MASS
Liturgy and the Mass
1. What does the word liturgy mean?
The
word "liturgy" originally meant a "public work", or a
"service in the name of or on behalf of the people". In Christian tradition it means the
participation of the People of God in "the work of God". In the New Testament the word
"liturgy" refers not only to the celebration of divine worship, but
also to the proclamation of the Gospel, and to active charity. The liturgy is an exercise of the priestly
office of Jesus Christ, and in it full public worship is performed. Through the Liturgy Christ our high Priest
continues the work of our redemption through the Church's celebration of the
Paschal mystery by which he accomplished our salvation. The liturgy engages the
faithful in the new life of the community, and involves the conscious, active,
and fruitful participation of everyone.
[glossary, 1067-1071].
2. How are catechesis and the liturgy related?
The
liturgy is the privileged place for catechizing the People of God. Liturgical catechesis aims to initiate people
into the mystery of Christ by proceeding from the visible to the invisible,
from the sign to the thing signified, from the
"sacraments" to the "mysteries". [1074, 1075].
3. What is the Mass?
The
Mass is the Eucharist, or the principal liturgical and sacramental celebration
of the Church, established by Jesus at the Last Supper, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19), in
which the mystery of our salvation through participation in the sacrificial
death and glorious resurrection of Christ, is renewed and accomplished. It is the sacred banquet of communion with
the Lord's body and blood. It is called "Mass"
from the Latin missa
because of the "mission" or "sending" with which the
liturgy concludes (Latin Ite missa est.) [glossary, 1341-55,
1382].
Characteristics of the Mass
4. What is our consideration of the celebration
of the Mass?
We
consider the Mass as thanksgiving and praise to the Father, as the sacrificial memorial of Christ and his body, and as the presence of Christ by the power of
his word and his spirit. The Eucharist is a sacrifice because it makes
present the sacrifice of the cross, because it is its memorial, and because it
bears fruit. The Mass is at the same time, and inseparably, the sacrificial
memorial in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated, and the sacred
banquet of communion with the Lord's body and blood. [1356-1358, 1366, 1382].
5. What are the essential signs of the
Eucharist?
The
essential signs of the Eucharistic
sacrament are wheat bread and grape wine, on which the blessing of the Holy
Spirit is invoked, and the priest pronounces the words of consecration
"This is my body which will be given up for you .... This is the cup of my
blood". [1412*,
1333].
6. Who can celebrate Mass and effect the
consecration?
Only
validly ordained priests can preside at the Eucharist and consecrate the bread
and wine so that they become the Body and Blood of the Lord. [1411*].
7. What is the early historical evidence for
the Mass being celebrated by the apostolic Church?
As
early as the second century we have the witness of St. Justin Martyr for the
basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic celebration. They have stayed the same until our day for
all the great liturgical families. St.
Justin described this order in a letter written to the emperor Antonius
Pius (138-161) around the year 155. This letter delineates the gathering, the
liturgy of the Word, with readings, homily, and general intersessions,
followed by the liturgy of the Eucharist with the presentation of the bread,
the consecratory thanksgiving, and communion. [1345, 1346].
Parts of the Mass
8. What are the main parts of the Mass?
The
two main parts of the Mass are the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the
Eucharist. The former is preceded by
introductory rites, and the Mass ends with a brief concluding rite. [1346, 1348].
9. What takes place at Mass during the liturgy
of the Word?
The
liturgy of the Word includes reading passages from the Old Testament, the New
Testament, and a selection from one of the gospels. This is followed by a homily, which is an
exhortation on the Word and how to put it into practice. Then comes the recitation of the creed,
followed by the general
intercessions. [1349].
10. What is the recommended order for the
general intercessions at the Prayer of the Faithful during Mass?
As a rule the
sequence of intentions is to be: 1) for
the needs of the Church, 2) for public authorities and the salvation of the
world, 3) for those oppressed by any need, and 4) for the local community. For particular celebrations, such as
confirmations, marriages, funerals, etc., the series of intercessions may refer
more specifically to the occasion. [General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 46, 4th ed., 1975].
11. What takes place at Mass during the
beginning of the liturgy of the Eucharist?
The
intercessions are followed by the presentation of the offerings, or the bringing
of the bread and wine to the altar, the priest washing his hands, and several
prayers of preparation, ending with the preface. There is a choice of 84 prefaces, depending
on the occasion. [1350,
1351].
12. What takes place at Mass during the main part
of the liturgy of the Eucharist?
The
main part of the liturgy of the Eucharist is the Eucharistic Prayer (called the
canon or anaphora) of thanksgiving and consecration, and there are four main
choices for it. This begins with a
prayer (called epiclesis) in which
the Church asks the Father to send his Holy Spirit on the bread and wine, so
that by his power they may become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is followed by the institutional narrative in which Christ's body and blood are made sacramentally present under the species of bread and
wine. In the prayer (called the anamnesis) that follows, the Church calls to
mind the Passion, resurrection and glorious return of Christ Jesus; she
presents to the Father the offering of the Son which reconciles us with him. In
the communion, preceded by the Lord's Prayer and the breaking of the bread, the
faithful receive the "bread from heaven" and the "cup of
salvation", the body and blood of Christ. [1352-1355].
13. What is the consecration of the Mass?
The
consecration is that part of the Eucharistic prayer of the Mass during which
the Lord's words of the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper are
recited by the priestly minister, making Christ's body and blood sacramentally present under the species of bread and
wine. [glossary,
1413*, 1352-53].
Eucharistic Sacrifice
14. How is the Eucharist offered as a sacrifice?
As a
sacrifice the Eucharist is offered in reparation for the sins of the living and
the dead, and to obtain spiritual or temporal benefits from God. [1414*].
15. Who offers the Eucharistic sacrifice?
It is
Christ himself, the eternal high priest of the New Covenant who, acting through
the ministry of the priests, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. It is the same Christ, really present under
the species of bread and wine, who is the offering of
the Eucharistic sacrifice. [1410*].
Holy Communion
16. What is Holy Communion?
Holy
Communion is the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist,
which ordinarily takes place during
17. How should we prepare ourselves to receive
communion?
To
prepare for receiving communion
18. How often are the faithful required to attend
Mass and receive Holy Communion?
The
Church obliges the faithful to take part in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and
holy days of obligation and, prepared by the sacrament of Reconciliation, to
receive Holy Communion at least once a year, if possible during the Easter
season. The Church strongly encourages
the faithful to receive the Holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or
preferably even daily. [1389].