Lessons on the Mass
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Welcome to the 40 Lessons on the Mass!
Welcome to my 40 Lessons on the Mass! I know you’ll learn something new about the Mass and
I hope that it helps to deepen your faith. -
Today's Lesson: The Mass is Ended
The Mass is ended, and life begins.
So the Mass is ended. Now what do we do? Having received Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we go out into the world to bring Christ to all we meet, through our words and deeds.
At the end of World War II, the Catholic faithful in a small town in Germany set to work to rebuild their parish church, which had been demolished in the war. Little by little, brick by brick, with great love and faith, they rebuilt their beloved church. But when it came to restoring the marble statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the hands of the Lord on the statue of Jesus never looked quite right. So the restoration committee decided to leave the statue without hands, but placed a bronze plaque next to it stating: “Jesus has no hands, except our hands.”
Go in peace.
Today's Lesson: Thanksgiving After Communion
There’s lots of great features on the Relevant Radio App, but this one is my favorite and I use it every day.
Once you’ve downloaded the Relevant Radio App, click on the drop down menu on the right hand side (it’s in the upper right hand corner) and scroll down to the sixth line and there you will find it. Prayers After Mass. All the classics.
Have you noticed? Pope Francis often sits in the back of the Church after morning Mass to make his time of thanksgiving, some ten minutes or so. This is an ancient and venerable custom based on the fact the sacramental reality of the Eucharistic presence of Jesus Christ remains in us for ten to fifteen minutes after we receive Him. In effect, we are like living tabernacles for that time period.
There are many beautiful prayers of thanksgiving for after Mass, some composed by saints like Thomas Aquinas or Bonaventure.
What follows is the Universal Prayer attributed to Pope Clement XI. This just about sums it up:
Lord, I believe in You: increase my faith. I trust in You: strengthen my trust. I love You: let me love You more and more. I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.
I worship You as my first beginning. I long for You as my last end. I praise You as my constant helper; and call on You as my loving protector.
Guide me by Your wisdom, correct me with Your justice, comfort me with Your mercy, protect me with Your power. I offer You, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on You; My words: to have You for their theme; My actions: to reflect my love for You; My sufferings: to be endured for Your greater glory. I want to do what You ask of me: in the way You ask, for as long as You ask, because You ask it.
Lord, enlighten my understanding, strengthen my will, purify my heart, and make me holy. Help me to repent of my past sins and to resist temptation in the future. Help me to rise above my human weaknesses and to grow stronger as a Christian.
Let me love You, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am: a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and love all whose lives I touch, those under my authority, my friends and my enemies.
Help me to conquer anger with gentleness, greed by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and reach out toward others. Make me prudent in planning, courageous in taking risks. Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.
Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer, temperate in food and drink, diligent in my work, firm in my good intentions. Let my conscience be clear, my conduct without fault, my speech blameless, my life well-ordered. Put me on guard against my human weaknesses. Let me cherish your love for me, keep your law, and come at last to your salvation.
Teach me to realize that this world is passing, that my true future is the happiness of heaven, that life on earth is short, and the life to come eternal.
Help me to prepare for death with a proper fear of judgment, but a greater trust in Your goodness. Lead me safely through death to the endless joy of heaven.
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Today's Lesson: The Sign of Peace
Today's Lesson: How to Receive Holy Communion
Do you know how to receive Holy Communion?
When Our Lady appeared to Adele Brise at the Shrine of Our Lady of
Good Help in Wisconsin, her message was simple, clear and direct.
“Teach the children what they need to know for their salvation. . . Teach
them their Catechism, how to sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross,
and how to approach the sacraments; . .”
And how are we to approach Holy Communion at Mass? You should be a practicing Catholic, in the state of grace, having kept the one hour fast from food and
beverage before Holy Communion. For the rest, in the USA, the faithful
are free to receive Holy Communion standing or kneeling, on the tongue
or in the hand.
But we should try to receive Our Lord with piety, devotion, hunger, and desire. You get out of it what you put into it.
Today's Lesson: Behold the Lamb of God
The most powerful personal prayer at Mass was written by a guy who wasn’t even baptized.
It’s true. It’s the “Lord, I am not worthy” prayer and it was an unbaptized Roman centurion who made it up.
Right before Holy Communion 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 who are called to the supper of the Lamb.”
And together with the people he adds once:
“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.”
LORD, I AM NOT WORTHY. These are some of the most famous words ever spoken and they are repeated daily by tens of millions of Catholics at Mass right before
Holy Communion.
Jesus was so moved by this man’s humility that he worked the miraculous cure immediately and on the spot, and marveled at this man’s faith and humility.
Humility is an elusive, but necessary, virtue. Saint Josémaria once wrote: “You are not humble when you humble yourself, but when others humble you and you
ccept it for Christ.”Today's Lesson: The Best 'Secret' Prayer
Remember those ‘secret’ prayers? This is my favorite
After the faithful sing or recite the “Lamb of God, Grant us Peace,” pay close attention to what the priest celebrant is doing. He bows his head, folds his hands, and prays what I consider the most magnificent of the ‘secret’ prayers, in order to prepare himself to receive Holy Communion worthily and fruitfully. Here it is:
Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
who by the will of the Father
and the work of the Holy Spirit,
through your Death gave life to the world,
free me by this, your most Holy Body and Blood,
from all my sins and from every evil;
keep me always faithful to your commandments,
and never let me be parted from you.
“And never let ME be parted from YOU.” That just about sums it up, doesn’t it? There’s nothing more important than being united to Jesus Christ.
Today's Lesson: The Agnus Dei
Most of what is in the Mass can be found in the Bible.
It’s true, almost every word in the Mass can be traced back to the Bible – like the "Lamb of God" prayer right before Holy Communion. In Latin we call it the
"Agnus Dei" and it calls to mind that electric moment when John the Baptist
pointed to Jesus at the Jordan and exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
(cf. John 1:37) Immediately John and Andrew began to follow Jesus who, turning around, surprised them by asking, "What are you looking for?" Indeed, what
are you looking for?
"Lamb of God" may sound a bit strange to us in contemporary English, but back then – to that audience and in that language – it had a profound meaning and triggered a reflection on Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac and God’s promise to save
His people. When Isaac asked his father, "Where is the sacrificial animal?"
Abraham replied that "God himself will provide the sacrifice." And so He did, thousands of years later in the person of Jesus.
Jesus is the "sacrificial lamb" Who takes away the sins of the world, fulfilling the prophetic meaning of the sacrifice of Abraham and the Passover event which
set the Israelites free from bondage in Egypt.
We say, "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us … grant us peace" because that is what the heart and soul seek: peace and repose from all worry, and anxiety, and remorse for our own sinfulness.
It is a beautiful way for us to prepare for the moment of Holy Communion
St. Mother Teresa said, "Peace begins with a smile."
Do you smile when you offer someone a sign of Christ’s peace? I sure hope so.
It helps. There is a lot going on during the "Communion Rite" at this point in the Mass. But since there are only 40 Lenten Lessons on the Mass I am unable to comment on all of them, but invite you to get a copy of the Daily Roman Missal or any other worship resource that has the prayers, the secret prayers, and the
rubrics for your study. You will learn a lot and your hunger for the Eucharist will grow.
So let me comment on the Sign of Peace, which the reform of the Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council recovered and inserted into this part of the Mass. Some think we should have the Sign of Peace at the beginning of the Mass so we can
be more focused at this point on receiving Holy Communion.
As it turns out, the rubrics state that the priest says, "The peace of the Lord be
with you always" and the people respond, "And with your spirit." But then the rubrics point out: "Then, if appropriate, the Deacon or the Priest, adds: "Let us
offer each other a sign of peace."
It is not mandatory to have the Sign of Peace, and sometimes it is omitted at weekday Masses, especially during the Coronavirus. For funerals and weddings
and other very special occasions, it is not uncommon that the exchange of a Sign of Peace takes longer and is more involved as the circumstances warrant. The Sign
of Peace that we exchange should be in keeping "with local custom … to express peace, communion, and charity." Here in the USA, the custom is a handshake
or just a nod. In other countries it is a smile, and in still other countries a hug.
But the Sign of Peace remains only a sign if there is not a deeper commitment to charity, love, and forgiveness of our neighbor.
Today's Lesson: The Lord's Prayer
Do you know why the Our Father is called the Lord’s Prayer?
The Our Father is called the "Lord’s Prayer" because it was given to us by Jesus Christ, Our Lord. He composed it. That’s why we stand up to pray it all together.
And did you know there are seven petitions in the Our Father? The first three are more theological and draw us toward the glory of the Father, and the last four commend our wretchedness to His grace. You can read more about those
petitions in the Catechism of the Catholic Church or in Pope Benedict XVI’s first volume on the Gospels. It was Pope Benedict XVI who pointed out that "we are at our most attentive in prayer when we are driven by some inner need to ask God
for something."
Ask God for good things, lots of good things, because God is our Good Father.
Today's Lesson: Eucharistic Prayer (7) Amen
Do you remember that Amen song from the movie Lilies of the Field?
It is such a simple word: Amen. And it seems to be exactly the same in English, German, French, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew.
That’s because it came from the Hebrew language and then followed the path of Christian evangelization throughout the world.
