In his homily on April 29th, Fr. Chris Heath offers insight into the much debated and very important topic for Catholics around the world, Religious Freedom and Catholic Citizenship. 

View Fr. Chris's homily on StedCast, CLICK HERE.

Tune in Saturday morning at 10 a.m.!  Fr. Chris Heath will be the guest speaker with Barbara McGuigan on her radio show “Fight the Good Fight” on EWTN on Saturday, April 21st at 10AM!  The topic will be St. Thomas More, and Catholic citizenship.

The Religion Committee invites you to join us for the 4th Annual

Lenten Soup Supper

Featuring

Father Chris Heath

 Ash Wednesday

February 22nd, 11:30 A.M.—1:00 P.M.

Knight Hall

$10.00 per person

Baby Sitting Available for $5.00 per child 

Soup, bread, cheese and fruit will be served 

Checks due to the front office by February 15th

RSVP to Rikki Daniels

Questions, Rikki Daniels, 949-280-3616

Make the Christmas season more meaningful this year. Consider doing something different like. . .

View & discuss the great new video “Catholicism”  with our priests and parishioners on the three Fridays of Advent:

Next opportunities are...

DECEMBER 9 ~  Episode  4: “ Our Tainted Nature’s Solitary Boast: Mary, the Mother of God,” facilitated by Fr. Chris Heath

DECEMBER 16 ~ Episode 6: “A Body Both Suffering and Glorious: The Mystical  Union of  Christ and the Church,”   Fr. Loc Tran 

Fr. Chris Heath, Parochial Vicar at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California, spoke about "Angels" at the Serenity Days Retreat on October 25, 2011. 

Fr. Chris writes...

"The existence of Angels is revealed in Scripture and taught by the Church.  Popular TV shows and movies have given a lot of false ideas of what Angels are and what they do, especially the fallen angels.  In this talk I attempt to explain what we do believe about the nature of angelic beings (both good and bad angels), and how they interact with human beings to help or hurt us."

Listen here!

Fr._Chris_on_Angels.mp3

(download)

Click here to download:

Fr._Chris_on_Angels.mp3 (87.4 MB)

For more Serenity Days retreat dates visit our Ministries page.

After the Great Amen we stand and prepare ourselves for a personal and communal encounter with the living God.  This is the beginning of the Communion Rite.  We pray in the words Jesus taught His disciples (and you’ll be happy to know that even though the Bishops considered re-translating the Our Father into something more accurate, they chose to leave the words alone).  The Catechism teaches, “Placed between the Eucharistic Prayer and Communion, the Lord’s Prayer sums up on the one hand all the petitions and intercessions expressed [earlier in the Mass]…and on the other hand, knocks at the door of the Banquet of the kingdom which sacramental communion anticipates” [our daily bread] (CCC 2770).  I’m not going to explain the Lord’s Prayer here: I encourage you to read the fourth part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which uses the Our Father as a way to summarize the entire spiritual life.

We all notice the difference between the way Catholics pray the Our Father, and the way other Christians pray it.  We conclude with the words, “deliver us from evil,” while they continue “for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.”  We call this last part a doxology, a short prayer of praise to God just like “through Him, with Him, in Him” at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer is also a doxology.  Christ’s prayer ended with the words “deliver us from evil.”  Apparently, a scribe in the middle ages, in his enthusiasm to be copying the Gospel, wrote “for the kingdom, the power, and the glory…” in the margins of his copy and later copyists included these side notes into the text.  We use the text as found in Matthew 6:9-13.  In any event, after the prayer the priest recites a short phrase called the embolism, or an expansion of the last words “deliver us from evil,” which is used as a prayer that connects the Lord’s Prayer to the doxology.  In the new translation the priest will say, “Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin, and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ.”  The congregation’s response remains the same: “For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.”  Please note: we do not say Amen at the end of the Lord’s Prayer, or after the doxology.

