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Mar 13th, 2011
14. The Lord’s Prayer and the Sign of Peace
Today we are going to explore two parts of the Mass which follow right after the Eucharistic Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer and the Sign of Peace Before we begin, let’s review. From last week you will recall that the Eucharistic prayer ends with something called the “Doxology” and the response of the people, called the “Great Amen.” These final words are strong expressions of faith and joy They are the... Posted on
Mar 13th, 2011
13. Intercessory Prayer, Doxology and the Great AMEN!
Together today we will take a final look at the Eucharistic Prayer by considering the last three “parts” 1. Intercessory Prayer, 2. The Doxology 3. The Great Amen. First we will begin with the part of the Eucharistic Prayer which is a prayer of “Intercession” After we proclaim the Mystery of Faith, Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again the Eucharistic prayer proceeds to become an... Posted on
Mar 2nd, 2011
12. Memorial Acclamation & Anamnesis
Today we invite you to continue to deepen your understanding of the Eucharistic Prayer by examining the Memorial Acclamation & Anamnesis (Remembrance) Recall . . .The Eucharistic Prayer is the Central Part of the Mass. It has the appearance of a re-enactment of the Last Supper, but it is much more. It is an act of making Jesus present through the power of the Holy Spirit in the Church, and through the... Posted on
Feb 16th, 2011
10. The Eucharistic Prayer . . . “The Heart of the Mass.”
For the next few weeks we are going to learn about the part of the Mass that is called the Eucharistic Prayer. The Eucharistic Prayer is truly the “Heart of the Mass”. The Eucharistic prayer encompasses the moment when the consecration of the Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus occurs. I. The most obvious part of the Eucharistic prayer we recognize is the narration of that part of the Last... Posted on
Feb 9th, 2011
9. The Offertory Procession
Among the actions of Mass that might make you wonder “why we do it?” is the procession of the gifts of Bread and Wine. This occurs after the priest gives his homily and the Creed and Prayer intentions are offered. The Procession is a moment of transition in our celebration of Mass from the Liturgy of the Word (the Bible Readings & Homily) to the Liturgy of the Eucharist (Holy ... Posted on
Feb 9th, 2011
8. The Entrance Procession
To properly understand the procession with which Mass begins we need to call to mind this reality: this world isn’t all we get. We are just passing through, we are sojourners, travelers, not settlers in this world. There is no better reminder that we have no permanent home in this world, than the reality of death. The words of the Bible and our Sacred Liturgy affirm this truth with an accent on Hope. The... Posted on
Feb 9th, 2011
7. Mass ~ an Un-bloody Sacrifice
One way to speak of the Mass is to say it is Un-bloody Sacrifice. Making a sacrifice to a god is something we tend to associate with primitive people, living on a remote volcanic island. Because we are aware that a volcano is simply a natural processes of our planet, we find such forms of sacrificial worship primitive: And when they involve the sacrifice of living human beings, we are horrified. It is... Posted on
Feb 9th, 2011
6. The act of “Entering the Church for Mass:”
In many ways, St. Julies Church is organized like any other public building designed to accommodate many people: It has a large parking lot, a wide entrance, and ample seating . . much like an auditorium or conference hall. - Therefore, it is easy for us to approach and enter the Church as we would any other building without giving it much thought. We park the Car. We walk through the door. We find a... Posted on
Feb 9th, 2011
4. Why do we need an elaborate Church building to pray?
1. We can pray anywhere; in our homes, outside, and in any ordinary building. We can also pray at any time during the day or week. We could say that there is no “time” or “space” which is off limits to worshiping God: But we could also say that there are better times and better places than others, (A quiet room in the evening is probably way better than Grand Central Station at rush... Posted on
Dec 12th, 2010
3. Where does Mass come from? Who invented it?
The Mass derives from the earliest celebration of the Apostolic Church known as “the breaking of the Bread” which included the “teaching of the Apostles” and “prayers” according to Chapter 2 of the Acts of the Apostles. Even the Resurrection account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in the Gospel of Luke (24:13-35), includes the two main components of the Mass as we know it: The risen Lord...
