Celebrating the Mass Lesson- The Gospel

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)



Gospel means “good news” and the reading is taken from the New Testament. During the Gospel we stand and listen to the priest read from the Book of the Gospels.

If incense is used, the priest puts some into the thurible. After this, the deacon who is to proclaim the Gospel, bowing profoundly before the priest, asks for a blessing, saying in a low voice: Your blessing, Father.

The priest says in a low voice:

May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips
that you may proclaim his Gospel worthily and well,
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The deacon signs himself with the Sign of the Cross and replies: Amen.

If, however, a deacon is not present, the priest, bowing before the altar, says quietly:

Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God,
that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.


The Deacon, or the Priest, then proceeds to the ambo, accompanied, if appropriate, by ministers with incense and candles. There he says:

The Lord be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Priest: A reading from the holy Gospel according to N.

*At the same time, he makes the Sign of the Cross on the book and on his forehead, lips, and breast. The people make a fist with their right hand and with our thumb we make a small Sign of the Cross on our forehead, on our lips and over our heart and silently pray, “God be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart.”)

People: Glory to you, O Lord.


Then the deacon, or the priest, incenses the book, if incense is used, and proclaims the Gospel.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims: The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly: Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

Then follows the homily, which is to be preached by a priest or deacon. The homily may even be given by a Bishop or a priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate. During the homily the people sit. This is when the priest shares special thoughts and ideas with us to help us connect the gospel to our own life experiences.

After the homily a brief period of silence is appropriately observed.



Questions:

What does Gospel mean? (Good News)

Do we stand or sit during the Gospel? (Stand)

What book is the Gospel read from? (The Book of the Gospels)

Is the Gospel from the Old or New Testament? (New)

Who reads the Gospel? (A deacon or a priest.)

Where do we cross ourselves three times? (Once on the forehead, once on our lips, and once over our heart.)

When we cross ourselves three times, what do we say? (“God be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart.”)

Who does the homily? (A deacon or a priest.)

Do we stand or sit during the homily? (Sit)

What is a homily? (This is when the priest shares special thoughts and ideas with us to help us connect the gospel to our own life experiences.)



Craft/Activity:

Lesson 11: Preparing for the Gospel- Children Discover the Mass by Mary Doefler Dall
An inventive way to help children learn to make the Sign of the Cross on our forehead, on our lips and over our heart and silently pray, “God be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart.” (Craft/Activity directions pages 59 – 60).



These activities below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.


Game:

Stand Up, Sit Down Game

Directions: Have the students stand in front of their chairs with plenty of room in front of them. Say to the students: Let’s review what you should do during the Liturgy of the Word Sequence. When I say a part of the Liturgy of the Word, you must stand or sit like you would do in Mass.

During the First Reading, what are you supposed to do? (Sit)

During the Responsorial Psalm (we join in a prayer that is read or sung) what do we do? (Sit)

During the Second Reading, what are you supposed to do? (Sit)

When we sing the Gospel Acclamation (“Alleluia”), what are you supposed to do? (Stand)

During the Gospel what do you do? (Stand)

What do we do during the Homily? (Sit)

*If the students do well, mix up the sequence above and see how well they do.



Worksheet:

The Gospel- Circle the best available answer for each of the following.