Preparing for the Most Intense Encounter
The Mass accelerates, so to speak, after the Preparation of the Gifts as we get ready for the great climax. The priest leads us spiritually into a higher realm, beyond the material world, with various prayers and exclamations. We are getting ready to be intimately joined with Jesus Christ in a way that surpasses all other earthly ways. (Video Length, 7 minutes)
Questions for Reflection:
- What is the spiritual symbolism evoked when we say, “We lift our hearts up to the Lord”?
- What prayer at Mass mirrors how saints and angels worship in heaven?
- At the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest holds his hands over the bread and wine and says a prayer (called the First Epiclesis) that involves all three persons of the Trinity. What is he praying for at this point?
- When you spend an hour at Mass on the “mountain of the Lord,” what particular graces do you enjoy and receive personally? How do these graces arm you for life off the mountain in the “valley of tears”?