GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE MASS:

At Mass, or the Lord's Supper, the people of God are called together, with a priest presiding and acting in the person of Christ, to celebrate the memorial of the Lord or Eucharistic sacrifice.  For this reason Christ's promise applies supremely to such a local gathering together of the Church: "Where two or three come together in my name, there am I in their midst" (Mt 18:20). For at the celebration of Mass, which perpetuates the sacrifice of the cross,  Christ is really present to the assembly gathered in His name; He is present in the person of the minister, in His own word, and indeed substantially and permanently under the Eucharistic elements.

The Mass is made up of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, two parts so closely connected that they form but one single act of worship.  For in the Mass the table of God's word and of Christ's body is laid for the people of God to receive from it instruction and food.  There are also certain rites to open and conclude the celebration.

INTRODUCTORY RITES:

We enter the house of the Lord in praise -- Entrance procession.

As the priest and assisting ministers go to the altar, the congregation stands and a song is usually song. When the priest and assisting ministers arrive in front of the altar, they bow to it, as everyone should, and the priest will go to the altar and kiss it. He may also incense the altar. Incensing is an ancient way of purifying an object, and the smoke can be viewed as our prayers ascended to God. The smell of incense can also help to bring one into spirit of prayer.

After the entrance song, everyone remains standing, and makes the sign of the Cross, as the priest says:

After which the congregation answers:

The priest then greets everyone with one of the number of different greetings, such as:

Which the congregation replies with:

RITE OF BLESSING AND SPRINKLING HOLY WATER:

During a Sunday Mass, the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling Holy Water may or may not be celebrated. If it is celebrated, everyone remains standing and a container of water is placed before the priest. Facing the congregation, he invites them to pray, using these or similar words:

After a brief silence, the priest prays a blessing over the water, ending with:

It is customary in some places to mix salt with the holy water, and the priest will pray a blessing over the salt, ending with:

After which he pours the salt into the water in silence.

The priest then takes the sprinkler and sprinkles himself, his minister, and then the rest of the congregation. He may even walk throughout the church sprinkling everyone. Once you have been sprinkled, it is customary for you to make the sign of the Cross again. While the sprinkling it going on, another song may be sung.

Once the priest returns to his place and the song is finished, the priest prays:

PENITENTIAL RITE:

We approach the Lord in humility --Penitential Rite

If the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling Holy Water is not celebrated, the Penitential Rite is celebrated. The priest invites the congregation to recall their sins and to repent of them in silence, using these or similar words:

After a silent reflection, one of the following three forms are prayed:

A:

B:

C: The priest, or other minister leads the congregation with one of a number of different invocations.

KYRIE:

If the "Lord, have mercy" was not prayed in the Penitential Rite, it is prayed now:

GLORIA:

We praise the Lord -- Glory to God in the highest.

The Gloria is said or sung on Sundays, other solemnities, and feasts outside of Advent and Lent.

The priest then says:

He then prays the appropriate Opening Prayer for that particular day, which ends with the following or similar words:

Or:

LITURGY OF THE WORD:

We listen to the word of God - Scripture readings.

FIRST READING:

To begin the Liturgy of the Word, everyone sits. The reader goes to the lectern, bows to the altar as he passes in front of it, and reads the appropriate First Reading for that day, after which he says:

RESPONSORIAL PSALM:

We respond to the Word in faith - Responsorial Psalm.

The person who read the First Reading or the leader of song will lead the congregation in the appropriate Psalm for that day. This is a reading from the Book of Psalms, in which the congregation repeats one line, and the reader recites the other lines.

SECOND READING:

On Sundays and other solemnities there is a Second Reading. Usually a second reader goes to the lectern, bows to the altar as he passes in front of it, and reads the appropriate Second Reading for that day, after which he says:

ALLELUIA OR GOSPEL ACCLAMATION:

We hear the Good News proclaimed -- Gospel.

Everyone stands for the Gospel.

The Alleluia or Gospel Acclamation is sung. If it cannot be sung, it is omitted.

ALLELUIA:

During Lent, the Alleluia is replaced with one of the following:

GOSPEL:

The priest goes to the lectern, bows to the altar as he passes it, and prays inaudibly:

The priest may be accompanied by ministers with candles. He says to the congregation:

A reading from the holy gospel according to (the author of the gospel read that day).

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 pray, "May the Gospel be on my mind, on my lips, and in my heart," and say aloud:

The priest may then incense the Bible, and then reads the appropriate Gospel for that day, after which he says:

The priest kisses the Gospel, and prays inaudibly:

After the Gospel reading, everyone sits

HOMILY:

We are encouraged to lead a Christian life - Homily:

A homily or sermon is then given. On weekdays that are not holy days of obligation, a homily is recommended, but may be omitted.

PROFESSION OF FAITH:

We profess our beliefs - The Creed.

On Sundays and solemnities, everyone stands and says either the Nicene or Apostles' Creed.

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS:

We pray for the needs of all people - General Intercessions.

With a brief introduction, the priest invites the congregation to pray for the needs of the community and for the whole Church. Usually someone other than the priest leads the congregation in this prayer. After each intercession, the following is said, although this may vary with the congregation and day of the Mass.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST :

PREPARATION OF THE ALTAR AND THE GIFTS

We bring and offer our gifts - Presentation of the Gifts, Prayer over the gifts.

Everyone sits. An offertory song may be sung at this time, while the altar is prepared for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. There may also be a Procession of the Gifts (the bread and wine), during which the congregation may continue to sit, or they may stand. The correct posture is to remain sitting, but this is not the custom of every congregation.

Once the gifts have been received and the altar has been prepared, the priest stands at the altar. If an offertory song is being sung, the priest continues inaudibly and the congregation does not respond. If there is no offertory song, the priest continues audibly and the congregation responds.

The priest takes the bread, and holding it slightly raised above the altar, says:

The priest pours wine and a little water into the chalice, saying:

Then the priest takes the chalice, and holding it slightly raised above the altar, says:

The priest then says inaudibly:

The priest may now incense the offerings and the altar, after which a minister may incense the priest.

Next the priest stands at the side of the altar and washes his hands, saying inaudibly:

This is a symbolic washing of the priests hands, which comes from the Jewish roots of Christianity, and only the celebrant (the presiding priest) participates in this ritual. Some Eucharistic ministers are accustomed to wash their hand with this same water before they approach the altar, but this is incorrect, and should not be done. Eucharistic ministers should not symbolically wash their hands, but literally wash their hands with soap and warm water before Mass.

Standing at the centre of the altar and facing the congregation, the priest says:

It should be noted that the sacrifice is Christ.

PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS:

If the congregation is not already standing from the Procession of the Gifts, they will stand now. Some congregations may be accustomed to remain sitting until the beginning of the Preface; however, the correct time to begin standing is during the Prayer Over the Gifts.

The priest then prays the appropriate Prayer over the Gifts for that particular day, which ends with the following or similar words:

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER:

We praise the Lord -- "Holy, Holy...." - Eucharistic Prayer.

If the congregation is not already standing, they should definitely stand now, as the priest says or sings:

PREFACE:

The Preface begins with the following words, and then varies according to the season and day.

.

ACCLAMATION:

After the Preface, everyone sings or says aloud:

We welcome Jesus in His sacramental Presence - Consecration.

We remember our loved ones, living and dead.

We affirm our faith -- Amen.

There are a number of forms for the Eucharistic Prayer. Eucharistic Prayer I is also called the Roman Canon, and is used on great solemnities, it is also the longest. There are also Eucharistic Prayers II, III, IV, and several others for specific occasions. These prayers vary in their words and order, some contain silent periods for personal prayer and others do not, but all contain the same words of consecration, memorial acclamation, and conclusion.

During the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest calls to mind the Last Supper, takes the bread, raises it a little above the altar, and recalls Christ's actions before the consecration of the bread. He then bows slightly, and says.

These are the words of consecration, and the Bread physically becomes the Body of Christ as they are said.

The priest shows the consecrated host (bread) to the congregation, while bells may be rung. The bells come from a time where there were no sound systems and some of the congregation could not hear the words of consecration. Once the bells rung, everyone knew that the consecration had taken place.

