A BIBLICAL WALK THROUGH THE MASS

Even though the Karate Kid was able to translate “wax on, wax off” into karate moves, it generally helps to know the “why” behind what we’re doing.

Similar to how there are optimal positions for playing a sport or an instrument, the Catholic Worship Workout of genuflecting, kneeling, sitting, and standing are meant to help open us up. Understanding the roots of these actions and the carefully-composed prayers from Mass can allow us to participate more mindfully.

Below are some insights from Edward Sri's book (in addition to some of my own elaboration from external research).

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THE LORD BE WITH YOU

“‘The Lord be with you’ is no ordinary greeting. This is not at all like an exchange in which the priest says, ‘Good morning,’ and the people respond, ‘And good morning to you, too, Father!’” (24).

It acknowledges Jesus’s presence amid the community of believers (Mt 18:20).
It says a prayer that the divine life that we received through baptism will continue to grow within us.
It echoes the reassuring words that were said to Biblical heroes when they were about to embark on a mission outside of their comfort zone. Even though our missions aren’t as extreme as confronting rulers or delivering the baby Jesus, each of us have a unique role in our community.
- Isaac (Gn 26:3, 24)
- Jacob (Gn 28:13-15)
- Moses (Ex 3:12)
- Gideon (Jg 6:16)
- Joshua (Jos 1:5, 9)
- King David (2 Sam 7:3)
- Jeremiah (Jer 1:6-8)
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (Lk 1:28)

The response used to be “And also with you.”

However, as Edward Sri put it, this might have given us “the impression that our response was merely intended to express basic reciprocity: ‘May God be with you, too.’ But there is much more going on in this response. By saying ‘and with your spirit,’ the people are acknowledging the Holy Spirit’s unique activity through the priest during the sacred liturgy by virtue of his ordination. As Jeremy Driscoll explains, ‘The people are addressing the ‘spirit’ of the priest; that is, that deepest interior part of his being where he has been ordained precisely to lead the people in this sacred action. They are saying in effect, ‘Be the priest for us now,’ aware that there is only one priest, Christ Himself, and that this one who represents him now must be finely tuned to perform his sacred duties well‘” (28).

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THE CONFITEOR

Confessing our sins publicly before God and the congregation at the start of Mass “prepares us to celebrate the sacred mysteries.”

St. Paul warned that if you don’t examine yourself before receiving the Eucharist, you will partake in an “unworthy manner” (1 Cor 11:28, 27).
A second-century text called the Didache similarly taught: “Assemble on the Lord’s Day, and break bread and offer the Eucharist; but first make confessions of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one.”

The Confiteor reminds us that we aren’t merely supposed to avoid sinful thoughts, words, and actions. We are supposed to pursue the imitation of Christ (so what we fail to do matters too).

“This is why the sin of the Rich Young Man is so tragic. He was a very impressive Jewish man who kept all the commandments — no small feat, indeed! However, he was unwilling to answer the call of Christ. He could not let go of his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Jesus. And this was his downfall! Though he might have received an ‘A’ on the first three levels of the Confiteor’s examination of conscience, he failed to pursue the higher good to which Jesus called him and therefore remained far from the kingdom of heaven (Mt 19:16-24)” (34).

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KYRIE ELEISON

The Kyrie Eleison is an expression of our subjectiveness to God as we ask for forgiveness. God doesn’t push us to our limits just to make Himself feel superior (like in the game “Mercy”, where two kids interlock hands and squeeze as hard as they can until the person with the weaker wrists cries out, “Mercy!”). God only finds joy when we readily submit to Him out of free will. For example, consider the parable of the Prodigal Son. When Edward's daughter stole one of her brother’s toys but then noticed how much that hurt her brother, she promptly returned the toy, gave him a hug, and apologized: “I couldn’t believe my eyes! A second earlier, my blood pressure was rising with the cries of my toddler who had his toy stolen from him. But now I saw that my daughter felt badly about what she had done and wanted to set things right. She clearly did not like the fact that she hurt her brother’s feelings. She asked for his forgiveness. So instead of wanting to punish her, I now wanted to hug her! I saw not merely her wrongdoing (she took his toy). Even more, I saw her heart (she loves her brother, felt badly about hurting him, and sincerely apologized — all on her own initiative!)” (38-39).

