Catechist Corner
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Catechist Corner
As part of the parish’s response to the Eucharistic Revival, we will be taking a “Walk through the Holy Mass” simplified in question and answer form for the next several weeks to learn more about this gift given to us by God.
What is the Mass?
One way to describe the Holy Mass is that it is Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday made sacramentally present in ritual. At every Holy Mass, bread and wine are changed (transubstantiation) into Christ’s Body and Blood, the Body which died on the cross and the Blood which was shed for our sins, now glorified in heaven. This is called the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a meal but not just any meal to remind us of something that happened a long time ago at the Last Supper. The term “Eucharist” originates from the Greek word eucharistia, meaning thanksgiving. The Holy Mass re-presents the same sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and we give praise and thanksgiving to God for the gift of our salvation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the Eucharist as the “Source and Summit” of the Christian Life (1324-1327). It is the source of grace and strength that allows us to carry out the work of the Church, and it is the summit because all activity of the Church should be directed towards the Eucharist.
Where did the word, Mass, come from?
The name comes from the Latin word missa. In Latin, Mass ends with Ite missa est, which translated into English means “Go, it is sent.” The “it” seems to mean the Church. The Mass thus gets its name from the word, missa in the dismissal at the end. Sometime after 604 AD the word, Mass, was applied to the entire liturgy. Before his ascension, the Risen Lord gave the Great Commission (Matt.28:19-20) to his disciples to go out to all the world and preach the Gospel. As Christians we are called to gather and worship by attending Holy Mass at least every Sunday and holy day and then to follow the words at the final dismissal, “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life”.
Bernadette Myers
MA Catechesis & Religious Education
Why do Catholics do that?
Weekend of August 19 & 20
We are called to “full and active participation” in the Holy Mass (Sacrosanctum Concilium) which involves intentionally acting in unison with the entire congregation. As Catholics, we enter the church and dip our hand into holy water (which has been blessed by a priest, bishop, or deacon) and make the sign of the cross. Each part of the Holy Mass has a different posture. During Mass, we genuflect, kneel, sit, stand, and sing during the liturgy. Sometimes we do this out of habit but there are good reasons for this.
Why do we dip our hand into holy water & make the sign of the cross?
The Sign of the Cross reminds us to whom we belong: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By dipping our hand into holy water and making the Sign of the Cross, we are also reminded of our entrance into the Church through Baptism. It is for this reason that the placement of holy water is typically close to the entrance of the worship space. Baptism is also “the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to other sacraments” so that one can receive the Eucharist. (CCC 1213)
Why do we genuflect?
In medieval Europe, it was a custom to go down on one knee before a king or person of high rank. This practice gradually entered the Church recognizing that Jesus is the King of Kings and He is truly present in the Eucharist.
Why do we kneel?
Kneeling is a sign of humility and penitence. When we kneel, we are humbly worshiping and surrendering ourselves to our Heavenly Father.
Why do we sit?
Sitting is a posture of listening, learning, and waiting. We sit when we are listening to the first two readings during Mass and learning about the readings in the homily. We also remain seated while waiting for the Eucharistic elements to be prepared, a very meaningful gesture because then we stand when the priest is ready.
Why do we stand?
Standing is the posture that expresses respect, honor, and attentiveness and our readiness to carry out the Word of God.
Why do we sing?
God has given us music as a gift for our expression. We sing to unite our voices in a common expression and together we lift our hearts up to God.
Next week we will learn more about the Greeting in the Introductory Rites.
Bernadette Myers
MA Catechesis & Religious Education
Catechist Corner - Introductory Rites
Weekend of August 26-27
The purpose of the Introductory Rites is to bring us together, ready to listen to the Word of God and to receive His Body, the Eucharist. This part of the Mass begins with the Greeting and ends with the Opening Prayer.
What is the Greeting about?
The Greeting begins with the sign of the cross reminding us of our Baptism and the priest says, “The Lord be with you”. This greeting is an ancient biblical “hello” (e.g., Ruth 2:4) and reminds us that “where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20). We then respond, “And with your spirit” which returns the greeting and acknowledges that the priest has been given the Spirit of God through his ordination.
What is the Penitential Act?