While viewing the consecrated host, it is appropriate to silently pray, "My Lord, and my God," or some other words of adoration. Once you have viewed the consecrated host, you should bow your head, while the priest sets it down, and genuflects in adoration.

Then the priest takes the chalice, raises it a little above the altar, and recalls Christ's actions before the consecration of the wine. He then bows slightly, and says.

These are the words of consecration, and the wine physically becomes the Blood of Christ as they are said.

The priest shows the chalice with the consecrated wine to the congregation, while bells may be rung again. While viewing the chalice, it is again appropriate to silently pray, "My Lord, and my God," or some other words of adoration. Once you have viewed the chalice, you should bow your head, while the priest sets it down, and genuflects in adoration.

Everyone then stands, and the memorial acclamation is then prayed according to one of the following forms:

Or:

Or:

Or:

After the memorial acclamation, the Eucharistic Prayer continues according to the particular form being used, until the common conclusion.

At the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer, some congregation will kneel, while others remain standing. The priest takes the chalice and the paten (plate) with the host, lifts them up, and sings or says:

We proclaim the mystery of faith and unite in prayer - The Lord's Prayer.

If anyone is kneeling, he should now stand as the priest sets down the chalice and paten, and invites the congregation to pray the Lord's Prayer. It is very appropriate for everyone to hold their hand towards heaven, or even for everyone to hold hands while praying the Lord's Prayer.

SIGN OF PEACE:

We extend the peace of Christ to fellow believers - Sign of Peace.

Everyone then gives everyone else that is close to them the sign of peace, according to the local custom. Often it is a handshake with the words, "Peace be with you," or something similar. Sometimes it is appropriate to hug each other, and it is even appropriate for married couple to kiss.

BREAKING OF THE BREAD:

We express our unworthiness and beg for peace - "Lamb of God ... "

Everyone then returns to their spot, and sings or says:

While this is sung or said, the priest takes the host and breaks it over the paten. He then places a small piece of the host in the chalice, and says inaudibly:

You should be aware that the priest has placed a small piece of the host in the chalice, so if you receive from this chalice you know where this peace of host came from. If you are not aware of this, you may mistakenly think that this peace of host came out of somebody's mouth while he was receiving. You do not have to worry about this; the priest placed this peace of host in this chalice.

PRIVATE PREPARATION OF THE PRIEST:

The priest then prays for himself inaudibly, using the following or similar words:

We receive Jesus in the Eucharist and give thanks -- Communion.

The priest genuflects, takes the host, raises it slightly over the paten, and says aloud:

While saying this, some may feel compelled to strike their breast with their hand.

The priest then says inaudibly:

He reverently consumes the Body of Christ. Then he takes the chalice and says inaudibly:

He then reverently drinks the Blood of Christ.

A song may be sung as the congregation receives communion in an orderly fashion. Only Catholics who have received their First Communion, and have no grave sins  that have not been brought to confession may receive communion. Anyone else that wishes may come forward with crossed arms for a blessing. At this point, everyone should be standing, and they should remain standing until they go forward to receive communion. You should remain standing for two reasons: first, Christ is physically present, and second, by standing, you remain united as a community.

If you are coming forward to receive a blessing, receive the blessing from a Eucharistic minister distributing the Body of Christ, then return to your spot. To signify that you only want to receive a blessing, cross your hands over your heart. If the Eucharistic minister offers you the Body of Christ, you may have to verbally tell him that you only want a blessing.

When receiving the Body of Christ, look into the eyes of the Eucharistic ministers as he/she says:

While looking into his/her eyes, reply:

Depending on the local custom, the Body of Christ is given either on the tongue or in the hand. When receiving on the tongue, simply open your mouth with your tongue resting on your bottom lip, and the minister will place the bread on your tongue. When receiving in the hand, cup your right hand under your left, and remember that you are holding the most precious physical object in all creation. Once you have received the Body of Christ, you must consume it immediately. Check your hand for any small crumbs and consume them immediately as well. Do not walk around with the host in your hands, and you may not give it to others. If you are taking the Body of Christ to someone that is sick, it must be transported in a pix. When it is the local custom to receive in the hand, you have the option to receive either in the hand or on the tongue. When it is the local custom to receive on the tongue, you must also receive on the tongue.

