Introductory Rites

When the Entrance Song is concluded, the Priest and the faithful, standing, sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross, while the Priest, facing the people, says:

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

The faithful respond:

Amen

Then the Priest, extending his hands, greets the people, saying:

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

The people reply:

And with your spirit.

Then follows the Penitential Act, to which the Priest invites the faithful, saying:

Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

One of 3 Options could follow:

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, 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. 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 2nd option is rarely used and involves simple responses. The 3rd option is often used and involves a simple repitition of the priests words. Sometimes English is used and sometimes Greek.

Lord Have Mercy (Kyrie Eleison)
Christ have mercy (Christe Eleison)
Lord have mercy (Kyrie Eleison)

Then, during certain parts of the liturgical year, the Gloria is 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.

When this hymn is concluded, the Priest, with hands joined, says:

Let us Pray

The priest prays a short prayer and the people respond:

Amen.

Everyone is then seated for the Liturgy of the Word.

Liturgy of the Word

Then the reader goes to the ambo and reads the First Reading, while all sit and listen. To indicate the end of the reading, the reader acclaims:

The word of the Lord.

All reply:

Thanks be to God.

The psalmist or cantor sings or says the Psalm, with the people making the response. After this, if there is to be a Second Reading, a reader reads it from the ambo, as above. To indicate the end of the reading, the reader acclaims:

The word of the Lord.

All reply:

Thanks be to God.

Then the Alleluia or other hymn is sung. The Deacon, or the Priest, then proceeds to the ambo, accompanied, if appropriate, by ministers with incense and candles. There he says:

The Lord be with you.

And the people reply:

And with your spirit

The deacon or priest says:

A reading from the holy Gospel according to (name of Gospel Author)

and, at the same time, he makes the Sign of the Cross on the book and on his forehead, lips, and breast.
The people acclaim:

Glory to you, O Lord.

Then the Priest or Deacon proclaims the Gospel. At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

And the people reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then follows the Homily (a reflection on the scripture readings), which is preached by the Priest or Deacon.

After the Homily a profession of faith is made by the faithful. Usually the profession of faith takes the form of the faithful reciting a creed (statement of beliefts). There are two options for the creed. The second is used more during Lent and Easter.


Nicene 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.

Apostle's 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.

Following the Profession of Faith (Creed), general intercessions are made on behalf of the people to God. Then, normally, a collection basket is passed to raise funds for the support of the Church and those in need. You can also give with the donate button on the homagepage of this app.

Eucharistic Prayer

At this time the bread, wine, and physical offerings are brought forward to the priest. An offertory song may be sung. If a song is not sung, the priest may say a few prayers out loud, to which the response is:

Blessed Be God Forever.

The priest will then say a few more prayers quietly and then standing at the middle of the altar, facing the people, extending and then joining his hands, 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, with hands extended, says the Prayer over the Offerings, at the end of which the people acclaim:

Amen.

Then the priest begins 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, with hands extended, continues the Preface. At the end of the Preface he joins his hands and concludes the Preface with the people, singing or saying aloud:

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 will then choose one of several Eucharistic Prayers. All options include a recounting of the Last Supper and the words of consecration prayed by the priest while elevating the bread and the wine. It is through these prayers said by the priest, that we believe the bread and the wine become the person of Jesus Christ.

After the Eucharistic Prayer, the Great Amen will be sung or said.

Communion Rite

At the Savior’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, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever.

Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you; look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. 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.

The people then exchange a sign of peace. In most of the United States, a hand shake is the normal sign of peace along with saying the words: "Peace be with you". Some people say: "The Peace of Christ be with you." Family members, friends, and younger student groups tend to hug or lightly hug in place of shaking hands. After the sign of peace, the people say or sing:

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.

The priest will say a prayer and conclude with:

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.

At this point, the faithful will move forward, usually in lines, to receive the body and blood of Christ. The priest or other minister will offer the host or consecrated wine and say:"The Body of Christ" or "The Blood of the Christ". The receiver will respond: "Amen". If you are not Catholic or do not feel properly disposed to receive the Eucharist (Communion, Body and Blood, Consecrated Bread and Wine) then you may still come forward for a blessing. To receive a blessing, please cross your hands over your chest.

We reserve Communion only for Catholics not as a sign of separation but rather as a deep invitation to union. We view the partaking of the consecrated bread and wine as a sign of complete unity with the Catholic family. As such, we would love for you to explore, study, and formally make a committment to join our family. However, because this is a life long committment, we encourage you to take the necessary time to explore this committment. We offer a special preparation program for study, prayer, and immersion in the Catholic Faith. If you feel inclined to learn more, please contact someone in leadership after this celebration. We do truly hope everyone can join us in Communion, in every sense of the word, in due time. But, if you are simply here visiting or with a friend, please feel welcome to pray in our midst without any undue pressure to explore further.

Dismissal

The Lord be with you.

And with your spirit.

May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The people make the sign of the cross and respond:

Amen.

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

Thanks be to God.