Liturgy of the Bread
by Fr. Erasto Fernandez
Recalling that 'memorial' means to 'make present again' the very actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, we now go on to see how we actually do this at our Eucharist. We begin by taking up the first of Jesus' four actions: He took the bread!
Initially, at this point in the Eucharist, i.e. after the Prayers of the Faithful, in order to 'take the bread' as Jesus did, a collection was taken up to help the poor and needy in the community. The faithful brought all kinds of material gifts, usually things that represented their very lives. Among these gifts would be also the bread and wine needed for the Eucharist. We recall that at that time, each family 'specialized' in one particular trade - and so they brought to the Eucharist "the work of human hands", the fruits of their daily labour, and generously shared these with the needy. At the end of the Eucharist the deacons/deaconesses who were set apart precisely for this work, would distribute all the gifts collected to the needy in the community.
As time went on the lay faithful gradually became estranged from the celebration, partly because of Latin, and also because they were not all that spiritually enlightened. Again, the number of Christians had increased considerably with the result that it became difficult to know who were the needy ones or how to reach out to them effectively. Thus, over the years, this practice of taking up gifts gradually died off - but the general idea of making a contribution still remained. Now the person/family that 'offered' the Eucharist would 'pay' for the requirements of bread, wine, candles and other things needed for the Eucharist. This contribution was initially meant to cover the distribution to the poor also - but eventually it was limited only to supplying the needs of the clergy. Soon, at least in the minds of the people, this began to be seen as a "price-tag" attached to each Eucharist. Haven't we all come across people, even in our own day and age, who ask: 'Father, how much does the Mass cost?'
Back to the Sources
Vatican II re-introduced the practice of the Preparation (Presentation) of the Gifts. However, the idea of a compulsory donation is far from the mind of the Council. What is expected is that each person who wishes to make an offering reflects how much s/he has experienced God's love during the week. And the reasoning underlying all this is: 'If God has blessed me so lavishly, I would like to share at least a part of that blessing with my needy brothers and sisters. God will not refuse to bless me in the future as well, and so I don't have to greedily store everything for myself against the future. As he has provided for me through others, so through me he continues to provide for others.'
Gifts Symbolize and Embody Ourselves
Everyone understands that what is put into the collection box is simply a token or symbolic gift given in gratitude for what the Lord has done for us. It is further as a symbol of ourselves that we bring the bread and wine to the altar, signifying that we are now ready to surrender ourselves totally into God's hands and obey his will. For, as pointed out in the Liturgy of the Word God asks us: "Have you seen how much I love you? Now therefore, if you will obey My commandments, you shall be my very own (covenanted) people, My precious possession."
So, the presentation of gifts is meant to be our answer to that question - 'will you obey?' If we really give ourselves lovingly, wholly and unconditionally in obedience, then evidently we will give more generously - not necessarily in terms of amount, but in 'quality.' We recall the story of the Widow's Mite here - while she had only two little coins, she put into the treasury 'all that she had to live on.' The key point then is the 'quality' rather than the quantity of the gifts that are presented.
Besides, this gift expresses the genuine self-giving of the Christian. And so, if it is tainted with any selfish considerations like, 'I want everyone to know me as one who gives more than others,' or again, 'I give this much to God so that he may give me more in return,' then the entire beauty of the gift is lost. Jesus warned us: 'Don't let your left hand know what your right hand does.' The giving is in relationship to God (for the benefit of the community, undoubtedly) and not with reference to the praise or acclaim of the community.
Preferably in Silence
Since the gift given at this time is very personal, it is recommended that the entire period be spent in silence. A hymn is generally sung only to accompany the procession with the gifts and should stop once the gifts reach the altar. In silence, the community is invited to reflect on the 'quality' of the gift each makes, the depth of gratitude s/he experiences. Further, since the bread and wine represent the actual lives of the community members, we need to recall the truth that Jesus can transform only what the community places on the altar. If 5 hosts are brought to the altar, Jesus can transform (consecrate/sanctify) only 5. In other words, only what we consciously bring to the altar is accessible to transformation. And the same holds for ourselves too: if I consciously bring only 5% of my life and present it to the Father, then he will be able to transform and sanctify only that 5% of my life. So, each person needs to reflect on how much of his life he consciously surrenders or opens up to the Lord for transformation. It is worth remembering that we will receive only as much as we give - because that is the amount of 'room' we have made for God in our lives.
Lastly, it is understood that the giving at the Eucharist will overflow into a similar generous self-giving throughout the day. Thus, the faithful continue the 'taking of the bread' in their daily lives. It is worth recalling also that there is no 'offering' at this point and so any explicit reference to offering (as in some of the hymns sung at this time) should either be avoided or explained - as a 'preparing to offer'. The gifts we bring will be 'offered' after they have been transformed and in-spirited during the Eucharist Prayer. At the time of the gifts, their value is minimal; they become precious and worthy of offering only after being transformed into Jesus. Note how often the words 'offer', 'offering' come in the prayers that the celebrant prays soon after the Institution Narrative.
The action of 'taking the bread' ends with the Prayer over the gifts. The preparation is largely functional and preparatory in character and hence should not be highlighted. Elaborate processions with a series of gifts, long-drawn singing and so on would certainly be out of place. Nevertheless, the actual 'presentation' of the gifts into the hands of the Celebrant should never be omitted. In other words, the gifts should not be placed on the altar from the start of the Eucharist.
God loves a cheerful giver!
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Copyright © Fr. Erasto Fernandez. All rights reserved.
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