The Episcopal Eucharist Explained
I.
INTRODUCTION
Through this document we
will give particular thought and expression to one special way our Lord makes
himself known to us -- one way we celebrate his presence with us in the Holy
Eucharist. Eucharist comes from a Greek word which means
"thanksgiving." In the Eucharist we offer our thanks to God for his
great gifts to us, remembering especially the life and death and resurrection
of his Son our Lord Jesus Christ. The color for this day ... reminds us of the
season of the Church Year [explain].
Eucharist is only one name
for this service. In the Greek Church it is called the Divine Liturgy which
refers to God's people worshipping him together. Sometimes it is called the
Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper, and sometimes the
This is why for almost 2000
years, Christians have come together Sunday after Sunday and often during the
week. They have come to offer themselves to God and to receive Him into their
lives in a very special way.
It is important for us to
remember the Eucharist is not something that only a priest does; it is
something we do together. A priest cannot celebrate the Eucharist alone; there
must be at least one other person. What the priest does is represent us to God
at the altar and to represent Christ who feeds us with the strength of his Body
and Blood in the form of Bread and Wine.
There are two parts to the
Eucharist which we should keep in mind as we experience the service. The first
is "the Word of God," sometimes called the Ante-Communion
("ante" means "before"). This includes (1) the opening
prayers, (2) lessons from the Old and New Testaments appointed for the day, (3)
the Church's statement of faith, the Nicene Creed, and (4) the intercessions or
the prayers of the people. The second part of the Eucharist is called the Holy
Communion during which bread and wine are offered, consecrated or set apart,
and then received by God's people with thanksgiving.
The service usually begins
with a procession to the altar or the holy table which has been prepared in
advance by the Altar Guild. Like our dining table at our own home when we are
having a special dinner, there is a cloth spread over the table, and there are
candles. Here the candles remind us that Christ is the Light of the World
coming into our lives. If there are two candlesticks on the altar, we are also
reminded that our Lord is both Human and Divine, both perfect Man and perfect
God.
The procession also reminds
us that the People of God, through time and history are moving toward God's
Kingdom - - following the Cross of Christ, and bringing the Light of the Gospel
into all the world. Lets try to think of these things during the procession,
remembering that we are all part of God's family the Church.
The ministers - - that is
the clergy, vergers, acolytes, and choir members, wear vestments. Vestments
cover our ordinary clothing. This reminds us that the Church belongs to no
particular time or place because it is both universal (in all places) and
historic, (belonging to no specific time). It also keeps is from paying
attention to what people are wearing, whether their clothing is new or old, the
latest style or our of date. Other ministers may not wear vestments. At the
Cathedral, Lay Eucharistic Ministers who bear the chalice or those who take
Holy Communion to the sick and shut-in members of the parish,... as well as the
lectors and intercessors, those who read the lessons and prayers,... all wear
ordinary clothes. This is to remind us that we are all called to minister and
all share in "the priesthood of all believers." Not all Episcopal
Churches do things in exactly in the same way.
As the procession enters,
the congregation stands. This helps all of us to remember that we are all
participants in the Eucharist, offering God our prayers and praise together as
one family.
[All stand and sing the
opening hymn]
The first part of the
Eucharist, the SERVICE of the WORD OF GOD is very ancient. It comes to us from
a time before the birth of Jesus. The Jewish people came together to hear God's
word, to sing songs, and the pray together. Remember, it was Jesus who gave is
the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper.
When all in the procession
have taken their places, we begin our service by praising God, and by asking
him to make our thoughts pure, and to fill us with his love.
This first part of our
service is very ancient. It comes to us from the Jewish synagogue and consists
of prayers and readings from the Bible. There describe our lives together with
God, inspiring us in our Christian lives.
[PRIEST: BLESSED BE GOD
. . . COLLECT FOR PURITY]
[7:30: This is followed by
the reading of Christ's summary of the Law, stating simply our obligation of
love for God and for each other.
[7:30 - SUMMARY OF THE
LAW]
Next we ask God's mercy on
us all by saying together the KYRIE, a very ancient prayer "Lord, have
mercy", or else we say or sing together a song of praise such as the
Gloria which is printed in our Prayer Book or other appropriate songs.
[KYRIE OR GLORIA IN
EXCELSIS]
The celebrant now leads us
in a special prayer. This short prayer is called a COLLECT because it collects
our thoughts for a particular time or season of the Church's year.
[THE COLLECT FOR THE
DAY]
Now we are seated to hear
down to hear one or two readings from the Holy Bible. There may be a reading
from the Old Testament. One of the readings may be part of an EPISTLE. An
epistle is a letter.
It is generally our custom
to stand for praise, sit for instruction, and kneel for prayer. Not every church
follows the exact same pattern of standing, sitting or kneeling, so if you are
visiting another parish, try to do what the others are doing and you will feel
more at home.
