Fr Erasto Fernandez SSS continues his series on the Eucharist in this the Year for Priests.
By Fr Erasto Fernandez SSS
Ask anyone what is our response to the readings at Eucharist and the immediate answer you get will most likely be either: ‘Thanks be to God’ or ‘The Responsorial psalm.’ Yet, the psalm that follows the first reading is not a response, strictly speaking; it is rather a meditation on the first reading. Of this part, the General Instructions say: “The Psalm is usually taken from the lectionary, since the texts there provided are closely related to the preceding reading.
“By reason of its connection with the reading, its character is very different from that of the processional songs. It stimulates reflection on God’s saving deeds on behalf of his people.”
This means that normally no other ‘hymn’ or ‘song’ should substitute for what is given in the lectionary, unless it is the same psalm put to music. Also, since its character is different from a reading, a person other than the proclaimer should lead this meditation.
While the psalm looks backward to the reading just concluded, the Alleluia antiphon which is always sung, looks forward and provides the people with the gist of the Gospel proclamation. It prepares the community to focus on the key point of the Gospel. So, these two intervening chants are not a response but a part of the proclamation itself and serve a totally different function from merely imparting information or instruction.
Real response: Faith
The real response to the Word of God is faith – a deeper grasp of God’s ways, which as Isaiah says are not like our ways: ‘as far as the east is from the west so different are my thoughts from your thoughts’ (55:8-11).
In his Gospel John tells us that ‘all these have been written so that you may believe’ (Jn 20:31). So, the proclamation must produce a deeper faith in us, else it would fail in its primary objective.
On Sundays our heightened faith is expressed through the Profession of faith and the Prayers of the faithful. However, in most cases routine overpowers us here as the Creed is recited mechanically, with little or no meaning for most Christians. It would help if the celebrant attempted to specify the actual point of “believing” in a given Eucharist. He could link the Creed with the key ‘insight’ into God’s nature gained in the readings.
For example, when the homily brings out God’s eagerness to forgive sinners, the Celebrant could introduce the Creed with words like: ‘As we pray the Creed now, we profess our firm belief that God continues to offer us his forgiveness right here in the Eucharist’.
This little introduction should make the recitation of the Creed much more personal, relevant and meaningful.
Another way to work out a meaningful response is to answer God’s question put through the readings: ‘Have you seen how much I love you? Have you understood who you are in my sight?’ Each Eucharist must lead to a deeper understanding of God’s tremendous and almost unbelievable love for us. Now this insight is something personal and hence a brief period of silence must be allowed after each proclamation for people to work this out for themselves. The clearer they experience God’s love, the more wholehearted the surrender they will make. And isn’t this the key question in the Eucharist? How open are we to make Covenant with God? “Now, therefore, if you will obey… you shall be My people and I shall be your God!” (Ex 24:3-8).
The faith deepened during Eucharist must stand us in good stead during the rest of the day.