The Mass

Prayer to the Blessed Sacrament

O God, who in this wondrous sacrament has left unto us a memorial of your passion; grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of your body and blood, that we may ever continue to feel within ourselves the blessed fruit of your redemption. Who lives and reigns God, for ever and ever.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Father, we rejoice in the gifts of love we have received from the heart of Jesus your Son.

Open our hearts to share his life and continue to bless us with his love.

We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

THE MASS:

What was the Last Supper about?

Passover meal commemorating the ‘Passing Over’ of the angel of death before the Hebrews were led out of Egypt by Moses. Short paraphrasing of story.

What did Jesus do at the Last Supper?

New Covenant.

Gave Himself to the Apostles and to us.

First Mass / Consecration.

What is the Mass?

The Lord’s Supper / Death on the cross (happening again Mystically)

A communal gathering

Communal breaking of the Bread

A commemoration

A Sacrifice: Sacrificial gift; minister; action; consumption of the sacrifice.

The Sacrament of the Altar

Love Feast (Agape): Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday made present today in ritual.

Not merely a meal which reminds us of the Last Supper, or a Passion play which helps recall Good Friday, or a Sunrise Service which celebrates the Lord’s Resurrection but THE REALITY OF JESUS’ PRESENCE ON THE ALTAR.

Meaning of the word Mass:

Dismissal, “Ite, Missa Est” - “Go, the Gathering is ended”

What are Gathering rites?

The purpose of these rites is to bring us together into one body, ready to listen and to break bread together.

Why do we stand, sit or kneel during parts of the Mass?

What does “The Lord be with you”. Really mean?

It is both a wish (may the Lord be with you) and a profound statement of faith (as you assemble for worship, the Lord is with you).

We will answer “And with your Spirit”

What does “Amen,” mean?

Hebrew word for “So be it.” “I agree with everything stated”

What is Liturgy?

The words and motions of the celebration. Liturgy of the Word / Liturgy of the Eucharist

What is a Homily?

Not just a sermon or a talk about how we are to live or what we are to believe. It is an act of worship rooted in the texts of the Mass. The homily takes that word and brings it to our life situation today.

In the General Intercessions we pray for whom?

What do the GIFTS consist of?

The early Christians each brought some bread and wine from their homes to the church to be used for the Mass and to be given to the clergy and the poor.

What is the Canon of the Mass?

The Eucharistic Prayer

Invitation and dialogue between the leader and assembly.

What are the Preface and Acclamation?

Preface, a prayer which prepares us to come before the face of God.

“Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.”

What is the Institution Narrative?

Story continues recalling Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.

What is Consecration?

Trans-substantiation

Prayer for unity and intercessions – for whom?

Prayers for the Bishop of Rome and for the bishop of the local Church, for the living and the dead and especially for ourselves.

What is the Doxology?

A prayer of glory to God in the name of Christ: “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.” Our “Great Amen” acclaims our assent and participation in the entire Eucharistic prayer.

What is Communion?

Why must we give a Sign of Peace?

“Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We make a gesture of union and forgiveness with those around us.

Why is Jesus called “The Lamb of God”?

What is Eucharist?

How should we receive Him? (How about for now?)

What does the priest in Jesus’ name commission us to do at Dismissal?

Living the Eucharist in the world.

Why is the dismissal so close to Communion?

From early times of persecution in Rome.

Common elements with early Christians:

From the time of the early Christian Church many different ‘rites’ of Holy Mass were used.

* The reading of scripture – Old + New Testament, and Psalms

* The lessons were read in a loud voice from a convenient place where they could be heard

* The reciting of the Lord’s Prayer

* Non formal prayer

* Bread and wine brought to the altar at the appropriate moment

* Remembrance of the Lord’s Supper / “the breaking of bread”

* Consuming of the Host.

Our first written liturgies appear in the third century, but a typical order is indicated prior to that.

1. Lessons from Old and New Testament

2. Psalms between

3. Sermon

4. Prayers

5. Kiss (sign) of Peace

6. Offering of bread, wine and water

7. The Eucharistic Thanksgiving

8. Remembrance of our Lord’s death, institution of the Last Supper and command to continue it

9. Amen said by all the people

10. Communion

STRUCTURE OF THE MASS (*SUNG)

Introductory Rites:

*Entrance procession / Hymn

Greeting

Penitential rite includes *Lord have Mercy” (sometimes *)

*Glory to God

Opening prayer

Liturgy of the Word:

(2 Readings, Psalm & Gospel follow 3 year cycle)

1st reading mostly from Old Testament

*Responsorial Psalm: (from Old Testament)

2nd reading from letters of Paul etc and Acts of the Apostles

*Gospel Acclamation

Gospel

Homily

Profession of faith: Creed (Longer Nicene or Shorter Apostles’)

Intercessions or Prayers of the Faithful

Liturgy of the Eucharist:

*Gifts brought up to Altar

Preparation and prayer over the gifts

Preface and *Holy Holy

Eucharistic prayer including Consecration (Choice by priest)

*Memorial acclamation / Great Amen (Choice)

The Lord’s Prayer

Sign of Peace

Breaking of Bread / *Lamb of God

*Holy Communion / Hymns

Thanksgiving prayer

Concluding Rites:

Closing prayer

Blessing

Dismissal

*Recessional / Hymn

Common elements of the early rites:

Reading of Scriptures: Old, New Testament & Psalms.

Read in a loud voice where everyone present could hear.

Reciting of the Lord’s Prayer.

Non formal prayers.

Bread and wine brought to the table at the appropriate moment.

Remembrance of the Lord’s Supper, breaking and partaking of Bread and Wine.

Singing of Hymns.

The SEDER MEAL.

Properly understood, both our continuities with Judaism and our differences can enrich our appreciation for the Jewish faith and rituals that Jesus himself observed. At the same time, they can increase our understanding of our own faith as Christians.

Kaddesh - Recite a blessing over wine in honor of the holiday.

Urechatz - Wash the hands without saying a blessing.

Karpas - Dip a vegetable (usually parsley) in salt water, say a blessing and eat it.

Yachatz - One of the three matzahs on the table is broken. Part is returned to the pile, the other part is set aside.

Maggid - A retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the first Pesach. This begins with the youngest person asking The Four Questions, a set of questions about the proceedings designed to encourage participation in the seder.

Rachtzah - A second washing of the hands, this time with a blessing, in preparation for eating the matzah.

Motzi and Matzah - Recite two blessings over the matzah, break it, and give a piece to everyone to eat.

Maror - A blessing is recited over a bitter vegetable (usually horseradish) and it is eaten.

Korekh - A bitter vegetable (usually romaine lettuce) and charoset (a sweet apple-wine-nut mixture) are placed on a piece of matzah and eaten together.

Shulchan Orekh - A festive meal is eaten.

Tzafun - The piece of matzah that was set aside is located and/or ransomed back, and eaten as the last part of the meal, a sort of dessert.

Barekh - Grace after meals.

Hallel - Psalms of praise.

Nirtzah - A statement that the seder is complete, with a wish that next year the seder might be observed in Jerusalem.