A Simple Guide to the Mass

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A Simple Guide to the Mass

by Dom Cuthbert Johnson OSB

All booklets are published thanks to the generous support of the members of the Catholic Truth Society

CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY PUBLISHERS TO THE HOLY SEE

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Contents

Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Preparing to Participate in the Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 The Structure of the Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 The Introductory Rites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 The Liturgy of the Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 The Liturgy of the Eucharist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 The Eucharistic Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 The Communion Rite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 The Concluding Rites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

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Presentation Throughout the English-speaking world the new translation of the Latin Roman Missal, published in 2002

by Blessed Pope John Paul II, is being introduced.

This dignified and doctrinally precise text has been welcomed by the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI who prays that it will bring about “a renewal and a deepening of Eucharistic devotion all over the English-speaking world”. The Holy Father has led the way in explaining the meaning of the Liturgy as will be seen from the many quotations from his teaching and preaching that are given in this simple “Benedictine” guide to the Mass.

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Preparing to Participate in the Mass “To prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.”

Preparing to celebrate We must prepare our minds and hearts for the celebration of Mass. “We live today in a society in which every space, every moment must be ‘filled’ with initiatives, activities and sound, so that there is no time for listening and dialogue. Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be afraid of silence outside and inside ourselves, if we want to hear not only the voice of God but also of those who are close to us, the voices of others.” (Pope Benedict XVI).

Unnecessary conversation both before and after the celebration of the sacred liturgy disturbs an atmosphere which is conducive to prayer and worship. Let us take to heart the poetical words of Saint John Chrysostom (347 - 407): “the church is the dwelling of angels; it is the kingdom of God; it is heaven itself so in the church let only spiritual things be spoken.”

As we enter the church and pass through the door let us recall the words of the Lord: “I am the door” (John 10:9). We bless ourselves with Holy Water as a reminder “of the sacrament of baptism, through which we become

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sharers in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

(Pope Benedict XVI) Through our genuflection to the Blessed Sacrament we acknowledge that have come into the presence of the Lord and proclaim our faith in the real presence. We then take our place as members of “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” and prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

Behaviour “Let us consider how we ought to behave in the presence of God.” (Saint Benedict).

“A liturgical celebration is always a very serious action. It must be prepared and carried out with great care in its every detail.” (Pope Paul VI). Care for external details must be accompanied by attention to internal dispositions. To be attentive to gestures and postures makes an important contribution towards creating that atmosphere of recollection which is felt by many to be lacking in our liturgy.

Standing is a mark of respect. We stand to sing God’s praises and to pray for our needs and those of all peoples on the earth. Standing is also a sign of waiting in readiness for the Lord. To stand up is to give witness and make an affirmation; that is why we stand to profess our faith.

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Kneeling is a sign of penitence and a gesture of supplication. It is a powerful symbol of adoration and of acknowledgement of our dependence upon the Lord our God, Creator of heaven and earth. It is a gesture which we find frequently in Scripture and it has an important place in the Liturgy.

The profound bow is a deep sign of reverence. A profound bow is made when passing in front of the altar and during the Creed. The bowing of the head is a sign of reverence.

Sitting is a position for listening and learning, just as Mary of Bethany sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. We sit to listen to the word of God and to ponder it in our hearts in prayer.

When we walk in procession we are reminded that we are the pilgrim people of God. The House of the Lord Where Christians gather to celebrate the sacred mysteries are found the altar, ambo and the chair of the one who presides at the assembly.

The Altar The altar is the place on which the sacrifice of the Cross is made present and it is the holy table of the Lord to which we have been invited.

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Enough emphasis has not been laid upon the holiness and sacred character of the altar. To the altar we bring ourselves, our offerings and prayers of petition, praise and thanksgiving. Devotion to the altar is founded upon the mystery which is celebrated there: “May this altar be the place where the great mysteries of redemption are accomplished: a place where your people offer their gifts, unfold their good intentions, pour out their prayers, and echo every meaning of their faith and devotion.” (Prayer from Rite of the Dedication of an Altar).

