LITURGY, A TRUE PROFESSION OF FAITH

We all know that the first Supper was extremely simple. Why has this rite been enriched over time?

The purpose of the liturgy is the doctrine preservation.

When prayers are directed to God by the Minister of the service at the altar with his back to the congregation, he offers a sacrifice of praise to God. Eucharist means "thanksgiving". In sacrificial acts, the minister faces the altar, holy place of the sacrifices, representing the whole congregation. However, he doesn't offer the body and the blood of Christ, but everything that God gives us, mainly our faith.

When the ministers kneel down at the utterance of the Words of Institution, they are conserving the doctrine that the Almight Word of God have to operates the eucharistical miracle, without human participation, without the need of sacerdotal unction . We worship the Word of God that gives life!

When the bread is raised up, it is testified that the true body of Our Lord Jesus Christ is in, with and under the bread, substantially.

When the cup is raised up, it is annouced that the true blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same one that was shed on the cross, is substantially included in  the wine that so becomes blood-wine.

The prayers that follow this are directed to Christ bodily present, included also in the all the elements. Christ is presented as the Lamb of God who removes all the sins of the world. Here is the highest point of all this anamnesis. 

When people kneel down before the elements to receive them as eucharistical components, they are not idolizing these elements, because they are sure that Christ is within them.

We can sum up the whole eucharistical liturgy in two words: Memory and announcement.

This is the true memory (anamnesis) of Lord's Supper, according to what was ordered to the apostles and to the Church. God doesn't want any different memory of this.

The whole rite, therefore, serve to the noble purpose of preserving the dogma of the real and corporal presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

The liturgy is also catechetic, because it teaches us about the true doctrine. The body that is eaten is the same body that was crucified and which died for the remission of our sins. The blood that is drunk is the same blood shed for remission of our sins. That's why St. Paul sad that every time we eat the bread and drink the wine, we announce the Lord's death until he comes back.

Author: Carlos Leão.

Translator: Leonardo Simões.

Image taken from the internet.