Mass (Catholic Church)

The Mass is the central liturgical service of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, in which bread and wine are consecrated and become the body and blood of Christ. As defined by the Church at the Council of Trent, in the Mass, "the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross, is present and offered in an unbloody manner". The Church describes the Mass as the "source and summit of the Christian life". Thus the Church teaches that the Mass is a sacrifice. It teaches that the sacramental bread and wine, through consecration by an ordained priest, become the sacrificial body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ as the sacrifice on Calvary made truly present once again on the altar. The Catholic Church permits only baptised members in the state of grace (Catholics who are not in a state of mortal sin) to receive Christ in the Eucharist.

Many of the other sacraments of the Catholic Church, such as confirmation, holy orders, and holy matrimony, are now generally administered within the framework of the Mass, but before the Second Vatican Council were often or even usually administered outside of Mass. The term "Mass" is commonly used to describe the celebration of the Eucharist in the Latin Church, while the various Eastern rites use terms such as "Divine Liturgy", " Holy Qurbana", and "Badarak", in accordance with each one's tradition. Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 ''motu proprio'' '' Summorum Pontificum'' authorized under certain conditions, more widely than before, continued use of the 1962 form of the Roman Rite, which it called the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, while it called the post–Vatican II form promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 and revised by Pope John Paul II in 2002 the Ordinary Form. On 16 July 2021 Pope Francis in his apostolic letter '' Traditionis custodes'' restricted the celebration of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Rite and declared that "the liturgical books promulgated by Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II, in conformity with the decrees of Vatican Council II, are the unique expression of the ''lex orandi'' of the Roman Rite."

The term "Mass" is derived from the concluding words of the Roman Rite Mass in Latin: ('Go, it is the dismissal', officially translated as 'Go forth, the Mass is ended'). The Late Latin word substantively corresponds to the classical Latin word . In antiquity, simply meant "dismissal". In Christian usage, however, it gradually took on a deeper meaning. The word "dismissal" has come to imply a mission.

Sacrificial nature

In Catholic teaching, the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the fulfillment of all the sacrifices of the Old Covenant.  In the New Covenant, the ''one'' sacrifice on the altar of Calvary is revisited during every Catholic Mass.  Jesus Christ merited all graces and blessings for us by His death on the Cross.  These merits form an inexhaustible fountain of grace to nourish the supernatural life of souls.  At Calvary, Christ not only merited all graces for people but also established certain channels whereby these graces may be obtained.  These channels are the Sacrifice of the Mass and the other Sacraments.  

The first Mass was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper, on the first Holy Thursday.  The first ''Holy Sacrifice'' of the Mass was celebrated on the eve of the Passion.  The unbloody sacrifice of the Last Supper is a memorial of Christ's bloody sacrifice on the cross.  Thus, the Mass is a unifying event of the Last Supper and Christ's sacrifice on Calvary.

The Mass contains the four essential elements of a true sacrifice: priest, victim, altar, and sacrifice.  Its Priest, Jesus Christ, uses the ministry of an earthly representative; its Victim, Jesus Christ, truly present under the appearances of bread and wine; its altar; and the Sacrifice is a mystic representation of the blood-shedding of Calvary.  Thus, the Mass is offered for four ends: adoration, atonement, thanksgiving, and petition.

History

The Roman Rite Mass, the predominant form of its celebration in the Catholic Church, is the focus of this article. For information on the theology of the Eucharist and on the Eucharistic liturgy of other Christian denominations, see "Mass (liturgy)", "Eucharist" and "Eucharistic theology". For information on the history development of the Mass see Eucharist and Origin of the Eucharist.

The classic study of the Mass is that of Josef Andreas Jungmann, the two-volume ''Mass of the Roman Rite'' or ''Missarum Solemnia.'' Paul F. Bradshaw and Maxwell E. Johnson trace the history of eucharistic liturgies from first-century shared meals of Christian communities, which became associated with the Last Supper, to second and third-century rites mentioned by Pliny the Younger and Ignatius of Antioch and described by Justin Martyr and others, in which passages from Scripture were read and the use of bread and wine was no longer associated with a full meal.

When in the fourth century Christianity was granted the status of a legal religion and was even viewed with favour by the Roman Emperors, the Christian celebrations took on a more formal appearance and were embellished by the use of vestments, lights and incense. Ex tempore prayers by the presider gave way to texts previously approved by synods of bishops as a guarantee of the orthodoxy of the content, leading to the formation of liturgical forms or "rites" generally associated with influential episcopal sees.

