The Mass: A Christian example of the Seven Dimensions of Religions

What does “Mass” mean? 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”.

Through 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.

What is the liturgy? 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.

The Liturgy has four parts: Introductory Rites Liturgy of the Word Liturgy of the Eucharist Concluding Rites

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.

“Take, eat; this is my body” Mt. 26:26 The Origins of the Mass The 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

Genuflecting vs Bowing Part II – What to do When Entering a Catholic Church Genuflecting vs Bowing Genuflecting: The bending of the right knee to the floor, while making the sign of the cross. Bowing: Bending at the waist forward Bowing is an act of reverence and respect for an object that symbolizes God. Genuflection is an act of adoration towards the presence of God.

Objects in the Church Altar Tabernacle

Objects in the Church, continued Chalice, Ciborium, Paten Ambo Ostensorium/Monstrance

Holy Water Holy water Entrance of the Church doors Poured over you or submerged in holy water when baptized Sprinkled on the members of the Church to remind them of their baptism.

Penitential Rite/Kyrie Introductory Rites Entrance Song/Hymn Sign of the Cross Greeting Rite of Blessing Penitential Rite/Kyrie Gloria Opening Prayer

Introductory Rites: Procession The procession occurs while the Opening Hymn is being sung. The hymn – brings us together The Procession – cross bearer, altar servers, lector, priest

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

Introductory Rites: Sign of the Cross & Greeting Sign of the Cross – reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice & love; we are no longer alone Greeting – invokes peace

Introductory Rites: Penitential Rite Option 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.
 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.

Introductory Rites: Penitential Rite Sin = anything that “breaks our relationship with God” Reminds us of our complete need for God and for God’s forgiveness The Confiteor, Kyrie Eleison…all are drawn from scripture and remind that Jesus is Lord

Introductory Rites: Gloria in Excelsis Three parts to the Gloria: The song that the shepherds heard sung by the choir of angels at the birth of Christ. Praises God by recalling all of His attributes. Prays to Jesus, asking Him to save us from our sins. The text of the song begins with a slight variation on the words sung by the angels as part of the announcement of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the field in Luke 2:14. It is a song of praise to God for sending His Son for our salvation.

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:The Opening Prayer “Let us pray, Let us ask”!

Introductory Rites: The Opening Prayer We are to pray together as the Body of Christ. We pray to petition God. This is an act of faith in three ways – it allows us to open our hearts to God. Act of faith - God is listening Act of faith - He is able to fulfill our petition Act of faith - 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 Word The First Reading Responsorial Psalm The Second Reading Alleluia/Gospel Acclamation Gospel Homily Profession of Faith/Creed General Intercessions/Prayers of the Faithful Lectionary A sacred Book containing the Readings from the Bible arranged by the days that they are to be read.

The Liturgy of the Word The “Word” has several meanings: Jesus, the Word of God (John 1) Scripture - The readings read during the Liturgy of the Word are based on the Liturgical calendar

The Liturgy of the Word: The First Reading A.The First Reading is from the Old Testament, (except in the Easter Season) Each First Reading was chosen because it has some connection to the Gospel of that particular day (except in the Easter season). (Christ’s teachings) Look at the readings that we read every Friday. Does the First Reading have a connection to the Gospel for that week? Our Response: “Thanks be to God”

The Liturgy of the Word: The Responsorial Psalm What is a Psalm? 1) The name comes from the Greek word, psalmos, meaning “a song accompanied by music”. 2) The Psalms, a book found in the Bible, are a collection of poems, hymns and prayers often attributed to King David. 3) Jesus quoted Psalms more than any other book in the Bible. 4) Contain many prophecies fulfilled by Christ. 5) We read/sing the psalm after the first reading – helps us reflect on the message in the 1st reading

The Liturgy of the Word: The Responsorial Psalm R. I will praise your Name.
 Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever R. 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 high
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
to seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.


The Liturgy of the Word: The Second Reading The Second Reading is from the New Testament. Unlike the First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm, the Second Reading is not connected to the Gospel of the day. It is a continuation of the previous Sunday’s readings. Ex. 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Timothy 2: 1-8

The Liturgy of the Word: The Gospel Acclamation 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. Why is the Book of the Gospels processed to the ambo while the congregation sings the Alleluia? The procession recalls our spiritual journey, and the Gospels tell the story of Jesus’ life and journey.

The Liturgy of the Word: 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! Everyone in the congregation makes the sign of the cross on their forehead, lips and heart to invite Christ to be present in all three places, and we stand as a sign of respect. This is the high point of the Lit. of the WORD. Here we hear the words from the life of Christ.

The Liturgy of the Word: The Homily 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? Catechumens are dismissed now to go learn about the Lit. of the Eucharist

The Liturgy of the Word: The Creed/ The Profession of Faith We are declaring that we BELIEVE. We agree to the teachings of Christ and the Church that we just heard. We recite the Nicene Creed after the homily. Dimension of religion?

The Liturgy of the Word: General Intercessions/ Prayer of the Faithful Lector: … Let us pray to the Lord All: Lord, hear our prayer. (Sometimes this response varies) We pray to God for different intentions. Normally the Prayer of the Faithful follows this order: Prayers for the universal Church, the pope, and the bishops. Prayers for the salvation of the world and those who govern it. Prayers for the afflicted. Prayers for the needs of the local church.

Liturgy of the Eucharist 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: Preparation of the Gifts This is when the chalice, host, ciborium and paten are placed on the altar. Ancient Jewish blessings are said over the bread and wine The priest is preparing the gifts to be sacrificed. Here the priest also thanks God for these gifts. The priest is cleansing himself to make the sacrifice.

Liturgy of the Eucharist: Preparation of the Gifts Priest: [usually quietly prays:] Lord, wash away my iniquity; cleanse me from my sins. (From Psalm 51:6) [stand] Priest: Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice
may 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 All of our prayers are now gathered by the priest in a prayer that asks God to accept our gifts through Jesus Christ. All: Amen.

Liturgy of the Eucharist: Eucharistic Prayer 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: Eucharistic Prayer - Epiclesis Comes from the Greek word meaning “invoke upon”. 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: Eucharistic Prayer – Institutional Narrative 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. “Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you.”

Liturgy of the Eucharist: 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! 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: 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: Sign of Peace 
 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. Reflects on our need to reconcile with one another. The Eucharist is a sign that we are in “communion with the Lord”. This means that we are to be in peace with our brothers and sisters.

Liturgy of the Eucharist: Breaking of the Bread Together we pray the Agnus Dei – the Lamb of God 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 We say the Agnus Dei to remember Christ as the sacrificial lamb and we ask for His mercy. We break the bread to remember Christ’s sacrifice for us.

Liturgy of the Eucharist: Communion We receive the body and blood of Christ The 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.