Last year I wrote an eight-part series for my parish about the Catholic Mass. For the Catholics in my audience, or anyone who wants to know more about why Catholics do what they do, these articles and videos are a great resource!
Episode 3, The Structure of the Mass, looks at the different parts of the Mass and what they mean.
Have you ever thought about why the Mass is structured like it is? Although it forms a fundamental whole, it has several parts.
Before Mass: This is a time to quietly prepare for Mass. To lay our worries down. To calm our minds from the rush of getting the kids ready! In the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), which is the book containing the instructions for celebrating Mass, we are reminded that “Even before the celebration itself, it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church.”
Introductory Rites: The priest and deacon process in, then kiss the altar as a sign of reverence. In the Penitential Rite, we ask God to forgive our venial sins so we can worthily participate in Mass. We give glory to God by singing the Gloria. Then the priest says the opening prayer. This prayer is called the “collect” (pronounced KOL-ekt), which in Latin means “the gathering of the people together.” The priest is “collecting” all our prayers into one.
Liturgy of the Word: We listen to the Word of God in the First Reading (usually from Old Testament), the Responsorial Psalm, the Second Reading (from the New Testament), and Gospel. There is a common theme among these readings. The homily helps us apply the readings in our lives. We recite the Nicene Creed which summarizes our beliefs. Finally, we bring our needs before God in the prayers of the faithful.
Liturgy of the Eucharist: The gifts of bread and wine are presented, prepared for consecration, and the Eucharistic Prayer begins. There are several Eucharistic Prayers from which the priest can choose. The most ancient one, used continuously for over 1,500 years, is Eucharistic Prayer I (also called the Roman Canon). You’ll recognize this one because of the long list of saints in it. Eucharistic Prayer II also has ancient origins, based in part on a Eucharistic Prayer written by St. Hippolytus in the 3rd century. After saying the Lord’s prayer, we offer a sign of peace before communion. This comes from Matthew 5:24, “leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother.” The Liturgy of the Eucharist ends with the reception of communion which unites us to Jesus and to our fellow Catholics.
Concluding Rites: The priest gives the final blessing, then we are dismissed to live the Gospel. This dismissal is where we get the word Mass. It comes from the Latin word Missa, which means to be sent.
Why is the Mass celebrated in this order? It is a logical pattern of approaching the altar of God, begging His forgiveness, praising Him, learning about Him, receiving Him, then taking the Gospel into our lives outside of the church. For more on the parts of the Mass and their meaning, see paragraphs 1345-1355 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Jimmy Akin’s booklet Mass Appeal is also an excellent resource.
The other videos in the series:
#2 – Why Churches Look Like They Do
#3 – The Structure of the Mass