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| Fr. Eric Andersen |
A homily by Fr. Eric M. Andersen, Sacred Heart-St. Louis
in Gervais, OR
April 21st, 2013
Dominica IV Paschae
Normally each Sunday is
named by the first few words of the Entrance Antiphon from that Mass. For
instance, during Lent we had Laetare
Sunday named after the Introit. A few weeks ago, we had Quasi modo Sunday from the first two words of the Introit: Quasi
modo (in the manner of newborn babes, alleluia). You recall that the
hunchback of Notre Dame was named ‘Quasimodo’ because he was found on Quasi modo Sunday. Today, the Entrance antiphon does not
lend its name to the Sunday. Today is known historically as Good Shepherd
Sunday but the Entrance antiphon says nothing about a good Shepherd. This week
the name comes from the Gospel. Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd.
Now, as I said, this theme is not introduced to us in the Entrance Antiphon
today. But the Good Shepherd is the theme of the Communion antiphon which we
sing.
As a general rule, the
Communion antiphon will always repeat the theme of the Gospel for the day. It
has been customary for the last few decades to sing a devotional hymn during
Communion. These devotional hymns normally focus on themes such as bread, or
the Body of Christ, or adoration. But if we look at the actual texts of the
Mass itself, we find that the Communion antiphons rarely if ever speak about
bread, or the Body of Christ, or about Communion, unless those are the theme
from the gospel. Why is that? Why do the Communion antiphons always repeat the
theme from the gospel? What is the connection between Holy Communion and the
Gospel?
We have to look at the
whole structure of the Mass in order to answer this question. To begin with,
let me just point out that the Mass is divided into two parts: The Liturgy of
the Word, also known as the Mass of the Catechumens; and the Liturgy of the
Eucharist, also known as the Mass of the Faithful. These “two main parts of the
Mass…stand as parallel movements, each with its own sense of progression
through significant parts to a high point” (William Mahrt, The
Musical Shape of the Liturgy, Kindle Location 300). The high point of the
Liturgy of the Word is “the gospel, the book which represents the words of
Christ himself, and which is given priority of place; this high point is
emphasized and prepared by” all that comes before it. “The homily and Credo
which follow can be seen as an amplification and a complement to it” (Mahrt,
Loc. 303ff).
So all that leads up to the
gospel prepares us to meet Christ in the word. God prepared mankind for
millennia by means of the word – the Old Testament. After we have been
prepared, then the high point of the Liturgy of the Word, at a High Mass, is
when we process with a book which contains the written words of Jesus Christ
Himself. We meet Jesus Christ in the Word. He is made manifest in the Word. “In
the beginning was the Word”, as St John’s Gospel reveals. But the Word must
become flesh. The word itself is not enough. God did not leave us merely with
the word. No, He became flesh and dwelt among us.
That leads us to the second
part of the Mass. How is the second part of the Mass parallel to the first
part? Let’s take a look at that: In the first part of the Mass, we present
ourselves to God by first confessing our sinfulness and seeking God’s mercy
(the Kyrie). In the second part of the Mass we present not ourselves, but
things that represent ourselves: money in the collection basket and the
presentation of the bread and wine. These are brought forward to offer to God.
They represent the faithful. Bread and wine are incapable of acknowledging
their sinfulness and they cannot cry out “Lord have mercy.” But the bread and
wine can be purified by means of offering them to God, incensing them, calling
down the Holy Spirit to descend upon them and transform them. So, here we see
the parallel of the penitential rite.
Next we sing of God’s glory
(the Gloria). The Gloria is paralleled in the second part
by the Sanctus. Both of them are the
songs of the angels. Both of them are songs that praise and glorify God. The
priest then prays to God and we listen as God gradually reveals Himself to us
through the words of divine revelation. What follows the Gloria is the priest’s prayer and the gradual manifestation of
Christ in the word. What follows the Sanctus
is the priest’s prayer and the gradual manifestation of Christ not in the word
but in the flesh. In the first part, the Gospel – Christ in the Word – is
raised up and proclaimed. That is the high point of the Liturgy of the Word.
