The Preparation of the Altar

Rev. Charles Strebler • September 23, 2025

After the Universal Prayer, either while the collection is being taken or after it has been collected, the preparation of the altar takes place. The corporal, a square linen cloth used to catch the particles of the host, is unfolded and placed on the altar as are the chalice; the Roman Missal; the cups with wine to be consecrated, and the purificator(s), the rectangular cloth used to wipe the chalice and the cups. The preparation of the altar is properly done by the deacon, or in his absence, the celebrant.


The collection and the gifts for the celebration are brought forward in the Offertory. The bread and the wine used at Mass are brought by some of the congregation to the presider. This is an ancient practice, as is seen in the description of the offertory from the Mass in Justin’s First Apology,

Then bread and a cup of water and mixed wine are brought to the president of the brethren and he, taking them, sends up praise and glory to the Father of the universe through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and offers thanksgiving at some length that we have been deemed worthy to receive these things from him. When he has finished the prayers and the thanksgiving,816 the whole congregation present817 assents, saying, "Amen." "Amen" in the Hebrew language means, "So be it."


Though now, the mixing of the water and wine takes place just a little later in the Mass.


The wine must be natural from the fruit of the vine and not spoiled (canon 924 §3)--because then it is not wine, but vinegar. It must be wine from grapes, it cannot be, for example, cherry wine. Fortified wines such as port, which have other things like brandy, which is from grapes but is distilled and not fermented as wine is, cannot be used. As long as it is grape wine, it doesn’t matter if it is white, red, or rosé, sweet or dry. I have found for Communion wine, generally a sweeter wine is more acceptable to most palates, especially those of children.


The bread is to be “only wheat and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling” (canon 924 §2). This means that you can not use bread made, for example, with rye, or to which has been added honey, or anything else.  [There is a story that has been verified of one priest at Mass holding up a loaf of bread and announcing, “This is My Body—except for the raisins and cinnamon.” {Heavy sigh}]


I have heard it said that it takes a greater act of faith to believe that the host is bread, than to believe it is the Body of Christ. Still, it is the practice of the Latin Church to use the host for consecration.  Canon 926 instructs:

According to the ancient tradition of the Latin Church, the priest is to use unleavened bread in the Eucharistic celebration whenever he offers it.


It is interesting to note that it does not say that leavened bread is forbidden; to say so would be problematic because the Eastern Churches have the tradition of using leavened bread for the Eucharist at their liturgies. If the Church said that leavened bread can never be used, then the Eastern Churches would not have Eucharist. However, since it is the ancient tradition of the Latin Church that unleavened bread be used, that is the norm and only under most extraordinary circumstances should leavened bread be used for the Mass. One such case would be when Bishop (later Cardinal) Nguyễn Văn Thuận was imprisoned for the Faith in Viet Nam, he would take what crumbs of bread he could get and consecrate them in his hand so that he could celebrate and receive the Eucharist.


These details of what can be used for the bread and wine are important. They affect the validity of the Eucharist, which means: Is it the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, or not? It must be wheat bread and grape wine. If it is not, it is invalid matter. I like Coke and Cool Ranch Doritos, but I cannot use them for Mass.  Even if the words of consecration are said, they do not become the Body and Blood of Jesus; only if it is grape wine and wheat bread.


When the gifts have been received, the priest, deacon, and servers take the gifts to the altar. The deacon hands the bread to the priest, who prays (either inaudibly when there is a song being sung or aloud when there is not; most of our Sunday Masses would have a song, so the prayers are usually inaudible):

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through Your goodness we have received the bread we offer You: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.


If this is done audibly, the people respond:

Blessed be God for ever.


The Deacon, or in his absence the Priest, pours wine and a little water into the chalice, saying quietly:

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.


This is another example (but not the last) of the practical at the Mass becoming symbolic. In ancient times wine was made very strong and had to be diluted with water. It has now come to symbolize the Incarnation where the divinity and humanity of Jesus are joined in such a way as that they cannot be separated any more than wine and water once mixed can be separated back into their original forms.


