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Entrance: After the people are assembled the entrance song begins. Like every single part of the Mass, the opening song and procession have intended meaning.

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Penitential Act: This is the moment when we acknowledge that some of our thoughts, words, and actions have not helped us become the best version of ourselves, have prevented other people from being all God created them to be, and ultimately have created an obstacle between us and the infinite love of God.

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Gloria~ Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will . . .

The Gloria is an ancient hymn that praises God. Praising God has become something that we neglect and need to do more often.

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Opening Prayer:

This prayer gives us some idea of what will follow. The opening prayer is designed to place us in the presence of God and focus our hearts and minds on God. The opening prayers of the Mass guide us to focus on the themes that will emerge in the readings that day.

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Liturgy of the Word

This consists of the Scripture readings, homily, profession of faith, and the general intercessions.

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Scripture Readings:

The readings that make up the Liturgy of the Word for Sunday Mass include an Old Testament reading, a responsorial Psalm, a New Testament reading, and a Gospel reading. The readings are not randomly selected; they are related to each other in some way.

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Homily:

This is the priest’s moment to speak to the community. This is the priest’s opportunity to convince people that Jesus has answers to the issues and questions they are struggling with, and that the life Jesus invites us to is simply the best way to live.

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Our Profession of Faith:

This is where we proclaim our faith as individuals and as a community. If you really reflect on the Creed, you will my have questions or doubts almost every time you say it.

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Journey through the MassGeneral Intercessions:

The Mass is a powerful prayer. At every moment of every day, a Mass is taking place somewhere, and we are praying for the entire human family. At this point in the Mass we offer specific intentions to God as a community. There usually include a prayer for world leaders, for those who are oppressed, for those in need, and prayer for the local community.

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Liturgy of the Eucharist

***This is the “center and the summit of the entire celebration” and consists of the Eucharistic prayer, Consecration, the Our Father and Sign of Peace, and Communion.

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The Offertory:

Representatives from the community bring forward the bread and wine, along with our offerings for the Church and the poor. At the same time, the priest and servers are preparing the altar for our offering.

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Eucharistic Prayer:

The word Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” During this time the priest invites us to lift up our hearts to the Lord. In this way we are offering ourselves with Jesus to God the Father.

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Journey through the MassThe Consecration:

Leading up to the consecration, the priest recites the words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper connecting what we experience in every Mass with Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist. The actual consecration is the moment when the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. “This is my body which is given up for you; this is the blood of the new and everlasting covenant, do this in memory of me.”

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The Lord’s Prayer:

Now we join together as a community to pray in the way Jesus taught us.

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Journey through the MassSign of Peace:

The priest has asked God to grant us peace and unity. Jesus has loved us in this Eucharist by sharing his peace with us, and now we share the peace and love of Christ with those around us. This reminds us that we are called to take the peace and love of Jesus out into the world.

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Communion:

This is the moment when we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the form of bread and wine.

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Thanksgiving:

These moments of reflection after receiving the Eucharist can be extremely powerful if we make ourselves present to them. We are united with Jesus and he nourishes us with a hunger to do God’s will.

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Concluding Rites:

The concluding rites are made up of the final blessing and the dismissal.

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Adapted from Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly