from our lives, we do
not see it as related to our daily activities,
including our concern for the poor. We need a
clear understanding and love of the Eucharist
because only with such loving understanding
can we persevere in an intense commitment
to the goals of service, evangelization and
social transformation that was envisioned in
PCP II,
DISCERN

A.The Jewish Roots of the Eucharist

We need to remember that Jesus was a

Jew. As a Jew, he was taught and
influenced by the prayer and worship of
Israel. So we have to be aware that the Last
Supper was not a new kind of meal that
Jesus had started. It was a Passover meal.
As a Jew, Jesus followed the custom of his
people of praising and giving thanks to God
with special blessing prayer over bread and
wine. Bread and wine are common
elements that the Jews used in their praise
and thanksgiving, they offered bread and
wine in thanksgiving to God for harvest
from the earth.
In the yearly celebration of the Passover,
which commemorates the Exodus, they used
bread to remember the manna that God
provided for them in the desert, bread also
signified for them their dependence on the
word of God as their bread of life. Cups of
wine were also drunk at a Passover meal. At
the end of the meal, the last cup of wine
called their hope in the coming of the
messiah.
In the Last Supper, we often give emphasis on the
words:
Jesus took bread… gave thanks… broke the bread
and said…This is my body…
Jesus took the wine… gave thanks… share the
wine and said….This is my blood…
We have to understand that the context of the
words of Jesus is not isolated to from his actions
but were closely related to them. He did not do
these only during the Last Supper. In the story of
the multiplication of loaves, Jesus did the same
actions hat he did at the Last Supper.
When the Jews celebrated the Passover, they
did not only remember the Exodus, when
God liberated them from their slavery in
Egypt but they also experienced the
liberating presence of God during their
celebration. In the same manner, when we
gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we do not
merely re-enact the words and actions that
Jesus pronounced and did at the Last Supper.
Rather, we have a unique way of
remembering , anamnesis, in which we
remember the past historical event of Jesus’
death, his rising from the dead and his
coming again, in glory. Because of this,
during our Eucharistic celebrations, Jesus is
present. We also recall the great works of
God’s love realized through Jesus present
among us, when we celebrate the Eucharist.
B. JESUS AND THE EUCHARIST

1. Sharing of meals and hospitality

The roots of the Eucharist can be found out in
the ministry of Jesus. During his ministry, we
find Jesus frequently at table. We see him
sharing meals and celebrating togetherness
with the members of his family and
community: his disciples, fellow teachers and
caring people. He enjoyed table fellowship,
celebrating life with people.
We have seen Jesus as guest at table and
also presiding over a meal. Jesus played the
roles of guest and host. As host, he did not
only share the bread. He also shared
himself with his followers. He was a
hospitable host. The Church continued to
celebrate community meals, which became
mysterium, experiences of the presence of
Jesus.
2. Jesusas priest
Jesus was no a Jewish priest, since he did not
belong to the tribe of priests. That is why never
offered a sacrifice in the Temple. But he had a
different kind of priesthood. He offered a
sacrifice but his sacrifice was his complete and
radical acceptance of his human condition. He
did not complain about or try to escape the
difficulties of his life. Further, he did his Father’s
will and chose to live his life for others as a
servant. Such kind of priesthood is what the
author of Hebrews calls the priesthood of
Mechizedek.
3. Memorial of Jesus’ ministry

The Eucharist is a memorial, it is a memorial not

only of Jesus’ suffering and death, but also of his
entire life of obedience and selflessness. The
Eucharist is the celebration of life. It is a
summary of all the decisions that he had to take
and all the actions that he had to make during his
ministry. The Eucharist is not just a ritual that we
offer to god as a worshipping community. Rather,
it is the selfless life of Christ that God offers to
us. The Eucharist is a memorial of Jesus’ ministry
that has to be actualized in our community.
C. ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE
CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHRIST

When we go to mass or celebrate the

Eucharist, we do not do so as an
individual. We celebrate the Eucharist as a
worshipping community. The Eucharist
starts with people. It is about people. If we
think that the presence of the priest in the
Eucharist is important. So is our presence.
The priest or bishop is there as presider of
the celebration in which the whole
community participates.
The priest presider leads the celebration,
assisted by the other ministers. The presence of
other ministers witness to the fact that the
Eucharist is celebrated not by the priest alone,
but by the assembly. Ministers required for the
Eucharist include:
Deacon
Acolytes
Lectors
Cantors, musicians, choir
Eucharistic ministers
Liturgical planners
THE ORDER OF THE EUCHARIST

1. Introductory Rite

Entrance procession
Sign of the Cross and greeting
Penitential rite
Gloria
Collect
2. Liturgy of the Word

First Reading
Responsorial Psalm
Second Reading
Alleluia
Gospel Reading
Homily
Creed
General Intercessions/ prayer of the
Faithful
3. Liturgy of the Eucharist

Preparation of the Gifts

Eucharistic Prayer
a. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord or Sanctus
b. Memorial Acclamation
c. Final Doxology
d. Amen
4. The Communion Rite

The Communion Rite

The Prayer of Peace
Lamb of God
Prayer in preparation for Communion
Communion
Prayer after Communion

Before concluding rite parish announcement or

other announcement can be made.
5. Concluding Rite

Final Blessing
Dismisses the Assembly
Final Song
D. THE MASS HAS BEGUN

When the presider dismisses us at the end of

the celebration, he does not just say that the
mass is ended. He tell us to go forth in peace to
love and serve the Lord in others. In a way,
therefore, he is saying, “Go, the mass has
begun”. So, after the mass, we make the
Eucharist a part of our lives such that we live a
Eucharistic life. To have a Eucharistic life is to
take…. Give thanks…. Break…. And give, as Jesus
did