You may download and print a copy of the Order of the Mass to take with you to Mass.

Welcome to St. Thomas More

Thank you for joining us as we gather to give thanks and praise to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Order of Mass

The Order of the Mass is familiar to all who regularly join in the assembly to praise God. However, because the liturgy may be unfamiliar to you, this guide will help you to join us at Mass. The Mass is the central focus of Catholic worship. The Eucharist is the source and summit our faith lives; through the Eucharist we are given the strength to do God’s work in the world and it becomes the focus of our lives as we constantly work to do God’s will in preparation to receive the gift Christ has left his Church in the Eucharist. We come together every Sunday to encounter God in the Word, the Eucharist, and in the assembled community of the faithful. We welcome you to join us in praying and to learn about our liturgical life as Roman Catholics. For those who are not Catholic, we invite you to come forward at the time for communion to receive a blessing. Indicate this to the minister by crossing your arms over your chest.

Just as we enter into the life of being a Christian through our baptism, we enter the church at the baptismal font. It is customary for all the baptized to bless themselves with the holy water as a reminder of their baptism, using three fingers on their right hand as a reminder of the Trinity. After going to your pew, it is proper to make a bow to the altar and to remain standing or kneel in private prayer to prepare yourself to give thanks to God in the liturgy.

Introductory Rites

The rites which precede the Liturgy of the Word prepare the assembly to gather as a community. They prepare us to listen to the scriptures and to celebrate the eucharist together. The procession and entrance song are ways of expressing the unity and spirit of the assembly.

Stand as we greet another and enter into our prayer of thanksgiving.

OPENING HYMN

GREETING
All reverently make the sign of the cross as the presider says:
Presider: In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Assembly: Amen.
Presider: The Lord be with you.
Assembly: And also with you.

PENITENTIAL RITE
The Penitential Rite reminds us that although we are sinners, God shows mercy and forgiveness on those who repent, turning away from their ways and turning to God.
Presider: Lord, have mercy.
Assembly: Lord, have mercy.
Presider: Christ, have mercy.
Assembly: Christ, have mercy.
Presider: Lord, have mercy.
Assembly: Lord, have mercy.

GLORIA
The Gloria is an ancient hymn singing the praises of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The entire assembly sings this prayer:
Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
receive our prayer.

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.

OPENING PRAYER
The presider invites us to pray silently to the Lord that we might be prepared to receive the Word of God. The presider then prays a prayer on our behalf to summarize and collect all the prayers of the people.
Presider: Let us pray.
...one God, for ever and ever.
Assembly: Amen.

Liturgy of the Word

Sit as we to listen to the proclaimed Word of God.
The Lectionary (the book containing the scriptures) in opened and readers proclaim the Word of God from the ambo. The first reading is normally taken from the Old Testament and is followed by the Psalm. The Old Testament tells us of God’s love for his chosen people and how God works in the world. The Psalms, as songs of prophecy, are our prayers of glory to God and prophesy the coming the messiah, Jesus Christ. The second reading is from the epistles (letters) of the New Testament. The Gospel, the Good News, tells us of the culmination of all God’s work of salvation in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is not a biography of Jesus, but rather tells us the Good News of God becoming incarnate as a man, his suffering and death for the expiation of our sins, and the resurrection from the dead, through which the power of death and evil have been destroyed. We stand for the proclamation of the Gospel and incense is often used as a reminder that we truly encounter God through the Word, the Word by which all are saved.

FIRST READING
At the end of the first reading, the reader says:
Lector: The Word of the Lord.
Assembly: Thanks be to God.

PSALM
Sing the responsorial of the Psalm, which will be lead by the cantor from the ambo.

SECOND READING
After the second reading, the reader says:
Lector: The Word of the Lord.
Assembly: Thanks be to God.

ALLELUIA
Stand as the Gospel acclamation is sung.
The cantor leads the assembly in singing an Alleluia verse. The deacon or presider carries the Gospel book in procession from the altar to the ambo.

GOSPEL
The deacon (or presider) then offers the greeting:
Deacon: The Lord be with you.
Assembly: And also with you.
Deacon: A reading from the holy gospel according to N.
Assembly: Glory to you, O Lord.
Make three small signs of the cross on your forehead, lips, and hearts,
using your right thumb. As you do so, silently pray:
May the Word of God be on my mind,
on my lips, and in my heart.
The deacon (or presider) then proclaims the Gospel and concludes with:
Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord.
Assembly: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

HOMILY
Sit while the presider gives the homily.
The homily, called in some other traditions a sermon, brings together the scriptures and the life of the community for instruction in the faith.

DISMISSAL OF CANDIDATES AND CATECHUMENS
At this point the Catechumens (those who are preparing to be baptized) and the Candidates (those seeking reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church) are dismissed to continue their study of the Word of God.
Stand, extend your hand in blessing, and sing:
May the Word of God strengthen you,
may the Word of God nourish you,
may the Word of God comfort you all your lives.

PROFESSION OF FAITH
The Profession of Faith, or Creed, is then proclaimed by all the faithful, renewing their commitment to the faith made at their baptism. The Nicene Creed (adopted in 325 AD) which we now profess is the faith proclaimed by the Church throughout all the ages:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and our salvation he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of 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.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen. ) which we now profess is the faith proclaimed by the Church throughout all the ages:

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
In the Prayer of the Faithful, the people respond to the word of God which they have welcomed in faith and, exercising the office of their baptismal priesthood, offer prayers to God for the salvation of all and the specific needs of the community, those whom we are called to serve, and the deceased. At the end of each intention, the lector invites us to respond.
Lector: We pray to the Lord.
Assembly: Lord, hear our prayer.

