Catholic Massterclass: All About Holy Mass

32. The Entrance Procession

At the beginning of every Mass, the priest walks in while the people stand and sing. This might seem like a simple way to “get things started,” but in reality it connects us with a deep biblical pattern of worship.
 
In the book of Exodus, we read that whenever Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to encounter the Lord, “all the people would rise and stand, each at the entrance of their tent, and look after Moses until he had gone into the tent” (Ex 33:8). Moses entered God’s presence on behalf of the people, and they stood in reverence, watching and praying as he went. They remained outside of the Tent while Moses encountered the Lord, but they were attentive to the reality before them.
 
When David was king and the place of worship had moved into Jerusalem, he instituted the practice of chanting with music during the worship. Later, in the Temple of Jerusalem, the priests would enter the holy place to minister before God while the people and Levites outside joined in song and psalms of praise. The movement of God’s minister into the sacred space was never silent or casual — it was surrounded with prayer and music.
 
This pattern continues in the Mass, but now in its fullness. Jesus is the new Moses who enters the true dwelling of God — heaven itself — to intercede for us. The priest walks to the sanctuary in persona Christi, in the very person of Christ, and so it is most fitting for the people to stand as he enters. At the same time, the priest walks forward also as a representative of the baptized, who share in Christ’s priesthood by their baptismal identity. The people are not left outside, as Israel once was, but are invited to participate in Christ’s own offering.
 
That is why the entrance is not usually silent or passive. The whole assembly joins in song — whether a chant or a suitable hymn. The Church intends this entrance chant to echo the psalms of old, or at the very least to lift our hearts and minds to the worship of God. By standing and singing as the priest enters, we show that we are a pilgrim people, led by Christ into the presence of God, and united in the worship about to unfold.

31. Bells to Begin Mass

Finally, we move into the Mass with our Catholic Massterclass. Can you believe we spent the first 29 weeks talking about Catholic Mass before actually getting into the details of the Mass itself? I don’t know what you thought about that, but I have found the Mass to be such a rich source of connections between the past and the present and, of course, of the eternal future. I have especially enjoyed seeing all of the connections with Old Testament worship in the Temple. Let’s jump into the details.
 
The first thing you may notice at Holy Mass in our parishes is also something you may notice to be absent in many Catholic churches: bells are rung to signify the beginning of Mass. Many Catholic churches have the habit of ringing bigger bells outside of the church to signify that Mass is going to begin soon, but not as many have bells inside the church to signify the immediacy of Mass’ beginning. Either way, what is the deal with the bells? That’s what we’ll look at in this week’s Catholic Massterclass.
 
The practice of ringing bells in connection with worship of God has its origins in…Old Testament worship - what a surprise! 🙂In Exodus 28:33-35, the Lord instructs Moses to create vestments for Aaron the high priest, which are to have bells on them so they can be heard when he goes to offer worship to God. When the people hear the bells, they understand that something incredibly important and holy is about to take place. The bells serve as a call to attention, so the people can stop what they are doing or saying and pause for a time of reverence. They could know that the high priest is working for them, interceding for them before God. Perhaps strangely to us, the bells were so important that the high priest would have died if they couldn’t be heard both when he entered the Temple and when he departed. Evidently, it’s very important to the Lord that His people are aware of the sacrifices being offered.
 
For us as Catholics, bells serve a similar purpose. The bells you may hear outside a church, usually rung about ten minutes before Mass begins, serve as a reminder to everyone around, Catholic or not, that our worship of God is going to begin soon, “so you better pick up your pace and get in here.” The bells you may hear immediately before the entrance procession call attention to those in the church that the priest is about to enter the sanctuary, the Christian place of worship. The priest is about to go to work for you, interceding for you before God. Of course, you are meant to participate in the offering, but the priest acts as the head of the assembly just as Christ is the head of the Church. Hopefully when you come into the church, you are already striving for silent reflection and reverent preparation, but the bells still serve as a call to greater attention and reverence, to set aside any distracting thoughts and concerns so you may give your attention to the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
 
We will talk about bells a bit further down the road in our Massterclass, but here’s another neat development: some people have seen the bells to be an instrument that drives away evil spirits and calling upon the heavenly hosts of angels to protect us from temptation and distraction. It may be a helpful thought for you to think of the bells in this way: Heaven and earth are about to meet on the altar, and the sound of the bells reminds us that God prepares the way for us to focus on that reality by clearing the invisible realm around us, sending the enemy away and sending the aid of his angels. Lovely!

30. Latin, the Universal Language

For this week’s Catholic Massterclass, we’re going to dip our toes into something a little more controversial. To get to the point, I would like to ask a question: If you traveled to another country and tried to strike up a conversation, what language would you expect the people to speak? I hope the answer is obvious: you’d expect them to speak whichever language is primarily spoken in that country. In Germany, they would speak German, and you’d be ok with it because you know you’re not in your homeland. In France, they would speak French, and you’d be ok with it because you know you’re not in your homeland. We could go on and on with the different languages of each country. Some people enjoy going to other countries and listening to the local language - I’ve heard it said, for example, that French is such a beautiful language to hear, even if none of the words are understood. Others might go visit another country and wish the people would speak English, but they still expect that most won’t know English because that isn’t the main language of the land.
 
One of the things I’ve been mentioning about the Church is that she is Catholic - universal. The Catholic Church is present around the world, speaking every language under heaven. At the same time, being a universal Church, the Church also has a universal language, one that could be spoken anywhere in the world and is meant to be understood by all of her members. Unfortunately, this universal language is probably not known and understood by too many members of the Church today, but it is still worth mentioning. That language is Latin—at least for the Latin Rite, which is the largest part of the Catholic Church. The universal language of the Church is meant to be something that expresses our unity, especially during Holy Mass. As has been mentioned several times throughout our Massterclass, I know some of us grew up in a time when Mass was exclusively offered in the Latin language all around the world. When the Second Vatican Council changed the Mass, Latin was almost universally set aside in favor of the vernacular - the local language spoken in any given location. This switch helped people around the world become more familiar with the words being spoken and prayed during Holy Mass. It was a great gift for many people. What’s often forgotten, or has never been taught, is that the Church still holds that Latin is her mother tongue and that she would like her members to know at least some parts of the Mass in Latin.
This may come as a surprise, but the Church actually asks that we know how to recite the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer in Latin. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal even says: ‘Since the faithful come together from different countries, it is desirable that they know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, especially the Profession of Faith and the Lord’s Prayer.’ This seems like something worth pointing out, even if it seems difficult to imagine us getting to a place where we recite or chant the Creed in Latin each week at Mass. It is growing more common to hear the Lord’s Prayer chanted in Latin, but even that seems fairly daunting to accomplish in an average parish. I know some of us may not like “going back” to using Latin, but this will be just for today. It’s a chance to get a fresh taste of the Church’s native language, and to remember that our worship isn’t about what we prefer—it’s about offering God the glory that is His due. Even if it feels unfamiliar, it’s a small way of joining more fully in the sacrifice of the Mass. What a great opportunity to sacrifice by being present at Mass in a language you don’t prefer!

29. The Road to Emmaus

We have just two weeks left of this portion of our Catholic Massterclass before we FINALLY start going through Mass step-by-step.
 
In the Gospel of Luke there is the famous story of the Road to Emmaus. Jesus has risen from the dead and appears to two disciples who are making their way to Emmaus from Jerusalem. He is hidden from their vision - they take up a conversation with Jesus and don’t realize it - while they talk about the sadness of the Crucifixion. As they are walking, Jesus does something of a big Bible study, explaining how the entirety of the Scriptures (what we call the Old Testament) reveal that the Messiah had to suffer in order to save the people. He shows them that everything points to the truth of who Jesus is. When they finally reach their destination, Jesus remains with them. During their meal, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, and breaks the bread. During the breaking of the bread, Jesus’ true identity is revealed to them and then he vanishes out of their sight. The two disciples run back to the Apostles gathered in Jerusalem and tell their story of how Jesus was made known to them in the break of the bread. It’s a very lovely story, but it also tells us something about Mass.
We have two basic “parts” to our Catholic Mass, our time of worship. During the first part, we focus on the Word of God. This is usually called the Liturgy of the Word. The heart of the Liturgy of the Word is the reading of Sacred Scripture and the homily. The Word of God is proclaimed to us and we listen attentively with open hearts and minds, which is then followed by the priest explaining the Scriptures in such a way that, hopefully, we can see further references to Jesus. If you remember last week, I mentioned that the First Reading and the Gospel during Ordinary Time are meant to match up and make a connection with Jesus between the Old Testament and the Gospels. This is a great example of making a way for us to see Jesus more clearly in the full context of the Bible. Then with our minds more enlightened to understand Jesus, we move into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which is focused on our participation in the Last Supper united to the Crucifixion. It is during the Liturgy of the Eucharist that the Body and Blood of Jesus are offered to the Father and then broken before us. The Eucharistic Bread is broken for us, which can help us to see Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah who has come to lay down his life for our salvation. At the end of Mass, we are dismissed: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” or one of the other dismissals. Holy Mass is our own little Road to Emmaus, when Jesus opens our minds to understand the Scriptures, then reveals Himself to us more fully in the “breaking of the bread”, and then we are sent to proclaim the mystery to others who have not encountered Jesus in this way.. Lovely!

28. The Lectionary

Last week I spoke about the Roman Missal as the primary book used by the priest during Catholic Mass and this week I want to take a moment to look at the other main book used during Mass, which is the Lectionary. The word Lectionary comes from the Latin word lectio, which means “to read”. 
 
The Church has always had a Lectionary, although it has taken different forms throughout history. Before Vatican II, the Roman Lectionary followed a one-year cycle, repeating the same readings annually. The Council (1963) called for “opening the treasures of the Bible more lavishly,” leading to a three-year cycle (A: Matthew; B: Mark with John; C: Luke; with John included each year). This reform greatly expanded exposure to both Old and New Testament texts, allowing the faithful to encounter a fuller range of Scripture.
 
At Sunday Mass, the structure is:
First Reading – usually from the Old Testament (Acts of the Apostles during Easter).
Responsorial Psalm – sung/recited response.
Second Reading – writings of the Apostles from the New Testament, especially St. Paul.
Gospel – high point of the Word, proclaiming Christ’s life and teaching.
The principles guiding selection of readings are:
Harmony: Old Testament foreshadows and New fulfills.
Semi-continuous reading: Books (esp. Gospels and Epistles) are read progressively across weeks.
Christ-centered: The liturgical year unfolds the mysteries of Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension.
 
The roots of a lectionary come from Judaism, where synagogue worship included fixed readings from the Law and Prophets (cf. Luke 4; Acts 13). Early Christianity continued this tradition—St. Paul urged public Scripture reading, and St. Justin Martyr (2nd c.) described Sunday worship with Old Testament and Gospel readings followed by a homily. Over centuries, the Roman Church often reduced readings to Epistle and Gospel only, but Vatican II restored the more ancient three-reading pattern.
 
I’ve mentioned this before, but a point worth making again is that, during Ordinary Time, the Old Testament reading, the Psalm, and the Gospel are meant to connect with each other. Sometimes that connection is obvious - for example, last week’s First Reading and Gospel both clearly speak about the value of humility - and sometimes that connection needs a little further exploration to find. The same pattern is not necessarily meant to be followed during the special seasons of the year, such as Lent and Advent.
 
The readings from the Bible come to us during the Mass and so even reading and listening to them contributes to our worship. At the same time, our souls can be fed by them as we hear God speak to His people. This is incredible nourishment that prepares us to love God better and follow Jesus more closely as His disciples.

27. The Roman Missal

One of the many great things about being Catholic is knowing that you can attend Holy Mass anywhere in the world and it will look and sound the same as everywhere else, even if it’s not being offered in your native language. On any given Sunday, the prayers and readings are the same all over the world. The offering of the Eucharist in worship is the same all over the world. It’s a great gift that many other Christians don’t have. In fact, the word “catholic” actually means “universal”, which means the Church is meant to spread all over the world, to reach all languages and nations in one universal religion. While we may have different cultural backgrounds, our worship is meant to share a kind of unity that transcends all of our differences. To assist us in that task, the Church has provided liturgical books as the source of our structure for Mass. This week and next, we’ll take a quick look at the two primary liturgical books that form the structure and content of our worship, namely the Roman Missal and the Lectionary.
 
The main book that you see the priest use for the prayers of the Mass is called the Roman Missal, commonly called the Missal. It is Roman because the Roman Catholic Church has its home base in Rome, where the Pope lives. The word Missal comes from the Latin word for Mass, Missa. We’ll talk more about Latin in a few weeks. The Missale (Latin again) is the Mass-book, which translates into Missal in English. The Roman Missal provides the structure of the Mass by way of instructions called “rubrics” and the various prayers of the Mass the priest offers on behalf of the people. They are called rubrics because they are written in red ink (ruby) and instruct the priest on what to do, while the prayers are written in black and reveal to the priest what to say. There is a common phrase: say the black, do the red. 
 
As I mentioned back toward the beginning of our Catholic Massterclass, structure has always been an essential component of man’s worship of God. From the time of Moses onward, the Lord has provided a specific structure for His people as they come before Him to offer worship. The Catholic Church throughout history has understood this to be essential in offering Mass, especially as the Christian faith has spread around the world. There have been various changes to the structure of the Mass throughout history, but the same substantial reality has been present from the beginning and will be present until the end of time. Because of this reality, it is essential that the priest not deviate from the rubrics and prayers. Sometimes priests have thought that they could make a little addition or subtraction here and there, but these would be considered to be liturgical abuses. As I have mentioned throughout our classes, it’s incredibly important for all of us, clergy and laity alike, to remember that the Mass is about what we offer to God on His terms, which comes to us through His Church; it’s not about my preferences or yours. The Church teaches:
It is the right of all Christ’s faithful that the Liturgy, and particularly the celebration of Holy Mass, should truly be as the Church wishes, according to the stipulations as prescribed in the liturgical books and in the other laws and norms. (Redemptionis Sacramentum, no. 12)
You have a right to the proper celebration of Holy Mass and the priest has an obligation to properly offer the Mass. He does so when he follows the rubrics and offers the prayers with the Eucharistic sacrifices as the Church requires.

26. Sacred Vessels and Instruments Used During Mass

Chalice
Last Supper cup; also Roman banquet vessel (calix)
Holds the Precious Blood. Symbol of Christ’s Passion (“the chalice of suffering”) and salvation (“chalice of blessing”).
Noble materials (gold, silver, or gilded interior); dignified, non-porous.
Paten
Roman banquet plate (patina)
Holds the bread to be consecrated into Christ’s Body. Sign of the breaking of bread at the Last Supper.
Noble material, same dignity as chalice; gilded on top surface.
Ciborium
From cibus = food; in use by 4th c.
Holds consecrated hosts for Communion or reservation in the tabernacle. Lid = reverence & protection.
Same material as chalice/paten; fitted cover for reservation.
Pall
From pallium = covering; medieval use
Stiff square cover for the chalice. Protects Precious Blood from dust/insects. Symbol of Christ’s burial shroud.
Linen (traditionally), stiffened with insert; usually decorated with a cross.
Corporal
From corpus = body; ancient origin
Linen cloth on which Body and Blood of Christ rest. Symbol of burial shroud. Ensures no fragments are lost.
White, absorbent linen (traditionally pure linen). Folded carefully.
Purificator
From purificare = to cleanse; medieval
Used to wipe the chalice and purify vessels after Communion.
White linen, usually with small cross. Must be reverently washed (sacrarium or separate first rinse).
Altar Cloth
Early Christian practice; by 4th c. universal
Honors the altar (Christ Himself). Symbol of burial cloths and banquet tablecloth.
At least one white cloth must cover the altar (tradition: three). Fine, worthy fabric.
Altar Cross (Crucifix)
Required since Middle Ages
Visible reminder of Calvary; Mass is the same sacrifice as the Cross.
Crucifix must be on or near the altar; visible to priest and faithful.
Cruets
Roman dining flasks; adopted by Christians
Hold wine (Christ’s divinity) and water (His humanity). Also recall blood and water from His side.
Glass, metal, or dignified material; distinguishable, practical size.
Lavabo Towel
Ancient handwashing custom in Temple & Roman dining
Used by priest during lavabo ritual: “Lord, wash away my iniquity...”
White cloth, simple, dignified.
Chalice Veil (optional)
Medieval development
Covers the chalice before Mass; symbolizes reverence and mystery of the Sacrament.
Cloth of the liturgical color; fine material.
Burse (optional)
Medieval
Holds the folded corporal for transport to the altar.
Same material as chalice veil; dignified.
Monstrance (outside of Mass)
12th c., rise of Eucharistic adoration
Displays consecrated Host for adoration. Rays symbolize Christ, Light of the World.
Precious metals; luna with secure glass.
Thurible & Boat
From Jewish Temple & Roman practice; 4th c. Christians
Incense = prayer rising to God (Ps 141:2), reverence, purification.
Thurible = metal censer; boat holds incense grains. Dignified and functional.