The Kyrie Eleison is also an expression of petition as we ask God for assistance.
- We could be asking for help with paralysis in our own lives, like:
  - Blind men (Mt 9:27, 20:30-31; Mk 10:46-48, Lk 18:38-39)
  - Lepers (Lk 17:13)
- Or we could be asking for help on behalf of someone, like:
  - A mother whose daughter is possessed (Mt 15:22)
  - A father whose son is epileptic (Mt 17:15)

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GLORIA

The beginning words of Gloria echoes what angels sung when they were announcing the good news of Christ’s birth: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased” (Lk 2:14).

“It is fitting that we sing these words at the beginning of the Sunday liturgy (except in Advent and Lent), for there is a sense in which every Mass makes present the mystery of Christmas once again. As God was made manifest to the world in the baby Jesus some 2,000 years ago, so he is made present sacramentally upon our altars at the consecration in every Mass. We thus prepare ourselves to welcome Jesus by repeating the same words of praise that the angels used to herald Christ’s coming in Bethlehem” (43).

When we say that Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father, we are recognizing His unique position of authority. This echoes Ps 110:1, Heb 1:13, and Mk 16:19.

“Perhaps most remarkable is the line ‘you alone are the Lord.’ Lord (kyrios) in the Bible is a title for God. But in the ancient Roman world, ‘Lord’ was the title given to the emperor. This, while calling Jesus ‘Lord’ associated him with God (1 Cor 8:6; Phil 2:11), it was also extremely counter-imperial. The New Testament proclaims that Jesus is Lord, not Caesar! Someone in the ancient Roman world who said that Jesus alone is the Lord would have been seen as an enemy to the Roman Empire. Many early Christians, in fact, died for this belief, refusing to worship the emperor or the Roman gods. This line from the Gloria today challenges us to be loyal to Jesus Christ and his commandments above anything else in this world, whether it be a job, possessions, financial security, prestige, or family” (49).

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LITURGY OF THE WORD

“The idea of having a cycle of readings from Scripture for liturgical worship is rooted in ancient Jewish practice. In the first century, the Law and the Prophets were regularly read in the context of synagogue worship. And the rabbis of the early third century testify to a regular pattern of readings from the Law and the Prophets for worship in the synagogue, which may reflect what was practiced in Jesus’ day. Some of the rabbinic evidence even points to the possible use of a three-year cycle of readings” (54-55).

The Catholic Church used to have an annual cycle of readings that didn’t change from year to year. The Second Vatican Council replaced this practice with a three-year cycle (for a more comprehensive study).

One major difference between each of the three yearly reading plans is which Gospel is the focus:

Year A: Gospel of Matthew
Year B: Gospel of Mark
Year C: Gospel of Luke

Each Liturgical Year starts in Advent, but to determine which cycle year you’re on, add the year’s digits. If the value is divisible by three, you’re on Year C.

For example:

2 + 0 + 2 + 2 = 6 (which is divisible by 3, so 2022 is Year C)

The three Scripture readings tend to have some thematic tie to them. The order in which they are read tends to move from ancient Israel to Jesus.

FIRST READING: Most of the time, the first reading is from the Old Testament. However, during the Easter Season, we get the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

SECOND READING: The second reading is from the New Testament. Similar to how it’s hard to appreciate movie climaxes until you understand everything that led up to it, the prior look at the Old Testament helps us appreciate the New Testament readings.

GOSPEL READING: The Gospel reading is the only reading that the congregation stands during (instead of sitting). This is similar to how the congregation stood in Neh 8:5. Standing shows our readiness to listen to the good news.

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HOMILY

“Homily” comes from the Greek word ὁμιλία (homilía), meaning an explanation of a reading.

It was ancient Jewish custom for leaders to help common folk interpret the meaning of Scripture (see Neh 8:8). Jesus Himself practiced this custom (see Lk 4:18-30, Mk 1:21, Lk 4:15).

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PRESENTATION OF GIFTS

Offering bread and wine are symbols of offering one’s self. As the priest says in Mass, they are the “fruit of the earth and work of human hands.”

Bread used to be a lot more than a side dish. Bread was a staple food in ancient Israel (see Lv 26:26, Ez 4:16). The Israelites gave up some of their bread as a sacrifice to God (Ex 29:2, Lv 2:4-7, Lv 7:13, Lv 23:15-20).

Wine used to be a lot more than a side beverage. The Israelites commonly drank wine with meals, yet they also gave up some of their wine as a sacrifice to God (Neh 10:36-39, Ex 29:38-41).

“As one commentator noted, ‘There is no scrap of bread which does not call to mind the hard work of plowing and sowing, the moist brow of the reaper, the weariness of the arms which have threshed the corn, and the grunts of the baker who kneaded the dough close to the scorching oven.’ The same could be said of the wine, which comes from the grapes which were harvested from the vines that had been carefully tended throughout the year. The practice of giving money (which eventually overshadowed the offering of oil, flax, and other sundry gifts) can be seen in the same light. Putting money in the basket is not simply a contribution to some good cause. It, too, expresses the giving of our lives to God. Our money embodies hours of our lives and hard work, which we now offer to God during Mass in the presentation of the gifts” (86-87).

We don’t give God gifts because He needs them. It’s because we need to learn to let go.

We give God our first fruits and first-born calves not because He needs them, but because we do. For us, having them means that we have security and certainty. By sacrificing them to God, we’re giving Him the best that we have to offer as a sign of trust.

“Lacking nothing, God is God with or without our gifts. But we need to grow in self-giving love, and this is one reason why he invites us to unite our lives to him in this way. These small offerings help us to grow in sacrificial love. Moreover, though they do not count for much on their own, what gives them immense value is that we unite them with Christ’s perfect sacrifice” (88).

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LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Why do priests wash their hands in a basin of water during the Liturgy of the Eucharist?

References to this practice are in Ex 29:4, Ex 30:17-21, and Nm 8:7. Psalm 24 also says, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Ps 24:3-4). Because physical cleanliness is associated with spiritual purity, the ritual hand washing symbolizes preparation for going near God’s presence.

What does “lifting up hearts” mean?

When the priest says, “Lift up your hearts“, he’s echoing words from the Old Testament: “Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven” (Lam 3:41).The heart represents the source of our emotions. By “lifting them up”, we are giving ourselves a wake-up call as we “set [our] minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:1-2).

What's the significance of the Sanctus?

When Isaiah (in Is 6:3) and St. John (in Rv 4:8) were in the presence of God, they both felt unworthy, so they proclaimed, “Holy, holy, holy Lord”. Even the seraphim felt unworthy! As we too, enter the presence of God, it’s fitting that we fall to our knees at the end of this prayer.

“We repeat words which the crowds used to greet Jesus as He processed into Jerusalem: ‘Hosanna’ and ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,’ Both expressions were originally in Psalm 118, a pilgrimage hymn recited on the way to the Temple for major feasts. Hosanna is a transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning ‘Save us,’ which became an expression of praise in liturgical worship. The blessing upon ‘he who comes in the name of the Lord’ was normally invoked on the pilgrims coming to the Temple. On the day we know as Palm Sunday, the crowds used these words to welcome Jesus as the one coming in the Lord’s name — in other words, the one representing God and acting on his behalf.

It is fitting that we repeat these words at this moment in the Liturgy. Just as the crowds in Jerusalem welcomed Jesus into the holy city with these words from Psalm 118, so do we welcome Jesus into our churches, for he is about to become present in the Eucharist on our altars” (103-104).

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THE LORD'S PRAYER

The Lord’s Prayer was taught by Jesus (Mt 6:9-13; Lk 11:1-4). The fact that we call God “Father” highlights our personal relationship with Him (and how He wants the best for us, like any parent would). The word “our” highlights how we are united in a covenant family. Everyone else at Mass are brothers and sisters in Christ.

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LORD, I AM NOT WORTHY

In the gospel of Matthew, a centurion humbly approached Jesus and asked him to heal his paralyzed servant who’s at his house. As a Gentile outside of God’s covenant (who is also in charge of soldiers who are oppressing God’s people), the centurion acknowledged that he is not worthy to have Jesus come into his house. But because he believed that Jesus afar, the centurion pleaded: “But only say the word, and my servant shall be healed” (Mt 8:8). Jesus was amazed by the centurion’s faith and granted his request. Like the centurion, we need to acknowledge our unworthiness to have Jesus come under the “roof” of our souls and heal us in holy communion.

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Let's pause to take a deeper look at the Eucharist...

THE HISTORY OF PASSOVER

The celebration of the Eucharist was instituted by Jesus instituted at the Last Supper (Lk 22:19). Let’s take a look at The Last Supper. And not just why everyone was sitting on one side of the table…

It was Passover, and Jesus, knowing he was about to be captured and killed, wanted to share a meal with his closest friends (the Apostles). Passover is a holy feast, important to our Jewish brothers and sisters even today. It observes the time that God delivered the Jewish nation from slavery in Egypt (Mt 26:19; Mk 14:16; Lk 22:13).

In the first Passover, God instructed the people to sacrifice an unblemished lamb and mark their doorposts with the lamb’s blood. Death passed over every door that was marked.

Every year ever since, the Israelites held a memorial meal (Ex 12:14). For them, a “memorial” (anamnesis in Greek) didn’t consist of merely recalling a past event. It involved re-living it.

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SACRIFICE

At the Last Supper, Jesus adds something new. He speaks of Himself being a sacrifice (similar to how the lamb is a sacrifice). After all, Isaiah foretold that God would send someone to rescue Israel from sin by suffering “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter” (Is 53:7).

“When Jesus says his body ‘will be given up for you,’ the term used in Luke’s gospel for ‘given up’ (didomai in Greek) is significant, for it is employed elsewhere in the New Testament in association with sacrifice (see, for example, Lk 2:24; Mk 10:45; Jn 6:51; Gal 1:4)” (109).

“When Jesus speaks of his blood ‘which will be poured out … for the forgiveness of sins,’ he alludes to the atoning sacrifices in the Temple, which involved blood being poured out over the altar for the purpose of bringing forgiveness (see Lv 4:7, 18, 25, 30, 34)” (109).

“Jesus speaks of ‘the blood of the new and eternal covenant.’ These words echo what Moses said in the sacrificial ceremony at Mount Sinai that sealed God’s covenant union with Israel as his chosen people (Ex 24: 1-17). In the midst of that sacrificial rite, Moses took the blood of the animals and announced, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant’ (Ex 24:8). Now, at the Last Supper, Jesus refers to his blood as ‘the blood of the new and eternal covenant.’ For the apostles present there, these words could not help but recall what Moses said about the sacrificial blood at Sinai and point to some kind of new sacrifice for a new covenant” (110).

“When John gives the account of the soldiers raising up to Jesus’ mouth a sponge of vinegar, he notes it was put on a hyssop branch. Why does John mention this small detail? Because this was the same kind of branch used in the first Passover in Egypt. Moses instructed the elders of Israel to sacrifice the Passover lamb, dip hyssop in the blood of the lamb and use the stained hyssop to mark their doorposts with the lamb’s blood (Ex 12:22). John notes this so that we can see Jesus’ death as a Passover sacrifice. Just as hyssop was used in the first Passover sacrifice, now it is used on Calvary with Jesus, the new sacrificial Lamb” (136).

“John’s gospel notes that when the soldiers took Jesus down from the cross, they did not break his legs as was ordinarily done to hasten death (Jn 19:33). John points this out because the Passover lamb was supposed to be one whose bones were not broken (Ex 12:46). Once again, Jesus’ death is portrayed as the sacrifice of a Passover lamb” (136-137).

With all these clear sacrificial overtones, Jesus is offering up his own body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Just like how God saved the ancient Jews from slavery, Jesus saves people from the slavery of death and sin. All that was left for Jesus to do was to carry out that sacrifice in a bloody manner on the cross.

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HOW DO WE KNOW THAT JESUS WAS TALKING LITERALLY?

