Reflection: The Communion Rite Part I

Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2023

One of the unique aspects of a Catholic Mass, especially compared to the worship services of other Christian denominations, is the constant shifting between sitting, standing and kneeling. We sit, then we stand, then we sit again, then stand again, kneel, stand and so on. It’s tedious just to describe the process, so we all know full well how tedious the process of actually performing these actions can be. But there are two ways we can approach this diversity of posture within the Mass: we either become so used to it that it doesn’t bother us, or we can really try to understand why we do it.

Our participation through physical movements should indicate what is going on in the Mass. When we sit, we are meant to be receiving something, either the words of Scripture, a liturgical prayer or even the homily. When we stand, we are no longer in the act of receiving but now in the act of being even more attentive, and we are all doing it together. When we kneel, we are humbling ourselves by lowering ourselves physically, while constantly reminding ourselves of how God lowered himself to humanity for the sake of our salvation.

After the Amen following the Eucharistic Prayer, the congregation shifts from a kneeling position to a standing position. Now that we have returned to a moment of active attention as a community, we remind ourselves of one of the most important parts of Christ’s public ministry. He came to offer us salvation through his sacrifice, but he made sure to make the most of the time he spent living among us. Along the way, he instructed us on how to live a life dedicated to Christ.

The best way to do this, and to always do it actively in our lives, is through prayer. The Mass is a single prayer (in fact, it is the most important prayer), but when Christ’s followers asked him how to pray, he instructed them in the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer contains every component that is necessary when communicating to God, from adoring him to thanking him to petitioning him for our needs. Now, we as a community return to this simple instruction of Christ and recite the prayer together. You may notice that in the context of the Mass while we are focused on the Eucharist we will soon participate in after this prayer, the words “give us this day our daily bread” take on a completely different and profound meaning than how we might approach them by praying the Lord’s Prayer at any other time.

After we recite the Lord’s Prayer, the priest gives an embolism, a brief petition on behalf of the congregation that leads us to the doxology – “For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.” Instead of ending our prayer with a petition (“deliver us from evil”) that places the focus on our needs, we instead properly end the prayer with praise and glorification of God.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ behavior towards his Apostles at the Last Supper is marked by instilling them with courage and peace for the road that lies in front of them. To live a life in Christ is not easy, but Christ offers us strength for the journey. The priest recites Christ’s message of peace to the congregation and instructs us to offer a sign of this fortifying peace to one another. This also recalls the moment at the beginning of the Mass when we confessed our personal sins to the congregation and asked that they pray for us. It also prepares us for the physical unity that we are about to share with those around us in the reception of the Eucharist. 

Therefore, when we offer the sign of peace, it should be shown simply and respectfully so that it doesn’t distract us away from the Eucharist.