The Mass - the celebration of the Eucharist - is the central and most impor-tant act of worship. In every corner of the world, Catholics are called together to participate in the Mass, to raise their voices in praise and thanksgiving to God. We can hear the words of the Mass spoken in every language, but the basic structure of the Mass is always the same, no matter where we are.

Recently, there have been some changes to the Mass. What has changed is the English translation to reflect more accurately to the original Latin Mass, since Latin is still the official language of the Roman Catholic Church.

Catholics are required to go to Sunday Mass every week. A Sunday Mass can be said on a Saturday evening as well as on a Sunday, and attending either one will fulfill your Sunday obligation. However, a Mass on a Saturday morning or af-ternoon will not be a Sunday Mass, and a weekday Mass will also not fulfill your Sunday obligation. It's up to the local bishop as to how early in the day a Sunday Mass can be said on a Saturday, but usually it's around 5:00 pm.

Another thing is that you're supposed to fast for an hour before receiving Communion. This fast consists of not eating and drinking anything except water and medicine, and is known as the eucharistic fast. It is a sign of respect and rev-erence for the Eucharist.

When entering a Catholic Church, people will dip their finger in some water and then bless themselves by making the Sign of the Cross. This water has been blessed by a priest or deacon, and is called "holy water." When people bless them-selves with holy water, they are remembering their baptism.

Before taking a seat, people will genuflect (touch right knee to the floor). This is done because the Real Presence of Christ is present in the tabernacle, and genuflecting is an act of adoration to His Real Presence. The tabernacle is a locked box where the Body of Christ is kept for adoration and in reserve to give to the sick that can't attend Mass.

THE ORDER OF MASS

INTRODUCTORY RITES

ENTRANCE SONG

To start the Mass off, the priest and the helpers (ex: deacon, alter servers, eu-charistic ministers, lectors) walk slowly to the altar, while everyone else stands. Usually a song is sung at this time. The priest and the helpers bow to the altar, and then take their spots. The priest and deacon will also go behind the altar and kiss it. He does this as a sign of reverence for Christ, whose altar it is. He will also do the same thing to the Gospel after he reads it.

GREETING

The Sign of the Cross is made, as the priest says:In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

     and the Holy Spirit.

And everyone responds: Amen.

The priest continues with:The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit

be with you all.Or:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:The Lord be with you.

And the response is: And with your spirit.

PENITENTIAL ACT

The priest tells us to remember our sins, saying something like:Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

After we remember our sins, the following prayer is said:I confess to almighty God,

and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned

in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

through my fault, through my fault,

through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,

all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

This is concluded with the priest giving absolution; however, it should not take the place of going individually to a priest for confession.

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,

and bring us to everlasting life.Amen.

KYRIE

Lord, have mercy.Lord, have mercy.Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

GLORIA

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you,

we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

you take away the sins of the world,       have mercy on us;

you take away the sins of the world,       receive our prayer;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father,       have mercy on us.

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.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

The Mass has two principal parts, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. During the Liturgy of the Word, we hear God’s word proclaimed to us. In each of the readings, we open our hearts and listen as a community to God as He speaks to us and guides us. The book containing all the readings that we use at Mass is called the Lectionary. It is not the whole Bible, but a collection of parts of the Bible arranged for reading at Mass. The Church has chosen the Bible readings for each Mass to help us celebrate each Sunday and Season. On Sundays there are usually three readings:

FIRST READING

Someone designated as a reader (the technical term is "lector") goes up front to read from the lectionary. The stand that the lectionary is on has a few names: "pulpit," "ambo," or “lectern." The first reading is most often taken from the Old Testament. It recalls God’s saving actions throughout history. When the lector is done, they will say:

The Word of the LordAnd the response is: Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

A Psalm from the Bible is read, or sung, now.

SECOND READING

The second reading is taken from the New Testament, often from one of the let-ters, or Epistles, from Saint Paul. It is NEVER taken from one of the Gospels. Again, when the lector is done, they will say:

The Word of the LordAnd the response is: Thanks be to God.

