Oct 19 Thu
The Presence of Christ in the Mass
The Mass contains a great treasure, especially because Christ himself is present in it. His presence is expressed in various ways; four times in the liturgy it is said: "The Lord be with you".
The original “Dominus vobiscum” could have been translated into English, as:
"[May] the Lord be with you", in the subjunctive mode; it points to a desire: hopefully Christ will be more deeply rooted in you.
Or, in the indicative mode, "The Lord is with you", that describes reality.
The Latin language includes both aspects.
(1) At the beginning of Mass: Christ’s presence IN THE ASSEMBLY.
"Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst." It is a real presence, not merely intentional.
Every baptized person is called to be, together with other Christians –and especially on Sunday– a symbol of a communion that is above our divisions, to such an extent that St. Cyprian says that "the Church is unified in the image of the Trinity".
Every Eucharistic assembly is a local congregation of the universal Church, a sign that manifests her. The Lord is with her. He convokes it. The holy assembly is a foretaste of the heavenly Jerusalem, a figure and proclamation of a hope that will find its fulfillment beyond space and time.
(2) Before the Gospel: Christ’s presence in the proclaimed WORD
Real presence as well. In the liturgical celebration of the word of God, the presence of Christ with the Holy Spirit is affirmed. God the Father, as Irenaeus of Lyons writes, works through his two arms: the Son, and the Spirit.
He who spoke through the prophets is the same one who now speaks through the reader.
(3) In the Preface: Christ’s presence in the CELEBRANT
The Eucharistic prayer is about to begin, the moment when heaven is closest to earth. It is the prayer of Christ and of the Church, in whose bosom the whole work of our redemption is accomplished.
Now, the greeting acts as a wake-up call to help us discover that it is Christ –whom we hear in the voice of the priest– who acts.
With the greeting, the priest is overcome by the mystery that transcends him absolutely. For the community, it is an opportunity to verify whether our hearts are truly raised to participate in the eternal Liturgy of the Jerusalem of heaven.
(4) In the final blessing: Christ is present SENDING US
This last greeting confirms us that we have become what we have taken: christified. The Lord is with us, and now we are ready for our mission: "Glorify God with your lives; you can go in peace".
At the beginning of the Mass, we were "con-vocated" by the Lord; now, we are "sent" to be “the Church” in the middle of the world.
If a simple greeting opens for us unsuspected horizons, what other riches of meaning can we not find in other equally important elements of the Ordinary of the Mass?
Video: