While the bread and wine for the Eucharist are being brought forward by those parishioners requested to do it, there may be a hymn sung or alternatively the priest may pray aloud the Blessing over the Bread and the Blessing over the Cup. At other times, there may be a hymn or music leading up to the praying of the Blessings.

The singing of a hymn by the people is very suitable at this time because it provides the people’s accompaniment to the action of presenting the bread and wine which directly concerns them as it is their point of entry into their participation in the Eucharist. We saw the importance of that in last week’s comments about the meaning of the Presentation of the Gifts.

It is also appropriate for the people to participate in the praying of the two Blessings by their response to each which is “Blessed be God forever”.

The two Blessings are very beautiful and link the bread and wine which is being presented with the bread of life and the spiritual drink which we will receive in communion. So the blessings connect the life-giving gifts of God’s creation – bread and wine – with the ultimate life-giving gifts of bread and wine in which there comes to us the gift of life in the risen Christ.

The Blessings read:

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you:
fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
it will become for us the bread of life.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you:
fruit of the vine and work of human hands,
it will become our spiritual drink.

It is also traditional that the collection is taken up and presented at this time. In early centuries – at least in some places – people brought forward not just the bread and wine for the Eucharist but goods in kind for the poor and the support of the Church’s ministers. The collection is the modern form of this offering which expresses – as does the Presentation of the Gifts – the people’s participation and commitment to being part of the community.

By Frank O’Loughlin