Order of Mass
The Introductory Rites
The priest approaches the altar with the ministers and venerates it. An entrance song may be sung.
Entrance Antiphon
If no proper Entrance Antiphon is provided, a suitable entrance chant or song may be used.
Sign of the Cross
All make the Sign of the Cross as the priest says:
PriestIn the name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
AllAmen.
Greeting
The priest greets the people:
Either:
PriestThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Or:
PriestGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Or:
PriestThe Lord be with you.
PeopleAnd with your spirit.
The priest may very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day.
Penitential Act
The priest invites the faithful to perform the Penitential Act:
PriestBrethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
A brief pause for silence follows, and then one of the following Penitential Acts:
AllI confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.And, striking their breast three times, all say:
AllThrough my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.The absolution by the priest follows:
PriestMay almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.AllAmen.
The Kyrie
PriestLord, have mercy.
PeopleLord, have mercy.
PriestChrist, have mercy.
PeopleChrist, have mercy.
PriestLord, have mercy.
PeopleLord, have mercy.
Or:
PriestKyrie, eleison.
PeopleKyrie, eleison.
PriestChriste, eleison.
PeopleChriste, eleison.
PriestKyrie, eleison.
PeopleKyrie, eleison.
The Gloria
AllGlory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.The Collect
PriestLet us pray.
Then, the priest says the collect prayer, after which the people say:
AllAmen.
Liturgy of the Word
All sit.
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Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Offertory
During the Offertory Song the faithful usually express their participation by making an offering, bringing forward bread and wine for the celebration of the Eucharist and perhaps other gifts to relieve the needs of the Church and of the poor.
When he has received the bread and wine for the celebration, the priest offers prayer of blessing quietly at the altar. Sometimes these prayers are said aloud. If the priest says the prayers aloud, the assembly’s acclamation each time is:
AllBlessed be God for ever.
The priest completes additional personal preparatory rites, and the people rise as he says:
PriestPray, brethren (brothers and sisters),
that my sacrifice and yours
may be acceptable to God,
the almighty Father.The people reply:
AllMay the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands
for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good
and the good of all his holy Church.Then the priest says the Prayer over the Offerings, at the end of which the people acclaim:
AllAmen.
The Preface
Extending his hands, the priest says:
PriestThe Lord be with you.
The people reply:
AllAnd with your spirit.
The priest, raising his hands, continues:
PriestLift up your hearts.
The people:
AllWe lift them up to the Lord.
The priest, with hands extended, adds:
PriestLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.
The people:
AllIt is right and just.
The priest continues to the Preface prayer:
The Sanctus
The priest concludes the Preface with the people singing or saying aloud the Sanctus:
AllHoly, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.After the singing of the Sanctus the congregation kneels for the Eucharistic Prayer.
The Eucharistic Prayer
The priest alone recites:
After the words of Consecration, the priest says:
PriestThe mystery of faith.
The people continue, acclaiming either:
AllWe proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
Or:
AllWhen we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
Or:
AllSave us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
Then the priest alone continues:
At the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer the priest takes the chalice and the paten with the host and, raising both, he alone says:
PriestThrough him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours,
for ever and ever.All respond:
AllAmen.
The Communion Rite
The Lord's Prayer
The congregation stands and the priest says:
PriestAt the Savior's command
and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:Together with the people, he continues:
AllOur Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.The priest alone continues, saying:
PriestDeliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.The people conclude the prayer, acclaiming:
AllFor the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.Then the priest alone says aloud:
PriestLord Jesus Christ,
who said to your Apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you,
look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and graciously grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will.
Who live and reign for ever and ever.The people reply:
AllAmen.
The priest adds:
PriestThe peace of the Lord be with you always.
The people reply:
AllAnd with your spirit.
The deacon, or the priest, adds:
Priest/DeaconLet us offer each other the sign of peace.
And all may offer one another a customary sign of peace.
Breaking of the Bread
During the breaking of the host the following is sung or said:
AllLamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.After the Lamb of God, the people kneel.
Invitation to Communion
After his private prayers of preparation the priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice says aloud:
PriestBehold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.And together with the people he adds once:
AllLord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.Communion
After the priest has consumed the Body and Blood of Christ, the communicants come forward in reverent procession, and make a preparatory act of reverence by bowing their head in honor of Christ’s presence in the Sacrament before receiving Holy Communion.
The priest says:
PriestThe Body of Christ.
The communicant replies:
CommunicantAmen.
When Communion is ministered under both kinds the minister of the Chalice raises it slightly and shows it to each of the communicants, saying:
PriestThe Blood of Christ.
The communicant replies:
CommunicantAmen.
After the distribution of Communion, if appropriate, a sacred silence may be observed for a while, or a psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may be sung.
Prayer After Communion
Then, the priest says:
PriestLet us pray.
All stand and pray in silence. Then the priest says the Prayer after Communion, at the end of which the people acclaim:
AllAmen.
The Concluding Rites
Any brief announcements to the people follow here. Then the dismissal takes place. Sometimes this takes a more elaborate form than that given below.
Blessing
The priest says:
PriestThe Lord be with you.
The people reply:
AllAnd with your spirit.
The priest blesses the people, saying:
PriestMay almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, ✠ and the Holy Spirit.The people reply:
AllAmen.
Dismissal
Priest/DeaconEither: Go forth, the Mass is ended.
Or: Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
Or: Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
Or: Go in peace.
The people reply:
AllThanks be to God.