Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Preparation, Prayer, Dialogue

(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.)



There is a sequential order to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. First, the priest prepares the gifts. Then they are blessed. Next we share Holy Communion.

“Eucharist” is a Greek word that means to “give thanks”. The Eucharistic Prayer, also called the anaphora (a Greek word meaning “offering”), is the very heart of the Mass.

Once the priest has been given the bread and wine, both are taken and placed on the altar. The people are still sitting and the priest, standing at the altar, takes the paten with the bread and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both hands, saying in a low voice:

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received
the bread we offer you:
fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
it will become for us the bread of life.

Then he places the paten with the bread on the corporal.

If, however, the Offertory Chant is not sung, the Priest may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may acclaim: Blessed be God for ever.


The Deacon, or the Priest, pours wine and a little water into the chalice, saying quietly:

By the mystery of this water and wine
may we come to share in the divinity of Christ
who humbled himself to share in our humanity.

The Priest then takes the chalice and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both hands, saying in a low voice:

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received
the wine we offer you:
fruit of the vine and work of human hands
it will become our spiritual drink.

Then he places the chalice on the corporal.

If, however, the Offertory Chant is not sung, the Priest may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may acclaim: Blessed be God for ever.

After this, the Priest, bowing profoundly, says quietly:

With humble spirit and contrite heart
may we be accepted by you, O Lord,
and may our sacrifice in your sight this day
be pleasing to you, Lord God.

If appropriate, he also incenses the offerings, the cross, and the altar. A Deacon or other minister then incenses the Priest and the people.

Then the Priest, standing at the side of the altar, washes his hands, saying quietly:

Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

Standing at the middle of the altar, facing the people, extending and then joining his hands, he says:

Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters),
that my sacrifice and yours
may be acceptable to God,
the almighty Father.

The people rise and reply:

May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands
for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good
and the good of all his holy Church.

Then the Priest, with hands extended, says the Prayer over the Offerings, at the end of which the people acclaim: Amen.

Then the Priest begins the Eucharistic Prayer. Extending his hands, he says: The Lord be with you.

The people reply: And with your spirit.

The Priest, raising his hands, continues: Lift up your hearts.

The people: We lift them up to the Lord.

The Priest, with hands extended, adds: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

The people: It is right and just.



Questions:

“Eucharist” is a Greek word that means to do what? (“give thanks”)

The Eucharistic Prayer, also called the anaphora which is a Greek word meaning what? (“offering”)

Are the people standing or sitting when they say:

May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands
for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good
and the good of all his holy Church.
(Standing)

How do we respond after the priest says the following:

Extending his hands the priest says, “The Lord be with you.”

People: (“And with your spirit.”)

The Priest, raising his hands, continues: “Lift up your hearts.”

People: (“We lift them up to the Lord.”)

The Priest, with hands extended, adds: “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.”

People: (“It is right and just.”)



Activities:

catholicmom.com- Catechist Resources for Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
Invitation and Preface- lesson with Sequin Heart Craft (page 2), Woven Paper Heart Craft (page 2)


The 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.


Worksheet:

Preface Dialogue Matchup- Match what the priest says (the blue cards) to what the people say (green cards). Glue the cards next to each other in the proper order onto construction paper.



Puzzle:

Preparation, Prayer, Dialogue- crossword
For younger students you can do this together on the board.



Game:

Tic Tac Toe- This game is for 2 players or you can divide your class into 2 teams. Draw a large tic tac toe grid on the chalk board. Establish which team will be X and which team will be O. Ask Team #1 a question (according to their abilities) about the lesson they just studied. If they are correct, they get to put an “X” or an “O” on the tic tac toe grid. If a team is unable to answer a question, the other team may have an opportunity to answer it and score an "X" or "O". If no one is able to answer the question, play continues as before. The first player or team to get three in a row wins!


Examples of questions:

1. Ask the students how we respond to what the priest says.

2. Does the priest wash his hands during this part of the Mass? (Yes)

3. “Eucharist” is a Greek word that means to do what? (“give thanks”)

4. Once the priest has been given the bread and wine, where are they placed? (Both are taken and placed on the altar.)

5. What is placed below the bread when the priest holds it slightly raised above the altar saying in a low voice:

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received
the bread we offer you:
fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
it will become for us the bread of life.

(The paten.)


6. If, however, the Offertory Chant is not sung, the Priest may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may acclaim what? (“Blessed be God for ever.”)

7. The Priest then takes the chalice and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both hands, saying in a low voice:

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received
the wine we offer you:
fruit of the vine and work of human hands
it will become our spiritual drink.

Where does the priest place the chalice after he says this? (He places the chalice on the corporal.)



8. There is a sequential order to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Put the following in order:

(You can write this on the board.)

Bless the gifts
Prepare the gifts
Share Holy Communion

(First, the priest prepares the gifts. Then they are blessed. Next we share Holy Communion.)



Mix up the people’s response and have the students tell you what is wrong.

Examples:

1. “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good, and the good of all his Church.” We do not say that any more. We now say, “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church."

2. “We lift our hearts up to the Lord.” We should say, “We lift them up to the Lord.”

3. “And also with you.” We do not say that any more. We now say, “And with your spirit.”

4. “It is right to give him thanks and praise.” We do not say that any more. We now say, "It is right and just."

5. “Bless be God.” We should say, “Blessed be God for ever.”