sunday mass

Letters for Young CatholicsReveal Hidden Meanings

SECOND EDITIONBy Robert W. Bibb

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Letters for Young CatholicsReveal Hidden Meanings

SECOND EDITION

© 2013 Robert W. Bibb

Published with Ecclesiastical Approval

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INTRODUCTION

The Mass, since the beginning of the Church, has always been at the center of Christian worship. Jesus left only a vague and open ended instruction for His Apostles when He told them to "Do this in memory of Me." From these words of Jesus, the Jewish background of His original followers, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Mass gradually came to be the way we now see it. Every little part of the Mass has meaning and purpose. Unfortunately, the Mass is not self explanatory, and a great many people who attend Mass every Sunday are not aware of the meaning behind what we do at Mass.

The importance of the Mass cannot be overstated, and the meaning of the various parts of the Mass need to be explained. This series of letters has been written in order to help young Catholics to understand, appreciate, and value the Mass.

Robert W. Bibb2013 AD

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The MassLetter #1

Dear Reader,This will be the first of many short instructional letters

about our most important way of worshiping God, the Mass. It's importance becomes obvious once you realize exactly what the Mass is.

In the first book of the New Testament, in chapter 1 verse 23, St Matthew starts his testimony about Jesus with this quote from the prophet Isaiah:

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."

Likewise, St. Matthew concludes his Gospel, this being the last sentence:

"And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." Matt. 28: 14

It is unmistakable then, that St Matthew wanted us to know Jesus was still with us at that time and will always be with us.

In past times, years were counted from the beginning of the reign of the king, emperor, Caesar, or whatever the title of the ruling authority was. The years of his reign ended when he died and the years would start over when his successor started his reign. Christians started counting time from the birth of Jesus, Who was King from birth and has an everlasting reign. For a long time people would say, "in the year of Our Lord," before giving the number of the year. Then they shortened it by tacking AD after the year, which is the Latin abbreviation for "in the year of Our Lord." Now, it is just understood that year

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means the number of years since the birth of Jesus, or "in the year of Our Lord."

If Jesus is King, reigns forever, and will always be with us, where is He? The all important answer to that question is that He is truly present and with us in the Mass and Holy Communion. Christians of every generation have known this. Christians in the early days of the Church used to say, "Without Christians there is no Mass. Without the Mass there are no Christians." That's how inseparable Christians and the Mass were, for where the Mass is, there is Jesus. As St. Matthew taught, Jesus is always with us.

Dear Reader, I just wanted to explain why the Mass is important, before going into the significance of each little part.


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The MassLetter #2

Dear Reader,In the first letter I wrote about why the Mass is important to

Christian people. In this letter I will try to get into why and how the Mass came to be the way it is.

Jesus told His followers to faithfully do what He had done while in their midst. In addition to preaching the Gospel – the good news – and baptizing new followers, this also included celebrating His real presence with them in that very special way we call Holy Communion.

The celebration of the Mass is one of several specific public rituals referred to by the Church as "liturgy." The Mass is the chief liturgy of the Church. I went to the Catholic Encyclopedia and found the meaning of the word "liturgy" and here is what it said:

"Liturgy (leitourgia) is a Greek composite word meaning originally a public duty."

In other words, when we come to Mass, we are not there to be entertained, or to hear a great speech, or to enjoy the music. We are each there for the purpose of doing our "public duty" to worship God by carefully following the command of Jesus when He said to His disciples, "Do this in remembrance of Me."

Through all these centuries, from the time of the Apostles till now, the Church Jesus established has carefully maintained the integrity of the celebration of the presence of Jesus with us that we call the Mass. Here is some of what the Catholic Encyclopedia had to say about the evolution of the Mass from the beginning to the present time:

"For some time the Eucharistic Service was in many details fluid and variable. It was not all written down and read from fixed forms, but in part composed by the officiating bishop. As for ceremonies, at first they were not elaborated as now. All ceremonial evolves gradually out of certain obvious actions done at first with no idea of ritual, but simply because they had to be done for convenience.

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The bread and wine were brought to the altar when they were wanted, the lessons were read from a place where they could best be heard, hands were washed because they were soiled. Out of these obvious actions ceremony developed…"

In the early days of the Church there were only a few thousand Christians. Now, there are well over a billion and the number grows daily all around the world. The various ceremonies in the Mass help us to be more united in worship and the practice of our Faith.

As you know, Jesus and all of His apostles were Jewish. When the Church began, all followers of Jesus were Jewish. However, before long more Gentiles (non-Jews) were coming into the Church than Jews. Since the Church did not require the Gentiles to keep the Jewish customs, there was resentment against the Christians amongst the non-Christian Jews. Gradually the Christians began to be expelled from the Jewish synagogues. By 70 AD, the year the Jewish temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, the separation of Christians and Jews was complete.

Even though the early Christians were separated from Jewish worship and prayer life, they still had a high regard for the way the synagogue service was done, the "format" if you will. The love the early Christians had for the synagogue "format" is the reason for some of the things we have at Mass today, such as readings from the Old and New Testaments, and the singing – and sometimes chanting – of Psalms and other prayers.

I hope this isn't too much for one letter. I'll try to keep it shorter in the future.


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The MassLetter #3

Dear Reader,This is the third letter in this series and we are ready to start

the Mass. I am going to mention, but not describe in detail things you already know. According to what was taught at RCIA, the Mass begins when the people start to arrive at the gathering place.

So, let's say that you are in the "narthex," the entrance area of the church. You step through the door of the "nave," into the main worship space of the church. Nave is the term used to indicate that portion of a church reserved for worshippers, and includes the central and side aisles. The name is derived from the Latin navis, a ship, possibly with some reference to the "ship of St. Peter" or the Ark of Noah. Near the door you will usually find Holy Water. As a reminder and reaffirmation of your baptism the common practice is to dip the finger tips of your right hand into the Holy Water and make the sign of the cross. As you walk to the seat of your choice there are several things you may notice. In the most central and prominent place is the altar. It may look like a table. From the earliest times in history an altar is the place where gifts or sacrifices are offered to God. Near the altar you will see a chair. If there is more than one chair near the altar, one will be larger or more decorated than the others. This is the bishop's chair. Every parish actually belongs to the bishop, but obviously the bishop can't be everywhere so the presiding priest is the bishop's representative.

Another thing you will see near the altar is the Ambo or Lectern. This is the place from which the word of God is proclaimed during Mass. Ambo is a word of Greek origin, supposed to signify a mountain or elevation. the implication is that the word of God is being proclaimed to all the world from the mountain top. Any other announcements should be made

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from another location. The area set apart for the altar, ambo, and presider's chair is called the sanctuary.

Finally, and very importantly, is the sanctuary lamp. This is a candle or oil lamp used for the express purpose of indicating the presence of Jesus our Savior residing in the tabernacle under the appearance of altar bread. Tabernacle is a Hebrew word from the Old Testament that means a tent, a portable residence.

Because Jesus, our King, is in residence there in the tabernacle, He should be recognized and honored. Customarily this is done when you arrive at the pew you intend to sit in, by respectfully genuflecting toward the tabernacle. To genuflect before the King is to give Him honor and a sign of submission to His authority and kingship. This is done by bending the right knee to the floor. In the United States we would never genuflect before one of our elected or appointed officials because they are our fellow citizens, our equals. For that reason paying proper honor and respect to a king is somewhat foreign to us. However, Jesus is not our fellow citizen and we are not His equal. He is deserving of our greatest respect and allegiance. He is God, the Second Person of the Trinity, "The living bread that came down from heaven." (John 6:51) He suffered a cruel death, laying down His life to give us eternal life as the very children of God.

If the tabernacle is in a separate room, a deep bow from the waist is directed to the altar, the representative of Christ. This profound bow is also the proper gesture of reverence when walking head-on toward the altar or passing it.

Well Dear Reader, this concludes the third letter and we've gotten you to your seat.


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The MassLetter #4

Dear Reader,One of the items used at Mass are the candles. In letter #2 it

was mentioned how that ordinary things, used because of necessity, become ritualized. Candles, commonly used for lighting in past times are such items. The Church says that candles are signs of reverence and festivity and are to be used at every liturgical service. The living flame of the candle is symbolic of the risen Christ and reminds people that in baptism they are brought out of darkness into God's marvelous light.

There are many stories concerning the history of the use of candles at Mass, but there is not enough space to recount them here.

Having arrived at your seat in letter #3 we continue…

When the people are assembled, the opening procession begins. The people stand and begin singing the Entrance Song. The procession includes the candle and cross bearers, the deacon or lector carrying an ornate book of the Gospels, and the priest – the presider. You will notice that the deacon and priest are wearing something special or different over their regular clothing. Paintings indicate that the vestments worn at Mass today were the everyday clothing of the more affluent members of society much later in history than Jesus and the Apostles. However, the vestments add beauty to the celebration, and by their design, help to differentiate between the priest celebrant and the deacon. The color of the vestments is determined by the Church calendar of seasons, or the particular feast day being celebrated. The procession starts behind the people and comes down the center aisle toward the altar. The Mass is "the work of the people," and the procession is to show the unity of the presider and the congregation. Symbolically, they come from the people to lead us in "the work of the people," which is the

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sacred worship of God, as taught to our ancestors in the Faith by the Apostles.

