At the very heart of the traditional Mass lies the Roman Canon — the great prayer of consecration during which bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. It is among the most ancient prayers of the Roman Church, and to pray it is to be united with countless generations of the faithful.
An ancient prayer
The substance of the Roman Canon reaches back to the early centuries of the Church in Rome. Its words have nourished the saints; its phrases were old already when the great cathedrals were young. There is a deep consolation in this continuity: when the priest prays the Canon, he prays very nearly what was prayed at the altars of the early Church.
Prayed in silence
In the traditional Mass, the Roman Canon is prayed by the priest in a profound silence. This silence is not emptiness but reverence — a hush that befits the holiest moment of the Mass, when heaven bends down to earth. The faithful kneel and enter into this stillness, adoring in their hearts the great mystery taking place upon the altar. (See Sacred Silence in the Liturgy.)
What the Canon contains
The Canon is woven through with remembrance and intercession. Within it, the Church prays for the Pope and the bishop, for the living and the dead, and calls to mind the Apostles and martyrs by name, asking their fellowship and intercession. At its center stand the words of Our Lord at the Last Supper — “This is My Body… This is the chalice of My Blood” — at which the priest, acting in the person of Christ, consecrates the gifts. Then the Sacred Host and the Chalice are elevated for the adoration of all.
The summit of the Mass
Everything in the Mass leads to this moment and flows from it. The readings prepared us; the Offertory presented the gifts; now the Sacrifice of Calvary is made present upon the altar, offered to the Father. It is the same Sacrifice of Christ, renewed in our midst — the source of every grace.
When you next assist at Mass, let the silence of the Canon draw you in. Kneel, look upon the elevated Host, and make a simple act of faith and love: My Lord and my God. In that quiet, you stand at the very heart of the Mass.