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Order of the Mass (Handbook of the Mass – Fitzgerald – Paulist Press) |
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At the Eucharist, God’s people
come together to hear the word of the Lord, to pray for the world’s needs, to
offer the sacrifice of the cross in praise and thanks to God, to receive
Christ Jesus in Communion and then to be sent forth in the Spirit as
disciples of the Gospel. These central
elements of the order of mass have changed little throughout history, but
variable elements help accommodate this mystery of faith to local church
needs and to the feasts and seasons of the liturgical year. “The
purpose of these rites is to make the assembled people a unified community
and to prepare them properly to listen to God’s word and celebrate the
Eucharist”. Entrance Song The
people stand and sing a song or recite a prescribed antiphon as the priest
and ministers enter. This action
“introduces them to the mystery of the season or feast” and sets the tone and
mood of the celebration. (a particular
variation of this “rite” is “antiphonal singing” which dates to the fourth
century. If this variation is used, a
psalm is sung by alternating verses between a cantor and choir or
congregation.) Upon
entering the sanctuary the priest and ministers kiss the altar – a gesture of
reverence acknowledging the altar as a symbol of Christ. The priest then leads the people in making
the sign of the cross. This signing
symbolizes two beliefs central to Christianity: God is one, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and
we are his people saved in, with and through Christ. Our signing ourselves with the cross
proclaims our belonging to Christ and our faith in Christ as a way to share
in the life of God and the way to establishing a true human community on
earth, the One
of the earliest references to the sign of the cross is found in the writings
of Tertullian: “At every forward step and movement, at every going in and
out, when we put on our clothes and shoes – in all the ordinary actions of
everyday life, we trace the sign of the cross.” Mass
begins by this invocation of the triune God, praises God in, with, and
through Christ and ends as the celebration begins – with a blessing invoked
over the people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Greeting In
any human relationship a greeting is the first attempt to welcome another
with graciousness and warmth. The
three standard scriptural greetings in the ritual express “the presence of
the Lord to the assembled community” and, in this greeting by the celebrant
and response by the people, “the mystery of the Church that is gathered
together” and the people’s awareness of the reality that they are a community
is deepened. All make the sign of the
cross Priest: The grace
and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. People: And also with
you. The
Mass celebrates the love and forgiveness by which Jesus destroyed the power
of sin and death and united all people to himself as a perfect gift to his
Father. In an active thanksgiving for
love and as an admission of our need for continual conversion, the people
join with the priest in the penitential rite in asking God for mercy,
forgiveness, and healing. This
rite is the community’s statement of confidence that God is with them. Fittingly placed at the beginning of the celebration,
the penitential rite prepares the community to hear God’s word, profess its
faith, join in prayers of thanksgiving, and share in communion in the life of
God. The
most familiar of the variations in the penitential rite is the Kyrie eleison,
or “Lord, have mercy” which is a litany-like petition for God’s mercy dating
from the fourth century Antioch Jerusalem liturgy. The
sprinkling and blessing of the people may replace the penitential rite. This ritual recalls their initial
conversion and baptism and symbolizes new birth, regeneration, cleansing and
healing. Priest: My brothers and sisters, to prepare
ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins. You were sent to heal the contrite: Lord,
have mercy. People: Lord,
have mercy. Priest: You
came to call sinners: Christ,
have mercy. People: Christ,
have mercy. Priest: You plead
for us at the right hand of the Father: Lord, have mercy. People: Lord,
have mercy. Priest: May
almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to
everlasting life. People: Amen. Gloria
(Glory to God) The Gloria is an ancient hymn of praise, full of
joy and life whose theme is the reconciliation of God and humankind in peace
and love. The origins of this hymn are
uncertain, but it surely dates back to the fourth century. It is probable that the Gloria was first
used in the celebration of the Eucharist at the Christmas Midnight Mass, and
was originally only sung by bishops.
In the fifth century the use of the Gloria was extended to Sunday and
feast day Masses. This custom
continues today. The Gloria is not
said or sung during Advent or Lent.