When they have arrived at the altar, after making a profound bow with the ministers, the Priest venerates the altar with a kiss because the altar itself represents Christ. Then, with the ministers (the deacon), he goes to the chair. When the Entrance Song is concluded, the Priest and the faithful, standing, sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross, while the Priest, facing the people, says:

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

The people reply: "Amen."

Before Jesus came, no one on earth knew there were three persons in one God. But now Christians know this, and so at Mass, Baptisms, and every significant event, we acknowledge the Trinity and the crucifixion of Jesus for our salvation, by making the sign of the cross.

Dear Reader, in these first four letters we have covered much of the necessary information regarding the importance of the Mass, it's history, and some of the special things that are used at Mass. Now we are getting into what actually takes place at Mass.


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The MassLetter #5

Dear Reader,The last letter began the part of the Mass known as the

Introductory Rite. The letter ended as the priest and the people marked themselves with the sign of the cross. After this the priest extends his hands and greets the people. The priest or deacon may very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day. It could be the number of the Sunday in the particular season of the Church calendar or the feast day of one of the saints.

Recognizing that even though we try, we often find that we have sinned and are in need of God's forgiveness, the priest begins the Penitential Act. The priest asks us to call to mind our sins and there is a short pause for that purpose. After the pause comes the prayers of contrition, when we acknowledge our sins and express our regret for them. It is a great comfort to know that if we acknowledge our sins and are truly sorry for them, God always forgives them.

The Gloria is the next part of the Mass on all Sundays of the year except for the Sundays of Advent and Lent. The Gloria may be said, but is usually sung. If you will notice, we are usually asked to join with the angels in the Gloria because this is the song the shepherds heard them singing the night Jesus was born.

When the Gloria is concluded, the Priest, with hands joined, says: "Let us pray." At this point there is a pause. You may notice one of the altar servers bringing a book around for the priest to read from. This is not the reason for the pause. The pause is there for the people to call to mind their personal prayers to God. This part of the Mass is called the "Collect."

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Symbolically, the priest will "collect" all the prayers of the people and they will be added to the prayer he reads from the prayer book. You should always make sure your prayers are included.

You may ask, "Why doesn't the priest make up his own prayer?" "Why does he have to read the prayer from a book?"

This is a very good question and there is a very good answer. St. Paul tells us we are many parts, but we are all one body, the body of Christ. That doesn't mean just the people in our particular place of worship. We are united with all Catholic people at Mass throughout the world. Because we are so united, no matter where in the world you attend Mass on a given Sunday, the prayer the priest offers will be the same.

Then the Priest, with hands extended, says the Collect prayer, at the end of which the people acclaim: "Amen."

This will conclude the Introductory Rite.

At this point everyone sits down as we are about to begin the "The Liturgy of the Word."

Dear Reader, we have been standing from the beginning until now because standing is the appropriate stance for what we were doing: greeting the presider, praying for God's forgiveness for our sins, praising God for His great glory, and praying to God for our needs. We sit for the "The Liturgy of the Word" because it is the appropriate position for receiving instruction. This we will take up in the next letter.


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The MassLetter #6

Dear Reader,In this letter we will begin with the "The Liturgy of the

Word." Liturgy means, the work of the people, and certainly it is the work or job of people to proclaim the written word of God. This part of the Mass is carried over or modeled from the days when Christians and Jews still worshiped together in the synagogues. Perhaps you will recall the passage in St. Luke's Gospel where it says of Jesus:

"He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah." Luke 4:16-17

As we all sit to hear the word of God read to us, a reader comes to the ambo. The first reading is usually from the Jewish Scriptures we call the Old Testament. We listen attentively to all of the scripture readings because it is important for our spiritual life and growth to be very familiar with God's written word. Christians have long had this saying: "The Old Testament is Jesus concealed and the New Testament is Jesus revealed." As you become more and more familiar with the Holy Bible, Jesus the "Light Of The World," hidden in the Old Testament, will become more apparent to you.

The reader begins by telling us which book of the Bible the reading is coming from, and then continues, reading the scripture passage to us. I am pointing out what seems to be obvious because you may not realize that in the long history of the Church – and the Mass – because of the expense, practically no individuals owned copies of the scriptures, and vast numbers of the congregation were illiterate. Consequently, the important practice of reading the scriptures to the people was born of necessity.

