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The Last Supper

On the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me." In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me" (1 Cor 11:23‑25).

What mankind has been waiting for through centuries is now going to take place among us. God has arranged everything to happen at its own time and in the most fitting manner. At this moment, we are invited to a greater recollection and devotion. To remind us about this, a little before the Consecration, the server may ring a bell as a signal to the faithful. Depending on local custom, he also rings the bell at the elevation of both the host and the chalice.[1]

The priest pronounces the words of the Consecration.

for the bread:

for the wine:

The Consecration is the essential part of the Mass. The human minister has received, with his ordination, the power to pronounce the great and wonderful prayers of the Consecration; and these will be effective. In truth, he is but the instrument of Christ. "The priest offers the Holy Sacrifice in persona Christi; this means more than offering 'in the name of' or 'in the place of' Christ. In persona means in specific sacramental identification with 'the Eternal High Priest' who is the author and principal subject of this sacrifice of his, a sacrifice in which, in truth, nobody can take his place." [2]

The priest does not act on his own account. "The priest's identity consists in being a direct and daily instrument of the saving grace which Christ has won for us." That is why, "if you ever come across a priest who, apparently, does not seem to live in keeping with the Gospel, do not judge him; let God judge him. Bear also in mind that if he celebrates Mass validly, with the intention of consecrating, our Lord would still come down into his hands however unworthy they are." [3]

The priest's own personality is blotted out in order to clothe himself with the person of the everlasting Priest. It is Jesus Christ himself who, at every Mass, performs the Consecration, while the priest lends him his voice. The priest repeats the words pronounced by Christ, not as he would describe the history of some beautiful event that happened in the past, but as bearing the same effective power Christ attached to them.

After the Consecration, what were bread and wine are no longer bread and wine, although our senses continue to perceive them as such, with all their sensible attributes. But it is now Christ himself --with his body, blood, soul, and divinity-- who is there, under the appearances of bread and wine, offering himself to the Father for the redemption of all.

The full work of our redemption is truly and effectively carried out in the Mass, not only in a symbolic manner. "To accomplish so great a work [the work of redemption], Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations; he is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of his minister, 'the same one now offering, through the ministry of the priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross,' [4] but especially under the eucharistic species."[5]

This is the same body that was hanging on the cross, the same blood that was poured there: We should repeat these truths once and again until we truly believe them and begin really to love. Before the eucharistic mystery, it is necessary for us, more than ever, to be humble. We need to acknowledge the existence of a wall: our own insufficiency to understand fully the unfathomable reality that the Eucharist contains. We firmly believe that reality because of the word of God, and our whole faith is brought into play when we believe in Jesus, really present in the sacrament.

Human reasoning must give way to faith; now, we can repeat to ourselves the oath that Pope St. Gregory VII commanded Berengarius to swear:

I believe in my heart and openly profess that the bread and wine, which are placed on the altar, through the mystery of the sacred prayer and the words of the Redeemer are substantially changed into the true and proper and life‑giving flesh and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. After the Consecration it is the true body of Christ, which was born of the Virgin, and which hung on the cross as an offering for the salvation of the world, and which sits at the right hand of the Father. And the true blood of Christ which flowed from his side. And Christ is present not just as a sign and by reason of the power of the sacrament, but in his proper nature and true substance. This I believe.[6]

Referring to the consecrated species, St. Cyril of Jerusalem (314-386) teaches: "Do not think these are just plain bread and plain wine. They are the body and blood of Christ, as the Lord asserted. Faith must convince you of the latter even though your senses suggest you the former. Do not judge about this according to your preferences but, based on your faith, believe with firmness and certainty that you have been made worthy of the body and blood of Christ."[7]

St. Ambrose (339‑397) also is explicit:

Perhaps you say, 'The bread which I brought is ordinary bread.'  -- Yes, it is ordinary bread before the sacramental words; but as soon as the Consecration takes place, that bread becomes Christ's flesh. Let us continue. How can that which is bread be the body of Christ?  -- By Consecration. Of what words is Consecration made up, and whose words are they?  -- Those of the Lord Jesus. For all the rest that has been said previously is said by the priest: the praises of God, prayers for the people, for the rulers, for all others. But as soon as the moment at which the venerable sacrament comes into being is reached, the priest no longer speaks of himself, but uses the words of Christ. It is thus Christ's word which makes this sacrament.

