Order Of The Daily Mass
"Our Daily Bread"
CCC 1345

Have you ever wondered what takes  place at a Catholic Mass? There's lots of Catholics that would love to tell you about it. Unfortunately there are also a lot of people who will tell you all about it, but have never been to a Catholic Mass.  When learning about the Catholic Mass it’s best to witness one first hand by going directly to the source.  Here is a brief synopsis of what takes place at the Catholic Mass. Learning about the Catholic Mass in detail would take some study. For many it becomes a life altering event, where one can never get enough of it.  

INTRODUCTORY RITES

Entrance Song:

[An entrance song is sung  as the priest and the ministers enter the church and process to the altar; after reverencing the altar in recognition of Christ,, they go to their chairs.]

Greeting:

Priest:  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  [All together make the sign of the cross.]
All:  Amen.

Priest:  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All:  And also with you.

Penitential Rite:

Priest:    My brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.

      [or similar words of introduction, followed by a period of silent reflection.]

 All:  I confess to almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and 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.

Priest:  May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

All:  Amen.

Kyrie:

[The following acclamations are sung or recited.] 

Priest:  Lord, have mercy.   All:  Lord, have mercy.
Priest:  Christ, have mercy.  All:  Christ, have mercy.
Priest:  Lord, have mercy.   All:  Lord, have mercy.

Gloria:

[This ancient hymn of praise is used on all Sundays outside of Advent and Lent, on solemnities and feasts, and in solemn local celebrations. It is normally sung, preferably by the whole congregation, but may also be recited.]

All: 

you take away the sin of the world:  have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:  receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,  you alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High,  Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,  in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

Opening Prayer:

Priest:  Let us pray.
[After a time of silent prayer, the Priest sings or says the Opening Prayer, which is different for each Mass. At the end, the people proclaim their consent.]
All:  Amen.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading:

Lector:  A reading from the Book (or Letter, or Acts) of... 
[Different readings are prescribed for each day; after the lector ends, the people respond:]
Lector: The Word of the Lord.
All:  Thanks be to God!

Responsorial Psalm:

[The choir and/or cantor sing or recite the psalm; the people join in the repeated response.] 

Second Reading:

[A second reading is prescribed for all Sundays and major feasts, but not for most weekdays or minor feasts. The lector's introduction and conclusion and the people's response are the same as in the First Reading.] 

Alleluia or Gospel Acclamation:

Choir or Cantor:  Alleluia!   All repeat:  Alleluia!
Choir or Cantor:  [verse]    All repeat:  Alleluia!

[The "Alleluia" may be repeated two or more times, especially during the Easter Season. If it is not sung, it should be omitted.]
[During the Season of Lent, a different "Gospel Acclamation" is used, such as "Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!" or "Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!" or something similar.]

Gospel:

Before the Gospel Proclamation:
Priest:  The Lord be with you.   All:  And also with you.
Priest:  A reading from the Holy Gospel according to... [Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John]
All:  Glory to you, Lord!

After the Gospel Proclamation:
Priest:  The Gospel of the Lord.   
All:  Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Homily:
example

[The bishop, priest, or deacon then speaks to the people, usually focusing on that day's scriptures and/or on the feast or special occasion being celebrated at that Mass; but the homily may also be based on any liturgical text from the Mass.]

Profession of Faith:

[On Sundays and solemnities, the Nicene Creed is normally recited by everyone after the homily. In celebrations of Masses with children, the Apostles' Creed may be used instead.]

NICENE CREED:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, 
    maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. 
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, 
    eternally begotten of the Father, 
    God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, 
    begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. 
    Through him all things were made. 
    For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: 
    by the power of the Holy Spirit 
    he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
    For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
    he suffered, died, and was buried.
    On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
    he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
    and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, 
    who proceeds from the Father and the Son. 
    With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. 
    He has spoken through the Prophets. 
    We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. 
    We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 
    We look for the resurrection of the dead, 
    and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Presentation of the Gifts / Preparation of the Altar:

Priest:  Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.
All:  Blessed be God for ever.

Priest:  Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink.
All:  Blessed be God for ever.

[If there is no singing during the presentation of the gifts, the priest may say the preceding prayers aloud, and the people may respond. But if a presentation song is being sung, the priest recites these prayers inaudibly, and the people's response is omitted. Then, after the priest has washed his hands and the music is finished, he invites the people to join in prayer:]

Priest:  Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice (Christ died once for all- same sacrifice)
may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

                                                           

All:  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 the Church.

Prayer over the Gifts:

[The Priest sings or says this prayer, which is different for each Mass. At the end, the people respond:]
All:  Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer Example:

Lord, you are holy indeed, the fountain of all holiness. Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Before he was given up to death, a death he freely accepted, he took bread and gave you thanks, He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:

Take this, all of you, and eat it; this is my body which will be given up for you.

When the supper was ended, he took the cup. Again he gave you thanks and praise, gave the cup to his disciples, and said:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it; this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:

In memory of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this life-giving bread, this saving cup. We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, remember your Church throughout the world; make us grow in love, together with John Paul our Pope, {name} our bishop,a nd all the clergy. Remember our brothers and sisters who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again; bring them and all the departed into the light of your presence. Have mercy on us all; make us worthy to share eternal life with Mary, the virgin Mother of God, with the apostles, and with all the saints who have done your will throughout the ages. May we praise you in union with them, and give you glory through your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Preface Dialogue:
Priest:  The Lord be with you.   All:  And also with you.
Priest:  Lift up your hearts.   All:  We lift them up to the Lord.
Priest:  Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.   All:  It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Sanctus:
All:  Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
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.

Memorial Acclamation:
Priest:  Let us proclaim the mystery of faith: 
All:  A - Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
    or B - Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.
    or C - When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.
    or D - Lord, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the Savior of the World.

Great Amen:
Priest:  Through him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.
All:  Amen!  [may be sung more than once]

COMMUNION RITE

Lord's Prayer:

Priest:  Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave us.
      or  Jesus taught us to call God our Father, and so we have the courage to say:
      or  Let us ask our Father to forgive our sins and to bring us to forgive those who sin against us.
      or  Let us pray for the coming of the kingdom as Jesus taught us.

All:  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.

Priest:  Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
All:  For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.

Sign of Peace:

Priest:  Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever.
All:  Amen.

Priest:  The Peace of the Lord be with you always. 
All:  And also with you.

Deacon or Priest:  Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

Breaking of the Bread:

All: 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.

[This text may be sung or recited, and may be repeated several more times until the breaking of bread is finished.] 

Communion:

Priest:  This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper.
All:  Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Communion Minister:  The body of Christ.    Communicant:  Amen.
Communion Minister:  The blood of Christ.   Communicant:  Amen.

Communion Song:

[During the reception of Communion, an appropriate song is sung, or at least a short "Communion Antiphon" is recited.]

Period of Silence  or  Song of Praise:

[When the distribution of Communion is completed, there is a period of silence for individual prayer, or a psalm or song of praise may be sung.]

Prayer after Communion:

Priest:  Let us pray.
[All pray in silence for a while, unless a period of silence has already been observed. Then the Priest sings or says the Prayer after Communion, which is different for each Mass. At the end, the people proclaim their consent.]
All:  Amen.

CONCLUDING RITE

Greeting:

Priest:  The Lord be with you.
All:  And also with you.

Blessing:

Option A:  Simple Form

Priest:  May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

All:  Amen.

Dismissal:

Deacon or Priest:  Go in the peace of Christ.
    or  The Mass is ended, go in peace.
   or  Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All:  Thanks be to God!

 [Recessional and Closing Song]: