Holy Mass—The Church’s Greatest Prayer
The Mass is the greatest prayer we have. Through it we give thanks and praise to the Father for the wonderful future He has given us in His Son. We also ask forgiveness for our sins and beg the Father’s blessing upon ourselves and our fellow human beings.
The Holy Mass is a prayer itself, even the highest prayer that exists. It is the Sacrifice, dedicated by our Redeemer at the Cross, and repeated every day on the Altar. If you wish to hear Mass as it should be heard, you must follow with the eye, heart and mouth all that happens at the Altar. Further you must pray with the Priest the holy words said by him in the Name of Christ and which Christ says by him. You have to associate your heart with the holy feelings which are contained in these words and in this manner you ought to follow all that happens at the Altar. When acting in this way you have prayed Holy Mass. ― His Holiness, Pope Saint Pius X
The Holy Mass, Explained by the Catechism (6:15)
The Mass Is A Sacrifice
The Mass is a sacrifice in the sense that when it takes place, Jesus Christ, through the bishop or priest celebrating the Mass, makes present sacramentally his saving, sacrificial death on the Cross by which he redeemed us from our sins. This Eucharistic sacrifice is the memorial of Christ’s redeeming death. The term memorial in this context is not simply a remembrance of past events; it is a making present in a sacramental manner the sacrifice of the Cross of Christ and his victory. “When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, the memorial of her Lord’s death and resurrection, this central event of salvation becomes really present and ‘the work of our redemption is carried out'” (EE, no. 11). The Eucharistic sacrifice is offered to adore and thank God, to pray for all our needs, and to gain pardon for our sins.
In this divine sacrifice which is made present in the Mass, especially in the Eucharistic Prayer, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the Cross offers himself in an unbloody manner. Present and effective, Christ’s sacrifice is applied to our lives. “If the blood of goats . . . can sanctify those who are defiled . . . how much more will the blood of Christ . . . cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God” (Heb 9:14).
The Mass is also the sacrifice of the Church. The ordained priest in the Mass links the Eucharistic consecration to the sacrifice of the Cross and to the Last Supper (cf. EE, no. 29), thus making it possible that the sacrifice of Christ becomes the sacrifice of all the members of the Church. “The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value” (CCC, no. 1368). This also reminds us of the importance of sacrifice in each individual’s life. In a self-centered culture where people are taught to extend themselves only for something in return, the sacrifices each of us make, following the example of Jesus, who freely sacrificed his life in love for all, point to the reality and power of God’s love for us.
The offering of Christ unites the members here on earth and those in heaven. The Pope, as chief shepherd of the People of God, is named at every Mass for the sake of the unity of the whole Church. The bishop of a diocese is named because he is the shepherd of the local Church and the instrument of its unity. The text of the Eucharistic Prayer also recalls the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints as they join us in this act of worship. Drawing from the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice, the Mass is also offered for the faithful departed—who have died in Christ but may not yet be totally purified—so they may enter the glory of heaven.
“There is no better way to experience the good God than to find him in the perfect sacrifice of the Mass.” ― Saint John Vianney
3MC – Episode 40 – What are the parts of the Mass? (2:45)
The Mass Is A Holy Meal
“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you” (Jn 6:53). Jesus Christ shares with us his Body and Blood under the form of bread and wine. Thus the Mass is a sacred banquet that culminates in the reception of Holy Communion. The Church urges us to prepare conscientiously for this moment. We should be in the state of grace, and if we are conscious of a grave or serious sin, we must receive the Sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion. We are also expected to fast from food or drink for at least one hour prior to the reception of Holy Communion. “Like every Catholic generation before us, we must be guided by the words of St. Paul, ‘Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the Body and Blood of the Lord’ (1 Cor 11:27). That means that all must examine their consciences as to their worthiness to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord. This examination includes fidelity to the moral teaching of the Church in personal and public life” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholics in Political Life, 2004). The Church gives us the humble words of a Roman centurion to say as we prepare to receive Communion: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed” (cf. Mt 8:8).
Although the Church urges us to receive Communion at each Mass, there is an obligation for everyone to receive Communion at least once a year some time during the interval between the First Sunday of Lent and Trinity Sunday. Since Christ is fully present under each form of the Eucharist (that is, both the consecrated Bread and Wine), it is sufficient to receive him under the species (form) of bread or wine alone.
Holy Communion increases our union with Christ. Just as bodily food sustains our physical life, so Holy Communion nourishes our spiritual life. This Communion moves us away from sin, strengthening our moral resolve to avoid evil and turn ever more powerfully toward God. “The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin” (CCC, no. 1395)
“When we leave Mass, we ought to go out the way Moses descended Mt Sinai: with his face shining, with his heart brave and strong to face the world’s difficulties.” ― Saint Óscar Romero
The Entire Mass is from Scripture! (8:29)
We only get out of Mass what we put into it…
If we do not find much significance in the Mass it is because our whole mind, heart, and soul are not there. We are called to actively participate. When we actively participate in the Mass we receive God in two primary ways: we receive him through his Word and through the Eucharist. These are the two main parts of the Mass: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Liturgy is a term that means work or public duty. It is the work of the people, not just one person standing at the altar. All the people gathered are doing the work of celebration.
“Do you know the reason why you don’t get anything out of Mass? It is because you don’t bring anything to it. And so certainly you will get nothing out of the Mass because you’ve made no sacrifice and no effort to understand what the Mass is. It is the reaching to Calvary and laying hold with your hands of the Cross of Christ, with Christ on it, and you plant it down here, today. Whenever Mass is celebrated we plant it here in this city… That’s what the Mass is… the continuation of Calvary. And in order to take part in it, you have to bring little crosses. Our Blessed Lord said, “Take up your cross daily and follow me.” We all have crosses. And we bring them all and plant them down alongside of that great Cross and Christ and we mass them together under Him. That is the Mass.” ―Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
Motivation to Go to Catholic Mass (9:26)
