Catholic mass: proceedings, meaning and prayers
Like the Orthodox Mass,the Catholic Mass is the high point of the liturgy.The Eucharist is celebrated here. This means that the faithful pay homage to Christ, who died on the Cross to save them, by repeating his actions at the Last Supper.
Mass is celebrated daily by priests, with the exception of Good Friday andHoly Saturday , when the celebrations are different. Priests also celebrate Masses for baptism, marriage, confirmation, ordination and burial.
What is a mass?
Definition of mass
The word "mass" comes from the Latin missa (from the word mitterre , meaning "to send"), which means "dismissal" and has been transformed into "mission". So it comes from the final formula of the Latin mass, Ite, missa est, meaning "Go, send". The faithful are invited to leave the church, charged with a "mission". -That is, to go out and spread the Good News in the world, having received and been nourished by the Word of God and the Body of Christ.
In 1992, the Catechism of the Catholic Church defined the Mass as follows : " The Mass is at once and inseparably the sacrificial memorial in which the sacrifice of the Cross is perpetuated, and the sacred banquet of communion with the Body and Blood of the Lord. But the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is all about the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion. To receive communion is to receive Christ himself, who offered himself for us. "
In the latest General Presentation of the Roman Missal, published in 2002, the importance of the sacrificial aspect of this celebration is recalled: " In this way, greater attention is paid to aspects of the celebration that have sometimes been neglected over the centuries. This people is, in fact, the people of God, acquired by the Blood of Christ, gathered by the Lord, nourished by his word; a people whose vocation is to lift up to God the prayers of the whole human family; a people that gives thanks in Christ for the mystery of salvation by offering its sacrifice; a people, finally, that is strengthened in its unity by Communion in the Body and Blood of Christ. Although holy by origin, this people nevertheless grows continually in holiness because of its conscious, active and fruitful participation in the Eucharistic mystery."
In 2003, Pope John Paul II also emphasized the dimension of vertical communion in the liturgy: " In celebrating the sacrifice of the Lamb, we unite ourselves to the heavenly liturgy [...]. The Eucharist is truly a corner of heaven that opens onto earth!
Origins of the Mass
It was Christ himself who instituted the mass, in Jerusalem, on the evening of Holy Thursday , at the Last Supper (so called because they were in a room called the cenacle). This was the very first mass.
With the words "You shall do this in remembrance of me", he invites his disciples to reproduce his sacrifice, so that all may remember how much he loves us.
In the middle of the 16th century, the Council of Trent (the Church's nineteenth ecumenical council, which took place from between 1545 and 1563) reaffirmed the list of seven sacraments previously defined by the Church: Baptism, Eucharist, Penance, Confirmation, Ordination, Marriage and Extreme Unction. The Council confirms and maintains the dogma of transubstantiation and the real presence of Christ at mass.
The difference between mass and office
The word "office" comes from the Latin officium, meaning "service", "function or duty performed". A liturgical office is therefore the Church's daily, public and structured service to God.
In fact, any liturgical ceremony can be called an "office", even the Mass. Nevertheless, the Mass is sometimes contrasted with the Office, i.e. the celebration of the Eucharist with the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours. In fact, the Offices celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours.
The main hours are Lauds in the morning and Vespers in the evening. However, there are others that punctuate the day. These are
- Matins or Vigils : this corresponds to the office of readings in the Roman Breviary, towards the end of the night.
- Lauds: morning prayer celebrates Christ's resurrection as the "rising sun" and the day of his birth. This office is sung before any activity.
- Tierce / Sexte / None: these are the offices of the middle of the day, also known as the middle hour.
- Vespers: this is evening prayer, celebrated at vesper hour, late afternoon, when the daylight fades and work ceases.
- Compline: the last office of the day. Compline is sung before the night's rest.
These services are generally celebrated within monastic communities. The Eucharist is the major difference between a mass and an office.
What are the 4 parts of a mass?
First part
The first part of the mass is calledthe Liturgy of Welcome. The priest greets the faithful, sometimes with a short word. Then comes the moment when the faithful acknowledge that they are sinners and ask Heaven to help them. They then give glory to God.
The second part
This is the beginning of the Liturgy of the Word. The first reading, the psalm, the second reading and the Gospel are read in succession. The celebrant then delivers a homily, clarifying certain points of the Gospel and giving believers the keys to living their faith according to Christ's teachings in everyday life. The Creed is then recited. The intentions of the faithful are then entrusted to the Lord, in what is known as the universal prayer.
The third part
The third part, called the Eucharistic Liturgy, begins with the Offertory, continues with the Eucharistic Prayer, the recitation of the Sanctus, the Our Father and theAgnus Dei, and ends with Communion.
Fourth part
After Communion, the Mass concludes with the Liturgy of the Sending-Out, during which a prayer, the final blessing and an exit chant are recited.
The different prayers of the Catholic mass
A number of different prayers are recited at mass, but you don 't need to know them all by heart to take part. You can use a catechism booklet or your telephone to help you.
Here's a list of all the prayers recited:
- I confess to God
- Kyrie - usually sung
- Glory be to God - usually sung
- Credo : this can be either the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Constantinopolitan Creed
- Sanctus - usually sung
- Our Father
- Lamb of God - usually sung
Continue your prayer with Hozana!
Receive the day's readings every morning! First reading, psalm, Gospel, pray every morning with the texts of the day.
