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The Catholic Mass "At the Last Supper, on the night when He was
betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of
His Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate
the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He
should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved Spouse,
the Church, a memorial of His Death and Resurrection: a
sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a
Paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the mind is filled
with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us"
(Vatican II: Sacred Liturgy, no. 47). |
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Entering the
Catholic Church
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Gathering. The
first thing we do in a Catholic Mass is gather.
Gathering is a state of mind and heart that we share as one
people. Remembering that what we have in common is not
just the conviction that Jesus is Lord but also our tradition
in one faith, a faith that is over 2000 years old and our
membership in one church. Everything from the time we
enter the doors into the church till we leave "To love and
serve the Lord" we will do together.
The Catholic Church is a sacramental Church;
we believe that actions, rituals, and sacred objects serve as
a means to receive sanctifying grace. Therefore, all
gestures performed during Mass are to remind us of some great
truth about who we are and who God is and why we are here.
Blessing.
Upon entering the church we dip our fingers into some water
and cross ourselves. This water has been blessed by a
priest, and is call "holy water." The holy water fonts
are located in the back of the church. Crossing
ourselves reminds us of the Trinity and our baptism. It
is a not a gesture to be taken lightly. It should be done with
reverence.
Crossing. First touch your
forehead with the three middle fingers of your right
hand, saying "In the name of the
Father," then touch your lower chest, saying, "and
of the Son," next touch your left shoulder, saying, "and
the Holy," and finally touch your right shoulder,
saying "Spirit.".
Genuflecting.
Before taking our seat in the pew, we bow to the altar, and
genuflect (bending the knee) to the tabernacle out of respect.
The tabernacle is a "little house" where the
Body of Christ is kept for adoration, and in reserve in give
to the sick that can't attend Mass. Hanging in front
of the tabernacle is a red candle called the "Sanctuary
Candle." It is lit when consecrated Hosts are present
in the tabernacle. Older churches have the tabernacle
right behind the altar.
Praying. After
entering the pew and taking our seat, we may kneel and pray in
order to better prepare ourselves for Mass. We now focus
ourselves on the totality of God's love for us. |
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The Order of Mass |
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Introductory Rites
Acts of prayer and penitence prepare us to
meet Christ as he comes in Word and Sacrament. We gather
as a worshiping community to celebrate our unity with him and
with one another. |
Entrance Song.
All stand. To begin the Mass, the priest,
altar servers, readers, and extraordinary ministers of the
Eucharistic walk slowly to the altar, while everyone else
stands. This is call the Procession. Usually a
hymn is sung at this time. The entire Procession then
bows to the altar and the tabernacle, then take their places.
The priest will go behind the altar and kiss it out of
reverence.
Greeting.
The priest says and we cross ourselves:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
We respond: Amen.
(3 forms)
a.) The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
b. ) The grace and peace of God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Blessed be God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. -or- And also with
you.
c.) The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Penitential
Rite.
(3 forms)
a.) Priest and People:
I confess to
Almighty God, and to you, by 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.
b.) Priest:
Lord, we have sinned against you.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your mercy and love.
And grant us your
salvation.
c.) Priest or Deacon:
You were sent to heal the contrite:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
You came to call sinners: Christ,
have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
You plead for us at the right hand of the
Father: Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Absolution: At the end of any of the
forms of the Penitential rite:
May Almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
Gloria. Usually
this is said or sung next, but not all the time.
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.
Opening Prayer.
The priest then says:
Let us pray.
There is then a short pause for personal
prayers. He then says a short prayer, ending with
something like this:
We ask this through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy
Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Everyone now sits. |
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Liturgy of the Word
The proclamation of God's Word is always
centered on Christ, present through His Word. Old
Testament writings prepare for Him; New Testament books speak
of Him directly. All of scripture call us to believe
once more and to follow. After the reading we reflect
upon God's words and respond to them. |
First Reading.
The lector goes up front to read from the Bible,
usually from the Old Testament. When he's finished
reading, he'll say:
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial
Psalm. A Psalm is either read or sung. The
people repeat the response sung by the cantor the first time
and then after each verse.
Second Reading.
The lector goes up front to read from the Lectionary.
The reading will normally be from the New Testament, but not
from the Gospels. When he's finished reading, he'll say:
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Gospel
Acclamation. Everyone stands. The priest
or deacon prepares to read from one of the Gospels. The
people repeat the alleluia after the cantor's alleluia.
