The History and Mystery of the Mass

“The Source and Summit”

Cultural Influences from the Mass

• building stories• television seasons• pretzels• malt lager bock beer• courtroom (examples

next)

Sanctuary Parallels to Courtroom

High altar=judge bench

Altar rail=Bar

Ambo=witness stand

Black clerical garb=judges robe

Law 'clerk' comes from word cleric

The Mass is in a sense older than the Last Supper

MelchizedekAbel

(why we don’t have to recreate the Last Supper in detail)

Torah Scrolls (10 Commandments)

“the Holy of Holies”

The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity

Pope St. Clement

founder of liturgical tradition, said the Mass should imitate worship

by angels

church sanctuary should be a

glimpse of heaven

The Altar

• must be stone to represent the "living stone rejected" (not "on this rock I will..")

• five crosses inscribed on top represent Jesus' wounds

• the point of encounter between heaven and earth

Parts of the Mass

• I. Intro. Rite

• II. Liturgy of the Word

• III. Liturgy of the Eucharist

Introductory Rite

• Procession

• Confedior

• Kyrie

• Gloria

Liturgy of the Word…spoken

• First Reading

• Second Reading

• Gospel

Liturgy of the Word…explained and prayed

• Homily

• Credo (Profession of Faith)

• Prayers of the Faithful

The First Homily?

Liturgy of the Eucharist

• Offertory/Presentation of the Gifts

• Mixing of water (people) and wine (Jesus)

• Prayer of the Holy Trinity (“secret prayer”)

• Eucharistic Prayer (“Canon”)

Sanctus (Holy x3)

Doxology

Part I. Eucharistic Prayer

Liturgy of the Eucharist

• The Lord’s Prayer

• Sign of Peace

• Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)

• Holy Communion

Part II. Communion Rite

Awe of the Eucharist

“the highest of angels don’t dare touch the consecrated Body of Christ” –St. John Chrysotom

“Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in its hand a live coal which it had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this it touched my mouth and said: 'Look, this has touched your lips, your guilt has been removed and your sin forgiven.” Isaiah 6:6-7

only in persona christi do the priests dare to touch and distribute the Eucharist- 3 requirements: consecrated, ordained and veiled hands

Don’t Try to Add to or Improve on the Mass

• “This is the Word of the Lord”

• “This is the Body of Christ”

the Mass should change you (not vice versa)

EME, not EM

Leave that to the Pros…

• "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof."

• “I believe in one God…”

• “For You and for many that sins may be forgiven…”

• "The Lord be with you/And with your spirit."

The End