The Mass

The Mass:A Christian example of the Seven

Dimensions of Religions

What is the “Mass”?

I. From the Latin word “missa”.Mass said in Latin, ends in “Ite missa est” meaning “Go, it

(the Church) is sent”The word, “Dismiss” comes from “missa”.

2) The 2 dismissals in Mass are: - Dismissal of catechumens- Dismissal of the FaithfulThrough the mass, we come to

know God – Jesus invites us to Himself, then we are dismissed to be Christ for the world.

Mass prepares us for the mission that God has for all of us and then we are sent forth with that mission.

“Go” was one of Christ’s last words to His disciples. He was sending them out to spread His message.

II. What is the liturgy?

1) Liturgy can refer to any public act that the Church celebrates.

- The Mass is referred to as the “Divine Liturgy”, meaning God’s public service.

2) Mass of the Catechumens is known as the Liturgy of the Word and the Mass of the Faithful is now the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Liturgy has four parts:1) Introductory Rites2) Liturgy of the Word3) Liturgy of the Eucharist4) Concluding Rites

III. Other Names for the Mass

The Breaking of the Bread: Referring to the Last Supper. Multiplying the loaves and fishes for the masses on the road to Emmaus.

The Lord’s Supper: Referring to the Last Supper when the Mass was instituted

The Eucharist: “Thanksgiving”. Christ gave thanks at the Last Supper

The Offering: Christ offered Himself on the cross for our salvation.

The Holy Sacrifice: Referring to Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation.

IV. So, What Is the Mass?

1) The Church is the Body of Christ – all acting and living as Christ taught us and all one with one another

2) The Mass is a banquet – we offer our sacrifices and receive His Body and Blood

Key Words: Catechumen, Faithful, Passover, Eucharist, Ite Missa Est

V. The Origins of the MassThe Last Supper

Christ celebrated that Passover meal with His disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem.

At the end of the Passover meal, Jesus departs from the usual ritual and says a blessing of the bread and then breaks it.

“Take, eat; this is my body” Mt. 26:26“This cup which is poured out for you is the

new covenant of my blood.” Lk. 22-24

I. Holy Water

Holy water1) Entrance of the Church doors – a

reminder of your baptism- Poured over you or submerged in holy water when baptized Or sprinkled on holy days

2) When we bless ourselves it claims that we belong to Christa. Water is symbolic of power,purity and cleansing

Part II – What to do When Entering a Catholic Church

II. Genuflecting vs Bowing1) In prayer, we are talking with someone not something.2) a. Genuflecting: The bending of the right knee to the

floor, while making the sign of the cross.b. Bowing: Bending at the waist forward

Bowing is an act of reverence and respect for an object that symbolizes God (if tabernacle is in the back of the

church). Genuflection is an act of adoration towards the presence of God (towards the tabernacle with lit

sanctuary lamp).

Objects in the ChurchAltar – sacred table

for the sacrificeTabernacle – box shaped

like a temple for the Sacrament

Objects in the Church, continued

Ostensorium/Monstrance

Chalice, Ciborium, Paten

Ambo

Sanctuary Lamp – candle that burns near the tabernacle that signifies the presence of the Eucharist

III. Kneeling vs. Sitting

1) If there are kneelers, bless yourself and pray kneeling – no kneelers sit quietly and pray.

2) During this time, open yourself to God in quiet conversation.

Be aware of God’s presence and desire to hear you. Talk to God. Ask God questions. Pray to allow God into your heart.

Introductory Rites

1. Entrance Song/Hymn/Procession 2. Sign of the Cross

3. GreetingRite of Blessing

4. Penitential Rite/Kyrie5. Gloria

6. Opening Prayer

Introductory Rites:I. Procession/Opening Hymn/Entrance

1) a. The goal of the opening hymn is to bring us togetherb. We give evidence of our love for God by raising our voices in song

2) a. The procession occurs while the Opening Hymn is being sung.b. The Procession – cross bearer, altar servers, lector, celebrant (priest)c. They process towards the altar, a symbol of Christ – symbolic of our journey

Introductory Rites: Sign of the Cross & Greeting

Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. [All together make the sign of the cross.]All: Amen.

