Parts of the Holy Communion Liturgy - Preparation

The patterns of the structure of our worship are deeply important for a number of reasons. Our rituals not only honor God and show our obedience to what God has given us, they also form us into the kind of people God intends us to be. In a series of articles we will be looking at the structure and various parts of Holy Communion and what they mean.

In the order in which we move from the beginning to end of the Holy Communion liturgy, the parts are the Dialog, the Proper Preface, the Sanctus (the “Holy, Holy, Holy”), the Eucharistic Prayer (including the Words of Institution), the Epiclesis (the prayer for the Holy Spirit), the Memorial Acclamation, the “Amen,” the Lord’s Prayer, the Fracture and Distribution.

PEACE
Before we begin, however, it is worthwhile to look at the parts of the liturgy that prepare us for Holy Communion, that serve as our “entrance” into that portion of the service. In a certain sense, the entire service is "preparation" for this Holy Meal. From practices such as fasting and reconciliation with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ to the confession of sins to the hearing of God's Word, we are in a sense always "getting ready" to share this meal.

We are most immediately prepared for Holy Communion by sharing the Peace of the Lord (which is more than just a polite handshake; it is a time for “making right” with our neighbors before we go to the Altar of God (cf. Matthew 5:23-24)) and the collection of gifts, the Offering. Both are connected deeply to the meaning and heart of Holy Communion. If we confess the reality of the one Body and dare to eat of the same Body of our Lord, it is appropriate that we “make things right” with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ. The sharing of the Peace is not a substitute for the hard work of reconciliation, but the beginning of it.

OFFERING
So too with the offering. We bring not only our money forward, returning it to God, but also the gifts of bread and wine. As we bring forward our gifts, we are reminded of our own sheer poverty in light of God’s generosity. We realize that all we have is God’s sheer gift. We realize that God has provided even the bread and the wine from his good creation. We realize how deeply poor we are and how deeply rich God is toward us. Reconciled through the sharing of the Peace and humbled in the collection of the Offering, we dare to celebrate the mystery* of Holy Communion.

*In the Christian West, Holy Communion is described as a "sacrament"; in the Christian East the sacraments are named "mysteries" (from the Greek mysterion).