Outline for a lesson on the Roman Catholic Mass

1. The History and
Mystery of the Mass

2. “The Source and Summit”

3. Cultural Influences from the Mass
• building stories
• television seasons
• pretzels
• malt lager bock beer
• courtroom (examples
next)

4. Sanctuary Parallels to Courtroom
 High altar=judge bench
 Altar rail=Bar
 Ambo=witness stand
 Black clerical garb=judges robe
 Law 'clerk' comes from word cleric

5. The Mass is in a sense older
than the Last Supper
Melchizedek
Abel
(why we don’t have to recreate the Last Supper in detail)

6. Torah Scrolls (10 The Body, Blood, Soul and
Commandments) Divinity
“the Holy of

8. Pope
St. Clement
founder of liturgical
tradition, said the Mass
should imitate worship
by angels
church sanctuary
should be a
glimpse of heaven

9. The Altar
• must be stone to represent the "living stone rejected"
(not "on this rock I will..")
• five crosses inscribed on top represent Jesus' wounds
• the point of encounter between heaven and earth

10. Parts of the Mass
• I. Intro. Rite
• II. Liturgy of the Word
• III. Liturgy of the Eucharist

11. Introductory Rite
• Procession
• Confedior
• Kyrie
• Gloria

12. Liturgy of the Word…spoken
• First Reading
• Second Reading
• Gospel

13. Liturgy of the Word…
explained and prayed
• Homily
• Credo (Profession of Faith)
• Prayers of the Faithful

14. The First
Homily?

15. Liturgy of the Eucharist
Part I. Eucharistic Prayer
• Offertory/Presentation of the Gifts
• Mixing of water (people) and wine (Jesus)
• Prayer of the Holy Trinity (“secret prayer”)
• Eucharistic Prayer (“Canon”)
Sanctus (Holy x3)
Doxology

16. Liturgy of the Eucharist
Part II. Communion Rite
• The Lord’s Prayer
• Sign of Peace
• Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)
• Holy Communion

17. Awe of the Eucharist
“the highest of angels don’t dare touch the
consecrated Body of Christ” –St. John Chrysotom
“Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in its
hand a live coal which it had taken from the altar
with a pair of tongs. With this it touched my
mouth and said: 'Look, this has touched your lips,
your guilt has been removed and your sin
forgiven.” Isaiah 6:6-7
only in persona christi do the priests dare to touch
and distribute the Eucharist- 3 requirements:
consecrated, ordained and veiled hands

18. Don’t Try to Add to or
Improve on the Mass
• “This is the Word of the Lord”
• “This is the Body of Christ”
the Mass should change you (not vice versa)
EME, not EM

19. Leave that to the Pros…
• "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter
under my roof."
• “I believe in one God…”
• “For You and for many that sins may be
forgiven…”
• "The Lord be with you/And with your spirit."

20. The End