The Roman Catholic Eucharist

Some Aspects of the Catholic Mass

This webpage is based on the English translation of the third edition of The Roman Missal, in use as of 11/27/11.


Thanksgiving:

The word "Eucharist" itself means "Thanksgiving" (click here for Biblical texts on Thanksgiving).

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal contains some introductory comments on the important role of Thanksgiving in the Mass:

Not only is each Mass one great act of giving thanks to God, but we explicitly thank God at various times during the Mass.

In addition to the above texts which are used at every Mass, in some Masses the Entrance Antiphon, the Collect, the Prayer over the Offerings, the Communion Antiphon, the Post-Communion Prayer, and a final Prayer over the People may also give thanks to God.

Moreover, at the Easter Vigil, when the Deacon (or another minister) processes with the newly-blessed Easter Candle,
he three times proclaims "The Light of Christ" (Lumen Christi), and each time the assembly responds, "Thanks be to God" (Deo gratias).

Finally, two of the "Masses for Various Needs and Occasions" are focused on the theme of Thanksgiving (even more than every Mass does), in addition to the Mass for Thanksgiving Day (in the USA):

Mercy & Forgiveness

 

Participation:

Silence:

The liturgical rubrics call for several periods of silent prayer and reflection during the Mass:

GIRM #45: "Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. Its nature, however, depends on the moment when it occurs in the different parts of the celebration. For in the Penitential Act and again after the invitation to pray, individuals recollect themselves; whereas after a reading or after the Homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise God in their hearts and pray to him. Even before the celebration itself, it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred celebration in a devout and fitting manner."

GIRM #56: "The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to favor meditation, and so any kind of haste such as hinders recollection is clearly to be avoided. In the course of it, brief periods of silence are also appropriate, accommodated to the assembled congregation; by means of these, under the action of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the First and Second Reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the Homily."

The following are the times that call for silence (at least optionally) in the Order of Mass:

"Brief prayer in silence" is also recommended in the rubrics at various times during some special liturgies: Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and especially on Good Friday and at the Easter Vigil.

 


Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

This webpage was compiled by Felix Just, S.J.
This page was last updated on March 21, 2023