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To indicate the end of the reading, the reader acclaims: "The word of the Lord."

All reply: "Thanks be to God."

After this we have a passage from the Book of Psalms. Psalms are ancient songs many of which were composed by King David of Israel, who lived some 3,000 years ago. The melody is of modern origin, as the musical feature has been lost to history.

The psalmist or cantor sings or says the Psalm, with the people making the response. At Sunday Mass this is usually sung. The people's response is the main theme of the psalm.

After this, if there is to be a Second Reading, a reader reads it from the ambo, as above. The second reading is usually a selection from one of the letters of the New Testament writers. These letters are very important because they are the instructions from the Apostles of Jesus as to how we are to behave as Christians, and they give us insights into the Holy Faith itself. They help us to understand more deeply the things we believe as Christians.

To indicate the end of the reading, the reader acclaims: "The word of the Lord."

All reply: "Thanks be to God."

Dear Reader, the next part centers around the proclaiming of the Holy Gospel to the people. It is to long to include here and will probably take up most of the next letter.


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The Mass

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Letter #7

Dear Reader,Here we pick up where we left off in letter #6, having

concluded the second Bible reading.Assuming there is a deacon to do the Gospel reading, when

he stands the people stand. The musicians and the people begin the Alleluia or another chant such as the liturgical season requires.

The Deacon who is to proclaim the Gospel, bowing profoundly before the Priest, asks for the blessing, saying in a low voice: "Your blessing, Father."

The Priest says in a low voice: "May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips, that you may proclaim His Gospel worthily and well, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

The Deacon signs himself with the Sign of the Cross and replies: "Amen."

If, however, a Deacon is not present, the Priest, bowing before the altar, says quietly: "Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God, that I may worthily proclaim Your holy Gospel."

Picking up the book of the Gospels from the altar, the Deacon or Priest, with the choir and congregation still singing, proceeds to the ambo. There he says: "The Lord be with you."

The people reply: "And with your spirit."The Deacon or Priest says: "A reading from the holy Gospel

according to N." (Name of the Gospel writer) and, at the same time, he makes the Sign of the Cross on the book and on his forehead, lips, and breast.

The people acclaim: "Glory to you, O Lord." and mark themselves with the Sign of the Cross on the forehead, lips, and breast.

Then the Deacon or Priest proclaims the Gospel. I used the word proclaims instead of reads because Jesus commanded His disciples to go and proclaim the Gospel to all the world.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon or the Priest, acclaims: "The Gospel of the Lord."

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All reply: "Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ."Then he kisses the book, saying quietly: "Through the words

of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away."

Then follows the Homily, which is to be preached by a Priest or Deacon on all Sundays and Holydays; on other days, it is recommended. The homily may be based on the day's scripture readings, one of the prayers, or texts of the Liturgy. Since the message given at the homily is composed by the one giving it, the quality and applicability can be widely variable, depending upon the talent and abilities of the one speaking.

At the end of the Homily, we all stand as the Profession of Faith or Creed, when prescribed, is either sung or said by all. This is the normal course of events, but it could vary. It is fitting that having just heard the word of God proclaimed to us, that we should at this point declare our faith in God.

Then follows the Universal Prayer, that is, the Prayer of the Faithful. Here the Deacon or Priest, on behalf of the congregation make our group prayer requests to God. After each request the people make a response of affirmation. Usually we say, "Lord hear our prayer." If the response is to be something different than that, the people are instructed what to respond.

When the Prayer of the Faithful is concluded the congregation sits down as the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins. This will be the subject of the next letter.


= The Sign of the Cross blessing

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The MassLetter #8

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Dear Reader,When I was a child I used to walk with my younger sister

and brother seven city blocks to school. In the second half of the trip we came within one block of a bakery where bread was being baked for sale in the grocery stores around town. When the wind was right you could catch the wonderful aroma of the fresh baked bread. I give you this story as we now begin in letter #8, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, to illustrate how impossible it is to adequately describe in a few lines the central point of all of creation. For to fully understand the Liturgy of the Eucharist is to understand God's plan of salvation, which He knew completely before He began to create. So please understand that just as the aroma from the bakery gives only a hint of the deliciousness inside the bakery, my attempt to describe the Liturgy of the Eucharist is only a hint of the awesomeness of God that The Holy Spirit will be teaching you over the course of your lifetime.

