Dear readers, this is our second article in the series on the “Holy Mass”. In the first article, we looked at the Liturgy of the Mass, the sacrament of the Eucharist and the parts into which the Holy Mass is divided. In this article, we will work on the structure, elements, parts, functions and ministries of the Mass.
Before we talk about the elements of the Mass, it is necessary to know that the Liturgy brings an aspect of beauty, therefore, it is necessary to understand that beauty is found in harmony and order. There is an aesthetic value in the Liturgy of the Mass, as the beauty found in the order is a way of elevating the soul to God. However, aesthetics can never be considered the purpose of the Mass. We know that God is infinite beauty; and the beauty of the Rite leads to the beauty of God.
The Mass and its elements
One of the elements of Holy Mass are the readings. These held within the Liturgy are essential moments in which God speaks to the people. A great master in the Sacred Scriptures, Saint Jerome, taught us that: “Having contact with the Sacred texts is essential for the believer, because to ignore the Scriptures is to ignore Christ himself.” Thus, like Saint Jerome, all saints emphasize contact with the Holy Scriptures and the solemn “place” of proclamation of them is at Holy Mass.
Another element of the Mass is the Eucharistic Prayer. This belongs to the priest, neither deacons nor lay people can do it. The Eucharistic is the culmination and center of the liturgical action and full attention must be paid, because the priest is acting as Christ, directing prayers to God on behalf of the people and all those present.
The preface is further divided into: Preface (inviting the faithful to raise their hearts to God, the preface introduces the assembly to the Eucharistic Mystery), the Holy (acclamation to God carried out by heaven and earth, that is, by the entire universe), the invocation of the Holy Spirit and Consecration (through Him Christ carries out his work on earth and transforms the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ), the Prayers and intercessions (the Church asks for unity, intercedes for the Pope and his assistants and intercedes for the faithful) and the final Doxology (it is used only by the priest to glorify God).
The parts of the Mass
The is divided into several parts, in addition to the two main ones (Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharistic Liturgy already discussed in the previous article) I want to address the other parts in more detail. They are: the Initial Rites, the Rite of Communion, the Rite of Peace and the Final Rites.
The Initial Rites are composed of the entry of the priest, the greeting to the faithful, the Penitential Act, the Glory and the Collect Prayer. The priest’s entry takes place with the opening song, they enter together with the priest: the deacon (if there is one) and the ministers who will help the priest. The entrance procession takes place solemnly, as it signifies the journey taken by Christ to Calvary. This solemnity is because, at Mass, the same sacrifice of Jesus takes place, but now, on the altar that is located in the presbytery.
First rites of the mass
The sign of the Cross and greeting to the faithful are the introductory rites of the Holy Mass, as the entire celebration takes place in the space of the Holy Trinity, says Pope Francis. There is also the Act which is an invitation to the faithful to recognize themselves as sinners and in need of God’s mercy; ending with the priest’s absolution, however, without the same effectiveness as the sacrament of penance.
Glória is a perfect hymn of praise because it addresses the Father and Jesus Christ through the unity of the Holy Spirit. And, finishing the initial rites, we have the Collect Prayer, the priest’s invitation to prayer and, at this moment, each believer can internally express their intentions. This prayer made by the priest is always addressed to God, through Christ, in the unity of the .
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Rite of Communion and Final. What are?
The Rite of Communion is composed of the Our Father prayer, which has a communal meaning; for the Prayer of Peace, which is a request for peace to people and the Church. In this part of the Holy Mass, those gathered ask for peace and unity for themselves and for all humanity. An example followed by Christ who, after the resurrection, gave his apostles the greeting of peace: “Peace be with you”.
After this moment, comes the breaking of the Bread (a gesture performed at the Last Supper) where the priest dips a fraction of the Bread into the chalice, representing the union of the Body and Blood of Christ. Soon after, we have , where each believer receives Jesus, it is a very important moment, therefore, it is necessary to be aware of this attitude.
Finally, the Finals take place with the greeting of the priest who says: “The Lord be with you” and the assembly responds: “He is among us” and, soon after, the blessing and the sending done by the deacon ( if applicable) or by the president of the celebration.
Functions and ministries of the Mass
Now we will define the roles of the deacon, the people of God, the acolyte, the reader, the psalmist and the choir. As we understand that the Mass is also a banquet and we are all His guests, there is nothing better than understanding each person’s role in the celebration.
The deacon’s functions at Mass are: proclaiming the message, preaching the Word, indicating the prayer intentions of the faithful, helping the priest, preparing the altar, distributing the Eucharist and, when necessary, indicating the gestures and bodily attitudes to the people. Their participation is extremely important and dates back to the time of the first Christians, who were chosen seven to help the Apostles.
The faithful represent the rescued people, the holy nation, which gives, offering, together with the priest, the holy sacrifice. They form a body, sometimes listening to the Word of God, sometimes responding with prayers and songs, generating a unity typical of the Liturgy of the Mass.
The , established by the bishop to help the priest and deacon, has the functions of preparing the altar, sacred vessels and the function of distributing the Eucharist. The spiritual formation of the acolyte is important, as many priestly vocations arose with the service of acolytes. In addition to training, enable him to better participate in Mass and in the appropriate functions.
What about the other participants in the mass?
The reader is also instituted by the to carry out the readings of the Holy Scriptures. With the exception of the Gospel, he can recite the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful and, in the absence of the psalmist, recite the Psalm. In the absence of an acolyte, he can help the priest and deacon in the service of the altar; In the absence of an established reader, another person can be called to carry out the readings.
The psalmist is responsible for uttering the Psalm or between the readings. He must proclaim the readings with good pronunciation and diction, providing everyone with a good understanding of what is read.
The choir is responsible for performing the songs, the appropriate musical parts, the animation and also the participation of the faithful, for this it is necessary to observe the rubrics. The singer must have a characteristic related to his role at Mass.