I want to mention something that may surprise you: there is no need to hold hands during the Lord’s Prayer.  You are certainly free to do so, especially among family members, but there may be people around you who for many reasons do not want to hold your hand.  Don’t be insulted by that, or try to force them.  The power of the prayer does not depend on us being physically linked together throughout the church: the power comes from praying it together, and especially praying the words with meaning and not just from memory.  You may choose to hold your hands out from your body in what is called the orans posture, or fold your hands.  You do not have to lift your hands up while you recite “for the kingdom, the power…”  You can if you want, but it’s not required.

The priest then directs a prayer to Jesus Who is really present on the Altar, one of the few prayers in the Mass where the prayer is not addressed to the Father.  He quotes Christ’s words from John 14:27 during the Last Supper: “My peace I leave you, my peace I give you,” and continues: “look not on our sins but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant Her peace and unity in accordance with your will.  Who live and reign forever and ever.”  And after praying for peace that can only come from the mercy won for us by Christ’s death and Resurrection, the priest then turns and extends this peace to the congregation: “The peace of the Lord be with you always,” and remember the new response… “and with your spirit.”  Then you are invited to offer some sign of peace, as the General Instruction to the Roman Missal explains, “only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner.”  It’s not a free-for-all, but a time to sincerely express the peace you have with those around you, or to offer a gesture of reconciliation to someone in your family if you are not at peace.  Remember Christ’s teaching: “If you bring your gift to the Altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the Altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Mt 5:23-24).  This is why the Rite of Peace is placed here and was not moved to some other part of the Mass, but it does require us to consider how we conduct ourselves during the sign of peace while we are in the presence of Christ on the Altar.  Again, be aware that the people around you may not want to shake hands or hug: that’s their prerogative and you should respect their personal space for whatever reason they choose only to wave or bow.  To those who choose not to shake hands with others, please at least make eye contact and recognize those around you in some decent manner.

Then the congregation sings or recites another important and ancient litany called the Agnus Dei, or “Lamb of God.”  We have already referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God in the hymn “Glory to God in the highest,” and now we repeat the title first given by St. John the Baptist (Jn 1:29,36), and referred to over 30 times in the Book of Revelation where “the courts of heaven [are] worshipping at an altar, and the object of their worship is the divine Lamb, Jesus Christ.  The Lamb seems to have been slain, yet he is alive, and triumphant, and he rules both heaven and earth” (Cardinal Donald Wuerl, The Mass, 2011, pp. 187-188).  Again we are reminded that what we are doing in this church is not simply some human ritual, but we’re joining an eternal liturgical action of the worship of God in heaven.  We are witnessing here on earth what the Angels are seeing in Heaven: the Lamb of God on the Altar.  The litany is supposed to last as long as necessary to cover the actions of the priest who “breaks the bread,” adds a small piece to the Chalice, and prepares himself for Holy Communion by reciting certain prayers privately.  The minimum number of repetitions of the “Lamb of God” is three times, but it can be sung or recited longer if needed.

The priest, when elevating the Body and Blood of Christ will say in the new translation, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.  Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb,” quoting almost verbatim the Book of Revelation when an Angel instructs St. John during his vision, “Write this: blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (19:9).  The Mass is not only joining in an act of heavenly worship, but also joining a wedding reception!  God and man are wedded together in Christ, and we are not only invited as guests: as part of the Church, we are the Bride of Christ, the one Christ has married!  Heaven is our wedding party! 

The response of the congregation has been translated to more obviously match the words quoted from the Scriptures when a Roman centurion asks Jesus to heal his servant and when Jesus offers to come to the man’s house he replies, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant shall be healed” (Mt 8:8).  Jesus is amazed at the level of faith this pagan exhibits, more than His own people have expressed.  And we quote this unnamed Roman Gentile at every Mass (which is amazing in itself), only slightly altering the text so that it’s not about someone else, but about ourselves, we who are servants of Christ: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”  The “roof” under which Jesus is entering is the home of our souls—that is, our bodies.  Yes, we are unworthy, but confident that being free of serious sin we can still approach the Lord and welcome Him into our bodies, souls, lives, relationships, families, work, leisure, and every other part of who and what we are and do.