So what does Amen mean? It means I believe everything that was just said.
Amen = I believe it. So be it. It is true.
Can I get an “Amen” for that?
At really special Masses, such as the canonization of a saint in St. Peter’s Square,
the choir and the people sing the super-duper “triple Amen” in four-part harmony accompanied with brass, tympani, strings, and voices. It is truly magnificent and glorious, and a fitting way to conclude the Eucharistic Prayer in which the
extraordinary miracle of transubstantiation just took place.
Today's Lesson: Eucharistic Prayer (6) Eucharistic Doxology
Do you know what the Doxology is?
No matter which Eucharistic Prayer we use (1, 2, 3, 4 or the various Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation or Masses for Children) they all end the same with the "Eucharistic Doxology." A "doxology" is the English translation of a Greek word which means "a short hymn of praise to God".
The priest proclaims: "Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours Almighty Father, forever and ever," as he raises the Eucharistic Lord in the consecrated Host and in the Precious Blood in the sacred chalice for the entire congregation to see and ponder.
Who is the "him" in this hymn of praise? Jesus Christ, of course. So, this short prayer is a Trinitarian formula of praise to God the Father through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit.
The Mass is clearly a prayer of praise to the Father, by the Son, through the Holy Spirit.
There’s a lot going on at each Mass, isn’t there?
Today's Lesson: Eucharistic Prayer (5) Memento of the Dead
Did you know that the dead are actually alive?
At every Mass, the Church prays for the living and the dead. Just because a person has died does not mean he is no longer part of the living Church. And the Church always remembers the souls of the faithful departed. The body dies, but the soul lives forever. At the end of the world, the souls will be reunited with their bodies.
So why do we pray for the ‘faithful departed?’ Because if they are still in purgatory, they need our prayers. They cannot pray for themselves, but we can pray for them and we can apply the grace and fruits of the Mass to their souls for their purification.
It is very helpful to pray for the dead by name. For that reason, the rubrics state: “For N. and N.” Who should we pray for?
Family and friends who have died, and then especially for all those who have died anywhere or at anytime who have no one to pray for them.
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Today's Lesson: Eucharistic Prayer (3) The Consecration
Today's Lesson: Eucharistic Prayer (4) Bells
Do you like to hear the bells at Mass?
I love bells, don’t you? Bells are permitted at Mass, but not mandatory. Still, I think they add something beautiful to the experience.
When I was chaplain at Northridge Prep school for boys, the 6th and 7th graders always
wanted to serve and always wanted something active to do, like ringing the bells. If it were
up to them, they’d ring the bells all Mass long. But no, only three times: once at the
‘epiclesis’ when the priest puts his hands over the gifts and invokes the blessing of the Holy Spirit; again for the second time when the priest elevates and shows the host to the people; and the third time is when the priest elevates the chalice and shows the Blood of Christ to the people.
So what’s up with the bells? We ring bells to get people’s attention and let them know
something important is going on and something has changed. School bells tell us something
has changed. For instance, that period 3 is now over and now we begin period 4. Fire bells
in the village alert everyone to take action and come and help.
The bells at Mass tell us that a miracle has just happened: the transubstantiation.
What did Jesus say at the Last Supper?
At the Last Supper Jesus said, “Do this in memory of me.” And that’s exactly what we do at Mass each day. The priest takes unleavened wheat bread and grape wine – just as Jesus did – and says the words that Jesus said, “This is My Body. This is My Blood.” And the great miracle of the transubstantiation takes place.
The ‘substance’ of the bread and the ‘substance’ of the wine is changed into the ‘substance’ of the Body and Blood of Christ. So the Church teaches that in the Eucharist, Jesus is really, truly, and substantially present, with His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
After pronouncing those words, the priest shows the Eucharist to the people. In some countries the faithful keep absolute reverential silence at this sacred moment; in other countries the faithful quietly proclaim the words of St. Thomas the Apostle, “My Lord and my God!”
The server rings the bells and everyone knows that a great miracle has just taken place.
Today's Lesson: Eucharistic Prayer (2) Memento
Did you ever tell someone you would pray for them? Now’s your chance.
After directing our prayers of offering to God the Father through Jesus Christ, the priest prays for the Church, the pope, the local bishop, and all “who holding to the truth, hand on the Catholic and apostolic faith.” And then the priest says “Memento” which is Latin for “Remember.”
“Remember, Lord, your servants, N. and N.”
At this point, the priest and all the people pause to pray in silence for a few moments. What do they pray for? Actually, the question is “who” do they pray for? They pray for “N. and N.”, with the “N” signifying the first letter of the Latin word “nomen” which means “name.” The moment has arrived to pray for people and for their needs because the Mass is first of all an opportunity for prayers of petition.
