A look at the spiritual significance of the Mass

How to pray (at) Mass?

Introduction

• You must have attended Mass thousands of times. But still if I ask you:

• what is Mass?• What happens when you take part in Mass?• What do you get out of mass? What are its

spiritual benefits?• These questions; I don’t know how many of us

can answer!

St. John Maria Vianney

• "If we really understood the Mass, we would die of joy."

St. Padre Pio

• "If we only knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass."

• Yes! Dear brothers and sisters,

• Mass is such an important thing for our Christian life that Vatican II document on liturgy calls it as

• “The source and summit of Christian life”

• Therefore it is important to understand the spiritual significance of the mass

Different names for Mass• The unfathomable richness of this sacrament is

expressed in different names which evoke its various aspects.

• The most common names are: • the Eucharist,• Holy Mass, • the Lord’s Supper, • the Breaking of the Bread, • the Eucharistic Celebration,

–the Memorial of the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord, –the Holy Sacrifice, –the Holy and Divine Liturgy,– the Sacred Mysteries, –the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, –and Holy Communion. –What we are going to do now is to look at

the mass as a whole and see its spiritual significance

What is Mass or Eucharist?

• Definition:• The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the Body

and Blood of the Lord Jesus • which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice

of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory.

• Thus he entrusted to his Church this memorial of his death and Resurrection.

What is mass?

• It is a sign of unity, • a bond of charity,• a paschal banquet, – in which Christ is consumed, –the mind and heart is filled with grace, –and a pledge of future glory is given to

us.

Under three topic

• Mass as a Sacrifice

• Mass as meal

• Mass as Communion

Mass is a Sacrifice• The Mass makes present

the sacrifice of the Cross

• it does not add to that sacrifice nor does it multiply it

• But it makes it present to us

• It’s important to know what the Church means by the "sacrifice" of the Mass.

• The term is easily misunderstood and has caused much strife among Christians.

“commemorative representation”• its “commemorative

representation” (memorialis demonstratio),

• which makes Christ's one, definitive redemptive sacrifice

• always present in time.

Only one sacrifice• Church teaching

reiterates what Scripture states very clearly:

• there is no other sacrifice except the one offered by Jesus on Calvary.

• Hebrews 10:12 says that Christ "offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins.

Re-presented• That sacrifice cannot be

repeated.

• The Mass, therefore, is not a repetition;

• it is a re-presentation of that sacrifice.

Sacrifice beyond time and space• It is Christ who is God

made man,

• Made his one sacrifice of the cross

• To be represented beyond time and space

Sacrifice beyond time and space• Because Christ was a

unique human being,

• the sacrifice He offered on the cross once and for all is a unique act.

As a human being

• He lived in a particular place and time

• His sacrifice was an act that took place in history

• At a particular place• At a particular time• and is therefore past.

As a God• He is God, who is outside

of time: past and future are always present to Him.

• This means that His death and resurrection are eternal acts

• that can be made present by the power of the Spirit.

At the last supper

• That is what he did at the last Supper

• He made that one sacrifice of the cross

• To be present to believers of all times and all places

He made it a Sacrament• He made his death on

the cross a sacrament at the last supper

• He took the bread, said the blessing and said,

• ‘Take this all of you and eat it, this is my body given up for you’

• Later He took the cup and said the blessing and gave it to his disciples and said:

• Take this, all of you, and drink from it; this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.

Asked us to continue

• He also commanded them saying

• Do this in memory of me.

• Asking us to bring to memory his death all the time.

So, you need to understand that • Holy mass is not a

repetition• But a representation of

that one sacrifice• The sacrifice that was

offered 2000 years ago • It is made present for you

and me• Here and now

At foot of the Calvary• And Every time the

mass is celebrated, • the priest , • together with the

Christian community which takes part in it,

• is led back in spirit to that place and that hour at Calvary

And When you participate in Mass

• You along with the priest join the multitude of angels and saints in re-living that one sacrifice of Christ

• And ask the Father for the forgiveness of your sins

• At the foot of the cross

II. Mass is a meal• Holy mass is a Holy

meal you attend

• It is the Holy Banquet you are participating in

• And meal is part and parcel of the sacrifice

In the Old Testament

• In the old testament, after every sacrifice there was a meal.

