A Minute in the Church: The Mass

By Gus Lloyd

A Minute in the Church: The Mass is the third book in Gus Lloyd's A Minute in the Church series. In this book, you'll find 51 one-minute teachings about the Catholic Mass. From the names of the vessels and vestments to the deeper meaning behind the rituals and gestures, this book will help Catholics and non-Catholics alike come to a greater understanding and deeper appreciation of the Mass...in a minute!

• Language: English
• Publisher: eBookIt.com
• Release date: Apr 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781456625535

Book preview

concise.

Introduction

Same Thing, Different Names

Biblical Origins

Scripture in the Mass

Attending Mass

The Sunday Sabbath

Inside the Church

The Tabernacle

The Altar

Holy Water

The Smells and The Bells

Catholic Posture

The Priest

The Deacon

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

Books

Liturgical Colors

Vestments

Vesting Prayers

Vessels

Cloths

Mass Part One: The Liturgy of the Word

Mass Part Two: The Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Procession

The Penitential Rite

The Gloria

The First Reading

The Responsorial Psalm

The Second Reading

The Alleluia Verse

The Gospel

The Homily

Profession of Faith – The Creed

Prayers of the Faithful

The Offertory

Preparation of the Gifts

The Preface and Holy, Holy, Holy

The Eucharistic Prayer

Epiclesis

The Institution Narrative

The Major Elevation

The Mystery of Faith

The Great Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

The Sign of Peace

The Lamb of God

Lord, I Am Not Worthy

Holy Communion

Receiving Communion I

Receiving Communion II

Doing the Dishes

The Sending

Introduction

I don’t get anything out of Mass.

I’m not being fed at Mass.

I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard those two sentences. I could make an enormous donation to my favorite charity and still be a wealthy man. In my nearly 25 years on Catholic radio and in ministry, I have heard those words (and slight variations on them) more times than I can count. In fact, they may be the most common things people say when I ask them why they don’t go to Mass anymore. Truth be told, it makes me want to cry.

Believe me when I tell you I get it. In fact, I’ve been there and done that. I grew up Catholic but stopped going to Mass in my mid-to-late teens and stayed away for many years. Those exact same words probably came out of me at some time. Only after I returned to Christ and His Church did I develop a deep love for the Mass. It took time and study.

Why are these sentiments so common? Most people would probably say that they experienced bad liturgy. In other words, the music was terrible, the preaching was boring, the priest couldn’t be understood…the list goes on and on. Those reasons on the surface seem rather valid. After all, we’re an experiential people. When our experiences are less than optimal, we drift. We find ourselves not paying attention. Soon we’re more interested in what others are wearing or doing, and we’ve completely lost focus on what we should be paying attention to. Herein lies the greatest problem: we’re not paying attention. We get so distracted by the externals that we fail to see the greater reality of what is happening right before our very eyes.

I’m a great believer that if anyone had a complete understanding of the Catholic Mass, there is no way they would ever leave the Church. Why? Because they would understand that the Mass is the wedding feast of the Lamb. (Revelation 19:9) It is a participation in the heavenly banquet of the King. It is heaven on earth!

At Mass, we get to eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood. (John 6:53) I’ve often heard people say that Catholics don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. At Mass, we get to take Jesus – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – into our very bodies. He becomes part of us, one with us. It just doesn’t get any more personal than that, my friend.

That’s how I respond to the second comment above. When someone says they’re not getting fed at Mass, I remind them that they are being fed with the Bread of Life – Jesus. There is no greater food. No matter how bad the music is or how boring the preaching is or how unfriendly the congregation is, Jesus is present. I don’t mean to disregard anyone’s genuine feelings about their experience. I just want to stress