In the Gospel account of the Annunciation in St. Luke’s Gospel, we hear that Mary will conceive Jesus in her womb in a wholly unique and miraculous way, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Archangel Gabriel explains this to Mary with the following words:
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)
It is that same power of the Holy Spirit that shows up in a special way as we enter into the Eucharistic Prayer. The next of the seven main elements of the Eucharistic Prayer is what is called the epiclesis. Here is how the General Instruction of the Roman Missal describes this element:
The epiclesis, in which, by means of particular invocations, the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts offered by human hands be consecrated, that is, become Christ’s Body and Blood, and that the unblemished sacrificial Victim to be consumed in Communion may be for the salvation of those who will partake of it. (GIRM, 79c)
It will be by the power of the Holy Spirit that, in a similar way, the Word will become flesh and dwell among us, as He did in the Incarnation. Of course, we know the Annunciation and following birth of Jesus at Christmas focuses on the mystery of God becoming man, taking on our human flesh to redeem us. At the Last Supper, when Jesus said: “This is my Body…this is my Blood”, He made it possible for Him to be present any time the Mass is celebrated until He comes again in glory.
The primary mystery being remembered at the Mass in the Passion of Christ, but there is a very real and significant connection to the mystery of the Incarnation at every Mass as well. After all, the Jesus that is present on the altar, whom we consume in the Eucharist, is the same Christ who was conceived in Mary’s womb, born in Bethlehem, who suffered, died, rose, and ascended into Heaven. It is the same Christ, and pondering this should astound us! Any attempt to fully grasp this reality will fall short, but we receive this mystery with gratitude and love.
But let me invite us to something even more profound at work here. What makes this mystery possible is the power of the Holy Spirit. And where the Holy Spirit is, there also is the Father and the Son – always, from before time began. The three persons of the Trinity are never separate, never divided, but always working together, even though we may speak specifically of what the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit does. The Catechism explains it this way:
Inseparable in what they are, the divine persons are also inseparable in what they do. But within the single divine operation each shows forth what is proper to him in the Trinity, especially in the divine missions of the Son’s Incarnation and the gift of the Holy Spirit. (CCC 267)
If your head is spinning, that is understandable! The Trinity is difficult to understand, but at the same time, the Trinity is the central mystery of our faith. It’s at the center of the Incarnation which we celebrate during these days, and it’s at the center of the Eucharist which we celebrate each day.
In closing, I’d like to share a quote I came across a few years ago from St. Josemaria Escriva regarding the Trinity, and I think it also applies beautifully to the Incarnation and the Eucharist:
When people tell you that they don’t understand the Trinity and Unity, you should reply: I don’t understand it either, but I love it and venerate it. If I understood God’s greatness, if God fit into this poor head of mine, my God would be very small. And yet, He does fit — He wants to fit — in my heart, in the immense depth of my soul, which is immortal.
Let us marvel that God has become “small” so that we could receive Him, first as a child in Bethlehem, and now under the form of bread and wine so that He can come and live in our hearts forever.
Father Alford