How to go to Mass (2)
Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Prayer over the Gifts
The invitation to pray with the priest and the prayer over the offering conclude the preparation of the gifts and prepare for the Eucharistic Prayer (GIRM 77). The priest invites us to pray, saying "Pray that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father." The people, uniting themselves to Christ, rise to their feet and respond with a prayer begging the Lord receive our gift. The final prayer varies each Sunday, connecting the different times of the Church Year to this central part of the Mass, offering all we are to God, united to Christ, for our redemption. We make this prayer our own with the acclamation, "Amen!"
The Eucharistic Prayer
Now the center and summit of the entire celebration begins: Namely, the Eucharistic Prayer, that is, the prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. The priest invites the people to lift up their hearts to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving; he unites the congregation with himself in the prayer that he addresses in the name of the entire community to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Having asked for God’s mercy, and hearing God’s truth in His Word, our hearts are overflowing with thanks. The word "Eucharist" comes from the Greek word for "giving thanks."
Preface
The preface centers our attention on what we are about to do. The priest again makes us aware of God’s presence saying "The Lord be with you." With arms outstretched he exhorts us to "Lift up your hearts" and then says "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God". The preface prayer varies depending on the Liturgical season, but in each one, we thank the Father for His great works, recognizing what God has done, proclaiming these great events. We then join our voices with all the angels and saints in singing God’s praises, joining in their hymn which never ceases.
Acclamation: Holy Holy Holy
We are reminded of the visions of heaven that the prophets and St John wrote about in Scripture, which reveal to us the heavenly hymn of praise to the Triune God, "Holy, Holy, Holy...". We are standing before the very throne of God in heaven, and before the throne of God the sacrifice of the Lamb is all the while present, the hour which does not pass away. Remembering the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a colt toward His passion, we sing "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" for that hour is coming to us now.
After singing this hymn all kneel and the priest alone remains standing, to continue the prayer to God the Father with outstretched arms. This shows that the whole body directs its prayer to the Father only through Christ, its head, and the gesture also shows reverence and adoration. We participate in what Christ is accomplishing on our behalf by actively listening to and following the prayer.
Invocation
The first epiclesis: After praising God’s power, we now call upon it at the moment when the priest extends his hands over the offerings in prayer. To call upon is to invoke, and the term for this moment is "epiclesis", a Greek word meaning "invocation." We invoke God’s power for the offerings to be consecrated and transformed into Christ’s Body and Blood. As we invoke the Holy Spirit at this part of the Mass, let us prepare to embrace the miracle of Christ’s presence, the Word made Flesh, just as Mary’s embrace brought forth the Redeemer over 2000 years ago by the power of this same Spirit.