What follows the Opening Dialogue of the Eucharistic Prayer is the Preface, also called "the Thanksgiving" of the Mass. This is the giving thanks which is expressed in the Greek word for thanksgiving, i.e. eucharistia, from which we have the name for the Mass as Eucharist. This is significant because thanksgiving so predominates the Mass that the early Church called the entire service "Thanksgiving," i.e. Eucharist.
As we saw last week, a declaration is made in this Thanksgiving. When the Priests exhorts the People saying "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God," the People respond "It is right and just."
Then the Priest continues in these words:
"It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord."
Note that it is "through Christ our Lord" that we give God thanks. Jesus initiated the Eucharist first at the Last Supper when he took bread and wine and gave thanks (eucharistia) to God the Father. All liturgical prayer is made to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. We enter then, or share, Christ’s thanksgiving.
Let us consider the implications of this giving of thanks to God.
I will often say in introducing the Eucharistic Prayer to the Assembly gathered for Sunday Eucharist:
"My brothers and sisters, now is the time for us to remember all the good gifts that God has given us and give thanks for those gifts..."
I say this because it is at this point in the Mass (i.e. at the Preface) that thanks is given.
When a gift is given to us, the proper response is thanksgiving, showing our gratitude. There is an appreciation not only for the gift but also for the gift-giver. When we receive some wonderful gift, we will praise the gift-giver. We might say "You are so generous and kind, etc."
This is the dynamic of the Eucharistic Prayer: thanksgiving for the gifts of God lavished upon us, the greatest gift being God’s love made fully known to us in his Son, Christ Jesus. We say that such thanksgiving to God is "right and just."
These two words, "right" and "just," are almost synonymous in Biblical thought. In the Bible the concept of justice does not refer primarily to legal obligations and the punishment for violations of these obligations. Justice in the Scriptures refers primarily to the rich meaning of "right relationships."
We have three basic relationships which we must "get right" in life or experience suffering:
(1) There is the right relationship with God which is to love God and thank and worship God as God (as above all).
(2) There is the right relationship with others, about which Jesus said "Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34)
(3) And there is the right relationship with creation, which is to be good stewards of it.
So when we say it is "right and just" to give God thanks, we are saying in essence "it is in right relationship with God that we give God thanks and recognize God as the giver of every good gift.
Moreover, the Priest says in the opening sentence of the Thanksgiving that this is "our duty and our salvation." It is our duty because it is what is due to God because of God’s gifts to us. It is our salvation because to be in right relationship with God produces our well-being.
In addition, the Priest declares at Mass that we should give thanks "always and everywhere through Christ our Lord." St. Paul says " And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17) This phrase "always and everywhere" could be interpreted as refer to the eternal thanksgiving of the Church, on earth and especially in heaven. Such an eternal thanksgiving goes on always in all places, and it is this cosmic thanksgiving we enter into when we participate in the Mass.
I encourage that in preparation for Mass on Sunday you make a list (write it out if you wish) before Mass about what you want to thank God for in the Mass at the Thanksgiving. In the time before Mass when the people are praying silently and preparing, recall what it is you want to give thanks for, in addition to what you may be asking for God’s help.
So often we focus on what may be wrong in our life, upon the negative (consider that most news media is about reporting "bad news") and upon what we perceive as lacking in our lives. But when we concentrate and remember the good gifts in our lives, what we have, and what is going right, we experience gratitude and gratitude brings joy. Then we may say with the Prophet Isaiah:
"Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth." (Isaiah 12:4-5)
Next Week: What We Give Thanks For in Mass.
