The Nature of the Eucharistic Prayers

Rev. Charles Strebler • September 23, 2025

The Eucharist Prayer is the supreme expression of the blessing in the Mass as the Liturgy of Eucharist reflects the Lord’s action of taking, blessing, breaking, and sharing.

While there are over a dozen Eucharist Prayers from which the priest can choose, they all have some common elements. The GIRM says it as well—or better than I can:

a) The thanksgiving (expressed especially in the Preface), in which the priest, in the name of the whole of the holy people, glorifies God the Father and gives thanks to Him for the whole work of salvation or for some particular aspect of it, according to the varying day, festivity, or time of year.

b) The acclamation, by which the whole congregation, joining with the heavenly powers, sings the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy). This acclamation, which constitutes part of the Eucharistic Prayer itself, is pronounced by all the people with the Priest.

c) 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.

The epiclesis, the calling down of the Holy Sprit, is signified by the priest extending his hands over the gifts. It is the Holy Spirt, being God, that does the work of God in transforming the bread and wine into the Eucharist. As we acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s action in transforming the gifts at Mass, it is a good reminder that we, Holy Spirit Parish, though not God, but working with Him, are called to transform our world. It is the custom that the sanctuary bells are rung at this time. In the days when the Eucharistic Prayer was prayed silently, this was a call to the people to pay attention because something important was happening. As it is prayed today, out loud and with the attention of the people, the custom of ringing bells has still remained.

d) The institution narrative and Consecration, by which, by means of the words and actions of Christ, that Sacrifice is effected which Christ Himself instituted during the Last Supper, when He offered His Body and Blood under the species of bread and wine, gave them to the Apostles to eat and drink, and leaving with the latter the command to perpetuate this same mystery.

It is noteworthy that at the institution narrative, the priest moves from speaking in the third person to speaking in the first person. He is speaking in persona Christi, Note the change:

He took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: “TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.” In a similar way, when supper was ended, He took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, He gave it to His disciples, saying: “TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.”

While the third person words differ in each of the Eucharistic Prayers, the words of Christ, the words of institution, remain the same in each of the prayers. Again, it is the practice that the bells are rung as the priest show the host and the cup, for after saying these words, the bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. It is a thing of Western philosophy that pinpoints the moment of the change. In Eastern theology, it is bread and wine at the start of the prayer and Jesus’ body and blood at the end. There is no precise moment identified for the transformation.

After the institution narrative, the priest proclaims “the mystery of faith.” And the people can respond with one of three responses:

We proclaim Your Death, O Lord, and profess Your Resurrection until You come again.

When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim Your Death, O Lord, until You come again.

Save us, Savior of the world, for by Your Cross and Resurrection You have set us free.

I prefer the first, but the first two are similar in that they speak of the death and resurrection of the Lord and also have an eschatological (relating to death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind) sense. The Eucharist here on Earth is a foretaste of the Heavenly banquet. In the Eucharist past, present, and future merge into one moment. We in time experience a glimpse of eternity, for God sees all of time as “now.”

e) The anamnesis, by which the Church, fulfilling the command that she received from Christ the Lord through the Apostles, celebrates the memorial of Christ, recalling especially His blessed Passion, glorious Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.

f) The oblation, by which, in this very memorial, the Church, in particular that gathered here and now, offers the unblemished sacrificial Victim in the Holy Spirit to the Father. The Church’s intention, indeed, is that the faithful not only offer this unblemished sacrificial Victim but also learn to offer their very selves, and so day by day to be brought, through the mediation of Christ, into unity with God and with each other, so that God may at last be all in all.

When we think of remembering or recalling, we usually think in terms about bringing to mind something that happened in the past. In the Jewish understanding, a memorial is making a past event real in the here and now by the remembering. In the prayer, Jesus’ saving action is present and active among us and we are present to the Cross and resurrection.

g) The intercessions, by which expression is given to the fact that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the whole Church, of both heaven and of earth, and that the oblation is made for her and for all her members, living and dead, who are called to participate in the redemption and salvation purchased by the Body and Blood of Christ.

