Mass is the usual English-language name for the
Eucharistic celebration in the
Latin liturgical rites of the
Catholic Church. The term is used
also of similar celebrations in
Old
Catholic Churches, in the
Anglo-Catholic tradition of
Anglicanism, in many
Lutheran church, and in a small number of
High Church Methodist parishes. For the celebration of the
Eucharist in
Eastern Churches,
including
those in
full communion with the
Holy See, other terms such as the
Divine Liturgy, the
Holy Qurbana and the
Badarak are normally used. Most Western
denominations not in full communion with the Catholic Church also
usually prefer terms other than
Mass.
For information on the theology of the Eucharist and on the
Eucharistic liturgy of other
Christian
denominations, see "
Eucharist" and
"
Eucharistic theology".
The term "Mass" is derived from the
Late
Latin word
missa (dismissal), a word used in the
concluding formula of Mass in Latin:
"Ite, missa est" ("Go; it is the
dismissal").
Mass in the Catholic Church
The
Council of Trent reaffirmed
traditional Christian teaching that the Mass is the same Sacrifice
of
Calvary offered in an unbloody manner:
"The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the
ministry of
priests, who
then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is
different. And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated
in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody
manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an
unbloody manner... this sacrifice is truly propitiatory"
(
Doctrina de ss. Missae sacrificio, c. 2, quoted
in
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1367). The Council
declared that
Jesus instituted the Mass at his
Last Supper: "He offered up to God the
Father His own body and blood under the species of bread and wine;
and, under the symbols of those same things, He delivered (His own
body and blood) to be received by His apostles, whom He then
constituted priests of the New Testament; and by those words, Do
this in commemoration of me, He commanded them and their successors
in the priesthood, to offer (them); even as the Catholic Church has
always understood and taught."
The Catholic Church sees the Mass as the most perfect way it has to
offer
latria (adoration) to God. The Church
believes that "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical
ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the
Eucharist and are oriented toward it." It is also Catholic belief
that in objective reality, not merely symbolically, the wheaten
bread and grape wine are converted into Christ's body and blood, a
conversion referred to as
transubstantiation, so that the whole
Christ, body and blood, soul and divinity, is truly, really, and
substantially contained in the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Texts used in the Roman Rite of Mass
The
Roman Missal contains the prayers,
antiphons and rubrics of the Mass. Earlier editions also contained
the Scripture readings, which were then fewer in number. The latest
edition of the Roman Missal gives the normal ("ordinary") form of
Mass in the Roman Rite. But, in accordance with the conditions laid
down in the
motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of 7 July 2007,
the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal, the latest of the editions
that give what is known as the
Tridentine Mass, may be used as an
extraordinary form of
celebrating the Roman-Rite Mass.
In the United States and Canada, the English translation of the
Roman Missal is at present called the
Sacramentary.The
Lectionary presents passages from the
Bible arranged in the order for reading at each day's
Mass. Compared with the scripture readings in the pre-1970 Missal,
the modern Lectionary contains a much wider variety of passages,
too many to include in the Missal.A
Book of
the Gospels, also called the Evangeliary, is recommended for
the
reading from the Gospels, but,
where this book is not available, the Lectionary is used in its
place.
Structure of the Roman Rite of Mass
Within the fixed structure outlined below, the Scripture readings,
the
antiphons sung or recited during the
entrance procession or communion, and the texts of the three
prayers known as the
collect, the prayer
over the gifts, and the postcommunion prayer vary each day
according to the liturgical season, the feast days of titles or
events in the life of Christ, the feast days and commemorations of
the saints, or for Masses for particular circumstances (e.g.,
funeral Masses, Masses for the celebration of Confirmation, Masses
for peace, to begin the academic year, etc.).
Introductory rites
The
priest enters, with a
deacon, if there is one, and altar servers.
The deacon may carry the Book of the Gospels, which he will place
on the altar, and the servers may carry a processional cross and
candles and incense. During this procession, ordinarily, the
entrance chant is sung. If there is no singing at the entrance, the
entrance antiphon is recited either by some or all of the people or
by a lector; otherwise it is said by the priest himself. When the
priest arrives at his chair, he leads the assembly in making the
sign of the cross, saying: "In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit", to which the people answer: "Amen."