The deacon hands the chalice to the priest who prays (either inaudibly or aloud as with the bread as above):

Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation, for through Your goodness we have received the wine we offer You: fruit of the vine and work of human hands it will become our spiritual drink.

If prayed aloud, the people respond:

Blessed be God for ever.


These prayers echo the Jewish Berakah, a prayer that acknowledges God as the source of all blessings and transforms everyday actions and occurrences into religious experiences designed to increase awareness of God at all times. They usually begin:

Blessed are You, Lord our God, or

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe.


We praise the God of all Creation Who gives us the stuff of creation—bread, water, wine—that is taken, blessed, broken and given to us for our re-creation. It recognizes the sacramental principle in the Church that the “common” can be and often is the way that God reveals and shares Himself with His people.


After the gifts have been presented, the priest, bowing profoundly, says quietly:

With humble spirit and contrite heart may we be accepted by You, O Lord, and may our sacrifice in Your sight this day 
be pleasing to You, Lord God.

On a Mission from God

By Rev. Charles Strebler • March 1, 2026
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Spiritual Maintenance

By Rev. Charles Strebler • February 21, 2026
“Confession is an act of honesty and courage—an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.”—Pope St. John Paul II Dear Parishioners: I often liken confession to taking care of your car. If your car breaks down, you take it in to get it fixed right away. So, if you become aware of a serious/mortal sin in your life, you should get to confession right away—if at all possible before the next Sunday so you can receive the Lord worthily in the Eucharist (and not add on the sin of sacrilege). If your car doesn’t break down, you still have to take it in periodically for the tire rotation, oil change, and other maintenance. If you aren’t aware of serious sin, it is good to get to confession every so often for spiritual “maintenance.” I tell people that the minimum should be every three to four months. Some people go in Advent and Lent, but I point out there is much more time between Lent and Advent than between Advent and Lent; I usually suggest a time in July or August as well. The Diocese of Cleveland Night of Confessions will be on Wednesday, March 4 . Almost every parish in the Diocese of Cleveland will have an opportunity for confessions from 5—8 pm . I will be hearing at Holy Spirit and have another priest hearing confessions with me. What I like about this time is that there is no rush to get though the confessions before Mass. There is ample time for hearing the confessions of those who come, especially for those who have been away for a while. As we have done in the past, we will have the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the church. I invite our parishioners to come and spend some time in prayer with our Eucharistic Lord, especially praying for those going to confession—and each year I get some who have been away for decades! Pray also for the priests hearing confessions that night. I ask that we have at least two people in the church from 5—8pm. Please sign up for a time on our website at hspal.org. Confessions will also be a part of our Parish Mission, March 8—11 , lead By Father Jewel Aytona, of the Fathers of Mercy. This is a wonderful opportunity to enrich your faith in the season of Lent. Mark your calendar . Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

What Will You Do This Lent?