The naming of the Pope and Bishop shows us that we are not doing this action alone, we are connected through the Pope and Bishop to the wider Church, to all those celebrating the Mass in our diocese and world. Reminding us that the Church is more than just here on Earth, we acknowledge Mary, St. Joseph, and all the saints, who participate in the Heavenly Liturgy and, we pray, our deceased brothers and sisters may share it in as well.

h) The concluding doxology, by which the glorification of God is expressed and which is affirmed and concluded by the people’s acclamation Amen.

Though it is the priest who voices the prayer, all the people have a role in the Eucharistic Prayer. The Amen, “so be it,” shows that they have intently heard, and acknowledge that the Eucharistic Prayer is theirs as well, and they are joined to it.

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Path of a Permanent Deacon

By Rev. Charles Strebler • August 27, 2026

“This striking observation reminds us that the Church’s worship and her service of charity cannot be separated. The deacon, who stands at the altar and also ministers among the poor, visibly embodies this unity within the life of the Church. When the deacon encounters those who suffer or live on the margins, he encounters Christ who identifies himself with the least of his brothers and sisters (cf. Matthew 25:40).”--St. John Chrysostom, Homily 50 on the Gospel of Matthew. Dear Parishioners: Holy Spirit again this year is a field education placement for a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate, Jason Klueber (not to be confused with the Australian tennis player, Jason Kubler.) Jason offers this introduction: Hello everyone! My name is Jason Klueber, and I'm excited to be helping at Holy Spirit Parish in Avon Lake for the next 9 months! I'm in my second year of Aspirancy, the second year of the five-year Diaconate Formation program, and this will be my first time in field education at a parish. My wife Catherine (Cat) and I have been married for 16 years. We met in college at Baldwin-Wallace College where we both studied music therapy. Our favorite thing to do together is sing at weddings, which we still get to do occasionally. We stayed in the area after college and were married at St. Mary's Church in Berea. We currently live in North Olmsted and are parishioners at St. Clarence Church. We have been blessed with three wonderful children. Rachel is 15 and a junior at Padua Franciscan High School. Joshua (13) and Hannah (11) are in 8th grade and 6th grade respectively at St. Angela Merici in Fairview Park. All three keep us (mainly Cat) very busy running around with their extracurricular activities. At St. Clarence, I have served as a lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, greeter, cantor, and server. In collaboration with another couple, Cat and I also started a ministry for couples and families about 4 years ago that we have loved. Building community is a charism of ours, and my personal favorite way to do that is over a meal. We often joke that feeding people is our love language. If any of you are interested, we'd love to have you over for dinner sometime. Outside of spending time with my family and formation, I work as a supply chain consultant for a small company called Chainsight, primarily assisting companies with supply chain software implementations. I've worked in multiple aspects of supply chain for the past 16 years at companies of various sizes, from small ones such as Darice (the parent company for Pat Catan's) and large ones like Nestle. I have always enjoyed the complexity and interconnectedness of the elements in a supply chain and have a passion for my work. I look forward to meeting you personally over the coming weeks and I am excited to see what God has in store for my time with all of you! Please don't be a stranger! Jason will be at Holy Spirit through April of next year. He will be involved with liturgical ministries, Communion to the homebound, and other aspects of life at Holy Spirit. Welcome, Jason! Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

Staff News

By Rev. Charles Strebler • August 21, 2026

"Evangelization is about the opportunity to “enlighten all people with the brightness of Christ, which gleams over the face of the Church, by preaching the Gospel to every creature.” - (Lumen Gentium) Dear Parishioners: I am excited to announce Karen Howell as Holy Spirit’s new Evangelization Minister! Karen offers this introduction to the parish: Hello! I am Karen Howell, and I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the staff at Holy Spirit Parish in Avon Lake! I feel as though I already know many of you, having prayed for God’s plan to lead me to this next chapter of my earthly journey. I am a lifelong Lorain County resident, a cradle Catholic, and someone whose faith and relationship with the Lord mean everything to me. I strive to be down-to-earth, cheerful, friendly, creative, supportive, understanding, and a good listener with a good sense of humor—and I believe in spreading “random acts of kindness” like confetti! My husband, Terrance, and I have been married for 35 years. We met while in Cleveland area bands and back when making music was our vision and passion. We have owned and operated a Disc Jockey Service for many years, but most importantly we are blessed with two wonderful children, Nicolas Adam and Cassandra Eve, both grown. I have been a lifelong parishioner of St. Agnes Church in Elyria and have had the privilege of serving in many ministries over the years, including Parish Council, Altar and Rosary, PSR, Youth Group, music ministries, lector and Eucharistic minister, bereavement ministry, prayer line, Pro-Life ministry, and family and discipleship ministries. After college and the birth of my son, my professional journey began, which has included working as a preschool teacher, nanny, City of Elyria employee, and, for nearly 25 years, within the Diocese. Most recently, I spent 15 years as Director of Admissions and Communications at St. Bernadette School in Westlake. Each position has been a blessing and has taught me so much. Outside of work, I love attending morning Mass, praying, reading, writing, visiting local coffee shops, book and record stores, walking in nature, feeding the birds, gardening, cooking and baking, attending concerts and local events, and spending time with family and friends. I am especially proud of my Hungarian heritage and love nothing more than a quiet day by the lake with my toes in the sand and a lemonade in my hand! I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming weeks and becoming part of this wonderful parish community. I’ll leave you with a favorite passage attributed to my cherished patron saint, St. Thérèse of Lisieux: “For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trail as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.” I am grateful and excited to see where God leads us together! Welcome, Karen! Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

