Sacraments and Sapientia: 7 O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, King and our bearer of the Law, Hope of the people and their Saviour: Come for to save us, Lord, Our God!

Behold , a virgin shall be with child , and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

At every Mass, we see the earthly life of our Lord played out. At the opening of the Mass, the paten and the chalice is covered, as is the celebrant's head which are subsequently uncovered as the revelation of Emmanuel unfolds. We hear His word revealed to us, first on the South Side for the Hebrews, then on the North side for the Gentiles. We see His double nature in the mixed water and wine at the offertory. We see His body laid upon the Cross of the Altar.We see it broken and laid in the tomb of the paten. We see the fragment in the Cup uniting Man with God through His being and His One True Sacrifice to which every Mass is inextricably, mysteriously and really linked.

God is truly with us in the Mass. Indeed, every Mass brings us back to Christmass Day as well as the great Triduum. Our weekly Eucharistic Apotheosis may seem quite ordinary in comparison with the seasonal festivities, but we can be sure that we never celebrate a Mass without Emmanuel.