A Biblical Walk Through the Mass

1. Foundations: Mass as Sacrifice, Real Presence, and Holy Communion

All that happens in the Mass is difficult to summarize in a brief sentence or two, for the entire mystery of redemption is bound up with the Eucharistic liturgy.

Three foundational aspects. The Mass is the central act of Christian worship, celebrating the Eucharist instituted by Jesus. Understanding the Mass involves grasping three key aspects: it is a sacrifice, it contains the real presence of Jesus, and it is holy communion with Our Lord. These mysteries are foundational to appreciating the depth of the liturgy.

Mass as sacrifice. The Mass sacramentally makes present Christ's redeeming sacrifice on Calvary. Jesus' words at the Last Supper, speaking of his body given up and blood poured out, had strong sacrificial overtones, recalling Jewish rites. The Jewish concept of "memorial" (anamnesis) means the event is made present, not just remembered. Thus, the Mass "re-presents" Christ's sacrifice, applying its saving power to our lives.

Real Presence and Communion. The Eucharist is not merely a symbol; it is the substantial presence of Jesus' body, blood, soul, and divinity (transubstantiation). Jesus taught we must truly eat his flesh and drink his blood (Jn 6). This presence continues in the tabernacle, where Jesus awaits us. Holy Communion is the climax, a meal following the sacrifice, uniting us intimately with Christ and each other, transforming us as we partake of his life.

2. The Sign of the Cross: Invoking God's Power and Protection

Whenever we make the sign of the cross—whether at Mass or in our private devotions—we enter a sacred tradition that goes back to the early centuries of Christianity, when this ritual was understood to be a source of divine power and protection.

Ancient and powerful prayer. The sign of the cross is more than a ritual; it's a powerful prayer invoking God's presence, blessing, and protection. Early Christians frequently used it, seeing it as a source of divine power, a defense against temptation and evil, and a mark distinguishing God's faithful people. The theologian Tertullian noted its constant use in daily life.

Biblical roots. The ritual has roots in Ezekiel's vision of a cross-like mark (taw) on the foreheads of the righteous for protection (Ez 9). Revelation also depicts saints sealed on their foreheads (Rv 7). Making the sign expresses our desire to be set apart from the world's ways and invokes God's protection, asking him to guard us from harm and evil, strengthening us against temptation and in trials.

Calling on God's name. Saying "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" invokes the Triune God's presence and power. In Scripture, calling on God's name signifies worship and seeking help (Gn 4:26, Ps 124:8). Jesus' name is also powerful (Phil 2:9-11). At Mass, we begin by consecrating ourselves and the liturgy to God, acknowledging that we approach him through the divine life received at baptism and praying for its growth.

3. "The Lord be with you": A Call to Mission with Divine Presence

On several occasions when God calls someone in this way, either he or his angels addresses the person with the assurance that “The Lord is with you.”

More than a greeting. This liturgical exchange is not casual; it's a profound biblical greeting used when God calls individuals to daunting missions. Figures like Moses, Joshua, Gideon, and Mary heard this assurance when tasked with challenges beyond their human capacity, reminding them to rely on God's presence.

Assurance in our mission. Hearing "The Lord be with you" at Mass reminds us of our own high calling as God's children, each with a unique mission in life (marriage, family, work, faith). Like the biblical heroes, we may feel inadequate, but the greeting assures us that God is with us to support us through life's trials, challenges, and spiritual struggles, enabling us to accomplish more than we could alone.

Acknowledging priestly grace. The response "And with your spirit" acknowledges the Holy Spirit's unique activity through the priest by virtue of his ordination. It's a prayer for the priest to be finely tuned to perform the sacred duties, recognizing that he acts in the person of Christ. This highlights the theological significance of the ordained ministry in leading the liturgy.

4. Confession and Mercy: Cleansing Our Unworthiness

Mercy is not to be seen as a higher power like a monarch randomly pardoning criminals in his kingdom. It is about God’s love for us, even in the face of our sins.

Preparing for sacred encounter. Just as ancient Israelites prepared to meet God at Sinai by washing garments, we prepare for the profound encounter with Christ in the Eucharist by confessing our sins. The Confiteor ("I confess") follows a long biblical tradition of public and private confession (Neh 9:2, Ps 32:5, Jas 5:16). Early Christians confessed faults before the Eucharist (Didache).

Examination of conscience. The Confiteor prompts reflection on four areas of sin:

• Thoughts (Mt 5:22, 27-28, Phil 4:8)
• Words (Jas 3:5, Col 3:9)
• What we have done (Ten Commandments)
• What we have failed to do (Jas 4:17, Col 3:12-15)
  This reminds us Christianity is about imitating Christ and growing in love, not just avoiding sin.