Its absence from the liturgy during these two seasons deepens our
preparation and anticipation of the coming of Christ into our lives at
Christmas and Easter. 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. Opening
Prayer The
priest speaks the opening prayer for the people. In and through this prayer, the theme, mood
and focus of each particular celebration of the Mass is summarized. Everyone stands, and the priest, as the
person presiding over this particular community, stretches his arms out in a
symbol of the new person who stands upright and freed by the power of
Christ’s resurrection. He then invites
the community to prayer, and after a brief moment of silence, during which
the community gathers itself, he officially leads them in prayer. Introduced
into the liturgy in the mid-fifth century, this prayer was originally called
“the collect” and served as a conclusion of a litany of prayers in which the
celebrant collected and summed up the intentions of the people. The
people’s response, “Amen” is a biblical affirmation meaning “So may it
be”. The word is used in the liturgy
as an expression of ratification, assent or acceptance. At this point in the liturgy, it is the
people’s ratification of all that has been celebrated. It marks the conclusion of the introductory
rites and the transition into the liturgy of the word. The Lectionary (book of
readings) and the Book of Gospels open the rich treasure of God’s word from
the Jewish and Christian Scriptures.
In the liturgy the Church faithfully adheres to the way Christ himself
read and explained the Scriptures. The
unfolding mystery of Christ is recalled by the Christian faithful who respond
to the Holy Spirit working within them.
First From
the earliest days, the Church has believed in the continuity between the Old
and New Testaments. Both focus on the Responsorial
Psalm The
responsorial psalm comes after the first reading and provides a peaceful and
meditative response to God’s word. In
the synagogue at the time of Jesus, the Jews followed the readings of
Scripture with the singing of psalms.
Christians borrowed this practice and continue it to the present day
in the form of the responsorial psalm. Second This
reading is often called the “epistle” because it sometimes is part of a
letter written to the early Christian communities or to individual persons to
strengthen their faith, to instruct, to guide, to admonish, or correct
errors. The second reading performs a
similar function today. While
addressed originally to a particular situation in the early Church
communities, the message of these writings transcends the centuries to
motivate contemporary Christians and to deepen their appreciation of the
mystery of Christ. Alleluia or
Gospel Acclamation “Alleluia” or “praise God” announces or acclaims
delight and joy in God’s wonderful deeds for his people. The people stand, and make this acclamation
in song to proclaim the most wonderful deed of God among humankind, Jesus
Christ, visually symbolized by the Gospel book held high by the celebrant or
deacon. The
Alleluia became part of the Mass in the fourth century by order of Pope
Damasus. It was originally used only
during the Easter liturgy, but St. Gregory permitted its use throughout the
Church year except during the Church’s penitential seasons. This usage continues today. And when the Alleluia is not used during
Advent and Lent it is replaced by a verse which is closely connected in theme
with the Gospel reading. Gospel The
Gospel, the focal point of the liturgy of the word, is a reading from one of
the four accounts of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The use of readings from the Gospels (“the
memoirs of the apostles”) in the Mass is confirmed by Justin Martyr in his First Apology. And the significance of the Gospel
proclamation in Catholic liturgical tradition is its reservation since the
fourth century to those persons sharing in the sacrament of orders namely
deacons, priests and bishops. Because
of the Gospel’s prominence, its proclamation is often honored on Sundays and
feasts by great solemnity. There is a
procession in which the Gospel book is preceded by servers carrying candles
which symbolize the risen Christ as the Light of the World. Upon arrival at the place of proclamation,
the Gospel book is incensed, symbolizing both the community’s prayer
ascending to God and the mystery of God coming to the community. The sign of the cross is always traced upon
the forehead, lips, and heart by everyone in the assembly. This signing identifies the readings with
the teachings of the Lord Jesus who is the source of our faith as it is
heard, spoken and given root in our hearts. Preceding
the proclamation a prayer is said by the deacon or priest who bows in recognition
of the privilege given to him: Almighty
God, cleanse my heart and my lips that I may worthily proclaim your Gospel. So
life-giving is the experience of listening to the Gospel that the deacon or
priest concludes by proclaiming “This is
the Gospel of the Lord”, to which the community responds “Praise
to you Lord Jesus Christ”. The
minister, as a symbol of reverence, then kisses the Gospel book which is a
symbol of the Lord, Jesus himself. Homily Central
to the Christian tradition is the belief that “faith comes through preaching”
(Romans While
the tradition of preaching in Christianity has had its ups and downs, and the
liturgical sermon or homily has had its moments of acclaim as well as
discredit, the ministry of preaching is basic to the mission of the Church. Because of this the liturgical movement of
the twentieth century has striven to renew the homily’s essential importance
to the Profession of Faith (Creed) Creeds
are symbols of faith. They are written
professions of faith summarizing the faith community’s search for an ever
deepening understanding of Jesus and his message. There are three main versions of the Creed
which were formulated during the first four centuries, namely, the Apostles’
Creed (which was not written by the apostles), the Nicene Creed (325), and
the Constantinopolitan Creed (381). An
ancient formula, the original use of the Creed was a profession of faith for
those to be baptized during the Easter Vigil.
