Go forth as Christ bearers in the world

The self-giving of Jesus which is so central to our eucharistic liturgy demands that we give of ourselves

Festive occasions rarely come to an abrupt halt. At a Thanksgiving dinner, for example, guests do not complete the meal and then unobtrusively disappear. There are farewell kisses and handshakes, lingering words, and wishes for a safe journey home. There is the anticipation that, God willing, we can gather again for the same purpose next year.

In like manner there is a psychological need to round off our celebration of Mass. This has resulted in the gradual development of what is called the concluding rite. Simple and very brief, this conclusion charges us to go forth as Christ bearers in the world. The principal parts of the rite are the priests blessing (preceded by the greeting) and the dismissal.

Structure of the concluding rite

Should there be any announcements they are given at the beginning of the rite. For a long time such notices were appended to the homily. Today they are more logically placed here. Always short and only given when necessary, they often serve as a link to our responsibilities to our brothers and sisters throughout the week. And yet the primary place for giving such information is the parish bulletin.

Greeting: Once again we exchange a greeting with the priest. It is customary that people extend best wishes to one another when they meet and when they depart. As we prepare to leave we again express our faith that the Lord is present among us.

Blessing: The assembly is then blessed by the presider. To bless is a sign of favor, as when Isaac blessed his son Jacob (confer Genesis 27:27-29).To bless a person is an action requesting that God continue to extend his generosity and love upon that person. To bless is a traditional gesture given upon departure as when Christ, before being taken up into heaven, “with hands upraised, blessed’ the apostles (Luke 24:50).

Using one of three types of prayers found in the sacramentary, the presider calls upon the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit to bless us. He invokes the three persons of the Trinity in whose name we also signed ourselves toward the beginning of the celebration. At times we are called upon to ‘bow our heads” for the blessing. This gesture is one of reverence and respect.

Dismissal: The deacon or the priest then dismisses the assembly. We have come to the official conclusion of our liturgical gathering. At Rome the customary formula was “Ite, missa est,” the Latin “missa” being a technical word for “dismissal.” So significant was this “sending forth” that by the fourth century the word Mass was applied to the whole celebration. While various formulas are used today, they all call us to go forth doing good works, praising the Lord. We are here entrusted with a mission since the Mass would be unfinished if we did not continue what we have celebrated.

After the dismissal the priest venerates the altar with a kiss. As at the beginning of the celebration, we are reminded that the altar is the symbol of Christ and his members. This gesture is both valedictory and anticipatory. It looks back with fond memory at the Eucharist which has just concluded and looks forward to the next occasion when the community will assemble at the table of the Lord.

As the ministers depart in procession from the church we often prolong the festive character of the celebration by common song. We serve others when we stay and participate in the singing till the last word is sung. Perhaps, as an alternative, the choir will sing a selection or an instrument will be played as we leave. Or, on occasion, we might depart in silence. Such variety, corresponding to the mood of the feast or season, is encouraged. We leave the place of our assembly, perhaps to join others in conversation at the church steps, to share coffee and doughnuts in the hall, yet always to bring Christ with us so that he may be recognized in the world.

Some after-words

From all reports the recent renewal of the church’s liturgical life has been received with enthusiastic support by the majority of Catholics. For example, an evaluation of the structural elements of the Mass, sponsored by the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy and the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions in 1981-1982 showed that the vast majority of the study’s participants were happy with the revisions in the Mass brought about by the Second Vatican Council.

The success of this renewal owes much to the untiring labors of those serving in our parishes. We owe so much to those men and women who contribute their talents as readers, liturgy planners, musicians and other artists, as well as to the many others who serve us when we gather for prayer together at Mass. We are in debt to our bishops and priests who, as presiders, draw us by their warmth and graciousness into our common prayer. We are indebted to our brothers and sisters “in the pews” who by their example encourage and support us as we gather for prayer. To many we owe much.

And yet the task is not finished. There will no doubt be further modifications; new texts will appear; there will be new challenges for us all. Parishes need to continue to improve the quality of their liturgical celebrations. And, in the words of our bishops, all of us need give more of our “energy to an ever greater and more profound participation in the eucharistic mystery” (The Church at Prayer, no. 23).

Certainly one area for a more profound participation would concern what is often called the link between “liturgy and life.” It is so easy for us to concentrate all our efforts on what takes place within the church building and to avoid the implications of God’s work and presence outside that structure. The question of Cain “Am I my brother’s keeper?” could never be asked by a Christian who has truly participated in the Mass. Mother Teresa says it this way.

“If we can see Jesus in the appearance of bread, we can see him in the broken bodies of the poor. That is why we need that oneness with Christ, why we need that deep faith in Christ. It is very beautiful. When we have that deepening contact with Christ and can accept him fully, we can touch the broken bodies. We put it into practice right away. You need the poor to touch him.” (Quoted by Desmond Doig, Mother Teresa, Her People and Her Work. London: Collins, 1976)

The juncture between what we celebrate and our lives before and after the celebration is emphasized in the liturgy itself. Certainly it occurs in the proclamation of the Scriptures which again and again call us to the works of justice, love and peace. And it occurs in the various prayers of the Mass: “Help us to become more aware of your loving design so that we may more willingly give our lives in service to all” (Opening Prayer for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time). But at other times as well. Among the gifts brought to the altar are to be those destined “for the poor.” The general intercessions are to spur us on to be God’s instruments bringing about that for which we pray. The washing of the feet on Holy Thursday evening is a visual reminder that our lives are to be spent in service on behalf of all our brothers and sisters. Christ, after performing this gesture, said that we “also should do as I have done to you’ (John 13:15) — a command which is so strikingly similar to “do this in memory of me.”

The Christ whom we celebrate in the Eucharist is the Jesus who so often served the poor, the outcast, those without power and influence. Unless we strive to do likewise it is with peril that we celebrate the Eucharist. The self-giving of Jesus which is so central to our eucharistic liturgy demands that we give of ourselves. While not all of us maybe called to great undertakings on behalf of peace and justice, there are always places in our own lives, both individually and as a community, where we can make the works of God’s Kingdom our own. As Pope John Paul II said when he visited Dublin in 1979:

“Our full participation in the Eucharist is the real source of the Christian spirit that we wish to see in our personal lives and in all aspects of society. Whether we serve in politics, in the economic, cultural, social, or scientific field — no matter what our occupation is — the Eucharist is a challenge to our daily lives.”

Responding to this challenge is the meaning of “the Mass is ended.’