Transcript

The purpose of this program is to offer a summary of Catholic belief to help people on their way to entering the church.

While most of Credo is focused on explaining what we believe as Catholics, this video piece offers an introduction to how Catholics worship.

The liturgy is the common and public worship we offer to God.

Through the liturgy, we give worship to the Blessed Trinity.

As Christ, the high priest, continues the work of our redemption in us.

The seven sacraments, which are the very core of the liturgy, are covered on their own in part two of Credo.

But there are many other sacramental expressions that we find in and around the liturgical practice of the church.

For those who did not grow up Catholic, the liturgical practice of the church may seem rather foreign, full of so many new symbols and customs.

Many feel overwhelmed by so many so-called smells and bells of Catholic liturgy and perhaps you felt this way in the past or feel that way even now.

Well, don't worry.

I encourage you to keep asking questions and to be open to learning more.

One of the best ways to get introduced to the liturgy is to take a guided tour of a church, to learn more of the names, meanings, and uses of what you see.

And that's exactly what I'll be doing for you today, here.

I'll be leading you on a tour of a typical Catholic church and giving you an introduction to the sacred places, objects, times, and actions of the liturgy.

I'd like to ask you to keep a few things in mind as we move forward.

As human beings, we are composites of body and soul, and this means our worship of God takes a bodily and sensible expression.

It's natural for us to express our prayers through gestures and words.

Additionally, God has forever marked our relationship with Him through the incarnation of His Son.

God has become man.

The Word was made flesh in Jesus Christ.

As the beginning of the first letter of John says, The Apostles heard Christ, saw Him with their eyes, and touched Him with their hands.

So we should never be afraid of the visible or tangible elements of the Catholic faith.

It's been forever marked by the pattern of the incarnation.

It's quite natural then that so much of the Catholic faith is wrapped up in visible expression of our beliefs.

There's an ancient saying, Lex orandi, lex credendi.

That is, The law of praying is the law of believing.

And this means that prayer, especially liturgical prayer, and belief mutually inform one another.

How we pray sheds light on what we believe and what we believe gives shape to how we pray.

I hope you find that this tour not only helps you integrate into Catholic liturgical life, but also helps you see the connection between what we believe and how we pray.

So let's begin.

The first thing we find when we walk into a Catholic church is some kind of entryway or foyer, which can generally be called a vestibule or narthex, sometimes a gathering space.

But this space is really meant to be a space where we can begin to prepare ourselves for entering into sacred worship.

We, of course, have conversations out here that we wouldn't have in the church.

We try to maintain an atmosphere of silence and reverence within the church.

You'll also note that sometimes churches have cry rooms where parents can take children who are fussing to try to maintain a quiet atmosphere for the rest of the larger body of the church.

You'll find a number of different things in the vestibule, including often a poor box where someone can give donations to the poor very easily just by having a small collection there.

The thing we do when we enter into a church, first of all, is to cross ourselves with a sign of the cross, but to do so with holy water.

Holy water, of course, is a reminder of our baptism.

It's a small sacramental element.

Water has such a rich meaning for human history and culture, but specifically for us, within our tradition, we find that water is connected to the saving grace of baptism.

Baptism is the gateway to all of the other sacraments and this spiritual truth we find expressed in a physical way through the location of many baptismal fonts.

It's not uncommon to find them here at the entrance to a church.Just as we enter into the church physically, noting the baptismal font, we also enter into the church spiritually through our own baptism.

And so it's a fitting reminder.

And in fact, it's where the baptismal liturgy, for instance, of an infant, begins here at the door of the church.

The main body of the church is called the nave.

And when we enter into it, it's likely that we're struck immediately by the sacred character of the space.

We, first of all, genuflect.

That is, we go down on our right knees to acknowledge the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle, a sign of homage and reverence.

It's important for us to have a sacred space in which to worship.

The church isn't just a matter of convenience.

It's not just a meeting place or a place that we can all get together.

Of course it's that, but it's a sacred space in which we undertake divine worship.

And so it looks differently than our homes.

It looks different than another space we may encounter.

It's marked by several different elements of holiness, several different elements that jump out and tell our senses that this space is different and this space belongs to God.

The mystical body of Christ is, in a way, symbolized through a particular church, a particular physical space.

Also, it's important to know a little bit of the history of our worship spaces as Catholics.

The space of the church itself hearkens back to the synagogue and the temple.

The Jewish synagogue was a place of gathering, to offer prayers, and to read the word of God, to hear the word of God spoken.

The Jewish temple in Jerusalem was a place of sacrifice.

And so we see these two elements fulfilled in our churches.

A place both of listening to and hearing the word of God, but also a place of sacrifice, the one true sacrifice of Christ in the mass.

Now, it's fitting that our sacred space be adorned and decorated in many ways.

Again, it's not just a normal building.

And so we have ways of designating the holiness and sacredness of the space.

We see that it's adorned with artwork, with various little things that jump out and say that this is a sacred building.

A lot of people are struck by the statues they see within a Catholic church.

We might think these are ways of being in touch with the communion of saints.

We have a statue not just so that we can pray to the saint, but also in a way to remind us that the saints in heaven are present with us as we worship.

They worship the same God, yes, now in the perfection of heaven, but they're one with us as the body of Christ, as we offer worship to the Father in the name of the Son, and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The stained-glass windows which we often see in Catholic churches are also very important and many times depict a scene from the Bible or from the life of Christ, the mystery of the rosary.

It's helpful for us to have ways that help us envision the events that took place, the events that make up our salvation.

I suggest even trying to pray before these images as ways of bringing to life, bringing to mind these saving actions of God.

One of the other things that you'll notice throughout a church are many different types of candles.

Not only are there the candles upfront in the sanctuary, but also smaller candles often before the statues of saints.

We call these votive candles because they're particularly connected to the prayer we offer to God, the intercession we ask for from that saint.

They symbolize the living flame of our prayer being offered to God.

The stations of the cross also very frequently adorn the walls of our Catholic churches.

These are very significant because they're ways of following Christ in His passion in detail to acknowledge and appreciate and receive something of the grace and mystery present in the passion of our Lord.

We actually pray the stations of the cross as a devotion, especially during Lent when we recall our Lord's passion.

But it's important for us to have these images before our minds to be able to appreciate what our Lord has done for us.

The area of the church upfront here is called the sanctuary, and it's typically demarcated and designated as a separate space through a number of different features.

Most typically or commonly, it's elevated.

And this is to show us something of the yet further and more sacred character of this space, where the sacred and saving actions of the liturgy take place in their fullness.

This hearkens back to the image of the mountain, like Mount Sinai in the Old Testament, on which Moses went up to be with God, for God to speak to him.

And so we have this way of fulfilling this same image from the Old Testament in the liturgy we celebrate today.

What goes on in the sanctuary is set apart, is designated as sacred by being elevated but also, at times, being set off by a separate rail or area .

this communion rail, at which oftentimes communion is distributed, is a way, an extension of the altar.

Also within the sanctuary, we'll find the place where the word of God is read, the ambo or pulpit.

And this is s- again meant to show us the significance of the word of God, having its own designated and sacred space.

It's important that we not only read the word of God privately and personally through our own Bibles, but also that we listen to the word of God proclaimed in the liturgical assembly.

Also, we'll find, at least during the Easter season, the Paschal candle, which is particularly significant for those entering the church at the Easter vigil.

The Easter vigil liturgy begins with a special blessing of the Paschal candle, which then forms the light that's brought into the church.

The Paschal candle serves as a reminder of the Paschal mystery and the continued power of Christ's resurrection as it comes to us here and now through the saving mysteries of the liturgy.

Here in the heart of the sanctuary, we have the altar, which is really the center point of the entire church.

You can think of a Catholic church as being built around the altar, built so that the altar is at the very center.

And this is significant because it shows us the centrality of Christ's sacrifice.

The altar is the place of sacrifice, where bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ as a memorial sacrifice, which represents Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

The altar is special.