• Every holy gathering ended up with a meal

• And Jesus offered the first mass as a part of the pass-over meal

Luke 22:15

• And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”

Pass-over meal

• In the Old testament, Israelites ate the pass-over meal before the passed-over from bondage to freedom

• It was the pass-over lamb that was sacrificed that they ate

Pass-over

• And they sprinkled their house with the blood of the lamb

• And the angel of death passed over them

• And they were saved

Mass a pass-over meal

• So also when we participate in the holy meal at mass

• The angel of death passes over us

Covenantal meal

• In the O T, God entered into covenant with Israel

• And it was ratified by a meal

• By that They became his specially chosen people

New covenant in Jesus

• Referring to his blood Jesus said, “this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.” That means:

• With his blood he established a new covenant

Renew our covenant• So every time we

participate in the covenantal meal of Mass

• We renew our promises to him

• That we will be his people and his children always

Mass as a meal

• So when we gather for Mass

• We gather for a meal• And we are fed• And it is a spiritual

nourishment that is given

Double nourishment• Sola scriptura people has

to be envious of this because

• At Mass we are fed double

• We are fed with his WORD

• And we are fed with his body and blood

Jesus’ teaching

• Jesus speaking about spiritual nourishment

• Spoke about two kinds of nourishment:

• Spoke about two types of spiritual food

God’ word• Quoting Deuteronomy

to the devil who came to tempt him He said, “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”(Dt 8:3)

• God’s word is our food; our nourishment

Bible quotes• When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy

and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty. Jeremiah 15/16

• Ezekiel 3:3 Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

• Revelation 10:9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."

At Mass: Fed with the WORD

• Word of God is our spiritual food

• and we are fed with that food in the liturgy of the word

• That is the first part of the Mass

2. Body and blood of Christ

• In the second part i.e. Liturgy of the Eucharist,

• We are fed with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which again are our spiritual nourishment

John 6

• In St. John’s gospel in his discourse about Eucharist in 6:53

• Jesus says "Truly I tell you, unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you will have no life”

John 6• And He is the bread

from heaven• His flesh is the true

food • If anyone eats of this

bread, he will live forever.

• This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

• Jesus promised that he has come give life, life in abundance. Jn.10:10

• How was he going to give life in abundance?

• By giving his body and blood as our food.

• How did he give us his body and blood then?

• He gave it in the form of bread and wine

Institution of the Eucharist• At the Last supper• He celebrated the

first mass• Changed the bread

and wine into his body and blood and gave it to his disciples to eat

• And he asked them to continue doing this un till he comes

Eucharist today

• So when we come for mass,

• In the second part, i.e., the liturgy of the Eucharist we eat his body and drink his blood

• So that we may have life

Complete food• So Mass provides

complete nourishment for our souls

• With all the proteins and vitamins,

• Word and the sacrament

• That is the richness of the Mass

Eat well

• As we eat at least three times a day to keep our bodies healthy and fit

• We need to eat this spiritual food to keep our souls healthy

III. Mass is a Holy Communion

• What is the meaning of the “communion”?

• Often we equate it with ‘sacred host’

Act or object?

• But Communion is not so much an object but it is an act,

• it is the act of coming into union with the Lord and each other

Vertical and horizontal union

• At the Mass we deepen our communion with the whole church, as well as with the Lord

1.Coming together and his presence• Jesus said He’s there

whenever two or three are gathered in His name (Mt 18:20),

• and usually the Sunday Mass congregation numbers more than two or three!

• Even when it’s hard to see Christ in our fellow Mass-goers, He’s really there.

People may arrive distracted and preoccupied, but as they enter that church they’re no longer just scattered individuals, but members of Christ’s body. Whether conscious of it or not, they’re being drawn together into the Body of Christ.

Body Christ in communion

• We are drawn together as on body of Christ at Mass

• That’s what the sign of peace is about.

Community reconciled• It also recalls what Jesus

said in Matthew 5:23-24: “If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift.”

Community in love• The sign of peace is not so

much intended as a opportunity for back-slapping fellowship as a sign that we hold nothing against anyone.

• It means we renounce all bitterness, resentment, and jealousy as we come as one body to receive the Lord together.

Mass as a communion of people

• So, that is it. At Mass we come into union together as one body of Christ

• And Holy mass and holy meal fosters that union

Coming into union with Christ

• When we receive the body of Christ

• We come into close union with Him

• His body becomes part of our body

• As Mary carried him in her womb

• We carry him in our heart

• Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, we become living tabernacles of God after Communion

• Note:

• In every culture I know,

• sharing a meal with someone is a way of expressing and deepening a relational bond.

• The Eucharist does this in a way no other meal can. • We eat with God,

• He gives Himself as our food, and we’re transformed into Him.

• When we receive Him and consume Him under these signs of bread and wine, we become Him.

Padre Pio

• Remember, a prayer said from the heart immediately after receiving Holy Communion is very powerful,

• because you and Jesus are one flesh at that time

Spiritual benefits of Mass

• Your sins (Venial) are forgiven• You get the spiritual nourishment• You bond with the community as body of

Christ is strengthened (cut of from me you can do nothing)

• You come into union with Christ and thus get the opportunity to become more Christ like

Why the Holy Mass is SO Powerful?