Who do you pray for?
The priest is obligated on Sundays to pray for his parishioners, but for most priests – as time goes on – their list grows more and more. One of my favorite authors, a priest himself, Fr. Leo Trese, offered this reflection on the Memento in his book “Vessels of Clay.”
“I just can’t bring forward enough intentions … for the time is so short … All I can say is ‘For all the intentions, Lord, which I mentioned to You in my morning prayers.’ It is a long list, whose established pattern undergoes daily additions and modifications.
‘For all the intentions of Thy Sacred Heart, through the hands of my Mother Mary’ – so begins my litany, as I toss into those hands every need I can recall: for my parents and family … the people of my parish, especially the lax and fallen-away (particularly right now for old Joe Marron who resists so stubbornly and for Clem Synder who married last week in the Lutheran church) … for my non-Catholic parishioners too, especially the ones I’m instructing and have instructed … for the children of the parish, especially those in public schools … for the grace of vocations from this parish, especially for Tommy and ones who are ‘thinking’ – and for the perseverance of those who already have answered Thy call.
For myself, dear Lord, in thanksgiving for the countless graces I have received, in reparation for the sins I have committed, for the grace of final perseverance … for faith, love, purity, for zeal in Thy service … that I may do Thy will, whether I know that I am doing it or not, whether I want to do it or not: MAKE me do Thy will.
For my relatives, friends, and benefactors: for all whom I ought to pray or have wished to pray; especially for all those to whom I have ever ministered, or for whom I am in any degree responsible – grant that no soul may be lost or may suffer through any fault of mine. (It is here that memory dredges up the discomforting recollections that only the infinite bounty of the Mass can offset: young Eddie, whom I expelled from school when more patience might have saved the pieces; the fallen-away Morellis, who might have been converted by more Christlike kindness when they sought Christian burial for grandpa and were dismissed so abruptly. When I meditate on Judgment, it isn’t my personal sins that make me sweat – Mercy will cover those – it’s my pastoral derelictions that make me squirm: I’ve Justice to deal with there).
For the pope, for my ordinary, for the bishop who ordained me and the pastors who guided me and the sisters who helped me; for all the priests and religious, especially of my own diocese and particularly for the errant – very especially for N. and N. (dear Lord, by what grace am I here and they are gone?); for missionaries, home and foreign – comfort them in their discouragements, fructify their labours by Thy grace.
Yes, it is a long list, and full of detours, images evoked and evil done and good left undone, of individuals in need and souls in distress, of responsibilities shirked and graces wasted. It is well that ten minutes of my morning prayer time has been reserved for the making of my daily intentions. It is well too that the Mass IS an inexhaustible torrent of graces; there is so much to pray for, so much.”
~Fr. Leo Trese, “Vessels of Clay” pp. 31-33
Today's Lesson: Prayer Over the GiftsToday's Lesson: Preface
Today's Lesson: Eucharistic Prayer (1)
Now it is time to kneel because something very important is about to happen.
I will spend the next seven lessons on the Eucharistic Prayer, and it would really help if you had a copy of the Eucharistic Prayers from your missalette, or Daily Roman Missal, or Magnificat, or mobile app so you can follow along.
At this point of the Mass, everyone is invited to kneel for the Eucharistic Prayer. Well, at least in the United States. In other countries – Spain, Italy, France, Mexico – the faithful stand until the Consecration.
We kneel because something holy and miraculous is about to happen: the bread and wine will be changed into the Body and Blood of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That’s why we kneel.
There are four standard Eucharistic Prayers for daily Mass, plus several others for Masses of Reconciliation and in some countries Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with children. For these lessons, I will focus on Eucharistic Prayer I, also known as the ‘Roman Canon’. The word ‘canon’ in the liturgy means that the prayer is ‘fixed’, and is the same day in and day out with limited exceptions for Christmas and Easter time.
The first Eucharistic Prayer – also known as the Roman Canon – is the prayer that your parents, grandparents, and great-great-great-grandparents all the way back to 1570 would have followed in Latin at Mass. It was the same from the Council of Trent until the reform of the Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council.
The Roman Canon is still basically the same, except we now pray it in the vernacular (English) and we’ve added the name of St. Joseph to the saints we commemorate at Mass.
The Mass is never boring if you know what’s going on.
Now, the great event of the Mass is about to take place: the miracle of the transubstantiation. As the Eucharistic Prayer begins, everyone is standing. The priest invites the people to pray with him by saying:
“The Lord be with you.”
And the people respond: “And with your spirit.”
If the people respond with energy and enthusiasm, it is a clear signal that they have faith and that they want to be there.