The Lord commanded so and heavens were made, the Lord commanded so and the earth was made. He commanded so and the seas were made, the Lord commanded so and all creatures came into existence. Behold, what power the word of Christ has. And if the word of the Lord Jesus has so much power to create things out of nothing, surely, it must be effective to turn existing things into something else. Therefore, listen, I want you to be absolutely sure of this teaching: It was not the body of Christ before the Consecration, but I tell you, after the Consecration it is the body of Christ. He said it, and it was made; he commanded so and it was created.[8]

Encouraged by the words of these Fathers of the early Church, we should not worry if our faith is not accompanied by lofty or pious feelings, if we are not gripped by tender emotions, during the Mass. The real test for our faith and love for the Eucharist comes after the Mass, during the day: in our faithful dedication to our ordinary work, in our generous service to all and each of our brothers, in the delicate fulfillment of our practices of piety. Now, in the Mass, it is enough to have strong desires of believing, loving, and rectifying, of promising, of asking. Let us express all these desires with a "My Lord and my God!" as St. Thomas did. It will speak simply but also most eloquently of our self‑surrender, of our sorrow, of our conversion, and of our decision to follow him, when the Lord comes down upon the altar as the priest utters the words of the Consecration.

At the elevation, the priest shows us the consecrated host and the chalice and genuflects each time.[9] It is said that this ceremony was instituted as a protest against the errors of Berengarius of Tours (eleventh century) concerning Christ's presence in the Eucharist. We know that Bishop Eudes de Sully (who died in 1208) prescribed the elevation in his diocese of Paris; soon after that, it gained acceptance at Rome.

Three things are intended by the elevation of the sacred host:

To expose Jesus Christ, now present on the altar, to the adoration of the faithful.

To re-present the elevation of Jesus Christ's body on the cross. He said, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself" (Jn 12:32). This is the mystery of Christ that we commemorate: his incarnation, his life of work in Nazareth, his preaching and miracles, his death and resurrection. Through this great mystery, Christ is the center of the universe, the firstborn and Lord of all creation. "St. Paul gave a motto to the Christians at Ephesus: Instaurare omnia in Christo (Eph 1:10): to fill everything with the spirit of Jesus, placing Christ at the center of everything."[10] This should also be the program of our life.

To offer to God in silence this only one Victim of our salvation, as the priests of the Old Testament offered God their lambs as victims by elevating them.[11]

During the elevation, we should glance at the eucharistic species in adoration. But we should also remember that we have come to Mass not only to worship Jesus Christ present in the sacrament of the altar. That could be done equally well in the Exposition of and Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. We come to Mass also to offer Jesus Christ on the cross with the priest and the entire Church, and to offer ourselves to God with Jesus Christ and as part of his Mystical Body. In other words, we come mainly to share in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As part of the Church, we are united to Christ in the act wherein he himself offers his sacrifice to his Father.

Since the seventh century, the expression mysterium fidei (now rendered, "Let us proclaim the mystery of faith") has appeared united to the consecratory formula. At first, it was within the formula itself; now, it is at the end. But it is unmistakably an invitation for us to respond. We have four responses commonly used in English:

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Lord, by your cross and resurrection you have set us free. You are the Savior of the world.

Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.

When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.

When we recite any of these acclamations, we in effect declare and give witness to the encounter of the risen Christ and Mary Magdalene on Easter Sunday. Like her, we should join our life with the Life that is offered on Calvary. For Christ is the way; in him we find everything. Outside him our life is empty.

We will find the meaning of our life by sharing the Victim's offering and by proclaiming the message of the cross and resurrection among our peers, announcing it through what we say and do.

Men have not been created just to build the best possible world. We have been put here on earth for a further purpose: to enter into communion with God himself. Jesus has promised us not a life of ease or worldly achievement, but the house of his Father God, which awaits us at the end of the way.

The Lord wants Christians to live in such a way that the people we deal with will find in our conduct --despite our weaknesses, faults and failings-- an echo of the drama of love that was Calvary. Everything we have comes from God; he wants us to be salt which flavors and light which brings the happy news that he is a Father who loves without measure. The Christian is the salt and light of the world, not because he conquers or triumphs, but because he bears witness to God's love. And he won't be salt if he can't give flavor. Nor will he be light if he doesn't bear witness to Jesus through his example and word, if he loses sight of the purpose of his life.[12]

1. GIRM, no. 109.

2. DC, no. 8. See also S. Th., III, q. 82, a. 7; LG, no. 10; PO, 2.

3. J. Escriva de Balaguer, A Priest Forever, pp. 8‑9.

4. SC, no. 7; Council of Trent, Doctrine of the Sacrifice of the Mass, ch. 2.

5. J. Escriva de Balaguer, A Priest Forever, pp. 7‑8.

6. Mansi, Collectio amplissima Conciliorum, 20:524D.

7. Catechesis Mystagogical, IV.

8. This is thought to be an edition of notes taken by a listener to his doctrinal lectures: De Sacramentis, IV, 15.

9. The genuflection is a gesture of adoration. It ought to be calm, serene, and reverent, and certainly not a bob done by leaning on the altar.

10. J. Escriva de Balaguer, Christ Is Passing By, no. 105.

11. See P. Chaignon, The Sacrifice of the Mass (New York: Benzinger, 1951), pp. 143‑144.

12. J. Escriva de Balaguer, Christ Is Passing By, no. 100.

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