Catholic Faith 101 - Explaining the Holy Mass

JugglingReferee · Post by **JugglingReferee** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:28 am

This topic will discuss the Catholic Holy Mass from a perspective in a plain-English format.

JugglingReferee · Post by **JugglingReferee** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:39 am

A Mass is broken into 4 section:

The Introductory Rite
Liturgy of the Word
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Concluding Rite

led by the spirit · Post by **led by the spirit** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:00 am

For me its simply satanism as per the word of the Father.So be it!

JugglingReferee · Post by **JugglingReferee** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:35 am

You've been lied to.

TheCatholic · Post by **TheCatholic** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 4:57 pm

God exists outside of time: There is no past or future for God. He is in the eternal "Now". So Christ's sacrafice on the cross, which for us happened 2000 years ago, is ever present before God. The beauty of the Mass is that, in a mystical way, God makes present before us what is always present before him: The once-for-all sacrafice on Calvary. So when the priest transforms the bread and the wine into the body & blood of Christ, we are present at Calvary, which is why the Mass is referred to as the "sacrafice of the Mass". So, we do not sacrifiice Christ again and again as some people wrongly think, rather the once-for-all sacrafice of Christ is RE-presented before us in time.

Now here is an even more beautiful thing: The bread and wine represent our work, the fruit of the vine and the work of human hands. When that bread and wine are transformed, our work - OUR sacrafices - are joined with the sacrafice of Christ and offered back to the Father. It is mystical and it is amazing. So this is how I perform my priestly role, and why the ministerial priesthood is essential in the overall priesthood of believers.

TheCatholic · Post by **TheCatholic** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:01 pm

led by the spirit wrote:For me its simply satanism as per the word of the Father.So be it!

Correction: As per your personal interpretation of the word of the Father. You interpretation of scripture is not scripture itself.

The mass is summed up in Acts 2:42: "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

That is the mass. We hear the Bible readings and the priest's sermon, we receive the Eucharist - the "Bread of Life", and we say prayers.

Frankly I find your comment both insulting and disturbing

JugglingReferee · Post by **JugglingReferee** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:58 pm

Excellently said.

I totally forgot about having a membership here at Debating Christianity.

TheCatholic · Post by **TheCatholic** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 6:44 pm

JugglingReferee wrote:Excellently said.

I totally forgot about having a membership here at Debating Christianity.

Membership? I just joined today. I didn't even know forums needed one.

JugglingReferee · Post by **JugglingReferee** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 6:49 pm

TheCatholic wrote:
JugglingReferee wrote:Excellently said.

I totally forgot about having a membership here at Debating Christianity.
Membership? I just joined today. I didn't even know forums needed one.

By membership, I mean a recognized username in their database.

TheCatholic · Post by **TheCatholic** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 7:00 pm

JugglingReferee wrote:
TheCatholic wrote:
JugglingReferee wrote:Excellently said.

I totally forgot about having a membership here at Debating Christianity.
Membership? I just joined today. I didn't even know forums needed one.
By membership, I mean a recognized username in their database.

Oh, I see. Okay.

Anyway, to carry on further: As I said, The mass is summed up in Acts 2:42: "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." That is the mass. We hear the Bible readings and the priest's sermon, we receive the Eucharist - the "Bread of Life", and we say prayers.

Next, just a few decades later, we have a preserved letter from St. Justin Martyr written to the pagan emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161) around the year 155 AD. In it, he tells the emporer how Christians worship, and for anyone who knows the mass, they will see how amazingly similar it is:

On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the city or country gather in the same place.
The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits.

When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things.

Then we all rise together and offer prayers* for ourselves . . .and for all others, wherever they may be, so that we may be found righteous by our life and actions, and faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain eternal salvation.

When the prayers are concluded we exchange the kiss.

Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who presides over the brethren.

He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks (in Greek: eucharistian) that we have been judged worthy of these gifts.

When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all present give voice to an acclamation by saying: 'Amen.'

When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom we call deacons give to those present the "eucharisted" bread, wine and water and take them to those who are absent. (St. Justin, Apol. 1, 65-67: PG 6, 428-429; the text before the asterisk (*) is from chap. 67)