The reception of Holy Communion is the most intimate act of uniting ourselves with the Lord that we can do on earth.  With all food, when we eat we assimilate it into our bodies.  But with the Eucharist, we are assimilated into Christ—we become more a part of His Body than He becomes a part of ours!  So when we describe ourselves as the Body of Christ it is partly because “we are what we eat,” as nutritionists say.  As the Bride of Christ we are also part of His Body, in an intimate union that gives life to our souls. 

With all the shuffling and people moving around during the Communion procession, it may be very difficult to keep your mind focused in a prayerful way, but that’s why we have a Communion song, so that we can lift our voices while we are in the procession to meet the Lord and when we return to our seats (remember, don’t leave early).  Any silence offered after Communion is a precious time, so use it well: thank the Lord, tell Him you believe in Him and know He is present with you.  Thank Him for the opportunity to go to Mass, something which Catholics in many places in the world don’t have the chance to do.  Thank Him for your faith and for the answers He will give to the prayers you have said all through Mass.  We’ve already asked for mercy, we’ve already asked for what we and others need—now we must thank Him.

After Holy Communion there is the final prayer of the Mass, the third of the Presidential prayers.  We all stand, listen to the words, and say “Amen” because we mean it.  This concludes the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which started with the Preparation of the Gifts.

Then we have what is called the Concluding Rites.  The General Instruction to the Roman Missal states that there can be “brief announcements, if they are necessary” (GIRM #90a) (an instruction we almost always ignore).  Then there is the final greeting, “The Lord be with you,” and the new response… “and with your spirit,” the final blessing, and the dismissal.  Sometimes the blessing can be more solemn with the deacon or priest saying “bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing,” and there are a series of extra “Amens” to say.  The deacon or priest then says one of these new dismissal texts:

• Go forth, the Mass is ended
• Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord
• Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life
• Go in peace

And the response remains the same, “Thanks be to God.”

Everyone is welcome. Please join us on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011 at SL Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point for our Serenity Days Retreat.

"We believe in God...the Creator...of all things visible and invisible..." So we state in the Creed. Belief in Angels is part of our Catholic Faith, but who are they, what are they? And what about the fallen angels? How does knowledge of such things help us live in this world?  Let's consider together how the angelic world intersects with the material world and how we experience them. Music Ministry: Serenity Singers.  Religious Books and Gifts will be available for purchase. 

Retreat Director: Father Chris Heath, Parochial Vicar, St. Edward-Dana Point; Benedictine Oblate; Author; Chaplain-Catholics at Work, Orange County; Chaplain-Law Enforcement; Catholic Business Journal, Columnist; Pastor and Parochial Vicar for several Diocesan parishes.

Schedule:

Registration 7:45 a.m. in Knight Hall

Mass - 8:15 in Church

Brunch and Program follow immediately inKnight Hall 9:00-12:00

Pre-registration is recommended.  Contact Elizabeth Smith ( 949) 837 -2141, Moihks@aol. com

Future Serenity Day Retreats 2012---FEB. 21 AND MAY 1

I want to take some time to explain how to receive Communion.  Your priests, deacons, and lay ministers serve several hundred people Holy Communion each weekend, and we’ve seen all kinds of odd things.  Back in the day, when Communion could only be received on the tongue, there were not a lot of problems with receiving the Eucharist.  Now with Communion in the hand many things can be done that are inappropriate.  This instruction is going to be very picky and sound negative: that’s because there’s only one right way to receive, and dozens of wrong ways.  I really don’t mean this to come across as a harangue, but many of your fellow parishioners have been begging for me to be very particular because many people don’t seem to know what to do. 

The normal way to receive Holy Communion is on the tongue.  This is the standard for Roman Catholics.  Receiving in the hand is allowed only by special permission granted by the Pope, which was granted to the United States in 1977.  If you have been receiving the Eucharist for many years, you may have unknowingly developed some bad habits, or been given some bad instruction, or maybe have never heard any instruction and just sort of figured it out for yourselves.  So let’s set the record straight.

 If you receive Communion on the tongue here’s what you need to do: open your mouth sufficiently and have your tongue far enough forward for the minister to place the Host on your tongue without touching any part of your mouth.  Simple.

