What does the word Eucharist mean?

The Greek noun εὐχαριστία (eucharistia) comes from two words:

eu (εὖ), meaning 'well' or 'good';

charis (χάρις), meaning 'grace', 'favour', 'gratitude', or 'thanks'.

Together, they convey the meaning of grateful thanksgiving for God's gifts.

The psalmist declares (Ps 116):

A thanksgiving cup I will raise; I will call on the Lord's name.

To participate in Mass is to participate in a feast of joy. Behind the grey walls of distraction, doubt, and discouragement, there is the joy of the risen Christ, who comes to us under the appearances of bread and wine.

It is well to be here. We are truly blessed.

A practical guide to Eucharistic Adoration

In which sacrament are the mystery and saving fruits of Christ's Incarnation, earthly ministry, passion, death and resurrection most fully made present and given to us? The answer is the Eucharist..  Writing in the Introduction to the Devout Life, Saint, Doctor and bishop St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) describes  the Mass as the sun of the spiritual exercises – the centre and heart of Christian faith and life.  For him, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a prolongation of our participation in the Eucharist. He writes of participation in the Mass in these words:

Saint Chrysostom says that the Angels crowd around it in adoration, and if we are found together with them, united in one intention, we cannot but be most favourably influenced by such society. Moreover, all the heavenly choirs of the Church triumphant, as well as those of the Church militant, are joined to our Dear Lord in this divine act, so that with Him, in Him, and by Him, they may win the favour of God the Father, and obtain His Mercy for us.

Making time for thanksgiving

Receiving Holy Communion is a precious moment in our lives.  There was a time when many Catholics received Holy Communion only a few times each year, often most notably during the Easter season. Today, amongst regular Mass-goers, frequent reception is very much the norm.

The whole of the Mass is an act of thanksgiving, which is reflected in the very meaning of the word eucharistia in Greek or 'Eucharist'.  We thank the Lord for coming to us, dying for us and rising again. We thank him for coming to us in Holy Communion.  It is right and fitting to make time to give thanks in personal prayer in the moments following reception. This, also, may take the form of a mindful awareness of the Lord’s presence in us and in those around us.  In practice and notwithstanding the time of silence that may be practiced for a few moments towards the end of the Communion rite before the Communion prayer, the time to the final dismissal is typically short.  The General Instruction of the Roman Missal specifically provides for sacred silence after Communion:

When the distribution of Communion is over, if appropriate, the Priest and faithful pray quietly for some time.

The wisdom of St Pius of Pietrelcina

St Pius of Pietrelcina or, Padre Pio (1887-1968), has had a huge popular following in Ireland.  Devotion to the Capuchin Franciscan saint who carried what is known as the ‘stigmata’ (physical wounds corresponding to those suffered by Christ in his Passion) has touched every parish in Ireland at some point in the recent decades.  His life was given to prayer, penance, ministry of the sacraments and works of love for the sick, in particular. In his sufferings, he lived the Mass and gave his life for others.

One of his famous sayings was:

It would be easier for the world to exist without the sun than without the Holy Mass.

Padro Pio’s way of celebrating Mass was remarkable in a number of ways. In it, he entered deeply into the mystery of Christ's Passion.  Mass could take a longer time than usual as he poured himself out at the altar in contemplation.  Various accounts recount that Padre Pio wept at Mass on occasions; that he paused in silence for extended periods; and appeared overwhelmed at the consecration.

Scaling the heights

 

Staying with the Great Thanksgiving we reach the centre and summit of the Mass. Everything in the Liturgy of the Word leads us toward it, and everything in the Communion Rite flows from it. In this great prayer:

1. We give thanks – the very word Eucharist means thanksgiving.
2. We remember – not merely recalling, but actively entering into Christ’s Paschal Mystery in the here and now.
3. We invoke the Spirit – asking the Holy Spirit to sanctify the gifts and the gathered Church.
4. We unite ourselves with Christ’s sacrifice made present on the altar.

There is enough here to keep us occupied for an eternity.  Who said mass was boring?

Today is the feast of St Thomas Aquinas [see the blog, The Angelic Doctor]