Option A:

Priest:The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All: And also with you.

Option B:

Priest: The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

All: Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.orAll: And also with you.

Option C:

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

Introductory Rites: II. Sign of the Cross & III.

Greeting

1.) Sign of the Cross – reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice & love; we are no longer alone

2) The Greeting invokes a message of peace upon us

Introductory Rites: Penitential RiteOption A: (the Confiteor – “I confess”)

All: I confess to almighty God,and to you, my brothers and sisters,that I have sinned through my own fault,in my thoughts and in my words,in what I have done,and in what I have failed to do;and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin,all the angels and saints,and you, my brothers and sisters,to pray for me to the Lord, our God.

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.All: Amen.

Option B:

Priest: Lord, we have sinned against you:Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: Lord, show us your mercy and love.

All: And grant us your salvation.

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

All:Amen.

Option C:

Priest: You raise the dead to life in the Spirit: Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: You bring pardon and peace to the sinner: Christ, have mercy.

All: Christ, have mercy.

Priest: You bring light to those in darkness: Lord, have mercy.

All:Lord, have mercy.

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.All: Amen.

1) Sin = anything that “breaks our relationship with God” (penitent – apologetic)

2) When we focus on our sinfulness, it reminds us of our complete need for God and for God’s forgiveness

3) 2 Different types of Penitential Rites: The Confiteor (I confess), Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy) come from scripture and remind that Jesus is Lord

Introductory Rites: IV. Penitential Rite

Introductory Rites:V. Gloria in Excelsis

1) The Gloria gives praise to God in imitation of the angels in heaven (at Christ’s birth).

2) Three parts to the Gloria:i. The song that the shepherds heard sung by the

choir of angels at the birth of Christ.ii. Praises God by recalling all of His attributes.iii. Prays to Jesus, asking Him to save us from our

sins.

All:Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,we worship you, we give you thanks,

we praise you for your glory.Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,

Lord God, Lamb of God,you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;you are

seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,You alone are the

Most High, Jesus Christ,with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Introductory Rites:VI. The Opening Prayer

“Let us pray, Let us ask”!

Introductory Rites: The Opening Prayer

1) a. Oremus – “Let us Ask”b.We are to pray together as the Body of Christ.

2) We pray to petition God. This is an act of faith in three ways – it allows us to open our hearts to God.i. God is listeningii. He is able to fulfill our petitioniii. He wants to answer our petitions

Priest: Let us Pray

[After a time of silent prayer, the priest sings or says the Opening Prayer, which is different

for each Mass. We open our hearts to

God.]All: Amen.

The Liturgy of the WordI. The First ReadingII. Responsorial Psalm III. The Second ReadingIV. Alleluia/Gospel

AcclamationV. GospelVI. HomilyVII. Profession of Faith/CreedVIII. General

Intercessions/Prayers of the Faithful

LectionaryA sacred Book containing the

Readings from the Bible arranged by the days that they

are to be read.

The Liturgy of the WordThe “Word” has several meanings:1) Jesus, the Word of God (John 1)2) Scripture

- The readings read during the Liturgy of the Word are based on the Liturgical calendar

The Liturgy of the Word: I. The First Reading

1) a. The reading we hear is proclaimed from the Lectionary (a book used at Mass with scriptural selections)b. The First Reading is from the Old Testament, c. (except in the Easter Season)

2) Testament means “covenant”3) Each First Reading was chosen because it has some

connection to the Gospel of that particular day (except in the Easter season).

The Liturgy of the Word:II. The Responsorial Psalm

What is a Psalm?

1) The Psalm prayed during Mass is called the Responsorial Psalm because it responds to the First Reading.

2) We read/sing the psalm after the first reading

3) The Psalm helps us reflect on the message in the 1st reading

4)a. The name comes from the Greek word, psalmos, meaning “a song accompanied by music”.b. The Psalms, a book found in the Bible, are a collection of poems, hymns and prayers often attributed to King David. c. Jesus quoted Psalms more than any other book in the Bible. d. Contain many prophecies fulfilled by Christ.

R. I will praise your Name.Praise, you servants of the LORD,praise the

name of the LORD.Blessed be the name of the LORDboth now and foreverR. I will praise your Name.

