Previously I wrote about the Eucharist as thanksgiving and praise to God for creation and redemption. In this last of three articles on the Eucharist as thanksgiving, I will discuss the aspect of sanctification.
Trinitarian Dimension of the Eucharist
The trinitarian dimension of the Eucharistic praise relates to the Father (creation), the Son (redemption), and finally, the Holy Spirit (sanctification). In the Eucharist, we render through Christ perfect praise to the Trinity.
The Catechism eloquently states: “The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means first of all ‘thanksgiving'” (CCC 1360).
Sanctification Through the Holy Spirit
When God saved us in Christ, He did not abandon us to fend for ourselves spiritually. He promised the Holy Spirit to be with the Church and sustain it until the end (Jn 14:15-31). Consider the metaphor of birth used in the previous reflection. When we are born, we need nourishment for healthy growth. Similarly, in our spiritual life, we need nourishment to grow. This nourishment is provided through the Spirit, whom Christ sends to the Church to be with us until the end.
The Spirit sanctifies us and continues to be with us as Christ’s body. The life we live as those born anew in Christ is through the Spirit, without whom we are not alive in Christ.
Additionally, God desires that we become alive and justified. We receive the grace of justification by the Spirit. “The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us ‘the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ’ and through Baptism” (CCC 1987). In another place we learn that “Justification is the most excellent work of God’s love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit” (CCC 1994).
Consequently, the Spirit fills our hearts with love (Rom 5:5), for the Holy Spirit is the love of the Father and the Son. He makes present the life of God in the body of Christ in prayer. The Church that prays in Liturgy (and in our private prayers) does so through the power of the Spirit.
Ever-Present Spirit
God continues to be present among us through the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit. He is present in the Eucharistic celebration through the Holy Spirit and Christ’s words. His presence within and among us is grace, God’s life in us. “Grace is a participation in the life of God” (CCC 1997). For this, we must thank God.
Thus, the Holy Mass becomes the highest point of this worship to the Spirit in whom we pray through Christ to the Father. In the Eucharist, we have deeper communion with God and, through Christ, with one another who share in the body of Christ through the Spirit. Hence, the thanksgiving is by the entire Church as the body of Christ who are invited to worship and participate in worship of the Father.
When the Church prays, the Holy Spirit enables it to pray. We are in communion of worship. “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). The Church teaches that “Every time we begin to pray to Jesus it is the Holy Spirit who draws us on the way of prayer by his prevenient grace” (CCC 2670). The Holy Spirit is “the interior Master of Christian prayer” (CCC 2672).
This truth is evident in our private prayers and most notably in the Liturgy, where the Spirit enables the Church to pray. Thus, it is fitting that the Church gives thanks for this role of sanctification that God brings to us through His Spirit.
Thanksgiving Comes Full Circle
Thanksgiving and praise to God come full circle. At Mass, we thank God for the beginning of creation and all beginnings. We praise and adore Him for redeeming all who have fallen short of the glory of God. We thank God for His ongoing sustenance, revival, and sanctification until the world’s end. The Eucharist is the highest praise to God who abides with us and has promised to be with us until the end. It is the sacrament of communion in this trinitarian praise.
Therefore, at Mass, we render God praise for abiding with us. We are in thanksgiving for the sanctification granted to us. We render praise to God through Christ who came, died, rose, and ascended, but remains with us through His Spirit in whom we pray.
Conclusion
In conclusion, during the Holy Mass, our thanksgiving and praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is thanksgiving for all creation. It is also thanksgiving for salvation in Christ and the ongoing life of God in us through the Spirit. The Eucharist is the thanksgiving Summa cum Laude (with highest praise) for sanctification. The praise is complete, and it a privilege to be part of the holy celebration. Thus, the next time you go to Mass, realize you are participating in the best and highest worship one can render to God. You are indeed mirroring what is happening in heaven here on earth–eternal praise to the Trinity.
The other related articles
