Part 2 of 2: The liturgical signs and symbols used to signify the working of the Holy Spirit during Mass
Editor’s note: Part 1 of Bishop Lucia’s overview of the Mass was published in the July 31 issue of The Catholic Sun. It can also be found online at TheCatholicSun.com.
The second part of the Mass, which we now refer to as the “Liturgy of the Eucharist,” is known in older liturgical books as the “Mass of the Faithful.” Again, this earlier designation does help us to understand more fully what the Holy Eucharist is meant to do for us as food for the journey — to make one ever more faithful in the living out of God’s holy Word. In the words of St. Augustine, “Behold what you are, become what you receive.”
The Liturgy of the Eucharist in the present Roman Missal consists of three parts: (1) The Preparation of the Gifts; (2) The Eucharistic Prayer; and (3) The Communion Rite. The first part is based on the simple fact that Jesus took bread and wine as the matter used to celebrate the First Eucharist at the Last Supper. Before this, He had washed the feet of His apostles in humble service, so from the earliest days of the Church, not only did the faithful bring forth bread and wine for the celebration of the Eucharist, but also an offering for the poor and needy. Consequently, this is why the offering for the Church’s needs is taken at this point in the Mass.
The second part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist is the heart of the Mass — The Eucharistic Prayer. There are 13 Eucharistic Prayers available for use at Holy Mass: (1) Eucharistic Prayers I, II, III, and IV, which were included in the 1970 revision of the Roman Missal. It is important to note that Eucharistic Prayer I is the only Canon in the Roman Missal from the Council of Trent until the Second Vatican Council. Nonetheless, Eucharistic Prayer II is actually the text of an early anaphora or Eucharistic Prayer of the Church attributed to Hippolytus of Rome in the mid-3rd century; and Eucharistic Prayer IV is based on the anaphora of St. Basil in the Eastern liturgy. (2) The two Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation given to the Church in the Holy Year of 1975 by St. Paul VI. (3) The four versions of the Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs; and (4) Three Eucharistic Prayers for Children’s Masses.
However, there are eight common elements contained in all of these prayers:
Thanksgiving & Acclamation — These two initial elements are to be found particularly in the Preface and the Sanctus/Holy acclamation, which introduce the Eucharistic Prayer. As the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults notes: “In this prayer, we thank God the Father, through Christ in the Spirit, for the gifts of creation, salvation, and sanctification” (p. 219).
Epiclesis — The invocation of the Holy Spirit by the Priest Presider over the bread and wine “so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Institution Narrative & Consecration — The priest joins Christ’s action of self-giving by proclaiming Jesus’ words at the Last Supper over the bread and wine. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: The power of the words and the action of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, make sacramentally present, under the species of bread and wine, Christ’s Body and Blood, his sacrifice offering on the cross for all” (#1353).
Anamnesis — The remembrance (recalling) of the Paschal Mystery, particularly the dying and rising of Jesus Christ, and his subsequent return in glory.
Second Epiclesis — This time the Holy Spirit is invoked upon the gathered assembly praying for their union (unity) with Christ and one another becoming what they receive, the real presence of Christ in today’s world.
Intercessions — As US Catechism notes, “With the whole Communion of Saints and all God’s people on earth, we pray for the needs of the members of the Church, living and dead” (p. 220).
Doxology and Great Amen — As I noted in my previous column, this ending of the Eucharistic Prayer is of great importance because it is the faithful’s ultimate assent to join ourselves to the sacrifice of Christ and glorify God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The final part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist is the Communion Rite. It begins with the Lord’s Prayer and a Sign of Peace among those assembled, who then form a Communion procession. A beautiful synopsis of this moment in the Mass is found in the 1996 Guidelines for the Reception of Communion from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops. It states: “As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession, except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. In this case, the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible (canon 916). A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all.” In this moment, which is meant to foster the unity and mission of the Church, the assembly is invited to be united in song during the Communion procession. When the distribution of Communion is over, The General Instruction of the Roman Missal counsels that “the Priest and people pray quietly for some time” (#89) and then pray the Prayer After Communion.
At this point, we arrive at the final movement of the Mass — the Concluding Rite. Before a Final Blessing and the Dismissal to go forth to live the Mass in the world, there may be parish announcements if needed. After the blessing and dismissal, a hymn may be sung, or instrumental music played, or the assembly may depart in silence.
In the next column, I will examine the symbols and rituals of the Mass of the Roman Rite. For now, let me conclude with the words of Fr. Randy Stitt from his work, Eucharistic Amazement (Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media, 2025): “Let us together press on with great faith and love to meet the Lord in the Mass and add our voices to the great symphony of Eucharistic amazement. Let us exclaim with Saint Teresa of Avila, ‘Oh, what a good God! Oh, how good a Lord and how powerful’” (pp. 162-3).
