Fr Erasto Fernandez SSS continues his series of meditations on the Mass. This week: intercession.
By Fr Erasto Fernandez SSS
A lively faith is extremely important for the effectiveness of our Eucharist, especially for the liturgy of the Bread. Through the Word, God reminds his people of what he has done for them throughout their human history. Their reflection enables them to see how God loves them also in the present.
Having made this clear, God then asks: ‘Now, therefore, if you will obey … you shall be my very special possession in all the earth’ (Ex 19:3-5). Being convinced of God’s love and fidelity will certainly influence the depth and quality of our answer to this question of his: our obedience to God. Thus, the more consciously our faith is deepened, the more easily will we place our lives into God’s hands.
Breaking bread is symbolic of our readiness to break off our life in obedience to God and in service to our neighbour. Our breaking of ourselves, and especially the extent and depth of our self-giving, will depend on our convictions regarding God’s trustworthiness! Faith is what the Liturgy of the Word deepens when we make it as personal and emotionally charged as possible.
This emotion is ideally an “a-ha” experience in which we suddenly realise how true are God’s words addressed to us! “Now, at last, I see…!” (Acts 10:34-35). Or as John says: “We declare to you what … we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands … (1 Jn. 1:1-4).
The Prayer of the Faithful which is the second aspect of our response is one of the oldest parts of the Eucharist and was always regarded as important to an integral Eucharistic celebration.
Only the baptised and those in full communion with the Church could participate in this prayer of the priestly people of God. Called also the ‘Universal prayer’, it reaches out to the ends of the earth, as God’s People exercise their priestly office on behalf of the entire world. However, the intentions must reflect the real present (here and now) faith of this particular community. The intentions should never be taken from a book or pamphlet having no concrete reference to any particular community.
They can also be made spontaneously by members of the congregation; this could be organised in different ways according to the convenience of the people.
The special nature of the intercessions makes them a part of the liturgy that belongs to the people. It is not a presidential prayer and hence the Celebrant should not articulate the intercessions (GI. 47). Further, on theological grounds, the intercessions should be a regular part of every Eucharist and not just the Sunday Eucharist (GI. 45). From the viewpoint of liturgical structure, the Intercessions are the conclusion of the liturgy of the Word and hence cannot simply ignore the proclamation already made.
Ideally, the intercessions are linked with the Word of God: a Scripture quotation from the day’s readings is recalled briefly (not necessarily verbatim), and then the intention is framed in keeping with its message. This helps preserve the basic unity of each Eucharist.
When our people have learnt how to pay better attention to the Word and pick out God’s qualities outlined therein, they will have no difficulty in framing their own prayers, keeping the needs of the Church and world in view.
Their enlivened faith will inspire them to reach out to all needy people wherever they are. Also, a true Christian prays not so much for his or her own needs, as for the needs of others. Eucharist is fundamentally bread that is broken for others.