"By the Eucharistic celebration

we already unite ourselves with

the heavenly liturgy and anticipate

eternal life, when God will be all

in all."

(Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 1326)



For Catholics, Mass attendance is a vital part of

weekly, if not daily, life. It is the time to gather together

in God’s presence, to be nourished in a special way by

God and by one another. We listen to the words of

Scripture, we pray together, and we share the ultimate

food for the soul— the Body and Blood of Ghrist.
Furthermore, we do all these things in a prescribed

order, using many of the same words and rituals that

have been used for nearly two thousand years.

Respect for the Real Presence

Mass etiquette begins with a fundamental respect

for the importance and sanctity of the Mass. An atti-

tude of reverence should guide behavior at any religious

service, but for Gatholics it is especially true. From ear-

liest childhood. Catholics are taught to show the utmost

respect and reverence for this sacred and mysterious

gift of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the

Eucharist. The bread and wine do not merely symbolize

Christ; they are

changed into the

Body and Blood of

Christ (CCC,

1413). This central

belief sets

Catholics apart

from most other

s Christian denomi-

I
nations.

^ What does

this mean for Catholics and guests at Mass? At a mini-

mum, it asks that the presence and behavior of those

present throughout the service not detract in any way

from the reverence accorded to the Mass. Our choice of

clothing, posture, and participation should all reflect an

attitude of dignity and attentiveness.

Entrance protocol

Upon entering a Catholic church, several gestures

immediately distinguish Catholic worshipers. Non-

Catholics entering a Catholic church need not attempt

to imitate these gestures, but may instead simply pro-

ceed to a pew and sit.

^ Holy WSlter, At the entrance to each
Catholic church, there is a receptacle filled with blessed



water. A carry-over from

ancient purification rites, the

ritual drop of holy water

reminds us that we need to

wash away secular things as we

enter Gods house. More

importantly, it also reminds us

of our baptismal commitment.

Dipping the tips of the fingers

into the water and touching them to our foreheads, we

repeat the gesture that first marked us as Christians, the

Sign of the Cross.

^ Sign of the Cross. As we enter the
church, we dip our fingers into holy water to touch first

the forehead, then the center of the chest, and then the

shoulders. At the same time, we may say silently, “In the

name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

Spirit. Amen.”

What is signified by tracing the Sign of the Cross?

This sign confesses faith in both the Holy Trinity and

the Redemption wrought by Christ. For most Catholics,

the gesture is understood as a way to begin and end

prayers.

^ Genuflecting. Before entering the pew.
Catholics pause while facing the tabernacle (if visible)

and bend the right knee all the way to the floor, then

rise up again. This act is called genuflection, from the

Latin genuflexo, meaning

“on bended knee.” Like cer-

emonial washing, genuflec-

tion is an ancient mode of

courtesy present in many

pre-Christian cultures. The

early Church embraced this

gesture as an appropriate

sign of respect for the pres-

ence of Jesus Christ in the

tabernacle. One who is

physically unable to genu-

flect, may substitute a pro-

found bow at the waist.

^ Kneeling. When Catholics first enter the
pew, they kneel and pray silently. Kneeling is seen as a

posture of both penance and adoration, and thus is

appropriate as we enter God’s presence.



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On a given Sunday the same invocations, respons-

es, sequence of readings, and prayers are recited in

Catholic churches throughout the country.

Furthermore, with little additional variation, these same

words can be heard in Catholic churches around the

world. Why is the Mass so consistent and predictable?

The answer is found in the liturgy— the prescribed
rites and ceremonies of public worship that are a fun-

damental part of Catholicism. Whenever or wherever

Mass is celebrated, these basic liturgical rituals are

encountered:

Introductory Rites

The pre-service meditation and the introductory

rites of the Mass serve as a bridge from the everyday

atmosphere to the sacred.

^ Entrance procession. At the
appointed time, the cantor or another designated per-

son welcomes everyone to Mass and announces the

entrance hymn or antiphon. Everyone stands (seen as a

posture of respect and praise), and joins in the singing

or recitation. The priest(s), altar servers, lectors, and

other selected Mass participants process to the altar.

^ OpeninQ. The priest opens the Mass with
the words, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.” At this time, we make the Sign

of the Cross and respond, “Amen,” meaning “So be it,”

or “May it be so.” The priest and the congregation then

exchange formal greetings.

^ Penitential rite. In this prayer, sinful-
ness is acknowledged and intercession requested. This is

followed by a plea

for mercy. The

Greek “Kyrie

Eleison' may be

used in place of the

English, “Lord have

mercy” and/or the

Latin penitential

prayer, “Co/i//teor,”

for the English “I

confess to Almighty

God . .
.”

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^ Gloria.. The joyful “Gloria” echoes the song
of the angels on the first Christmas. The Gloria is recit-

ed or sung on Sundays and significant feast days, except

during Advent and Lent. The priest then reads the des-

ignated opening prayer, which gives the theme of the

day’s Mass.

Liturgy of the Word

During the Liturgy of the Word, the assembly hears

the Word of God proclaimed and explained.

^ Scripture readings. Lectors read the
selected passages from the Old and New Testaments,

and a psalm is chanted or sung. Since the Gospels (the

books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) present the

words of Jesus, the

Gospel lesson is

given added respect.