It's not just a table.

Within the altar, you'll find a stone and relics of the saints, and so that's a, a kind of centerpiece that is the point that the priest reverences when he comes to the altar at the beginning of mass.

Further up in the sanctuary, we have the tabernacle, where the blessed sacrament is reserved.

And this is really a fulfillment of the Holy of Holies, the inner core of the temple.

And it's significant for us, of course, because we have Christ dwelling among us.

It's the presence of Christ and the blessed sacrament that we always acknowledge when we enter into a church.

Even sometimes when we cross back and forth, we wanna make sure we acknowledge Christ is present here in the tabernacle.

It's a little bit odd, if you've ever been in a church, for instance, on Good Friday, where the blessed sacrament isn't reserved.

We feel there's something empty and missing.

A sign of Christ's presence is also always found, and that is the sanctuary lamp, which is usually a candle surrounded by, at least in this country, we use a red candle.

And this shows us that Christ is present in the tabernacle now.

One of the interesting things, of course, that people notice in coming to attend a Catholic mass is that the priest is dressed in special clothes.

And so as part of this video piece, it's important, I think, to just take a little bit of a look at the vestments that the priest wears for mass and their significance.

I'm actually dressed now in three different priestly vestments.

At the top here is what's called an amice, which covers the priest's ordinary clothes and is a sign of showing that what the priest is doing in offering the mass is different, is sacred.

He stands in the person of Christ, vested as a priest.

The alb I wear, which is white, is meant to signify baptismal purity.

It's a reminder of our baptismal character.

Again, it covers the ordinary clothes, but it's the kind of basic vestment that the priest wears.

The cincture I'm wearing around my waist is more than just a regular belt.

It actually keeps things in place, keeps the loose-fitting alb in place, and is itself a symbol of chastity.

One of the things that the priest can do as he's vesting is pray various prayers for each piece of clothing.

And so, for instance, in using the cincture and, and putting on the cincture, the priest prays his prayer for chastity.

One of the most significant priestly vestments, of course, is the stole, which we wear hanging down from our neck.

The vestments are, are holy objects and so we reverence them in an appropriate way.

So usually before putting on the stole, the priest will kiss a place where there's a cross at the top.

And as a priest, the stole hangs down from the shoulders like this.

Interestingly enough, a deacon wears slightly different vestments as a way to signify his proper role.

The deacon wears his stole diagonally.

And so you'll notice then, if you're, if you're able to see exactly looking up in the sanctuary and the different ministers, you'll be able to notice who is a priest and who is a deacon.

The outer garment that the priest wears that we think of most when we think of a priest celebrating mass is the chasuble.

The chasuble is this long and all-encompassing vestment that's especially a symbol of the priest's charity.

The stole, as I said before, which hangs down from the front, is a symbol of authority and priestly office.

But the chasuble, in particular, is of mercy.It's very important too, to know a little bit about the vestments of the priests because they're one of our clues into the changing seasons of the year.

This is another very important point to think about with the liturgy.

Because we're human beings, because we are subject to time, it's important that even in our relationship with God, time carries a special meaning.

And so, there's a liturgical calendar that marks the different times and seasons and we signify those different times and seasons by the different color of vestments worn, also by the way we decorate the church.

So for instance, in the Easter season, we wear white, signifying especially Christ's victory over death and the resurrection, and the purity that comes with baptism.

In ordinary time, which is the vast majority of time throughout the year, the priest wears green.

And so you can see that here.

Green is, uh, itself a kind of symbol of life.

We think of plants growing that are green.

The violet vestments are worn during Lent and Advent, especially times of particular penance and prayer.

And the red vestment we have is worn notably on Pentecost, signifying the fire of the Holy Spirit, but also the blood of the martyrs.

So whenever we celebrate the feast day of a saint who was killed for the faith, the priest wears a red vestment.

Also, throughout the year, it's important to notice the different levels of liturgical days.

Everything has its own proper rank.

And the three main types of significant days in the liturgical calendar are memorials, feasts and solemnities.

Going to mass on a Sunday, we experience mass in its highest form, as, as a full celebration, uh, with all of the parts that we're used to seeing at a Sunday mass.

All of the parts that we would celebrate in one of the major feasts of the year as well, like Christmas or Easter.

Just below that are certain significant days, for instance, of the apostles.

And these are feasts and they're marked especially with a Gloria at the beginning.

And then the regular celebration of a saint, we would mark with a memorial.

And then when there's no particular saint or mystery on the calendar to celebrate, we have what's called a weekday or feria.

And that generally the priest would wear green for and is meant to signify just the ordinary celebration of the mass.

It's interesting that the word feria actually comes from the Roman word, the Latin word, for the celebration of a high holy day.

I think this tells us something as Christians that even in our most basic and ordinary of days, we still celebrate the great mysteries of salvation.

We still have so much to celebrate even on an ordinary weekday as Catholics.

We celebrate the mystery of Christ.

We come to his sacrifice and we're renewed in his grace.

It's important to be aware of just how powerful the mass is and that a priest is always required to say the mass for a particular intention.

Usually if you're at a parish, you'll see some of the intentions mentioned in the bulletin.

But before a priest celebrates mass, he formulates an intention, a particular person he's offering that mass for and maybe even in that moment records it.

It's important to take a look at some of the sacred vessels used throughout the mass.

First of all, we have the chalice and it's important to take a look at some of the linens surrounding the chalice.

For instance, we have the corporal which is the basic cloth laid and folded out on the altar where the sacred elements will be occupying that space.

And it's important because it's a cloth which catches any particles of the Eucharist that, that may fall away from the sacred vessels.

Then we have a chalice veil very often used to cover the chalice.

Also what's called a pall, which is this stiff piece of cloth that goes on top of the chalice.

It's actually a very practical, though often ornate, v- uh, element of the liturgy.

It's practical because it prevents anything from falling into the chalice.

And so flies buzzing around perhaps or anything that might fall into the chalice, it protects the sacredness, of course, of our Lord's precious blood.

We also have the paten which is this small disc which holds the host used at the elevation, the h- the principle host there to be consecrated.

And another linen is called the purificator which is what's used to make sure that no drops of the precious blood are lost off of the edge of the chalice.

Taking a look at a few other vessels will be instructive for us.

We have what's called a monstrance from a word that literally means to show.

And so the monstrance is what we place the blessed sacrament into for the purposes of adoration.

And so there's a little door and into there, the priest will place a consecrated host in what's called a luner and there be exposed for the adoration of the faithful on the altar.

Also to hold other hosts used throughout mass, we have what's called a ciborium.

This looks an awful lot like the chalice but it actually holds the host, rather than the wine, which becomes the precious blood.And lastly, for the sake of learning a few more new words, we have what are called the cruets, which are the containers holding the water and wine brought forward for the Mass.

All of these sacred vessels are made of precious metals, and that might strike someone as odd at first, but if you think about it, it's very significant because any of the features we see used in the liturgy are meant to reveal something of the reality that's present.

Obviously when bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, they don't look any different, so it's important for us in our relationship to God in the liturgy to notice that we use these vessels which are meant to signify something special is here, that Christ is truly present.

And so we take great care in understanding these different elements of the liturgy and great care in carrying out the great sacred functions of the liturgy.

The Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation, is also a part of the church's liturgy, and so it takes a distinct liturgical form.

And so it's important for Catholics, for those becoming Catholic, to be familiar with the ritual of confession, exactly how to go through the motions.

Now, if you're looking for how to make a good confession from a spiritual perspective, I invite you to look at the lessons devoted to this in the larger Credo program.

But in this video piece, we'll just cover quickly how to go to confession practically speaking, what are the ritual actions we go through.

First of all, it's important to examine your conscience so you're ready to actually articulate your sins in the Sacrament of Confession.

Also, it's important to know when confession is offered and make sure you're able to fit that into your ordinary schedule.

When you walk into the confessional, the first thing you do is kneel or sit down based upon the design of the confessional and what you would like to do.

And then, you make the sign of the cross.

It's actually the role of the penitent to say out loud, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

That begins the confession.

At that point, the priest may say a short prayer.

For instance, May the Lord help you to know your sins and to trust in His mercy.

Or maybe the priest will just allow you to continue.

Either way, you begin confessing your sins by first of all saying how long it's been since your last confession.

And also, and this is important to remember, your state in life.

For instance, Father, it's been two months since my last confession.

I'm engaged, preparing for marriage.

That helps the priest to have an idea of your state in life and to be able to understand your sins in that context.

Then, of course, you confess your sins as best you can remember.

Remember, of course, that you need to confess any serious sins you may have committed.

And if you've committed serious sins, it's important to say how many times you've committed those sins, or if you can't exactly say exactly how many times, then give the priest an idea of how frequently these sins have occurred.

Father, it's been about once a week or several times a week.

That helps the priest to understand your situation and to give you the proper advice in light of that.

At the end of your confession, it's best to say, For these and any sins I may have forgotten, I am truly sorry.

That covers anything you may have forgotten, but also signals to the priest that you're done making your confession.

At that point, he'll probably offer you a little bit of advice, and if you have a few questions or something that you might want to ask him, that's also a time to do it.

Eventually, the priest will assign you a penance, a particular set of prayers to say, a particular charitable work to do.

The priest will invite you to make the act of contrition, and there's different forms of this, but it's important to set aside time to memorizing one of them so that when you're making your confession in the future, you'll be able to say the prayer readily.

Eventually, the priest, of course, will absolve you from your sins.

At that point, the rite will eventually end with the prayer of the priest, which will say something to the effect of, Go in peace.

And the proper response to this line may vary, but you can always say, Thanks be to God, or, Amen.

And at that point, you leave the confessional and, of course, you wanna do your penance as quickly as you can before you forget, but it's not as though you absolutely have to do it right after going to confession.

Your sins are definitely forgiven with the absolution.

It's a matter of making sure to do your penance eventually.

The most Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the church's life.

All of the other sacraments, and ministries, and works of the church are oriented towards it.

In the Eucharist, bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.

And where His Body or Blood is, so too are His soul and divinity.

So in the Eucharist is the whole spiritual good of the church, Christ Himself.

It's not surprising then that the Mass, the celebration of the Eucharist, is the principal Christian liturgical celebration.

It's the most significant thing we do together.

We see this with the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist resting at the very heart of the church's life.

But the Mass also marks other special moments, such as large gatherings or the celebration of other sacraments, which are often joined to the Mass or take place within it.We undertake the celebration of the Eucharist in obedience to Christ's command.

Do this in memory of me.

Our celebration of the mass has a certain structure and shape to it involving both the proclamation of the word of God and the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice.

Just as on the road to Emmaus, Christ opened the scripture to the disciples with him, and then broke bread with them.

Our celebration is framed by the liturgy of the word, and the liturgy of the Eucharist.

It's really marvelous to see how this same basic structure of the mass we celebrate today was already formulated in the earliest centuries of the church.

For instance, around the year 155 AD, St. Justin Martyr described the way he and his fellow Christians worshiped.

And his description is very recognizable.

I'll gather together to listen to the scriptures and to the preaching they hear from the presider.

They offer prayers of intercession.

Bread and wine are brought forward and offered up in thanksgiving to the Trinity.

And all answer Amen and partake of the Eucharist.

There is a great deal we can learn from examining the structure of the mass.

And in this video I'll be giving you a commentary on the mass to help you, to help you understand its basic structure and help prepare you to fully participate in it.

For our purposes today, we'll be discussing a Sunday celebration of the ordinary form of the Roman rite.

But many of the same topics and principles covered can be applied to other varieties of the celebration of the mass.

Now, before we dive in, I want to give you a helpful piece of advice.

It's a good practice whether you're learning the mass for the first time or are already fami- very familiar with it, to follow along in a missal or missalette.

You can get a missal that covers all of the masses for the whole year, and these are nice because they don't expire.

Or you can get a missalette or subscription to a Catholic worship aid, and these are also nice because they're easier to follow.

And sometimes these are already provided for you by your parish.

So make sure to check on that.

One of the best ways to prepare for mass is to read through the prayers and readings for the particular mass ahead of time.

Now we can divide the mass into two main parts, as I said.

The liturgy of the word, and the liturgy of the Eucharist.

Before and after we also have the introductory rites, and the concluding rites.

Just to begin, the introductory rites help us to prepare our hearts and dispose us to listen to the word of God, and to celebrate the Eucharist.

In the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, the priest and ministers process through the church to the altar.

The procession symbolizes our pilgrim journey in this life on our way to God.

And once he reaches the front, the priest reverences the altar with a kiss right at the place of sacrifice, that focal point for our celebration of the Eucharist.

We then begin with the sign of the cross, which we all make together.

And this helps us to think about the meaning of the mass, which is properly Trinitarian.

Through Christ, the high priest, we offer fitting worship to the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

And if you pay attention throughout mass, you'll notice that all three persons of the Trinity are mentioned.

Not only the Father, but also the Son, in whose person the priest asks.

And through whom all the faithful are priestly people.

You'll also hear the priest call upon the power of the Holy Spirit, who is at work in the hearts of all who are gathered.

Here, at the beginning, the priest offers some formal greeting such as, The Lord be with you.

To which I'll respond, And with your spirit.

Spirit in this phrase refers to the priest's sacred character he has received from ordination.

It acknowledges that he acts in the person of Christ in presiding over the liturgy.

The mass continues with an acknowledgment of our sins that we call the Penitential Rite.

The priest will say, Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

The words explain the action exactly.

We acknowledge we are sinners in need of God's grace.

Of course, the Penitential Rite is not the same as the Sacrament of Confession.

That's much more powerful.

But the Penitential Rite helps us to purify our hearts and make us ready to participate in mass.

On Sundays and more solemn days, we also sing the Gloria, a special ancient hymn of praise to God.

It begins with the words the angels use to announce Christ's birth to the shepherds.

Glory to God in the highest.

I hope you'll notice that the mass contains all different types of prayer, contrition, adoration, supplication, and thanksgiving .

even the introductory rites alone.

We see contrition, asking God for forgiveness, but also with the Gloria, the adoration and thanksgiving we express to Him.

After the Gloria, we have the opening prayer or collect.

And the priest says or sings, Let us pray, and then leaves a few moments of silence.

And the silence is important because it's a time to acknowledge that we are in God's presence and to formulate our petitions in our minds, what we're especially hoping to pray for.

The priest, as the presider, is also meant to gather the prayers of the people together in this opening gesture of prayer.

This opening prayer is the first of three presidential prayers.

And they're called presidential because they're prayed by the one presiding over the liturgy.

And the priest's presiding holds his hands in an ancient priestly gesture called the orans or praying position.

The opening prayer is important since it expresses the character of that particular day's celebration.

And you'll notice that these prayers are all different and they change with nearly every mass.

They typically occur only once a year.

The Liturgy of the Word begins after the opening prayer.

Everyone sits down not just to take break from standing, but because sitting is a gesture of meditative listening.

The first reading is proclaimed and the lector finishes the readings saying, The Word of the Lord, to which the congregation responds, Thanks be to God.

On Sundays, the first reading is usually taken from the Old Testament and forms a connecting link with the Gospel reading of that day.

And that's something you can take as a challenge.

Read the scripture passages for the mass ahead of time and try to find what the connection is between the first reading and the Gospel.

The responsorial psalm comes after the first reading and helps us to meditate on the scriptures that we've just heard.

And the powerful language of the psalms are used for this part of the mass.

The psalms themselves are the Word of God as well, and so we use them to aid our prayer.

The psalm should ideally be sung since singing gives an elevated vocal expression and dignity to our prayer.

On Sundays and other days of greater solemnity, there's a second reading and this reading is usually from the New Testament and may or may not be connected with the theme of the first reading in the Gospel.

The proclamation of the Gospel comes next and is marked with a special gesture.

We prepare for the Gospel with a sung verse, usually the Alleluia, accompanied by a line from the Scriptures.

Alleluia is that wonderful word of rejoicing that announces Christ risen from the dead, the paschal mystery summed up in a word.

We also stand for the Alleluia and the Gospel 'cause standing is a posture of readiness and expectation.

It's a way of showing in our own bodies that we're ready to listen to the good news being proclaimed.

The deacon or priest introduces the Gospel by saying, A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew, or whichever Gospel is being used that day.

I'll respond saying, Glory to you, oh Lord, and then make three tiny crosses, one over their head, their mouth, and their heart.

And you can think of how this too shows our willingness to receive the Word of God into our minds and our hearts and to profess Christ with our lips.

After the deacon or priest finishes the Gospel, he ends saying, The Gospel of the Lord.

And the congregation responds, Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The preaching during mass is called a homily.

Outside of mass, preaching is often called a sermon.

But here within the mass, the homily follows the Gospel and forms a part of the liturgy, and so it must be included on Sundays and other holy days of obligation.

And the homily is not just a talk.

It's a sacred action that the priest or deacon performs as an ordained minister.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he seeks to enlighten minds with living faith and enkindle hearts with charity.

He attempts to unpack something of the power and splendor of the Word of God and prepares worshipers to receive the word made flesh in the Eucharist.

On Sundays and solemnities, the profession of faith or creed follows the homily when we declare and renew together the summary of our beliefs.

The creed is both a response to the Word of God and a preparation for the Eucharist.

After the creed, we bring our prayers before God in the general intercessions or petitions, and these include prayers for public authorities, for the salvation of the world, for those especially burdened, and for the needs of our local community.

They may also include special prayers for those we know who are sick or for those who've recently passed away .

2021.

Typically, everyone responds to each of the petitions with the response, Lord, hear our prayer.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the preparation of the gifts.

Usually, a group of people or a family bring up the bread and wine that will be consecrated and become the body and blood of Christ in that Mass.

And this gesture of processing forward is symbolic of the offering all make in their presence at Mass.

It's important to remember to spiritually unite our prayers and works, joys and sufferings with the sacrifice of Christ in the Mass.

At the offertory, the priest offers the bread and wine to God.

And if this is done aloud, all respond, Blessed be God forever.

The priest and people pray that their sacrifice may be acceptable.

And then the priest prays what's called The Prayer Over the Offerings, the second of those three important presidential prayers.

Now we can begin talking about the center and summit of the Mass, the Eucharistic prayer.

This begins with the preface.

And after the Sanctus, or the holy, holy, holy, which is said or sung, all kneel, acknowledging the solemnity and the holiness of this part of the Mass.

There are several different eucharistic prayers that the priest may use, but they all contain the same essential elements.

And there's really so much to say about this rich part of the Mass.

I recommend taking time to read, for example, The First Eucharistic Prayer, or the Roman Canon, and meditate on the meaning of the words.

For now, I'll just point out a few moments that you can easily notice while participating in Mass.

The Epiclesis is the moment when the priest calls down the power of the Holy Spirit upon the offerings to be consecrated.

And the priest usually makes this gesture and begins to speak more solemnly and deliberately.

This is followed by the institution narrative and consecration, the very high point of the Mass.

The priest narrates and undertakes the words and actions of Christ Himself, which he used in instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper.

When the priest says the words of institution over the bread, transubstantiation takes place.

That is the bread becomes the body of Christ.

Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you.

He elevates the host so all can adore, and then he genuflects himself in adoration.

He does the same with the chalice, of course.

Notably, the last words of the consecration of the wine are, Do this in memory of me.

The very words of our Lord are recalled as the reason for our actions.

The Eucharistic prayer ends with the final doxology when the priest raises the paten and chalice and says or sings, 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, forever and ever.

And all respond, Amen.

We again see a Trinitarian conclusion to this most solemn moment of the Mass.

