For the last several years, I have praying a mass with our RCIA group, going through each part of the mass and giving explicit detail of the background and Scripture references and what the priest is doing. I did this by requests I received from the RCIA of wanting further explanation and background about the mass. I adapted this from something I found on the internet several years ago, and am not sure of where I found it. It is a great walk-through of the mass. I will be using it with our wonderful RCIA group this evening.
EXPLAINING THE CATHOLIC MASS
THE INTRODUCTORY RITES — AN OVERVIEW:
1. THE ENTRANCE PROCESSION: serves a practical purpose: The parishioners are gathered in church for mass. The priest, servers, deacon, & lector process in. The entrance song unites the people as a community of worship and introduces the people to the day’s celebration. This singing belongs to all those gathered, not just the choir.
When the priest and the others reach the sanctuary steps, they reverence the altar with a genuflection or bow. The altar represents Christ, “the stone that the builders rejected that becomes the Cornerstone.” (Ps 118) The priests and deacons venerate the altar with a kiss. To kiss an object is a sign of respect and greeting; it dates from the 4th century.
2. SIGN OF THE CROSS - At the beginning of Mass or any liturgical activity, we begin with the sign of the cross. The original sign of the cross practiced by the early Christians in the days of the Apostles was a small one, traced on the forehead. The sign of the cross as we know it dates to the 10th century; it was originally practiced in monastic communities. By the 13th century, Pope Innocent III made its use mandatory for Catholics. The prayer of the sign of the cross is both a blessing and a demonstration; we invoke the blessing of God as we demonstrate with a visible sign that we belong to Christ.
3. GREETING: - After the sign of the cross, the priest greets the people using one of 3 options. The first option is: “The Lord be with you.” The people respond, “And with your spirit.” If the celebrant of Mass is a bishop, he says “Peace be with you” instead. Paul uses this greeting in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” In this greeting we recognize Christ’s presence in the priest and the gathered assembly, and our faith in the Trinity.
4. In the PENITENTIAL RITE: - we call to mind our sins. We all sin and we fall short of what the Lord asks of us. We take part in the Act of Penitence not out of guilt, but out of God’s mercy. We can call to mind our sins because we are confident in His love and mercy. After a short pause to call to mind our sins, one of three forms of this rite takes place:
• FORM A - the Confiteor, or the “I confess” prayer. This traditional prayer expresses sorrow for our sins, not just in action, but in thought, word, and in failing to act. We then ask God, His Saints, and our brothers and sisters for mercy and forgiveness.
• FORM B is called the penitential verses, and comes from the prophet Baruch and Psalm 85. It is very rarely used.
• FORM C uses a series of invocations calling us to remember the mercy of the Lord, to which we acclaim “Lord, have mercy” or “Christ, have mercy.”
At the end of the penitential rite, the priest says, “May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.” This prayer, called the absolution prayer, does not take the place of sacramental confession for mortal sins.
5. THE GLORIA is a hymn of praise echoing what the angels sang at Christ’s birth: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will.” (Luke 2:14) It elaborates on this angel’s message, recognizing the goodness and mercy of the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ. This prayer dates back to the sixth century. Today, the Glory to God is sung or said at all Sunday Masses & solemnities except during the seasons of Advent & Lent.
6. COLLECT (OPENING PRAYER): The first priestly prayer of the Mass is then called the “Collect”. This opening prayer takes all of our individual needs, focusing them and collecting them into a common purpose for celebrating that day’s Mass. Note that it begins with: “Let us pray,” not “let me pray.”
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD:
1. The Liturgy of the Word is comprised of scripture readings, a homily, the profession of faith, and the prayers of the faithful. The number of readings can vary from two to as many as nine, depending on the time of the year.
2. SILENCE AND THE LITURGY OF THE WORD: There’s a difference between hearing and listening. The structure of the Liturgy of the Word lends itself not just to hearing the Word of God, but to listening. To listen, we need an active, engaged mind that focuses on the Word of God. We need time to process what we have heard for meaning. For this reason, it’s important to make good use of the silences in between the readings. If we take time throughout the Liturgy of the Word to reflect, we are more open to that Word as we listen to the Gospel and the homily.
3. AMBO: The Word of God is always proclaimed from the ambo, a raised podium with a flat or slanted top. The readings at Mass are proclaimed by a lector.
4. THE FIRST READING: The 1st reading is generally from the Old Testament, with 2 exceptions: During the Easter season, the 1st reading comes from the book of Acts, and on certain solemnities (All Saints and Immaculate Conception), the first reading will come from the book of Revelation. The 1st reading is always linked in some way to the Gospel, more than any of the other readings proclaimed at Mass. The first reading highlights the Gospel in one of many ways: (1) To show how a prophecy in the OT is fulfilled through Jesus in the Gospel (2) To make a contrast between events and personalities in the OT & the Gospel (3) To make the meaning of the Gospel more clear thru “the rest of the story.”
1st Reading is an example of how an old practice of the Church was restored during the 2nd Vatican Council. The early church fathers preached often on the Old Testament; these readings were regularly proclaimed at Mass during the early centuries of the church. Before long, however, the Old Testament reading was dropped from most Sunday Masses, and before Vatican II the Old Testament comprised only 0.1% of the readings used at Mass. This restoration occurred in 1969.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM is responsorial in 2 ways. 1st - our participation in the sung antiphon, as well as listening to the verses, is our response to the first reading. 2nd - this psalm is generally sung in a responsorial format, where the people sing an antiphon in between the verses of the psalm. They come from book of Psalms in the Old Testament.
5. 2ND READING is a semi-continuous reading taken from the Letters in the New Testament. Because the 2nd reading follows a semi-continuous pattern, it doesn’t always tie in with the 1st reading or Gospel. The Letters in New Testament were written to the early church by St. Paul and the Apostles. These letters offered support, encouragement, correction and guidance to a young church finding its way in a society that did not support them. We also need the direction of the Apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, as we make our way through society. Listen to the 2nd readings as you would listen to the sage advice of a grandparent, mentor, or teacher.
During the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, the readings are selected to highlight the theme of the season. A second reading during Advent might talk about the need to watch and prepare, while a second reading during Easter might talk about the Resurrection.
6. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: is a song of praise! We prepare to hear the Gospel by singing praise to Jesus! During most of the year we sing “Alleluia” (Praise to God!). During Lent, another acclamation is substituted, as the Alleluia is seen as too joyful to be sung.
7. THE GOSPEL is the highpoint of the Liturgy of the Word. The word Gospel means “good news.” We stand out of respect for the Gospel reading. The Gospel is often carried in a special book, the Book of Gospels, that is placed in a place of honor during the Mass. It has become a custom for one to make a small sign of the cross on the forehead, lips, and heart before the proclamation of the Gospel. When you make this gesture, ask God to bless your mind, that you may ponder his Word; your lips, that you may speak his praise; and your heart, that you may love the Word of God!
8. THE CREED (PROFESSION OF FAITH): After the Homily on most Sundays & Holy Days, we stand and recite the Creed. The creed we pray at Mass originated in Jerusalem as a profession of faith before baptism. It was formalized in 325 at the Council of Nicaea & further developed at the Council of Constantinople in 381. This creed is known as the Nicene-Constantinople Creed, or more commonly as the Nicene Creed. A creed is a statement or summary of belief. The Creed is a statement of the truths that we hold as Catholics. When we recite this prayer together, we express not only our individual belief but the faith which all of us hold in common.. The creed is a very important prayer!
9. THE PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL: take place at the conclusion of Liturgy of the Word. They connect the Liturgy of the Word to Liturgy of the Eucharist. The priest leads a short introduction, followed by intercessions proclaimed by the lector, with the priest leading a concluding prayer. At end of each petition, we respond “Lord, hear our prayer.”
The Preparation of the Gifts (Part 1): THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST:
At the Last Supper, Jesus took the bread and wine, gave thanks, broke the bread and shared the cup, saying, “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood.” At Mass, Christ is present through the priest “in Persona Christi.” In celebrating the Mass, the priest takes bread & wine, gives thanks and says the same words of Christ: “This is my Body… This is my Blood.” We believe that thru this action and the action of the Holy Spirit, the bread & wine become Body & Blood of Christ that we share, just as the disciples did at the Last Supper.
1. COLLECTION (offertory): After sitting down following the prayers of the faithful, the collection takes place. It is not just a practical need that must take place but has spiritual significance also. The collection has existed at its current place in the Mass since the 2nd century. In the early days, people would bring whatever gift they had for the good of the community: bread and wine for the Mass, but other gifts, too: animals, eggs, produce, cloth. In fact, to not bring anything for the community, or to bring something that wasn’t your best was considered an insult to the community. In our modern society, where we work not necessarily for items but for a salary, the monetary gifts we place in the collection represent the gift of our lives, and the gift of living out the faith in the world during the past week.
