The Order of the Mass

Liturgy of the Word

Order of the Mass

The Introductory Rites are followed by the Liturgy of the Word.

Liturgy of the Word

I ntroduction

When we gather at a friends home for a meal, we always begin with conversation, telling our stories. At Mass, after the Introductory Rites, we sit down and listen as readings from the Word of God are proclaimed. These are the stories of Gods people. The Lectors, Cantor, and Celebrant proclaim the Word of God for us in readings from the Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament, and especially the Gospel.

Liturgy of the Word

The First Reading: The Hebrew Scriptures

The first reading is mostly chosen from the Old Testament and during some seasons the Book of Acts might be read. We recall the origins of our covenant. It will relate to the Gospel selection and will give background and an insight into the meaning of what Jesus will do in the Gospel.

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The R esponsorial Psalm

The Psalm reflects themes in the readings. The Psalm consists of an antiphon where the Cantor and the Congregation respond back and forth. This is a vehicle of prayer and praise - an atmosphere of prayer within which the readings occur.

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The Second R eading: The New Testam ent

This reading is also referred to as the Epistle, is usually from one of the letters in the New Testament which may also include the Book of Acts or the Book of Revelation. While the letters address particular situations in the early Church, their message still applies to us today.

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The Gospel Alleluia

Alleluia is a Latin echo of the Hebrew acclamation Praise God! and is a key word in Christian worship. Here it heralds the Gospel. When the Alleluia is being sung, Father processes with the Gospels held high to the Ambo. Christians acclaim the most wonderful deed of God among humankind, Jesus Christ, here made visible in the book containing His words and message to us all.

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The Gospel Reading

The Gospel is the climax of the liturgy of the word. Catholic faith teaches that in proclaiming the Gospel, Christ is truly present to the community. For this reason the community stands to witness to Christs resurrection which allows him to be present to his people. The priest introduces the Gospel reading while marking a small cross on his forehead, lips and heart with his thumb while praying silently that God cleans his mind and his heart so that his lips may worthily proclaim the Gospel. After the Gospel, the congregation sits for the Homily.

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The Hom ily

Christians believe that faith comes through preaching. (Romans 3:13-15). This idea is rooted in Jewish belief that the creative power of Gods word transforms human life. The homily takes the Word of God and applies it to our life situation today. Just as a large piece of bread is broken to feed individual persons, the word of God is broken open so it can be received and digested by the congregation. The homily is often followed by a few moments of silence where we each thank God for the word we have heard and apply the message of the readings to our daily life.

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The P rofession of Faith: The Creed

The Creed is a statement of our faith in the Word we have heard proclaimed in Scripture and the homily, and a profession of the faith that leads us to give our lives for one another as Christ gave his life for us. The Creed begins: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of

Heaven and Earth

Did you know that the creed is used by not only the Catholic Church, but also by Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Orthodox and many other Christian faiths?

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General I ntercessions: P rayers of the Faithful

The General Intercessions help us become who God is calling us to be. We pray for the Church, nations and their leaders, people in special need and the local needs of our parish. A Lector will announce the petitions, and we are usually given an opportunity to pray for the intentions in our heart, making some common response aloud like, Lord, hear our prayer. The Intercessions direct our faith which has been deepened through prayer and listening to Gods word to specific situations today. The Liturgy of the Word (our storytelling part of the Mass) comes to an end with the General Intercessions.

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The Liturgy of the Word is followed by the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

These slides were created as a training tool for Mission San Luis Rey Parish Altar Servers. Research for these slides was derived primarily from: A Walk Through the Mass by Thomas Richstatter, OFM featured on www.americancatholic.org and The Order of the Mass by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D., featured on www.catholic-resources.org Information was organized and presented by Laura Chun. Content was reviewed by Fr. Alvin Cachola, OFM