To receive in the hand requires a lot more instruction.  While the person in front of you is receiving, you are to bow to the Eucharist you are about to receive.  This bow is required because receiving in the hand is not considered as reverential as receiving on the tongue, and so requires an extra act of reverence.  Most people do not bow at all, but you should.  Some bow only once they are standing in front of the minister, but this slows down the procession: please make your act of reverence while the person in front of you is receiving.  You are not bowing to someone else’s back: you are bowing to Christ.

How you stand in front of the minister really makes a difference: we’re looking for visual cues on what to do for you: do you want Communion on the tongue, in the hand, or do you want a blessing?  We don’t know what to do if you don’t give us a clear sign.  Crossing your arms in front of you has come to signal that you are not receiving Communion (this is not in the rubrics for Mass at all—it’s something that got made up so that people who cannot receive can still process forward).  Sometimes people who cross their arms also open their mouths, which can be confusing.  I’ve had people put out their hands and open their mouths at the same time: I don’t know what to do with that!  If the minister gets the impression you don’t know what you’re doing, we may assume you’re not Catholic and will ask you if you are.  Some Catholics are insulted by this, but if you give us uncertain signs, we’ll let you know!  I’m sure I’ve given Communion to many non-Catholics because they did the right thing in front of me.  But keep in mind that the Eucharist is only for Catholics of the Roman rite and other eastern rites—the Orthodox, Protestants, and anyone else not in Communion with the Pope, and those who are not married in the Church, should not receive Communion.  Also if you are aware of mortal sin in your life, you need to confess it before you come to Communion.  If you bring family or friends to Mass who cannot receive the Eucharist, please help them to know to cross their arms in front of them.

When you step up to the minister, present your hands one over the other, not side by side: the minister has to guess into which hand to place the Host.  This is the most common problem with Communion in the hand.  If I place the Host in the same hand you eat with, how do you get that Host into your mouth?  I see people flipping it into the other hand then grasp and eat it, I’ve seen people raise their hand to their mouth and pop it in like taking a pill, I’ve seen people manipulate their hand until the Host can be taken by the fingers of the same hand to put it in their mouth.  Here’s a simple rule for how to present your hands: the hand with which you hold your fork goes on the bottom.  Receive the Host into your other hand so that it is a natural action to then pick up that Host with your eating hand and place it in your mouth.  It’s that simple, and yet too many people do this wrong.  (You may not be aware that you do this: receiving Communion may have become such a habit that you don’t think what I am saying applies to you, but it might!  Receiving our Lord in Holy Communion must be done with as much conscious thought as everything else we do or say at Mass!  If we’re just going through the motions we’re bound to do it wrong.)  Some people contort their hands into odd positions, some close their hand on the Host (and sometimes on the fingers of the minister), some press their other hand over the Host, some hold the Host down with a finger—none of these should be done.  Some people pick up the Host and make the sign of the cross with it: this absolutely should not be done: you do not bless yourself with the Host—the blessing comes from Christ Who you are waving around rather than consuming!  You should receive with both hands, which is a problem for people holding a cane or who have use of only one hand: my advice to you is to receive on the tongue.  A few people who have the use of both hands hold up only one hand to receive, or worse present their fingers as if to pull it out of the minister’s hand: please present both hands, one under the other.  If you are holding a child and trying to present both hands for Communion, I also suggest you receive on the tongue.  No one’s going to force this, but as long as we’re dealing with the minutiae of Communion in the hand, I think it bears stating.

The minister will say, “The Body of Christ.”  You respond “Amen.”  There are people who do not say Amen.  There are a few who make some other response, but Amen is the proper and only response.  The minister should hear you say Amen: it is your personal assent to faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. 

Once the minister places the Host in your hand, take a step to the side and stop, pick up the Host and place it in your mouth.  Then you may proceed to the Cup or back to your seat.  There are a lot of people who, when the Host is placed in their hands, turn and start walking away.  I find this very disconcerting: I have no idea what happened to that Host.  Did you eat it, are you walking away with it?  Are you taking it somewhere?  Did you put it in your pocket?  Will it be desecrated?  The Blessed Sacrament cannot be taken out of this church: it is given to you to eat, not for you to take back to your pew or out to someone waiting in a car, or to take to the sick, or to break into pieces in your own private ritual.  Please just take a step to the side, where the minister can see out of the corner of his eye, stop, place the Host in your mouth, then walk.  You need to take the step to the side so that you do not slow down the procession: some people stay right in front of the minister to consume the Host, but it breaks the flow of the procession.  Communion in the hand is not so much a right as it is a privilege: if we’re going to do it, let’s do it right!

