Thanksgiving and Sacrifice

In the Eucharist, Christ’s gift of his life to his Father for our salvation is made present, so that we may be united with him in his sacrifice and be accepted in him by the Father. The Mass is the ultimate act of worship. By our communion with the Risen Christ, we become one with him in his giving of himself to the Father. Our lives are at-one with his as he commends his spirit to the Father. United with Christ, we lift up our hearts to the Father and give him thanks and praise.

We give to God all that he first gave to us, all that we are and have, uniting ourselves with the self-giving of Jesus himself. Our sharing in the Eucharist should make us a sacrificial people, lifting up and laying down our lives in love for God and for one another, and sharing all that we have and are with those in need.

cf One Bread One Body, 34 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

The Procession with the Gifts is a powerful expression of the assembly’s participation in the Eucharist and in the social mission of the Church. It is an expression of the humble and contrite heart, the dispossession of self that is a necessary prerequisite for making the true offering which the Lord Jesus gave his people to make with him. The Procession with the Gifts expresses also our eager willingness to enter into the ‘holy exchange’ with God: ‘accept the offerings you have given us, that we in turn may receive the gift of yourself.’ In the Eucharistic Prayer the mystery of Christ’s saving death and resurrection is recalled; the Last Supper is recounted; the memorial Sacrifice of his Body and Blood is presented to the Father; and the Holy Spirit is invoked to sanctify the gifts and transform those who partake of them into the body of Christ, uniting the assembly and the whole Church and family of God, living and dead, into one communion of love, service, and praise to the glory of the Father.

Celebrating the Mass 180, 187

Things to Do

• Take stock. One traditional form of sacrifice is tithing. In the Old Testament the tithe was given in thanksgiving for the blessing of God. In the New Testament that partial sharing seems to have been replaced by the practice of holding all things in common. How do you share the good things that you have received? With those in particular need? With society in general? With the Church?

• Make fuller use of the prayers at Mass. It is often helpful to use some of the prayers at Mass - for example the Preface, the Opening Prayer (or Collect), as well as the Eucharistic Prayer. They might be used in part or whole; and might be used as a starting point for personal prayer, or as something to meditate with. The practice can help us deepen our awareness of the prayers used at Mass, and enrich our private prayer too.