• At the hour of death the Holy Masses you have heard devoutly will be your greatest consolation.

• Every mass will go with you to judgement and will plead for pardon for you

• By every Mass you can diminish the temporal punishment due to your sin, more or less, according to your fervour.

• By devoutly assisting at Holy Mass you render the greatest homage possible to the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord. ...

• Through the Holy Sacrifice, Our Lord Jesus Christ supplies for many of your negligence and omissions.

• He forgives you all the venial sins which you are determined to avoid. He forgives you all your unknown sins which you never confessed. The power of Satan over you is diminished.

• By piously hearing Holy Mass you afford the Souls in Purgatory the greatest possible relief.

• Through Holy Mass you are preserved from many dangers and misfortunes which would otherwise have befallen you.

• You shorten your Purgatory by every Mass.

• Through the Holy Mass you are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.

• When you hear Holy Mass devoutly, offering it to Almighty God in honour of any particular Saint or Angel,

• thanking God for the favours bestowed on him, etc.,

• you afford that Saint or Angel a new degree of honour, joy and happiness, and draw his special love and protection on yourself.

How to prepare for the mass?• Do we need to prepare for the mass?• Is it not priest’s duty not our to prepare?No it our duty too:• Suppose you are going to see the queen next

day; will you prepare or not

• Or if you are going to see the Pope next day, you got the invite, will you prepare or not?

• If it so, how much more you need to prepare when you going to meet God himself.

• If you are invited for a wedding party, you prepare so much. Some one told me that it took 2 hours for her to tie the Sarree.

• How much time we give to prepare for Mass?

How to prepare for Mass?

• The Eucharist is "source and summit" of all we do, and it deserves attentive preparation (cf. Lumen Gentium, 11).

• There is spiritual preparation that can be done as a family ahead of time, such as reviewing the Mass readings over a meal the day or days before the Mass.

• There are also temporal preparation activities, such as determining proper and modest attire and proper reverential behaviour for the Mass.

How to participate in the mass?

• Full Participation: Full participation means that a baptized person does not mentally weave in and out of the liturgy.

• Our duty is not just to be present; our duty is to be fully present.

• The songs are for singing, • the Scriptures for listening, the silence for

reflecting, the intercessions for pleading,

Full mass

• the Eucharistic prayer for immense thanksgiving,

• the Communion for every kind of hunger and thirst satisfied in partaking together of the Body and Blood of Christ

• and the dismissal for going out to love the world the way God does.

Conscious Participation

• Conscious participation is opening every part of ourselves—body, mind and spirit—to what we do at the liturgy.

• We stand consciously and with attention. • If we reach out our hands to the Body and

Blood of Christ, we do so with grace, mindful of our hunger and the world’s hunger, and of God’s goodness.

Active participation

• active : Trying to play your role as actively as possible

• If you are a reader look for the opportunity• If you are Eucharistic minister, see if your help

is needed• Do the bits you need to do devoutly

Practical tips to gain a lot out of mass

• Decide in advance which mass you want to attend

• Read that days readings beforehand• Find out if there is any feast of the saints that day• See if you have any prayers to that saint• Be there well ahead of time, At least 15 minutes

in advance• Say the preparatory prayer before mass

• Avoid unnecessary talking and keep as much silence as possible

• Try to focus your mind on to the alter and make a quick examination of conscience

• When the mass begins, don’t feel shy to respond to the prayers loud and clear

• At penitential rite, recall to mind your sins and ask for pardon and mercy

• When priest says ‘Let us pray’ and gives a pause, have your intention ready for mass

• Listen to the word of God attentively

• At the offertory time When the bread and wine are offered, offer yourself;

• your joys and sorrows, successes and failures to the Lord

• When you receive communion, remember you are receiving Jesus himself

• Therefore show utmost reverence when you receive the body of Christ

• Whether you receive it in hand or on the tongue, be reverential

• And the time after receiving Holy communion; that is the most precious time in the world

• At the consecration; when the host and the chalice are lifted up adore the Lord present in those sacraments

• Please do not say the prayers of consecration yourself

• At the sign of peace time, share the sign of peace with the people around you and

• specially remember those whom you have offended or who have offended you and share that peace with them

• You and Jesus become one body, so use that opportunity to speak to him.

• Offer a prayer of thanksgiving

• Remember that Mass does not end when the priest says Go in the peace of Christ

• Our life is one continuous offering of ourselves to the Lord

Conclusion Mass and life• We come to the mass with our life, our successes

and failures, joys and sorrows and offer them to the Lord

• And he in turn offers us himself to us as our spiritual food and strength

• And we go out with new vigour to love and serve the Lord

• And again we come back for mass with our successes and failures, joys and sorrows

• That is Christian life and it ends in the eternal banquet.