The Catholic Church encompasses a considerable number of such liturgical rites. Apart from the Latin liturgical rites, Mass in the Catholic Church is celebrated according to the Byzantine Rite in various languages based on Greek texts of the Church of Constantinople; the Alexandrian Rite used by the Coptic Catholic Church, the Eritrean Catholic Church and the Ethiopian Catholic Church; the Antiochene Rite used by the Maronite Church, the Syriac Catholic Church and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church; the East Syriac Rite used by the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church; and the Armenian Rite used by the Armenian Catholic Church.

Mass in the Roman Rite

Within the Latin Church, the Roman Rite Mass is by far the most widely used liturgical rite. The history of the development of the Mass of this rite comprises the Pre-Tridentine Mass, the Tridentine Mass and the post-Vatican II Mass.

The Pre-Tridentine Mass of the Roman Rite was adopted even north of the Alps (but often modified by non-Roman influences) even before the time of Charlemagne, who wished it to be used throughout his empire, but the text actually distributed incorporated many Gallican additions. Roman missionaries, such as Boniface and Augustine of Canterbury introduced the Roman Mass to Germany and England. It was accepted also in Ireland, but met greater opposition in Spain and Milan.

In accordance with the decrees of the Council of Trent (1545–1563), Pope Pius V in 1570 enforced use of the Tridentine Mass in the Latin Church. Before the invention of printing, each diocese of the Latin Church could and often did have its own particular Rite of Mass, generally but not necessarily based on the Roman Rite; but Pius V made his revision of the Roman Missal mandatory throughout the Latin Church, permitting continuance of other rites only if they had been in existence for at least 200 years.

The Second Vatican Council also decreed a revision of the Roman Missal, which was put into effect by Pope Paul VI in 1969.

Roman Rite of the Mass Today

The following description of the celebration of Mass, usually in the local vernacular language, is limited to the form of the Roman Rite promulgated at the request of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) by Pope Paul VI in 1969 and revised by Pope John Paul II in 2002, largely replacing the usage of the Tridentine Mass form originally promulgated in 1570 in accordance with decrees of the Council of Trent in its closing session (1545–46). The 1962 form of the Tridentine Mass, in the Latin language alone, may be employed where authorized by the Holy See or, in the circumstances indicated in the 16 July 2021 document '' Traditionis custodes'', by the diocesan bishop.

In the modern form the priest usually (though not obligatorily) faces the people (''versus populum''); in the earlier form the priest most often faces in the same direction as the people, towards the apse of the church, a stance that since the twentieth century is often called ''ad orientem'', although not necessarily eastward.

As mentioned, the Eucharistic liturgy is celebrated in the Catholic Church also in other Latin liturgical rites and in those of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' discusses the importance of the Mass in the Catholic tradition under the headings:
:I. The Eucharist - Source and Summit of Ecclesial Life
:II. What is This Sacrament Called?
:III. The Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation
:IV. The Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist
:V. The Sacramental Sacrifice Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence
:VI. The Paschal Banquet
:VII. The Eucharist - "Pledge of the Glory To Come"

Liturgical books

The Roman Missal contains the prayers, antiphons and rubrics of the Mass.

The Lectionary presents passages from the Bible arranged in the order for reading at each day's Mass. Compared with the scripture readings in the pre-Vatican II Missal, the modern Lectionary contains a much wider variety of passages, too extensive to include in the Missal. A separate Book of the Gospels, also called the Evangeliary, is recommended for the reading from the Gospels, but where this book is not available the Lectionary, which also includes the Gospels, is used.

The Roman Missal refers to another liturgical book, Ceremonial of Bishops, saying the norms found in it are to be observed when a Bishop celebrates the Mass, or presides without celebrating the Eucharist. An English translation of it was published by Liturgical Press in 1989, ISBN 081461819.

The Roman Missal also says special celebrations of Mass should observe the guidelines for them. This includes Masses with children, in “Directory for Masses with Children”, by the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, 1 November 1973.

The most frequently celebrated form of the Roman-Rite Mass is that in the post-Vatican II editions of the Roman Missal. Authorization for use of the earlier (1962) form may be granted by the Holy See or, as indicated in the 2021 document '' Traditionis custodes'', by the diocesan bishop.

Liturgical structure

The Eucharistic celebration is "one single act of worship" but consists of different elements, which always include "the proclamation of the Word of God; thanksgiving to God the Father for all his benefits, above all the gift of his Son; the consecration of bread and wine, which signifies also our own transformation into the body of Christ; and participation in the liturgical banquet by receiving the Lord's body and blood".