The Verger escorts the
readers to the lectern. This emphasizes the importance of hearing God's Word.
A lay minister called a
Lector usually reads the lesson or lessons from the Holy Bible. Lay ministers
remind us that we all take part in the worship of the Church. At the end of
each lesson the reader says :The Word of the Lord."
[To which we reply:
"Thanks be to God."]
Remember that
"liturgy" means worshipping together. It is important that we make
our responses in a good, strong voice.
[The Old Testament and
the Epistle]
Between the lessons and the
reading from the Holy Gospel there is usually a hymn or a psalm or a special
setting for the choir. The Gospel is always read by a member of the clergy, and
if possible, it is read by a Deacon. On special occasions, the Gospel may be
sung or chanted.
On most occasions, there is
a "Gospel Procession". The Gospel Book is carried into the nave or
center part of the Church. The Gospel Procession may be led by a verger and
candles; in some parishes incense is used to symbolize the prayers of the
people ascending to God. Wherever we are in the church, we turn to face the
Gospel book and reader.
The Gospel Procession
teaches us that it is our responsibility to carry the Good News of Jesus Christ
into all the world.
Making the Sign of the
Cross at this time asks God's blessing on our minds our words, and our hearts.
[THE GOSPEL]
A sermon or a shorter
teaching called a homily follows the Gospel. It usually explains some of the
teachings in the Gospel and other lessons.
Today this instruction will
take the place of the sermon, so let us now stand and say together the words of
our faith as we affirm the power and love of God as he has been revealed to us
in his mighty acts. The Nicene Creed most clearly states the Church's teaching
of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Creed expresses the faith of the
whole Church.
The word CREED means
belief; the CREEDS of the Church teach us God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Spirit. They also remind us of how much God loves us as his children.
Many people bow their heads
when the name JESUS is said in the creed. In this way they show their reverence
for the Lord and for his holy Name. Bowing at the words which tell of Jesus
birth (. . . came down from heaven . . . and was made man . . ." is another
way we can show respect and honor to God. Making the sign of the cross at the
end of the creed reminds us that at our baptism we were signed with the sign of
the cross and made Christ's own forever. Such acts of reverence are ways in
which we show outwardly what we believe inwardly.
[THE NICENE CREED]
We now turn our attention
to Christ's Church and the world. Together, we pray for the Church, for world
leaders, for ourselves, and for the departed. The whole church, past and
present, is united together in prayer. The names of persons who are in need of
our prayers and often added at this point, and there is usually an opportunity
for us to speak out loud the names of people we especially want to pray for.
[THE INTERCESSION]
Now we ask God's
forgiveness for those things we have done and left undone. Confession is a very
important part of prayer whether we do it privately or in church with others.
We all need God's forgiveness, and we know that he will forgive us when we come
to him in faith and love and true repentance. After all have made their
confession, the Priest says the words of ABSOLUTION, or forgiveness, assuring
us that God has forgiven all those who have made a sincere confession of their
sins.
[CONFESSION AND
ABSOLUTION]
The first part of the service
is now completed. We greet one another joyfully in the spirit of friendship and
reconciliation and in the love of God, exchanging the PEACE with one another.
THE PASSING THE PEACE is a
very ancient way for people to greet one another. Jesus taught us that we
should love one another as sisters and brothers, and that we should forgive one
another as God forgives us. When the celebrant says: "The Peace of the
Lord be always with you," everyone responds: "And also with you.
"Then we share God's peace with one another.
[THE PEACE]
II.
THE HOLY COMMUNION
[THE OFFERTORY SENTENCE]
The Eucharist or the Great
Thanksgiving begins with the offertory sentence which reminds us that all we
have is God's gift and that we are offering his gifts back to him.
We now begin the second
part of the Eucharist. There are four parts to this service. The First is our
offering of bread and the wine. The second is the prayer of thanksgiving and
the consecration of the bread and the wine. The third is the breaking of the
bread. The fourth is the receiving of communion.
In the early days of the
Church, worshippers brought their own bread and wine to the service. The
deacons chose what was needed for the consecration, and the rest was set aside
for the poor. Today we usually have lay persons who bring the bread and the
wine to the altar. These may be either people from the congregation or acolytes
in the sanctuary. The bread and the wine along with money collected at some
services are the offerings that will be presented to God.
The bread and wine are
called OBLATIONS. Bread, wine and money offered at the Altar represent our
lives, our work, our recreation, our families and our community. In other
words, we offer to God all that we have and all that we do. This is called
STEWARDSHIP.
[THE OFFERTORY]
The minister of the altar,
a priest or a deacon, "sets the table" by laying first a corporal, a
white linen cloth, on which are placed a chalice (a cup for the wine) and a
paten (a plate for the bread). The purpose of the corporal is to hold any
crumbs which may come from the bread. Next, wine is poured into the chalice and
a little water is added. This reminds us of the blood and the water that
appeared when Jesus' side was pierced by a spear at the crucifixion. Tradition
says that the wine and water together represent both the humanity and the
divinity of Jesus, that he is both Man and God, and that we are called to share
with him in his risen life.
