The Mass

The Communion procession is over, the remaining Eucharist is reserved in the tabernacle, the vessels are put away and the Communion music is finished. What next? Let's not allow this precious moment to pass too swiftly. And for God's sake, don't head for the parking lot early!

After the "Great Amen" everything looks the same: the appearance of bread and wine, a regular man in unusual garments and a gathering of common people of various ages, races, languages and states in life. On the surface, it all seems ordinary. But our faith affirms that Jesus Christ is really present. The bread and wine have actually become his body and blood; the priest is acting in Christ's person; and we, the assembly, are given God's Spirit so we also become the body of Christ. What happens next?

Now that the bread and wine - the fruit of our lives - are at a dignified place on the altar, the assembly stands and begins a dialogue with the priest that's difficult to translate: "The Lord be with you." "And also with you" (literally, "and with your spirit").

Before moving forward let's review. One week ago, we saw that the church considers the Liturgy of the Word power-packed. What the liturgy's actions say, the word of God enacts. Or as the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" says: "The liturgical word and action are inseparable both insofar as they are signs and instruction and insofar as they accomplish what they signify."

Of the articles I am writing for this series on the Mass, I am really excited about this one: the Liturgy of the Word. For too long, we have assumed, "Protestants get the Bible, Catholics get the sacraments." Wrong.

Last week I mentioned a few concepts that help us appreciate the Mass, such as symbolic objects, words and actions, timelessness, active participation and changed lives. Now let's look more closely at the beginning of Mass.

"Ite, Missa est." This is the Latin ending of the Mass, rendered in English as: "The Mass is ended, go in peace."