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THE SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE MASS
Unfortunately, I have found that many times the Catholic Faith is accused of being UNscriptural or NON-Bible-based.
I thought it would be very helpful to place this post here, containing information that I copied from a blog called "this Catholic Journey".
It is very interesting (and reassuring to non-Catholics I hope) to see JUST HOW SCRIPTURALLY based the Catholic Mass actually is!
Greeting:
Priest: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19)
People: Amen (1 Chr
Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor
People: And also with you.
Penitential Rite:
All: I confess to almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault. (Jas. 5:16) In my thoughts and in my words, (Rom.
Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. (1 John 1:9)
People: Amen (1 Chr
All: Lord have mercy. (Tb 8:4) Christ have mercy. (1 Tim 1:2) Lord have mercy.
Gloria:
All: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. (Luke 2:14)
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, (Rev 19:6)
we worship you, (Rev. 22:9) we give you thanks, (Eph. 5:20)
we praise you for your glory. (
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, (2 John 3)
Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us; (John
You are seated at the right hand of the Father, receive our prayer. (Rom
For you alone are the Holy One, (Luke
You alone are Lord, You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ. (Luke 1:32)
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. (John 14:26)
[The Liturgy of the Word consists of four readings from Scripture: the first is typically from the Old Testament, the second a psalm, followed by a reading from one of the epistles. Finally, the Gospel is proclaimed during which the people stand out of respect for the Word. The chosen readings change daily.]
Click here to get today’s liturgical readings from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
[A Sermon on the readings follows.] (2 Tim 4:1-2)
Profession of Faith: [the Nicene (or Apostles) Creed]
All:
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, (Gen
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, (Luke 1:35) eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten not made, one in being with the Father. (Heb 1:3) Through him all things were made. (John 1:2-3) For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: (John
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, (John
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life, (Acts
We believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church. (Rom 12:5) We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. (Acts
Liturgy of the Eucharist:
[The gifts are brought to the altar. These include the bread and wine and the offering collected from the people.] (Malachi 3:10)
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. (Eccl. 3:13) It will become for us the bread of life. (John 6:35)
People: Blessed be God forever. (Ps 68:35)
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink. (Luke 22:17-18)
People: Blessed be God forever. (Ps 68:36)
Priest: Pray, brethren, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father. (Heb. 12:28)
People: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our sake and the good of all his Church. (Ps 50:23)
Eucharistic Prayers:
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord. (Lam
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord Our God. (
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise. (
Preface acclamation:
All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. (Is 6:3) Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. (Mark 11:9-10)
Eucharistic prayer:
[There are four of these, based on ancient prayers of the Church. Eucharistic Prayer Two follows as an example:]
Priest: Lord, you are holy indeed, the fountain of all holiness. (2 Macc. 14:36) Let your spirit come upon these gifts (water and wine) to make them holy, so that they may become the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Before he was given up to death, (Phil 2:8) a death he freely accepted, (John
All: Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life, Lord Jesus, come in glory. (Heb 2:14-15)
Priest: In memory of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this life-giving bread, this saving cup. (John 6:51) We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor.10:17) Lord, remember your Church throughout the world; make us grow in love together with our Pope and our bishop, and all the clergy. Remember our brothers and sisters who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again: bring them and all the departed into the light of your presence. (2 Macc 12:45-46) Have mercy on us all; make us worthy to share eternal life with Mary, the virgin Mother of God, with the apostles and with all the saints who have done your will throughout the ages. May we praise you in union with them, and give you glory though your Son, Jesus Christ. (2 Thes 1:4-5) Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.
All: Amen. (Rom
Communion Rite:
The Lord’s Prayer:
All: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matt 6:9-13)
Priest: Deliver us, Lord, from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ. (John 17:15)
All: For the kingdom the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen
Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles; I leave you peace, my peace I give to you. (John 14:27) Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live forever and ever.
Priest: The peace of the Lord be with you always! (John 20:19)
People: And also with you!
[The priest then directs the people to exchange a sign, such as a handshake or a kiss, or a word of God’s peace to one another.]
Breaking of the Bread:
All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace. (John 1:29)
Communion:
Priest: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper. (Rev. 19:9)
People: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed. (Matt 8:8)
[Communion is distributed to the faithful at the altar by the priest and lay ministers.]
Dismissal:
Priest: Blessed be the name of the Lord. Now and forever. (Dan 2:20) May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Luke 24:51) Go in peace (Luke
[During the blessing the people make the Sign of the Cross, the traditional sign of the baptized and a public sign of their belief in the power of God.]
People: Thanks be to God. (2 Cor
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
Our son Tommy
The Lathwell Family, as they learn to carry one without their beloved son Tommy.
Jonah, our young friend who is headed off to basic training for the Army Reserves.
A fellow blogger and her family who are under attack from the enemy.
Alexander, (Tommy Lathwell's brother) that he has a swift and full recovery for his broken foot.
Our Troops and their families
Is the Mass an Attempt to RE-sacrifice Jesus again and again?
The Liturgy is a communal act of the faithful and the clergy.
Catholics believe that Jesus Christ, offered Himself unto death on a Cross as the ultimate sacrifice ONCE, FOR ALL. To say that Jesus is Re-sacrificed would be blasphemy.
When, at the Last Supper, He spoke to His Apostles (Luke 22: 19~20) saying, "Do this in remembrance of me", the term used in the Gospel in reference to those words is "anamnesis", which does not mean "remember", as much as, "to make present"...it is a movement through time, bringing something from the Heavenly world into the material world.
The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration and memorial of the ONCE, FOR ALL sacrifice of Jesus, which makes present to us that sacrifice, and the offering by Jesus of Himself in His glorified body to God.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in #1341, explains: "The command of Jesus to repeat His actions and words until He comes does not only ask us to remember Jesus and what He did. It is directed at the Liturgical celebration, by the Apostles and their successors, as the memorial of Christ, of His life, of His death, of His Resurrection, and of His intercession in the presence of the Father....and just before that in #1340 is stated: " By celebrating the Last Supper with His Apostles in the course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus' passing over to His Father, by His death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the Kingdom".
Christ's sacrifice on the Cross is FINAL and COMPLETE. The Mass is our witness, as the Body of Christ which bears to that sacrifice and joins us to Him in spirit, until that day, when He comes again, and takes us with Him to join in the unending hymn of praise at the wedding feast of the Lamb, foretold in the Book of Revelation 4:8 and 19:9.
Personal Thoughts:
I am so thankful that Jesus has made Himself truly and completely present to us in the Eucharist, as an action that echoes His words, "I am with you always"!
Padre Pio once said, "The world could survive more easily a day without the SUN than it could without the Mass".
Thank you Lord, I adore You in the Blessed Sacrament, and pray for those who have not yet come to this Truth, that they will seek You and find You present in the Tabernacles of the world!
Why Do Catholics Call Priests "Father"?
Many people think that since Jesus forbade the "title" father for anyone but God (Matt23: 6~9), Catholics are in violation of the Scripture by using it in reference to men.
The Church explains that Jesus, when giving this admonition, was using hyperbole (that is, an exaggerated example in order to make a point). He was not speaking toward calling someone father in a literal sense, but rather, holding someone in the same esteem, prestige and honor that is equal to the Ultimate Authority of GOD.
As is made clear here: http://www.catholic.com/library/call_no_man_father.asp
if Jesus WERE being literal in saying that we are not to call anyone "father", then the entire concept of God, as Our Father in Heaven would be obliterated, for there would be no earthly comparison of this term from which we would gain our understanding of His description of God in Heaven as that of "OUR FATHER".
Ephesians 3: 14~15 states, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from which every family in heaven and on earth is named"...
The biological fatherhood of those on earth, as well as the spiritual fatherhood of a priest, is derived from a sharing and participation in the Fatherhood of GOD. (taken from: pg. 171 in Bible Basics, by Steve Kellmeyer)
Personal Thoughts:
May God bless our spiritual fathers on earth to have JOY in their vocations, and to embrace His Truth as they help us along our journey toward CHRIST.
Do Catholics Worship Mary?
I have found that this is one of the most common misconceptions about the Catholic Faith.The plain and simple answer is: NO, Catholics do NOT worship Mary. Catholics worship ONLY the ONE, TRUE, GOD in the MOST HOLY TRINITY...Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
True, Mary, as Mother of Our Redeemer, holds a special place of honor in our Church.
The proper term for the respect and esteem given to her in the Catholic Church is: veneration.