Before the Eucharist
begins, an acolyte pours a little water over the priest's fingers. This reminds
us that we should all come to God's altar with clean hands and pure hearts. It
has long been the custom for the head of the Jewish household to wash his hands
in a similar way before the prayers at the Passover meal. Jesus probably did
this at the Last Supper.
The Holy Table or Altar
having been prepared, the Eucharist continues with "Lift up your
heart" - - the "Sursum Corda". This is followed by the
"Sanctus", the ancient hymn: "Holy, Holy, Holy," followed
by the "Benedictus": "Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the
Lord..." reminding us that our Lord does come to us in the Holy Communion,
and that he is made known to us in "the breaking of the bread.".
[SURSUM CORDA, SANCTUS
AND BENEDICTUS]
The Priest now says the
GREAT THANKSGIVING or the PRAYER OF CONSECRATION.
This prayer reminds us of
God's love for us, that we turned away from him, and that he sent his Son Jesus
Christ to share our human nature and to live and die as one of us, so that we
might be brought back to God. We are also told of Christ's death on the cross,
a perfect sacrifice for the whole world, and we are reminded of the Last Supper
and the words Jesus spoke over the bread and the wine. Finally, we ask for the
gift of God's holy Spirit and that we might faithfully receive the precious
gift of Christ's Body and Blood in the form of Bread and Wine.
In a very real way, the
Holy Eucharist is a drama. It reenacts the offering of Christ and makes it real
in our lives. Whether we "feel" Christ's presence or not. He is with
us, according to his promise.
[THE PRAYER OF
CONSECRATION]
[THE LORD'S PRAYER]
At the first Eucharist and
in those of the early Church, it was necessary to break the loaves or cakes of
bread so that they could be distributed for Communion. For many this breaking
of bread has a special meaning: it has become a reminder of the breaking of our
Lord's Body on the Cross. To symbolize this the celebrants breaks the bread
saying "Allelulia, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." ... to
which the people respond: "Therefore, let us keep the feast,
Allelulia."
[THE FRACTION]
[THE INVITATION]
The gifts we presented to
God in the offertory are now returned to us. Because God has accepted them,
they are changed. They have become the spiritual Body and Blood of Christ.
Through them we receive God's Power, Love, and Strength . . . his very life.
[THE COMMUNION OF THE
PEOPLE]
The gifts we gave at the
offertory, the bread and the wine, are now returned to us. But because God has
accepted them and used them for his purpose, they are changed. They are not for
us the Body and Blood of Christ ... his Power, Love and his strength.
Instructions for receiving
communion are printed in the program, but let me remind you again how to
receive the Bread and the Wine. For the bread, place your right hand over your
left and hold them up chest high so that the priest can easily place the bread
on the palm of your hand. You may then consume it or leave it for the minister
to dip or intinct it in the wine and then place it in your mouth. If you wish
to receive the chalice, please guide it to your lips. If you do not wish to
receive the wine, cross your arms over your chest and the chalice bearer will
pass by. After you have received the Bread and the Wine, it is appropriate to
say "AMEN."
As soon as everyone has
received Communion, the Bread and Wine are reverently removed to the sacristy
where the chalice and paten cleaned and put away according to the custom of the
parish. Some of the consecrated Bread and Wine may be reserved for the sick and
those who are unable to come to church. It is kept in the Aumbry - - the
beautifully adorned cabinet over which the sanctuary light burns - - symbolic
of the Presence of the Risen Lord.
At the principal services on
Sunday morning, Lay Eucharistic Visitors come forward to take the Consecrated
Bread to the sick and shut-in members of our Cathedral congregation so that
they might share with us in Holy Communion. In other words, since they cannot
come to Church, we take Church to them.
It is almost time for us to
go, but we should not leave before we say together the prayer of thanksgiving.
After this, the priest will give us God's blessing.
[THE PRAYER OF
THANKSGIVING]
We now prepare leave the
Cathedral. The procession leads us out into the world around us so that we may
do the work that God has called us to do . . . wherever we may be: in our
homes, in our schools, in our work and in our play. We have been fed with
spiritual Food. God has given us the strength to live our lives as faithful
followers of Christ our Lord.
Finally, the Deacon will
send us forth to do the work that God has called us to do, and we all respond
by saying: "Thanks be to God."
*****
We have concluded the
Eucharist where we began, in the midst of life, in a world where there is
suffering and need. But we are centered, as Christ was, in a life to be lived
and shared. The Eucharist is the work of the people of God together. It is not
a service confined to Sunday morning. Rather, it is a way of life. It is the
essence of life itself.
[THE RECESSIONAL]
[THE DISMISSAL]