The changes to the priest’s
parts in the Mass are numerous, but a few may stand out for those of us in the
pews, particularly in the new forms of the Eucharistic Prayers. Again, the new language of the Mass, by its
very unfamiliarity, offers us a great opportunity to reflect more deeply on the
meaning of the words we are now hearing for the first time.
Three changes stand out. The new language of the epiclesis reads,
“Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon
them like the dewfall…” This beautiful
image of dewfall is a poetic echo of the manna in the desert, which came down
from heaven each day with the morning’s dew.
It thus reminds us that the Eucharist is our new manna, our bread from
heaven. It also echoes Isaiah 45:8: "Let justice descend, you heavens, like dew from above..."
Also, rather than refer to “the
cup of my blood,” the Eucharistic Prayer now uses the word “chalice.” This word distinguishes a cup that is used
for a sacred purpose as opposed to just any other cup, setting it apart from
other vessels.
The change from “for you and for
all” to “poured out for you and for many” is a more accurate translation of
what Jesus says at the Last Supper (Matt. 26:28). The phrase ‘for the many’,
used by Isaiah in the Old Testament, is not a word that implies a limit to
God’s gift of salvation; rather, it expresses a sense of abundance and
plentitude. It also reminds us that
although Jesus offers salvation to all of us, it is up to us to receive it.
(Information in this post was compiled by Fr. Pat, Jonathan, and Suzanne.)
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