Heartfelt contrition and mercy. The new translation emphasizes the seriousness of sin with "I have greatly sinned" and the three-fold "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault," accompanied by striking the breast. This expresses deep sorrow. The Kyrie Eleison ("Lord, have mercy") is a three-fold plea for God's mercy, understood not as mere pardon but as God's loving response to a contrite heart (Ps 51:17), like the father welcoming the Prodigal Son. It's also a petition for help in our afflictions, echoing biblical cries for mercy (Mt 9:27, Lk 17:13).

5. The Gloria: Joining the Heavenly Chorus of Praise

The opening line of the Gloria is taken from the words sung by the angels over the fields of Bethlehem, announcing to the shepherds the good news of Christ’s birth: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased” (Lk 2:14).

Angelic hymn of praise. The Gloria shifts the tone to joyful praise, beginning with the angels' song at Christ's birth. Singing these words at Mass connects us to the mystery of Christmas, as Christ is made present on the altar. The prayer is a mosaic of biblical titles and expressions of praise, joining us with salvation history's figures and the heavenly hosts.

Praising the Triune God. The prayer follows a Trinitarian pattern, praising the Father as "God, almighty Father" and "heavenly King," acknowledging his omnipotence within his loving Fatherhood. It then praises Jesus as "Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son," recognizing his divine Sonship and Incarnation. The hymn culminates by praising Jesus "with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father," offering homage to the Holy Trinity.

The story of Christ and counter-cultural witness. The Gloria summarizes Christ's saving work: his coming ("Only Begotten Son"), his redeeming death ("Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world"), and his triumph ("seated at the right hand of the Father"). Calling Jesus "the Holy One," "the Lord," and "the Most High" uses biblical titles for God. Proclaiming "you alone are the Lord" was counter-cultural in the Roman world (Jesus, not Caesar, is Lord) and challenges us today to give Christ our ultimate allegiance above all worldly things.

6. The Liturgy of the Word: God Speaks Personally to Us

In the Liturgy of the Word, therefore, we encounter the words of God Himself spoken personally to each one of us.

Nourished by two tables. The Mass has two main parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, seen as two tables feeding God's people. The Word leads to the Eucharist, forming "one single act of worship." We need both God's inspired word and the Incarnate Word in the Blessed Sacrament.

God's own speech. The Scriptures are not just human words about God; they are God's own words, "God-breathed" (theopneustos, 2 Tm 3:16), spoken through human authors. Hearing the readings is a personal encounter with God. The lector serves as an instrument through whom God proclaims his Word. Responding "Thanks be to God" expresses gratitude for this divine communication, echoing St. Paul's thanksgiving for Christ's victory (Rom 7:25).

A grand tour of Scripture. The Liturgy of the Word follows ancient Jewish practice of reading Scripture in worship. The three-year cycle covers Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament, and Gospel, often highlighting connections between Old and New Testaments, showing how the Old is fulfilled in Christ. The readings correspond to the liturgical year, walking us through Christ's life and the mysteries of faith, allowing us to participate in these saving events annually.

7. The Creed: Our Counter-Cultural Profession of Faith

We must see the Creed we recite at Mass as our Shema.

Summarizing salvation history. The Creed, though not Scripture itself, summarizes the biblical narrative from creation to Christ's return, focusing on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It originated in baptismal rites and later served to define doctrine and combat heresy. "What the Scriptures say at length, the creed says briefly."

Our modern Shema. Like ancient Israel's monotheistic Shema ("Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord"), our Creed is counter-cultural in today's relativistic world. It proclaims a universe created by one true God with a divine plan, revealed in Jesus Christ. It implicitly acknowledges the cosmic battle between good and evil and reminds us that our beliefs and choices matter, as we will be judged by Christ.

Personal adherence and renewal. Saying "I believe" (as in the new translation) is more than intellectual assent; it's a personal entrusting of one's life to God, taking one's stand on Him ('aman). Reciting the Creed weekly renews this commitment, challenging us to surrender more of our lives to God and examine who or what is truly at our center. The new translation also restores precise theological language like "consubstantial" and "incarnate," offering opportunities for deeper reflection on Christ's divine nature.

8. The Preparation of Gifts: Offering Ourselves with Bread and Wine

Ultimately, the rite symbolizes our giving of our entire lives to God in the offering of bread and wine.

Ancient practice of offering. The presentation of gifts (Offertory) dates back to the early Church, where bread, wine, and other goods were brought forward. Bread and wine were common offerings in Israelite sacrifices, symbolizing the fruit of labor and, by extension, the giving of oneself.