2. SETTING THE ALTAR: Before the collection is brought forward, the altar servers assist the deacon or acolyte in preparing the altar for Mass. They bring over the priest’s chalice and unfold a special cloth called a corporal where these items are placed. A ciboria is a vessel containing unconsecrated hosts. Cups are for the precious blood. All of the vessels to be consecrated are placed on a corporal. The corporal is folded in a special way so that any particle of the host that falls from a host can be folded up and not brushed to the ground.
3. PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS – TWO PREPARATIONS:
The preparation of the gifts serves a twofold purpose. First, the gifts of bread and wine are prepared for their consecration at the Eucharistic prayer. Second, through the prayers during this time, the priest and the people are prepared to take part in the Eucharistic prayer. The prayer said over the bread and the wine comes from the Jewish tradition of the Berakah prayer (“Blessed are you, O Lord”), prayers that give thanks for the bread and wine that are still said as part of the Jewish Friday night Sabbath meal blessing. In this prayer, the priest gives thanks for the gifts of bread and wine, recalling that these gifts will soon become the Body and Blood of Christ.
The priest mixes a little bit of water into the wine. This gesture has a spiritual significance. The deacon says, “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ (wine), who humbled himself to share in our humanity (water).” We pray that just as the water and wine become one, that we may also become one with Christ.
The priest washes his hands. While this originally served as a practical cleansing, the priest also prays silently a prayer for spiritual cleanliness, “Lord, wash away my iniquity; cleanse me from my sin.”
The Eucharistic prayer is the Church’s greatest prayer. (Part I):
The word Eucharist means Thanksgiving. The Eucharistic prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving & petition to God. During this prayer, through the action of the Holy Spirit and the words of the priest, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharistic prayer begins with a dialogue between the priest and the people. This dialogue reminds us to lift up our hearts to the Lord and to give thanks to God.
This dialogue leads into the preface of the Eucharistic prayer. The preface corresponds with the theme of the Mass or season. The priest says the preface by himself, but we should listen to this prayer and reflect on God’s goodness in our lives. At the conclusion of the preface, we respond by singing the “Holy, Holy” acclamation. This prayer is from the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:3) in the Old Testament, and Matthew (Matthew 21:9) in the New Testament. The triple “Holy” at the beginning of the prayer recognizes that God is Most Holy, but also represents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit– the Holy Trinity. This response should be sung with joy for all the good things God has done for us and continues to do for us!
Eucharistic Prayer (Part II):
After the congregation sings the “Holy, Holy,” everyone except for the priest kneels, unless prevented from doing so because of a physical handicap or lack of space. Kneeling is a posture of adoration and reverence. It is a physical reminder for our minds to be focused on the action that takes place at the altar. Continuing the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest continues his prayer of thanksgiving that was started in the preface. In some Eucharistic prayers, this thanksgiving may only be a sentence, while other Eucharistic Prayers will dive deeply into the life of Jesus. The priest now extends his hands over the bread and wine, palms down, asking the Father to send the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine to make them holy. This part of the Eucharistic Prayer is called the epiclesis. The gesture of laying on hands has been used from the time of the apostles to call down the Holy Spirit.
Next is the Institution Narrative. The priest recalls the words of Christ at the Last Supper, the first Mass. But this is no simple re-telling of the Last Supper. When the priest takes the bread and says, “This is my Body,” the bread truly becomes the Body of Jesus Christ! In the same way, the priest takes the wine and says, “This is the cup of my Blood,” and the wine truly becomes the Blood of Christ! After the consecration of the bread and wine, the Body and Blood are elevated for all to see. The servers ring the bells to signal the people that something/someone important is here! The priest then invites us to “proclaim the Mystery of Faith.” We respond with one of four acclamations focusing on the saving action of this sacrifice, the sacrifice of his death on the cross and his resurrection.
After the memorial acclamation is sung, the priest continues with a remembrance called an anamnesis. The priest, on our behalf, recalls the suffering, death, & resurrection of Christ. The priest offers back to the Father the Body & Blood of Christ on our behalf. The priest petitions the Father on our behalf. He prays for the leaders of the church and all its members, for the peace and salvation of the world, for the needs of those present, and especially for those who have died. The Eucharistic prayer concludes with a prayer of praise to God called a doxology. This prayer reminds us that the entire Eucharistic Prayer has been offered to the Father, through the Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. We express our acceptance and belief with joy: AMEN!
