INTRODUCTION TO LITURGY

INTRODUCTION TO LITURGYMatthew 26:26-28THE REAL JESUS TOOK REAL BREAD AND WINE AND IDENTIFIED HIMSELF WITH IT.

We start with that remarkably simple gesture done by a man facing death and it was that gesture that shaped the way we would worship from then on.

1VII. THE FOUR PARTS OF LITURGY

INTRODUCTORY RITESLITURGY OF THE WORDLITURGY OF THE EUCHARISTCONCLUDING RITES

Name each part and talk about how they form one unit. TWO main parts with two smaller parts one part to get you INTO the main ones and one part to get you OUT of the main ones.

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A. INTRODUCTORY RITES

A WORD ABOUT PREPARATION AND INTRODUCTIONThink of the PREPARATION THAT GOES INTO CELEBRATION, EVENTS, PARTIES.ASK GROUP: What did you do for the Super Bowl, Christmas, Easter? I'm looking for horsderve recipes, have to shop, invite people....No one comes to an event say a Thanksgiving dinner at the last minute and sits right down to eat...at least no one who is sensitive to the feelings of the hosts.There is first the welcome at the door, hugs and kisses all around, the taking of coats and boots.There might be introductions, perhaps of a fiancee, a best friend from college, an aunt and uncle who haven't been seen by the family for many years. There are often new babies to hover over. And still before eating there is the telling of stories: the family history.

3The celebration of Mass is similar for the Christian community.

We never come in expecting just to sit down and immediately hear the scriptures. There are normal patterns, accepted things we do to get us in the proper mood, to help us begin, to prepare us for what follows.

Gathering

Liturgysomething done by everyone TOGETHERFirst thing we do is GATHER. Begins when we leave home, get in our cars and come to church.Importance of "getting ourselves together. Talk about cake, oven all the other things can't happen if we don't do this.If I board a bus alone, I probably look for a seat alone. If I board a bus with a friend, we probably sit together, but we don't need to pay much attention to anyone else on the bus. THAT'S A BUS. We ask nothing more from a bus than that it take us from one spot to another. But if we come in here and act like we are on a bus - looking for a place to sit alone or just with a friend or family - we've misjudged what sort of thin is going on here. This isn't a bus, it is a boat that is rowed by everyone on board. It only goes when all the people move together. That's what liturgy is: something done by everyone together. Sure, different members have different roles, but the deed itself-moving the boat-is done by everyone.All that is a long way of saying that when we come through the doors of the church, it's clear what we have to do. We have to make the church look like the church, act like the church, sound like the church.We have to assemble to make an assembly.That isn't a theory that will work no matter how we look in here, how we sound, how we act. It isn't a THEORY, IT'S PRACTICE,The church has to get itself together.

5IF WE WORK AT IT, WE WON'T HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT WE ARE ONE IN CHRIST; WE'LL ACT LIKE WE ARE.

USHERS SPECIALIZE IN WHAT WE MUST DO FOR ONE ANOTHER:ALL ARE WELCOME HEREThere should be graciousness in our gathering.Greeting others warmly smiling, noddingThese build up the Body of Christ.USHERS SPECIALIZE IN WHAT WE MUST DO FOR ONE ANOTHER:Make it clear that all alike are welcome here.We do what we do not because were a club or a group of friends.WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON IS FAR MORE THAN BLOOD OR MUTUAL AFFECTION OF FRIENDS

6WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON IS OUR BAPTISM!!!!Thats all that matters.Thats why rich and poor should be sitting side by side.All barriers that society erects to keep us apart are worthless here.ALL EXTERNALS ARE GONE!All that we wear is Christ.Thats why we come together...THAT IS THE PREPARATION FOR MASS.

Everything we do are ways to get from where we are to where we want to be:

7A CHURCH READY TO HEAR GODS WORD

PARTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY RITES;ACTIVITY: ORDER OF THE INTRODUCTORY RITES

1. GATHERING PROCESSION/SONG

The entrance rite doesnt mean the entrance of the priest and the other ministers.It means the entrance of all of us together into the liturgy.Some may be in the ritual procession, but in reality we are all in procession, all moving into our liturgy.

