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The Order of Mass
A guide to the prayers and responses of the sacred liturgy.
The Introductory Rites
The priest approaches the altar with the ministers and venerates it. An entrance song may be sung.
Entrance Antiphon
Come and show us your face, O Lord, who are seated upon the Cherubim, and we will be saved.
Sign of the Cross
All make the Sign of the Cross as the priest says:
In the name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Greeting
The priest greets the people:
Either:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Or:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Or:
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
The priest may very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day.
Penitential Act
The priest invites the faithful to perform the Penitential Act:
Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
A brief pause for silence follows, and then one of the following Penitential Acts:
Form A — I confess (Confiteor)
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.
And, striking their breast three times, all say:
Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
The absolution by the priest follows:
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
The Kyrie
Either:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Or:
Kyrie, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison.
Christe, eleison.
Christe, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison.
The Gloria
The Gloria is omitted during Advent and Lent.
The Collect
Let us pray.
Then, the priest says the collect prayer:
O God, who sent your Only Begotten Son into this world to free the human race from its ancient enslavement, bestow on those who devoutly await him the grace of your compassion from on high, that we may attain the prize of true freedom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
All sit.
First Reading
Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. On that day your cattle will graze in broad pastures; and the oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat silage, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water—on a day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord binds up the injuries of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 147:1-6
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Praise the Lord ! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground.
The assembly stands to sing the Gospel Acclamation to welcome the Gospel. They remain standing in honor of the Gospel reading, the high point of the Liturgy of the Word. At the pulpit, the deacon or the priest says:
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
The priest or deacon announces the Gospel reading of the day. He then makes the Sign of the Cross on the book and, together with the people, on his forehead, lips, and breast.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Gospel
Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.
At the end of the Gospel, the deacon or the priest acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
After the proclamation of the Gospel the congregation is seated.
The Homily
At the end of the Homily it is appropriate for there to be a brief silence for recollection. The congregation then stands.
The Creed
On Sundays and Solemnities, the Profession of Faith or Creed will follow. During Lent and Easter Time, especially, the Apostles' Creed may be used.
The Prayer of the Faithful
After each intention, the minister says the following (or a variation of it):
We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
The priest says a concluding prayer. When the Liturgy of the Word has been completed, the people sit.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Offertory
During the Offertory Song the faithful usually express their participation by making an offering, bringing forward bread and wine for the celebration of the Eucharist and perhaps other gifts to relieve the needs of the Church and of the poor.
When he has received the bread and wine for the celebration, the priest offers prayer of blessing quietly at the altar. Sometimes these prayers are said aloud. If the priest says the prayers aloud, the assembly’s acclamation each time is:
Blessed be God for ever.
The priest completes additional personal preparatory rites, and the people rise as he says:
Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.
Then the priest says the Prayer over the Offerings:
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Preface
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
The priest continues to the Preface prayer:
Preface I of Advent: The two comings of Christ
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our Lord. For he assumed at his first coming the lowliness of human flesh, and so fulfilled the design you formed long ago, and opened for us the way to eternal salvation, that, when he comes again in glory and majesty and all is at last made manifest, we who watch for that day may inherit the great promise in which now we dare to hope. And so, with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of your glory, as without end we acclaim:
The Sanctus
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
After the singing of the Sanctus the congregation kneels for the Eucharistic Prayer.
The Eucharistic Prayer
Eucharistic Prayer I (The Roman Canon)
To you, therefore, most merciful Father, we make humble prayer and petition through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord: that you accept and bless ✠ these gifts, these offerings, these holy and unblemished sacrifices, which we offer you firstly for your holy catholic Church. Be pleased to grant her peace, to guard, unite and govern her throughout the whole world, together with your servant N. our Pope and N. our Bishop, and all those who, holding to the truth, hand on the catholic and apostolic faith. Remember, Lord, your servants (N. and N.) and all gathered here, whose faith and devotion are known to you. For them, we offer you this sacrifice of praise or they offer it for themselves and all who are dear to them: for the redemption of their souls, in hope of health and well-being, and paying their homage to you, the eternal God, living and true.
‘Communicantes’: usual form
In communion with those whose memory we venerate, especially the glorious ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, and blessed Joseph, her Spouse, your blessed Apostles and Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, (James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude; Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian) and all your Saints; we ask that through their merits and prayers, in all things we may be defended by your protecting help. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)
Therefore, Lord, we pray: graciously accept this oblation of our service, that of your whole family; order our days in your peace, and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation and counted among the flock of those you have chosen. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.) Be pleased, O God, we pray, to bless, acknowledge, and approve this offering in every respect; make it spiritual and acceptable, so that it may become for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
On the day before he was to suffer, he took bread in his holy and venerable hands, and with eyes raised to heaven to you, O God, his almighty Father, giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.
In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took this precious chalice in his holy and venerable hands, and once more giving you thanks, he said the blessing and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.
After the words of Consecration, the priest says:
The mystery of faith.
The people continue, acclaiming either:
We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
Or:
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
Or:
Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
Then the priest alone continues:
Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord, we, your servants and your holy people, offer to your glorious majesty from the gifts that you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation. Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim. In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God: command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high in the sight of your divine majesty, so that all of us, who through this participation at the altar receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)
Commemoration of the Dead
Remember also, Lord, your servants N. and N., who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace. Grant them, O Lord, we pray, and all who sleep in Christ, a place of refreshment, light and peace. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)
To us, also, your servants, who, though sinners, hope in your abundant mercies, graciously grant some share and fellowship with your holy Apostles and Martyrs: with John the Baptist, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, (Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia) and all your Saints; admit us, we beseech you, into their company, not weighing our merits, but granting us your pardon, through Christ our Lord. Through whom you continue to make all these good things, O Lord; you sanctify them, fill them with life, bless them, and bestow them upon us.
At the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer the priest takes the chalice and the paten with the host and, raising both, he alone says:
Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Communion Rite
The Lord's Prayer
The congregation stands and the priest says:
At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
Together with the people, he continues:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
The priest alone continues, saying:
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The people conclude the prayer, acclaiming:
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever.
Sign of Peace
Then the priest alone says aloud:
Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And with your spirit.
The deacon, or the priest, adds:
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
And all may offer one another a customary sign of peace.
Breaking of the Bread
During the breaking of the host the following is sung or said:
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
After the Lamb of God, the people kneel.
Invitation to Communion
After his private prayers of preparation the priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice says aloud:
Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
And together with the people he adds once:
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
Communion
Communion Antiphon
Behold, I am coming soon and my recompense is with me, says the Lord, to bestow a reward according to the deeds of each.
After the priest has consumed the Body and Blood of Christ, the communicants come forward in reverent procession, and make a preparatory act of reverence by bowing their head in honor of Christ’s presence in the Sacrament before receiving Holy Communion.
The priest says:
The Body of Christ.
Amen.
When Communion is ministered under both kinds the minister of the Chalice raises it slightly and shows it to each of the communicants, saying:
The Blood of Christ.
Amen.
After the distribution of Communion, if appropriate, a sacred silence may be observed for a while, or a psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may be sung.
Prayer After Communion
Then, the priest says:
Let us pray.
All stand and pray in silence. Then the priest says the Prayer after Communion:
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Concluding Rites
Any brief announcements to the people follow here. Then the dismissal takes place. Sometimes this takes a more elaborate form than that given below.
Blessing
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
The priest blesses the people, saying:
May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, ✠ and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dismissal
Either:
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
Or:
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
Or:
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
Or:
Go in peace.
Thanks be to God.