Understanding the Catholic Mass: Structure and Meaning
Understanding the Catholic Mass
Knowing the parts of the Mass is very important to understand and live as God intended: as a celebration of faith and experience. Like a “dinner” where we feed in community “Bread and Wine” that become the “Body and Blood” of Jesus Christ. We should note that the Mass of the Lord is an invitation to meet with him and between us as brothers. Attendance is responding to the invitation of the Lord. The Mass is divided into two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Introductory Rites
(Standing) Introductory rites prepare us to hear the word and celebrate the Eucharist.
- Procession of Entry: We reach the temple and prepare to celebrate the greatest mystery of our faith. Accompany the entrance procession, singing with joy.
- Welcome Note: After kissing the altar and making the sign of the cross, the priest greets the assembly.
- Act of Penance: We humbly ask the Lord to forgive all our sins.
- Gloria: We praise God, recognizing his holiness, while acknowledging our need for Him.
- Opening Prayer: The prayer that the priest, on behalf of the entire assembly, makes to the Father. It includes all the intentions of the community.
Liturgy of the Word
(Seated, first part) Dialogue between God and His people. It consists of three main parts: the readings, homily, and the prayer of the faithful. We listen to God who gives us food in his Word and respond by singing, meditating, and praying.
- First Reading: In the Old Testament, God speaks to us through the history of the people of Israel and their prophets. The first reading, taken from the Old Testament, helps us understand many things Jesus did.
- Psalm: After the reading, a psalm from the Book of Psalms is read or sung, with which we respond to God.
- Second Reading: Taken from the New Testament, either from the Acts of the Apostles or from letters written by the first apostles. This second reading helps us to understand how the early Christians lived and how they explained to others the teachings of Jesus. After the second reading, the Alleluia is sung, which is a joyful song reminiscent of the Resurrection.
- Gospel (Standing): The singing of the Alleluia prepares us to hear the proclamation of the Gospel. We acclaim at the end, saying: “Glory to you, Lord Jesus.” The Gospel, taken from one of the four Gospels, tells a small part of the life or the teachings of Jesus. This reading is done by the priest or deacon.
- Homily (Seated): At this time of the Mass, the priest explains the meaning of the three readings and their application in our lives.
- Creed (Standing): After listening to the Word of God, we confess our faith. We express our belief in His Word and message to our lives.
- Prayers of the Faithful: We pray for each other, asking for everyone’s needs: the Pope, the sick, the dead, the poor, etc. With this sentence ends the Liturgy of the Word, to go to the Eucharistic Liturgy.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
(Second part) It has three parts: Rite of Offerings, Great Thanksgiving (the core of the whole celebration, is a prayer of thanksgiving in which we update the death and resurrection of Jesus), and Rite of Communion.
- Presentation of the Gifts: Bread and wine are brought forth, which will be transformed into the body and blood of Christ. We collect offerings for the whole Church. We pray over the gifts. In this part of the Mass, the offerings of bread and wine are brought to the altar, and the priest presents them to God, offering them to become the Body and Blood of Christ. We must seize this moment to offer God our lives, our purposes and intentions, our love, our qualities, so that He may sanctify them and use them for the good of the Church. It’s time to make a new internal effort to achieve what we have set out to do spiritually and humanly. (Standing) We accompany the presentation and sit when the offering comes to the altar.
- Thanks and Praise (Standing): It is a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God, thrice holy.
- Thanksgiving: The celebrant glorifies God the Father and gives thanks for all the work of Salvation.
- Acclamation: The whole community sings or recites the Holy, Holy, Holy.
- Epiclesis: The Church implores the divine power in order for the gifts offered by men to be consecrated.
- Consecration (Kneeling): The priest, in “memory” of the Last Supper, pronounces the words of Jesus. The bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus. It is the most solemn moment of the Mass. We must seize this moment to worship God in the Eucharist.
- Intercessions: It is stated that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the Church in heaven and earth, that the offering is made by herself and all members, living and dead.
- Doxology: “Through Him, with Him and in Him, to you God the Father Almighty, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory for ever and ever.” The people respond, “Amen.”
Rite of Communion
- Our Father: Preparing for Communion, we pray to the Father as Jesus taught us.
- Rite of Peace: The faithful implore peace and unity for the whole Church.
- Lamb of God: During the breaking of bread and the fraction (the celebrant drops a part of the host into the chalice), the “Lamb of God” is sung or recited.
- Communion: Filled with joy, we come to receive Jesus, the bread of life. Before communion, we do an act of humility and faith. It means “common union.” As we approach Holy Communion, in addition to diving in and embracing Jesus with so much love and joy, we join the whole Church in that same joy and love.
- Prayer: We thank Jesus for having received it, and ask you to help us live in communion.
Concluding Rites
- Blessing: We receive the blessing of the priest.
- Dismissal and Sending Forth: Nourished by the bread of the Word and the Eucharist, we return to our activities, to live what we celebrate, carrying Jesus in our hearts.