It was only in the sixth century that the Creed was introduced into
the celebration of the General Intercessions (Prayers of the Faithful) The
Prayers of the Faithful are one of the true restorations in the revised rites
for the celebration of They
reflect a simple, direct personal approach to God. Through them the people petition God for
the needs of the Church, society, their own parish, persons in need, the sick
and suffering, and those who have died.
The General Intercessions coming at the end of the liturgy of the word
are a faith-filled statement of trust in all that God has told us and done
for us: If two of you join your voices
on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted to you by my
Father in heaven (Matthew 18:19-20). Christians are baptized
into the paschal mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection for the
forgiveness of sin and fullness of salvation.
This mystery is celebrated at every Mass, remembering Christ’s loving
deed and giving thanks and praise to God.
The celebration reaches its Preparation
of the Gifts The
Preparation of the Gifts has a twofold purpose: (1) to prepare the bread and wine which will
be offered as gift and sacrifice to God, and (2) to prepare the priest and
the people for the self-offering of their words and deeds, that is, their
very lives. Originally
the preparation rite was very simple.
People gathered around the table and placed food upon it in a spirit
of gratitude and thanksgiving. With
time, however, the simple rite became more embellished. Already by the third century, a procession
accompanied the presentation of the gifts.
Gifts for the poor and the Church were also eventually included in the
offerings. By the Middle Ages,
however, as the “communal” dimension of the Mass was less evident, the
processions ceased, and the preparation rites became “offertory rites”
centering around the prayers of the priest. The
Second Vatican Council has restored the “preparation” dimension of these
rites as well as the ancient custom of the procession for presenting the
gifts of the community to the priest. Commingling
of the Water and Wine The
priest puts a drop of water into the wine as he prays: “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the
divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” This
simple rite is rich in symbolism. In
it are symbolized the mystery of Christ and the Church. In Eastern Christianity this mingling
symbolizes the mystery of Christ, the water signifying Christ’s humanity, and
the wine his divinity. In Western
Christianity, the mingling symbolizes the union of Christ (wine) and his
Church (water). Fittingly, the prayer
which is recited as this gesture is carried out is a remnant of a much longer
Christmas prayer dating from about the year 1000. Washing
of Hands This
rite reflects a practical need, namely, the washing of dirty hands. In earlier Christianity, the minister who
received the gifts from the people needed to wash his hands before
participating in the remainder of the Mass, since the gifts were not limited
to bread and wine nor collected in “money baskets.” Whatever practical reasons the washing of
hands had previously, it is now a symbolic action of preparation. The priest says: “Lord, wash away my iniquity, cleanse me from my sins.” Invitation
to Prayer After
preparing the altar table, the blessing and thanking God for his gifts, the
celebrant invites the congregation to pray that the gifts will be acceptable
to God. The priest says: “Pray my brothers and sisters, that our
sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father. The people
respond in prayer: “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.” Prayer
Over the Gifts The
Prayer Over the Gifts is said by the priest after the congregation
stands. Once called the “Secret
Prayer,” it was previously recited in a quite voice – a gesture emphasizing
the mystery and sacredness of the actions of the Eucharistic
Prayer The
Eucharistic Prayer is the Church’s great thanksgiving prayer praising God the
Father for his wonderful deeds among humankind, especially for the expression
of his love in Jesus Christ. The word
“Eucharist” comes from the Greek eucharistien,
meaning “to give thanks with praise and favor,” and was a translation of the
Hebrew barak meaning “to bless” in
the sense of praising the goodness of God.
It was in this sense that the one who presided over the Passover meal
“blessed” God. It was in this sense
that Jesus “blessed” his Father as he presided over the Last Passover Supper
which he shared with his disciples, gave thanks over the bread and wine, and
blessed God for his constant love and mercy. The
first Christians followed Jesus’ example and employed the patterns of the
Jewish “blessings” in their celebrations of the Eucharist. At first these “blessings” or Eucharistic
prayers were improvised by the celebrant as he recalled the Lord’s
celebration of the Last Supper. But by
the third century, we have documentation that these prayers were being handed
on in written form. Today there are
four Eucharistic Prayers commonly used in the Roman Liturgy. Preface The
preface contains the reasons why the Church has gathered to give thanks. Since these reasons are many, a number of
prefaces have been used over the centuries to introduce the Eucharistic
Prayer of the Church. The present
Preface prayers are in keeping with the liturgical seasons, feast days, and
special liturgical celebrations of the Church. The
Preface begins with an introductory dialogue between the priest and
people. This dialogue, like other
parts of the Mass, has Jewish roots.
It reflects Jewish prayers of greeting and invitations to join that
were used in giving thanks after meals.
The Preface ends in a hymn proclaiming the holiness of God which is
adapted from the vision of the prophet Isaiah and Psalm 117. Epiclesis As
the Preface acclamation “holy, holy, holy…” draws to a close, the priest
continues to speak on behalf of the people by praising God for the gift of life and holiness. He then “joins his hands and, holding them
outstretched over the offering” of bread and wine, prays an epiclesis prayer
(from the Greek, meaning “to call down”) asking the Father to let his Spirit
“come down upon these gifts to make them holy so that they may become for us
the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This
prayer is the first of the epiclesis prayers to be prayed during the
Eucharist Prayer. The second will ask
God to unite those who are celebrating the Eucharist. During
the Last Supper, Jesus focused all God’s dealings with humankind into the
present by identifying himself with the bread and wine, saying, in effect,
that he is the new Passover. In him
and through his death and resurrection, humanity experiences the Passover God
intends for all humankind – the crossing from the slavery of sin to the
freedom of love, from the death of disobedience to the life of grace. Jesus
transformed this ancient festival of national liberation to one of universal
deliverance. Jesus’ transformation of
the Passover, however, was not merely one of words. It was a transformation by deeds, namely,
the deeds of his own death-resurrection.
Jesus became the Paschal Lamb who offered himself in sacrifice to the
Father. His blood became the new
protector of humankind from the power of death. Christians
remember this new Passover in the celebration of the Eucharist. By remembering, Christians enter into and
become part of Christ’s sacrifice. In
remembering Jesus, crucified and risen, Jesus becomes really present with the
Christian community, and shares his gift of new life. By sharing in the sacrificial meal of the
Eucharist, Christians reaffirm the new covenant God has entered into with
humankind, that is, the never-ending love that binds God to humankind in
relationship which death cannot destroy. Elevation
of Bread and Wine There
is both a practical and theological reason for the elevation of the bread and
wine after the words of institution.
In the Middle Ages, Christians viewed themselves as “unworthy” to
receive Communion. This led to the
practice of infrequent reception of Communion – a practice which did not
satisfy the hunger of people for communion with God. The elevation of the consecrated bread and
wine helped to satisfy this hunger. A
second reason for the inclusion of the elevation of the consecrated bread and
wine is that it is a sign of the Church’s belief in the real presence of
Christ in the Eucharistic bread and wine.
This belief was openly denied in the thirteenth century. To counter this denial, Church leaders
encouraged the practice of raising the bread and so that the people could
make an act of faith in Jesus now truly present among them. Although
these situations are not as prevalent today the Church still continues this
centuries-old custom of showing the consecrated host and chalice to the
people. Why? This is a moment of faith for
Christians! It is a moment of
entrusting ourselves to Jesus and committing our lives to the pattern of his
Passover. Through the power of the
gift of faith, the community and each member of it thrust their lives into
the hands of Jesus as he thrusts himself into the hands of the Father. This brief “showing” remembers all there is
to remember. Jesus is the way to the
Father, and whoever sees Jesus sees the Father. Acclimation
of Faith The
institution narrative draws the community into a proclamation of its
faith: “Christ has died, Christ is
risen, Christ will come again.” This
proclamation of belief comes from an ancient Eastern liturgical profession of
faith. Such acclamations were common
in the more ancient liturgies, but they lost their popularity by the end of
the Middle Ages. Appropriately, the
reintroduction of this acclamation reinforces the people’s participation in
the institution narrative. The people
are not simple observers, and through this act of faith they are called to
enter into the mystery being celebrated. Anamnesis We
have already spoken much about “remembering”.
The “anamnesis prayer” focuses the community’s remembering on the
saving acts of Jesus and evokes from the community a sense of gratitude and
thanksgiving. The faithful are also
given the opportunity to recall the events of their personal sufferings,
deaths and resurrections through which they live daily according to the
pattern of the Lord’s Passover, and, in remembering, to give thanks for the
new life of the Spirit they have often received. Offering Memorial
Intercessions The
Eucharist, celebrated in communion with the whole Church, living and dead, is
the offering of all. The priest
remembers all Christians living and deceased.
