{"id":9533,"date":"2019-09-13T20:42:54","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T20:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inovataghana.com\/church1\/?page_id=9533"},"modified":"2026-02-02T11:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T11:10:10","slug":"the-catholic-mass","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/archtamale.net\/index.php\/the-catholic-mass\/","title":{"rendered":"The Catholic \u00a0Mass"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1770030607072{margin-top: 60px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"head_tag main-color\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Catholic &nbsp;Mass: A True Sacrifice<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">A Catholic &nbsp;Mass, which &nbsp;is a liturgical &nbsp;function, &nbsp;can only be held in a church &nbsp;or an oratory which &nbsp;had been consecrated &nbsp;or at least blessed. An oratory &nbsp;is a structure other than a church, set aside by ecclesiastical authority &nbsp;for prayer and the celebration &nbsp;of Catholic Mass.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Silence is Golden<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Attention &nbsp;is the essence of prayer. If you arrive in church &nbsp;early enough, it will give you time to calm your &nbsp;mind and prepare for the sacrifice of the Mass. Of course, if you have children &nbsp;in tow, keeping them quiet out of respect for the other worshipers &nbsp;can be heroic. &nbsp;Tum cell phones off or put on vibrate\/silent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Entering the &nbsp;Church<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">You will usually find the font with &nbsp;holy water at the entrance. &nbsp;Upon entering we dip our fingers into the holy water. With &nbsp;the dipped &nbsp;hand we make a sign of the cross over ourselves as a reminder of our baptism. When we enter the church &nbsp;or pass the tabernacle the normal gesture of reverence is to genuflect, &nbsp;that is, to bend the right knee until &nbsp;it reaches the ground.&nbsp; &nbsp;Genuflecting, &nbsp;of course can be quite an effort for those of us weakened &nbsp;at the knees. So, for some of us, we bow &nbsp;to express our reverence &nbsp;to the Lord.&nbsp;<em>(Genuflect &nbsp;with both knees &nbsp;on the ground during Exposition)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Entrance Procession<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Catholic &nbsp;Mass begins with &nbsp;the entrance &nbsp;procession. The entrance hymn is first of the four proper &nbsp;hymns sung during mass. The procession &nbsp;leads with &nbsp;the altar cross followed &nbsp;by the candles,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">the Book of Gospels, and lastly the priest. In certain solemn Catholic &nbsp;Masses, the censer leads the way with &nbsp;burning &nbsp;incense. The cross must be present at or near the altar of the Sacrifice. The cross depicts the sacrifice of the cross and made present in the altar. Upon &nbsp;reaching the altar, the servers, ministers and priest will make the reverential &nbsp;bow &nbsp;or genuflect &nbsp;in front &nbsp;of the tabernacle. The cross and the candles, if carried in the procession are placed in their holders near or on the altar. The priest then goes on to the altar and kisses it in reverence. &nbsp;He proceeds &nbsp;to sit and wait for the hymn to end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Greetings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">After &nbsp;the hymn, with &nbsp;us standing, the priest and the faithful &nbsp;make the sign of the cross and the priest greets the faithful, &nbsp;usually with &nbsp;the traditional, &nbsp;\u201cThe Lord be with you.\u201d &nbsp;At this point &nbsp;the priest may also give a brief introduction&nbsp; &nbsp;to the Catholic &nbsp;Mass of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The Penitential&nbsp; &nbsp;Rite &nbsp;in a Catholic &nbsp;Mass<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">During &nbsp;the penitential &nbsp;rite, we reflect on our sins and ask God to forgive them. The most common &nbsp;invocation &nbsp;is, \u201cLord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy,\u201d &nbsp;This is a general absolution &nbsp;and cannot &nbsp;replace going to the sacrament of confession. We cannot receive the Sacrament of Communion&nbsp; &nbsp;if did not confess a mortal sin beforehand. &nbsp;At this point &nbsp;the priest may also perform &nbsp;the blessing and sprinkling &nbsp;of water, &nbsp;to remind us of the actions and; promises of baptism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Gloria<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Gloria &nbsp; in Excelsis is latin&nbsp; &nbsp;meaning, \u201cGlory in the&nbsp;highest.\u201d this &nbsp;is the &nbsp;Angelic Hymn &nbsp;or greater doxology &nbsp;and is an ancient Christian hymn of thanks, praise and triumph for redemption. &nbsp;Because of the joyful &nbsp;nature of the Gloria, it is omitted &nbsp;in more somber occasions, such as the Advent &nbsp;or Lent. During &nbsp;those seasons, the Catholic &nbsp;Mass takes on a simpler and more penitent character.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Opening&nbsp; &nbsp;Prayer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Originally &nbsp;called the Collect, the priest now invites us to pray in silence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Liturgy &nbsp;of the Word<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Liturgy of the Word &nbsp;is the sequence of readings that prepares us for the Sacrament of Sacrifice. The readings are not optional. &nbsp;And not hearing the readings nor making any attempt &nbsp;to hear them would &nbsp;be to come unprepared &nbsp;for communion, &nbsp;just as we would &nbsp;be if we miss the reading altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The &nbsp;Lectionary<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Lectionary specifies the readings that are read in a certain date. The modern &nbsp;lectionary is arranged on a complicated &nbsp;pattern with overlapping &nbsp;cycles of years. With certain &nbsp;exceptions, &nbsp;the Sunday Lectionary of the Catholic &nbsp;Mass repeats in a three-year cycle, whereas the Weekday Lectionary &nbsp;of the Catholic Mass repeats in a two-year cycle. Both started in 1969. The three readings every &nbsp;Sunday Catholic &nbsp;Mass are the first reading, normally &nbsp;from the Old Testament; the second from the &nbsp;Epistles of the New Testament; and the third from the Gospels. A Lector or a reader normally reads the &nbsp;first and second readings. The priest reads Gospel. The responsorial psalms are either read or &nbsp;sung between &nbsp;the readings. The first responsorial psalm is a varying antiphon &nbsp;and the second the Alleluia. The faithful sits until the Alleluia, and then rises to greet the Gospel. Although &nbsp;the first reading &nbsp;is supposed to reflect the Gospel, sometimes the connection &nbsp;may not be very obvious. The<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">second reading is not chosen with any reference to the other readings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Homily<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">In the Homily, &nbsp;or the Sermon, the priest is expected &nbsp;to make sense of the 3 readings and the<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">psalm, and to do that in less than 10 minutes. That is quite a daunting&nbsp; task! In reality, in the Catholic Mass, the priest is not expected to give a full explanation &nbsp;of one of the readings, let alone the three. However, &nbsp;the General Instruction &nbsp;does recommend &nbsp;that the homily reference some point &nbsp;from the readings or of another text from the Ordinary &nbsp;or from &nbsp;the Proper of the Catholic &nbsp;Mass of the day. The priest is also expected to take into account &nbsp;the mystery being celebrated and the needs of the listeners.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>How &nbsp;to &nbsp;Listen To the &nbsp;Sermon<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Scripture can be overwhelming &nbsp;for a lot of people. The best solution &nbsp;in order &nbsp;to understand &nbsp;the Sermon is to prepare ourselves before going &nbsp;to Catholic Mass. Get a Lectionary.&nbsp; Read the readings for the Catholic &nbsp;Mass and reflect on the meanings. This preparation &nbsp;will &nbsp;help LIS keep our minds in Church during the readings and through the Sermon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Profession &nbsp;of Faith<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Creed was added into &nbsp;the Catholic &nbsp;Mass about a thousand years ago in a desire to unite the people &nbsp;in proclaiming &nbsp;their loyalty to the faith before they begin to celebrate the Eucharist. Gradually &nbsp;the Creed became a standard part of the Catholic &nbsp;Mass. As a result of this intimate association with the liturgy &nbsp;and teaching of the Church, the Apostles\u2019 Creed has always been held to have the authority &nbsp;of an ex cathedra utterance. It is commonly &nbsp;taught that all points of doctrine contained &nbsp;in it are part of the Catholic &nbsp;Faith, and cannot be called in question under pain of heresy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>General&nbsp; &nbsp;Intercessions<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">In the prayers of intercession we ask God for the needs of the Church; for public &nbsp;authorities and the salvation of the world; &nbsp;for those oppressed by any need; and for the local community. Typically the intentions are announced &nbsp;in the lectern but introduced &nbsp;by the priest. Also called the<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Prayer of the Faithful, at one stage in the evolution &nbsp;of the Catholic &nbsp;Mass, the marked the beginning &nbsp;of the \u201cMass of the FaithfuL\u201d This was the secret ceremony &nbsp;that only baptized&nbsp; Catholics &nbsp;of good standing could &nbsp;attend. Strangers, catechumens and penitents were &nbsp;expected to leave at this point.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Preparation &nbsp;of the Gifts<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Liturgy of the Eucharist now begins, which &nbsp;forms the central part of the liturgy due to its direct institution &nbsp;by Christ. The Offertory &nbsp;has always been considered &nbsp;one the essential actions of the Catholic &nbsp;Mass although&nbsp; it looks like a passive and quiet moment. This is the rite by which &nbsp;the bread and wine are presented (offered) &nbsp;to God before they are consecrated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Rite of Hand Washing<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Rite of Hand Washing, or Lavabo, before celebrating&nbsp; the holy Liturgy originated &nbsp;from the practical &nbsp;precaution &nbsp;of cleanness and later interpreted &nbsp;also symbolically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Prayer Over the Gifts<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cPray, Brethren\u201d breaks the stillness and silence after the Lavabo, as invitation &nbsp;to pray and claim ownership of the sacrifice.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"head_5d7bfe0eaa5c0\" class=\"heading style2 fx left animated zoomIn\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-animate=\"zoomIn\">\n<h3 class=\"head_tag main-color\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Eucharistic Prayer<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The Preface<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cThe Lord be with you,\u201d is the oldest set of text in the Mass and is exchanged&nbsp; between &nbsp;the priest and the congregation. &nbsp;We are then invited to tum &nbsp;to the Lord in prayer. The Preface is an introductory &nbsp;prayer, which &nbsp;gives a specific reason for our thanksgiving.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The Sanctus<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Sanctus is the last part of the Preface in the Catholic Mass, sung in practically &nbsp;every rite by &nbsp;the people (or choir), or if recited, it needs a firm and exalted tone. It is one of the oldest elements of the Catholic Mass liturgy. Like the prophet &nbsp;Isaiah, we fall on our knees in awe, for we realize the presence of something greater than ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Epidesis<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Epiclesis&nbsp;is an invocation &nbsp;of God to send the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Specifically and unambiguously &nbsp;God is called on to transform &nbsp;the offering &nbsp;of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The Consecration<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Here the elements are consecrated and transformed &nbsp;into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This is the key moment &nbsp;of the Catholic Mass. During the consecration &nbsp;the priest takes the bread and then the wine and repeats over them the words and action &nbsp;of our Lord during the Last Supper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Transubstantiation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">During the epiclesis or invocation, &nbsp;God is called upon to send the Holy Spirit and transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. During consecration, &nbsp;when &nbsp;the priest speaks, \u201cThis is my body,\u201d the substance of the bread is transformed &nbsp;into &nbsp;the Body of Jesus Christ. The priest then shows the Host to the people and places the consecrated &nbsp;Host on the paten. When &nbsp;the priest speaks, \u201cThis is my blood,\u201d the substance of the wine &nbsp;is transformed &nbsp;in the Blood of Jesus Christ. The priest shows the Chalice to the people and places the consecrated wine on the corporal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Memorial &nbsp;Acclamation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">After the Chalice has been shown to the people &nbsp;the priest invites the people &nbsp;to proclaim &nbsp;the&nbsp;Mystery &nbsp;of Faith.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Remembrance<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">After the memorial &nbsp;acclamation &nbsp;the priest invites us to \u201cCall to mind\u201d or remember &nbsp;the great events of our salvation, death, Resurrection and Ascension &nbsp;of our Lord, Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Offering<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">In that memory &nbsp;we offer the sacrifice, calling on God to offer the sacrifice in union with &nbsp;all&nbsp;the sacrifices in the past. In the offering, &nbsp;the miracle of transubstantiation &nbsp;is applied &nbsp;to our benefit when &nbsp;we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Intercessions<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The priest intercedes with the Father. We pray for those who &nbsp;have departed and we pray \u201cfor us sinners.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Final Doxology<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The priest lifts the Host and the Chalice proclaiming &nbsp;the doxology, &nbsp;the words &nbsp;of praise linking the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. This concludes &nbsp;the Eucharistic Prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"head_5d7bfe0eaa779\" class=\"heading style2 fx left animated zoomIn\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-animate=\"zoomIn\">\n<h3 class=\"head_tag main-color\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Communion Rite<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The Our &nbsp;Father<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The communion &nbsp;rite begins with &nbsp;the Our &nbsp;Father.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Holding &nbsp;Hands During &nbsp;the Our &nbsp;Father<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">While &nbsp;there are no directions &nbsp;as to the posture of the faithful, the rubrics clearly direct the priest and any concelebrants &nbsp;to pray the Our &nbsp;Father with &nbsp;hands extended \u2013 so they at least should not hold hands. One &nbsp;could argue that holding &nbsp;hands expresses the family union of the Church. But our singing or reciting &nbsp;the prayer in unison already expresses this element. The act of holding &nbsp;hands usually emphasizes group or personal unity from &nbsp;the human or physical point &nbsp;of view and is thus more typical of the spontaneity &nbsp;of small groups. Hence it does not always transfer well into the context &nbsp;of larger gatherings where some people &nbsp;feel uncomfortable&nbsp; &nbsp;and a bit imposed&nbsp; upon when doing so. The use of this practice during &nbsp;the Our &nbsp;Father could detract &nbsp;and distract from &nbsp;the prayer\u2019s God-directed &nbsp;sense of adoration &nbsp;and petition, &nbsp;as explained &nbsp;in&nbsp;<em>Nos.