Now for the Precious Blood.  Please understand that you do not need to receive from the Cup in order to receive the whole Christ.  Jesus is present body, blood, soul, and Divinity whether you receive only the consecrated Host or just from the Cup.  Even just a piece of the Host is the whole Christ, just as a small sip from the Cup is the whole Christ (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1390; and General Instruction to the Roman Missal, #281-282).  So please be careful with crumbs or particles of the Host left on your hand: you should not brush the Body of Christ onto the floor but pick any crumbs large enough to grasp and consume them.  You have the option to receive from the Cup, unless you are unwell or believe you may have some germ or virus—then it’s prudent not to sip from a common cup for the sake of everyone else.  If you do present yourself to a minister with a Cup, the minister will say, “The Blood of Christ,” and you respond “Amen.”  Take the Cup firmly with both hands, take a small sip from the Cup, then return it with both hands carefully to the minister.  There are a few people who do not seem to realize that intinction is not allowed: meaning, you cannot take the Host you just received, walk over to a minister with the Cup, and dip the Host into the Precious Blood then consume the Host.  This is simply not allowed.  Intinction, or dipping the Host, is only allowed if the minister is doing it and placing it on your tongue.  It is not allowed for any person to dip the Host himself.  Those who help distribute Communion are instructed to not let this happen.  Some people take the Cup with only one hand: this is just not prudent, nor does it look reverential: use both hands and be careful not to spill or slosh the Blood of Christ.  Some people seem to be in such a hurry that they start to walk away while still handing the Cup back to the minister!  Take your time: it’s the Body and Blood of Christ we’re handling: we must be careful not to cause any mishandling because of inattention or familiarity.  We should be so careful, as St. Cyril taught, that we treat the Eucharist like it’s gold dust: we wouldn’t want to drop or spill even the tiniest amount.  He also taught “be careful not to lose any small particle; for whatever you lose is as much a loss to you as if it were one of your own limbs” (Cardinal Donald Wuerl, The Mass, p. 193-194).  And please only take a small sip: a few people take a whole mouthful, which leaves less for others behind you.  The sip should be enough to feel and swallow, about a tablespoon full.

The priest must receive Communion first.  If there is a Deacon assisting, he receives next.  Then those who have been commissioned by the Bishop to assist in the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass come forward to receive Communion and to be given the Sacred Vessels.  The ordinary minister of Holy Communion is the bishop and priest.  The ordinary minister of the Cup is the Deacon.  When there are not enough clergy to distribute Communion, lay people are allowed to assist as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.  They are not, nor should they be called “Eucharistic Ministers,” because, in fact, the Eucharistic Ministers are the clergy; the laity are auxiliary to the ordinary ministers, which makes them extra-ordinary.  The only people who are allowed to take the Eucharist out of the church are those commissioned to take Communion to the sick and shut-ins in our parish: they come forward after Communion to receive a blessing because they are leaving immediately and won’t be here for the final blessing of the Mass, so we bless them a little early.

Once you receive Communion, please return to your seat.  I mean to say specifically, do not leave church yet: Mass is not over until the priest or deacon says “the Mass is ended.”  You need to time pray, to thank God for the gift of His Son.  I realize that rarely there may be a need to leave, but you should see how many people leave during Communion!  I doubt they all have legitimate excuses, and I recognize the same people leaving every week: this is a bad habit and it needs to be corrected—please keep in mind that at the Last Supper Judas left early too!

There is much more to explain about the Communion Rite, which I will do next time.  If you have any questions or problems with my instruction on how to receive Holy Communion, please let me know.