By Rev. Charles Strebler • February 16, 2026
"There are a lot of things you can give to Jesus—I don’t like to say, ‘Give it up.’ Well, you’re going to take it back. But give it to Jesus for Lent.” — Mother Angelica Dear Parishioners: Lent is just before us, starting this coming (Ash) Wednesday. The question you can ask yourself now is: What will I do this Lent? Notice I did not put it, What will I give up this Lent? While the tried-and-true practice of giving up something for Lent is part of Lenten fasting, which is one of the pillars of Lenten disciple, we shouldn’t limit it to the idea of doing without some particular food. We can give up social media, or the talking heads of television, or music/talk/podcast in the car. The things about these is that in giving them up, we actually open up a space in our lives, maybe to experience more time available or that very rare—and sometimes unsettling—thing, silence. We can also re-hear Isaiah from last Sunday’s reading, remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech . Maybe we strive to let go of grudges, animosities, prejudices, or at least to chip away at them. Maybe we let go of letting politics and political parties guide our lives and thinking. What will I do? opens us up to the other two Lenten pillars, prayer and almsgiving. Making the time to pray. Making the time to come to Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 7 pm in the Chapel . Making time to come to confession. Making time to come to the Parish Mission, March 8-11 . Making time to come to Adoration on Thursdays. Making time to pray the rosary—I suggest the Sorrowful Mysteries or at least a decade each day, maybe cycling through the Sorrowful Mysteries or all the mysteries. For almsgiving, yes, it is good to give financial support, but how about giving of your precious time to help out someone or a group. It can be a neighbor or family member who needs a ride to the doctor or to shopping—or to have shopping done for him or her, or just needs a visit. This, too, is almsgiving. It is sometimes easier not to do something (fasting) than to do something (prayer and almsgiving). But remember: Lent is not a call to prayer or fasting or almsgiving; it is a call to prayer and fasting and almsgiving! What will you do this Lent? Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

Home Once More

By Rev. Charles Strebler • February 8, 2026
“Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone — we find it with another.” — Thomas Merton Dear Parishioners: Next Saturday, much of the world will be celebrating Valentine’s Day. Oddly, now on that day the Church celebrates Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Apostles to the Slavs. At Holy Spirit we will be celebrating our volunteers! I admit February 14ᵗʰ is not the best day for this, but we try to have this dinner the Saturday before Ash Wednesday. (Then again, if you are a volunteer, this can be an inexpensive date for you and your spouse!) Rethinking my earlier comment, February 14ᵗʰ is a perfect day for our volunteer appreciation — because we love our volunteers! As I have said many times before, Holy Spirit Parish could not be what it is without our volunteers. The parish staff can only do so much. It is you, the parishioner volunteers, who make most of it happen. Some of the volunteers help at our liturgies; imagine what a Mass without volunteers would look like. It would not be the expression of the Church and the work of the people that it is supposed to be. Some volunteers help outside of the liturgies and serve in other ways. You are all appreciated! A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS! Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

Many Hands, One Mission

By Rev. Charles Strebler • February 1, 2026
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Halfway Around the World, Still at the Altar

By Rev. Charles Strebler • January 25, 2026
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Gratitude for a Season Well Celebrated

By Rev. Charles Strebler • January 17, 2026
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”—Gilbert K. Chesterton Dear Parishioners: The Christmas season is now over (though there are those who continue the tradition of keeping the season through February 2 nd , The Presentation of the Lord, AKA Candlemas, often by leaving at least one Christmas decoration {often the nativity scene} out!) As the season has come to an end, I want to thank all of those who contributed so significantly to our celebrations of Christmas and the Christmas Season. I’d like to thank the parish staff for their work, but particular commendation goes to Nathan Hetrick, Holy Spirit’s Director of Worship and Music. Nathan worked hard with the musical planning, with the choir and instrumentalists to getting them ready for the Christmas Masses, and leading them during the Masses. Nathan also prepared all the worship aids for Christmas. (I probably should also thank our copy machine for not collapsing from exhaustion!) Directly related to that, thank you to our choir, cantors, and instrumentalists, both parish and visitors. The music of the season greatly enhanced our celebrations. I received many compliments on the music. Also to be complimented are the members of our Art and Environment group, who decorated the church and chapel for both Advent and Christmas. For Christmas, they had to work according the “schedule” (“Some time today.”) of the flower delivery and not their own schedule. You can appreciate the sacrifice this is in the last couple of days before Christmas. They did a beautiful job. Though often less visible, but as needed and appreciated are the sacristans who work behind the scenes. The lectors, servers, Extra-Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and ushers are seen, but sometimes still not appreciated enough, as they seem a regular part of the Liturgy. If I have left anyone out, I apologize, but know all who have a part in enhancing our liturgies are appreciated. Thank you to all our parishioners for your participation in our Christmas celebrations. Thank you also for and welcome to our visitors and “occasional” parishioners. We had 890 people at the 4pm Christmas Mass alone! As I have said before, I do not believe in shaming people for not being present the other weeks, but invite them to return again. I think they may be more likely to do so if they experience uplifting, beautiful liturgies. That is what we had. Thank you to all who put in their efforts to make it so. P.S. I am in Michigan this weekend for my Godson’s son’s baptism and will be heading out on vacation on Monday. I’ll be back for Masses the weekend of January 31/February 1 and will be back in the office on Monday, February 2. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

