Pope: 'The Lord asks so little of us, but gives us so much'
At the general audience, Francis appeals again for Syria: "We must pray for these brothers and sisters" who are suffering for the war "and for the Christians who are persecuted, they want to drive them away".
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "The Lord asks so little of us, but gives us so much. In our everyday life He asks us to have an open heart" and" in the Eucharist He asks us for bread and wine "in exchange for His sacrifice. The Eucharistic liturgy was the subject of Pope Francis’ general audience this Wednesday in the Paul VI hall and St. Peter’s basilica, continuing the catechesis on Mass.
During the audience Francis also returned to talk about Syria. "We have to pray - he said in the greeting in the Arabic language - for these brothers and sisters" who are suffering because of the war "and for the Christians who are persecuted, they want to drive them away".
Earlier in the audience the Pope recalled that in the Eucharistic liturgy "through the holy signs, the Church renders ever present the Sacrifice of the new covenant sealed by Jesus on the altar of the Cross (cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Cost. Sacrosanctum Concilium, 47). It was the first Christian altar, when we approach the altar our memory goes to that first altar ". "The priest, who in the Mass represents Christ, does what the Lord himself did and entrusted to the disciples at the Last Supper: he took the bread and the cup, gave thanks, gave them to the disciples, saying:" Take, eat ... drink: this is my body ... this is the cup of my blood. Do this in memory of me". Obedient to the command of Jesus, the Church has arranged the Eucharistic Liturgy in moments that correspond to the words and gestures He made on the eve of his Passion. Thus, in the preparation of the gifts, bread and wine are brought to the altar, that is, the elements that Christ took in his hands. In the Eucharistic Prayer we give thanks to God for the work of redemption and the offerings become the Body and Blood of Christ. The breaking of the Bread and Communion follow, through which we relive the experience of the Apostles who received the Eucharistic gifts from the hands of Christ himself (cf. General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 72) ".
"Jesus first gesture:" he took the bread and the cup of wine ", therefore corresponds to the preparation of the gifts. It is the first part of the Eucharistic liturgy. It is good that the faithful present the bread and wine to the priest, because they signify the spiritual offering of the Church gathered there for the Eucharist. It is beautiful that the faithful bring bread and wine to the altar. Although today "the faithful no longer bring their own bread and wine destined for the liturgy, as ever, the rite of presenting these gifts preserves its spiritual value and meaning" (ibid., 73). And in this regard it is significant that, in ordaining a new priest, the Bishop, when he gives him bread and wine, says: "Receive the offerings of the holy people for the Eucharistic sacrifice" (Roman Pontifical – The Rite of Ordination of bishops, priests and deacons). It is the people of God who bring the offering. Therefore, in the signs of bread and wine, the faithful people place their offering in the hands of the priest, who lays it on the altar or table of the Lord, "which is the centre of all the Eucharistic liturgy" (OGMR, 73). The centre of the Mass is the altar, the altar is Christ. In the "fruit of the earth and of the work of human hands", the commitment of the faithful is therefore offered to make of themselves, obedient to the divine Word, a "sacrifice pleasing to God the Almighty Father ", "for the good of all His holy church”. Thus "the life of the faithful, their suffering, their prayer, their work, are united with those of Christ and his total offering, and in this way they acquire a new value" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1368). Of course, we offer little, but Christ needs this little. The Lord asks so little of us, but gives us so much. In our everyday life He asks us to have an open heart"and" asks us for bread and wine in the Eucharist. An image of this oblative prayer movement is represented by the incense which, consumed in the fire, releases a fragrant smoke that rises upwards: incensing the offerings, the cross, the altar, the priest and the priestly people manifested visibly by the offertory bond that unites all these realities to the sacrifice of Christ (cf. OGMR, 75) ".
"This is also what the prayer over the gifts offers. In it the priest asks God to accept the gifts that the Church offers him, invoking the fruit of the wonderful exchange between our poverty and His wealth. In the bread and in the wine we present him the offering of our life, so that it may be transformed by the Holy Spirit into the sacrifice of Christ and become with him one spiritual offering pleasing to the Father. While the preparation of the gifts is concluded, the Eucharistic Prayer is expressed (cf. ibid., 77). May the spirituality of the gift of self, which this moment of the Mass teaches us - concluded the Pope - illuminate our days, relationships with others, the things we do, the suffering we encounter, helping us to build the earthly city in the light of the Gospel ".
"In the Eucharist - he said again in his greeting in the Arabic language - we offer to the Lord the things that He himself has given us, asking Him to gift us Himself in return. We learn from this exchange between our poverty and His wealth that only in giving ourselves enriches, only in opening our hearts to the Lord and to our brothers do we allow God to fill us with the abundance of His grace".
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