We "venerate" Mary.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines "venerate" as follows:
venerate - Definition
[vĕńə-rāt́]| (v.) | To regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt deference. |
worship - Definition
[wûŕshĭp]| (n.) | The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity | ||||||||||
| (v.) | To honor and love as a deity. Deity, is to be defined as: deity - Definition [dḗĭ-tē, dā́-]
Catholics believe in One, True God, therefore "deity" pertains to that same God and no other. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in # 963: "The Virgin Mary...is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of God and of Our Redeemer...She is 'clearly the Mother of the members of Christ'...since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the birth of believers in the Church, who are members of Its Head"..."Mary, Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church". (Following are my personal thoughts): If we are to follow the example of Jesus, in His life on Earth, then we can not help but offer our respect, honor, and obedience to Mary, just as HE did. Well known is the story in Scripture of the Wedding in Cana, (John 2: 1~11), where Our Lord performed His first public miracle at the beckoning of His Mother! When Mary first said, "They have no wine", Jesus responded, "Woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come"...However, Mary goes on to tell the servants, "Do whatever He tells you"...and Jesus, AT THE REQUEST OF HIS MOTHER, honors her, respects her, and fulfills her request by changing the water into wine! : So to, must we "Do whatever He tells us"...and clearly, by His actions in Cana, He tells us that Mary is to be respected. The Angel Gabriel told this humble handmaiden, that she had found "favor" with God. So to then, should she find "favor" in our hearts if we are to follow His Way. As a homeschooling mother, I find SUCH comfort, and peace, and JOY contemplating Mary as she held, cuddled, loved, taught, cared for, and raised THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD! Think of how close you are to your son...(if you have one)...very often, if we wish to know something about someone, the best person to ask is his/her mother. This is what Catholics are doing when we venerate Mary. We are not "praying" using the sense of the term as to "worship"...we are "praying" using the sense of the term as to "ask, or request"...and what we are asking, is that she tell us about her Son...that as she kneels before Him in His Kingdom of Heaven, to please ask Him to help us, to bless us, to come to our aid, to bring us to Heaven with Him....and we trust, that just as He listened to her and granted her request at the Wedding in Cana...He will listen to her and grant her request on our behalf! Here is one of my favorite prayers: | ||||||||||
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Why Do Catholics Confess Sins to a Priest?
In our personal relationship with God, we may approach Him at any time seeking forgiveness and confessing our sins to Him.
He has given us a beautiful GIFT in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance, more commonly known as : confession.
Jesus said to the Apostles, the first priests, in John 20:21~23, "Peace be with you. As the FAther has sent me, even so I send you." He then breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
(How would they know what sins to forgive or retain unless people were confessing their sins to them?)
Clearly, in the above passage, Christ has bestowed upon His first priests, the power to forgive sins in His name. GOD has the power, the ONLY power, to forgive sins...but He has given this power to certain men on earth to exercise in His Name.
Many people say that a human mediator is not needed to confess sins.
However, there is no Christian denomination where a believer may baptize himself. In ALL denominations, it is required that there be human mediation for baptism to take place. Why then, is it so odd to think of this same process for the confessing of sins?
#1440, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with Him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason, conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation."
#1441 STATES: "Only God can forgive sins. Since He is the Son of God, Jesus says of Himself, "The Son of Man has authority on Earth to forgive sins."..and exercises this divine power, "Your sins are forgiven". Further, by virtue His divine authority, he gives this power to men to exercise in His name."
Christ wishes the Church to be a sign of forgiveness and reconciliation, and has entrusted that power to the priests, who are the successors of His Apostles. They have been "sent out" on behalf of Christ, into an Apostolic Ministry of Reconciliation, and therefore, as mediators and intercessors, beckon to us, "BE RECONCILED TO GOD".
Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.
Personal thoughts:
This is a beautiful Sacrament, a gift that God has given us on earth, that we may humble ourselves by confessing to human ears our sins, that those ears may listen, and then offer, in the name of Jesus, God's forgiveness and absolution to us in our contrition.
We understand that a priest has, by himself, NO POWER to forgive a person's sins...but by the power bestowed upon them as successors of the Apostles, JESUS comes to us in the Sacrament...and through the hands of His priest...He heals us.
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