A Brief Meditation on the beginning of The Offertory Form One of Divine Worship: Part I

Divine Worship: The Offertory (Form I)

Standing at the altar, the Priest takes the paten with the bread and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both hands, saying in a low voice:

Receive, O holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, this spotless host, which I, thine unworthy servant, now offer unto thee, my living and true God, for my numberless sins, offences, and negligences; for all here present; as also for the faithful in Christ, both the quick and the dead, that it may avail for their salvation and mine, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Commentary

The priest-celebrant rightly acknowledges the sovereignty of God and immediately acknowledges his own unworthiness. Spoken in a low voice, this prayer ensures the priest-celebrant is not putting on airs to impress anyone, for no one but God, and perhaps the MC or a deacon, may hear the words spoken sotto voce.

The priest-celebrant is not reminding God of anything God does not already know, namely our utter dependence upon Him for our salvation. The priest-celebrant is speaking the poetry that affirms the truth of our condition. There are no illusions here; no pretense. We need the salvation God offers in Jesus Christ.

In a few minutes, the priest is about to hold the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in his human hands that are consecrated by God for that purpose.

Then making a cross with the paten, he places the paten with the bread upon the corporal. The Deacon pours wine and a little water into the chalice, the Priest first blessing with the Sign of the Cross the water to be mixed in the chalice, saying in a low voice:

O God +, who didst wondrously create, and yet more wondrously renew the dignity of man’s nature: Grant that by the mystery of this water and wine we may be made partakers of his divinity, as he vouchsafed to become partaker of our humanity, even Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Commentary

Again - poetry! While so many people make themselves disposable by committing acts beneath their dignity, God offers us hope. The priest acknowledges God's sublime gift of His Son Who took on human flesh and became man to save us from our sins, to offer us the way home.

These opening paragraphs of the Offertory Form One form the beginning of an anthem to hope, beauty, truth and goodness in Jesus Christ. Can we remain unmoved knowing how much God loves us and wants to give Himself to us? He comes to meet us in the most humble of circumstances. God in the Mass is entirely vulnerable: bread and wine become His very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. He allows us to consume Him. Do we allow ourselves to be consumed by Him? Are we willing to allow ourselves to be drawn into His mission to save souls? Are we willing to become vulnerable to His grace so that Jesus Christ may live in and act through us for the good of others, to draw others to Christ? Are we willing to be subject to (and perhaps crushed by) the sins of others - following in the footsteps of our Master - offering prayers to God for sin-sick souls, offering our lives as prayers for them, so that they too may know the mercy and love of God and be converted and be saved by the grace of God?