1. Going back to the time of Jesus, what is the root of this particular aspect of the mass? Over the centuries, how has this developed into what is practiced today?
As stated by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul Minneapolis, “the word liturgy comes from a Greek term meaning public work or work done on behalf of the people” (2014). In regards to the Catholicism, this definition can be interpreted as contributing to the church as a follower of the Catholic faith. The Liturgy of the Eucharist, which was evident in the St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Mass, originated from the Last Supper. This sacred event is significant to the Catholic Church, as on the night of Holy Thursday Jesus Christ gave his disciples the bread and wine saying, “...Do this in remembrance of Me”, which subsequently formed the basis for the Liturgy of the Word. …show more content…
The 29th of November 1964 is the date marking the recognition of the Sacred Liturgy. Formerly known as the “new era of liturgical renewal” (O’Toole, 2008), the ritual has since been solely presented in English, in contrast to its prior language of Latin. Furthermore, in celebratory occasions such as Communion, before receiving and consuming the wafer, the priest states “the Body of Christ”, which over the centuries replaced the Latin response of “Corpus Christi”.
2. What processes took place during this liturgy (preparation, procedures and objects/symbols)? What is their religious significance?
On the 5th of August 2016, Father Joseph Dooley led a mass in celebration of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. The Liturgy of the Eucharist was traditionally presented, with three significant processes formally recognised as the Presentation of the Gifts, the Eucharistic Prayer, and the Communion Rite. Following the Prayers of the Faithful, the Liturgy of the Eucharist commenced with the gifts being brought forward to the altar by a student and a staff member. In the Catholic Church, this form of preparation is a symbol of the connection held between the early church “...where people brought up bread and wine which they worked to make for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper...” (Our Catholic Faith, 20¬16). As the gifts were placed on the altar, Father Dooley began to prepare the bread and wine to be offered. The gifts were then blessed with a prayer and subsequently, the water was added to the wine in a chalice accompanied by the prayer, “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you, fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life”, with the response of “Blessed be God forever”. In the Catholic Church, the gifts are symbolic of human civilisation and how through the Preparation of the Gifts, the methods in which humans have followed are recognised as the cultivation of wheat and grapes. Most significantly, Father Dooley performed the ‘laying of the hands’, a symbolic act that signifies one calling down the Holy Spirit (Together At One Altar, 2016). He then progressed onwards with the Eucharistic Prayer by extending his hands over the bread and wine to transition the gifts from their original state to the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This procedure is described as the thanksgiving and transubstantiation of the gifts and is noted as the conversion of the Eucharistic elements. After the Eucharistic Prayer, the congregation proceeded to pray together and gave thanks to God. As the members of assembly approached the altar, Father Dooley and other representatives of the school presented the Eucharist proclaiming “the Body of Christ”, by which the recipient responded “Amen”. This response is symbolic of the belief that the wafer is, in fact, the Body of Christ (USCCB, 2016). The St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day Mass, namely the Liturgy of the Eucharist, personally is a meaningful aspect of the mass, which provides the congregation an opportunity to unify as one in faith. 3. For the Catholic congregation present, how does this aspect connect the congregation to their faith? In regards to the Catholic Church, the Eucharist is derivative from the words and actions of Jesus Christ at his Last Supper. For early Christians, this ritual was the process by which Jesus Christ ordered them to give thanks and praise to
As stated by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul Minneapolis, “the word liturgy comes from a Greek term meaning public work or work done on behalf of the people” (2014). In regards to the Catholicism, this definition can be interpreted as contributing to the church as a follower of the Catholic faith. The Liturgy of the Eucharist, which was evident in the St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Mass, originated from the Last Supper. This sacred event is significant to the Catholic Church, as on the night of Holy Thursday Jesus Christ gave his disciples the bread and wine saying, “...Do this in remembrance of Me”, which subsequently formed the basis for the Liturgy of the Word. …show more content…
The 29th of November 1964 is the date marking the recognition of the Sacred Liturgy. Formerly known as the “new era of liturgical renewal” (O’Toole, 2008), the ritual has since been solely presented in English, in contrast to its prior language of Latin. Furthermore, in celebratory occasions such as Communion, before receiving and consuming the wafer, the priest states “the Body of Christ”, which over the centuries replaced the Latin response of “Corpus Christi”.
2. What processes took place during this liturgy (preparation, procedures and objects/symbols)? What is their religious significance?
On the 5th of August 2016, Father Joseph Dooley led a mass in celebration of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. The Liturgy of the Eucharist was traditionally presented, with three significant processes formally recognised as the Presentation of the Gifts, the Eucharistic Prayer, and the Communion Rite. Following the Prayers of the Faithful, the Liturgy of the Eucharist commenced with the gifts being brought forward to the altar by a student and a staff member. In the Catholic Church, this form of preparation is a symbol of the connection held between the early church “...where people brought up bread and wine which they worked to make for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper...” (Our Catholic Faith, 20¬16). As the gifts were placed on the altar, Father Dooley began to prepare the bread and wine to be offered. The gifts were then blessed with a prayer and subsequently, the water was added to the wine in a chalice accompanied by the prayer, “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you, fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life”, with the response of “Blessed be God forever”. In the Catholic Church, the gifts are symbolic of human civilisation and how through the Preparation of the Gifts, the methods in which humans have followed are recognised as the cultivation of wheat and grapes. Most significantly, Father Dooley performed the ‘laying of the hands’, a symbolic act that signifies one calling down the Holy Spirit (Together At One Altar, 2016). He then progressed onwards with the Eucharistic Prayer by extending his hands over the bread and wine to transition the gifts from their original state to the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This procedure is described as the thanksgiving and transubstantiation of the gifts and is noted as the conversion of the Eucharistic elements. After the Eucharistic Prayer, the congregation proceeded to pray together and gave thanks to God. As the members of assembly approached the altar, Father Dooley and other representatives of the school presented the Eucharist proclaiming “the Body of Christ”, by which the recipient responded “Amen”. This response is symbolic of the belief that the wafer is, in fact, the Body of Christ (USCCB, 2016). The St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day Mass, namely the Liturgy of the Eucharist, personally is a meaningful aspect of the mass, which provides the congregation an opportunity to unify as one in faith. 3. For the Catholic congregation present, how does this aspect connect the congregation to their faith? In regards to the Catholic Church, the Eucharist is derivative from the words and actions of Jesus Christ at his Last Supper. For early Christians, this ritual was the process by which Jesus Christ ordered them to give thanks and praise to