After the final intention, the presider concludes:
Presider: ...through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Assembly: Amen.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS
Sit while the collection baskets are passed throughout the body of the Church.
The monetary offerings, along with the gifts of bread and wine to be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, are brought forward by representatives of the assembly. It is by our own labor that we bring our finest fruits—bread, wine, the culmination of our efforts—and present them to God from whom all good things come.
A hymn is usually sung during the collection and Presentation of the Gifts.

PREPARATION OF THE ALTAR AND GIFTS Priest: Pray, brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice
may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
Assembly: 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 Church.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Stand for the Preface and Sanctus of the Eucharistic Prayer.
The Eucharistic Prayer (or anaphora) is the central prayer of the Church, offered by the presider on behalf of the entire people of God. In the Eucharistic Prayer we give thanks and praise to our Lord and, using the table blessing Jesus used at the Last Supper, the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Preface
Presider: The Lord be with you.
Assembly: And also with you.
Presider: Lift up your hearts.
Assembly: We lift them up to the Lord.
Presider: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Assembly: It is right to give thanks and praise.
Presider: ...we proclaim your glory
and join in their unending hymn of praise:

Sanctus
The entire assembly now joins in singing the Sanctus, a hymn of praise derived from early Jewish temple worship and recorded in Isaiah 6:3 as the song Isaiah heard the seraphim singing in the presence of God when he was taken into heaven and saw God. The reference to the one who comes in the name of the Lord is from Daniel 7:10 and anticipates the coming of Jesus as the messiah. The Sanctus is our way of joining in the singing of the angels in ministering to God into whose presence we now come.
Assembly: Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might.
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.

Kneel from the end of Sanctus through the remainder of the Eucharistic Prayer.
Presider: Lord, you are holy indeed...
The Eucharistic Prayer begins with the epiclesis, invoking the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The Institution Narrative recalls Jesus’ celebration of the first Eucharist with his disciples at the Last Supper, at which he commanded them to do likewise and thus instituted the Eucharist. The assembly then sings the mystery of faith, echoing the Gospel as proclaimed by Paul.
...Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Assembly: Christ has died, Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
Presider: In memory of...
The final section of the Eucharistic Prayer includes the anamnesis (memorial of Christ’s saving action in our midst), prayers of intercession for all the people of God, a commemoration of the dead, and concludes with the presider’s singing of the Trinitarian Doxology as he elevates the Body and Blood of Christ and the assembly’s assent.
...all glory and honor are yours,
almighty Father, for ever and ever.
Assembly: Amen.

COMMUNION RITE
Stand as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples when, standing in his midst, they asked him how they ought to pray.
Lord’s Prayer Presider: Let us pray with confidence to the Father
in the words our savior taught us.
Assembly: 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.
Presider: Deliver us, Lord, from every evil...
...the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Assembly: For the kingdom, the power, and
the glory are yours, now and for ever.

Kiss of Peace
Jesus told his disciples that they are to be reconciled to everyone before they stand before the altar in the Temple and so we share the kiss of peace to all and, as a sign of reconciliation, embrace one another.
Presider: ...the peace and unity of your kingdom
where you live for ever and ever.
Assembly: Amen.
Presider: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Assembly: And also with you.
Deacon: Let us offer each other the sign of Christ’s peace.

Fraction Rite
The cantor leads the assembly in singing the Lamb of God, during the Breaking of the Bread (Luke 24:35). After the invocation all respond singing:
Cantor: Lamb of God...
Assembly: ...you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
The presider places a small piece of the Body of Christ in the chalice, indicating that the fullness of the Body and Blood of Christ is present in both the bread and wine.
The cantor continues to repeat various invocations (e.g., Bread of Life, Prince of Peace). The final invocation repeats:
Cantor: Lamb of God...
Assembly: ...you take away the sins of the world:
grant us peace.

Communion
Presider: ...happy are those who are called to his supper.
Assembly: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word and I shall be healed.
If you are not Catholic, you are invited to come forward at this time to receive a blessing. Indicate this to the minister by crossing your arms over your chest. As a sign of respect, the faithful make a slight bow as they approach the Blessed Sacrament and Precious Blood, even if they do not receive communion under both kinds. After returning to your pew, remain standing with the entire assembly throughout the communion rite.

Prayer after Communion
Presider: Let us pray. Lord...
...Christ our Lord.
Assembly: Amen.

Sit or kneel for a period of private thanksgiving.
This period of silent prayer is important for Catholics to reflect on the Body and Blood of Christ we have received, the grace that it offers, and to seek conversion so that we might live our lives in pleasing service to Christ, who gave his life for our salvation.

Concluding Rite

The rites which follow the Liturgy of the Eucharist give thanks for the sacrament of which we have been so blessed to partake. The closing rite is also the commissioning of the disciples of Christ. Just as we have partaken of the Body and Blood of Christ, broken and poured out for all the world, so too must we who eat of it be bread for the world and pour out our love in service to the kingdom of God.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announcements are made to keep the community informed of the work of God taking place in the parish and how they might become involved in the various ministries to which all the baptized are called. All are invited to join in the work of the Church.

BLESSING
Presider: The Lord be with you.
Assembly: And also with you.
Presider: May almighty God bless you,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Assembly: Amen.

DISMISSAL
Deacon: Go in peace to love and serve
the Lord and one another.
Assembly: Thanks be to God.

RECESSIONAL
A hymn is sung as the priest, deacon, and altar servers process out of the church. As you leave your pew, it is proper to make a bow to the altar. And, just as you it is customary for all the baptized to bless themselves with the holy water as a reminder of their baptism when the enter the church, we do likewise as we leave the church.

Thank you for joining us in prayer to give praise and thanksgiving to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you have any questions about the liturgy or the teachings of the Catholic Church, please feel free to contact Andrew Casad at 919.942.6235.