He intercedes that all Christians may be strengthened for their
journey through life on earth so that their destination, the The
reference to Christ, “from whom all good things come,” is a vestige of an
early liturgical blessing. “All good
things” referred to the blessings of the earth, namely, fruit, produce,
cheese, olives, bread, which had been brought forward at the presentation of
the gifts. These simple gifts expressed
the Christian’s faith in God as the source of all blessings. They were blessed at this part of the Mass
to show the relationship of all earthly blessings to the greatest of God’s
gifts: himself, in Jesus. Doxology The
Doxology is a hymn of praise. Various
doxologies are included in the New Testament (1 Timothy Communion
is an expression of the unity of the body of Christ. To commune is to enter into another’s life,
to become one with another, to bind oneself with another. Communion is intimacy. Holy Communion is intimacy with God. It is an expression of unity with God, with
Jesus, and with all God’s people. The
Communion Rite helps the community to express its unity, to receive the body
and blood of Christ, and to deepen its union with God, with Jesus and with
all God’s people. All
of the central features of the Communion Rite call attention to this
unity. The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer of
unity; we cannot pray “Our Father” unless we are willing to call other
“brother” or “sister”. The Sign of
Peace symbolizes the breaking down of all divisions and the restoration of
harmony. The breaking of the bread
symbolizes that we all eat from one loaf of the bread of life. Finally, the community receives Communion
by approaching the same table. Recalling
the words of Lord’s
Prayer The
Lord’s Prayer summarizes the purpose of the life and ministry of Jesus,
namely, to share with humankind the special relationship he has with God, a
relationship so intimate that humankind can now also address God as “Abba” or
Father. The petition for daily bread
takes on new meaning in the context of the Forgiveness
is at the core of the ministry of Jesus.
To be forgiven as we forgive others calls us to match our words with
our deeds. Whether the meaning of
these words refers to the reality that we are forgiven in the same manner as
we forgive others, or that we are forgiven in the act of forgiving others,
the meaning is clear: we cannot refuse to forgive others and expect to be forgiven
ourselves. By living the call to
forgiveness, our unity with God and with others is realized. Embolism The
last request of the Lord’s Prayer is followed by a sequel called the
“embolism”. This simple, direct prayer
flows from a grateful heart. Freed
from evil by God’s grace, the Christian experiences peace, and is prepared to
be a source of peace among others and to foster the Sign of
Peace The
importance of Christians visibly and concretely being instruments of peace is
attested to in Matthew’s Gospel: “If you bring your gift to the altar, go
first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift”
(Matthew Christians
have always greeted each other by offering a sign of Christ’s peace. 1 Peter The
“Kiss of Peace” was eventually limited to the ministers of the Mass, but the
revisions of the liturgy by the Second Vatican Council have restored it to
all. The General Instruction of the
Roman Missal states: “Before they share in the same bread, the people express
their love for one another and beg for peace and unity in the Church and with
all mankind”. This gesture links love
to God and neighbor as an essential response of faith. Breaking
of the Bread The
“breaking of the bread” was the earliest known name for the celebration of
the Eucharist (Acts In
Jesus’ time it was a custom for the father at the beginning of the meal to
take a loaf of bread, offer thanks, give a blessing, and then break the bread
into pieces to be passed around to each member of the family. Jesus followed this pattern in the story of
the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Luke To
the early Christian, sharing a loaf was a sign of solidarity, of unity, and
of family. There was a deep
significance in the liturgical action of the ‘breaking of the bread”. After
the priest breaks the bread, he drops a small particle of the bread into the
chalice. This ritual of the commingling of the bread and wine
symbolizes the unity of the body and blood of Christ. During
the breaking of the bread and the commingling of the bread and wine the
congregation sings or recites the Lamb of God. This prayer, used in the liturgy since the
seventh century, acknowledges Jesus as the new Passover Lamb who is the
source of life for the world. It is a
clear reference to the blood of the lamb which was sprinkled on the doorposts
of Jewish homes to spare their sons from being killed in the Exodus from During
the rite of the breaking of the bread, the celebrant or deacon may put aside
a certain amount of the consecrated bread in order to reserve some of it for
the homebound and/or sick of the parish. Private
Prayers of the Priest The
priest quietly offers a prayer in preparation for his Communion. He asks forgiveness of sins, deliverance
from evil, faithfulness to Jesus’ teaching, and health of mind and body. As leader of the worshiping community, the
