Catholic Massterclass: All About Holy Mass

After the Sign of the Cross and greeting, the Mass continues with the Penitential Act, a moment of humble preparation to enter the sacred mysteries. We begin not by pretending we are worthy, but by admitting that we are not — and trusting in the mercy of the God who calls us here. Maybe you remember last Sunday’s Gospel about the Pharisee and the tax collector. The tax collector stood off at a dis...

What most people would understand to be the official beginning of Mass is the Sign of the Cross, something all Catholics are taught to do from as early an age as possible. Interestingly enough, almost no other Protestant denomination makes the Sign of the Cross, even while they may begin “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” When we trace the Cross upon ourselves and i...

When the priest enters the sanctuary at the beginning of Mass, one of his first actions is to bow to the altar and then reverence it with a kiss. (Whenever the tabernacle is in the sanctuary, the bow to the altar is replaced by a genuflection.) This gesture is rich with meaning, even though it is often quiet and unnoticed.   The altar is the central symbol of Christ in the church. It is not just a...

At the beginning of every Mass, the priest walks in while the people stand and sing. This might seem like a simple way to “get things started,” but in reality it connects us with a deep biblical pattern of worship.   In the book of Exodus, we read that whenever Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to encounter the Lord, “all the people would rise and stand, each at the entrance of their tent, and l...

Finally, we move into the Mass with our Catholic Massterclass. Can you believe we spent the first 29 weeks talking about Catholic Mass before actually getting into the details of the Mass itself? I don’t know what you thought about that, but I have found the Mass to be such a rich source of connections between the past and the present and, of course, of the eternal future. I have especially enjoye...

For this week’s Catholic Massterclass, we’re going to dip our toes into something a little more controversial. To get to the point, I would like to ask a question: If you traveled to another country and tried to strike up a conversation, what language would you expect the people to speak? I hope the answer is obvious: you’d expect them to speak whichever language is primarily spoken in that countr...

We have just two weeks left of this portion of our Catholic Massterclass before we FINALLY start going through Mass step-by-step.   In the Gospel of Luke there is the famous story of the Road to Emmaus. Jesus has risen from the dead and appears to two disciples who are making their way to Emmaus from Jerusalem. He is hidden from their vision - they take up a conversation with Jesus and don’t reali...

Last week I spoke about the Roman Missal as the primary book used by the priest during Catholic Mass and this week I want to take a moment to look at the other main book used during Mass, which is the Lectionary. The word Lectionary comes from the Latin word lectio, which means “to read”.    The Church has always had a Lectionary, although it has taken different forms throughout history. Before Va...

One of the many great things about being Catholic is knowing that you can attend Holy Mass anywhere in the world and it will look and sound the same as everywhere else, even if it’s not being offered in your native language. On any given Sunday, the prayers and readings are the same all over the world. The offering of the Eucharist in worship is the same all over the world. It’s a great gift that...

Chalice Last Supper cup; also Roman banquet vessel (calix) Holds the Precious Blood. Symbol of Christ’s Passion (“the chalice of suffering”) and salvation (“chalice of blessing”). Noble materials (gold, silver, or gilded interior); dignified, non-porous. Paten Roman banquet plate (patina) Holds the bread to be consecrated into Christ’s Body. Sign of the breaking of bread at the Last Supper. Noble...

The past two sessions of our Catholic Massterclass have approached the topic of vestments worn by bishops and priests during Holy Mass. I hope that was helpful for you to hear about them and learn their names. These bulletin articles may help you have an opportunity to go back and review at your leisure.   This week I’m going to attempt to tackle a daunting topic, keeping in the theme of dressing...

The first vestment the priest puts on is his alb and amice, which is the white base layer that goes over his normal clothing. Not every priest wears an amice, including me, because some albs are created differently. The Latin word albus means “white” and the alb has its origins in the Roman tunic and has been used in the liturgy since around the 4th century. It reminds the priest of the white garm...

I’m excited for today’s Catholic Massterclass because we get to have a little show-and-tell. Last week I mentioned the vestment colors that the clergy wear during Mass and other liturgies. For the next two weeks I am going to focus on particular vestments, this week looking at the specific articles worn by bishops. It’s not very common to see a bishop during Mass, unless he comes for a Confirmatio...

Priests wear different colors during the year when offering Holy Mass. What do those colors mean? Why do we have different colors?

Pausing for a brief moment of reflection, it's worthwhile to consider whether we really believe all of this about the Mass. Do I think it's the most important moment each week? Do I believe what has been taught? If so, it makes sense to spend significant time preparing for Mass each time I go. Extra time in prayerful silence, reading the readings ahead of time, going to Confession, etc. Everything...

Catholics commonly genuflect when they come into a church. Why is that? The same Jesus is present in the Eucharist as was in the Gospels, so it is appropriate that we show Him similar honor and reverence as we see in the Gospels. When we genuflect before the Eucharist, we acknowledge the presence of the One who has the power of creation and rules our lives.

Catholics instinctively know to dip our hands into the holy water at the entrance of the church and bless ourselves with the sign of the cross. Do we know why we do it? This is a reminder of our baptism, an expression of being open to receiving grace from God, a bid for divine protection from evil, and a great way to prepare for worship.

Catholics a required to fast from food and water for one hour prior to receiving Holy Communion. Why is that a law? How long have Catholics done this? This Massterclass session explores this practice and the reasons for it.

The Lord gives instructions about the bread of the presence in the Old Testament (Exodus 25:30 and Leviticus 24:5-9), which is a sign of God's presence among the people and of the covenantal relationship they share. Jesus gives us a New Bread of the Presence in the Eucharist, which is more than a sign - the reality of His Presence among us and the New Covenant. Incredible!

Sometimes you may see the tabernacle with a veil over it or in front of it. There may be something similar in front of the altar. What is that all about?

An integral part of our worship is lifting our voices in song and chant. This has been part of liturgical worship since the time of David the king and has been a vital part of Christian worship from the beginning.

In the Temple worship, the priest would receive the offering from the people and then turn to offer the sacrifice to God on their behalf. He would face the same direction, the same Person in worship, as the people. The priest in Mass offers the sacrifice of the Eucharist on behalf of the people, which may be done facing the same direction as the people, ad orientem.

This week we look more closely at incense. It is found in Old Testament worship and in the Heavenly liturgy. It is also found in Catholic Mass. It points us to sacrifice. It symbolizes prayers rising to God. It brings greater dignity to worship. It engages the senses. It veils the holiness of God.

There were sacred vessels used in the Temple to carry out the particular sacrifices and offerings. We also use sacred vessels for Mass, which are truly holy and help us to recall the dignity of the Eucharist and of Mass.

We take a look at some of the core furnishings of the Temple and how they compare with some of the core furnishings of a Catholic Church.