Thank You for Counting Us Worthy

We thank God for many, many things over the course of a Mass, but it is this line during the Eucharistic Prayer that sticks out to me every time: "Thank you for counting us worthy to be in your Presence and minister to you.” As with many spiritual realities, this statement of faith causes my expectations to do multiple somersaults in my soul.

God counts us worthy? Are we truly in God’s presence? We get the unbelievable privilege of ministering to/serving God, especially as He is ministering to us in the Mass.

We are Worthy, Indeed 

What does that mean to be counted worthy? We know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are not worthy by our own merit. No matter how many good deeds I pull off in a day, they are just a drop in the bucket compared with God’s goodness. I cannot earn my way into worthiness. Therefore, it’s got to be grace. It’s got to be God’s free, unearned gift of grace that makes us worthy in this moment. All I can do is stand in awe of this most awesome gift and give thanks. 

Truly in God’s Presence 

We thank God that we are truly in God’s Presence at Mass. Indeed, God’s presence is everywhere. It’s my awareness of God’s Presence that ebbs and flows. I’ve been taught that at Mass, God is present in the Bread, the Book, and the Body.  The bread becomes the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord. The Eucharist is the most obvious sacred element where God is present. 

The book, of course, is Sacred Scripture, the very Word of God. How much do I truly pause to take in the presence of God in the Word? The Word is so powerful and transformative. At Mass, do I allow myself to take it in or do I glance at the readings just to see how long they are, covertly praying for a short homily and a shortened Mass? 

Finally, the Body, where Christ is Present at Mass, is the Body of Christ gathered for fellowship. We find Him in each other. 

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)

To minister to You 

Now, I stumble into the part of the Eucharistic prayer that convicts me the most: Thank You… that we get to minister to You. There are a thousand ways that it is obvious how You, Lord, minister to me during Mass, but how in the world do I minister to You? I receive Your Word and Your Love through fellowship and Your Very Self in the Eucharist. How do I give unto You?

As I ask that question and get quiet, a still, small voice in my soul answers: you are here. Somehow, in some way, my presence at Mass matters to God. Just as being in the presence of a great friend blesses me, I show up and imperfectly stand in the Presence of Our Great Friend, and it matters. Even when I don’t feel anything, my presence matters. No one can love exactly like me. We are each fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). As counterintuitive as it sounds, I get to minister to God during Mass. It is simply not the same without me. Again, I stand in awe, and I say thank you. 

Lord, next time I hear the words of the Eucharistic prayer, help my ears to perk up.  I sincerely thank You for counting us worthy to be in Your presence and minister to You.