Further reading:

A letter from Rome to US Bishops on Communion in the hand:

http://www.adoremus.org/1101Communionhand.html

Instruction on several actions and participation in Mass:

http://www.adoremus.org/Folsom-Signs-598.html

After the Preparation of the Gifts, when we each place our spiritual sacrifices on the Altar, we reach the “center and summit of the entire celebration: namely, the Eucharistic Prayer” (General Instruction to the Roman Missal (GIRM), #78).

It begins with a dialog which has been retranslated.  Again I remind you that starting this Advent we will begin saying some parts of the Mass differently.  This first part of the Eucharistic Prayer is called the Preface, a prayer to the Father that differs at every Mass, depending on the theme or season or feast day being celebrated.

“The preface is an invitation.  We’re approaching the most important part of the Mass, so we’re invited to stop, to reflect, and to lift our hearts and minds to God.  With this upward movement, we find that we on earth are joining the prayer of praise that heaven offers unceasingly” (The Mass, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, 2011, Doubleday, p. 149).  The dialog is part of the oldest words of the Mass, as recorded by St. Hippolytus in the year 200.  St. Cyprian explained, “The priest, by means of the preface before his prayer, prepares the minds of the people by saying ‘lift up your hearts’” (Wuerl, p. 147).  Since the Lord has ascended into Heaven, we need to consciously place ourselves above the earthly concerns that hold us down, and join the heavenly liturgy.

The priest says, “The Lord be with you.”  Now, remember, starting in Advent the new response IS…  “And with your spirit.”  The priest continues: “Lift up your hearts.”  And the response: “We lift them up to the Lord.”  (Some people actually raise their hands as a gesture at these words, but that is not necessary.)  The priest continues: “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God,” and the new response: “It is right and just.”  This response is rather different from what we’re used to; I suspect this literal translation sounds like in incomplete sentence in English, so the translators in 1968 invented a whole new phrase.  Now it “reflects the precise words of the Latin text. Once the assembly has assented that is right and just to give thanks, the priest can begin the [Preface by saying] ‘it is truly right and just’ to give thanks…” (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference website).

At the end of the Preface the priest says to God the Father that we now join our voices to the angels and saints in heaven by singing.  And what do we sing?  The words the Prophet Isaiah heard and recorded in chapter 6 of his prophecy (Is 6:3-4), the same words that John the Evangelist heard in his visions of heaven and recorded in Revelations (4:8).  It’s called the Sanctus, or the “Holy, Holy, Holy,” which Christians have been singing at this part of the Mass from the first decades of the Church.  The angels and the four living creatures sing this hymn continuously before the triune God, and at Mass “we worship beside them…as their equals before God!  …We’ve got power and might on our side…  We should make sure we give that song all we’ve got.  Did you ever watch a strong army march in formation?  The soldiers move in unified precision, and they chant with gusto and confidence.  That’s how we should proceed through the liturgy: confidently, joyfully” (The Lamb’s Supper, Scott Hahn, Doubleday, 1999, pp, 140-141).  We sing with the angels “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts [this word ‘host’ implies an army, a large formation of angels].  Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.”  “In the Mass, heaven and earth join in a single act of worship” (Wuerl, p. 150).  The Church added an additional acclamation to the angels’ song.  “With the crowds who hailed Jesus as He entered Jerusalem [on Palm Sunday], we say ‘Hosanna…blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.’ (Mt 21:9)  [The word “hosanna” comes from the Hebrew meaning both a plea for help from God, and a declaration of praise for the Messiah (Wikipedia)].  And so we accompany our Lord as He leads us into the heavenly Jerusalem…  As we sing this hymn, we should remember that we are as close to heaven as Isaiah and St. John were in those visions [they had].  St. John Chrysostom said of the Mass in his day: ‘The angels are present here…  The whole air about us is filled with angels’” (Wuerl, pp. 150-15). 

At the end of this hymn the congregation kneels as we welcome our God Who comes to us.  Kneeling is the correct posture not only because the rubrics require it, but because in the real presence of God we ought to lower ourselves in humble recognition of the God into Whose presence we enter.  Jesus has lowered Himself in the Incarnation, and now in the consecration: lowering ourselves by kneeling is only right.  If you cannot physically kneel, you can be seated.

