The Liturgy of the Eucharist- Part 1

The Liturgy of the Eucharist is a series of prayers that come before and after the Consecration.


The Preparation of the Gifts

A hymn is sung as volunteers pass collection baskets or boxes around the congregation. We contribute some of our “treasure” to God because everything we have belongs and comes from God. The collection taken up goes to support the activities of the Church and for the poor.

At Mass we offer the bread and wine that will be transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is a practice taken from the Old Testament. The people offered their cattle and sheep to God.

We should also offer up our hearts. We should prepare ourselves to receive Jesus in the Eucharist by sincerely offering our hearts to Him. It may be difficult with people moving around but it is important to pay attention to what the priest is doing and saying.

A few members of the congregation take our gifts to the altar. The priest takes the gifts and thanks God for them. Before each meal Jesus always gave thanks to God for the food. The priest blesses the gifts especially because the bread and wine will be transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus.

The priest takes the bread and says “Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation. Through Your goodness, we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become the bread of life.”

We respond “Blessed be God for ever.”

The priest then takes the wine and says” Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation. Through Your goodness, we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become spiritual drink.”

We respond “Blessed be God for ever.”

The priest then washes his hands asking God to wash away his sins.

An Invitation To Prayer

The priest then says “Pray brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father.”

We respond “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His Church.”

We now stand as the priest says the prayers over the gifts. The priest says the Prayer over the gifts and we respond “Amen.”

Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Priest: Lift up your hearts to the Lord.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.


The priest then says an introductory prayer calling upon God. We respond to this prayer by saying or singing the prayer the Angels sing before God’s throne.

Holy Holy Holy- Hossana In The Highest

We unite and praise God with the Angels. We sing or say together:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

We now kneel in anticipation and reverence of Jesus.

Words Of Institution- The Bread And Wine Become The Body And Blood Of Jesus

Eucharistic Prayer

This is the prayer that will change the bread and wine into the Body and the Blood of Jesus. It is a universal prayer be cause Jesus gave Himself for everyone. It praises God for His goodness and remembers the Saints and Apostles that loved God and lived holy lives. It asks God’s blessings for us and for our loved ones. We also ask God to strengthen and guide everyone trying to do His will.

During this prayer we should remember all those who have asked us to pray for them, those who need our prayers and for our loved ones who have did who we hope to see in Heaven.
There are many Eucharistic Prayers that the priest can use, they are all the words that Jesus said over the bread and wine.


The priest takes the bread in his hands and says:

Before He was given up to death, a death He freely accepted, He took bread in His sacred hands and gave You thanks and praise. He broke the breads, gave it to His disciples and said” Take this all of you and eat it, this is My Body which will be given up for you.”


The priest lifts the Body of Christ for all to see. We behold our King now before our eyes.

The priest then takes the chalice filled with wine and says,

When supper was ended, He took the cup. Again He gave You thanks and praise, gave the cup to His disciples and said “ Take this all of you and drink from it, this is the cup of My Blood, the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this is memory of Me."


The priest holds up the chalice that now has the Blood of Jesus for us all to see.


The Mystery Of Faith

We are very happy that God has given us Jesus. The priest invites us to proclaim our faith by saying or singing the Memorial Acclamation.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Or

When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim Your death Lord Jesus, until You come in glory.

Or
Lord by Your Cross and Resurrection You have set us free. You are the Savior of the world.

Or

Dying You destroyed our death, rising you restored our life, Lord Jesus come in glory.

The Eucharistic prayer ends with the Great Amen.

The Great Amen

The priest lifts the Body and Blood of Jesus and says

Through Him, with Him, In Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, almighty Father. For ever and ever.

We respond by singing or saying “Amen’’ We stand for the Lord’s Prayer.

The Eucharistic prayer is complete. We have offered our lives, our cares and our bread and wine to God. He has transformed our gifts of bread and wine into the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus. He reminds us that He will help us and always be with us. We respond to all these blessings and graces by glorifying and praising His name.