What is the Mass...

Information on the Mass

On the night before Jesus died, he called his followers together for a passover meal. Christians call this passover meal the Last Supper and during this meal Jesus changed bread and wine into his body and blood and gave it to the group gathered to eat and drink. His followers had the real life of Jesus living in them.

At every Catholic Mass Catholic believe that the very same action takes place - bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus and when we eat and drink it we have the real life of Jesus in us. Jesus died on the cross shortly after the Last Supper and every Catholic Mass is a re-presentation of the death of Jesus on the cross. It remembers and makes present Jesus dying on the cross for us now in our time.

Another name for the Mass is the Eucharist which means thanksgiving. The Mass is the central act of worship in the Catholic Church and all Catholics will join in the Celebration of Mass each week.

The Priest who celebrates Mass is taking the place of Jesus for the people gathered and he is the one who says the prayers which Catholics call the Eucharistic Prayer and the Prayer of Consecration during which the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus.

The Eucharistic sacrifice, that is, the Mass, is the source and the summit of the whole of Christian life.

Prayer before the Lord present in the sacramental food reserved from Mass extends the union which we have reached with him in Holy Communion.

Many Catholics, therefore will go to special services of adoration called Benediction. Here the Eucharistic Bread is placed in a holder called a Monstrance, and becomes a focus for people's gaze of adoration. Hymns are sung and a solemn blessing is given by the celebrating priest.

Stand, Sit Kneel???, its all so confusing!!...

Mass Posture:

Ever been to a Catholic Mass and wondered what to do?! When do you sit, stand, or kneel?

Here is a guideline to help you...

* Stand from the start of Mass until the first Scripture reading.

* Sit during the first and second readings.

* Stand for the Gospel acclamation - usually the Alleluia.

* Sit during the homily.

* Stand during the Creed and the General Intercessions.

* Sit from the preparations of the gifts until the end of the priest's prayer.

* Stand to begin the people's prayer.

* Remain standing until the conclusion of the "Holy, holy, holy"

* Kneel after the "Holy, holy holy," until the Amen at the end of the Eucharistic prayer.

* Stand from the Our Father until after the "Lamb of God."

* Kneel after "Lamb of God" until the distribution of Communion.

* Stand when receiving Communion. 

* Sit or Kneel during the reflection time after Communion.

* Stand from the "Let us pray" before the prayer after Communion until the end of Mass.

Phew.... got it??!!

Liturgical Colors in Roman Catholicism

In Roman Catholicism, the priest's outer garments worn during the Mass reflect the colors of the particular liturgical season or day. These are called liturgical colors.

Liturgical season or day:

White or Gold - Christmas and Easter (the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ.)

Purple - Advent and Lent seasons, but pink is worn on the third Sunday of Advent and on Laetare Sunday during Lent. The purple reflects sorrow/suffering: suffering awaiting the arrival (ad + venire) of the Savior, and suffering to mark Christ's 40 days in the desert (Lent.)

Red - on the feasts of martyrs

Green - during the rest of the liturgical year. Green is the symbol of hope.

White - For funerals because it symbolizes life rather than mourning

Roman Catholicism - More Mass Information...

In the religion Roman Catholicism, the Catholic Mass is very important. The Mass is the celebration of the Eucharist. Mass can be described as the Eucharist or Holy Communion. According to the Catholic Catechism, the word Eucharist is a Greek term for the Jewish meal blessing of God's continuous care.

Eucharist is a celebration of God's continuing care and His presence. The Eucharist is also the most important part of Mass because it's the consecration and distribution of Holy Communion. Less commonly, it is known as Breaking of the Bread, Lord's Supper, or Divine Liturgy. All of these terms mean the same thing. The most common name, however, is Mass.

For centuries, every Catholic Mass was said in Latin. The word Mass comes from a Latin phrase, ite missa est. This means, said at the end of a ritual. At the end of Mass, Catholics are sent out into the world to use the instruction of God in their daily lives.

Catholics might use the word sacrifice or celebration as the Mass. Mass is both of these things. Mass is like a re-enactment of the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The key is that Catholics do not believe that Jesus Christ is a part of history, but sacramentally present in matter and form.