Symbol of self-giving. Offering bread and wine, "fruit of the earth and work of human hands," symbolizes offering our entire lives, our work, and our sacrifices to God. Even monetary offerings represent hours of our lives. God doesn't need these gifts, but we need to grow in self-giving love.

Uniting our gifts with Christ. The immense value of our meager offerings comes from uniting them with Christ's perfect sacrifice. The priest brings our gifts to the altar, where Christ's sacrifice is made present, expressing our union with his offering to the Father. The prayer "May my sacrifice and yours be acceptable to God" highlights this union, recognizing Christ's sacrifice ("my") and the Church's offering of itself in union with him ("yours").

9. The Eucharistic Prayer: Making Christ's Sacrifice Present

Therefore, as the memorial of the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist makes the events of the Upper Room and Calvary sacramentally present to us today.

Roots in Jewish prayer. The Eucharistic Prayer has roots in Jewish table blessings (barakah) over bread and wine, which included praise, thanksgiving for past redemption, and supplication for the future Messiah. Early Christian prayers followed this pattern, adding the re-telling of Christ's saving event.

Lifting hearts to heaven. The Preface dialogue ("Lift up your hearts") calls us to set aside worldly distractions and focus our entire being on the heavenly reality about to unfold, joining the angels in worship. The Preface prayer itself is a great thanksgiving, recounting God's marvelous deeds in salvation history, culminating in Christ's life, death, and resurrection, echoing the thanksgiving psalms.

Sanctus and Epiclesis. The Sanctus ("Holy, Holy, Holy") joins us with the angels and saints in the heavenly liturgy, echoing Isaiah's vision and Revelation's worship of the all-holy God. "Blessed is he who comes..." welcomes Jesus present on the altar. The Epiclesis is the invocation asking the Father to send the Holy Spirit to change the gifts into Christ's Body and Blood (first epiclesis) and to unite the communicants into one body in Christ (second epiclesis).

Words of Institution and Anamnesis. The priest, acting in persona Christi, speaks Jesus' words from the Last Supper, making Christ's sacrifice sacramentally present. These words, understood against the Passover background, reveal Jesus as the new Passover Lamb whose body and blood are offered for the new covenant. The Anamnesis prayer explicitly states that the Church is celebrating this "memorial" of Christ's Death and Resurrection, fulfilling his command "Do this in memory of me."

10. The Communion Rite: Preparing for Intimate Union

This next part of the Mass—which includes the Lord’s Prayer, the Rite of Peace, the Agnus Dei, and other preparatory rites—is meant to lead the people to the sacred point of holy communion and help ensure they are properly disposed to receive the body and blood of Christ.

Final preparations. After the Eucharistic Prayer, the Communion Rite prepares the faithful to receive Christ's Body and Blood. It includes prayers and rituals designed to dispose us properly for this sacred union.

Lord's Prayer and peace. The Lord's Prayer, taught by Jesus, allows us to address God intimately as "Our Father," highlighting our relationship through Christ and our unity as God's children. The Rite of Peace, recalling Jesus' gift of peace (Jn 14:27) and apostolic exhortations (Rom 16:16), expresses the communion and charity among the faithful before receiving the sacrament of unity.

Breaking of Bread and Lamb of God. The Fraction Rite (breaking of the host) recalls Jesus' actions at the Last Supper and Emmaus, and the early Church's term for the Eucharist ("the breaking of bread"), symbolizing unity in Christ's one Body (1 Cor 10:16-17). The Commingling symbolizes the reunion of Christ's Body and Blood in the Resurrection. While this happens, the Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God") is sung, joining the heavenly chorus worshiping Jesus as the victorious Lamb (Rv 5) and echoing John the Baptist's proclamation of Jesus as the Suffering Servant who takes away the world's sin (Jn 1:29, Is 53).

11. The Lord's Prayer: Daring to Call God Our Father

At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say…

Intimate address to God. The Lord's Prayer, taught by Jesus (Mt 6, Lk 11), is a profound privilege, allowing us to address God as "Father," or "Abba" in Aramaic. This intimate term highlights the new relationship we have with God through Christ, becoming "sons in the Son." The word "Our" emphasizes our unity as brothers and sisters in God's covenant family.

Seven petitions. The prayer is traditionally divided into petitions:

• Focused on God: Hallowing His name, His kingdom coming, His will being done.
• Focused on our needs: Daily bread, forgiveness, deliverance from temptation, deliverance from evil.
  These petitions cover
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Last updated: May 1, 2025