All the words and song and gesture are ways to get from where we are to where we want to be: a church ready to hear Gods word.

The song lets us know we are not in this room alone. We hear this news: A whole assembly is processing into this liturgy together.We sing to hear each other, to let our voice- good or poor as it is- get lost with all the other voices.We sing to signal the transition into communal activity.PURPOSE of the song is to: create an atmosphere of celebration.put the assembly in the proper frame of mind for listening to the Word of God.helps the people become conscious of themselves as a worshipping community.

102.VENERATION OF THE ALTAR

THEOLOGY- The veneration of the altar at the beginning of Mass is an act of greeting which recalls that the common table is holy and sacred to the action of the assembly. It is the place from which prayer ascends like incense before God.

HISTORY - In ancient times the kiss as a sign of greeting was used to show reverence for temples and images of the gods.It seems that the table was likewise honored before the family meal in places where ever meal was considered sacred.By the 4th century Christian worship appropriated this sign of honor since the altar was "the table of the Lord."Altar was looked upon as the symbol of Christ, the cornerstone and spiritual rock of the Church.With growth of cult of martyrs, relics were placed beneath the altar, and the kiss was seen as greeting the saints and through them the whole church triumphant.Today the altar is venerated with a kiss only at the beginning and end of Mass.Relics of martyrs in the altar is optional. We don't have any relics in our altar.

113.SIGN OF THE CROSS/GREETING

The simple gesture of the SIGN OF THE CROSS stands at the beginning of the liturgy because it stands at the beginning of the Christian life.It proclaims who we are and who we belong to.WE MAKE IT DELIBERATELY, WITH CARE.Remember, the liturgy is not what the priest who presides is doing: The liturgy is what the people are doing. The liturgy is this sign of the cross.The GREETING is more than a friendly "GOOD MORNING". Ushers and greeters and all of us do that.Greeting is a formalized wish that the people actually experience the presence and power of the Lord in the assembled community.The greeting and assembly's response express the mystery of the gathered Church.

124.PENITENTIAL RITE/SPRINKLING RITE

The purpose of the penitential rite is to prepare for celebrating the mysteries and to draw down God's mercy (graciousness)

In the penitential rite the whole assembly proclaiming itself sinful before a merciful and forgiving God, shows that it is a community every converting, ever in need of reconciliation with God and others.

The people are not called to make an "examination of conscience" but rather a proclamation of faith in a God who is loving, kind, and the source of all reconciliation and healing.

135.LORD HAVE MERCY

THEOLOGY-The Kyrie was originally not a penitential cry but rather a cry of homage and petition (Have mercy = be gracious, hear our prayers.)The acclamation praises the risen Christ for his goodness and implores his bounty on behalf of all humankind.6.GLORY TO GOD

It is not clear just when the Gloria was introduced into the Roman liturgy but on the basis of the history of forms we can say that the Gloria was introduced after Gregory the Great (late 6th c.) THEOLOGYThe Gloria is a joyful hymn-anthem whose content is primarily that of praising God. First sung by the Angels at the birth of Jesus (every liturgy remembers Jesus coming to us incarnate into our world.

157.OPENING PRAYER

THEOLOGYServing more as the conclusion and climax of the introductory rites and the prayer that has already occurred (rather than an opening prayer) the collect is a prayer of the gathered community whose members are now aware"that they are in God's presence." After the presider "gathers up" our own silent desires and needs and presents them to the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spiritwe all make this prayer our own by acclaiming AMEN.CLOSING And as we are seated after the Opening Prayer, if we have done our gathering and our singing and our praying well we should be a people READY TO HEAR GOD'S WORD, ready to share in the Body and Blood of Christ.But only for one reason - so that when we leave we can go out ready to be the Body of Christ at work in the world.For remember we come in here only to be sent out there -can't say that enough.We are Gathered always to be sent.