Before we can even begin it is important to have the appropriate mindset. We have to adopt the Hebrew way of thinking in regards to Passover. Let me put it to you this way:

When we have Thanksgiving dinner with our relatives, often times the older folks will bring up stories of our family from out of the past. These stories are important because they help make the younger folks aware of the people and circumstances that shaped the family history and got us where we are now. This is good for Thanksgiving dinner, but it is not at all the Hebrew way of thinking in regards to Passover.

The Passover meal is celebrated every year in commemoration of the first Passover when the Angel of Death took the life of every firstborn child and animal in Egypt, but passed over (spared) the first born of the Hebrew people who complied with God's requirements. These requirements are related in the twelfth chapter of the Book of Exodus. The reason for the physical requirements is to create the mindset that God intended. For the Hebrew people celebrating the annual Passover meal, the idea was not just to remember what

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happened that first Passover, but to consider themselves to mentally be there as a participant at that first Passover.

This is exactly the way we are to participate at the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Jesus, the true Lamb of God, was sacrificed once for all. What Jesus gave us in the Eucharist is not just a reenactment in an unbloody way His sacrifice on Calvary, but a way to spiritually be there with Him on that day. But there is even more. It was not enough for each Hebrew person to be in attendance at that first Passover, but they actually had to eat the sacrificed lamb. Just so, Jesus gives us Himself to eat, the true Lamb of God, under the appearance of bread and wine. This is the miracle that happens at the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The changing of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus is called the Transubstantiation. Jesus gave His Apostles the power and authority to make this miracle of Transubstantiation happen for the benefit of His disciples when He did it for them at the Last Supper, and then told them to "Do this in memory of Me."

St John records the unmistakable teaching of Jesus, that His body and blood is true food and drink, and that His teaching was rejected by most of the people. When even His own Apostles murmured about it He gave them a sign to remind them of the truth, that His body and blood are true food and drink:

"Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, He said to them, 'Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?'" John 6:61-62So, when you think of the ascension of Jesus, remember

Jesus gave us His ascension into Heaven as a sign of the truth of the Transubstantiation.


AMDG

The MassLetter #9

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Dear Reader,Continuing, please remember the importance of the verbal

exchanges between the priest and the congregation. The Mass is "the work of the people."

Once again I feel it is important to cover one more detail before we get to the actual Liturgy of the Eucharist. At the beginning of the Mass and many times throughout, the priest will say, "Peace be with you," and the congregation will respond, "And with your Spirit." This blessing comes down from the very early days of Christianity. My research indicates that this exchange is an invocation of the Holy Spirit to come down in blessing upon the priest and his people, just as the Spirit comes down upon the offering of bread and wine. A doctor of the early Church, St. John Chrysostom (347-407), went still further in analyzing the exchange. He held that the congregation’s response, “And with your spirit,” is an implicit profession of faith in the power of the sacrament of Holy Orders. By this response, you are reminded that he who stands at the altar does nothing, and that the gifts that repose there are not the merits of a man; but that the grace of the Holy Spirit is present and, descending on all, accomplishes this mysterious sacrifice. We indeed see a man, but it is God who acts through him. Nothing human takes place at this holy altar.

Now, with all of this explanation as a background, let us begin the study of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the Preparation of the Altar and the Presentation of Gifts. A key concept of the Liturgy of the Eucharist is that the offering of bread and wine represents all of us offered to God with Jesus. Usually the musicians will lead us in a song as the collection is being taken up. Meanwhile, the altar servers and deacon or priest are preparing the altar by placing the altar-linens, chalice, ciborium, a small container of water, and the Missal on the altar. The Missal is of course the book containing all of the Eucharistic prayers, etc. After the monetary gifts have been collected, members of the congregation bring forward the altar bread and wine, which

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represent the people, along with the collection and gifts for the poor. The priest, assisted by the deacon, receives these gifts and places bread and wine on the altar.

If the Offertory song or music is still going on, the priest will offer a prayer in a low voice, but if the music is finished you will hear the priest say as he lifts the paten with the bread slightly above the altar:

"Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life."

The people respond: "Blessed be God forever."The Deacon, or the Priest, pours wine and a little water into

the chalice, saying quietly: "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity."

In this symbol, the wine and water represent the divine and human natures of Christ. In another interpretation of this action Christ is represented by the wine and all of His people by the water. Symbolically, we the people are shown to be one with Christ and unable to be separated from him.

Then, holding the chalice in the same manner as with the bread, the priest will say: "Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.

The people respond: "Blessed be God forever.