An ancient document called the Didache (c.60) noted that the people came together on the Lord’s Day and gave thanks “after first confessing their sins.” The Penitential Act has several options. Each option begins with an invitation by the priest to recall our sins and a pause for silent reflection. The priest will conclude with this prayer, “May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.” While this prayer lacks the power to forgive sins directly, it brings to mind God’s mercy and forgiveness with the anticipation of receiving Holy Communion in the state of grace, which does have the power to forgive venial sins.
Where does the Glory to God come from?
We either sing or recite the very same hymn that the Angels proclaimed praising God at the birth of Christ (Luke 2:13-14).
What is the purpose of the Opening Prayer?
The Opening Prayer closes out the Introductory Rites. The priest asks us to join our minds in prayer. We pause as the priest offers our intentions and collects them into one prayer. We respond, “Amen” which is the Hebrew word for “So be it” or “I believe”.
Next week we will learn more about the Liturgy of the Word.
Bernadette Myers
MA Catechesis & Religious Education
Catechist Corner - Liturgy of the Word, Part 2
Weekend of September 9-10
After the Gospel, we sit to listen attentively to the homily. Then, we stand to profess our Catholic faith by reciting the Creed and petition God through the Universal Prayer.
Who can give the homily and what is its purpose?
Homilies are different than speeches. A homily is given by an ordained bishop, priest, or deacon and is only preached at liturgies (e.g., Mass, Baptisms, Confirmations, weddings, funerals, and ordinations). The homily will typically use texts from the Scripture readings that have just been proclaimed as a framework to help the congregation understand how to grow closer to God and as an encouragement to stay strong in the faith. It might also challenge us, but the purpose is to help form our consciences and direct us in the way we should live. On any given Sunday, Catholics around the world will hear the same Mass readings, but the homily may be very different from one homilist to another.
What is the meaning and history of the Creeds?
After the homily, we stand to recite the Nicene or Apostles’ Creed. The word creed comes from the Latin word credo, meaning “I believe.” Even though the two creeds are different, they both express a belief in our Catholic faith. The Apostles’ Creed is referred to as a faithful summary of the Apostles’ faith and was originally used as a baptismal creed beginning in the second century. At the heart of the Nicene Creed is the confession of Jesus Christ as consubstantial with the Father and was first articulated in 325 at the first ecumenical Council of Nicaea in response to the heresy of Arianism which denied that Jesus was God. The statements after “I believe in the Holy Spirit” that we say today, were added at the Council of Constantinople (381) and so technically speaking the Nicene Creed as we know it today is the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. The Roman Missal permits the option of using the Apostles’ Creed instead of the Nicene Creed. However, the Nicene Creed is more often recited at Holy Mass because it is a more detailed profession of our faith.
What are the other common names for the Universal Prayer and what are we generally praying for?
The other common names for the Universal Prayer are the Prayer of the Faithful, Petitions or Bidding Prayers. These prayers usually fall into four categories: the Church, nations and their leaders, people who are in special need, and the local needs of the parish. The priest usually begins the Universal Prayer with a brief introduction and concludes with a formal prayer. The petitions are announced, and the congregation is given an opportunity to respond with “Lord, hear our prayer” or something similar. As we anticipate approaching the altar to receive the Eucharist, we are praying together as the Body of Christ because we believe that God hears our prayers and will work through His people to bring healing and salvation to the world.
Next week, we will learn more about the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Bernadette Myers
MA Catechesis & Religious Education
Liturgy of the Eucharist, Part 1
After the Liturgy of the Word, we move to the ritual actions which begin with the Preparation of the Altar and Gifts.
What constitutes valid matter for the Eucharist?
The Roman Rite Catholics use unleavened bread made only of pure wheat flour and water, and wine only from grapes because that’s what Jesus used. He said to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24) so we follow His command. The church insists that these elements may not be substituted. For persons with celiac disease, the church permits low gluten hosts and, in some circumstances, mustum is allowed for those with alcohol intolerance.
What is the significance of the Preparation of the Altar and Gifts?