16II. LITURGY OF THE WORD

We are to be a church ready to listen to its BOOK. What kind of a church will listen well to its book?

By the time we sit down to listen to reader we should have a strong sense that what happens here is done by this church. Should know if it's Lent or Eastertime by SONG and ENVIRONMENT & ATMOSPHERE.We've come to the moment when assembly sits and READER stands with book open. Happens every Sunday but should be a moment of delight for us.Wherever we come from that morning. Whatever the troubles, whatever aches and pains, worries, delight, preoccupation SOMEHOW they all get caught up into the troubles, aches, delight, etc. that ARE SITTING BESIDE AND BEHIND AND AROUND each of us. THIS IS A CHURCH FILLED WITH SUCH THINGS.It is a church ready to listen to its BOOK.What kind of a church will listen well to its book?One with no worries? wrong

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WE COME HERE AS HUNGRY INDIVIDUALS, NEEDY PEOPLE SO WE ARE A HUNGRY CHURCH.

Words of this book are our food and drink. We sit down, reader opens the book and church is nourished.FASTING symbolic of this! That we come here hungry for Gods word and hungry for Eucharist (to give thanks) and holy Communion. TASTE AND SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LOR18A WORD ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES

3 on Sunday Old Testament Letters of the New TestamentTHE GOSPELS

In 3 years we read from many parts of this collection A-MatthewB-MarkC-LukeJohn - Advent, Lent, Eastertime,

We are currently in Cycle C

Think of it this way:

As we travel through centuries, one generation after another - we carry with us a book - a book we believe is FOUNDATION of our life together as a people.

In each generation we read it again and again.

In the OT any people to be a people, needed their storyA recent study came out in the New York Times (April 2013)The Stories That Bind Us After a while, a surprising theme emerged. The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative. I first heard this idea from Marshall Duke, a colorful psychologist at Emory University. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Duke was asked to help explore myth and ritual in American families. There was a lot of research at the time into the dissipation of the family, he told me at his home in suburban Atlanta. But we were more interested in what families could do to counteract those forces. Around that time, Dr. Dukes wife, Sara, a psychologist who works with children with learning disabilities, noticed something about her students. The ones who know a lot about their families tend to do better when they face challenges, she said. Her husband was intrigued, and along with a colleague, Robyn Fivush, set out to test her hypothesis. They developed a measure called the Do You Know? scale that asked children to answer 20 questions. Examples included: Do you know where your grandparents grew up? Do you know where your mom and dad went to high school? Do you know where your parents met? Do you know an illness or something really terrible that happened in your family? Do you know the story of your birth?

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Reading Scripture is not simply for our information not INFORMATIVE but PERFORMATIVE

"I love you" - active, transforming, effective, CREATIVEScripture is God's "I love you" - renewal of covenant - a constant

*Podcast Fr. Robert Barron The Real Presence of the Eucharist Jesus and the Power of Words:

SAME STORIES BUT WE SHOULD CHANGE

"I love you" - active, transforming, effective, CREATIVEScripture is God's "I love you" - renewal of covenant - a constant

20 When the book is opened - we fix our eyes on reader and we LISTEN.We are supposed to cling to the words, cling to them like life itself

FOR THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE!Any book or booklet that has the readings in it can be read to prepare or to follow through, but when the reading of God's word is taking place in front of us. THEN IT IS THE SPOKEN WORDS OF THE READER WE WANT TO HEAR - NOT PRINTED WORDS ON THE PAGE.That's why we need good readers - people willing to spend TIME with Scripture text to be read.They are charged to make every effort in helping the church to hear this Scripture.They have to live with it, wrestle with it -so that Scripture comes from ONE CONVINCED OF THEIR TRUTH & WORTH.Hard JOB - takes time & effort & convictionThat's why I'm so tough about practicing with readers. IT'S SO VITAL FOR US AS CHURCH.WE NEED MORE THAN TECHNICALLY CORRECT AND THOROUGHLY LIFELESS READINGS.Job of assembly is HARDER -We have to have habit of good, hard listening. Listen to hear a word you have not let into your mind and heart before. Listen for an image to guide us baptized people. Listen as you would to the voice and words of one WHO LOVES YOU.Don't try to think of how this word fits your life right nowdon't try to find some hidden message.JUST LISTEN.JUST BE CHURCH, HERE, TODAY, ON ITS JOURNEY, CARRYING ITS BOOK, HUNGRY FOR THE WORDS THAT ARE LIFE TO THIS PEOPLE.

21ActivityOrder the parts of the Liturgy of the Word

PARTS OF THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

1.FIRST READING

From the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures (except during Eastertime)

Pause-- silence. Silence means we have time for this.

First reading from Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures (except during Eastertime) - often give us a word or image that will be reflected in Gospel reading. More than anything, these first readings should encourage us to read widely in the Hebrew Scriptures, the books we have usually call the Old Testament.We dont have to rush. We can let the foundation (liturgy of the word is the foundation of the liturgy and our life) take shape and settle. We can sit back in this tiny silent time and let a single word or phrase from the reading sound again and again inside us. That silence grows into a PSALM.

242.RESPONSORIAL PSALMWhenever possible, this psalm is sung.

Psalms are songs and for songs to work they must be SUNG.LM#20 "as a rule the Responsorial .Psalm should be SUNG."Whenever possible, this psalm is sung. Some psalms are blessing; some, of cursing. Some are ballads tell stories; some are harsh lamentations. Some are pure praise of God; some cynical challenges to Gods apparent indifference to human suffering. Usually our part is only one line, a short refrain.Brief as it is, it might become a tiny prayer for us during the day and week.IN THAT WAY, THE PSALMS DO THEIR ANCIENT WORK: THEY TEACH US TO PRAY.The psalms were basic texts of Jewish liturgy in Jesus' day-that is how he learned them-and they remain so today.Among Christians they are the core of daily prayer for nuns and monks and priests, but also for ordinary baptized people. They show us how many ways we need for speaking to God.THE PSALM IS NOT AN EASY MOMENT IN THE LITURGY. It seldom brings us to our feet. It takes some work, some attention. It asks that we be in for the long haul.

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3.SECOND READING

ALWAYS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

(THEOLOGY)IN THE SECOND READING THE ASSEMBLY ENCOUNTERS THE EARLY CHURCH LIVING ITS CHRISTIAN FAITH.

THE WITNESS OF THE APOSTOLIC COMMUNITY PROVIDES AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL TIME OF OUR CALL TO LOVE THE FATHER ENFLESHED IN JESUS.For centuries the Roman liturgy used the term epistle to designate the reading which preceded the gospel even when this reading was not taken from a N.T. letter.Today always a N.T. reading is the second reading.

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4.GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The text announced and we respond? (Glory to you, Lord" )As we do so we sign our forehead, lips and heart with the cross.With this gesture we show that the Gospel SPEAKS to our minds, FORMS our words, CHANGES our hearts.

After the second reading and its silence are done, the whole assembly stands up and begins to sing alleluias. It is our procession into the Gospel reading.

After Gospel presider proclaims "The Gospel of the Lord"we respond with Praise be to you, Lord Jesus Christ."presider kisses the book - gesture of love made for the words of Gospel.ALL OF THIS - alleluia, standing, procession, candles, signs of cross, kiss - ALL SHOW THE PLACE THE GOSPEL HOLDS IN THIS COMMUNITY, THIS CHURCH.

Candles and incense sometimes accompany the person who is to read the gospel, so that the reading may be surrounded with light and with fragrance. Every sense is involved.

27WE SURROUND THE GOSPEL WITH SUCH SIGNS OF REVERENCE AND AFFECTION BECAUSE THAT GOSPEL IS FOR US THE SAVING POWER OF GOD.

5. THEGOSPEL

We listen from one of the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION, A LIVING WORD, IS PROCLAIMED BY THE RISEN LORD.

Matthewform a manJesus to the Jewish Christians the MessiahMarkA LionJohn the Baptist came as a roaring lion LukeAn Ox All about the temple (an ox sacrificed in the temple)John-An Eagle soaring between heaven and earth296.HOMILY

Listen to one who has pondered the readings to see what they might mean in the life of this church.

The homily comes as the effort of one person who has pondered the readings to see what they might mean in the life of this church.The pondering is lonely and social.The homilist has to do this work alone, to wrestle with these scriptures, but also has to be thoroughly familiar with the life this church lives and in the life of the whole world.GOSPEL AND THE WORLD BANG TOGETHER IN THE HOMILY.But WE also have to confront the scriptures.Homilist isn't the only one charged to confront the scriptures. WE ALL HAVE TO DO THAT. We must teach our children to do that too.If we only meet Scriptures for a few minutes each week in church we have little sense for how to listen, little sense for the Scriptures POWER & BREADTH.Silent time for reflection follows the homily, then we stand and recite one of the ancient formulas of faith, a creed, a way of summing up the belief of this church.

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7.PROFESSION OF FAITH (CREED)

We stand and recite one of the ancient formulas of faith, a creed,

A WAY OF SUMMING UP THE BELIEF OF THIS CHURCH.

Before we can do this, on most Sundays those who are preparing for baptism are dismsissed.

WHAT FOLLOWS THE CREED, INTERCESSIONS, EUCHARIST IS FOR THE BAPTIZED ALONE.This is not easy to do, to send people out of the assembly, but it is a measure of how seriously we take our baptism.It is only baptism that allows us to profess faith, ask of God what we need and give thanks and praise through Christ.

WHAT IS TO FOLLOW THE CREED, INTERCESSIONS, EUCHARIST IS FOR THE BAPTIZED ALONE.This is not easy to do, to send people out of the assembly, but it is a measure of how seriously we take our baptism.It is only baptism that allows us to profess faith, ask of God what we need and give thanks and praise through Christ.

318.GENERAL INTERCESSIONS The Liturgy of the Word concludes with prayers of intercession called the PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL.

The Church is doing something here that gets to the work of being a Christian. WE INTERCEDE!!!

IT IS A LITANY - the kind of prayer where our part STAYS THE SAME and the leader brings, one after another, many things before us.

We pray to God for all this world and church LONGS for.WE ARE TELLING GOD TO REMEMBER: the oppressedthe sufferingthe sick,the addicted,the victims of war and faminethe imprisonedthe dying, the leadersthe many, many troubles and needs of the whole world.WHATEVER ELSE THE CHURCH MAY BE, IT IS AN ASSEMBLY THAT WILL NOT LET GOD FORGET.it's an assembly that keeps its eyes open, because we have by our baptism taken on this work of carrying to God all the groaning of God's creation.

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OVERVIEW OF THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST(taken from the Mystery of Faith)

Factors that exerted great influence upon the structure of the eucharistic celebration:

1. certain practical difficulties in serving a regular meal every week to an increasingly large number of people.2. certain divisive abuses occurred in conjunction with the common meal3. Once Christianity began to spread into Gentile milieu, danger that Eucharist could be confused with meals associated with pagan mystery religions.As a consequence, Two major changes occurred.1.The Eucharist was disengaged from the meal and eventually completely apart from the meal.2. ritual simplification took place.

The primitive Christian community, conscious of Christs command that his followers break bread and share the cup in memory of him, continued these actions of Jesus and did so within a meal, at first a Jewish meal with its traditional prayers and rituals.Although it is highly probable that the Last Supper was a Passover meal, there is no evidence that the Christian celebration of the eucharist retained the ritual form of the Passover meal, much less its occurrence only once a year.

33The Actions of Jesus Become FourTAKE1. bread and wine were TAKEN and placed on the table togetherBLESS2. one prayer of thanksgiving to God was offered over the bread and wine together.

BREAK3. the bread was then brokenSHARE4. the bread and wine distributed.Although the precise details of this evolution are not always clear, all historically known liturgies have preserved this 4-action shape of the Eucharist.(Taken from THE 101 MOST ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LITURGY BY Nick Wagner p. 38) What is the connection between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist?

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LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST - comes from Greek - has to do withGIVING THANKS WITH PRAISE AND WITH BLESSING.

This part of the LITURGY begins QUIETLY.We need that. We have just finished what ought to be hard work.Listening to the Scriptures & making prayers of intercession take energy and leaves us both lifted up and a little worn out.WE TAKE TIME TO "GET READY" - THE ROOM AND OURSELVES.

35ActivityOrder the parts of the Liturgy of the Eucharist

PARTS OF THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

1. PREPARATION OF THE ALTAR

The Eucharist begins quietly. We need that. We have just finished who ought to be hard work; concentrating on the scripture and on making prayers of intercession takes energy and leaves us both lifted up and a little worn out.So we take quiet moments to get the room and ourselves ready for Eucharist.37

2.PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS

Bread and wine are brought forward, such simple things, food and drink associated with the tables of ordinary people. We get ready for Eucharist by setting a table with bread and wine, but even more by showing some important things in the collection of money.1. we are bound to one another some of money is for work of the church.2. we show that this bond is not selfish but is for the life of the world money for the poor.3. we show that what we do here together is bound to all the business and commerce and give-and-take of everyday life.

383.PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS

This time is called PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS NOT OFFERTORY.We bring gifts of bread and wine to table "WORK OF HUMAN HANDS"And Money. HOW ARE MONEY AND BREAD BOUND TOGETHER?We are about to surround a single table - make a SINGLE prayer and eat of ONE bread and drink of ONE cup. Part of our preparation is a pooling of our resources into ONE basket. Money we've earned or received.COLLECTION OF MONEY SHOWS:1. Money adds to the ONENESS we just talked about. We show we are bound to one another - money for work of the church.2. And we also show BOND is not SELFISH. but for life of the world - some of our money for the poor.3. We also show that what we do here is bound to all business and commerce and give and take of EVERYDAY life. (connection with life.)

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4.Prayer over the Gifts

When all is ready, we stand up.

"LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS"And we answer, We lift them up to the Lord.

Then the presider gives the invitation to do that deed that is the very heart not of the liturgy only but of Christian life:

LET US GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD OUR GODAnd we say, It is right and just.

The one presiding stands at the table also and says four words to us that are not so much an invitation as an order:

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5.EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Remember This is a Meal Prayer

During the Eucharistic prayer it seems like we become a very passive audience right at the moment when we are supposed to be most active. The prayer that the presider speaks is the prayer of the church, our prayer.We show this when we sing those acclamations: HolyChrist has died.Amen.All of those are shouts of approval, commands to go ahead with this prayer. They are like bursts of single-hearted song.

41Remember This is a Meal Prayer

God is given all thanks and praise, not in the abstract but at a table on which are the bread and wine intended for the food and drink of this assembly. So this prayer echoes with all the meal blessings we say in our lives.

All our thanks gravitate toward the body given up for the life of the world, toward the blood of the new and everlasting covenant blood that was shed for all that sins might be forgiven.

We grow hungry and by Gods grace are fed.Over the bread and wine the presider puts words to our thanks, and they become words about Christ.

We call on the Holy Spirit to come on these gifts and make them holy, make them for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

42AMENTo all of this we give our firm assent, our AMEN.

The Eucharistic prayer depends on and ends with this AMEN. We say Amen.

To say Amen is our duty and our right, as this people who died in baptism and live now in Christ.

6.LORDS PRAYER

The Lords Prayer is the dearest, hardest prayer we know. This prayer rightly comes in many places in our lives. It is a morning and a night prayer for many. It is a prayer at bedside and at graveside.It is everyones prayer, the words we all own.And yet words we never will own.What can it mean to pray that Gods name be hallowed, be holy?What kind of courage and longing does it take to pray that Gods will be done?