ALLELUIA OR GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Now it's time for a priest or deacon to read the Gospel (one of the first four books of the New Testament). Since this is a story about Jesus (and could even be said to embody Him) everyone stands.Usually everyone will first sing:

Alleluia

GOSPEL

The third reading is always from one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John). The reading of the Gospel is special. When the priest or deacon gets to the lectern, he says:

The Lord be with you.And the response is: And with your spirit.The priest then says:

A reading from the holy Gospel according to (one of the four Gospels).Everyone then traces a small Cross with their right thumb on their forehead, on their lips, and on their heart. As they do this they're quietly praying, "May the Gospel be on my mind, on my lips, and in my heart." At the same time, they're say-ing:

Glory to you, Lord.The priest or deacon then reads the Gospel, and when he's done, he says:

The gospel of the Lord.And the response is: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.The priest or deacon then kisses the Gospel reading, and now everyone can sit again.

HOMILY

After the readings, the priest or deacon gives a homily, or explanation of the read-ings. The homily helps us to better understand God’s word and how to live it.

PROFESSION OF FAITH

We respond to what we have heard in the readings and the homily by saying the Creed together.

NICENE CREED

I believe in one God,      the Father almighty,

     maker of heaven and earth,      of all things visible and invisible.I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,      the Only Begotten Son of God,

     born of the Father before all ages.      God from God, Light from Light,

     true God from true God,      begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;

     through him all things were made.For us men and for our salvation      he came down from heaven,

     and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate      of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,      he suffered death and was buried,

     and rose again on the third day           in accordance with the Scriptures.

     He ascended into heaven          and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

     He will come again in glory           to judge the living and the dead      and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,      who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

     who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,      who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.      I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins

     and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead          and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

Then in the general intercessions, or the Prayer of the Faithful, the needs of the Church, of the world, of those who suffer and are in need, and of the local commu-nity are remembered and offered to God.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

The second principal part of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Eucharist. It begins with the presentation and preparation of the gifts of bread and wine. They are the same simple, basic elements of human nourishment that Jesus uses at the Last Supper. Members of the assembly present the gifts of bread and wine to the priest and deacon. He accepts these gifts as well as money or other gifts offered for the Church and the poor. The priest then prepares the bread and wine at the altar. These offerings will become for us the Body and Blood of Christ.

The priest picks up the bread, and prays:Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,

for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you:

fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.

And the response is: Blessed be God forever.The priest pours the wine and a little bit of water into a cup, and 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.

The priest then holds up the cup, and prays: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,

for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you:

fruit of the vine and work of human hands it will become our spiritual drink.

And the response is: Blessed be God forever.Everyone stands up now as the priest says:

Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God,

the almighty Father.Response:

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 holy Church.It should be noted that the sacrifice is Christ.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

The Eucharistic Prayer is the heart of the celebration of the Mass. In this prayer the priest leads us in lifting up our hearts in praise and thanksgiving to God through Jesus Christ.

The Lord be with you.And with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our GodIt is right and just.

The priest then prays: Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,

we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks…

ACCLAMATION And the response is:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

     Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.      Hosanna in the highest.

After the Acclamation, is the most special part of the Mass. This is where the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. This part of the Mass is called the "consecration," and the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is call "transubstantiation." The appearance of bread and wine stays the same, but the substance changes in to the Body and Blood of Christ. The true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist under the appearances of bread and wine is called the Real Presence. The priest does and says what Jesus did and said at the Last Supper - what Jesus commanded us to do in memory of him. The priest will hold up the bread and say:

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY BODY,

WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.As these words are said, the bread changes into the Body of Christ. This is such a special moment that bells are rung sometimes. Next, the priest holds up the cup and says:

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,

THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY

FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.As these words are said, the wine changes into the Blood of Christ. Again, this is a special moment, and bells might be rung. Then the priest says:

The mystery of faith.And, the congregation responses with one of the following:

We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection

until you come again.Or:

When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord,

until you come again.The priest will then hold up the Body of Christ (it may be on a plate called a "paten") and the cup with the Blood of Christ, and says:

Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours,

for ever and ever.Amen.

