Different Names for the Eucharist

Down through the centuries, we have used several names to refer to the Eucharist.
In his First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul speaks of “the Lord’s Supper” (1 Cor 11:20). St. Luke uses the term “the breaking of the bread” (Lk 24:30—31). The word “eucharist” is a very ancient term which Vatican II has brought back to refer to the sacrament the Lord has instituted during the Last Supper. Eucharist comes from the Greek words “eucharistein,” meaning “thanksgiving.” This term is found in an ancient Church document called the Didache, referring to what we now call the Mass.

The term “oblation” was also used for the Mass, emphasizing the “offering” aspect of the Mass, that is, the Mass is the unceasing and eternal offering of Christ and the Church. The term “sacrifice” has also been used, and recalls the fact that Jesus has sacrificed himself totally for our salvation. The term “mass” has been used since the 4th century. It comes from the last words of the Mass pronounced by the priest during the Dismissal Rite: “Ite missa est” (Latin), which means “The mass is ended.” The Eucharist is so rich a mystery that no single word can adequately describe it.


Before the Mass: Ringing of Bells

Before the Mass begins, we usually hear the ringing of the bells. What does the ringing of the bells signify? Says Jean-Yves Garneau, the “bells are like the voice of God calling those who believe in him to come and meet him. The bells are the voice of the Father inviting his children to share in a banquet” of the Eucharist. God does not force us to go to Mass: he invites us. It’s up to us to respond to the loving invitation of our Father calling us to share with him his very life in the Eucharist.

Practical advice to parishioners: Please see to it that you are not late for Mass. It is always good to be in Church a minute or two before the Mass begins, for two reasons: 1) so that you can prepare and dispose yourself properly for the celebration, and 2) so that you can celebrate the Mass from start to finish. You know, when we go to watch a movie, we make it a point to check the screening time because we want to be inside the movie house when the movie starts. Otherwise, we miss the beginning of the story and we might have a hard time making sense of the succeeding scenes. Can’t we also make it a point not to be late for Mass? After all, the Mass is infinitely more important than a movie. Why are we so lazy when it comes to the things of God?