Alleluia.
(except during Lent)
During Lent one of the following invocations
is used as a response instead of the alleluia:
a.) Praise to you,
Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!
b.) Praise and honor
to You, Lord Jesus Christ!
c.) Glory and praise
to You, Lord Jesus Christ!
d.) Glory to You, Word
of God, Lord Jesus Christ!
Gospel. The
priest or deacon walks over to proclaim the Gospel and as he's
walking, he prays softly: Almighty God, cleanse my
heart and my lips that I may worthily proclaim your gospel.
He now addresses the people with:
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according
to (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John).
We trace a small cross with our right thumb on
our forehead, on our lips and on our heart while quietly
praying, May the Gospel be on my mind, on my lips, and in my
heart. We then say:
Glory to You, Lord.
At the end:
Priest or Deacon:
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to You, Lord
Jesus Christ.
Homily:
God's word is spoken again in the homily. The Holy Spirit
speaking through the lips of the preacher explains and applies
today's biblical readings to the needs of this particular
congregation. He calls us to respond to Christ through
the life we lead.
Profession of
Faith (Creed): All Stand. As a people we
express our acceptance of God's message in the scriptures and
homily. We summarize our faith by proclaiming a creed
handed down from the early Church.
Priest and People:
We believe in one
God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of
all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord,
Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the
Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true
God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made. For us men and for
our salvation he came down from heaven:
all bow at the following words up to:
and became man
by the power of the
Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was
crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was
buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment
of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at
the right hand of the Father. We will come again in
glory to judge to living and the dead, and his kingdom will
have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son his is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one
holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one
baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the
resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
General
Intercessions (Prayer of the Faithful): As a
priestly people we unite with one another to pray for today's
needs in the Church and the world. After the priest's
introduction the deacon or other minister sings or says the
invocations.
People: Lord,
hear our prayer. (or other response, according to
local custom).
At the end the priest says the concluding
prayer.
People: Amen.
All sit. |
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Liturgy of the Eucharist
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Preparation of the Gifts: The
priest prepares the altar for the next part of the Mass, the
Liturgy of the Eucharist. During this time the offering
is collected and the gifts are brought up to the priest.
Once the altar is ready and the gifts are in
their place, the priest begins praying. The priest
elevates the bread as he prays:
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all
creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to
offer, which earth has given and human hands have made.
It will become for us the bread of life.
If there is not singing, the priest may say
this prayer aloud, and the people respond:
Blessed be God
forever.
The priest pours the wine and a little bit of
water into the chalice. The wine symbolizes Christ's
divinity and the water His humanity. The priest then
prays:
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.
He then holds the chalice up and prays:
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all
creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to
offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It
will become our spiritual drink.
If there is no singing, the priest may say
this prayer aloud, and the people may respond:
Blessed be God
forever.
The priest then softly prays:
Lord God, we ask you to receive us and be
pleased with the sacrifice we offer you with humble and
contrite hearts.
The priest now symbolically washes his hands
with water and again prays softly:
Lord, wash away my iniquity; cleanse me
from my sin.
Invitation to Prayer: All stand
as the priest says:
Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our
sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father.
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.
Eucharistic Prayer:
The Lord be with you.
And also with you
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the
Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give
him thanks and praise
The priest says the Preface here.
Holy, Holy, Holy: The priest and
people together say or sing:
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.
-or-
Sanctus, Sanctus,
Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Plenisunt caeli et terra
gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus
quivenit in nomine Domini Hosanna in excelsis.
All kneel.
This is where the bread and wine are changed
into the Body and Blood of Christ. There are a
number of different prayers that can be said, and it's up to
the priest to choose which ones to use that day.
After these prayers, the priest will remind us
of the Last Supper. He will hold up the bread and say
the words Jesus said:
Take this, all of you and eat it:
this is my body which will be given up for you.
As the priest genuflects, you should bow your
head and pray quietly:
My Lord and my God.
Next the wine is elevated. The priest
repeats the words of Christ at the Last Supper:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it:
This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and
everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for
all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of
me.
Once again, you should pray quietly:
My Lord and my God.
You should bow your head as the priest
genuflects.
Memorial
Acclamation.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died,
Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
-or-
Dying you destroyed
our death, rising you restored our life, Lord Jesus, come in
glory.
-or-
When we eat this
bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory.
-or-
Lord, by your cross
and resurrection you have set us free, You are the Savior of
the world.