priest then first receives the bread and wine. This action invites others to follow his
example, “Take and eat”. Communion As the body and blood of Christ are held up for the
people to witness, the Church proclaims a scriptural acknowledgement of this
identity of Christ: “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the
world”. The people, acknowledging
their deep need for the Lord, respond in faith and confidence with the
centurion whose son was helplessly paralyzed: “Lord, I am not worthy to
receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed”. The
people process to the altar symbolizing their journey to the The
manner of approaching the table (altar) of the Lord expresses the community’s
faith. Listen to Cyril of Jerusalem
who, as early as 348, spoke of the proper method for receiving the Eucharist: When
you approach (Communion) do not come with your hands outstretched or with
your fingers open but make your left hand a throne for the right one, which
is to receive the King. With you hand
hollowed receive the body of Christ and answer Amen. After having, with every precaution,
sanctified your eyes by contact with the holy body, consume it, making sure
that not a particle is wasted, for that would be like losing one of your
limbs. Tell me, if you were given some
gold dust, would you not hold it very carefully for fear of letting any of it
fall and losing it? How much more
careful, then, you should be not to let fall even a crumb of something more
precious than gold or jewels! After
receiving the body of Christ, approach the chalice of his blood; do not
stretch out your hands, but bow in an attitude of adoration and reverence,
and say, ‘Amen’.” Communion
is both a very personal and a communal action. Jesus is present to each member of the
community as well as to the community as a whole. When we approach the Lord Jesus in
Communion, it is faith-in-action. The
“Amen” response to the minister’s “The body of Christ” is a moment of
faith. It has many meanings: “I
believe in Jesus as present in the breaking of bread that this holy bread
forms me into a temple of the Holy Spirit; that the Spirit strengthens me to
give myself in loving service to others just as Christ gave himself to me.” “I
remember the Last Supper when Jesus washed the feet of the apostles and
linked this action to the Eucharist: ‘What I did was to give you an example; as
I have done so you must do” (John “When
I receive Communion and say ‘Amen’ to the body and blood of Christ, I say
‘yes’ to the many ways in which God speaks to me: in prayer, contemplation of
Sacred Scripture, silence, good words, good deeds. I say ‘yes’ to my responsibilities as a
baptized son or daughter of God.” “To
break down walls of prejudice, to sow love where there is hatred, peace where
there is discord, hope where there is despair, faith where there is doubt,
life when what is around me seems to be dying. I say ‘Yes’ to putting Christ at the center
of my life.” Communion
is an extravagant gift. It calls for
an extravagant response. A passive,
rote gesture or a “following of the crowd” is a sign of unawareness of the
magnitude of our action. Communion
elicits a reflective, lively act of faith.
To the proclamation “The body of Christ” we must proclaim “Amen!” In this way our Communion is both a
receiving and a giving. Remember: “Be
what you see and be what you are.”
“Though many, one in Christ.” Prayer
after Communion The
liturgy of the Eucharist now ends. Our
prayers in praise of God and the sacrificial meal are now complete. The people sit in silence to share a moment
of personal reflection on the meaning of the mystery just celebrated. Sometimes a musical interlude expresses and
deepens this mood. All our actions and
words are then drawn together in the Prayer after Communion. The community stands and the priest, with
outstretched arms, petitions God to strengthen all present to live the
mystery which they have celebrated.
The prayer is simple, direct and concise. All that had to be said has been said. We must now prepare to go forth and
act. Our words must become our deeds. The
concluding rites of the Mass focus upon the sending forth of the community to
translate into deeds the words and actions of the liturgical
celebration. What has been celebrated
must now be revealed in the words and deeds of the members of the assembly as
they deal with others and the events of their lives. The celebrant’s final instruction brings
all the rites of the Mass into focus:
“Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Blessing. The entire celebration of the Mass has been
a blessing – an act of faithful gratitude to God for the gift of himself to
humankind in and through Jesus Christ.
The people once again sign themselves with the sign of the cross and
conclude the celebration as they began, that is, in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. What has
begun as faith, a gift freely given and freely received, concludes in a
crescendo of faith, “Thanks be to God!”
Enriched through the words and gestures of worship, the community
gladly returns to the hours and days and places of daily living. The Mass now lives in the hearts of
Christians. It is no longer simply
ritual; the Mass becomes the leaven of humanity. |