Out of respect for Christ, some will not chew the Body of Christ, but let it slowly dissolve in their mouths. This is a very pious act, but not necessary. 

If you are only coming forward to receive a blessing, receive the blessing from a Eucharistic minister distributing the Body of Christ, then return to your spot. Do not go to a Eucharistic minister distributing the Blood of Christ.

When receiving the Blood of Christ, look into the eyes of the Eucharistic ministers as he/she says:

While looking into his/her eyes, reply:

Take the chalice and take a small sip of Christ's Blood. Remember that if there is a small peace of host in the chalice, the priest placed it there. As well, you should be aware that the Eucharistic minister is wiping the chalice every time someone receives from it. They also turn the chalice so you are not receiving from the same place as the last person. The Blood of Christ does contain alcohol, which is an antiseptic, but if you have a flu or cold, you should not receive the Blood of Christ that day.

You may not dip the host you received into the chalice. The host should have been consumed immediately after receiving it. Intinction (dipping the host into the chalice) must be practiced correctly as is done in the Eastern Rites.

If you do receive communion in an Eastern Rite Catholic church, you do not say, "Amen," but only tilt you head back and open your mouth. The Eucharistic minister will drop the Body of Christ, which has been soaked in the Blood of Christ, into your mouth.

Once you have received communion or a blessing, return to your spot, but do not sit or kneel. You should remain standing until everyone has received communion to remain united as a community. Everyone that is waiting to receive, and everyone that has received remains standing. This is done so that communion is received as a community.

Once everyone has received communion, you may kneel or sit, but the congregation can also remain standing. The directives of the Church say to stand "from the prayer over the gifts to the end of the Mass."  The only exceptions to this are during the consecration, "and, if this seems helpful, during the period of silence after communion."

It may be the custom of some congregations to kneel after receiving Communion and returning to their spots. While this is a custom that should be changed, until it is, you may follow the custom of that congregation.

PERIOD OF SILENCE OR SONG OF PRAISE:

Once everyone has received communion, you may kneel or sit during the silent period of personal thanks giving to God. A psalm or song of praise may also be sung at this time. If you do sit, be aware of whether the person behind you is kneeling, and if he is, leave him some room and do not sit all the way back.

During this time of personal prayer, the Eucharistic ministers are cleaning the vessels. The prayer they pray while they do this is also appropriate for everyone to silently pray.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION:

Everyone stands, and the priest then prays the appropriate Prayer after Communion for that particular day, which ends with the following or similar words:

CONCLUDING RITE:

GREETING:

BLESSING:

We receive the final blessing -- that the Spirit may be with us.

Everyone makes the sign of the Cross, as the priest says:

There are a number of longer blessings that may also be used. Some of which have a number of stanzas that are answered with "Amen."

DISMISSAL:

We are challenged to live the Mass -- "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord".  We respond generously -- "Thanks be to God".

The priest then dismisses the congregation with the following or similar words:

A dismissal song may be sung as the priest kisses the altar, then comes in front of the altar with the assisting ministers. They all bow to the altar, and then leaves in procession.

The Mass has ended, and some will sit and pray, or kneel and pray. Some will go to the tabernacle, where they will genuflect, kneel, and pray. Most will also use this time to visit and greet other members of the congregation. Some congregations may also provide refreshments after Mass.

The only time it is not appropriate to visit and greet others is after the Good Friday Celebration. The Good Friday Celebration is the anniversary of Christ's death, and as such, all depart in silence. You should act as if you have just laid Jesus in the tomb, and you are now walking home in silent sadness.

Good Friday is not actually a Mass, and is different than what has been presented in this tract. All other holiday celebrations are Masses that may differ slightly from what has been presented in this tract, but the order is similar with the addition of other rituals.

As you leave the church, you may again bless yourself with the holy water (water that has been blessed by a priest). You can actually do this every time you pass a container of holy water.

From this tract, you should have a basic understanding of the Catholic Mass, which will enrich your participation in the Mass, as well as let non-Catholics observe a Mass inconspicuously.

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