Introduction For millennia bishops and priests have been assisted by other clergy and laity when they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Your willingness to serve the priest at the altar of God is an importance service both to God and to the people of the parish. It is of the utmost importance then that you are attentive to your obligations in this handbook, so that you may assist the people of the parish in their worship of Almighty God. As you assist the priest, it enables him as well as those in attendance to focus on Our Lord. Prayers for Altar Servers Altar Server's Prayer Open my mouth, O Lord, to bless Your Holy Name. Cleanse my heart from all evil and distracting thoughts. Enlighten my understanding and inflame my will that I may serve more worthily at Your Holy Altar. O Mary, Mother of Christ the High Priest, obtain for me the most important grace of knowing my vocation in life. Grant me a true spirit of faith and humble obedience so that I may ever behold the priest as a representative of God and willing to follow him in the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Christ. Amen. Altar Server's Prayer of Thanksgiving After Mass O Lord, Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, I thank You for the privilege of having served at the holy altar of Your sacrifice. Now, as I put aside the garments of that service, I ask that I may at all times think of You, and always act accordingly, as a privileged altar server. May I ever seek You and find You; may I always follow You; may Your priestly spirit be my guide, and Your service of love be my example. May your Holy Name always be on my lips, and to Your praise and glory may every work of mine be done. Ever ready in Your service, may I always know and do Your Holy Will in all things. May I remain pure and blameless and be found worthy to be Your servant, and by Your grace may I persevere to the end. Amen. A Server's Prayer Loving Father, Creator of the universe, You call Your people to worship, to be with You and with one another at Mass. I thank You for having called me to assist others in their prayer to You. May I be worthy of the trust placed in me and through my example and service bring others closer to You. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who is Lord for ever and ever. Amen. Prayer to St. John Berchmans, Patron of Altar Boys Dear St. John, you died at a very young age, but in that short time you learned to live an exemplary life as a member of the Society of Jesus. Directed by your Guardian Angel, whom you confidently invoked, you learned to be a most humble server at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Help altar boys imitate you in their service at Eucharistic celebrations as well as in their conduct with others. Amen. To An Altar Server To be Christ's page at the altar, Than yours who serve with joy. To serve Him freely there, God bless you child forever, Where even angels falter, And keep you in his care. Bowed low in reverent prayer. And guard you that you never To touch the throne most holy, Belie the robes you wear. To hand the gifts for the feast. For white bespeaks untainted To see Him meekly, lowly, A heart both tried and true: Descend at the word of the priest. And red tells love the sainted To hear man's poor petition, And holy martyrs knew. To sound the silvery bell, Throughout your life, then, When he in sweet submission, endeavor Comes down with us to dwell. God's graces to do right; No grander mission surely And be in heart forever Could saints or men enjoy: God's witness and God's knight. No heart should love more purely, Prayers of an Altar Server O God, You have graciously called me to serve You upon Your altar. Grant me the graces that I need to serve You faithfully and wholeheartedly. Grant too that while serving You, may I follow the example of St. Tarcisius, who died protecting the Eucharist, and walk the same path that led him to Heaven. St. Tarcisius, pray for me and for all servers. Before Mass Oh Jesus, my King and Lord, by the grace of the heavenly Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, guide me in all righteousness as I serve You today at the Altar so I may be always worthy of Your presence. If I happen to make an error, may it be a lesson so my service will be perfect tomorrow. Jesus, I love you with all my heart. Amen. After Mass Lord Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to serve You during the Holy Mass. In Your Sacred Presence, my heart is filled with joy and peace. May Your Spirit always guide me so I may grow in Your love by the grace of the Heavenly Father. Amen. How to Serve The Mass Itself When we step through the doorway of our parish church, we leave the world behind us for a very special consecrated holy place. We should try to collect our thoughts so that our entrance is a joyful, peaceful and prayerful act. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the Paschal Rite of the New Testament, which is the fulfillment of the promises God the Father made in the Old Testament. In it we receive the True Manna from heaven, Jesus Christ in His Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity, consecrated by a priest like Melchisedek of old as he offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, representing and making present the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. At Mass the sign of bread & wine separated reminds us of the violent separation of Christ’s Body & Blood. Jesus designates Himself as Servant of the Lord as a ransom for the many (Mt 10:45). Israel was accustomed to consuming sacrificed victim in a Sacred meal as were the pagans. The Mass reminds us to live our lives as a sacrifice as we look forward to the Banquet of the Lamb in heaven. In the Sacrifice of the Mass, Christ’s Sacrifice on Calvary is made present, its memory celebrated, & its saving power applied. The Mass makes the Sacrifice of Calvary present so that the Church can offer it to the Father for the Redemption of the world. Through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Father sees His Son surrounded by His adopted sons. It is a Living Sacrifice ► our humbled contrite heart ► Daily crosses ► Spiritual sacrifices. The Eucharist is the meeting place of the WHOLE Church [The Church Militant, The Church Suffering, & The Church Triumphant] – stretching toward the future & inviting the Second Coming. The Eucharist always has the aroma of Mary. Mary is spiritually present @ the Eucharist. Mary was involved in the acquisition of the grace of Redemption. In the Eucharist Christ is Fully present, Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity. Effects of the Holy Eucharist Presuming a state of grace (not cognizant of mortal sin) & a pious disposition: 1. Union with Christ 2. receive increase in sanctifying grace 3. receive strength against temptation 4. remission of venial sin 5. facilitates the attainment of eternal life Serving 1) To form a worthy guard of honor to our Divine Eucharistic King in whose service we willingly assume the dignity and honor of becoming His servants; 2) To render faithful, reverent and edifying service to God by assisting His visible representatives, the Bishops and Priests, in offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in all other liturgical and devotional functions; 3) To enkindle in the hearts of the faithful whom we represent at the altar, greater piety and devotion by reverently performing the duties of our holy office and by giving good example in our daily lives; Sacred Actions Walking: There is a great dignity to the right kind of walking. When the occasion is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, what a beautiful action walking can be. It can be a genuine action of worshipping God. Walking in Church can be a reverent awareness that we are entering the "House of God and the Gate of Heaven." Walking into the Presence of God is "To walk before the Lord." The command "to walk before the Lord and be perfect" is to be taken seriously. It means allowing God to work in us; it means working and walking with Our Blessed Lord through our parents, brethren, priests, teachers, and friends. Kneeling: God is so great and we are so small, so we make our genuflections a real sign of how we recognize God's greatness. Our kneeling is an act of humility, acknowledging the truth of who we are in relation to our Almighty and merciful God who loves us so much as to give us His Son for the sake of our salvation. Our Hands: When we watch others, we notice how facial expressions indicate pleasure, surprise, love, concern, even dislike and hatred. Next to our facial expressions, our hands also can indicate what we are. They are one of the important ways by which we receive matter from outside of ourselves. Our handshake and the hands of another person joined with ours is a sign of friendship, love, confidence, sympathy and understanding. Consequently, our hands are mighty and meaningful instruments for our worship of God.