Lord Jesus, the bread of life,thank you for filling the void in my heart. Amen. |
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we continue to read from the 6th chapter of John’s gospel (Jn 6:24-35), we focus today on the bread from heaven. The first reading (Ex.16:2-4,12-15) recounts the gifts of quail and manna that God sent to the Israelites in the desert. Jesus insists that God’s gift in his time is greater, for he himself is the bread from heaven.
This might be a good Sunday to focus catechesis on the eucharistic prayer. This central prayer of the Mass is fundamentally a prayer of thanksgiving for all the gifts that God has given us, both throughout history and in our own time. The readings provide a solid context of salvation history on which to base catechesis about this prayer.
Pastorally, it is important for members of the assembly to realize that entering into the eucharistic prayer fruitfully requires them to come to Mass with an awareness of the reasons they have to give thanks. Certain items in our parish bulletin might remind you periodically of the value of taking a few minutes during the week to reflect on God’s blessings so that you arrive at church with grateful hearts.
In some parishes, liturgical planners even invite people to recall such reasons for gratitude before the celebration begins. In some parishes, presiders periodically invite such awareness just before beginning the proclamation of the eucharistic prayer.
It is a good habit to make use of the texts of the eucharistic prayer as a basis of our own prayer. It is with that in mind some parishes provide the text of one of the eucharistic prayers as a bulletin insert as an aid to personal prayer at home. This might lead us into deeper prayer when the eucharistic prayer is proclaimed during the Mass.
“Father, you so loved the world that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Saviour… To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation, to prisoners, freedom, and to those in sorrow, joy. Lord, gather all who share this bread and wine into the one body of Christ, a living sacrifice of praise” (Eucharistic Prayer IV).
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