The Catholic Mass

1. The Catholic Mass

2. What is the purpose of Mass? • Complete the K-W-L Chart on your handout

3. The Mass • The Catholic Mass is the service where there are readings, a homily and the consecration of the Eucharist • Consecrated Eucharist: the bread and wine transform into the real presence of Jesus • Homily: The priest speaks about the readings and how they apply to our lives today • The Mass is the celebration of the Eucharist Roman Catholics see the Mass as a very important event

4. The Mass • Eucharist is a Greek term for the Jewish meal blessing • Eucharist is a celebration of God’s continuing care and His presence. • The Eucharist is the most important part of the Mass because it’s the consecration and distribution of Holy Communion

5. The Mass • At the end of Mass, Catholics are sent out into the world to use the instruction of God in their daily lives • The key is that Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is a part of history, but sacramentally present in matter and form

6. 4 Main Parts of the Mass: • Gathering Prayers • The Word • The Eucharist • Sending Forth

7. Gathering Prayers • The Lord bring us together • We ask for forgiveness • We give glory to God

8. The Word • We listen to the Word of God • We proclaim our faith • We pray for the whole world

9. The Eucharist • We present to God the bread and the wine which become the body and blood of Jesus • We give thanks to God • With Jesus, we offer our lives to God • We pray the “Our Father” • We give each other a sign of Jesus’ peace • During communion, we receive Jesus as our food

10. Sending Forth • The Lord sends us home to live the gospel

11. Colours at Mass

12. Have you ever noticed that the priest wears different colours at different times in the year? Do you think he's being fashionable or is there a purpose to changing colours? What do you think red, purple, green and white represent?

13. Vestment Colours • Vestment colours are used to represent the mood being celebrated. The colours for the altar cloth and celebrants (priests) sash will be of this colour. There are four possible vestment colours.

14. RED • The priest wears red on the Feasts of Martyrs • Martyrs are people who were killed because of a religious belief • Red signifies blood • Priest would wear red on days focused on Jesus’ death (Good Friday, Psalm Sunday)

15. PURPLE • Priests wear purple during the Advent and Lent Seasons. Pink is worn on the third Sunday of Advent. • The purple represents sorrow and suffering • Suffering awaiting the arrival of the Savior (Advent), and suffering to mark Christ’s 40 days in the desert (Lent)

16. GREEN • A Priest wears green during ordinary time • Green is the symbol of hope

17. WHITEORGOLD • Priests wear white during the Christmas and Easter Season • White symbolizes life • A priest wears white for funerals (celebrating life as oppose to mourning)

18. Important Terms • Transubstantiation: the change of the substance of bread and wine into that of the body and blood of Christ • Church Tabernacles: A small cupboard, chest or cabinet in which the consecrated hosts are kept • Priest: an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. Only priests can consecrate the Eucharist

19. Forms of Prayer in Mass • Group work (Prayer) • Read the prayer • Identify the FORM of the prayer • Using chart paper: write what this prayer is about in your own words Present in 10 Minutes