September 8th

Post date: Sep 10, 2019 5:19:56 AM

Sept 8, 2019 Homily by Fr. Karl Schray

Today we conclude how we celebrate the Holy Eucharist.

What are we celebrating? The re-presentation of the Paschal Mystery.

Paschal is the word for the lamb that was sacrificed at Passover.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was completed in His

resurrection and ascension. This is the Easter mystery, which we celebrate in every Eucharist.

A celebration means the liturgy is joyful, not sad.

The symbol of the Paschal mystery is a mortally wounded lamb

standing in front of God’s throne.

This is described by St. John the Evangelist in the Book of Revelation.

After the Memorial Acclamation, “We humbly pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, may we be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.”

We pray in union with the communion of saints

that we may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life.

The word ‘merit’ usually means ‘earn’ or ‘deserve’, but not here.

It means to prepare ourselves by being in the ‘state of grace’.

Now we come to the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer:

Through Him, and with Him and in Him, O God Almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours forever and ever. And we respond with great conviction—Amen.

Because we always pray before we eat, we now pray The Lord’s Prayer.

Then the priest offers you the peace of the Lord

and you respond in kind to him.

Now it is time to offer each other a sign of peace.

It does not have to be a hand shake—

a smile, a nod, the word ‘peace be with you’, shares Christ’s gift.

You have noticed that the priest breaks a small piece of the Host

and drops it into the chalice. In the earliest days

when the Eucharist was celebrated in many different nearby locations,

a server would take a Host back to the Bishop’s Mass

which he would drop into his chalice—showing that it is the same

Eucharist, wherever celebrated. At this time, the priest prays:

‘May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ

bring eternal life to us who receive it.’

Imitating John the Baptist, we pray 3 times—

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world……then,

Behold the Lamb of God. Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb. We pray in the words of the Roman centurion: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. “The Body of Christ” “The Blood of Christ”.

It is not just my communion with Christ.

It is our communion with each other in Christ.

This Holy Communion that we share challenges us

to build up community all week long.

We thank God, in our own way, for nourishing us with Himself.

O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.

Our Triune God blesses us: in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and sends us forth on mission—

Go in peace, take Christ to your world.

Thanks be to God!