Come Aboard! Welcoming New Faces to the Holy Spirit Staff

By Rev. Charles Strebler • January 11, 2026
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Small Steps, Real Change

By Rev. Charles Strebler • January 3, 2026
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot Dear Parishioners: Most of the world is just entering into 2026, but the Church has been these since the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the liturgical year 2026. This is a rather apt situation as the Church is ahead of the world. If someone says to me that the Church is not with the times, I will fully agree, saying, “Yes, the Church is not with the times, she is waiting for the times to catch up with her.” The thing about new years is that they are filled with hope and promise. Yes, January is usually filled—at least for me—with, “I hope to lose weight,” and “I promise to exercise.” This new year also makes us look forward to new possibilities. One possibility is that Christ will come. I don’t take it as a probability, but I am ready none-the-less. What will this year be in your faith life? Will this be the year that you pray more? Will this be the year that you serve those in need in a greater way? Will this be the year that you become more active at Holy Spirit Parish? Will this be the year that you learn more about your Catholic faith? Like my weight and exercise, hope and promise, none of these things will happen without us doing something about it. Our growth in faith, like many (most?) of the good things in life do not come to us while idle. We aren’t about resolutions; we are about actions. We need to put in some effort, pray the rosary every day, come to Eucharistic Adoration, attend one of Dr. Hoag’s adult education programs—the new one, Symbolon : The Catholic Faith Explained , starts on Thursday, January 29. I do warn you of what I consider a major pitfall in trying to live the Christian life: thinking that we should immediately achieve the goals we set. It usually doesn’t work that way. We set a goal. We work toward it. We might have more misses than hits at first, but we don’t give up. We keep trying until we start to reach our goal. The important thing is not to give up. We may not be perfect when we greet 2027, but we will be better. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

The Mass as the Model All Prayer

By Rev. Charles Strebler • December 27, 2025
“The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer.”—Pope St. Paul VI Dear Parishioners: I have been talking the last few weeks about the types of prayer, easily remembered as ACTS . After a brief Christmas break, I conclude this series of Pastor’s Columns with a look at the place where all these forms of prayer converge—The Mass. The Mass, the central prayer of the Church, includes all the from of prayer in different places: Adoration : The Collect, the Holy, Holy Holy Contrition : The penitential Rite, especially The Confiteor , the Lamb of God Thanksgiving : The Preface and the Eucharistic Prayer Supplication : The Universal Prayers (AKA, the Petition or General intercessions Though this is not an exhaustive list, it shows the presence of the different types of prayer in the one Mass. Mass stands as the model of our prayer, encouraging us to be mindful to include all the forms of ACTS in out prayer life. Speaking of the Mass, from late 2019 to early 2021, I used the Pastor’s Column to explain the various parts of the Mass. I addressed what we do and why we do it. I covered what Church tells us to do and why I chose from some of the options the Church allows. Now that our parish website, www.hspal.org , has been updated by Crew Spence (I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t for a while!), those articles are available online. You can go to the parish website, find where it says Ministries & Groups and then under that dropdown menu find Liturgy & Worship and then under that title you will find Understanding the Liturgy . For those more savvy to computer parlance, it is: Ministries & Groups > Liturgy & Worship > Understanding the Liturgy . You also can go directly to: https://www.hspal.org/understanding-the-liturgy . Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor