FRUITS OF THE EARTH AND WORK OF HUMAN HANDS: PRESENTATION AND BLESSING OF BREAD AND WINE AS PRAYING WITH THE EARTH

Abstract

Most prayers in the Roman Missal express a relationship between worship, believers, God, creation and the whole cosmos. Drawing inspiration from scripture, tradition and common human experience, liturgical prayer becomes relational, dialogical and participatory. The article focuses on one of these liturgical prayers and moments during Mass – the presentation of the gifts of bread and wine. Through textual analysis, the article highlights the liturgical, ecological, social and communal understanding of faith proclaimed and lived locally from the prayer of the presentation of the gifts of bread and wine. It alludes to Zimbabwe and more specifically the Shona people to exemplify what it means to regard all creation as sacred. By highlighting the water crisis as a specific problem that plagues Zimbabwe, the article shows that the liturgical prayer of the mingling of water and wine can inspire people to become more aware of the interconnectedness of their lives with the whole of creation and more responsible towards water.