Then the priest "signifies the presence of the Lord to the
community gathered there by means of the Greeting. By this Greeting
and the people’s response, the mystery of the Church gathered
together is made manifest" (
General Instruction of the Roman
Missal, 50).
[8933] The greetings are derived from the
Pauline epistles.
Then the priest invites those present to take part in the
Act of Penitence, of which the Missal
proposes three forms, the first of which is the
Confiteor. This is concluded with the priest's
prayer of absolution, "which, however, lacks the efficacy of the
Sacrament of Penance" (
GIRM 51). "On Sundays, especially
in the Season of Easter, in place of the customary Act of
Penitence, from time to time the blessing and sprinkling of water
to recall Baptism may take place" (
GIRM 51).
"After the Act of Penitence, the
Kyrie is
always begun, unless it has already been included as part of the
Act of Penitence. Since it is a chant by which the faithful acclaim
the Lord and implore his mercy, it is ordinarily done by all, that
is, by the people and with the choir or cantor having a part in it"
(
GIRM 52). The Kyrie may be sung or recited in the
vernacular language or in the original
Greek.
"The
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
is a very ancient and venerable hymn in which the Church, gathered
together in the
Holy Spirit, glorifies
and entreats
God the Father and the
Lamb. ... It is sung or said on Sundays outside the Seasons of
Advent and
Lent, on
solemnities and feasts, and at special celebrations of a more
solemn character" (
GIRM 53). In accordance with that rule,
the Gloria is omitted at
funerals. It is
also omitted for ordinary feast-days of saints, weekdays, and
Votive Masses. It is also optional, in
line with the perceived degree of solemnity of the occasion, at
Ritual Masses such as those celebrated for Marriage ("Nuptial
Mass"),
Confirmation or
Religious Profession, at Masses on the
Anniversary of Marriage or Religious Profession, and at Masses for
Various Needs and Occasions.
"Next the priest invites the people to pray. All, together with the
priest, observe a brief silence so that they may be conscious of
the fact that they are in God’s presence and may formulate their
petitions mentally. Then the priest says the prayer which is
customarily known as the
Collect and through
which the character of the celebration is expressed" (
GIRM
54).
Liturgy of the Word
On Sundays and solemnities, three Scripture readings are given. On
other days there are only two. If there are three readings, the
first is from the
Old Testament (a
term wider than
Hebrew Scriptures,
since it includes the
Deuterocanonical Books), or the
Acts of the Apostles during
Eastertide. The first reading is followed
by a
Responsorial Psalm, a
complete
Psalm or a sizeable portion
of one. A
cantor,
choir or lector leads, and the congregation sings or
recites a refrain. The second reading is from the
New Testament, typically from one of the
Pauline epistles.
If a deacon participates, he reads
the Gospel and can also give the homily.
A priest, bishop, or even the Pope should not proclaim the
Gospel if a deacon is present.
The final reading and high point of the Liturgy of the Word is the
proclamation of the
Gospel. This is preceded
by the singing or recitation of the Gospel Acclamation, typically
an
Alleluia with a verse of Scripture,
which may be omitted if not sung. Alleluia is replaced during
Lent by a different acclamation of praise. All
stand while the
Gospel is chanted
or read by a
deacon or, if none is available,
by a priest. To conclude the Gospel reading, the priest or deacon
proclaims: "This is the Gospel of the Lord" (in the United States,
"The Gospel of the Lord") and the people respond, "Praise to you,
Lord Jesus Christ." The priest or deacon then kisses the
book.
A bishop, priest or deacon may then give a
homily, a
sermon that
draws upon some aspect of the readings or the liturgy of the day.
The homily is obligatory on Sundays and
Holy Days of Obligation, and is
highly encouraged for other days.
On Sundays and solemnities, all then profess their Christian faith
by reciting or singing the
Nicene Creed
or, especially from Easter to Pentecost, the
Apostles' Creed, which is particularly
associated with baptism and often used with Masses for
children.