And now begins the Preface to the Eucharistic prayer. It is prayed by the priest alone, it is the second-longest prayer in the Mass after the Eucharistic Prayer, and it changes daily and by the season, depending on the theme of the Mass. For instance, there are several different prefaces for the Advent season, Christmas season, Lenten season, Easter season, saints, martyrs, virgins, pastors, etc.
Just as we say grace before meals, now the priest prays the prayer over
the gifts.
There are three prayers which are unique for each daily Mass: the Opening Prayer, the Prayer over the Gifts, and the Prayer after Communion. If the Mass is in honor of the Blessed Mother, those three prayers will be related to her. If the Mass is in honor of a martyr, the three prayers will be related
to that martyr, etc.
When the priest prays the Opening Prayer and the Prayer after
Communion he invites everyone present to pray by saying, “Let us pray.”
But he does not make this invitation for the Prayer over the Gifts, because the people just stood to pray the “Orate Fratres” and they are already in a disposition of prayer.
The rubrics state: “With hands extended, the priest sings or prays the prayers over the gifts, at the end of which the people respond ‘Amen.'”
Why does the priest extend his hands? Once again it is ‘body language’ that shows that he and all of the congregation are ‘open’ to the gifts that God wants to give them
Today's Lesson: The ‘Orate Fratres’
We’re back on our feet again and everyone is praying together.
The gifts having been prepared, the priest invites everyone to pray: “Pray brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.”
Standing, 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.”
‘My sacrifice and yours.’ Just what does THAT mean? Many things, but especially that the Mass is a sacrifice, not just a meal, and it is the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, but in an unbloody manner. Everyone who participates in the Mass is asked to make a sacrifice, because making a sacrifice is a proof of love. And our religion demands that we love God.
Sometimes the sacrifice we make is simply the time and effort that we have made to get to Mass. For some folks in the world, that’s easy because the local church is just next door. For others, it is very difficult because it is far away. And for others, going to Mass might even be dangerous, especially in areas of the world where Christians are persecuted and martyred for their faith
Today's Lesson: Secret Prayers
Did you know there are some ‘secret’ prayers at Mass?
If you watch very closely, you’ll notice that the priest is moving his lips and praying some prayers very, very quietly during the Preparation of the Gifts. The rubrics indicate that the priest should pray them ‘sub secreto’, which is translated as ‘inaudibly’ or ‘secret.’
But there’s really no secret, because the prayers are printed in the Roman Missal or other worship resources for the whole world to see. And even though the rubrics indicate that the priest is to pray these prayers, there is absolutely no reason why you can’t do that too!
As the priest pours wine and a little water into the chalice, he prays 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.”
Then the priest bows profoundly and 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.”
Finally, as he washes his hands he prays, “Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
See you on Monday for your next Lenten Lesson!
Today's Lesson: The Offertory
Can we give something back to God? Yes, once we arrive to the Offertory, it’s our turn
to give something to God.
After the Prayers of the Faithful (Universal Prayer), the Mass enters into a new and profound phase: the ritual of offering and sacrifice. Pay attention, because a lot is going on.
“The ministers place the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar.” If this were a meal, the table is now set. But this is not a meal: it is a sacrifice, and the sacrifice is ready to begin.
Members of the faithful can offer their sacrifice. Typically on Sundays a collection is
taken up. That monetary sacrifice is real, but also symbolic of what we hope is a deeper reality: the readiness to sacrifice (“sacrum facere — literally, ‘to set aside'”)
our hearts, minds, souls and bodies for the love of God.
Frequently members of the faithful come forward bringing gifts of wine, water, and unleavened bread which will be consecrated for the Eucharist. In some countries,
such as the highlands of Mexico where I ministered for fifteen summers, the faithful also bring gifts for the celebrants for his own use: milk, cheese, eggs, etc. It is all very moving.
The priest offers the bread, offers the wine, to God, so that it might be sanctified, and the people respond, “Blessed be God forever.”
And what can we, who are poor, offer to God?
All the work that we will do that day. And that offering allows us to put our heart into our work, especially the ordinary house work that makes life pleasant for those we
live with.
Offering our daily work allows us to extend the Mass through the day. In this way we discover that nothing is trivial, nothing is wasted: all can be offered and connected to
God who awaits us in the hum-drum activities of daily life.
Today's Lesson: Prayers of the Faithful
“Ask and you shall receive.” That’s what Jesus said, and that’s just what we do at Mass.
After the Homily and the Creed come the Prayers of the Faithful. As Pope Benedict XVI observed, we are “at our most attentive in prayer when we are asking God for something or thanking Him.”
The “Prayers of the Faithful” are not mandatory at every Mass, but why miss an opportunity to get something from God for yourself or for others?
The priest introduces and closes the Prayers of the Faithful, while the reader announces the various intentions and invites the congregation to pray by saying, “We pray to the Lord,” and the people respond, “Lord, hear our prayer.”
There is an order to the petitions, starting with universal needs of the Church and moving down to local needs, often mentioning by name the sick and recently deceased in the parish.
Today's Lesson: Profession of Faith
We stand for the Gospel, we sit for the Homily, and now it’s time to stand up again for the Profession of Faith.
On Sundays, Holy Days of Obligation, and Solemnities, the people stand after the Homily and make the Profession of Faith, also known as the "Creed" because the first word is "Credo" which means "I believe" in Latin.
Typically, we recite the Nicean-Constantinopolitan Creed which capsulizes the dogmatic formulations of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and those of Constantinople (381). It is commonly called the Nicene Creed.
We stand for the Creed to show respect and attention for what we believe and also to honor all martyrs who died for these beliefs, the most recent being the 21 Coptic Martyrs from Egypt.
If you are ever confused about what you believe as a Catholic, or if anyone ever asks you what you believe, you can simply recite the Nicene Creed for them.
Today's Lesson: The Gospel
Today's Lesson: The Homily
I think it was St. Paul who set the record for the longest homily ever. It might have been
ten hours.
That’s right. The homily lasted all night long, and it took place in Troas, and
a young man named Eutychus fell asleep during the homily, tumbled out of the third story window where he was sitting on the window sill, and died. St. Paul resuscitated him and then continued the rest of his homily until
dawn. True Story. You can read it for yourself in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 20.
These days, Pope Francis encourages us to “Speak concisely. Say much in
few words.” Homilies should be related to the Readings of the Mass, and
be clear, concise, convincing, and inspiring. But more important than the preparation of the homily is the preparation of the homilist. So don’t forget
to pray for your priests!
We just sang the Alleluia, everyone is standing, and it looks like the priest and the deacon are talking about something.
Did you ever wonder what the deacon asks the priest before he proclaims the Gospel? He says: “Your blessing, Father.” And then the priest says, in a barely audible voice:
“May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips, that you may proclaim the Gospel worthily and well; In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
The Gospel readings for weekdays follow a two-year cycle, and for Sundays follow a three-year cycle. The Gospels are according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The four Gospels we use today are the same used by the early Christians. In fact, the New Testament as we know it, 27 books in all, has been the same since at least 170 AD.
I know at least one word in Hebrew, and it’s Alleluia!
Today's Lesson: Alleluia
After sitting for a while, it’s time for everyone to stand up, get the blood running again, fill up your lungs with air, and sing out Alleluia! It’s the Hebrew word which literally means “Praise the Lord.” We stand up because the most important reading is about to be read out loud. That’s the Gospel.
I’ll never forget when a thousand voices and musicians sang Handel’s Alleluia Chorus from the Messiah at St. Josemaría’s canonization in 2002. Talk about magnificent and inspiring praise!
We sing the Alleluia before the Gospel, except in Lent. On weekdays, if not sung, the Alleluia may be omitted.
Don’t you find it fascinating that Jesus would have sung the Alleluia (it’s a Hebrew word, after all) in the Synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath when he was a youngster? It literally means “Praise Yahweh.”
See you on Monday for your next Lenten Lesson!
Today's Lesson: Responsorial Psalm
It’s right about this point that people get distracted.
After the First Reading, comes the Responsorial Psalm. And if you were not paying
close attention to the First Reading, you will be distracted at this point, and you’ll need
to regain your concentration. So grab your missalette and do the response.
Every day we have a Psalm during the readings at Mass, and because the congregation participates in the singing or chanting of the Psalm by repeating a selected phrase,
we call this a ‘response’; hence, ‘Responsorial Psalm.’
King David composed many of the Psalms and there are 150 in all. It is remarkable that even though these Psalms were composed thousands of years ago, we see that human nature has not changed during the course of time. The creature hungers for his Creator, repents of his sins, longs for protection and the goodness of the Lord.
Today's Lesson: First Reading
The reason they changed the Mass from Latin to English is so you could understand it.
After the Opening Prayer, you may please be seated and listen to the Word of God in English. On weekdays we have three readings: the First Reading, the Responsorial
Psalm, and the Gospel. On Sundays and Holy Days we have four readings: typically one from the Old Testament, then the Responsorial Psalm, one from the New Testament, and then the Gospel.
As a teacher, I have found the most effective way to communicate a message is with audio and visual aids. For that reason, the faithful are encouraged to read the readings
for themselves even before Mass. You can find the daily readings on the
Relevant Radio® mobile app, or in your missalette.
When we read the Sacred Scriptures we should ask the Holy Spirit for help to
understand the meaning as it applies to us today, here, and now.
Today's Lesson: The Collect
“Father, read the black, do the red.”
Yes, that’s what she said: “Read the black. Do the red.” The red she referred to are the “rubrics” in the Roman Missal, or the reddish color of the ink for the directions on how to celebrate Mass. After the Gloria, here is what the rubrics state:
“When the Gloria is concluded, the priest, with hands joined says: ‘Let us pray.’ And all pray in silence with the priest for a while.”
During that little while you can pray for family, friends, relatives, a child who is seriously ill, a new job, for vocations, the pope, upcoming elections, Relevant Radio … whatever.
After that moment of silence, the priest prays the Opening Prayer, also known as the Collect. And it is usually centered on the theme of the Mass, whether it be a saint, or a season, or a solemnity of the Lord.
Today's Lesson: The Gloria
What’s the number one song ever?
The number one song ever, according to me, is the Gloria, which the Church has been singing for two thousand years, and it was first performed by the Choir of Angels over Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. It is a song of rejoicing because God has sent us a savior!
The Gloria has inspired composers down through the centuries to create stunningly beautiful musical scores for choir and orchestra. Some of the greatest are by Handel and Mozart. But the finest, most sublime setting for the Gloria, is from the Mass “Cum Iubilo”, a classic Gregorian Chant score.
But we don’t know who composed it. It is reported that Mozart once said it was the most beautiful music he ever heard.
On very special occasions, the bells are rung during the Gloria: Midnight Mass on Christmas, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, and Easter Vigil.
Today's Lesson: Kyrie Eleison
Kyrie Eleison is Greek for “Lord, have mercy.”
After we confess our sins at the start of Mass, we then beg God for mercy.
The opening scene of the 1963 film “Lord of the Flies” shows British prep school boys in uniform marching in formation on the beach of a South Pacific island as they cheerfully sing their upbeat version of “Kyrie Eleison!”
By the end of the movie, they are behaving like savages: no uniforms, no marching in formation, no singing, for their teachers had been killed in the plane crash and only the boys survived. The movie is a metaphor for
the effects of Original sin, and what the human race would be like without our divine Savior.
When we honestly come to grips with the reality of our situation – fallen human nature as a result of Original sin – how can we fail to cry out, “Lord, have mercy!”
Today's Lesson: Mea Culpa
Do you remember how Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony begins?
Beethoven’s Fifth begins with just four notes. But he repeats it over and over, because anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
The same thing happens in the Confiteor when we repeat just four syllables: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, which is the Latin original for, “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault!”
We say that three times because important truths need to be repeated over and over
again or we just don’t get it. Much like a mother who shouts “Do not touch it!!” three
times – and each time louder! — as her little boy runs to touch the whistling teapot.
“Don’t touch it!”
See you on Monday for your next Lenten Lesson!
Today's Lesson: The Confiteor
You wash your hands before you eat dinner, and you take off your dirty shoes when you walk into someone’s house, don’t you?
The book of Proverbs tells us that “Even the just man sins seven times a day” (Proverbs 24:16). That’s why we need to confess our sins at the beginning of Mass, and we do that in the Confiteor. It is one of my all-time favorite prayers and is deeply powerful, sincere, searching, and human. We begin by stating, “I confess to Almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters that I have sinned …”
That prayer screams “I am NOTHING! Please help me God! And everyone else help me too!” We pray it – we exclaim it! – at the beginning of Mass to prepare ourselves for what is about to take place, much as a humble and respectful guest removes his dirty shoes when he enters someone’s beautiful home.
Today's Lesson: Sign of the Cross
We begin the Mass by making the Sign of the Cross, using the exact words that Jesus taught us (cf. Mt. 28:19 ) just before He ascended into heaven. By signing ourselves with the cross as we say, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen," we call to mind two central truths of our faith: that God is a Trinity of persons, and that our Savior Jesus Christ died for us on the Cross. No other gesture so clearly marks a person as a Roman Catholic than the Sign of the Cross.
Next, the celebrant says, "The Lord be with you," and the people respond, "And with your spirit."
Have you noticed that the more enthusiastic the response by the congregation is ("And with your spirit!!!"), the better the homily will be minutes later?
Today's Lesson: Prayers Before Mass
Try to get to Mass early so you can pray the prayers before Mass.
You’ve heard the conventional wisdom, “You get out of it what you put into it.” And that surely applies to the Mass. On the free Relevant Radio App, there is a drop-down menu on the right side, and one tab is “Prayers Before Mass.” There you will find the Prayer of St. Ambrose, the Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Prayer to St. Joseph, the Prayer to the Virgin Mary, and the Statement of Intentions for Priests.
All of these are helpful, but here’s a gem from the one by St. Thomas Aquinas: “May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, with such reverence and humility, such contrition and devotion, such purity and faith, and such resolve and determination as may secure my salvation.”
Remember: you get out of it what you put into it.
Today's Lesson: The Sacristy
Pop Quiz: Where do they keep the sacred vestments and sacred vessels used at Mass? Give up? In the sacristy.
The sacristy is a special room in the church, usually next to the sanctuary, which many of the faithful never see. The sacristy is where the priest vests for Mass, and in the sacristy there are closets for vestments, shelves for storing the various liturgical ornaments used in the Mass (candles, thurible, cruets, bells, bread, wine, etc.) and a strong safe for the sacred vessels (such as the chalice, ciborium, and monstrance). Frequently in the sacristy there will be a special sink for cleansing the sacred vessels and linens called a ‘sacrarium’, and it drains directly into the natural ground.
Above the countertop where the priest’s vestments are laid out, you might also see a copy of the “vesting prayers” which you can now find for yourself on the free Relevant Radio App.
Today's Lesson: The Crucifix
Every Catholic church has a Crucifix – which is a cross with the figure of Jesus Christ crucified.
The Crucifix is in the sanctuary near the altar and should be clearly visible. It reminds us how much Jesus loved us and is an invitation to love Jesus in return. Maybe there is someone in your life right now who is difficult to love. If you gaze upon the body of Jesus on the Crucifix in your church, you will find new strength, and it will put your own problems in a better perspective.
Someone once told Saint Mother Teresa: “I would not touch a leper for a million dollars!” to which Mother Teresa replied: “And I would not touch a leper for TWO million dollars! But I will touch a leper for the love of Christ.” By gazing upon the Crucifix, our love for Christ goes deeper, and our charity towards others grows stronger
Today's Lesson: The Altar
While the tabernacle is the most important item in a Church, the altar is no less important during Mass, because upon the altar the perfect sacrifice is renewed. For that reason, when the priest enters and leaves the Mass, he kisses the altar.
The altar is a direct descendant of the altar of sacrifice of Abraham on Mount Moriah. It is typically made of stone, immovable, and truly noble in appearance. The altar is adorned with an altar cloth made out of linen, because Jesus was wrapped in linen after He died. It is also adorned with a Crucifix and up to six candles for feast days, or even seven when the bishop is present.
For feast days, the altar may be incensed and decorated with flowers, which can be truly abundant and spectacular in the churches found in the Philippines and Mexico.
Today's Lesson: The Tabernacle
The "Holy of Holies" was the innermost chamber in the Temple of Jerusalem reserved only for the High Priest. Today, in a Catholic church, the "Holy of Holies" is the tabernacle, because inside of it, in a golden vessel covered by a silk veil, is the Holy Eucharist, which is the very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who is really, truly and substantially present under the appearances of bread and wine.
The Church stipulates that the tabernacle should be clearly visible, noble, beautiful, safe, and secure, so in most churches it is placed in the center of the sanctuary, and can only be opened with a key. Pope Benedict XVI wrote: "The Holy Eucharist is the center of absolutely everything."
Today's Lesson: Genuflection
After you bless yourself with holy water, you make a genuflection.
"At the name of Jesus, every knee must bend" (Philippians 2:10). That’s what Saint Paul wrote to the Philippians years ago, and that’s why we bend our right knee and make a genuflection to the tabernacle where Jesus Christ is truly present before we enter our pew to sit down. Men also take off their hats.
The tabernacle containing the Most Blessed Sacrament should be clearly visible, and it’s usually in the center of the sanctuary up front. Look for the little vigil light with a candle burning next to it.
When the Mass begins, the priest and ministers also make a genuflection, unless the tabernacle is off to the side, then they bow to the altar and Crucifix as a sign of reverence.
And did you know that reverence is the beginning of wisdom, because we acknowledge with humility that God is great?
Today's Lesson: Holy Water
Protect yourself – use holy water.
The first thing you do when you walk into a Catholic Church is bless yourself with holy water.
As you enter the church, look for the holy water font near the entrance and bless yourself with the holy water as you quietly say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” This little ritual reminds us of our baptism – that’s why the font is near the door of the church because we ‘entered the Church through baptism.’
At the same time, this gesture is also a sacramental and can absolve us of our venial sins and protect us from the devil. As St. Teresa of Avila said, “Nothing drives away the devil faster than holy water.” Blessing yourself with holy water as you enter the church will remind you that you are in a sacred place for a sacred time.