The priest prays for the dead and for God's
mercy and love. After which he'll hold up the Body of
Christ and the chalice with the Blood of Christ, for the Great
Amen and says or sings (priest(s) only):
Through him, with him, in him, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty
Father, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Everyone stands.
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Communion Rite
To prepare for the paschal meal, to welcome
the Lord, we pray for forgiveness and exchange a sign of
peace. Before eating Christ's body and drinking his
blood, we must be one with him. |
Lord's Prayer:
Many parishes hold hands during the Lord's Prayer as a sign of
community. Sometimes we sing the Our Father. Just
remember to stop after you say "deliver us from evil" and wait
for the priest.
Stand. The priest asks the people to
join him in the prayer that Jesus taught us.
Priest and People:
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.
Then the priest says:
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and
grant us peace in our days. In your mercy keep us free
from six and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in
joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Doxological Conclusion and Acclamation
For the kingdom,
the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever.
Amen.
Sign of Peace.
The priest says the prayer for peace:
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your
apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you.
Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and
grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live
for ever and ever.
People: Amen
Priest: The peace of the Lord be
with you always.
People: And also
with you.
Deacon (or priest):
Let us offer each other the sign of
peace.
The people exchange a sign of peace and love,
according to local custom.
Breaking
of the Bread. Then the following is sung or
said:
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.
- or in Latin -
Agnus Dei qui
tollis peccatamundi miserere nobis. Agnus Dei qui
tollis peccatamundi miserere nobis. Agnus Dei qui
tollis peccatamundi dona nobis pacem.
The hymn may be repeated until the breaking of
the bread is finished, but the last phrase is always:
"Grant us peace." Meanwhile the priest breaks the host
over the paten and places a small piece in the chalice, saying
quietly:
May this mingling of the body and blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who
receive it.
Kneel. The priest prays quietly before
Communion.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
by the will of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit
your death brought life to the world. By your Holy
Body and Blood free me from all my sins and from every evil.
Keep me faithful to your teaching, and never let me be
parted from you.
Reception
of Communion. The priest genuflects.
Holding the host elevated slightly over the paten, the priest
says:
This is the Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called
to his supper.
Priest and People:
Lord, I am not
worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be
healed.
The priest prays softly: May the body
of Christ bring me to everlasting life.
Then he eats the Body of Christ, and picks up
the chalice of Christ's Blood. He prays softly:
May the blood of Christ bring me to
everlasting life.
Then he drinks the Blood of Christ.
Only Catholics who have had their First
Communion and are in a state of grace may receive Him.
If you have any grave sins that have not been brought to
confession, you should not receive. Fasting for at least
an hour before receiving communion is also required (water is
OK).
For those not eligible to receive communion,
please come forward for a blessing. To show that you
only want a blessing, cross both arms over your chest.
Reverently bow (slightly) before the Body of
Christ when it is your time to receive.
Priest, Deacon or Extraordinary Minister
of the Eucharist: The Body of Christ.
Communicant:
Amen.
Reverently bow (slightly) before the Blood of
Christ when it is your time to receive.
Priest, Deacon or Extraordinary Minister
of the Eucharist: The Blood of Christ.
Communicant:
Amen.
Please do not receive from the cup if you are
ill.
A communion song is commonly sung while
Communion is given to the faithful.
Return to your pew and kneel until the
Eucharist has been returned to the tabernacle.
Prayer
After Communion. The priest now prays in our
name that we may live the life of faith since we have been
strengthened by Christ himself. Our Amen makes his
prayer our own.
Stand when the priest stands.
At the conclusion of the prayer, he says:
We ask this in the name of Jesus the
Lord.
People: Amen.
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Concluding Rite
We have heard God's Word and eaten the Body
of Christ. Now it is time for us to leave, to do good
works, to praise and bless the Lord in our daily lives. |
Blessing
and Dismissal.
Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: And also
with you.
Make a sign of the cross as the priest says:
Priest:
May almighty God bless you, the Father,
and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen
Deacon (or Priest):
(a) Go in the peace of Christ -or-
(b) The Mass is ended; go in peace -or-
(c) Go in peace to love and serve the
Lord
People: Thanks
be to God.
Procession and Final Hymn. The priest and other
ministers process out as the final hymn is sung by the
congregation. Once the procession is completed, you may
also leave. Remember to bow to the altar and genuflect
to the tabernacle as you exit the pew. |
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