The Order of Mass

The Introductory Rites

The Introductory Rites help the faithful come together as one, establish communion and prepare themselves to
listen to the Word of God and to celebrate the Eucharist worthily.
All stand. The Priest approaches the altar with the ministers
and venerates it while the Entrance Song is sung. Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
Sign of the Cross
All make the Sign of the Cross as the Priest says: You came to call sinners:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.
and of the Holy Spirit. Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.
Amen. You are seated at the right hand of the
Father to intercede for us:
Greeting
Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit The absolution by the Priest follows:
be with you all. Or: May almighty God have mercy on
Grace to you and peace from God our us, forgive us our sins,
Father and bring us to everlasting life.
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Or: Amen.
The Kyrie, eleison (Lord, have mercy) may follow.
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit. Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
Penitential Act Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.
The Priest invites the faithful to the Penitential Act.
Then one of the Penitential Acts follows: Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.
I confess to almighty God Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
and to you, my brothers and sisters, Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.
that I have greatly sinned, The Gloria
in my thoughts and in my words, When indicated this hymn is either sung or said:
in what I have done and in what I have Glory to God in the highest,
failed to do, and on earth peace to people
And, striking their breast, they say: of good will.
through my fault, through my fault, We praise you,
through my most grievous fault; we bless you,
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, we adore you,
all the Angels and Saints, we glorify you,
and you, my brothers and sisters, we give you thanks for your great glory,
to pray for me to the Lord our God. Lord God, heavenly King,
Have mercy on us, O Lord. O God, almighty Father.
For we have sinned against you. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Show us, O Lord, your mercy. Lord God, Lamb of God,
And grant us your salvation. Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the
You were sent to heal the contrite of world, have mercy on us;
heart:
you take away the sins of the with the Holy Spirit,
world, receive our prayer; in the glory of God the Father.
you are seated at the right hand Amen.
of the Father,
The Collect
have mercy on us. When this hymn is concluded, the Priest, says:
For you alone are the Holy One, Let us pray.
you alone are the Lord, And all pray in silence with the Priest for a while.
you alone are the Most High, Then the Priest says the Collect prayer, at the end of which
the people acclaim:
Jesus Christ,
Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
By hearing the word proclaimed in worship, the faithful again enter into the unending dialogue between God
and the covenant people, a dialogue sealed in the sharing of the Eucharistic food and drink.
First Reading all sit I believe in one Lord Jesus
To indicate the end of the reading, the reader acclaims: Christ, the Only Begotten Son of
The word of the Lord. God, born of the Father before all
Thanks be to God. ages. God from God, Light from
Psalm Light, true God from true God,
After the First Reading the psalmist or cantor sings or says begotten, not made,
the Psalm, with the people making the response. consubstantial with the Father;
Second Reading through him all things were made.
On Sundays and certain other days there is a second For us men and for our salvation
reading. It concludes with the same response as above.
he came down from heaven,
Gospel At the words that follow, up to and including and became
The assembly stands to sing the Gospel Acclamation to man, all bow.
welcome the Gospel. They remain standing in honour of the
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
Gospel reading, the high point of the Liturgy of the Word.
The Lord be with you. of the Virgin Mary,
And with your spirit. and became man.
A reading from the holy Gospel For our sake he was crucified
according to N. under Pontius Pilate,
Glory to you, O Lord. he suffered death and was buried,
At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
and rose again on the third day
The Gospel of the Lord. in accordance with the Scriptures.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
The Homily all sit of the Father.
At the end of the Homily it is appropriate for there to be a He will come again in glory
brief silence for recollection.
to judge the living and the dead
The Creed all stand
and his kingdom will have no end.
On Sundays and Solemnities, the Profession of Faith or Creed
will follow. During Lent and Easter Time, especially, the I believe in the Holy Spirit,
Apostles’ Creed may be used. the Lord, the giver of life,
The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed
who proceeds from the Father
I believe in one God,
and the Son,
the Father almighty,
who with the Father and the Son
maker of heaven and earth,
is adored and glorified,
of all things visible and invisible.
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic on the third day he rose again
and apostolic Church. from the dead;
I confess one Baptism he ascended into heaven,
for the forgiveness of sins and is seated at the right hand
and I look forward to the resurrection of God the Father almighty;
of the dead from there he will come to judge
and the life of the world to come. Amen. the living and the dead.
The Apostles’ Creed I believe in the Holy Spirit,
I believe in God, the holy catholic Church,
the Father almighty, the communion of saints,
Creator of heaven and earth, the forgiveness of sins,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, the resurrection of the body,
our Lord, and life everlasting. Amen.
At the words that follow, up to and including the Virgin
Mary, all bow. The Prayer of the Faithful
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, After each intention there is a pause while the faithful pray.

