Preface
“We may have asked ourselves, at one time or another, how we can respond to the greatness of God’s love. We may have wanted to see a program for Christian living clearly explained. The answer is easy, and it is within reach of all the faithful: to participate lovingly in the Holy Mass, to learn to deepen our personal relationship with God in the sacrifice that summarizes all that Christ asks of us” (St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, The Eucharist, Mystery of Faith and Love, no. 88).
Years after these lines were written, the Second Vatican Council restated solemnly the permanent doctrine of the Church: that the celebration of the eucharistic sacrifice should be the center and culmination of the whole life of the Christian community and of every faithful.
To achieve this goal, the Council continues, everyone should understand well the liturgy and ceremonies of the Mass. “The Church earnestly desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 48).
This present work tries to make this understanding easier for the man on the street, for the ordinary Christian who often does not have access to more complete manuals on liturgy. It may also be useful for the priest as a means of catechetical instruction on the Mass.
Thus, the book is divided in two sections. The first is a systematic explanation of the Mass as a whole. The second is a study of the different parts of the Mass. This is done from the viewpoints of liturgy, history, theology, and practical piety. The liturgical notes follow strictly the indications issued after the Second Vatican Council, embodied in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (1975 and also the Third Edition), the Introduction of the Lectionary for Mass (1981), and related documents.
May this book help us to understand better and to love more the sacrifice of the altar. For the Mass is the path by which each of us can become “another Christ,” reproducing in ourselves the sentiments which Christ had when offering himself in the sacrifice of the cross.
Years after these lines were written, the Second Vatican Council restated solemnly the permanent doctrine of the Church: that the celebration of the eucharistic sacrifice should be the center and culmination of the whole life of the Christian community and of every faithful.
To achieve this goal, the Council continues, everyone should understand well the liturgy and ceremonies of the Mass. “The Church earnestly desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 48).
This present work tries to make this understanding easier for the man on the street, for the ordinary Christian who often does not have access to more complete manuals on liturgy. It may also be useful for the priest as a means of catechetical instruction on the Mass.
Thus, the book is divided in two sections. The first is a systematic explanation of the Mass as a whole. The second is a study of the different parts of the Mass. This is done from the viewpoints of liturgy, history, theology, and practical piety. The liturgical notes follow strictly the indications issued after the Second Vatican Council, embodied in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (1975 and also the Third Edition), the Introduction of the Lectionary for Mass (1981), and related documents.
May this book help us to understand better and to love more the sacrifice of the altar. For the Mass is the path by which each of us can become “another Christ,” reproducing in ourselves the sentiments which Christ had when offering himself in the sacrifice of the cross.