Growing in Faith: PSR

By Rev. Charles Strebler • August 16, 2026

“The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ.” – St. John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae (1979) Dear Parishioners: Registration is underway for the 2026-2027 PSR year at Holy Spirit, Avon Lake. We offer in-person session for PSR on Tuesday evening from 5:30-6:45 p.m. and there is also an option for at home/online course. Parents must choose one or the other for their students, the different curricula do not allow for switching between. If an in-person student needs to move online, the student will need to begin the online program from the start. The registration fee for one child is $75.00. There is a $5.00 off discount per child when registering two or more children. Use the code 5OFF to receive this discount. You can register your child online at Realm for Grades 1 through 8. The 2026-2027 PSR year begins on Tuesday, September 1 for both the in-person and online programs. Parent meetings for the new school year will be held on Sunday, September 20 at 6:00 p.m. or on Tuesday, September 1 at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Katherine Drexel Room off the Atrium in the Holy Spirit Parish Center. At least one parent must attend one or the other of these meetings. Preparation for sacraments is above and beyond the regular curriculum. First Confession and Communion prep sessions are held once monthly on Sunday morning from 10:15-11:30 a.m. A Parent Meeting for parents of children in Grade 2 who anticipate receiving First Holy Communion in Spring 2027 will be held on Tuesday, October 13 at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Katherine Drexel Room in the Parish Center. At least one parent must attend. Confirmation is conferred in Grade 9 (or high school generally) at Holy Spirit, Avon Lake. The Confirmation Preparation Program consists of preparation sessions held once monthly on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. as well as an online component. A Parent Meeting for parents of teens in Grade 9 who anticipate receiving Confirmation in Spring 2027 will be held on Tuesday, September 8 at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Katherine Drexel Room in the Parish Center. At least one parent must attend. Dr. Hoag and I both take seriously that Christian Education is not about knowing about Jesus, but is about knowing Jesus, having a real relationship with Him. We also affirm that parents are the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith. I hold that the places for religious education are: Sunday and Holy Day Mass, the home, and then PSR—in that order! If the first two are not happening, then PSR is not going to do much intellectually or spiritually. This is true not just for our PSR students, but for all of us. We never cease to be learners. Sunday Mass and a home/life where the Lord is present is the foundation on which our intellectual growth is built. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