After this, the Priest, bowing profoundly, says quietly: "With humble spirit and contrite heart may we be accepted by you, O Lord, and may our sacrifice in your sight this day be pleasing to you, Lord God."


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The MassLetter #10

Dear Reader,We begin this 10th letter with a ceremony known as the

"Lavabo." The Lavabo is the ceremonial washing of the priest's hands. This is an example of a ceremony that traces it's origin to a matter of necessity. In the long history of the Church, the contributions of the people at Mass was usually not money. Up until the most recent of times most of the people were farmers. When they brought their offering for the support of the Church to Mass, it may have been potatoes, corn, wheat, chickens, or whatever they were raising. So, the washing of hands started as a matter of sanitation, but continues today as a ceremony. The name comes from the first word, "Lavabo," in the prayer the priest says at this washing. It is from the Latin translation of Psalm 26 verse 6. However, the priest now says the verse in English, not Latin.

We continue with the Mass:Then the Priest, standing at the side of the altar, washes his

hands, saying quietly: "Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin."

From the beginning of the Offertory until after the Lavabo the congregation has been sitting, but now we are going to pray, and so the people stand as the priest begins to speak.

The priest, standing at the middle of the altar, facing the people, extending and then joining his hands, he says:

"Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father."

The people reply: "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the

praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His holy Church."

Then the Priest, with hands extended, says the Prayer over the Offerings, at the end of which the people acclaim:

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"Amen."At this point we are concluding our prayer of blessing

concerning what we are about to do. To initiate the Eucharistic Prayer there is this familiar exchange between the people and the priest known as the Preface Dialogue:

Extending his hands, the priest says:"The Lord be with you."The people reply:"And with your spirit."The Priest, raising his hands, continues:"Lift up your hearts."The people:"We lift them up to the Lord."The Priest, with hands extended, adds:"Let us give thanks to the Lord our God."The people:"It is right and just."

A heart lifted up is a joyful heart. It is the salvation provided by the Lord that is the cause of our joy. We owe the Lord our heartfelt praise and undying gratitude. To declare our thanks to the Lord is "right and just."

Dear Reader, we are now in the most important part of the Mass and I hope that dividing it into different letters will not make it harder to understand.


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The MassLetter #11

Dear Reader,Since the Preface Dialogue we have been in the part of the

Mass called the Eucharistic Prayer. The word "Anaphora" is a Greek name for the Eucharistic Prayer. The Eucharistic Prayer begins with the Preface Dialogue and ends with the Doxology and Great Amen. Each prayer approved for use in the Mass contains the same eight elements.

Letter #10 concluded with the exchange between the priest and the people ending:

The Priest, with hands extended, adds:"Let us give thanks to the Lord our God."The people:"It is right and just."

Then the priest, with hands extended, offers a prayer that will bring us to the Sanctus. Recall that the word Eucharist means thanksgiving. The priest offers a prayer that recounts some of the major events leading to our salvation, thanking God for all of His many benefits. He concludes the prayer by leading the people to the Sanctus, saying:

And so, with the Angels and all the Saints we declare your glory, as with one voice we acclaim:

He then joins his hands and concludes the Preface with the people, singing or saying aloud:

"Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest."

The Latin word for Holy is Sanctus, and so the name of the prayer above is the "Sanctus." This is what the Catholic Encyclopedia had to say about the Sanctus.

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"The Sanctus is the last part of the Preface in the Mass, it is sung by the people (or choir). It is one of the elements of the liturgy of which we have the earliest evidence. St Clement of Rome (d. about 104) mentions it. He quotes the text in Isaiah 6:3, and goes on to say that it is also sung in church."

At the conclusion of the Sanctus the people all kneel because the holy miracle of the Transubstantiation is about to take place. It is through this miracle that Jesus is still with us on earth in a way that has always been essential to His people. This is the fulfillment of all that Jesus said of Himself as being "The Bread of Life," in the Gospel of John, chapter 6.

There are ten approved versions of the Eucharistic prayer plus others that the priest may choose from for special needs and occasions. Just as through the Holy Spirit Jesus became a human being, it is through the Holy Spirit the bread and wine become our spiritual food, the true body and blood of Jesus.


AMDG

The MassLetter #12

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Dear Reader,For the purpose of being accurate and brief, I will continue

this letter using Eucharistic prayer #2.

The Priest, with hands extended, says:"You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness."He joins his hands and, holding them extended over the

offerings, says: "Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending

down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,"

He joins his hands and makes the Sign of the Cross once over the bread and the chalice together and continues, saying:

"so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ."

He joins his hands and continues."At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into

his Passion,"

He takes the bread and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:

"he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:"

He bows slightly. "TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU."

He shows the consecrated host to the people, places it again on the paten, and genuflects in adoration.

After this, he continues: "In a similar way, when supper was ended," He takes the chalice and, holding it slightly raised above the

altar, continues: "he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, he gave

it to his disciples, saying:"He bows slightly.

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"TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME."

He shows the chalice to the people, places it on the corporal, and genuflects in adoration.

Through the miracle of the Transubstantiation, the glorified body of Jesus is truly present on our altar. Look not with your natural eyes, but with the eyes of faith. This is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, Who, showing Himself to St. Thomas the Apostle, asked him not to doubt but to believe.

After the Institution narrative, the priest says: "The Mystery of Faith."

This is the congregation's opportunity to respond to the great mystery of our faith, recalling the Paschal Mystery, the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. The music ministers lead the people singing one of the three different acclamations, such as:

"We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again."

After this the priest continues the Eucharistic Prayer, but we will have to take up this prayer in the next letter.


AMDG

The MassLetter #13

Dear Reader,

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In the last letter we covered the people's acclamation of faith regarding the Paschal Mystery. With the true presence of Jesus on the altar the priest, with hands extended, now continues from Eucharistic prayer #2. The prayer is rather lengthy, so rather than print it here I'll just tell you that as the priest concludes the prayer he says as he joins his hands.

"…through your Son, Jesus Christ."

He then takes the chalice and the paten and, raising both, he says or chants:

"Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever." The music ministers lead the people singing as they acclaim:

"Amen."

This is known as the "Great Amen." Everything about the Mass is meaningful and important, so let me include here an excerpt from what Pope Benedict XVI had to say about the Great Amen.

The Great Amen"As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been

“Yes and No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you – Silvanus and Timothy and I – was not “Yes and No”; but in him it is always “Yes.” For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:18-20)"

"God has wholeheartedly pronounced a passionate “yes” to humanity in Christ. God’s “yes” invites us to respond in kind. When we do, we experience the “Great Amen” – God’s “yes” and our “yes” together. We demonstrate that God has put his “yes” within us through the Spirit. The result: with Jesus, we bear God’s yoke of “yes” to and for the world."

Dear Reader, what follows now is the Communion Rite.

The first thing that takes place in the Communion Rite is the reciting of The Lord's Prayer by all present. Let me tell you

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about The Lord's Prayer so you will know why it is so appropriate that we recite it at this particular time in the Mass.

In Jesus' time there were teachers of the Jewish Faith, but there were no seminaries. Each teacher or Rabbi, would have followers of his own. These students would learn the Jewish Faith from his Rabbi's perspective. Each Rabbi would teach his own personal prayer to his followers and by this prayer they would be recognized as his disciples. Knowing this, the followers of Jesus asked Him to teach them a prayer. At that time Jesus did teach His disciples a prayer that would forever be "the prayer" of His followers.

The Church does not designate a gesture for the congregation during the Lord's Prayer. In some parishes the practice has developed of either holding hands or the "orans" gesture, the praying posture, similar to the one the priest takes.

In the next letter we will address the "Sign of Peace," which may have more significance than you think.


AMDG

The MassLetter #14

Dear Reader,We continue the Communion Rite with the Sign of Peace.

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The Priest, turned towards the people, extending and then joining his hands, adds:

"The peace of the Lord be with you always." The people reply:"And with your spirit."

Then, the Deacon or the Priest, adds:"Let us offer each other the sign of peace." And all offer one another a sign, in keeping with local

customs, that expresses peace, communion, and charity. The Priest gives the sign of peace to a Deacon or minister.

The Sign of Peace is directly related to this admonition of Jesus:

"Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift." Matthew 5:23

Jesus, Who is our gift to God on the altar, requires us to offer our gift with a clear conscience. The sign of peace is not just for those next to us, with whom we exchange this sign, but it is an outward sign that as far as is possible with us, we – individually – have a clear conscience in this matter.

Then the priest takes the host, breaks it over the paten, and places a small piece in the chalice, saying quietly:

"May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it."

Meanwhile the following is sung or said by the congregation:

"Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace."Having just given an outward sign of peace to others, with

this prayer we now ask for God to give us His inner peace, the

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peace that surpasses all understanding, that no one can take from us. At this time the people kneel.

Then the Priest, with hands joined, says another prayer quietly.

The Priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice, while facing the people, says aloud:

"Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb."

And together with the people he adds: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,

but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."The Priest, facing the altar, says quietly:"May the Body of Christ keep me safe for eternal life."And he reverently consumes the Body of Christ.Then he takes the chalice and says quietly:"May the Blood of Christ keep me safe for eternal life."And he reverently consumes the Blood of Christ.

Dear Reader, if we had in our midst a dignitary of great world wide stature, we would make every effort to show the greatest degree of reverence and hospitality. Jesus is more than that. He is not only the Son of God, our Lord and Teacher, but through His own torture and death has become our Savior. Jesus saves us from eternal death and makes it possible for us to be the very children of God. Therefore, the greatest reverence possible is necessary.


AMDG

The MassLetter #15

Dear Reader,

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As the previous letter ended, the priest himself had just received Holy Communion, and so we continue the Communion Rite.

At this point the people stand and the music ministers usually lead the congregation in the Communion song. Sometime however, they may just play the music or sing a song themselves that is not in the song books. The important thing though, is that the people begin to come forward in an orderly fashion to receive Holy Communion from the priest and/or other Eucharistic ministers.

It would be tedious to write all the details of receiving Holy Communion, as you already know how. If you receive from the chalice you may notice that when you hand it back, the minister will wipe the rim of the chalice with a cloth called a purificator. There are two reasons for this, one is to ensure that any of the Precious Blood that may be trickling down the outside of the chalice will be absorbed by the purificators. Also, for the sake of hygiene, the chalice is to be wiped inside and outside the rim and turned a quarter turn for the next communicant.

Receiving Holy Communion is such an important event that the explanation must be as clear as I can possibly make it.

Some 1,200 years before Christ the first Passover pointed the way to Jesus. Because Jesus is the Lamb of God, receiving Holy Communion fulfills the Passover requirement that each one must eat the sacrificial lamb. It also complies with all that Jesus asked of His disciples as written in St. John's Gospel:

"…Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." John 6:53-56

St. Ambrose, who lived in the mid 300's, had this to say about the conversion we call the Transubstantiation:

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"Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has consecrated. The power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed…. Could not Christ's word, which can make from nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature."

We remain standing all during the distribution of Holy Communion out of respect for the Body and Blood of Christ being distributed and in union with our fellow communicants as they receive Holy Communion. When the distribution of Communion is over, the Priest or a Deacon or an acolyte purifies the paten over the chalice and also the chalice itself. Usually the last thing done is that the priest or deacon will carry the ciborium with the remaining Sacred Hosts to the tabernacle. Afterward we all sit down.

While he carries out the purification, the Priest says quietly:"What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess

in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity."

Then the Priest may return to the chair. and a sacred silence may be observed for a while.

Dear Reader, this is a special time for you to communicate with Jesus, our precious Savior, while He is united with you in this most intimate and personal way.


AMDG

The MassLetter #16

Dear Reader,

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The last letter end after communion with the priest and the people seated for a brief personal prayer.

Then, standing at the altar or at the chair and facing the people, with hands joined, the Priest says:

"Let us pray."The people all stand for the prayer and the Priest, with

hands extended, says the Prayer after Communion, at the end of which the people acclaim:

"Amen."

The Priest, facing the people and extending his hands, says:"The Lord be with you."The people reply:"And with your spirit."The Priest blesses the people, saying:"May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son,

and the Holy Spirit."The people reply:"Amen."Then the Deacon, or the Priest himself, with hands joined

and facing the people, says:"Go forth, the Mass is ended." Or:"Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord." Or:"Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life." Or:"Go in peace."The people reply:"Thanks be to God," and normally the music ministers

lead the congregation in the dismissal song.

This final directive is very important, but often misunderstood. It is not an announcement that the Mass is over and you may leave. It is actually a reference to the "Great Commission" given to the Apostles for all followers of Christ, and His promise to always be with us.

"Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and

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make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.' Mathew 28:18-20

"The term "Mass" is derived from the Late Latin word missa (dismissal), a word used in the concluding formula of Mass in Latin: "Ite, missa est" ("Go; it is the dismissal"). "In antiquity, missa simply meant 'dismissal'. In Christian usage, however, it gradually took on a deeper meaning. The word 'dismissal' has come to imply a 'mission'. These few words succinctly express the missionary nature of the Church."

Pope Benedict XVI (Sacramentum caritatis, 51)

Dear Reader, this concludes the series of letters explaning the Mass. However, I'm sure there are many more questions that could be asked about such an important subject. As these questions come up, I urge you to find the answers. I hope you will keep these letters as a reference when telling others about the Mass. After all, we are all missionaries, commissioned to spread the Good News, the Gospel of Christ.


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