25. What to Wear During Mass

The past two sessions of our Catholic Massterclass have approached the topic of vestments worn by bishops and priests during Holy Mass. I hope that was helpful for you to hear about them and learn their names. These bulletin articles may help you have an opportunity to go back and review at your leisure.
 
This week I’m going to attempt to tackle a daunting topic, keeping in the theme of dressing during Mass, which is what you are meant to wear during Mass. There are a few things we don’t particularly enjoy receiving instruction about and one of those things is our choice of clothing. In fact, I learned that this has been a topic addressed throughout history by various Catholic leaders. Some “hot topics” seem to always remain hot topics.
 
To begin, I want to be clear that there are no actual laws regarding how you are to dress when you come to Mass, except that you should be wearing clothes! 🙂 Local dioceses and/or parishes are allowed to implement policies and regulations for dress during Mass, but our diocese and parishes currently don’t have any such policies. Still, I think it’s worth our consideration to think about what we’re up to here. I’d like to propose some principles and invite you to consider how to dress according to those principles.
 
Jesus tells a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 22:1-14 - I’d invite you to read it - with the image of a banquet hosted by a king. People are invited to the banquet and make excuses for not attending, so the king invites anyone who wants to come. The scene ends with the king confronting a man who came to the banquet but was not dressed in a proper wedding garment. To be sure, there is symbolic meaning to this wedding garment, but there is also a reality that God expects us to be properly prepared to come to His banquet. On this side of Heaven, Mass is that banquet. It is the great feast where Jesus provides for us the best possible Food we can receive in the Holy Eucharist. We come to offer our worship, which is the sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Jesus, and then He feeds us with His Body and Blood. Incredible! Just like with the parable, the expectation is that we would be properly prepared for such a banquet. This includes above all our interior disposition - a spirit of reflection, repentance (maybe even going to Confession if we’ve committed a mortal sin), and awe - but it also includes our exterior disposition - dressing in such a way that we both know we’re attending something incredibly important and don’t want to draw attention toward ourselves. I attended a wedding recently and it seems everyone knew to dress better than they usually do and their dress revealed the dignity of the event. I’d invite you to consider whether you approach Mass with even more attention to the dignity of the event.
 
One little note: some of you grew up at a time when women had to wear some kind of head covering, and maybe others of us have seen a woman wearing a veil during Mass in recent times. Historically, the veil has been seen as a sign of modesty and humility for women in coming before the Lord. If you remember when I spoke about the veiling of the Ark of the Covenant and the other sacred articles of Israel’s worship, the people knew those holy, beautiful objects belonged to the Lord, so they veiled them to symbolize their beauty and glory. A woman wearing a veil is similar: reserving her beauty for the Lord. It is no longer a requirement, but I have noticed more and more women, especially young women, embracing this beautiful practice.

24. Priest Vestments

The first vestment the priest puts on is his alb and amice, which is the white base layer that goes over his normal clothing. Not every priest wears an amice, including me, because some albs are created differently. The Latin word albus means “white” and the alb has its origins in the Roman tunic and has been used in the liturgy since around the 4th century. It reminds the priest of the white garment given to him at his baptism, representing the purity of the soul post-baptism. The amice is a small white garment that goes around the neck area, similar to how a soldier wears chainmail as a base layer of his armor.
 
Around his waist the priest wears a cincture, which is a rope that acts as something of a belt, also dating back to the early centuries of the Church. It comes from the Latin word cingere, which means “to gird” or “to bind around”. It represents chastity and self-mastery. You might not notice the cincture because it is often hidden by the outer vestments.
 
