LITURGY LESSON: EUCHARISTIC PRAYER Part 2 PREFACE & HOLY, HOLY

(Given: August 1, 2010 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Today we continue our series of Liturgy Lessons on the Eucharistic Prayer. While the Eucharistic Prayer is one prayer it has many elements. We will explore these elements during the next few weeks. It is very important to remember that the Eucharistic Prayer, which is so central to our celebration, is not said exclusively by the priest. It begins with a dialogue between the priest and the people. NOTE: Ask them to do the response after you do Priest part

Priest: The Lord be with you. Response: And also with you.

Priest: Lift up your hearts. Response: We lift them up to the Lord.

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. Response: It is right to give him thanks

and praise

As you know, "Eucharist" is Greek for "thanks," and so we are giving thanks together. We are making Eucharist together.

The priest then says a prayer that is appropriately named the Preface. There are more than eighty Prefaces in the Church's ritual, and each gives a reason for us to thank God. The Preface chosen for today speaks of how we have been made "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart" -something for which we should be eternally grateful, and so we make Eucharist together.

At the conclusion of the Preface, we all join in singing the "Holy, Holy". This is a very ancient prayer. The first part is from Isaiah and is part of the morning prayers said by the Jews in the synagogue.³³ The last part, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," is the acclamation by the people to greet Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.³⁴

And so we begin the Eucharistic Prayer together. We enter into the most sacred celebration in the history of the world!... Brothers and sisters let us not take it for granted.

READERS: Before Mass, please remind the priest to use the FIRST PREFACE for Sundays in Ordinary Time.

³³ Isaiah 6/3.

³⁴ John 12/13.