During Mass, immediately after the sign of peace, the priest breaks the Eucharistic bread. This is one of the key actions of Jesus, who took the bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to his disciples.
In the early Church, where one loaf of unleavened bread was used, the bread was broken so that everyone might partake. In later centuries, the Church began using hosts already cut from a sheet ready-made for Communion. Unfortunately, the symbolism was lost in the process. However, it is still retained in the breaking of the priest’s larger host.
After the Lamb of God, the priest will do something that may be imperceptible to our eyes if we are not specifically looking for it. He will break off a small piece of the Eucharistic bread and drop it into the chalice that contains the Precious Blood of Jesus while he says a prayer silently. This is called the co-mingling of the bread and wine. It is a small act, but rich in symbolism.
First, the comingling symbolizes the Resurrection of our Lord. At the con secration our Lord came to the bread and wine separately — this is my Body, this is my Blood — symbolic of his death on the cross. Now the two are joined.
Second, it symbolizes the unity of the Church. In the early Church, a piece of the Eucharist from the Pope’s Mass was broken off and taken to other churches and mingled with their Eucharis tic species to signify that they were all one Body of Christ. This piece was called the fermentum, a Latin word that means leaven.
Third, in some parts of the Church it became the custom to retain this broken Eucharistic bread soaked in the Precious Blood for the Communion of the sick and dying. Obviously, given in this condition it would be easier for someone having difficulty swallowing to partake of the Eucharist.
The prayer said by the priest as he performs this action asks that it might “bring eternal life” to all who receive the Eucharist.
Michael Dubruiel is an author and journalist who holds a master’s degree in Christian spirituality from Creighton University. This column is reprinted with permission from his book “The How-To Book of the Mass” (Our Sunday Visitor, 2007).