The Eucharist: Offer and Receive - John 6:41-51
“Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
The crowd in this section of chapter six of John’s Gospel is struggling to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the bread of life. Jesus addresses their murmuring by speaking of his relationship with the Father and then declaring that whoever believes in him “has eternal life” and that whoever feeds on him, the “living bread that came down from heaven… will live forever.” Jesus has placed this OFFER of salvation before the crowd. Now it is up to them to RECEIVE it.
In the Liturgy of the Eucharist of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass the one offering of Jesus on the cross to the Father as expiation for our sins is made present to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. We unite our own offerings – all that we are and have – to his and, in doing so, receive in Holy Communion the pledge of eternal life and the one who leads us there.
The Preparation of the Altar and Presentation of the Gifts – we bring our offerings in the form of bread and wine to the altar.
The Prayer over the Offerings – we pray that the Lord may accept and transform our offerings.
The Eucharistic Prayer – we give thanks to God for the work of salvation (Preface), we join the powers of heaven in praising God (Holy, Holy, Holy), we call upon the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the gifts of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, we recall the words and actions of Christ at the Last Supper when he offered his Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine, we remember the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ (his Paschal Mystery), we offer Christ as the sacrificial Victim for our sins in the Holy Spirit to the Father for the salvation of the world, we pray for the living and the dead, and we give glory to God.
The Lord's Prayer – we pray the perfect prayer, asking for our daily bread and forgiveness of our sins.
The Sign of Peace – we express our charity and communion with one another.
The Lamb of God – we break the one Bread of Life that we will all receive, signifying that though many we are one Body.
Holy Communion – we receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ, which unites us to him and to one another.
The Prayer after Communion – we pray that what we have just received may bear fruit in our lives and lead us to the life to come.
Rev. Christopher R. Seibt
Pastor of Sacred Heart and Divine Mercy Parishes
Vice Chancellor of the Diocese of Syracuse