Next is the stole, which is the slim garment worn around the neck. Again in the Roman Empire, officials wore long, scarflike garments. Catholic clergy started wearing them during liturgy as signs of ordination. Today it represents the authority and responsibility of the priesthood, an image of the yoke of Christ. Because it represents the authority of the priesthood, priests usually kiss the stole before and after they put it on.
 
An optional vestment is the maniple, which was required to use prior to 1967. Originally practical in purpose, it was used to wipe sweat from the brow of the priest. Over time, it developed to take on the symbolic meaning of the toil and suffering of ministry, and the tears of penance. It’s still an optional vestment, but it’s hardly ever worn outside of the Traditional Latin Mass.
 
Finally, over the top of everything is the chasuble, which is the big cloaklike vestment the priest (and bishop) wears. The Latin word casula means “little house”, which provides an image of the priest putting a little tent over himself, wrapped in the charity of Christ as he prepares for Mass.
 
As always, each vestment carries its own significance and meaning. Understanding the meaning helps us to enter into the liturgy in a deeper way. The priest acts in the person of Christ and the vestments help to reveal the different aspects of Christ’s role in our lives.

23. Bishop Vestments

I’m excited for today’s Catholic Massterclass because we get to have a little show-and-tell. Last week I mentioned the vestment colors that the clergy wear during Mass and other liturgies. For the next two weeks I am going to focus on particular vestments, this week looking at the specific articles worn by bishops. It’s not very common to see a bishop during Mass, unless he comes for a Confirmation Mass or if you attend one of the bigger feast days at the Cathedral in Crookston. Still, there are some distinct articles worn by bishops that are helpful to understand for the next time you see one.
 
Starting at the top, the bishop wears two pieces of headgear that the priest doesn’t wear. The first of those is the miter, which is the tall pointy hat. The miter has its deepest origins in the Old Testament. The high priest was to wear a turban (sometimes translated as miter) to signify his office, which had a gold plate that read “Holy to the Lord” (Exodus 28:36-38). If you remember from previous homilies, Jesus Christ is the eternal high priest and all priests share in His high priesthood. Bishops share more fully in His high priesthood, so they are given more articles to emphasize this connection. The style of the bishop’s miter was influenced by the distinct headgear worn by Roman officials. The two points on the miter and two hanging bands symbolize the Old and New Testaments.
 
Underneath the miter is the zucchetto, which looks like a small skullcap. In the past, clergy received a tonsure—a ceremonial shaving of the crown of the head—as a visible sign of their consecration to God. The zucchetto originated as a means to keep their skulls warm in colder weather and protected from the sun in warmer weather. Over time it has become another symbol of the office the bishop occupies.
 
Moving down around the bishop’s neck is the pectoral cross, which is a cross he wears with a longer-than-usual chain. The cross rests near his heart and reminds the bishop to model his life on the Cross of Jesus Christ and to bear the burden of his office with that same charity of Jesus. The bishop of a diocese is responsible for every soul living in his diocese, Catholic or not, and this is a great burden to carry. It is his primary cross to bear.
 
Sliding down his right arm, we find on the bishop’s right hand an episcopal ring, which signifies the authority of his office. Romans in the Roman Empire wore rings as a sign of their authority and as their own personal seal. Since the Roman Catholic Church had its home base in Rome, bishops developed the practice of wearing rings also. There has been a custom throughout history to kiss the ring of the bishop as a way to honor his office and signify allegiance to his authority. Some people still choose to observe this practice today - when shaking the bishop’s hand, they will bow down to kiss his ring - not as personal admiration, but as a sign of reverence for the bishop’s apostolic office and the unity of the Church. The ring also symbolizes the bishop's fidelity to the Church, the Bride of Christ.
Finally, in the bishop’s left hand is his crosier, which is symbolic of his role as the chief shepherd of his diocese. Just as shepherds use a crosier to guide, organize, protect, and defend their flock, so the bishop carries a crosier to signify that he must do the same with the charity of Christ the Good Shepherd, who leads us beside restful waters (Ps 23) and lays down His life for His sheep (Jn 10:11).