High above all nations is the LORD;above the heavens is his glory.Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on highand looks upon

the heavens and the earth belowR. I will praise your Name.

He raises up the lowly from the dust;from the dunghill he lifts up the poorto seat them with

princes,with the princes of his own people.R. I will praise your Name.

The Liturgy of the Word:The Responsorial Psalm

The Liturgy of the Word: III. The Second Reading

1) The Second Reading is always from the New Testament.

2) These readings deal with:a. the coming of Jesus and b. the establishment of God’s New Covenant with

humans through ChristUnlike the First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm, the

Second Reading is not necessarily connected to the Gospel of the day – it is a continuation of a story from

the week before.

The Liturgy of the Word: The Gospel Acclamation

1) During the Alleluia, we:a. Standb. Sing

2) The congregation sings the Alleluia, a Hebrew word meaning “Praise the Lord”

The priest or deacon holds the Book of the Gospels aloft, and processes it to the ambo.

.

The Liturgy of the Word: V. The Gospel

Priest or deacon: The Lord be with you.All: And also with you.

Priest or deacon: A reading from the Gospel according to[Matthew, Mark, Luke or John]

All: Glory to you, Lord!

1)a. Gospel means “Good News” b. It is a message of Christ – our Lord and Savior

2) We make the sign of the cross on our foreheads, lips and hearts to invite Christ to be present in all three places, and we stand as a sign of respect.

3) This is the high point of the Lit. of the WORD.

4) Here we hear the words from the life of Christ.

The Liturgy of the Word: VI. The Homily

1) A homily is an interpretation of the Readings we have just heard and an application of what they mean to us today.

What dimension of religion does the

homily fit into? Why?b. Catechumens are dismissed now to go learn about the Lit. of the Eucharist

The Liturgy of the Word: The Creed/ The Profession of Faith

1) We now pray the Creed (Nicene Creed) to declare that we BELIEVE. We agree to the teachings of Christ and the Church that we just heard.

2) Creed comes from the Latin, “Credo” meaning “I believe”Dimension of religion?

The Liturgy of the Word: General Intercessions/ Prayer of the Faithful

Lector: … Let us pray to the LordAll: Lord, hear our prayer.

(Sometimes this response varies)

1) We now present our needs to God (different intentions)2) Normally the Prayer of the Faithful follows this order:

a. Prayers for the universal Church, the pope, and the bishops.b. Prayers for the salvation of the world and those who govern it.c. Prayers for the afflicted.d. Prayers for the needs of the local church.

3) Our response is “Lord, Hear our Prayer,” because we believe that God cares and wants to answer our prayers

Liturgy of the EucharistA. Liturgy of the Eucharist

(this is where Christ actually becomes present to us!!!)

-Preparation of the Altar & Gifts

-Prayer over the Gifts

-Eucharistic Prayers

-Acclamation/Great Amen

-Lord’s Prayer/Doxology

-Sign of Peace

-Breaking of the Bread

-Communion

Liturgy of the Eucharist: I. Preparation of the Gifts

The making of the bread and wine is similar to the Church because both are many, but are made one through Christ.

Offering to the collection is symbolic of dying to ourselves and trusting in God.

1)The Altar is the center of focus of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.2) The gifts are processed forward by people in the congregation because they represent us.3)The priest prepares the gifts by mixing water and wine (Christ who humbled himself to be human for us)

Liturgy of the Eucharist:II. Prayer over the Gifts

Priest: [usually quietly prays:] “Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from

the earth……Lord, wash away my iniquity; cleanse me from my sins.

(From Psalm 51:6)

[stand]

Priest: Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrificemay be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

All: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands,for the praise and glory of his name,for our good, and the good

of all his Church.

Liturgy of the Eucharist: Prayer over the Gifts

1) The priest prays ancient Jewish prayers over the gifts

2) The priest asks for cleansing from his sins before offering the sacrifice.

3) In the offering, we ask God to accept our gifts.

