This PowerPoint is used by me during Adult Faith Formation classes on the Mass.

1. Sacraments & Liturgy
PFI Year II
Vincent J. Whitfield, Instructor

2. Session 3
Celebrating the Eucharist:
Mass

3. Some thoughts about the
Jewish Roots of Christian Worship
The Centers of Jewish Worship
 The Temple
 The Synagogue
 The Home

4. The Temple in Jerusalem
 The Place of Sacrifice and the place at which or toward
which all prayed
 A place of teaching (Luke 2:46f)
 Sacrifices (mostly animal, some vegetable)
– Burnt (Holocaust orWhole) Offerings – All for God
– Sin and guilt offerings – Eaten (or partially eaten) by
Priest
– Peace (or shared) Offerings – Lay worshipper ate part of.
 Pilgrimages
– Pius Jews tried to get to Temple for Festivals of
Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles

5. The Synagogue
The Local Scene
 May have begun as substitute for Temple during
Babylonian Exile or as a supplement to the Temple
 Purely Non-sacrificial Worship
 Probable that the early local Christian continued to
refer to itself as a synagogue after it first seperated
from the town Synagogue
 Most probable source for our Liturgy of the Word!

6. The Jewish Home
The Scene of Family Worship
 Circumcision – Family Celebration
– (Gen. 17:12; 21:4; Ex. 4: 24-26)
 Parents had duty to instruct children
– (Gen. 18:19; Ex. 13:8; Ps78: 3-6)
 Sabbath Meals – Joyful Occasions with grace
(Berakoth) said several times
– Over each Main Dish
– Over Bread & Wine (e.g., 2 Graces at Last Supper)
– Responsive Grace at end of Meal (Three graces of
agape-cum-Eucharist (Didache 9f)
– Sometimes grace for beginning of meal – bringing
in of the Lamp (Hymn, ‘Hail, Gladdening Light’ of
Greek Vesper service

7. The Jewish Home
Continued
Individual Worship
 Individual Prayer
– Connected with the hours of Daily Sacrifice in the Temple
– Thanksgiving was customary twice daily at rising and
retiring (Schema)
 Ceremonial Washings

8. The Mass
 ita missa est – “go, having been sent!”
 Mass is many times simply referred to as “Liturgy”
 Every celebration of the Mass is a celebration of
THE PASCHAL MYSTERY

9. The Introductory Rite
 The Church Gathers.
– Who does the gathering?
– How does this gathering occur?

10. The Introductory Rite
The Entrance Procession
The Greeting
The Penitential Rite
Baptismal Renewal
Gloria
Collect

11. The Liturgy of the Word
? – How does language function?
Language:
 Establishes contact
 Informs – provides information
 Indicates feeling

12. Feeling:
1) Conactive Communication:
language not only indicates the stance of the speaker
but, also, the stance the speaker wishes for the hearer
2) Poetic
Draws attention to the form of the message being communicated
3) Metalinguistic
Language reflects on itself to speak of itself

13. Human Language Can Reveal Persons
God using human language
to disclose who God is.

14. God’s Word in liturgy
The Living Word of God
The Word has power
dabar (Hebrew)
word, statement, act, thing)
LOGOS (Greek: λόγος)
Christians identify Jesus Christ as
THE DIVINE WORD OF GOD

15. The Liturgy of the Word
 First Reading
– Usually, Old Testament. Theme will be reflected
(fulfilled) in the Gospel.
 Responsorial Psalm
– Reflects the First Reading
– SUNG!
– SUNG!!!
 Second Reading
– New Testament – offers a related theme

16. The Liturgy of the Word
Gospel Acclamation
– Easter Season and Ordinary Time:
Alleluia
– Lenten Season:
Glory and Praise to You, Lord Jesus
Christ!
ALWAYS SUNG!
If not sung, DON”T DO IT!
Gospel Reading

17. The Liturgy of the Word
Homily
Catechesis – never to be omitted
Profession of Faith
– Apostle’s or Nicene Creed. On Easter
Sunday creed is replaced with “Renewal of
Baptismal Promises”
General Intercessions
– Our reflection of the readings causes us to
reach out to others in prayer.

18. LET US PRAY!
Psalm 136:1
Give Thanks
to the
God of Heaven,
for God’s Love
is without end.

19. Early Writings on
the Christian Liturgy
 The Letter of Pliny (Non Christian)
– (c. 111-2 A.D.) Most likely describing a morning Eucharist
 Christian Writings
– The Didache dated anywhere from 60 to 3rd Century A.D.
– Justin Martyr First Apology c. 150 A.D. in Rome
– The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus of Rome c.215 A.D.
– The Didascalia (The Catholic Teaching of the Twelve Holy
Apostles and Disciples of our Savior) Syria c.3rd century
A.D. Probably written in Greek but only surviving full text is
in Syriac language.
 The Egeria’s Pilgrimage c.381 - 384 A.D.

20. Scriptural References
 St. Paul
– 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26
 Synoptic Gospels
– Mark 14: 22-25
– Matthew 26: 26-29
– Luke 22: 15-20
 No Reference to Institution of Eucharist in John

21. Elements of Eucharistic Prayers
 Motives (Reasons) for Giving Thanks
 Epiclesis – Calling Down Holy Spirit
 Words of Institution
 Anamnesis
 Intercessions
 Doxology & Amen