I’m not going to go through each of the Eucharistic Prayers, but will keep my comments to what applies to all of them.  We have 12 Eucharistic prayers, and there are several features they all have in common. 

• The word “Eucharist” is from the Greek and means “thanksgiving,” which is what we are doing: thanking God “for the whole work of salvation” (GIRM, #79) and allowing us to participate in it by means of this ritual re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice. 
• We perform an acclamation, which is the “Holy, Holy, Holy,” acknowledging the Trinity with the angels and saints. 
• Then “the priest begs the Father to send the Holy Spirit so that the offerings may become the Body and Blood of Christ and that the faithful, by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God” (CCC 1105; see 1091-1109).  This is the part where the priest places his hands over the bread and wine; it’s called the epiclesis, in Greek it means to “invoke upon.”  “The gifts cannot be transformed by any human means, but only by the power of God…  By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word was made flesh and made his dwelling among us [in Mary]” (Wuerl, p. 155; see pp. 155-160).  The Holy Spirit also made the Apostles His living Body as the Church at Pentecost.  So it is that at every Mass the Holy Spirit transforms a material thing into the living Christ.
•  The Eucharistic Prayer then gives an account of the Last Supper, when Christ’s sacrifice was first offered in the form of a meal.  We call it the institution narrative: the words and actions of Christ are recalled because He said “Do this in memory of me,” and so we do.  The priest takes the words and actions of Jesus as his own; he does not say “Jesus said this is His Body, or this is His Blood, do this in memory of Him”: the priest stands in the place and in the very Person of Christ as he performs his ritual duty of offering what Christ offered and including your offerings with Christ’s.  (Mt 26:17-29; Mk 14:12-25; Lk 22:7-20; 1Cor 11:23-26) 
•  After the consecration the prayer continues with what is called the anamnesis, which is Greek for “remembering” (the word “amnesia” is Greek and means “forgetting,” so an-amnesis is the opposite of forgetting, that is, remembering).  Here we recall Christ’s Passion, death, and Resurrection as part of our fulfilling the command to “do this” in His memory.  There is a response that is usually sung at Sunday Mass, and this will be a little different starting at Advent.  Currently the priest sings or says, “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.”  But the words in Latin are simply: “The mystery of faith,” so this is what the priest will say.  The congregation’s response will be different as well.  “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again” has been removed from the choice of responses (this will take some getting used to); the three remaining memorial acclamations have been retranslated and we will have to learn them all over again.
• Then the prayer continues with an offering of Christ the Victim to the Father, as well as offering ourselves to God which we began with the Preparation of the gifts: we ourselves, not just our works or sacrifices, are a worthy offering to God.
• Then there are a series of intercessions for the Pope, the diocesan bishop, and the whole Church throughout the world.  We ask for the intercession of the angels and saints, and pray for the dead, for whom this Mass may be helpful in finishing their purification and entering Heaven.
• The entire Eucharistic Prayer, which began with the Preface, is concluded with what is called the Doxology, another Greek word that means “speaking praise.”  It’s a short verse praising God in which the priest concludes his prayer and the congregation responds.  When the priest sings or says “Through Him, with Him, in Him…” he is directing this conclusion to the Father by holding up His Son Jesus as our Victim and Savior and praising the Holy Trinity.  This whole prayer, during which the congregation is kneeling, ends with your response: “Amen!”  This is called the “Great Amen” because it concludes the great prayer of offering.  Sometimes the response to the Eucharistic Prayer is not so much “great” as mediocre; of all the amens spoken at Mass, this one requires our greatest and most enthusiastic response.  Sing “Amen” like you mean it!

When we stand we conclude the Eucharistic Prayer and begin the next part of the Mass, the Communion Rite.  Next time I will go into great detail about how to and how NOT to receive Communion.

Further reading:

General Instruction to the Roman Missal (the rules for how to celebrate the Mass): www.usccb.org/liturgy/current/GIRM.pdf

The Mass, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, 2011, Doubleday (this is a brand new book by the now-retired Archbishop of Philadelphia, using the newly translated texts of the Mass)

The Lamb’s Supper, Scott Hahn, Doubleday, 1999