The congregation

stands before the

Gospel is read, and

a priest or deacon

reads the portion of

the Gospel assigned

for the day. At the

announcement of

the Gospel reading, the thumb is used to trace a small

Sign of the Cross on forehead, mouth, and chest. This

indicates a desire that the word of the Lord will be in

our minds, upon our lips, and in our hearts.

^ Homily. The congregation is seated to lis-
ten to the priest’s homily. The priest usually expounds

on the Scripture lessons of the day and links them to

our daily lives.

^ Creed. The congregation stands to profess
the faith using the words of the Nicene Creed. This

creed, first issued by the Council of Nicea in a.d. 325,

and completed by the Council of Constantinople in a.d.

381, summarizes basic Catholic beliefs.

^ Intercessory prayers. The final rite
of the Liturgy of the Word is the Prayer of the Faithful.

Specific and general prayer petitions are offered. The

congregation responds to each with, “Lord, hear our

prayer,” or a similar response. The priest concludes the

prayer and all respond, “Amen.”



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Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Mass now moves toward its focal point— the
celebration of the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the

Eucharist has its roots in the Jewish family meal, but it

is modeled specifically after the Last Supper, where

Jesus celebrated the Passover meal, then gave His disci-

ples the instruction to “do this in memory of me.”

V Offertory. Select members of the congre-
gation, a family or the ushers, bring the bread, wine,

and the “offerings” of the congregation (symbolized by

the collection) to the priest.

^ Eucharistic Prayer. The congregation
stands as the priest begins the Preface of the Eucharistic

Prayer. This is a short prayer of praise and thanksgiv-

ing, after which the congregation joins in singing or

reciting the Sanctus, “Holy, Holy, Holy. . . .” Then the

congregation kneels as the priest recites the Eucharistic

Prayer. There are several approved forms of the prayer.

Each has a different tone and origin, but all include the

words of consecration spoken by Christ at the Last

Supper.

^ Lord's Prayer. Several prayer postures
are commonly seen during this part of the liturgy.

Some families or couples may join hands, and may

reach out to join hands with those next to them. Others

extend their hands in a more charismatic posture. Some

simply keep their hands folded.

^ Sign of
Peace. At the sign of

peace, everyone in the

congregation turns to

others nearby to

exchange a handshake, or

sometimes a kiss. A com-

mon greeting is, “Peace

be with you.”

Distribution of Communion
As the priest prepares for the distribution of

Communion, the congregation sings or chants the

Agnus Dei, “Lamb of God.” When the preparations are

finished, the priest and his assistants begin to distribute

the Holy Eucharist. As the people come forward, a

hymn may be sung.



Who may receive
Communion at a Catholic Mass?
The National Conference of Bishops offers these

stipulations for practicing Catholics: “In order to

be properly disposed to receive Communion, par-

ticipants should not be conscious of grave sin and

normally should have fasted for one hour. A per-

son who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive

the Body and Blood of

the Lord without prior

sacramental confes-

sion except for a grave

reason where there is

no opportunity for

confession. In this

case, the person is to

be mindful of the obligation to make an act of

perfect contrition, including the intention of con-

fessing as soon as possible (canon 916).”

Non-Catholics are excluded from taking

Communion at a Catholic church. The U.S.

Bishops explain the Church’s reasoning for this

restriction by teaching that reception of the

Eucharist by Christians not fully united with us

would imply a oneness which does not yet exist,

and for which we must all pray. Catholics who

invite non-Catholics to Mass have an obligation to

clarify this policy with their guests prior to

Communion, so that no uncomfortable situations

arise suddenly during the reception time. Those

who cannot, or for some reason do not care to,

receive Communion simply remain in the pew

while others go forward.

^ now is the sacrament
received? Those receiving the Eucharist typi-

cally are permitted to choose reception of the

Host either in the hand or directly on the tongue

(after bowing the head in reverence). Given the

belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the bread

and wine, it would be seriously offensive to do

anything other than put the Host into our mouths

the moment we receive. The Blood of Christ

might also be offered to communicants from a

common chalice. The Catholic Church teaches

that Christ is present under either form.

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Concluding Rites

The concluding rites of the liturgy are brief. The

congregation stands while the priest offers a short

prayer and a blessing. He then reminds us of our man-

date: “The Mass is ended. Go in peace to love and serve

the Lord.” We respond, “Thanks be to God.” A final

hymn may be sung, while the priest and participants

leave the altar. We go quietly, genuflecting (if the taber-

nacle is visible) as we leave the pew.

Having been spiritually renewed and nourished

through the Mass, we are ready to take Christ out into

the world again.

Where to go for more information:

Catholic Etiquette: What You Need to Know

About Catholic Rites and Wrongs by Kay Lynn Isca

Celebrating the Mass: A Guide for Understanding

and Loving the Mass More Deeply by Alfred

McBride, O.Praem.

The Holy Eucharist Prayer Book by Alfred McBride,

O.Praem.

A Pocket Guide to the Mass by Michael Dubruiel

The How-To Book of the Mass by Michael Dubruiel

For additional Catholic resources

or to order bulk copies of this pamphlet contact:

OlIrSllnday^^tor

200 Noll Plaza • Huntington, IN 46750

1-800-348-2440 • Fax: 1-800-498-6709 • www.osv.com

By Kay Lynn Isca

Copyright © 2007 by Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.

Catechism citations are taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, for

use in the United States of America, copyright © 1994 and 1997, United States Catholic

Conference— Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permissionv

Inventory Number; P161

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