Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Consecration

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)



There are several Eucharistic Prayers that can be used by the priest at Mass. They all have a common form and they can differ somewhat, but there are key parts you will always recognize. These are the Thanksgiving, the Acclamation, the epiclesis, the institution narrative and consecration, the anamnesis, the offering, the intercessions, and finally the great doxology.

The Thanksgiving (expressed especially in the Preface) is when the priest, in the name of the entire holy people, glorifies God the Father and gives thanks for the whole work of salvation or for some special aspect of it that corresponds to the day, festivity, or season.

The Acclamation is when the whole congregation, joining with the heavenly powers, sings the Sanctus. This acclamation, which is part of the Eucharistic Prayer itself, is sung or said by all the people with the priest.

The Epiclesis is a prayer petitioning God to send the Holy Spirit so that the offerings at the Eucharist may become the Body and Blood of Christ and thus the faithful, by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God.

In all of the Eucharistic Prayers, the action of the priest during this epiclesis over the bread and wine is the same. He places his hand, palms down, over the bread and wine as he says the prayer, then makes a Sign of the Cross over them with his right hand.

The institution narrative and consecration is a retelling of what Jesus did on the night before he died. As the priest recites the words of the institution of the Eucharist, he recounts what Jesus said and did at the Last Supper when he offered his Body and Blood under the species of bread and wine, gave them to his Apostles to eat and drink, and left them the command to continue this same mystery.

Every Eucharistic Prayer contains an anamnesis or memorial in which the Church calls to mind the Passion, Resurrection, and glorious return of Christ Jesus.

Offering- By which, in this very memorial, the Church—and in particular the Church here and now gathered—offers in the Holy Spirit the spotless Victim to the Father. The Church's intention, however, is that the faithful not only offer this spotless Victim but also learn to offer themselves, and so day by day to be consummated, through Christ the Mediator, into unity with God and with each other, so that at last God may be all in all.

(The intercessions and doxology will be discussed in the next two chapters.)


*Review with the students the Eucharistic Prayer that you use at your church.



As the priest recites the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, we kneel and pray silently.

*If the church you attend stands during the Eucharistic Prayer, you should make a solemn bow during the consecration of the bread and the wine. You will notice the priest genuflecting after he lifts up both the bread and the wine. This is your signal to bow solemnly in an act of adoration to our Lord who is now present under these forms.

*If you are kneeling, you should bow your head at this moment.


The consecration is when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. Transubstantiation is the change of the entire substance of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at the Consecration of the Mass. Priests change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ by repeating at the Consecration of the Mass the words of Christ: “This is My Body . . . this is My Blood.”



Bell Ringing - The bells should be rung by an altar server at specific times during the Mass as is the local custom in your parish. Typical times for ringing the bell are:

• Once, when the priest makes the Sign of the Cross over the gifts and calls on the Holy Spirit to come upon the gifts.
• Once at the elevation of the Consecrated Host.
• Once at the elevation of the Consecrated Wine.

Sometimes the bell(s) are rung three times in some parishes in honor of the Trinity; bells rung three distinct times for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But this is up to the parish priest.



Questions:

What does the bread and wine become? (The Body and Blood of Christ.)

What happens during the consecration? (It is the moment when the bread and wine become The Body and Blood of Christ.)

What is the change of the entire substance of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ called? (Transubstantiation)

Who changes bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ? (The priests.)

How is the bread and wine changed into the body and blood of Christ? (Priests change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ by repeating at the Consecration of the Mass the words of Christ: “This is My Body . . . this is My Blood.”)

What do we call the special meal in which Jesus shared bread and wine with his friends? (The Last Supper.)



Crafts:

The Catholic Toolbox- Chalice

The Catholic Toolbox- Jesus in the Holy Eucharist Craft

A Framed Picture- Making a sparkling picture of communion will be a reminder of the special time we put aside to remember Jesus. (Bible Crafts on a Shoestring Budget: Paper Plates & Cups, page 12 & 13).

daniellesplace.com- The Last Supper Bible Crafts

catholicicing.com- An easy craft based on the famous Leonardo da Vinci Last Supper painting

craftingthewordofgod.com- The Lord’s Supper

asketchoffaith.com- The Last Supper

unionhillumc.org- Last Supper Printable Craft (page 7 & 8)



These activities below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.





“Do this in memory of me.”- directions and template


Directions:

1. Students cut out circle and glue in the middle of a paper plate.

2. Have students put a thin layer of glue where there is red on the chalice. Sprinkle with red glitter.

3. Have students put a thin layer of glue where there is gold for the Body of Christ. Sprinkle with gold glitter.

4. Students continue decorating the edges of the paper plate with glitter and various other craft supplies.



Game:

Last Supper File Folder Game- Play individually or in teams and work your way around the game board answering questions about the Last Supper. If you are correct you roll a die and move your marker in your row in any direction you want. If you land on a colored space, you can move on row toward the center with “Last Supper”. Play continues until a team or player reaches “Last Supper”.