The Liturgy of the Word concludes with the General
Intercessions or "Prayers of the Faithful." The
priest speaks a general introduction, then a deacon or lay person
addresses the congregation, presenting some intentions for prayer,
to which the congregation responds with a short response such as:
"Lord hear our prayer". The priest may conclude with a
supplication.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
The linen
corporal is spread over
the center of the altar, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins
with the ceremonial placing on it of bread and wine. These may be
brought to the
altar in a procession,
especially if Mass is celebrated with a large congregation. The
bread (wheaten and unleavened) is placed on a
paten, and the wine (from grapes), mixed with a little
water, is put in a
chalice. As the
priest places each on the corporal, he says a silent prayer over
each individually, which, if this rite is unaccompanied by singing,
he is permitted to say aloud, in which case the congregation
responds to each prayer with: "Blessed be God forever." Then the
priest washes his hands, "a rite that is an expression of his
desire for interior purification."
The congregation, which has been seated during this preparatory
rite, rises, and the priest gives an exhortation to pray: "Pray,
brethren, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty
Father." The congregation responds: "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 Church." The priest then
pronounces the variable prayer over the gifts that have been set
aside.
The
Eucharistic Prayer, "the
center and summit of the entire celebration", then begins with a
dialogue between priest and people. This dialogue opens with the
normal liturgical greeting, but in view of the special solemnity of
the rite now beginning, the priest then exhorts the people: "Lift
up your hearts." The people respond with: "We lift them up to the
Lord." The priest then introduces the great theme of the Eucharist,
a word originating in the Greek word for giving thanks: "Let us
give thanks to the Lord, our God," he says. The
congregation joins in this sentiment, saying: "It is right to give
him thanks and praise."
The priest then continues with one of many Eucharistic Prayer
prefaces, which lead to the
Sanctus
acclamation: "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."
In some
countries, including the United States
, the people kneel immediately after the singing or
recitation of the Sanctus. However, the general rule is that
they kneel somewhat later, for the
Consecration, when, according to Catholic
faith, the whole substance (what they are prior to the
consecration) of the bread and wine is converted into that of the
body and blood of Christ (which are now inseparable from one
another and from his soul and divinity), while the accidents (or
appearances) of bread and wine remain unaltered (see
Transubstantiation).
The Eucharistic Prayer includes the
Epiclesis, through which the Church implores the
power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts that have been set aside
may become Christ's body and blood and that the Communion may be
for the salvation of those who will partake of it.
The central part is the
Institution
Narrative and Consecration, recalling the words and actions of
Jesus at his
Last Supper, which he told
his disciples to do in remembrance of him..
Immediately after the
Consecration and
the display to the people of the consecrated elements, the priest
invites the people to proclaim "the mystery of faith", and the
congregation joins in reciting the
Memorial Acclamation. The Roman Missal
gives three forms of this acclamation. The 1973 English
translation, which, perhaps at the end of 2009, is to be replaced
by a revised text, added another ("Christ has died ...") and put it
in first place. In Ireland yet another form ("My Lord and my God")
is permitted.
The Eucharistic Prayer also includes the
Anamnesis, expressions of offering, and
intercessions for the living and dead.
It concludes with a
doxology, with the
priest lifting up the paten with the host and the deacon (if there
is one) the chalice, and the singing or recitation of the
Amen by the people. The unofficial term "The Great
Amen" is sometimes applied to this Amen.
Communion rite
All together recite or sing the "
Lord's
Prayer" ("Pater Noster" or "Our Father"). The priest introduces
it with a short phrase and follows it up with the prayer: "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."
The people then add the
doxology: "For the
kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and
forever."
Next comes the
rite of peace
(
pax). After praying: "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 ", the
priest wishes the people the peace of Christ: "The peace of the
Lord be with you always." The deacon or, in his absence, the priest
may then invite those present to offer each other the sign of
peace. The form of the sign of peace varies according to local
custom for a respectful greeting (for instance, a handshake or a
bow between strangers, or a kiss/hug between family members).
While the "
Lamb of God" ("
Agnus Dei" in Latin) litany is sung or recited,
the priest breaks the host and places a piece in the main chalice;
this is known as the rite of fraction and commingling.
If extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are required, they may
come forward at this time, but they are not allowed to go to the
altar itself until after the priest has received Communion (General
Instruction of the Roman Missal, 162). The priest then presents the
transubstantiated elements to the congregation, saying: "This is
the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Happy are
those who are called to his supper." Then all repeat: "Lord, I am
not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be
healed." The priest then receives Communion and, with the help, if
necessary, of extraordinary ministers, distributes Communion to the
people, who, as a rule, approach in procession. When receiving Holy
Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the
Sacramentas a gesture of reverence, and may receive the
consecratedhost either on the tongue or in the hand, at the
discretion of each communicant. The distributing minister says:
"The body of Christ" or "The blood of Christ", according as the
element distributed is the consecrated bread or the consecrated
wine, or: "The body and blood of Christ", if both are distributed
together (by
intinction). The communicant
responds: "Amen."
While Communion is distributed, an appropriate song is recommended.
If that is not possible, a short
antiphon
is recited before the distribution begins.
"The sacred vessels are purified by the priest, the deacon, or an
instituted acolyte after Communion or after Mass, insofar as
possible at the credence table" (
GIRM 279). Then the
priest concludes the Liturgy of the Eucharist with the Prayer after
Communion, for which the people are invited to stand.
Concluding rite
After the Prayer after Communion, announcements may be made. The
Missal says these should be brief. The priest then gives the usual
liturgical greeting and imparts his blessing. The liturgy concludes
with a dialogue between the priest and congregation. The deacon, or
in his absence, the priest himself then dismisses the people. The
Latin formula is simply "
Ite, missa
est", but the 1973 English Missal gives a choice of dismissal
formulas. The congregation responds: "Thanks be to God." The priest
and other ministers then leave, often to the accompaniment of a
recessional hymn, and the people then depart. In some countries the
priest customarily stands outside the church door to greet them
individually.
Time of celebration of Mass
Since the
Second Vatican
Council, the time for fulfilling the obligation to attend Mass
on Sunday or a
Holy Day of
Obligation now begins on the evening of the day before, and
most parish churches do celebrate the Sunday Mass also on Saturday
evening. By long tradition and liturgical law, Mass is not
celebrated at any time on
Good Friday
(but Holy Communion is distributed, with hosts consecrated at the
evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, to those
participating in the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord) or on
Holy Saturday before the
Easter Vigil (the beginning of the celebration
of Easter Sunday), in other words, between the annual celebrations
of the Lord's Supper and the Resurrection of Jesus (see
Easter Triduum).
Deacons, priests and bishops are required to celebrate the
Liturgy of the Hours daily, but are not
obligated to celebrate Mass daily. "Apart from those cases in which
the law allows him to celebrate or concelebrate the Eucharist a
number of times on the same day, a priest may not celebrate more
than once a day" (canon 905 of the Code of Canon Law), and "a
priest may not celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice without the
participation of at least one of the faithful, unless there is a
good and reasonable cause for doing so" (canon 906).
Priests may be required by their posts to celebrate Mass daily, or
at least on Sundays, for the faithful in their pastoral care. The
bishop of a diocese and the pastor of a parish are required to
celebrate or arrange for another priest to celebrate, on every
Sunday or
Holy Day of
Obligation, a Mass "pro populo" - that is, for the faithful
entrusted to his care.
For Latin-Rite priests, there are a few general exceptions to the
limitation to celebrate only one Mass a day (
General
Instruction of the Roman Missal, 204). By very ancient
tradition, they may celebrate Mass three times at Christmas (the
Midnight Mass or "Mass of the Angels", the Dawn Mass or "Shepherd's
Mass", and the Day Mass or "Mass of the Divine Word", each of which
has its own readings and chants).
On
All Souls' Day they may also, on
the basis of a privilege to all priests by
Pope Benedict XV in August 1915, celebrate
Mass three times; only one of the three Masses may be for the
personal intentions of the priest, while the other two Masses must
be applied, one for all the faithful departed, the other for the
intentions of the Pope. A priest who has concelebrated the Chrism
Mass, which may be held on the morning of Holy Thursday, may also
celebrate or concelebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper that
evening. A priest may celebrate or concelebrate both the Mass of
the Easter Vigil and Mass during Easter day (the Easter Vigil
"should not begin before nightfall; it should end before daybreak
on Sunday"; and may therefore take place at midnight or in the
early hours of Easter morning). Finally, a priest who has
concelebrated Mass at a meeting of priests or during a pastoral
visitation by a bishop or a bishop's delegate, may celebrate a
second Mass for the benefit of the laity.
