Recently I read an article in a magazine called "The Priest" published by Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) entitled: "The Holy Eucharist: A Prefigurement of the Mass in the Incarnation". The author is Thomas R Collins, a priest from the Diocese of Richmond, VA.
He shared insights on the Holy Eucharist that is noteworthy, so that it can renew our spirit, breathe life into our soul, and appreciate the divine gift of the Lord's Passover.
First, he spoke about the epiclesis (overshadowing). At the Holy Mass, when the priest places his hands over the bread and wine, it is an act of epiclesis, calling forth the Holy Spirit to overshadow and descend upon the species to be consecrated. But here, Collins connects it to the Feast of Annunuciation when the the Holy Spirit overshadows the Blessed Mother and "made possible the Incarnation of God the Son in her womb."
Secondly, just as Christ gives himself to Mother Church, so he Blessed Mother gives herself to the Lord. Christ says: "This is my body...; This is the Chalice of my blood". Blessed Mother echoes the sentiment by saying: "Be it done to me according to Thy Word." In other words: "This is my body, given for you...; This is my blood given and poured for you in the holy pregnancy I now accept in humble obedience, love, trust and gratitude." Blessed Mother is a disciple par excellence in this manner as she models for all humanity in the gift of total self to the Lord.
Thirdly, Collins wrote about how medical science helps us to understand that if a nursing mother does not have enough calcium in her diet (a common situation in impoverished societies), her body will actually start to take calcium from her bone tissue to provide adequate nutrition for her nursing infant. In nursing the Christ Child, the Blessed Mother could aptly say: "You are flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones." Church fathers have taught that "what is not shared is not redeemed." This is not the case with the Blessed Mother who shared her body and soul (her entire person) with Christ at the moment of the holy Incarnation.
Fourthly, The Blessed Mother in her canticle (song of praise), praised the Lord for His providence. But a closer look at her canticle reveals a deep hunger and thirst for righteousness for all of humanity. In other words, with hope, trust, and longing for God to make things right again, to save humanity, to redeem humanity. God listened to this perfect hunger and thirst of the Blessed Mother for humanity's salvation. In the fullness of time, God has accomplished it majestically in the unity of divinity and humanity in the person of Christ.
Fifth, Collins point out an important distinction to consider in regards to the Incarnation. This has to do with the holy words spoken by St Elizabeth at the Visitiation: "Blessed is the fruit of Thy Womb." It is important to see that when Christ entered the womb of blessed Mother, it is not "merely a new creation placed in her womb, but indeed the fruit of her very being in her womb. In the order of God's creation, fruit comes from the living substance of a being, and is not merely artificially inserted into that being." The fruit of her womb is not alien and separate from her, but is totally, wholly and completely united to her entire being.
That gives us a powerful insight when we receive the Holy Eucharist. We can approach the Eucharist, not as we consume ordinary food that passes through our system, but a divine presence that penetrates deep into the core of our entire being. "Do this in memory of me."
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