Mass Times at St. Joseph

By Rev. Charles Strebler • August 9, 2026

“Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."—John F. Kennedy Dear Parishioners: There is a very close working relationship between Holy Spirt and St. Joseph in Avon Lake. We have a common rectory for the two parishes, we share some staff members, we work together on meals for the St. Elizabeth Center in Lorain, we divide the Masses on weekdays, Holy Days of Obligation, and national holidays. The pastors of the parishes know that the people of Avon Lake have their primary parish, but will attend the Sunday Mass that best fits into their schedule, even if it is at the “other” parish. Fr. Ron Wearsch has let me know that beginning the first weekend in September—September 5/6—St. Joseph’s Parish Mass schedule will be changing. It will be: Saturday: 4:30 pm Sunday: 8:15 am 11:15 am 5:00 pm Both parishes will be collaborating to provide confessions on Tuesdays from 6:00 pm to 6:45 pm in Holy Spirit Church beginning Tuesday, September 1, 2026. I have said it in some venues, but I want to say it publicly: If Fr. Joe Koopman ever moves on from Holy Spirit we will drop a Mass on Sunday morning and only have two Sunday morning Masses. At this time, I am able to call on a retired priest to assist, but the time may come where that isn’t an option. The church has a capacity of 850 people, and we only get mid-six hundred people total on a weekend; one Mass could serve all our weekend Mass attendees, but we will still have three (One Saturday, tow Sunday.) I promise you that the decision on the new Holy Spirit Sunday schedule will be determined in consultation with the staff, the Parish Pastoral Council, and the parishioners. To be clear: If Fr. Joe Koopman ever moves on from Holy Spirit. He has not given me any indication that he is planning on doing so anytime soon. I can imagine that someday that will happen, whether it is Fr. Koopman leaving his seminary teaching position and becoming a pastor of his own parish or it is decided that he is needed somewhere else in the Diocese for weekend assistance. That day is not here yet We are hoping and happy to have him for many more years of priestly service at Holy Spirit. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

Pope Leo, the Human

By Rev. Charles Strebler • August 1, 2026

“By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”—Prayer for the adding of water to the wine at Mass Dear Parishioners: People used to extol Pope Francis for his humility. What I like about Pope Leo is his humanity . · His brother was being interviewed on the day of Leo’s election. During the interview, the brother answered the phone. Leo’s voice was heard asking his brother, “Don’t you answer your phone?” · Robert Prevost called his bank in Chicago to change the information on his account. The customer service rep told him he would have to come in person to a branch to do that. He said that that was not possible. The rep says it must be done this way. Prevost says, “What if I told you I am Pope Leo?” The rep hung up on him. (It did get sorted out by a priest friend of his speaking to the president of the bank.) · Visting a mosque in Istanbul, Pope Leo was told, “If you wish, you may pray.” He replied, “No, thank you.”—which one commentator called the most Midwest response ever. · Someone told me of a friend (I know, with a provenance like that it has to be true) who was in a Peloton group and found that Robert Prevost was in the same group. · Pope Leo goes to get into a car. As he reaches for the door handle, the car begins to drive away. He responds with a gesture of befuddlement and frustration, just like I and, I imagine, some of you would. These are very human situations, ones that you can imagine yourself or your family or friends finding themselves. His Holiness is His humanness. Which is good for us because it reminds us that in our humanness we can find holiness. Not, of course, in our broken, fallen humanity, but in Christ, in whom humanity comes to full stature. Pope St. John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation on the formation of priests, Pastores Dabo Vobis , calls human formation the basis of all priestly formation. He writes, The whole work of priestly formation would be deprived of its necessary foundation if it lacked a suitable human formation. He continues, So, we see that the human formation of the priest shows its special importance when related to the receivers of the mission: In order that his ministry may be humanly as credible and acceptable as possible, it is important that the priest should mold his human personality in such a way that it becomes a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity. It is necessary that, following the example of Jesus who "knew what was in humanity" (Jn. 2:25; cf. 8:3-11). What is true for priests, it is true of all baptized Christians. If we are preaching to humans, we need to be human in our preaching. We are not angels without temptations and aloof from human realities. It is in sharing the realities of human life with others that we can share the good news of the God who became one with us to truly know our humanity. It also tells us that we can find holiness is the mundane human activities; shopping, household tasks, homework, cooking, are all part of our road to holiness. I am thankful for the example of Leo, the human. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

We Have Two Youth Groups!

By Rev. Charles Strebler • July 25, 2026

“Yeah, two yutes.” “What is a yute?”—My Cousin Vinny. Dear Parishioners: Oh, excuse me, your honor: two youths groups. Yes, we have two youth groups in Avon Lake shared between the parishes of Holy Spirit and St. Joseph: sALt and sALt Lite. sALt, the high school group meets on Sundays from 6:15pm until 8:15pm at Holy Spirit in Fr. Mosovsky Hall. You may have seen that room in the hall on southeast corner by the maintenance office that is the youth group space. The group’s activities range from gathering around the fire pit in our parking lot to local diocesan gatherings and even national youth rallies. Holy Spirit Confirmation students can go from the Confirmation sessions to sALt. sALt Lite (grades 6 through 8) meets Sundays from 6pm until 8pm at St. Joseph in their Social Hall. People can use this link to sign up for the youth group newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/0BIFtpm Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