People weren’t confused when Jesus said that he’s a “vine” or “the Good Shepherd.” But in John 6, when Jesus teaches that He’s the Bread of Life, people get upset. Even though before this, Jesus performs miracles (like multiplying bread and fish, showing His power over nature), many of His followers don’t understand why He’s telling them to consume Him. If Jesus wasn’t talking literally, then He would have been morally obligated to have clarified His statement when He noticed people getting confused. But instead, he doubled down. He swore a Jewish oath (“Amen, amen, I say to you…”) and proceeded to hit the point over and over again. He also got more and more emphatic, switching from the Greek word for “eat” to the Greek word for “gnaw” or “chew”, sending away false believers.

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MEANING

What’s the meaning behind Jesus’ body and blood? It’s not as cannibalistic as it sounds…

When we say, “body,” we usually mean our physical body. But if you go back to the word used for body, it’s the Greek word soma, which means the totality of a person, who they truly are. So Jesus is saying, “This is my soma, the totality of who I am. This is me.” To Jews, blood wasn’t just part of the body’s biochemical system. They saw blood as the life-force of a person, their energy. So Jesus is saying, “Take my life-force into you. Take my energy into you.”

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THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNION

What’s the importance of actually consuming Jesus’ body and blood?

“In the Passover, as in other Jewish sacrificial rites, it was not enough to have the animal killed. Eating the sacrificial lamb was an essential part of the Passover celebration (see Ex 12:8-12). A communion meal followed the sacrifice, and it was the shared meal that expressed the sealing of the covenant and forged communion between the participants and God. This has important implications for understanding the Eucharist as communion. If Jesus is the new Passover lamb who was sacrificed for our sins, it would seem fitting that there would be a communion meal accompanying his sacrifice on the cross — a meal in which we would partake of the true sacrificial Lamb of God, Jesus Christ” (11).

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OUR CALL

What happens when we partake in communion?

"What happened in Mary also happens to some degree sacramentally within us, when we receive the body and blood of our Lord. We become living tabernacles, housing the presence of the God-man himself. This is not the time to be looking around to see what people are wearing. This is not the time to be thinking about the football game later that afternoon or developing a strategy for how to get out of the parking lot quickly. This is the time to rest with Our Lord who has so lovingly come to dwell within us” (14).

When a married couple engages in the marital act to become one flesh, the husband doesn’t rush to check emails, mow the lawn, or talk with friends afterwards. It’s important to take time to be mindfully thankful.

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HOW TO RECEIVE

What can we do to help us be mindful during the sacrament?

In many Churches in America, people commonly receive the Eucharist in the hand while standing. But a more traditional method is with the use of an Altar Rail. By receiving the Eucharist directly in the mouth while kneeling, it’s easier to be in a more reverent state of mind.

Another way to practice being more mindful of the sacrament is by going to Eucharistic Adoration.

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LITURGICAL SEASONS

ADVENT: In the four weeks of Advent, we recall the Old Testament period of humanity’s longing for the Savior.
CHRISTMAS: In the Christmas season, we rejoice in the birth of the Son of God who came to dwell among us.
LENT: In the forty days of Lent, we participate in Jesus’ prayer and fasting in the desert as we prepare to enter Christ’s passion in Holy Week.
EASTER: In the fifty days of the Easter season, we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection triumph and ascension into heaven, culminating on the fiftieth day with his sending of the Spirit on Pentecost.
ORDINARY TIME: The rest of the liturgical year — known as Ordinary Time — focuses our attention on the public ministry of Jesus.

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FEAST DAYS

“We should praise the Lord for every aspect of his life, especially his death and resurrection, every day of the year. And we should be constantly thankful for the mysteries of faith and the saints he has given us. But we are human and cannot fully grasp the entire mystery of Christ at once. This is one reason why the Church marks off special days to give attention, thanks and praise for a particular aspect of Jesus’ life or a specific aspect of the Catholic faith. …It is similar to what happens when families celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates and events” (56-57).

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GOOD FRIDAY

Good Friday is the day that Catholics commemorate Jesus’s death. So why do we call it GOOD Friday?

First, the name “Good Friday” comes from a time when English used “good” to mean “holy” or “sacred”.

Also, even though very bad things happened that day, Good Friday was good in the sense that Christ proved that he loved us enough to die and save us from sin!

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EASTER

On Easter, we celebrate Jesus’s resurrection. So what does that have to do with rabbits and eggs?

Rabbits and eggs were ancient symbols of fertility and new life!