Catholics believe firmly in believing the actions that they do. Mass is done daily, weekly, and on Holy Days of Obligation. Attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation is a requirement of Catholics.

The Mass has two separate parts and seven activities:

Part 1: Instruction: The Liturgy of the Word

1. Gathering

2. Proclaiming

3. Explaining

4. Praying

Part 2: The Liturgy of the Eucharist

1. Offering

2. Consecrating

3. Communion

The Mass - "Broken Down"...

There is a set pattern for the things that happen in Mass. Communion and Eucharist are different names for Mass...

Greeting and penitential rite

The priest welcomes everybody and then asks God to forgive their sins (wrongdoings). Penitential means being sorry. The people who go to mass are sorry for their sins. It is a good way to start the mass. If you go for a meal at someone's house but you have fallen out with them, you would make friends before your meal. The penitential rite is a bit like this.

Liturgy of the Word

This sounds complicated, but it is just the bit when a part of the Bible is read. Then the priest explains the Bible reading and how it affects the way people should live. This called the Sermon or Homily.

 

Creed and Bidding Prayers

A creed is said out loud by everyone. It is about what they believe in, including God, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the Church. The bidding prayers are a group of prayers about people near and far who need help. After each prayer the congregation responds with "Lord, graciously hear."

Offertory

There is a collection of money, which represents an offering of our lives to God. The priest says a prayer over the bread and wine, and the offerings.

 

Eucharistic Prayer

This is a whole series of prayers said to get ready for the actual communion. Some are said by the priest, some by the congregation. In the middle is the consecration of the bread and wine. It is here that Catholics believe that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus. This belief is called transubstantiation. At the consecration of the bread and wine, bells are rung to show that it is no longer bread and wine but has become the body and blood of Christ. This is a triple ring representing the Trinity.

Our Father

Everyone says the Lord's Prayer together. Then they offer each other a sign of peace by shaking hands.

 

Communion

The priest receives communion first. He has the bread and then the wine. Because of transubstantiation he believes this to be the body and blood of Jesus. Then the congregation receives communion. As each person receives Jesus in the form of the bread and wine, the priest says, "The body of Christ" and "The blood of Christ".

 

The paten and chalice are purified after the body and blood of Christ have been received. They are carefully cleaned with water to be sure that no fragments or droplets are left.

Blessing

The priest says, "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord." Going to mass is like getting 'spiritual food'. It should give people the strength and desire to go out and live their life like Jesus would want. This means living and serving other people.

Vestment Identification Images

Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religions, especially the Latin Rite and other Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutheran Churches. Many other groups also make use of vestments, but this was a point of controversy in the Protestant Reformation and sometimes since - notably during the Ritualist controversies in England in the 19th century.

There are many vestments but here are a few images to help us understand what some of them look like...

Amice

A short linen cloth, square or oblong in shape and, like the other sacerdotal vestments, needing to be blessed before use. The purpose of this vestment, which is the first to be put on by the priest in vesting for the Mass, is to cover the shoulders, and originally also the head, of the wearer.

Alb

A white linen vestment with close fitting sleeves, reaching nearly to the ground and secured round the waist by a girdle (cincture).

Cincture

The cincture (or, as it is more commonly called in England, the girdle) is an article of liturgical attire which has certainly been recognized as such since the ninth century. Then as now it was used to confine the loose, flowing alb, and prevent it from impeding the movements of the wearer.

Stole

A liturgical vestment

composed of a strip of material from two to four inches wide and about eighty inches long. It has either a uniform width throughout, or is somewhat narrower towards the middle, widening at the ends in the shape of a trapezium or spade. A small cross is generally sewed or embroidered on the stole at both ends and in the middle; the cross, however, is prescribed only for the middle, where the priest kisses the stole before putting it on. There are no express precepts concerning the material of the stole, but silk, or at least a halfsilk fabric, is most appropriate. Stoles for festivals are generally ornamented with embroidery, especially what are called vesper stoles".

Chasuble

Mass vestment, covering all the rest. It consisted of a square or circular piece of cloth in the centre of which a hole was made; through this the head was passed. With the arms hanging down, this garment covered the whole figure. It was like a little house (casula).