The Early Christians offered up gifts of bread and wine from their homes to be used for the Mass and to give to the clergy and the poor. Bread and wine symbolize a wonderful cooperation between God and His people. Today, monetary gifts are collected and offered up for the parish and the poor. Gifts of bread and wine are offered up that will be consecrated into the Eucharist. We lay upon the altar not only these gifts but ours, too. The gifts are not just bread and wine, but “the work of human hands.” Symbolically, that’s us on the altar, offering up our work, our difficulties of pain and sorrow, as well as our joys to God, the Father.
Why does the priest or deacon receive the offertory gifts?
Members of the parish take up the gifts (money, unleavened bread, water, and wine) and bring them to the priest or deacon who accepts these gifts and places the bread, water, and wine on the altar. Traditionally, the priest and deacon’s role were to receive and distribute the gifts from the community among those in need.
Why does the priest or deacon mix water with wine?
The priest or deacon mixes a drop of water with wine and says, “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” The wine represents Christ and the water represents our humanity. A drop of water becomes wine. Just as the water is transformed by the wine, we are transformed by Jesus when we receive the Eucharist.
Why does the priest (celebrant) wash his hands?
The priest (celebrant) washes his hands because the Jews in the time of Jesus washed their hands at meals. It also reminds us of the Last Supper. The priest then invites us to pray that the sacrifice be acceptable to God, and we respond “Amen” before standing to participate in the Eucharistic Prayer.
Next week, we will learn more about the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Bernadette Myers
MA Catechesis & Religious Education
Liturgy of the Eucharist, Part 2
Who is the Eucharistic Prayer addressed to?
The Eucharistic Prayer is a prayer addressed to God the Father at the center of Mass.
What is the structure of the Eucharistic Prayer?
The words of the prayer may vary from one Sunday to another. However, there is a common structure: 1) We remember the saving actions of God throughout history. 2) We recall what Jesus did for us, specifically at the memorial of the Last Supper, as well as His passion, death, and resurrection. 3) We petition God to continue His saving actions so we may become one body, one spirit in Christ.
How does the Eucharistic Prayer begin?
The Eucharistic Prayer begins with a greeting and an invitation which then becomes a conversation between the priest and the congregation. The priest greets us with “The Lord be with you” and he continues saying, “Lift up your hearts.” We respond to this invitation by saying that we are prepared to approach the altar table using these words, “We lift them up to the Lord.” Then we are invited to give thanks to the Lord our God and respond by saying, “It is right and just.” Giving thanks in Greek translates into the word, Eucharist and sets up the ritual action of the Eucharist.
What does epiclesis mean and when does the first epiclesis occur?
The word, ‘epiclesis’ is from the Greek meaning invocation or literally “a calling down”. The first epiclesis occurs when the priest extends his hands over the gifts and calls down the Holy Spirit’s intercession to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
When does the Consecration occur and what do we believe happens to the bread and wine?
The consecration occurs when the priest recalls the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Specifically, when the priest says, “This is my Body,” and “This is the Chalice of My Blood,” the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist still looks like bread and wine, but it IS the body and blood of Jesus. The Church calls this transformation “transubstantiation.” We join the priest by proclaiming the mystery of faith and then he recalls the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. It is important to note that the Sacrament of the Eucharist is not a simple reminder of an event that happened in history. It is the "fulfillment" of the "memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death, of his Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1341) through the liturgical celebration.
When does the second epiclesis occur and how is it different from the first epiclesis?
The second epiclesis occurs during the petition for unity. The priest calls down the Holy Spirit to come upon the Church and unite her more fully to Christ so that we “may become one body, one spirit in Christ” (Eucharistic Prayer III). Once again, the priest extends his hands and asks that “the unblemished sacrificial Victim to be consumed in Communion may be for the salvation of those who will partake of it” (GIRM, 79). In the first epiclesis, the Holy Spirit is implored to change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. In the second epiclesis, the Holy Spirit is implored to unite His people more fully to Jesus Christ.
What other prayers are added after the prayer for unity?
After the prayer for unity, the priest adds prayers of intercessions, praying for the local bishop, for the living and the dead, and for us through the intercession of the saints. The Eucharistic Prayer concludes with a prayer to glorify God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ and in the unity of the Holy Spirit as the priest prays, “Through him, with him, and in him…” We reply, “Amen” to unify our voices in glorifying God.
Next week, we will learn more about the third part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Communion Rite.
Bernadette Myers
MA Catechesis & Religious Education