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: