The Words of Institution

 
From the Roman Mission [1962]
The double consecration of the bread and the wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord represents the death of Christ by the separation of His Body and Blood. At each of these Consecrations, the Priest makes one sign of the cross foreshadowing His Passion. The Host and the Chalice upon the altar plead before God on our behalf just as our Lord sacrificed on the Cross pleaded for us on Good Friday because it is identically the same sacrifice which is renewed on our altars in an unbloody manner.

The chalice itself represents the three theological virtues: its base symbolizes our being rooted in Faith. Its stem rises straight upward in Hope, like a plant seeking the sun or our soul seeking the heights of heaven. Finally, the cup of the chalice opens like a flower in full bloom, representing the flowering of Charity, which we imbibe from the Holy Sacrifice. [i]
 
A Guide to the New Translation of the Mass
This is no ordinary cup, but the Eucharistic cup (see Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25) that the Lord consecrated at the Last Supper. This most sacred of vessels has traditionally been called a “chalice,” and this is the term used in the new translation.

The previous translation of the Mass referred to Jesus’ blood having redemptive value “for all.” But the new translation replaces the words “for all” with “for many.” This revision remains closer to Jesus’ actual words of institution in the gospels (see Matthew 26:28).

Some have raised concerns that the words “for many” limit the universal scope of Jesus’ saving mission. They hold that the new wording gives the impression that Jesus did not die on the cross for everyone – that he offered his blood on Calvary not “for all” but just for a select group of people, “for many.” This is a misunderstanding of the text. The new translation points to the reality that while Jesus died for all, not everyone chooses to accept this gift. Each individual must choose to welcome the gift of salvation in Christ and live according to that grace, so that they may be among “the many” who are described in this text.
 
Link to Liturgy
Jesus did die for all (1 Timothy 2:6) but not all will accept the merits of His death. We can use the analogy of a bank account. Jesus through the merits of His Passion, Death and Resurrection has purchased salvation “for all”. He has in a sense established a bank account for each individual, in their name and has “paid the price” with His own blood, thus putting enough money in the account to pay for salvation. The money is there “for all”, but the individual must make the withdraw form their individual account. The money is the merit won by Christ. The bank in which Jesus’s deposits the money is the Church. The withdraw slip is first and foremost the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
 
Mystery of Faith (formerly the Memorial Acclamation)

 
Sign of Peace

   
From the Roman Mission [1962]
The commingling of the Sacred Body and Blood symbolically expresses that in reality on the altar the Body and Blood are not separate, but under each species the whole Christ is present as one sacrificial gift and one sacrificial food. It tells us also of His Resurrection, in which His Body and Blood were again united and vivified: the Lamb that was slain now lives eternally. Likewise, the three signs of the cross at Pax Domini represent our Lord’s Resurrection on the third day. This is the ninth occasion durin ghte sacrifice itself on which signs of the cross are made, and complete the representation of Christ’s Passion.
 
The kiss of peace prepares us for the actual or a least the spiritual reception of the Sacrament of charity and concord. It “reconciles and unites souls to one another, procuring and entire oblivion of all offenses. It is a sign that minds are again reconciled with one another, and that all remembrance of injustice suffered in the past in banished from the heart.” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem). The Priest first kisses the altar, symbol of Christ Himself, and the peace received from Christ is then passed to the ministers.
 
Link to Liturgy
In the Community of Saint John religious order the custom is for the minister to receive the peace from Christ and then pass this peace onto the deacon or server who passes it on to the people. This is a great symbol that all peace first comes from Christ, through the minister (in persona Christi) and then passed on to the people. The people then are responsible to pass on the peace to each other.
 
  Ecce Agnus Dei

   
From the Roman Mission [1962]
The Priest receives first, then afterwards give Communion to others; he who gives divine things ought first to partake thereof himself. The words of the centurion of Capharnaum, spoken by the Priest as he is about to receive Communion, teach us in what spirit to approach our Lord: with profound humility and unshaken confidence. If we cannot receive Holy Communion, we should make a spiritual Communion as the Priest receives, telling Jesus Christ our desire to belong to Him, asking Him to increase that desire. God has no need of our gifts. The most acceptable thanksgiving to His Heart, consumed with love for us, is to esteem His benefits. The Priest gives thanks by asking for more grace. He extends his hand to take up the chalice. We should approach the Son of God in Holy Communion with a sort of admiration, burning to have some small part in the courage of the One humiliated beyond imagining, and showing our gratitude by humbling ourselves courageously and continuing the same struggle, to taste the same victory.

The Celebrant shows the Host to the people, presenting our Lord in the words of St. John the Baptist on the banks of the Jordan. The Priest is asking us explicitly for an act of faith in the Real Presence. Our faith is never great enough, and increases with act of faith: “I do believe, Lord; help my unbelief!”

We receive our Lord as the tabernacle receives Him, whole and entire, and the angels adore Him in us even as they adore before the altar and before His eternal throne in heaven. Our Lord desires to come into our souls more than we can desire to receive Him. He was sent by the Father to cast fire upon the earth, and this fire is His love; the fire is Himself in Holy Communion.
 
A Guide to the New Translation of the Mass
The new words [“Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb”] more directly recall a climactic moment in the book of Revelation when Jesus comes to unite himself to his people in a great heavenly wedding feast. In this scene, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is depicted as a bridegroom intimately joining himself to his bride, the Church. An angel announces this loving union by saying, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9)

Here, we see how the Eucharist we are about to receive involves an intimate, loving communion with our Lord Jesus – one that is likened to the union shared between a husband and wife. Indeed, holy communion is a participation in that heavenly wedding supper of the Lame, which celebrates the union of Jesus with his bride, the Church.
 
These new words [“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof”] reflect the humility and trust of the Roman centurion in the gospels who asked Jesus to heal his servant who is a this house, paralyzed and in distress. As a Gentile, outside of God’s covenant, and a roman officer in charge of a hundred soldiers who were oppressing God’s people, this centurion humble acknowledges, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.” Yet he expresses a great faith that surpasses that of many others in the gospels and amazes even Jesus: he believes Jesus can heal from afar, simply by speaking his work: “But only say the word, and my servant shall be healed” (see Matthew 8:8; Luke 7:6-7). Jesus praises this man for his faith.
 

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[i] See also Link to Liturgy: The Chalice