Holy Mass

The Liturgy of the Word

The Second Vatican Council said this about the Mass:

The treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of the Lord's Word. In this way, a more representative portion of the holy Scriptures will be read to the people over a set cycle of years.

As a result of this decision, we now have a three-year cycle of Sunday readings and a two-year cycle of daily readings for the Mass.

There are three readings on Sundays and feast days, the first of which is generally taken from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). The second reading is from a New Testament letter or the Acts of the Apostles. The third reading is always taken from the Gospel.

To enhance your participation int he Sunday Eucharist, it is recommended that you read the Sunday readings during the previous week. If you cannot attend daily Mass, you can read the daily Scriptures at home. You will find the Sunday schedule of readings in THREE-YEAR CYCLE OF READINGS FOR SUNDAY MASS, page 317, and the weekday schedule of readings in WEEKDAY LECTIONARY, page 334.

After the readings there is a homily based on the Scripture of the day.

The homily is followed on Sundays and feasts by the Creed and the general intercessions, in which the congregation prays for the needs of the local community and the world.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Eucharistic Prayer
The Eucharistic Prayer is the center and summit of the Mass. It is a prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. The priest invites the people to lift up their hearts to the Lord in prayer an thanks; he unites them with himself in the prayer he addresses in their name to the Father through Jesus Christ. The meaning of the prayer is that the entire congregation joins itself to Christ in acknowledging the great things God has done and in offering sacrifice.

The chief elements of the Eucharistic Prayer are these:

• Thanksgiving (expressed chiefly in the preface). The priest, in the name of the people, thanks God for the whole work of salvation or some special aspect of it according to the feast or season.
• Acclamation. Joining with the angels, the congregation sings the Sanctus. This "Holy, Holy, Holy" was first heard by Isaiah in his vision of heaven (Isaiah 6:3).
• Invocation of the Holy Spirit. The Church calls on God to send the Holy Spirit that our human gifts may become Christ's Body and Blood and be a means of sanctification to those who partake.
• Institution Narrative. In the words and actions of Christ, that sacrifice is celebrated which Christ instituted at the Last Supper and commanded us to carry on in the mystery of the Eucharist.
• Memorial Prayer. In fulfilling the command of Christ, the Church keeps his memorial by recalling his passion, resurrection and ascension. This is more than just a remembering. That which took place in the past becomes sacramentally present for this congregation, and Christ's coming in glory is anticipated. "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26).
• Offering. The Church here and now offers the spotless victim to the Father in the Holy Spirit. The faithful are not only to offer the victim but also to learn to offer themselves through Christ the Mediator to an ever more complete union with the Father, so that at last God will be all in all.
• Intercessions. The Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the entire Church of heaven and earth.
• Final Doxology. The praise of God is summed up in the final doxology to which the people respond in the great Amen. St. Augustine said that, while still a pagan, he was impressed by the congregation's singing of the great Amen, which "sounded like a clap of thunder."
  
  One of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council was the increase in the number of Eucharistic Prayers.