In addition to these general permissions, the Local Ordinary may,
for a good reason, permit priests to celebrate twice (they are then
said to "binate," and the act is "
bination") on weekdays, and three times ("trinate,"
and "trination") on Sundays and Holy Days (canon 905 §2). Examples
would be: if a parish priest were to need to celebrate the usual,
scheduled daily Mass of a parish, and a funeral later in the
morning, or three Masses to accommodate all of the parishioners in
a very populous parish on Sundays. In particularly difficult
circumstances, the Pope can grant the diocesan bishop permission to
give his priests faculties to trinate on weekdays and quadrinate on
Sundays.
In many countries, the bishop's power to permit priests to
celebrate two Masses on one day and three Masses on one day is
widely availed of, so that it is common for priests assigned to
parish ministry to celebrate at least two Masses on any given
Sunday, and two Masses on several other days of the week.
Permission for four Masses on one day has been obtained in order to
cope with large numbers of Catholics either in mission lands or
where the ranks of priests are diminishing.
Summary table
| Situation |
Masses permitted |
Masses required |
| Normal weekday |
1 |
0 |
| Normal Sunday |
1 |
1 |
| All Souls' Day |
3 |
1 |
| Christmas Day |
3 |
1 |
| Easter |
2 |
1 |
| Holy Thursday |
2 |
1 |
| Weekday with permission of Local Ordinary |
2 |
1 |
| Sunday or Holy Day with permission of Local Ordinary |
4 |
1 |
Duration of the celebration
The length of time that it takes to celebrate Mass varies
considerably. While the
Roman Rite
liturgy is shorter than other liturgical rites, it may on solemn
occasions - even apart from exceptional circumstances such as the
Easter Vigil or an event such as
ordinations - take over an hour and a half. The length of the
homily is an obvious factor that contributes
to the overall length. Other factors are the number of people
receiving Communion and the number and length of the chants and
other singing.
For most of the second millennium, before the twentieth century
brought changes beginning with
Pope Pius
X's encouragement of frequent Communion, the usual Mass was
said exactly the same way whether people other than a server were
present or not. No homily was given, and most often only the priest
himself received Communion. Moral theologians gave their opinions
on how much time the priest should dedicate to celebrating a Mass,
a matter on which canon law and the Roman Missal were silent. One
said that an hour should not be considered too long. Several others
that, in order to avoid tedium, Mass should last no more than half
an hour; and in order to be said with due reverence, it should last
no less than twenty minutes. Another theologian, who gave half an
hour as the minimum time, considered that Mass could not be said in
less than a quarter of an hour, an opinion supported by others,
including Saint
Alphonsus Liguori,
who said that any priest who finished Mass in less than that time
could scarcely be excused from mortal sin.
Special Masses
Ritual Masses
A Mass celebrated in connection with a particular rite, such as an
ordination, a wedding or a profession of religious vows, may use
texts provided in the "Ritual Masses" section of the Roman Missal.
The rite in question is, most often, a sacrament, but the section
has special texts not only for Masses within which Baptism,
Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Orders, and Holy Matrimony are
celebrated, but also for Masses with religious profession, the
dedication of a church, and several other rites. Confession
(Penance or Reconciliation) is the only sacrament not celebrated
within a Eucharistic framework and for which therefore no Ritual
Mass is provided.
The Ritual Mass texts may not be used, except perhaps partially,
when the rite is celebrated during especially important liturgical
seasons or on high ranking feasts.
A Nuptial Mass is a Ritual Mass within which the sacrament of
Holy Matrimony is celebrated. If one
of a couple being married in a Catholic church is not a Catholic,
the rite of Holy Matrimony outside Mass is to be followed. However,
if the non-Catholic has been baptized in the name of all three
Persons of the
Trinity (and not only in the
name of, say, Jesus, as is the baptismal practice in some branches
of Christianity), then, in exceptional cases and provided the
bishop of the diocese gives permission, it may be considered
suitable to celebrate the marriage within Mass, except that,
according to the general law, Communion is not given to the
non-Catholic (
Rite of Marriage, 8).
Mass in Anglicanism
- See also: Anglican
Eucharistic theology
"Mass" is one of many terms used to describe the
Eucharist in the Anglican tradition, the others
being "Holy Communion," "Holy Eucharist," "the Lord's Supper," and
"the Divine Liturgy." In the English-speaking Anglican world, the
term used frequently connotes the
Eucharistic theology of the one using
it. "Mass" is considered an
Anglo-Catholic term. Middle-of-the-road
Anglicans almost uniformly use the recently re-introduced word
"
Eucharist".
Structure of the rite
The various Eucharistic liturgies used by national churches of the
Anglican Communion have
continuously evolved from the early editions of the
Book of Common Prayer, which was
loosely based upon the
Pre-Tridentine Mass. The structure of
the liturgies, crafted in the tradition of the
Elizabethan Settlement, allows for a
variety of theological interpretations, and generally follows the
same rough shape. Some or all of the following elements may be
altered or absent depending on the rite, the liturgical season and
use of the province or national church:
- The Gathering of the Community: Beginning with
a Trinitarian-based greeting or
seasonal acclamation; followed by
the Collect for Purity; the
Gloria in Excelsis Deo or
some other song of praise, Kyrie
eleison, and/or Trisagion; and then
the collect of the day. During Lent and/or Advent especially,
this part of the service may begin or end with a penitential
rite.
- The Proclamation of the Word: Usually two to
three readings of Scripture, one of which is always from the
Gospels, plus a psalm
(or portion thereof) or canticle between
the lessons. This is followed by a sermon or
homily; the recitation of the Apostles', Nicene or Athanasian Creeds; the prayers of the
congregation or a general intercession, a general confession and
absolution, and the passing of the peace.
- The Celebration of the Eucharist: The gifts of
bread and wine are brought up, along with other gifts (such as
money and/or food for a food bank, etc.), and an offertory prayer is recited. Following this, a
Eucharistic Prayer (called "The
Great Thanksgiving") is offered. This prayer consists of a dialogue
(the Sursum Corda), a preface, the
sanctus and benedictus, the Words of Institution, the
Anamnesis, an Epiclesis a petition for
salvation and a Doxology. The Lord's Prayer precedes the fraction (the breaking of the bread),
followed by the Prayer of Humble
Access and/or the Agnus Dei, and the
distribution of the sacred elements (the bread and wine). After all
who have desired to have received, there is a post-Communion
prayer, which is a general prayer of thanksgiving. The service
concludes with a Trinitarian blessing and the dismissal.
The liturgy is divided into two parts: The Liturgy of the Word and
the Liturgy of the Eucharist, but the entire liturgy itself is also
properly referred to as the Holy Eucharist. The parts and sequence
of the liturgy are almost identical to the
Roman Rite, except the Confession of Sin ends the
Liturgy of the Word in the Anglican rites in North America, while
in the Roman Rite and in Anglican rites in the rest of the world
the Confession is near the beginning of the service. Some
Anglo-Catholic parishes, especially in the
Church of England, use the present-day
Ordinary Form of the
Roman Rite for celebrating Mass.
Special masses
The Anglican tradition includes separate rites for nuptial masses,
funeral masses, and votive masses. The Eucharist is an integral
part of many other sacramental services, including
ordination and
Confirmation.
Ceremonial
A few
Anglo-Catholic parishes use
Anglican versions of the Tridentine Missal, such as the
English Missal,
The Anglican Missal, or
American Missal, for the
celebration of mass, all of which are intended primarily for the
celebration of the Eucharist. Many Anglo-Catholic parishes in the
Church of England use the Mass of
Paul VI or
A Manual of Anglo-Catholic Devotion (successor
to the earlier
A Manual of Catholic Devotion). In the
Episcopal Church USA, a
traditional-language, Anglo-Catholic adaptation of the 1979
Book of Common Prayer has been
published (
An Anglican Service Book).