The series of prayers following the Eucharistic prayer is called the Communion Rite, and this includes The Lord's Prayer, The Our Father, and The Rite of Peace, which may include actually offering the sign of peace to one another.

The priest also undertakes the Fraction Rite.

The one bread of life, who is Christ, is broken.

By partaking in this Eucharist, we're made one in Him.

If you watch closely, you'll see the priest break off a small piece of the host and drop it in the chalice while praying a prayer.

In the sacrifice of the Mass, the body and blood are present under the two different forms of bread and wine.

And this signifies Christ's death.

This rejoining of the body and blood in the Fraction Rite signifies the unity of the body and blood of the Lord in the work of salvation.

Since Christ is now truly living and glorious, His body and blood are no longer separated.

During the Fraction Rite, the Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God, is sung or said as well.

The priest receives communion under both kinds, and then offers communion to the deacon and the others assisting him at the altar.

At this point, it's probably most helpful to talk about how to, practically speaking, receive Holy Communion.

Now, the first thing to know is that you should fast for one hour before receiving Holy Communion, with the exception, of course, of drinking water or taking medicine.

You'll also need to decide whether you're receiving on the tongue or in the hand, and make that clear in your gestures as you approach.

For various reasons, you may not be receiving Holy Communion at a particular Mass.

In many places, if you're not receiving, it's customary to cross your arms over your chests as you go through the line.While permission has been given to receive in the hands in many places, receiving communion on the tongue is normative and has many benefits.

So I suggest this, and don't worry about looking silly.

If you're receiving on the tongue, step forward close to the priest or whoever's distributing communion.

And when he says, The body of Christ, say, Amen.

Open your mouth and stick out your tongue and make sure you open your mouth wide enough so that the host can be placed on your tongue.

I also recommend keeping your eyes open so you can see what's going on.

And once you've received, step to the side and move along in the line so that the next person can approach.

It's customary to make the sign of the cross for some people, but make sure if you're doing that to step to the side first.

If you're receiving in your hand, put one hand over the top of the other with your palms open wide.

Then move to the side and place the host in your mouth.

If you notice any crumbs or particles of the host in your hand, be sure to consume those as well, of course.

To receive the precious blood, approach whoever is distributing the chalice and they will say, The blood of Christ, to which you respond, Amen.

And then they will present you with the chalice, and slowly yet firmly take the chalice and take a small sip of the precious blood.

And be sure to hand the chalice back slowly and carefully as well.

In many places, communion is offered under both forms, which we call species.

But even if communion is not offered under the species of wine, know that you receive the whole Christ in receiving the host.

Where His body is present, so too is his blood, soul, and divinity.

There may be some brief time for quiet personal prayer after communion, but after that, the Liturgy of the Eucharist ends with the prayer after communion, which is the last of those three presidential prayers.

Typically, in this prayer, the priest prays that the Eucharist be made effective and fruitful in our lives.

The concluding rites of the mass are the blessings to which all respond, Amen, and the dismissal from the priest or deacon, to which all respond, Thanks be to God.

The dismissal signifies the responsibility to return to the world praising God and undertaking good works through the power of the grace that we've received.

And the priest and deacon, again, reverence the altar and process out.

Now, it's ideal to spend some time in quiet prayer after mass and offer prayers of thanksgiving for receiving holy communion.

And after you leave, priests usually want to say hello to everyone and talk for just a bit.

Feel free to speak with him for a moment, as well as your fellow parishioners.

I hope this brief talk has been helpful for you.

Feel free to watch it several times, perhaps before or after going to mass.

It's normal to feel a little overwhelmed as you get used to participating in this celebration, but be joyful because it's just that, a celebration, one that's been going on for centuries all over the world.

And the mass gives unity to the mystical body of Christ as a sacrifice and as a meal, a far more perfect and joyful meal than even the best of our family celebrations.

So put on your Sunday best and come meet the Lord as much as possible.

It's the primary way and most powerful way to grow in holiness, in union with God.

I promise it will change your life.