A/C Relief is Coming

By Rev. Charles Strebler • July 18, 2026

“Having played many roles of scientific intellect I do have an empathy for that world. It's been hard on me because flying the Enterprise for seven years in Star Trek and sitting in Cerebro in X-men has led people to believe that I know what I'm talking about. But I'm still trying to work out how to operate the air conditioning unit on my car.”—Patrick Stewart Dear Parishioners: I don’t think I have to tell you that we have had some issues with the church air-conditioning recently—unless you only attend the Saturday, 5 pm Mass, for some reason the system works on Saturday, but not on Sunday. I expect that this is a concern for you, the parishioners. It is very much a concern for me. I have said that a couple of weeks ago when we had the heavy rains and the A/C was not working well, “The parishioners were getting soaked from the outside, I was getting soaked from the inside, sweating under my vestments.” I am very frustrated with the situation. While the A/C unit is just a couple years old, the control system is much older. However, the real problem with the control system is that we cannot fully access it. Jim Allen took the access codes for the system to his grave. We cannot at this time adjust the times of the system and other issues. This may be one of the issues with the current system. We found out last Sunday that in addition to the A/C, the boiler was running. We have had several experts look at the system and try to figure out how to access it to take control of it. There has been no success. I have instructed Tony Smith, our Multi-Campus Facility Director, that getting these controls sorted out is a priority. This is one of those “what it costs—it costs” situations. We need to get a system that we can set, reset, and control. I ask for your patience—which is ironic since mine is almost gone—as we try to get this situation sorted out. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

What Is Excommunication?

By Rev. Charles Strebler • July 11, 2026

“There is nothing more serious than the sacrilege of schism because there is no just cause for severing the unity of the Church.”— Saint Augustine Dear Parishioners: You may have been hearing about the fuss in the Catholic Church in the last couple of weeks and are wondering what it is all about. There is group in the Church called The Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X ( SSPX ). They follow the teachings of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who rejected parts of the Second Vatican Council, including the current formulation of the Mass. The group ordained four men as bishops on July 1 st without a papal mandate—the authorization of the pope. This was after several warnings from the Vatican and Pope Leo not to do so. This is an act of schism, which is defined by the Church as “the withdrawal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or from communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” Because of the seriousness of the act, any bishop ordained without a papal mandate and the bishops ordaining him are automatically excommunicated for doing so. The Vatican declared the excommunication, which makes the situation even more serious because it sets even stricter penalties on the one excommunicated. This is being portrayed as being merely about the old Mass in Latin, the Tridentine Liturgy, but is about much more. If you have seen any social media about the situation, many of the Lefebvrists followers do not acknowledge Pope Leo as a legitimate pope and reject the Second Vatican Council. Somehow, they know better than the popes, the bishops, and the Church. They are right and everyone else—the vast majority of Catholics—are wrong. Lefebvrists made the choice to follow their course. Now they face the consequences. A note about excommunication since the word is bandied about these days with little precision. Excommunication is seen as the Church’s hammer for punishment. This is incorrect. Excommunication is called by the Church a medicinal penalty. It is meant to make it clear to the offender that a line has been crossed that should not be crossed. Excommunication is a call to repentance and return and reconciliation. It is not meant as a punishment but as a corrective. People get it wrong when they ask, “Why were not the priests who abused children excommunicated?” That situation did not call for a medicinal penalty, it called for an expiatory penalty, which is not about reform but are punitive. Such penalties can include being removed from the clerical state, which was done to many of the abusers, or a life of prayer and penance which others received. Another common misconception is that excommunication puts a person “outside” the Church. This is not the case. Though the relationship with the Church is strained, it is never broken. It is like sending a child who disrupted Thanksgiving Dinner to his or her room. That child is not permitted to be with the family but is not considered not to be a part of the family anymore. When the child considers the bad choices and actions made and apologizes, the child is welcomed back to the table. This situation with the Lefebvrists is a wound in the Body of Christ. We pray for the unity of the Church, in all those separated from her that the “High Priestly” of Christ on the night of the last supper, “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

We Need a Few Good Helpers

By Rev. Charles Strebler • July 5, 2026

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Could God Be Calling You?

By Rev. Charles Strebler • June 28, 2026