In an earlier blog I introduced you to Brother Augustine and his definition of the Eucharist as a Sacrifice, a Meal, and Presence. I discussed in that blog, the Eucharist as a Sacrifice.

The Eucharist’s second definition is that of a meal. Nourishment for our bodies, but more for our souls. That first Eucharist was indeed a full meal, the Passover meal, that Jesus desired to celebrate with His friends. When we share a meal with friends, we probably get much more nourishment for our minds and our spirits than we do from the steak or barbequed chicken, or some gourmet meal. And Jesus’ friends were no different. They wanted to be with Him as they sensed the end was at hand. While they may have shared the typical Passover dinner, it was the bread and wine Jesus focused on. This bread and wine become the Body and Blood that will nourish us. The rest of the meal they shared that night was like the rest of the Liturgy. It all leads up to the Eucharist, but it is important too. Jesus was so concerned about how and where the meal would be celebrated, that he sent his disciples to seek out this particular location, known as The Upper Room. We have our own particular upper room in our church buildings. The building itself, the art work, and the environment that some committee in your congregation carefully plans with the appropriate colors on the altar, candles, banners, etc. And Jesus blessed the food before offering it, just as the priest does In Persona Christi at every Mass. You might wonder why we need the Collect, the Eucharistic Prayers, the Prayers of the Faithful, etc. but it is all planned to do what Jesus did—gather His disciples, teach His disciples, and then offering Himself as the Meal. 

If you find the Mass confusing, you might want to read a book or take a course in Liturgy. Perhaps you can ask your Pastor to conduct a class. I was fortunate enough to have two pastors that really wanted their flock to be aware of what everything in the Mass means. One held a five-minute “Mass Matters” talk before every weekend Mass, where he explained one aspect of the Mass each week, for example the Collect, or the Eucharistic Prayer, or maybe the music or the color of the vestments. The other pastor developed an eight-week course in the Liturgy to help people understand everything we do and what it means, for example when we sit, when we kneel, and when we stand, and what our gestures mean, but obviously much more was covered in eight weeks, including the history of the liturgy. 

Think again of going to a friend’s home for a meal. You are probably greeted at the door, perhaps with an embrace or kiss. You enjoy the ambience, perhaps flowers and candles on the table, and then you savor the meal. But do you get up and leave as soon as you’ve had the meal? No. Probably you will have coffee and chit chat after the meal. Maybe you even help clear the table and stack the dishwasher. While this isn’t exactly what happens at Mass, there is a time of gathering, recollecting our sinfulness, praising God through song and word, listening to the word of God being proclaimed in the readings and explained through the homily, a time of preparation, the Eucharist, and the closing blessing among other things. Preparing ourselves for this Meal is important, and thanking God after the Meal is also important. 

Learn more about the Eucharist and about encountering Jesus in my latest book, Three Mountains, A Road and A Well.