The Roman Catholic Mass Explained the Order of Mass According to the Missale Romanum Editio Typica Tertia
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The Roman Catholic Mass Explained The Order of Mass According to the Missale Romanum Editio Typica Tertia Posture Mass Part (Name and Explanation) Response(s) (English) INTRODUCTORY RITES I. PROCESSION STAND The Mass begins with a procession of all ministers and servers from the sacristy1 or vestry2 through the nave of the church among the people, and to the altar. The procession is, when possible, led by an altar server or acolyte holding a crucifix3 to symbolize Christ leading the way. The procession may also include candle-bearers, incense-bearers, book- bearers, etc. as the solemnity or intricacy of the liturgy increases for special occasions or feast days4. When each minister reaches the sanctuary containing the altar, he bows or genuflects5. Priests also kiss the altar before they take their places. II. SIGN OF THE CROSS ℣: In the name of the Father +, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. STAND Because the Mass is a prayer (albeit a special 6 ℟: Amen liturgical one), it begins in the same way as many other Catholic prayers: with the Sign of the Cross. ℣: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the This sign represents the dedication of the prayer and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. of the liturgy to God the Father, the Son, and the ℟: And with your spirit.8 Holy Spirit, and also serves as a reminder of the cross on Calvary where Jesus was sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 23:33). In rubrics or instructions for liturgy, it is generally represented as a “+”. This sign is made by bringing the fingers of the right hand to (in order) the forehead, the breast, the left shoulder, and the right shoulder7. 1 Sacristy: n. The room in which the sacred vessels (chalices, patens, etc.) and other objects needed for the liturgies are kept. This room may be at the entrance of the church, or often times through a door to the side of the altar. 2 Vestry: n. The room in which the priest vests (dresses and prepares himself) for the liturgies (See Note 6). This may or may not be the same room as the sacristy (See Note 1) 3 Crucifix: n. A Christian cross which still has the corpus or body of Christ attached. This combination is to serve as a reminder of the great sacrifice God made in the course of saving humanity. 4 Feast Day: n. A day celebrating or commemorating a particular saint or Biblical event. A general Roman Calendar contains the dates of each of these feasts, which repeat every year, either on a fixed day (e.g. The Nativity) or in a particular season (e.g. Easter). In the case of a saint, this date is often chosen based on the saint’s date of death. 5 Genuflection: n, An act of reverence which consists of get down on one knee, generally the left. This may be accompanied by the Sign of the Cross (See Explanation II.). Genuflection is normally performed before the altar or tabernacle to reverence the kingship of Christ in the Real presence of the Eucharist (See Note 19 and Explanation XVI.iv). 6 Liturgy: n. A structured form of Christian prayer which follows a set ordering and set rubrics or instructions. Some parts may be interchangeable based on the day or season. 7 This sign is also used in the Orthodox and other Eastern churches, but is made in a slightly different way, reversing the order in which one touches the shoulders. – 1 – III. PENITENTIAL RITE/KYRIE ℣: Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare STAND Because the Mass is a time of prayer and communion ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries. with the “Holiest of Holies” (Hebrews 9:3), it is fitting ℟: I confess to almighty God to begin with an examination of conscience in which and to you, my brothers and sisters, the penitent calls to mind his or her sins and that I have greatly sinned, confesses them (in a general sense) before the Lord 9 in my thoughts and in my words, to cleanse his or her heart . in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, [And, striking the breast, say:] This action is complementary in nature to, but not through my fault, through my fault, 10 the same as the Catholic Sacrament of through my most grievous fault; Reconciliation or Confession, which is a more formal [Then continue:] recalling, admission, and repentance of these sins. therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, More serious moral infractions require the use of this all the Angels and Saints, sacrament for absolution and healing, but it is and you, my brothers and sisters, recommended and encouraged for even venial or to pray for me to the Lord our God11. less grave matters which would be covered by the ℣: May almighty God have mercy on us +, penitential act in Mass. forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. ℟: Amen ℣: Lord, have mercy (or Kyrie, eleison) ℟: Lord, Have mercy (or Kyrie, eleison) ℣: Christ, have mercy (or Christe, eleison) ℟: Christ, have mercy (or Christe, eleison) ℣: Lord, have mercy (or Kyrie, eleison) ℟: Lord, have mercy (or Kyrie, eleison)12 IV. GLORIA/”GLORY TO GOD” ℟: Glory to God in the highest, rd STAND The Gloria is a special hymn, dating back to the 3 and on earth peace to people of good will14. century AD, extolling the greatness of God and all He We praise you, has done for mankind. It was composed as a psalmi we bless you, idiotici, or “individual psalm” in imitation of the great we adore you, Psalms of the Old Testament13. we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, In the Mass, the Gloria is sung on Sundays and Lord God, heavenly King, special feast days as a hymn of adoration which adds O God, almighty Father. solemnity and joy to the liturgy. For this reason, it is Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, not sung – even on Sundays – in the penitential Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, seasons of Advent and Lent. you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; 8 from Ruth 2:4: (“Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The LORD be with you!" "The LORD bless you!" they answered”) and 2 Timothy 4:22: (“May the Lord be with your spirit. And may his grace be with all of you.”) 9 This is similar to a ritual washing of hands that would take place in Jewish temples or synagogues before a sacrifice was made. 10 Sacrament: n. A Christian religious ceremony that is regarded as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual divine grace. In general, those recognized by a particular church are those which they believe to have been instituted by Christ himself. In the Catholic Church, these are: Baptism, Holy Communion or Eucharist (See Note 19), Confirmation, Reconciliation or Confession, Marriage or Holy Matrimony, Ordination or Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. 11 This prayer, called the Confiteor, originated as a prayer said by the priest while vesting (See Note 2), and was introduced into the formal liturgy in the 11th century. The concept of such a prayer used publicly stems from James 5:16: (“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”) 12 from Luke 18:13: (“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’”) In its original Greek form, it is used in the Orthodox liturgy over a dozen times; in the Roman Catholic Mass, it is only used in this instance. This utterance is also used in Anglican, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches as an acknowledgement of God’s benevolence. 13 As such an old prayer, the Gloria has made its way into Lutheran, Episcopal, Anglican, Orthodox churches – as well as the Catholic churches which originally used it – in the development of those liturgies from a common origin. 14 from Luke 2:14: (“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”) – 2 – 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. V. COLLECT ℣: Let us pray: The collect is one of three prayers that are proper to STAND ℣: …who lives and reigns with you forever and ever. a given day (i.e. given Sunday, feast day, or weekday has its own unique collect prayer). In general, its ℟: Amen purpose is to gather and bind the prayers of all of the gathered faithful into one voice as the liturgy proceeds. LITURGY OF THE WORD VI. OLD TESTAMENT READING (At the end of the reading) SIT Sacred Scripture, being as it is God’s Word, enjoys a ℣: The Word of the Lord certain pride of place in the Mass. For ferial days ℟: Thanks be to God.16 (weekdays outside of a special season like Easter, Lent, etc.), two passages are prescribed in the Lectionary15. During Sundays and feasts of special solemnity, another reading is added, generally equaling one reading from the Old Testament, one from the letters of the New Testament, and one from the Gospels.