At Mass
The Mass, step by step
Open a step to see what happens, why, where it comes from, and what to do with your body.
If you are not Catholic
You are welcome to come and watch, and to stand and sit with everyone. Catholic practice asks that people who are not Catholic do not receive Communion. Many parishes invite you to come forward with your arms crossed over your chest to receive a blessing instead. This is a matter of Church discipline, and it is not a judgment of you.
Colors
The color of the priest’s vestments follows the season of the Church year, which is the same color you see at the top of every page here: green for Ordinary Time, violet for Advent and Lent, white for Christmas and Easter, red for Pentecost and martyrs, and rose on two Sundays a year.
01Entrance and greeting
- What happens
- The priest and the other ministers walk in while the people sing. The priest makes the Sign of the Cross and greets the people.
- Why
- The community gathers, and the Mass begins in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Where it comes from
- Matthew 28:19. Psalm 122 (121 in the Douay numbering), a song for going up to worship.
- Posture
- Stand.
02Penitential act and Kyrie
- What happens
- Everyone admits they have fallen short and asks for mercy: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
- Why
- To come to the Eucharist reconciled, as Jesus asks in the Sermon on the Mount.
- Where it comes from
- Luke 18:13. Matthew 5:23-24.
- Posture
- Stand.
03Gloria
- What happens
- On Sundays outside Advent and Lent, a hymn of praise that begins with the angels' song over Bethlehem.
- Why
- Praise for what God has done, before anything is asked.
- Where it comes from
- Luke 2:14.
- Posture
- Stand.
04Liturgy of the Word
- What happens
- On Sundays there are three readings and a Psalm: from the Old Testament, then the Psalm sung in reply, then a New Testament letter, and last the Gospel. The Gospel is proclaimed by a priest or deacon.
- Why
- The Church reads Scripture aloud as it has since the earliest days. Catholics believe Christ is present when his word is proclaimed.
- Where it comes from
- Luke 4:16-21. Nehemiah 8:1-8. Luke 24:27.
- Early evidence
- Justin Martyr, First Apology 67: on Sunday the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, for as long as time allows.
- Posture
- Sit for the first readings and the Psalm. Stand for the Gospel.
05Homily and Creed
- What happens
- The priest or deacon explains the readings. On Sundays the people then say the Creed together.
- Why
- Preaching applies the Word to daily life. The Creed is the people's answer: this is what we believe.
- Where it comes from
- Luke 4:21. Romans 10:9-10.
- Early evidence
- Justin Martyr, First Apology 67: the one presiding speaks and urges the people to follow these good things.
- Posture
- Sit for the homily. Stand for the Creed.
06Prayer of the faithful
- What happens
- Prayers for the Church, the world, people in need and the local community. The people answer each one together.
- Why
- Christians pray for everyone, not only for themselves.
- Where it comes from
- 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
- Early evidence
- Justin Martyr, First Apology 65 and 67: common prayers are offered for all people.
- Posture
- Stand.
07Preparation of the gifts
- What happens
- Bread, wine and often a collection are carried forward. The priest offers the bread and wine with short prayers.
- Why
- Ordinary things, the fruit of the earth and of human work, are set apart for the Eucharist.
- Where it comes from
- Genesis 14:18. Malachi 1:11.
- Posture
- Sit during the offering. Stand for the prayer over the gifts.
08Eucharistic prayer
- What happens
- The center of the Mass. It includes the Holy, Holy, Holy, the words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper, and a prayer that the Holy Spirit change the gifts. It ends with the great Amen.
- Why
- Catholics believe the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. The Church calls this transubstantiation.
- Where it comes from
- Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8 behind the Holy, Holy, Holy. Matthew 26:26-28, Luke 22:19-20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 for the Last Supper. Exodus 12, the Passover meal.
- Early evidence
- Justin Martyr, First Apology 66: the food is called the Eucharist, and Christians receive it as the flesh and blood of Jesus, not as common bread and drink.
- Posture
- In the United States, kneel from after the Holy, Holy, Holy to the Amen. Elsewhere, local custom may differ.
09Communion rite
- What happens
- The Our Father, the sign of peace, the Lamb of God, and then Communion. Before receiving, Catholics say: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.
- Why
- To be joined to Christ and to one another.
- Where it comes from
- Matthew 6:9-13. John 14:27. John 1:29. Matthew 8:8. John 6:51-58. Luke 24:30-35, the breaking of bread.
- Early evidence
- Didache 9-10 and 14. Justin Martyr, First Apology 65 and 67: deacons give the bread and wine to those present and carry it to those who are absent.
- Posture
- Stand for the Our Father and the peace. In the United States, kneel after the Lamb of God, unless you are walking up to receive.
10Concluding rites
- What happens
- A blessing and a dismissal: Go in peace. The people answer: Thanks be to God.
- Why
- The people are sent back into the world. Many people say the Mass takes its name from the Latin dismissal, but that origin is not certain.
- Where it comes from
- Matthew 28:19-20.
- Posture
- Stand.
Sources
Sources marked "checked" have been compared with the original text. The rest were written from memory and still need checking.
Scripture
- Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8; John 1:29; Matthew 8:8; Luke 2:14; Luke 24:30-35 . Passages the Mass draws on. Not quoted here, so not yet compared with the Douay-Rheims text.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
- CCC 1324, 1332, 1345-1355, 1376 . The Eucharist, the order of the Mass and the real presence.
Church Fathers
- Justin Martyr, First Apology 65-67 (c. AD 155) . An outside description of Sunday worship: readings, a talk, common prayers, bread and wine, and Communion carried to those absent.
- Didache 9-10, 14 . An early Christian community text on the thanksgiving meal and Sunday worship. Date debated, often placed in the first or early second century.
Other
- General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 43 (postures) and 346 (colors) . [NEEDS SOURCE] paragraph numbers and the U.S. adaptation for kneeling are from memory.
- Code of Canon Law (1983), can. 844 . [NEEDS SOURCE] On who may receive Communion. Confirm the wording before relying on it.