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 venerates it
while the Entrance Song is sung.

Sign of the Cross

All make the Sign of the Cross as the Priest says:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the 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.

Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.

Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.

Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.

Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.

Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.

The Gloria
When indicated this hymn is either sung or said:

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you,

we bless you,

we adore you,

we glorify you,

we give you thanks for your great glory,

Lord God, heavenly King,

O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us;

you take away the sins of the world,

receive our prayer;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father,

have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

The Collect
When this hymn is concluded, the Priest, says:

Let us pray.

And all pray in silence with the Priest for a while. Then the Priest says the Collect
prayer, at the end of which the people acclaim:

Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

By hearing the word proclaimed in worship, the faithful again enter into the
unending dialogue between God and the covenant people, a dialogue sealed in
the sharing of the Eucharistic food and drink.

First Reading
All sit. To indicate the end of the reading, the reader acclaims:

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.
Psalm After the First Reading
The psalmist or cantor sings or says the Psalm, with the people making the
response.

Second Reading
On Sundays and certain other days there is a second reading. It concludes with
the same response as above.

Gospel
The assembly stands to sing the Gospel Acclamation to welcome the Gospel.
They remain standing in honour of the Gospel reading, the high point of the
Liturgy of the Word.

The Lord be with you.

And with your spirit.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to N.

Glory to you, O Lord.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Homily
All sit. At the end of the Homily it is appropriate for there to be a brief silence for
recollection.

The Creed
All stand. On Sundays and Solemnities, the Profession of Faith or Creed will
follow. During Lent and Easter Time, especially, the Apostles’ Creed 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 made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

(At the words that follow up to and including and became man, all bow)

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead

and the 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)

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died and was buried;

he descended into hell;

on the third day he rose again from the dead;

he ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;

from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayer of the Faithful

After each intention there is a pause while the faithful pray.

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer.

The Priest concludes the Prayer with a collect. When the Liturgy of the Word has
been completed, the people sit.

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.

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 almighty Father.

May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of
his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.

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.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right and just.

The Priest concludes the Preface with the people, singing

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

The Priest continues with the Eucharistic Prayer. After the words of Consecration
the priest says:

The mystery of faith.

We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you
come again.

Or:

When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O
Lord, until you come again.

Or:

Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have
set us free.

At the conclusion of the prayer the Priest takes the chalice and the paten with the
host and, raising both, he says:

Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, for ever and ever.

Amen.

The Communion Rite

The Lord’s Prayer

All stand.

At the Saviour’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy 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, from every evil… 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, who said to your Apostles… Who live and reign for ever and
ever.

Amen.

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

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

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:

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

Or:

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

Or:

Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

Or:

Go in peace.

Thanks be to God.