447.SIGN OF PEACE Christs peace

Before we share the bread and wine, we turn to one and all alike and give a sign for what that communion means. We turn to one and all alike and say, PEACE or CHRISTS PEACE.. The communion means no walls. It means no first place and last place but all in the same place. It means today is Gods reign, some little bit of it, here, among us. To say peace and to clasp hands or to embrace others is physically laying down whatever keeps us from communion with one another. Some of the people near us may be family, some may be friends, some will be strangers: We have the same word, gaze and unity with all.45

8.BREAKING OF THE BREAD

THAT ACT OF TAKING A LARGE LOAF OF BREAD AND BREAKING IT INTO PIECES CAUGHT THE ESSENCE OF THEIR GATHERING.Here was the one and the many; here was Christ of whom they were all members.When we have extended peace to one another, we slowly focus back toward the table.Ministers are gathered with the presider to prepare this time meal we call a banquet.The presider takes up the bread and breaks if for all to see.This simple gesture is, in a sense, only doing what must be done so that the bread can be shared with all present.But it is the single act that the early Christians fastened on; the name they gave to their Sunday assemblies was the breaking of the bread.

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9.LAMB OF GOD

As the bread is broken and divided into serving dishes and as the wine is poured into cups, we sing a litany. Do you see how it all depends on us, on all who gather in this room, and not simply on the priest?The priest is our leader of prayer and our servant. We are the ones who must do these rites of Lords Prayer and Peace, Lamb of God and now communion. There is no audience. None. All are partakers because it is the loving deed of the church that gets done here, and no other.47

10.COMMUNION

We who are hungry and thirsty come forward to the table. We fast before Mass because to be here at all is to be hungry and thirsty in our hearts and minds and even our bodies.

When we stand one by one before the minister and hear the words, The Body of Christ The blood of Christ we have to know what Augustine told his congregation hundreds of years ago.

He said, It is your own mystery that you receive. . . Say Amen to what you are!

This procession we make is a procession to a common meal of a common people on the earthy food of bread and the earth drink of wine become for us the body and the blood of Christ our Lord.Say Amen to what you are: the body of Christ. The blood of Christ. The cup is not an extra for those who like extras. It is what Jesus told us to do. Take the cup in your hands and drink from it. It is the taste of the heavenly banquet. It is Jesus there for our every thirst. We are a thirsty church and this is Jesus, this cup of the covenant, Jesus for whom we thirst. And this cup is also to be our bond of delight in this church and world that are so often no delightful at all.

We sing through this time so that we remember we are moving as one, as the church.

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11.PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

And when the great procession is over, then there can be a great silence, a needed time for contemplation of this wonder.

In silence, too, we are in communion.

Podcast Reflection: The Biblical Roots of the Eucharist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78IziLQb658

We ponder together that there is indeed food for our hunger and there is drink for our thirst.A quiet prayer concludes our communion. 49ActivityOrder the parts of the Concluding Rite

IV. CONCLUDING RITE

1.ANNOUNCEMENTS

Then we hear the announcements which are the business of this community. We share the blessing, say, Thanks be to God to words of departure and, on most occasions, join in song, as we prepare to take leave of each other51

2.BLESSING

Three forms are given. Simple blessingSolemn blessingPrayers over the people.

3.DISMISSAL

To have a liturgy that lets us pour out our whole lives as Christians and that gives us strength and challenge to live all the hours of the week as Christians,

we who are this assembly,

we the people who surround the book and who surround the table,

must ourselves take on the hard work that is the Churchs-MAKING PRAISE OF OUR GOD.

ConclusionRemember liturgy is something we DO we CELEBRATE And the more we share in this Body of Christ the more we become that Body of Christ we already are.

Others should know by watching you that this celebration is important to you. THIS LITURGY IS WHAT CONTINUES TO TRANSFORM US INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST SO THAT WE CAN BE NOURISHMENT FOR THE WORLD!!!

This was look at our liturgy this time of gathering to give praise and thanks to God.

These things have something to do with LIFE! It has to make a difference in our lives.You have to know what you are doing here.Remember liturgy prepares us to DO good.we are called to speak up and sing out and pay attention and gather round.This is how we do liturgy.

This liturgy is the work of the church.This is what gives us strength,This is what nourishes us.

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