Mass
From Encyclopædia
The
Central religious service of the
Roman Catholic Church, Mass is the celebration of the
sacrament of the EUCHARIST, the rite instituted by
Jesus Christ at the
Last Supper. Some Lutherans and Anglicans also refer to the Eucharist as Mass. Based on the medieval Latin
liturgy of Rome, the Mass takes its name from the Latin missa (dismissed), referring to the practice of dismissing the catechumens before the offertory. In the Eastern churches, the Mass is called the Holy
liturgy or the Offering. Catholics believe that consecration of the eucharistic elements of bread and wine transforms their substances into those of Jesus' body and blood; this doctrine is called transubstantiation. Catholics are required to attend Sunday Mass as a minimum of public worship.The two
chief parts of the Mass are the
liturgy of the Word and the
liturgy of the Eucharist. The first consists primarily of two or three Scripture readings, a homily following the Gospel reading, and general intercessions or
prayers of the faithful. The main actions of the second part are the preparation of the altar and gifts, eucharistic
prayer, breaking of bread, and communion. The Lord's
prayer is recited at the end of the eucharistic
prayer and is followed by the exchange of the sign of peace. Introductory rites, including an entrance
song, penitential rite, and opening
prayer, precede the Word
liturgy, and a concluding rite follows communion.The structure of the Mass has remained fairly
constant since the 2d century, although some local variations existed until modern times. In the Roman rite Mass was celebrated in Latin from an early period until the reforms of the Second VATICAN COUNCIL, which allowed for the use of vernacular
languages, and which emphasized congregational singing and permitted communion in the forms of both bread and wine (previously the congregation had received only the bread). The new Order of Mass of 1969 is one of the
chief reforms stemming from the Council.L. L. MitchellBibliography: Jungmann, J. A., The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development, 2 vols. (1989); Klauser, Theodor, A Short History of the Western
liturgy, 2d ed. (1979); Loret, P., The Story of the Mass (1983); McManus, Frederick, ed., Thirty Years of Liturgical Renewal (1987).
