Bishop Eric Menees
Last week’s Bishop’s Note addressed the beginning of the
Eucharistic Prayer which is known as the Sursum Corda – “Lift up your hearts.”
This week we continue with the part of the Eucharistic Prayer that is referred
to as the “Proper Preface,” which is really the second half of the Sursum
Corda.
Following the open invitation to “lift up your hearts” where
the Celebrant invites the congregation to join him in the celebration of Holy
Eucharist the Celebrant continues the prayer offering it up on behalf of the
community.
The Celebrant continues
It is right, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to
give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Here a Proper Preface is normally sung or said
Preface of the Lord’s Day
Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who on the first day of the
week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to
us the way of everlasting life.
Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and
Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to
proclaim the glory of your Name:
In the first sentence the celebrant declares, “It is right,
our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father
Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” This statement is self-evident that
indeed it is “right” - meaning the correct and obvious thing. But it is also
our duty and joy to worship the lord with open hearts lifted up to the Lord.
The second sentence is the “proper preface” meaning that it
immediately precedes the Central portion of the Eucharistic Prayer known as the
Canon. It is “proper” because it speaks to a specific time – usually a specific
liturgical season or Holy Day. In this case I used the Preface of the Lord’s
Day – which is always the Day of Resurrection! “Through Jesus Christ our Lord;
who on the first day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his
glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.”
The third sentence is, “Therefore we praise you, joining our
voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for
ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name.” We praise God because
of who he is, what he has done and what he continues to do in our lives. But we
are not alone in our prayers. In this mystical moment we join with the heavenly
host, angels, archangels and the “company of heaven” meaning the cherubim and
seraphim. It is clear that we are never alone in our worship of the Lord but
that we join with the heavenly creatures in a foretaste of heaven where we will
be able to worship in endless praise!
This coming Sunday I invite you to intentionally lift up
your hearts to join in worship with the heavenly creatures!
I pray you all a blessed week!
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