Liturgy of the Eucharist: III. Eucharistic Prayers

•This is the prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. It is the center and high point of the celebration. During the Eucharistic Prayer, the Church believes that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ

- The Preface (which includes the Sanctus)- The Epiclesis (the invocation of the Holy Spirit)

- The Institutional Narrative (high point of Mass/consecration)- The Anamnesis (memorial)

- The intercessions- The Great Doxology

Liturgy of the Eucharist: III.Eucharistic Prayers

i. Preface/Sanctus:

1)The priest asks the Lord’s Presence to be with us, and we ask for it in return to be with the priest. We lift up our hearts. We set aside our earthly cares.

2)We sing the Sanctus or “Holy, Holy, Holy” in response to all the great things God has done for us.

The Sanctus:All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,Heaven and earth

are full of your glory.Hosanna in the highest.Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.Hosanna in the highest. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His

glory.” - Isaiah 6:3“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty…” - Revelations 4:8

“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!… Hosanna in the highest!”- Mark 11:9-10

Liturgy of the Eucharist: III. Eucharistic Prayer

ii. Epiclesis:a.Comes from the Greek word meaning “invoke upon”. b.The priest asks the Holy Spirit to be upon the bread and wine.

Priest: Lord, you are holy indeed, the fountain of all holiness. Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for

us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The priest says this prayer with his hands over the bread and wine and then makes a sign of the cross over them with his right hand.

Liturgy of the Eucharist: III. Eucharistic Prayer

iii. Institutional Narrative and Consecration

a. It is a retelling of what Jesus did “the night before He died” i.e. the Last Supper and is the high point of Mass when the consecration occurs.

b. This is when the consecration occurs –the bread & wine become body & blood“Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you.”

Liturgy of the Eucharist: III. Eucharistic Prayer

iv. Anamnesis, v., Intercessions, vi. Doxologya. The Anamnesis is a memorial of Christ’s sacrifice, and it is “memory” in

the Jewish sense - to make present the event.b. The Intercessions are: prayers for the whole church in union with the

whole churchc. The Doxology is a “word of praise” when we say “through him, with

him, and in him…”

(Anamnesis): Priest: Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Priest: In memory of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this life-giving bread, this saving cup. We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. May all of us who

share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit

Liturgy of the Eucharist: IV. Great Amen

Priest: Through him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and

ever.All: Amen!

1) Amen means “we believe.” We seal the deal on our beliefs.

Now we stand. (We have been kneeling since the Sanctus)

Liturgy of the Eucharist: V. Our Father

Priest: Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave us.

All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread;and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Priest: Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

All: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.

The Church joins together again in prayer to praise God

Liturgy of the Eucharist: VI. Sign of Peace

1) The sign of peace recognizes our need to be: reconciled with one another

a. To be in communion with the Lord means to

• be in peace with our brothers and sisters.

• Accept Christ

All: Amen.Priest: The Peace of the Lord be with you

always.All: And also with you.

Deacon or Priest: Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

Liturgy of the Eucharist: VII.Breaking of the Bread

All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the

world: have mercy on us.Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the

world: grant us peace.[kneel]

The priest breaks the large host that is now the Body of Christ

1)The breaking of the bread and the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) recall two stories:•Christ as the sacrificial lamb•Passover when the lambs were sacrificed in the stead of Hebrew first borns

Liturgy of the Eucharist: VIII. Communion

We receive the body and blood of ChristThe priest raises the Body and the Blood

of Christ and says:

Priest: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are

those who are called to his supper.All: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall

be healed.

Communion Minister: The body of Christ. Communicant: Amen.

Communion Minister: The blood of Christ. Communicant: Amen.

Concluding Rites

Concluding Rites - end or conclude the mass, asking the Faithful to go, serve God & spread the word.

Greeting

Blessing

Dismissal/Closing Hymn

Concluding Rites: Greeting & Blessing

Greeting: Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.• Again we invite God to be

present with us

Blessing: Deacon or Priest: Bow your heads and pray for God's

blessing.Priest: May almighty God bless

you,the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

• We bow our heads and make the sign of the cross

Concluding Rites: Dismissal & Closing Hymn

Deacon or Priest: The Mass is ended, go in peace.

or Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.All: Thanks be to God!

• The Priest is sending us (the faithful) forth. Christ sent out His disciples and

so He is doing the same thing to us.

• We have a mission now - that mission is to love and serve the Lord by being

Christ to others.