&nbsp;<\/em>2777-2865 &nbsp;of the Catechism &nbsp;of the Catholic &nbsp;Church, &nbsp;in favor of a more horizontal &nbsp;and merely human meaning. For all of these<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">reasons, no one should have any qualms about &nbsp;not participating &nbsp;in this gesture if disinclined &nbsp;to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">They will be simply following &nbsp;the universal customs of the Church, and should not be accused of being &nbsp;a cause of disharmony. A different &nbsp;case is the practice &nbsp;in which &nbsp;some people adopt &nbsp;the \u201corantes\u201d posture during the Our &nbsp;Father, praying &nbsp;like the priest, with &nbsp;hands extended. &nbsp;Despite appearances, this gesture is not, strictly speaking, a case of the laity trying to usurp priestly functions. The Our &nbsp;Father is the prayer of the entire assembly and not a priestly or presidential prayer. In fact, it<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">is perhaps the only case when the rubrics direct &nbsp;the priest to pray with &nbsp;arms extended &nbsp;in a prayer that<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">he does not say alone or only with other &nbsp;priests. Therefore, &nbsp;in the case of the Our &nbsp;Father, the orantes posture expresses the prayer directed &nbsp;to God by his children. This posture was, after all, the normal way Christians prayed \u2018for a millennium.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Embolism<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The priest picks up the last petition &nbsp;to deliver us from every evil.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The Sign of Peace<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The invitation &nbsp;to share the sign of peace among &nbsp;the congregation &nbsp;the priest is not authorized to leave the sanctuary. This part almost jars the solemnity &nbsp;of the Eucharistic Prayer in the Catholic Mass back to earth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The Fraction<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Breaking of the Bread is the oldest &nbsp;name for the Eucharistic liturgy, going back to the apostolic &nbsp;days, following &nbsp;Christ\u2019s breaking&nbsp; of the Bread at the Last supper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The Commingling<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">When the priest breaks the Bread he also drops a small piece of the Host into the Chalice, which &nbsp;is called Commingling. &nbsp;There are two possible origins of this rite. It was customary &nbsp;to reserve a fraction of the Host from each day\u2019s Catholic &nbsp;Mass and keep it until the next Catholic &nbsp;Mass. Then it would &nbsp;be brought to the altar and mingled with the newly consecrated Chalice. The other custom&nbsp;was practiced in Rome where&nbsp; the pope would &nbsp;send particles of the Host from his Catholic Mass to&nbsp;every church in the city so they could &nbsp;be mingled with &nbsp;the Blessed Sacrament in each church.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Agnus Dei<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">While &nbsp;the priest is going about the breaking of the bread and commingling, &nbsp;the congregation or choir sings the \u201clamb &nbsp;of God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Communion<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Communion &nbsp;is the actual reception &nbsp;of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is the Church doctrine &nbsp;that Holy Communion &nbsp;is morally necessary for salvation. Thus, without &nbsp;this sacrament it would &nbsp;be very difficult &nbsp;to resist grave temptations &nbsp;and avoid grievous sin. To receive you should bow your head in reverence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Silence after Communion<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">After receiving communion &nbsp;we meditate&nbsp; and contemplate &nbsp;on the Sacrament of Holy Communion. &nbsp;When communion &nbsp;has been distributed &nbsp;the priest, deacons and the extra-ordinary ministers of the Eucharist return &nbsp;the vessels to the altar. The remaining &nbsp;Hosts are collected &nbsp;into one ciborium. &nbsp;If the Sacred Blood is used the remaining Species must be consumed. The paten, ciborium and chalice are then purified. Although &nbsp;not dictated &nbsp;by the General Instructions, it is a common practice &nbsp;for the congregation &nbsp;to kneel while the practical &nbsp;necessity of clearing the Sacred Vessels is going on. It is customary to stay kneeling until either the priest sits or the ciboriurn &nbsp;of the remaining Host is returned into the tabernacle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Prayer after Communion<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">After the silence or song following &nbsp;Communion &nbsp;or after the purification &nbsp;of the vessels, the priest then invites the faithful to pray, which closes the Communion &nbsp;rite.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"head_5d7bfe0eaa989\" class=\"heading style2 fx left animated zoomIn\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-animate=\"zoomIn\">\n<h3 class=\"head_tag main-color\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Concluding Rite<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Announcements<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">This brings to attention &nbsp;certain announcements &nbsp;from the parish.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Dismissal<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">For the last time the priest and the people &nbsp;exchange greetings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>The Catholic Mass ends<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1770030607072{margin-top: 60px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Catholic &nbsp;Mass: A True Sacrifice A Catholic &nbsp;Mass, which &nbsp;is a liturgical &nbsp;function, &nbsp;can only be held in a church &nbsp;or an oratory which &nbsp;had [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/template-fullwidth.php","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9533","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Catholic \u00a0Mass | Archdiocese of Tamale<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Catholic Mass, which is a liturgical function, can only be held in a church or an oratory which had been consecrated or at least blessed. 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