![]() ![]() This secular mark of honor gradually entered the Church and people began to genuflect to honor the altar and the presence of Christ in the tabernacle before entering the pew. Genuflection: In medieval Europe, it was a custom to go down on one knee (to genuflect) before a king or person of rank. At every Mass we renew our promises to die to sin. This ritual is a reminder of our Baptism: We were baptized with water and signed with the cross. Use of water: One of the first things we Catholics do when we come to church is, dip our right hand in water and make the sign of the cross. When friends come for a meal or a party, we greet them at the door and welcome them into our home. Greeters/Ushers: In many churches today, there will be someone at the door to greet you as you arrive for Sunday Mass: We all like to be greeted and welcomed when we gather for a celebration. The purpose of these rites is to bring us together into one body, ready to listen and to break bread together. The reason behind each of the ritual actions of the first part of the Mass can be found in this word: gathering. ![]() Gathering: Coming together, assembling, is at the heart of our Sunday worship. On our walk through the Mass we will follow this same map: we will see ritual acts of 1) gathering, 2) storytelling, 3) meal sharing and 4) commissioning. When friends gather for a meal, they sit and talk: Eventually they move to the table, say grace, pass the food and eat and drink, and finally take their leave and go home. The point is, the shape of the Mass, even when viewed as sacrifice, is that of a meal. This is not to say it is “just another meal” or that we are ignoring the Mass as sacrifice. The basic “shape” of the ritual of the Mass can be described as a meal. It is not merely a meal which reminds us of the Last Supper, or a Passion play which helps recall Good Friday, or a Sunrise Service which celebrates the Lord’s Resurrection. What is the Mass or Liturgy? A good way to describe the Mass is to say that it is Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday made present today in ritual. ![]() In the Eucharist, too, we have many ritual actions which we perform without asking why. And when we are accustomed to a certain way of doing things, we seldom ask why we do it that way. You know, our daily lives have their rituals also: There are set ways of greeting people, eating, responding to a text. When the priest says, “The Lord be with you,” without any thought or hesitation the congregation responds, “And with your Spirit.” The priest says, “Let us pray,” and the congregation stands up. One of the basic, distinctive marks of our way of praying is ritual: We do things over and over. We Catholics know what is going to happen next. With this consideration, I am going to explain every part of the Mass in the forthcoming bulletins, hoping that you would read and profit by it. I feel that a simple explanation on each part of the Mass may help you to recognize the value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If we understand the value of the Mass, we would certainly participate in it actively and regularly. Hence, the Church teaches us to participate in the Holy Mass regularly on Sundays and on Holydays of obligation and also on weekdays, whenever possible. As Catholics, we know that the Holy Mass is the center of our faith and the source of divine life. ![]()
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