Liturgy 101 - Parts of the Mass #9

For the Sunday Mass, the Responsorial Psalm is followed by the second reading, usually from one of the epistles, which were letters written to the early church.

While the first reading, usually from the Old Testament, reflects the theme of the Gospel, the second reading usually stands alone in regard to theme. This is because the reading is semi-continuous; each Sunday, the reading picks up close to where it left off the previous Sunday, though some passages are not read.

Sunday readings follow a three year cycle, labeled A, B, and C. Weekday readings follow a two year cycle, labeled Year I and Year II. There is one reading on weekdays in addition to the Gospel. It may be taken from the Old or New Testament and, typically, is read semi-continuously (i.e., some passages are not read) until it is finished and a new book is started.

Liturgy 101 - Parts of the Mass #8

Parts of the Mass – The Responsorial Psalm

Following the first reading, and a brief period of silence for reflection, the Responsorial Psalm is sung or said. In the early church, chants of the psalms were sung by a soloist who was also the reader. The chant was called the Gradual or Gradual Response because it was sung on the gradus (step) of the ambo (like a pulpit) where the readings were given.

Some important points to remember about the Responsorial Psalm:
• Though it awakens attention by breaking the rhythm of the readings, it should be understood as a continuation of the Liturgy of the Word, and not a performance or interlude.
• Our participation, by our response, can be viewed as a way in which to pray the scriptures, with the psalmist or cantor leading the prayer.

Liturgy 101 - Parts of the Mass #7

Parts of the Mass – Liturgy of the Word

At the conclusion of the Collect, the Liturgy of the Word begins with the first reading, which is taken from the Old Testament and generally has a theme which is linked with the Gospel reading for the day. If we are alert to this link, salvation history is illuminated for us, and we can see the foreshadowing of the new covenant contained in the old.

In the past, the Liturgy of the Word was also known as the Mass of the Catechumens. It was so called because the catechumens (Greek, for “the instructed”) were dismissed following the Liturgy of the Word and not admitted to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which was also known as the Mass of the Faithful.

Liturgy 101 - Parts of the Mass #6

Parts of the Mass – The Collect

Following the Gloria, the celebrant invites the people to pray. He then concludes the introductory rites with a prayer called the Collect. It is so called because of its history.

In the early days of the church, when the now familiar invitation “Let us pray” was given, the gathered assembly knelt in silent prayer. When they were invited to stand, the celebrant gathered up or “collected” their prayers in a general petition.

Liturgy 101 - Parts of the Mass #5

Parts of the Mass - The Gloria

Following the Penitential Rite, the Gloria, an ancient hymn of Greek origin also know as the Great Doxology (an expression of praise to God), is sung or said by the whole assembly.

The Gloria is included on Sundays and feast days outside of Advent and Lent, but there was a time when it was included in the Mass only during the seasons of Christmas and Easter. Although the hymn originated with the Greeks, they do not use it in their liturgy, but at the celebration of morning prayers (or lauds).

There will be some changes in the wording of the Gloria in November of 2011, with the publication of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. Aside from some slight rephrasing and a few word replacements, most of the change is focused on expanding the praise and honor given to God. To learn more about the changes, visit www.USCCB.org/romanmissal.

Liturgy 101 - Parts of the Mass #4

Parts of the Mass – Blessing and Sprinkling of Holy Water (Optional)

The Sunday Mass may include the blessing and sprinkling of holy water, or the sprinkling alone. Although the water used is not baptismal water and receives a separate blessing, the sprinkling is intended to remind us of our baptism.

Water, rich with symbolism, is the well-spring of life. It purifies and invigorates, restoring that which was once barren. Holy water, a sacramental, mirrors these effects in the spiritual realm, renewing the soul.

If the blessing and sprinkling of holy water is included in the Introductory Rites, it replaces the Penitential Rite.

Liturgy 101 =- Parts of the Mass #3

Parts of the Mass – The Penitential Rite

Following the celebrant’s greeting is the Penitential Rite, which has developed over time to its present form. Originally, it was restricted to the celebrant and ministers. Upon arriving at the altar, they would lay face down to pray the penitential on behalf of those gathered. Eventually, it was prayed in an upright position, but quietly and amongst the celebrant and ministers. Finally, it came to its present two forms.

The first form is a general confession invoking the support of the communion of saints and the community gathered (“I confess …”) . The second form, which was once prayed silently, is a variation of a litany which is sometimes sung, known as the Kyrie. We are familiar with this as “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy”.

Liturgy 101 - Parts of the Mass #2

Parts of the Mass – Sign of the Cross & Greeting

After the entrance procession, the celebrant makes the sign of the cross and greets the people.
The sign of the cross has been with us from the earliest times of the church, but originally was traced on the forehead. Vestiges of this remain today, both with the priest’s signing of the forehead at baptism and with the sign we make at the response to the introduction of the gospel with the words “Glory to You Lord”.

The greeting, which takes one of three forms is drawn from sacred scripture:
• “The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” – 2 Corinthians 13:13
• “The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you” – Romans 1:7
• “The Lord be with you” – Ruth 2:4; Judges 6:12; Luke 1:28
Our response, “and also with you”, was formerly “and with your spirit” when the Mass was in Latin. The original Latin response is Semitic in origin and is also found in scripture, St. Paul using it on a number of occasions (Galatians 6:18; 2 Timothy 4:22; Philippians 4:23)

Liturgy 101 - Parts of the Mass #1

Parts of the Mass - #1 in a Series

The Mass begins with the first part of the Introductory or Gathering Rites – the Entrance Procession.

The procession, generally accompanied by a suitable liturgical song, is rich with symbolism. The cross, held high at the head of the procession, reminds us of Jesus’ selfless act of love for us. The candles symbolize the light of Christ illuminating our way and inviting us to bring that light to the world around us. The book of the Gospels remind us to prepare our hearts to receive the Word of God, and the priest symbolizes the unity of all that are gathered in the name of Christ. The slow movement of the procession toward the altar is a reminder that we are all on a journey toward God.

The procession concludes with the priest and deacon bowing to and kissing the altar, calling to mind that we are all gathered around the one table of the Lord.

Liturgy 101 - A continuing series

I offer this continuing series in hope that it will be helpful in better understanding the Roman Catholic liturgy known as the Mass.

First of all, why do we call it the Mass?

The word comes from the Latin and means “to send”, or more precisely, “to have been sent”. The word mission has the same Latin root.
The Mass itself contains the elements of what we are sent to do:
• Publicly acknowledging our failings and our need to be reconciled with God.
• Praying with others, for those in need and the needs of the world
• Making peace with our neighbor
• Sharing God’s Word

We have been sent by the Holy Spirit to do the Father’s will, strengthened by the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The will

So what about the will... ?


It is so common to hear this: "If God is so loving and all-powerful, why do so many bad things happen, even to good people?"


If, as proposed in the previous post, the mysterious and the divine are so conspicuously absent from our culture... right away we have a problem. How do we determine what is "bad" or what is "good"? Will we say that human law will tell us what the bad things or happenings are? And, let's see... oh, yes... we did mention good people didn't we? Doesn't that imply that there are bad people too? Who decides the difference?


Obviously, the "yard stick" is relative in our culture today. "Good" is so often measured by what is produced for, or contributed to, the society or community. "Bad" could then be defined as any hindrance relative to the "good".

Regardless of how we measure good and evil, the problem lies in trying to decide this for ourselves. What cannot be explained away, however, is something called natural law.

Natural law is like gravity. Any attempt to deny its existence results in grave consequences. This law puts a rabbit on alert when a wolf is near... and it tells the human heart the difference between what is right and what is wrong.

Consider this... you are standing at the check-out in the grocery store and as the checker hands you the change, you realize that you were given 20 dollars extra in change. Whether or not you tell the cashier and give the money back, the fact that you must make a decision about it tells you that there is a natural law in operation. Furthermore, you will always know deep down that something is wrong if you keep the money, even if you try to tell yourself it's OK. It's the very reason that, if the behavior is observed by someone else, you will come up with excuses... "This is a big store - they won't miss the money." It's simply an attempt to deny that natural law is telling us that something is wrong.

This natural law is a gift from God. Denying its existence or attempting to ignore it is tantamount to denying the existence of, or ignoring, Almighty God.

What is it with us frail human beings, that we think we know so much? Or perhaps I should say why do we see the obvious staring us in the face and still refuse to believe it?



God has made His reality apparent in the world that He created. Life, death and then, life again, are reflected clearly for us in cycles of death and rebirth within the creation. The change of seasons - or even a cataclysmic event (such as a volcanic eruption) - where life continually re-emerges.



But today, it seems, the mysterious is not accepted. It is not adequate for us to admit that we are not the one with the ultimate say, or admit that we can not arrive at the purest of truth simply by observation of the world around us. In order to arrive at this stance, we must first assume that we ourselves hold first place in all things. We must aschew any notion of the divine and reckon that we can determine all things armed with the senses alone. It must be smelled, tasted, touched, heard or seen to have any merit.


Then come the insurmountable obstacles... the will and the notion of justice.

How is justice determined? How is the bar set, or what is the measuring stick? How are laws made? to be continued...