THE COMMUNION RITE (Part I):
After the Eucharistic Prayer is completed, all stand. The next series of prayers and actions are designed as one final preparation before we receive the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Lord’s Prayer: Praying the Our Father together as a community has been mandated in public prayer from the earliest centuries of the church. Pope St. Gregory the Great called this prayer the perfect prayer to say over the Lord’s Body and Blood, because it asks for the “Daily Bread” of the Eucharist as well as asking for forgiveness of sins and forgiveness of others. Towards the end of the prayer, the priest adds an extended response to the phrase “deliver us from evil” called an embolism. In the embolism, the priest explicitly asks for peace and forgiveness of sins as we prepare to receive the Eucharist. At the end of this embolism, the people respond “For the kingdom, and the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.”
The Rite of Peace recalls Christ’s gift of peace at the Last Supper (see John 14:27) and our continued prayer for peace and forgiveness of sins. To this prayer we respond “Amen.” The priest says to all “The peace of the Lord be with you always,” to which we respond, “And with your spirit.” The priest or deacon then invites us to extend to one another a sign of Christ’s peace. The peace that we extend to one another is not an individual wish, but the peace of Jesus Christ. It symbolizes our reconciliation with one another before we come forward to receive Communion (see Matthew 5:24). If you’re uncomfortable extending a hand, you can still participate in the sign of peace by looking people in the eye while saying “Peace be with you.”
Communion Rite (Part II):
FRACTION RITE: The priest breaks his Host into smaller pieces for himself and to distribute to the people. The breaking of the Host reminds us that Christ was broken and died for us. Sharing in the one Host is a reminder that we are united as one Body in Christ, just as Christ did at the Last Supper with His Apostles. The priest takes a small piece of the host and places it in the chalice. This practice started at special Masses in Rome in the fifth century, when the priest would use a particle of the Host consecrated by the Pope at an earlier Mass to show that the priest’s Mass was united with the Pope. Spiritually, mingling the Host with the chalice is a reminder that the Body and Blood of Christ separated in death were brought to life in the Resurrection, and that we receive from the altar the living Body and Blood of Christ! While the fraction rite takes place, we sing the “Lamb of God,” a litany that prays for God’s mercy and peace.
INVITATION: The priest raises the Host and chalice for all to see and says, “This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are we who have been called to His supper!” This quotes John 1:29 (John the Baptist’s first sighting of Jesus) and Revelation 19:9 (the song of the angels around Christ). We pray together, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed," quoting the words of the Roman Centurion when Jesus was coming to heal his servant (Matthew 8:8). We pray with the same humility to be healed and to be united with Christ.
RECEIVING THE HOST: You have the option of receiving in the hand or on the tongue. If you choose to receive in the hand, hold your hands to receive the Host instead of taking the Host out of the priest’s hands! St. Justin Martyr described receiving in the hand as “making a throne for the Lord,” your left hand over your right, so that you can then pick up the Host with your right hand to consume the Body of Christ. (If you’re left handed, you may want to reverse the order of the hands.) The priest or extraordinary minister holds the host in front of you and says, “The Body of Christ,” to which you will respond by bowing your head and saying “Amen.” No other gestures of reverence are necessary.
RECEIVING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD: Receiving from the cup is never required, as the complete Body and Blood of Christ is present in both the Host and the cup. When you receive from the cup, the minister holds the cup in front of you and says, “The Blood of Christ.” You respond by bowing your head and saying “Amen.”
SINGING AND SILENCE: Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ is a powerful time. We sing a communion song, raising our voices in joy and thanksgiving for this gift that we receive in the Lord. We also take time for silence, to listen to Jesus and what he wants for us. We need both the singing and the silence to fully express our love for this gift we have just received from the Father – his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, now present within us!
AFTER COMMUNION: After communion, the priest consolidates any remaining Hosts and places them in the tabernacle. The Hosts are placed there for bringing communion to the sick, and for times of private adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The ciboria that contained the Hosts and the cups containing the Precious Blood are purified, ensuring that every particle and drop of the Body and Blood of Christ is reverently consumed before the vessels are washed. After the purification has taken place, everyone stands while the priest prays the Prayer after Communion. This prayer is not a concluding prayer for the Mass! Instead, it is a prayer on our behalf that the communion we have received bring us spiritual strength and growth in holiness. At the end of the prayer, we all respond, “Amen.”
THE CONCLUDING RITES: The concluding rite of the Mass is very short but important. The priest gives us God’s blessing before we are dismissed to “go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Both the blessing and dismissal are important! We are given the graces of God’s blessing that we will need as we live out our lives during the week. The dismissal reminds us that the Mass may be concluded, but our call to live out our Catholic identity goes with us to work, school, our family and friends! While we have been dismissed, it is a mark of respect to allow the priest and assisting ministers to leave first in the recessional hymn as we process out of mass into the world.
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