What is the high point of the Liturgy of the Eucharist?
Is it when Christ in the
flesh is lifted up to the Father? One would think so, but the elevation of the
Eucharist is not the high point of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. According to
William Mahrt, the high point that parallels the Gospel is the chanting of the
Lord’s Prayer. Why is that? Consider that when the Gospel book is raised up in
procession, that is still the preparation for the proclamation of the Gospel.
Once the Gospel is actually proclaimed, it is no longer raised up. It is
brought down where the priest can see it and proclaim it.
It is a parallel action to
the procession of the Gospel when the priest lifts up the Word made flesh in
the Eucharist. He says, “Behold the Lamb of God.” But those are not the words
of Christ. Those are the words of St. John the Baptist. Christ Himself speaks
in the Gospel and Christ Himself speaks when He teaches us how to pray to the
Father. Christ Himself has become flesh and Christ Himself speaks at the high
point of the Liturgy of the Eucharist by praying on our behalf to the Father.
That is the Gospel come to life. The Gospel is the written word of Christ. The
Eucharist is the Word made Flesh. Christ now speaks in the flesh to the Father.
But we still have a
question lingering out there waiting to be answered. The question was about the
connection between the Gospel and Holy Communion. As we have seen, the high
point of the Liturgy of the Eucharist is the Our Father. The Our Father
parallels the Gospel. Where does Holy Communion come into the picture and what
does it have to do with the gospel? Let’s look back at the Liturgy of the Word.
What follows the Gospel? The Homily and then the Credo. These “can be seen as
an amplification and a complement to [the Gospel]” (Mahrt, loc. 303f). They
flow out from the Gospel. The Homily is a meditation upon the Gospel. This
parallels the Communion antiphon. The Communion antiphon is a meditation upon
the Gospel theme. The Credo can be seen to parallel Holy Communion. At the
Credo, we who have listened to and met our Lord in the Word, now take that word
to ourselves and we profess that word in the Creed. The word becomes our own.
At Holy Communion, the Word made flesh becomes our own. We are united with that
word in the flesh. This is why we sing about the gospel during Communion.
Does that mean that we are
not supposed to sing hymns about adoration? No. Here is where the Church
provides. The Communion chant comes first. The Church provides that piece of
text to be sung. That text is from the Gospel. But then, the Church provides
that a hymn can be sung after that chant. It can be sung either during the purification
of the vessels or after the priest returns to his chair. At that point, we can
reflect on the popular communion theme of adoration.
Today, our parish children
will be receiving their first Holy Communion. They are an inspiration to us.
They have been preparing, and today is very special. This is a reminder to all
of us. Here is where the parallel needs our attention! The gifts of bread and
wine on the altar will be transformed by the words of the priest
and the power of the Holy Spirit – and that means every particle and every
drop. I know that every particle and drop of these gifts will be transformed.
But you are gifts too. You are gifts to God.
You remember that at the
beginning of the Mass, we present ourselves to God, confessing our sinfulness
and singing to His Glory. He prepares us and He provides for us, but He will
not force Himself on us. I pray that every person here will be transformed by
the receiving of the Holy Eucharist, but I know that I do not have the power to
transform anyone in this room. It must come from God and from
you. Even if you receive Holy Communion, that does not guarantee that you will
be transformed by it. You must have faith, and you must desire to be
transformed. You must trust in God that He is more powerful than your sins and
your temptations. You must ask God to transform you and your family and your
life – every particle and every drop of who you are. If you will not allow God,
He will respect your choice, but if you say yes to God, as these children are
saying yes to God today, then He can do amazing things in your life as He is
doing in the lives of these children. Let us pray that God will continue to
find an open door when He knocks on the hearts of these children and all the
children of God here in this congregation today. 
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