COMMUNION RITE

LORD’S PRAYER

It's time to pray the Lord's Prayer (the Our Father). The priest says:

At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching,

we dare to say:Then the people pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.The priest responds:

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days,

that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin

and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope

and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.And then this is said:

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now

and for ever.

RITE OF PEACE

The priest then says:Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles,

Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins,

     but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity

    in accordance with your will.Who live and reign for ever and ever.

Amen.The peace of the Lord be with you always.

And with your spirit.The priest or deacon will then say the following;

Let us offer each other the sign of peace.It's now time to offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest. This is an ancient rite, described in our earliest records of the Mass, where we symbolically proclaim that we have nothing against our neighbor (Matthew 5:23,24).The way the sign of peace is exchanged can vary according to the culture and cus-toms of the people, but usually in English speaking countries it's by shaking hands and saying something like, "Peace be with you.” The shaking of the hands stop as soon as the following starts:

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:      have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:      have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:      grant us peace.

As this is being said, the priest drops the small piece of Consecrated Host into the Consecrated Wine to signify the unity of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

COMMUNION

The priest genuflects, holds up the broken pieces of Christ's Body, and says:Behold the Lamb of God,

behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

And the response is:Lord, I am not worthy

that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word

and my soul shall be healed.Then the priest eats the Body of Christ, and drinks the Blood of Christ. Now it's time for everyone, who are prepared, to eat and drink Christ's Body and Blood. The Body and Blood of Christ is very sacred, and only Catholics that have received the sacrament of their First Communion can receive It. As well, if you have any grave sins that have not been brought to Confession, you cannot receive the Body and Blood of Christ. And, remember the Eucharistic Fast, you’re also not supposed to eat for at least an hour before receiving the Body and Blood of Christ (only wa-ter and medicine is OK within this hour).There are two ways to receive the Eucharist, on the tongue or in the hand. To re-ceive on the tongue, simply open your mouth and stick out your tongue a little, while the Body of Christ is placed on your tongue. To receive in the hand, cup your dominant hand under your weaker hand. The Body of Christ will be placed in your weaker hand, pick the Body of Christ up with your dominant hand, place It in your mouth, and consume It right away. After you have received, the Body and Blood of Christ, there will be a period of si-lence or song of praise, where people will pray and reflect on what they have just received. Then, the priest will end the period of silence by saying:

Let us pray.

CONCLUDING RITE

GREETING

The Lord be with you.And with your spirit.

BLESSING

Everyone makes the sign of the cross again, as the priest says:May almighty God bless you,

the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit.Amen.

DISMISSAL

The priest or deacon then lets you know that everything is over by saying one of the following:

Go forth, the Mass is ended.Or:

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.Or:

Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.Or:

Go in peace.To which the congregation replies:

Thanks be to God.

At the end of Mass we are sent forth to bring God’s love to others. Mass is a word taken from the Latin word for “sending forth.” When the priest or deacon blesses the assembly and says, “Go in peace,” he is granting the peace that Jesus promised to his friends. It is the peace that the world cannot give: the peace of Christ. There are many ways we can bring the love of Christ to others:

We can share our time and talents with others, realizing that God acts in and through them. Others can experience God’s love in and through us, by our faith and generosity.We can avoid all forms of injustice and prejudice based on race, sex, or national-ity. In this way we can bring peace of Christ to others.We can respect our bodies and the bodies of others as Temples of the Holy Spirit. In this we are living as Christ calls us.

By striving daily to grow closer to God and to all God’s people, we are living the Mass. We should also remember that we are followers of Jesus Christ, who came, not to be served, but to serve. Ways we might serve the Lord include the follow-ing:

caring for the poor, the sick, and the lonelyrespecting life, especially the dignity of human lifeparticipating in family, parish, and community activities

Barry, Rev. Msgr. John F. One Faith, One Lord: A Study of Basic Catholic Belief. New York, NY: Sadlier, 2009.

Grigaitis, R.J., O.F.S. “A Very Simple Guide to the Catholic Mass.” http://grigaitis.net/mass/guide/.