Each of the four Gospel writers mentions a man by the name of Joseph of Arimathea. They tell us that he was a disciple of Jesus and that he asked and obtained permission from Pilate to take the Body of Christ from the cross and give it proper burial.
According to legend, Joseph of Arimathea also secured the chalice which Christ had used at the Last Supper. This legend even maintains that with this precious chalice he caught some of the Precious Blood which flowed from the wound in the side of our Lord.
He carried this sacred cup to Glastonbury, England, where he formed an organization of knights whose work it was to protect the chalice and its precious contents. The chief of these knights was considered a king. At certain times the king unveiled the golden cup. At those moments a glorious and radiant light fell on the faces of all who stood about. It filled them with delight and gave them strength from on high. Only the pure in heart were able to look upon that cup. Only the clean of heart were able to see the wondrous light that streamed from it.
The loss of this cup and the search for it have been the subject of much literature. It is the theme of Tennyson's unforgettable poem, "THE HOLY GRAIL."
Interesting as these stories may be, they pale in the face of the unquestionable fact that the Precious Blood of Christ is actually, truly and substantially present in every Holy Mass. We do not have to cross continents and oceans in quest of the chalice that contained the Precious Blood, for upon the altar of the Church the Blood of Christ becomes present at the consecration of every Mass. At every Mass the Last Supper and the Crucifixion will be continued on the altars of the Church.
1. After the celebrant has adored the Sacred Host he places his left hand on the foot of the chalice and uncovers it with his right. He places the pall on the veil or against the altar card. He then rubs the thumb and index finger of each hand over the open chalice to remove any small particle of the large Host that may be upon them. While doing this in an erect posture, he says:
"In like manner after he had supped."2. Then he says, "Taking also this excellent chalice into His holy and venerable hands." Suiting the action to the words, the priest takes the chalice with both hands just under the cup, raises it slightly and briefly, and. replaces it on the corporal.
3. At the words, "also giving thanks to Thee," the priest makes a bow of his head.
4. "He blessed," says the priest, as he keeps his left hand holding the cup, while he makes the sign of the cross over the chalice with his right hand and continues the prayer:
"He gave it to His disciples saying, 'Take and drink ye all of this.'"5. With both hands he holds the chalice, raises it slightly above the corporal, places the three fingers of his left hand under the foot of the chalice as a sort of support, and with bowed body pronounces attentively, reverently, and secretly the words of consecration:
"For this is the chalice of my blood of the new and eternal testament; the mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins."6. After repeating these words, the celebrant places the chalice on the corporal, genuflects slowly, repeating at the same time the words:
"As often as ye shall do these things, ye shall do them in memory of me."7. He grasps the chalice with his right hand, supports it below with the three fingers of his left hand, and elevates the cup with its Sacred Contents high enough for the people to see and worship. Throughout the elevation the priest keeps his eyes fixed steadily and adoringly on the chalice.
Slowly but without delay he lowers the chalice, places it on the corporal, covers it with the pall, and genuflects.
With the priest you should lift your eyes reverently and lovingly to the chalice. It is our Holy Grail. It is the true Holy Grail. It is the cup of the living, precious, all-purifying Blood of our Savior. Lift up your eyes and your heart and your mind - and adore.
This two-fold consecration of the Sacred Body and the Precious Blood of our Lord is the very heart and core of the Mass. The two-fold consecration is a mystical shedding of blood, the separation of the Body from the Blood. It carries out, it continues before our very eyes "the commemorative representation," as Pope Pius XII calls it, of the death of Christ upon the cross.
What do we mean when we call this a "mystical shedding of Christ's Blood?" We call that mystical which is real, which is true, but which the senses cannot perceive and the mind cannot comprehend. Christ said so. Christ said He would give us His Flesh to eat and His Blood to drink. He kept His promise at the Last Supper.
Then He told His apostles and their successors, the bishops and priests of the Catholic Church, to continue that consecration, to continue changing bread and wine into His adorable Body and Blood. A real change takes place, yet we cannot see that change nor feel it nor understand it. That is what we mean by mystical.
What a blessed moment this is! The Last Supper and Calvary are really re-presented and continued upon the altars of the Catholic Church. Let nothing disturb you at that moment. Let nothing draw your attention away from what is taking place, from what is being said and done here in the sight of God and His angels.
Here is the Holy Grail. Here is the blessed cup. Here is the Precious Blood. Mother Church gives an indulgence for the devout saying of the following words at this time:
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, in satisfaction for my sins, in supplication for the holy souls in purgatory, and for the needs of Holy Church."Whisper those words when you see the real Holy Grail raised above the head of the priest. Amen.
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Adapted from Talks on the Mass
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, OFM (© 1950)
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