The Ambo The place from which the Word of God is proclaimed is called by the Fathers of the Church “a throne for the word of God and the seat of wisdom”. It is by hearing the word and sharing in the bread of life that we grow into the full stature of Christ.

The Chair The Eucharist is the action of Christ and the people of God hierarchically assembled. The president’s chair is a sign of his ministry of service in imitation of the Lord who came not to be served but to serve and give himself for us.

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The Structure of the Mass “We must learn to understand the structure of the liturgy and why it is laid out as it is.” (Pope Benedict XVI) The essential elements in the structure of the Mass have remained unchanged from the time of the Apostles.

There have been developments and enrichments in the form of the Mass but as Pope Benedict remarked: “The liturgy which developed in the course of two millenniums has always remained a continuation of ongoing growth of worship and proclamation.”

There are two parts in the Mass that make up one single act of worship: the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Liturgy of the Word is made up of the proclamation of readings from Holy Scripture, the homily, the Creed, (on Sundays and Solemnities) and ends with the Bidding Prayers.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the procession and presentation of the bread and wine for the holy sacrifice. When the prayer over the Gifts has been said the celebrant begins the Eucharistic Prayer. After the Great Amen at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer the preparation for Holy Communion begins with the Our

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Father and the prayer for the peace and unity of the Church. While the hymn Lamb of God is sung, there takes place the ancient and sacred gesture of the “breaking of the bread”. After Communion and thanksgiving the liturgy of the Eucharist is brought to a close with the prayer after Communion.

As is fitting, these two parts of the Mass, Word and Sacrament, are preceded by an introduction and followed by a conclusion.

The introductory rites are: the entrance chant and the veneration of the altar, followed by the greeting, the Act of Penance, the Lord have mercy, the Glory to God (when prescribed), and the Collect Prayer which concludes the introductory rites.

The Mass ends with the concluding rites which consist of the final greeting and blessing, followed by the dismissal, the veneration of the altar and the out-going procession.

Once we have grasped the structure of the Liturgy and its various parts we must make it our own. “We must interiorize the structure, the words of the liturgy, the Word of God. By doing this, our celebration truly becomes a celebration “with” the Church. Our hearts are enlarged and we are not doing just anything but are “with” the Church, in conversation with God.” (Pope Benedict XVI).

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The Introductory Rites “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) The Introductory Rites help the congregation to become “one mind and heart”, ready to listen attentively to the proclamation of the word of God and to participate in celebration of the holy Eucharist.

Entrance Chant The entrance chant accompanies the procession of the Celebrant and ministers to the altar and helps to introduce the assembly to the season, Feast or mystery that is being celebrated.

Veneration of the Altar and Greeting of the People As the Celebrant and the ministers reach the place of celebration, they make a sign of honour and reverence to Blessed Sacrament and to the altar. The Celebrant and the ordained ministers venerate the altar with a kiss. On Sundays and Feast Days incense may be used. The Celebrant takes the censer from the Deacon or server and walks around the altar incensing it. If the Celebrant passes in front of the Cross he reverences it with incense.

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The smoke rising from the censer is a symbol of the prayers of the people of God that ascend to heaven.

Sign of the Cross “We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for He is our salvation, our life and our resurrection.”

(Opening Chant for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross).

Our opening words and gesture are an affirmation of our baptismal profession of faith in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They also remind us that we have been called to bear witness by our lives to the Gospel: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

Amen is an ancient Hebrew word which means giving approval for what has been said or done. Amen is always a decisive and definitive affirmation: “so be it for it cannot be otherwise”. Whenever Amen occurs in the liturgy it always has this meaning of giving assent to what has been said and accomplished.

Greeting When the Risen Lord appeared to the disciples in the upper room He immediately greeted them: “Peace be with you”. Following His example the Celebrant greets those who are assembled in the name of Christ Jesus. It is