Within the fixed structure of the Roman-Rite Mass outlined below, the "proper" or daily-varying parts are the Scripture readings and responsorial psalm, the antiphons at the entrance and communion processions, and the texts of the three prayers known as the collect, the prayer over the gifts, and the prayer after communion. These convey themes from the liturgical season, the feast days of titles or events in the life of Christ, the feast days and commemorations of the saints, or for Masses for particular circumstances (e.g., funeral Masses, Masses for the celebration of Confirmation, Masses for peace, to begin the academic year, etc.).

Introit, procession, and introductory rites

The priest enters in procession into the nave with altar servers, and with a deacon if there is one. The deacon may carry the Evangelion (Gospel book), which he will place on the altar; and one altar server, called the crucifer, carries a processional cross at the front of the procession. Other servers may carry blessed candles, incense and a thurible. During this procession, ordinarily, the entrance chant or hymn is sung. If there is no singing at the entrance, the entrance antiphon is recited either by some or all of the faithful or by a lector; otherwise it is said by the priest himself. When the procession arrives at the sanctuary, all bow toward the altar. The priest and other ordained ministers kiss the altar. Then, when the priest arrives at his chair, he leads the assembly in making the Sign of the Cross, saying: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," to which the faithful answer: "Amen." Then the priest "signifies the presence of the Lord to the community gathered there by means of the Greeting. By this Greeting and the response of the faithful, the mystery of the Church gathered together is made manifest." The greetings are derived from the Pauline epistles.

Then the priest invites those present to take part in the Penitential Act, of which the Missal proposes three forms, the first of which is the Confiteor. One form includes tropes acclaiming God's deeds on our behalf, and the priest has some freedom in formulating these. This is concluded with the priest's prayer of absolution, "which, however, lacks the efficacy of the Sacrament of Penance."GIRM, paragraph 51 It does absolve venial sins, however. "From time to time on Sundays, especially in Easter Time, instead of the customary Penitential Act, the blessing and sprinkling of water may take place as a reminder of Baptism." This ceremony, in which the congregation is cleansed with holy water, is known as the Asperges.

"After the Penitential Act, the Kyrie, Eleison (Lord, have mercy) is always begun, unless it has already been part of the Penitential Act. Since it is a chant by which the faithful acclaim the Lord and implore his mercy, it is usually executed by everyone, that is to say, with the faithful and the choir or cantor taking part in it." The Kyrie may be sung or recited in the vernacular language or in the original Greek. It is the only portion of the Mass in Greek instead of Latin or Latinised Hebrew.

"The Gloria in Excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) is a most ancient and venerable hymn by which the Church, gathered in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb. ...It is sung or said on Sundays outside Advent and Lent, and also on Solemnities and Feasts, and at particular celebrations of a more solemn character." The Gloria is omitted at requiem Masses (funerals and Masses for the dead) on ordinary feast-days of saints, weekdays, and Votive Masses. It is also optional, in line with the perceived degree of solemnity of the occasion, at Ritual Masses such as those celebrated for Marriage ("Nuptial Mass"), Confirmation or Religious Profession, at Masses on the Anniversary of Marriage or Religious Profession, and at Masses for Various Needs and Occasions.

"Next the Priest calls upon the people to pray and everybody, together with the Priest, observes a brief silence so that they may become aware of being in God’s presence and may call to mind their intentions. Then the Priest pronounces the prayer usually called the “Collect” and through which the character of the celebration finds expression."

Liturgy of the Word

On Sundays and solemnities, three Scripture readings are given. On other days there are only two. If there are three readings, the first is from the Old Testament (a term wider than Hebrew Scriptures), or the Acts of the Apostles during Eastertide. The first reading is followed by a Responsorial Psalm, a complete Psalm or a sizeable portion of one. A cantor, choir or lector leads, and the congregation sings or recites a refrain. "That the people may be able to sing the Psalm response more readily, texts of some responses and Psalms have been chosen for the various seasons of the year or for the various categories of Saints. These may be used in place of the text corresponding to the reading whenever the Psalm is sung." The second reading is from the New Testament, typically from one of the Pauline epistles. The reader begins most reading with the introductory statement "a reading from the Book of..." or "a reading from the Letter to...," and concludes each reading by proclaiming that the reading is "the word of the Lord,"; the congregation responds by saying "Thanks be to God." The lector will usually be a scheduled volunteer from among the congregation; when two non-Gospel readings are given, they may be given by two different lectors or by one, according to local preference.

The final reading and high point of the Liturgy of the Word is the proclamation of the Gospel. This is preceded by the singing of the Gospel Acclamation, typically an Alleluia with a verse of Scripture, which may be omitted if not sung. Alleluia is replaced during Lent by a different acclamation of praise. All stand while