The Order of Mass

The Introductory Rites

The Introductory Rites help the faithful come together as one, establish communion and prepare themselves to listen to the Word
of God and to celebrate the Eucharist worthily.
All stand. The Priest approaches the altar with the ministers and Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
venerates it while the Entrance Song is sung.
Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.
Sign of the Cross
All make the Sign of the Cross as the Priest says: Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
Holy Spirit. Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
Amen. The Gloria
When indicated this hymn is either sung or said:
Greeting
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of
God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with
you all. Or:
Lord Jesus Christ. Or:
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Penitential Act
The Priest invites the faithful to the Penitential Act. Then one of the
Penitential Acts follows:
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers
and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my
thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and
in what I have failed to do,
And, striking their breast, they say:
through my fault, through my fault, through my
most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary
ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you,
my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the
Lord our God.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
For we have sinned against you.
Show us, O Lord, your mercy.
And grant us your salvation.
You were sent to heal the contrite of heart:
Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
You came to call sinners:
Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.
Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.
You are seated at the right hand of the Father to
intercede for us:
Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
The absolution by the Priest follows:
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our
sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
The Kyrie, eleison (Lord, have mercy) may follow.
Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
The Collect made. For us men and for our salvation he came
When this hymn is concluded, the Priest, says: down from heaven,
Let us pray. At the words that follow,up to and including and became man,all
And all pray in silence with the Priest for a while. bow.
Then the Priest says the Collect prayer, at the end of which the and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin
people acclaim: Mary, and became man.
Amen. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius
The Liturgy of the Word Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose
By hearing the word proclaimed in worship, the faithful again
enter into the unending dialogue between God and the covenant
again on the third day in accordance with the
people, a dialogue sealed in the sharing of the Eucharistic food and Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated
drink. at the right hand of the Father. He will come again
First Reading all sit in glory to judge the living and the dead and his
To indicate the end of the reading, the reader acclaims: kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy
The word of the Lord. Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds
Thanks be to God. from the Father and the Son, who with the Father
Psalm and the Son is adored and glorified, who has
After the First Reading the psalmist or cantor sings or says the spoken through the prophets. I believe in one,
Psalm, with the people making the response. holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one
Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look
Second Reading
On Sundays and certain other days there is a second reading. It
forward to the resurrection of the dead and the
concludes with the same response as above.
life of the world to come. Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only
Son, our Lord,
At the words that follow,up to and including the Virgin Mary,all bow.
Gospel who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the
The assembly stands to sing the Gospel Acclamation to welcome
the Gospel. They remain standing in honour of the Gospel reading,
Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
the high point of the Liturgy of the Word. crucified, died and was buried; he descended into
The Lord be with you. hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead;
And with your spirit. he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right
A reading from the holy Gospel according to N. hand of God the Father almighty; from there he
will come to judge the living and the dead.
Glory to you, O Lord. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic
At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims: Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness
The Gospel of the Lord. of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. everlasting. Amen.
The Homily all sit The Prayer of the Faithful
At the end of the Homily it is appropriate for there to be a brief After each intention there is a pause while the faithful pray.
silence for recollection.
Lord, in your mercy.
The Creed all stand Lord, Hear our prayer.
On Sundays and Solemnities, the Profession of Faith or Creed will The Priest concludes the Prayer with a collect.
follow. During Lent and Easter Time, especially, the Apostles’ Creed When the Liturgy of the Word has been completed, the people sit
may be used.
The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of
heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only
Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all
ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God
from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial
with the Father; through him all things were
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
For Catholics, the Eucharist is the source and summit of the whole Christian life. It is the vital centre of all that the Church is and does,
because at its heart is the real presence of the crucified, risen and glorified Lord, continuing and making available his saving work among us.
During the Offertory Song the gifts of bread and wine are brought in
procession. The Priest offers the prayers of blessing quietly at the altar. If the
priest says the prayers aloud the assembly’s acclamation each time is:
Blessed be God for ever. At
The Priest completes additional personal preparatory rites, and the
people rise as he says:
Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my
sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the the conclusion of the prayer the Priest takes the chalice and the
almighty Father. paten with the host and, raising both, he says
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands Through him, and with him, and in him, O God,
for the praise and glory of his name, for our good almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
and the good of all his holy Church. all glory and honour is yours, for ever and ever.
Then the Priest says the Prayer over the Offerings, at the end of which
the people acclaim:
Amen.
The Eucharistic Prayer
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit. The Communion Rite
Lift up your hearts. The Lord’s Prayer all stand
We lift them up to the Lord. At the Saviour’s command and formed by divine
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. teaching, we dare to say:
It is right and just. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy
The Priest concludes the Preface with the people, singing name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against us; and lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Deliver us, Lord, we pray…
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are
yours now and for ever.
Lord Jesus Christ…
The Priest continues with the EucharisticPrayer. Who live and reign for ever and ever.
After the words of Consecration the priest says: Amen.
The mystery of faith.
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And with your spirit.
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
All offer one another the customary sign of peace.
Breaking of the Bread
Invitation to Communion all kneel
After his private prayers of preparation the Priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice
says aloud:
Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be
healed.

Communion
The communicants come forward in reverent procession, and make a preparatory act of reverence by bowing their head in honour of Christ’s
presence in the Sacrament.
The Body (Blood) of Christ.
Amen.
After the distribution of Communion, if appropriate, a sacred silence may be observed for a while, or a psalm or other canticle of praise
or a hymn may be sung.
Prayer after Communion all stand
Let us pray.
All pray in silence. Then the Priest says the Prayer after Communion, at the end of which the people acclaim:
Amen.
The Concluding Rites
The Concluding Rites send the people forth to put into effect in their lives what they have received.
Blessing
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dismissal
Then the Deacon, or the Priest says one of the following:
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
Go in peace.
Thanks be to God