All of these books contain such features as meditations for the
presiding celebrant(s) during the liturgy, and other material such
as the rite for the blessing of palms on Palm Sunday,
proper for special feast days, and
instructions for proper ceremonial order. These books are used as a
more expansively
Catholic context in
which to celebrate the liturgical use found in the
Book of Common Prayer and related
liturgical books.
These are supplemented by books specifying ceremonial actions, such
as
A Priest's Handbook by David Michno,
Ceremonies of
the Eucharist, by Howard E. Galley, and
Ritual Notes
by E.C.R. Lamburn. Other guides to ceremonial include the
General Instruction of
the Roman Missal,
Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite
(Peter Elliott),
Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described
(Adrian Fortescue), and
The
Parson's Handbook (
Percy
Dearmer).
Mass in Lutheranism
In the
Book of Concord, Article XXIV
("Of the Mass") of the
Augsburg
Confession (1530) begins thus: "Falsely are our churches
accused of abolishing the Mass; for the Mass is retained among us,
and celebrated with the highest reverence. We do not abolish the
Mass but religiously keep and defend it . . . we keep the
traditional liturgical form ' ' ' In our churches Mass is
celebrated every Sunday and on other holy days, when the sacrament
is offered to those who wish for it after they have been examined
and absolved (Article XXIV)".
While
Martin Luther rejected parts of
the Roman Rite Catholic Mass (specifically the
Canon of the Mass), he replaced it with a
revised rite,
Formula missae
in Latin and later with the vernacular
Deutsche Messe. He argued that the parts he
rejected did not conform with , which contrasts the Old Testament
priests, who needed to make a sacrifice for sins on a regular
basis, with the single priest Christ, who offers his body only once
as a sacrifice, and also with , , and .
In
German, the
Scandinavian languages, and
Finnish,
Lutherans use the word corresponding to the
English word "Mass" for their corresponding service, but in
English they usually call it Holy
Communion, Divine Service, the Lord's Supper or Holy
Eucharist.
The celebration of the Mass in Lutheran churches reveals the rather
conservative nature of Luther's reformation. Essentially the
service follows the ancient rite starting with public confession by
all and absolution by the priest/pastor. Followed by the entrance
hymn/introit, kryie, gloria, collect, the readings and alleluia,
sermon and recitation of the Nicene creed. The service of the
sacrament includes the prayer of the church, preface, sanctus and
eucharist prayer, elevation of the host and chalice and invitation
to the holy communion. The Lamb of God/agnus dei is chanted while
the clergy and assistants first commune followed by lay
communicants. Post communion prayers and the final blessing by the
priest ends the Mass. A Roman Catholic or Anglican would find its
elements familiar, in particular the use of the sign of the cross,
kneeling for prayer, bowing to the processional cross and the
altar, chanting, and vestments.
Lutherans traditionally offer holy communion each Sunday at least
in one of the services and eucharistic ministers take the
sacramental elements to the sick in hospitals and nursing homes.
The ancient practice of celebrating Mass each Sunday is as Martin
Luther wanted and the Lutheran confessions teach but is not
observed in every Lutheran parish though the norm is weekly. This
restoration of the weekly Mass has been strongly encouraged by the
bishops and pastors and is now the common practice among
Lutherans.
Mass in Methodism
Mass in the
Methodist churches differs
from that of the Catholic churches. Mass is another term, in
Methodist churches, for the liturgical celebration of the
Eucharist. The service consists of responsive
readings from the liturgy, songs from the Methodist Hymnal,
responsive hymns, cantoring, a homily, receiving the sacraments of
the
Eucharist, and prayer. Methodist mass
is usually celebrated, depending on the parish, weekly or monthly.
It is also performed on holy days such as
Maundy Thursday or
Christmas Eve. The receiving of communion is
open to anyone who is of a
Christian
faith.
See also
References
External links
Roman Catholic doctrine
Present form of the Roman rite of the Mass
Tridentine form of the Roman rite of the Mass
(For links on Post-Tridentine vs. "Tridentine" controversy,
see Mass of Paul VI)
Anglican Doctrine and practice
Lutheran doctrine
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