born of the Virgin Mary, Lord, in your mercy.

suffered under Pontius Pilate, Hear our prayer.
The Priest concludes the Prayer with a collect.
was crucified, died and was buried;
When the Liturgy of the Word has been completed, the
he descended into hell; people sit.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

For Catholics, the Eucharist is the source and summit of the whole Christian life. It is the vital centre of all that the
Church is and does, because at its heart is the real presence of the crucified, risen and glorified Lord, continuing
and making available his saving work among us.
During the Offertory Song the gifts of bread and wine Lift up your hearts.
are brought in procession. The Priest offers the prayers
of blessing quietly at the altar. If the priest says the We lift them up to the Lord.
prayers aloud the assembly’s acclamation each time is: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Blessed be God for ever. It is right and just.
The Priest completes additional personal preparatory rites, The Priest concludes the Preface with the people, singing
and the people rise as he says:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
that my sacrifice and yours Hosanna in the highest.
may be acceptable to God, Blessed is he who comes in the name
the almighty Father. of the Lord.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice Hosanna in the highest.
at your hands The Priest continues with the Eucharistic Prayer.
for the praise and glory of his name, After the words of Consecration the priest says:
for our good The mystery of faith.
and the good of all his holy Church. We proclaim your Death, O Lord,
Then the Priest says the Prayer over the Offerings, at the and profess your Resurrection
end of which the people acclaim:
until you come again. Or:
Amen.
When we eat this Bread
The Eucharistic Prayer and drink this Cup,
The Lord be with you. we proclaim your Death, O Lord,
And with your spirit. until you come again. Or:
Save us, Saviour of the world, The peace of the Lord be with you always.
for by your Cross and Resurrection And with your spirit.
you have set us free. Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
At the conclusion of the prayer the Priest takes the chalice All offer one another the customary sign of peace.
and the paten with the host and, raising both, he says
Through him, and with him, and in him, Breaking of the Bread
O God, almighty Father, Lamb of God, you take away the sins
in the unity of the Holy of the world, have mercy on us.
Spirit, all glory and honour Lamb of God, you take away the sins
is yours, for ever and ever. of the world, have mercy on us.
Amen. Lamb of God, you take away the sins
of the world, grant us peace.
The Communion Rite
The Lord’s Prayer all stand
Invitation to Communion all
kneel After his private prayers of preparation the Priest
At the Saviour’s command genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised
and formed by divine above the paten or above the chalice says aloud:
teaching, we dare to say: Behold the Lamb of God,
Our Father, who art in heaven, behold him who takes away the sins
hallowed be thy name; of the world.
thy kingdom come, Blessed are those called to the supper of
thy will be done the Lamb.
on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, I am not worthy
Give us this day our daily bread, that you should enter under my roof,
and forgive us our trespasses, but only say the word
as we forgive those who trespass and my soul shall be healed.
against us;
Communion
and lead us not into temptation, The communicants come forward in reverent procession,
but deliver us from evil. and make a preparatory act of reverence by bowing their
Deliver us, Lord, we pray… head in honour of Christ’s presence in the
Sacrament.
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus
The Body (Blood) of Christ.
Christ.
Amen.
For the kingdom,
After the distribution of Communion, if appropriate, a sacred
the power and the glory are yours silence may be observed for a while, or a psalm or other
now and for ever. canticle of praise or a hymn may be sung.
Lord Jesus Christ… Prayer after Communion all stand
Who live and reign for ever and ever. Let us pray.
Amen. All pray in silence. Then the Priest says the Prayer after
Communion, at the end of which the people acclaim:
The Concluding Rites Amen.
The Concluding Rites send the people forth to put into effect in their lives what they have received.
Blessing Dismissal
The Lord be with you. Then the Deacon, or the Priest says one of the following:
And with your spirit. Go forth, the Mass is ended.
May almighty God bless you, Go and announce the Gospel of the
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Lord. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by
Spirit. your life. Go in peace.
Amen. Thanks be to God.
Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.
Compilation & layout © 2011 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. www.missal.org.uk MCFL