Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
THE INTRODUCTORY RITES
When the people are gathered, the Priest approaches the altar with the ministers while the Entrance Chant is sung.
Cf. Gal 6: 14
We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection,
through whom we are saved and delivered.
When he has arrived at the altar, after making a profound bow with the ministers, the Priest venerates the altar with a kiss and, if appropriate, incenses the cross and the altar. Then, with the ministers, he goes to the chair.
When the Entrance Chant is concluded, the Priest and the faithful, standing, sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross, while the Priest, facing the people, says:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The people reply:
Amen.
Then the Priest, extending his hands, greets the people, saying:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.
Or:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Or:
The Lord be with you.
The people reply:
And with your spirit.
In this first greeting a Bishop, instead of The Lord be with you, says:
Peace be with you.
The people reply:
And with your spirit.
The Priest, or a Deacon, or another minister, may very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day. PENITENTIAL ACT
Then follows the Penitential Act, to which the Priest invites the faithful, saying:
Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
A brief pause for silence follows. Then all recite together the formula of general confession:
I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
And, striking their breast, they say:
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
Then they continue:
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
The absolution by the Priest follows:
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
The people reply:
Amen.
Or:
The Priest invites the faithful to make the Penitential Act:
Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
A brief pause for silence follows.
The Priest then says:
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
The people reply:
For we have sinned against you.
The Priest:
Show us, O Lord, your mercy.
The people:
And grant us your salvation.
The absolution by the Priest follows:
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
The people reply: Amen.
Or:
The Priest invites the faithful to make the Penitential Act:
Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
A brief pause for silence follows.
The Priest, or a Deacon or another minister, then says the following or other invocations with Kyrie, eleison (Lord, have mercy):
You were sent to heal the contrite of heart:
Lord, have mercy. (Or: Kyrie, eleison.)
The people reply:
Lord, have mercy. (Or: Kyrie, eleison.)
The Priest:
You came to call sinners:
Christ, have mercy. (Or: Christe, eleison.)
The people:
Christ, have mercy. (Or: Christe, eleison.)
The Priest:
You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us:
Lord, have mercy. (Or: Kyrie, eleison.)
The people:
Lord, have mercy. (Or: Kyrie, eleison.)
The absolution by the Priest follows:
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
The people reply:
Amen.
The Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) invocations follow, unless they have just occurred in a formula of the Penitential Act.
℣. Lord, have mercy.
℟. Lord, have mercy.
℣. Christ, have mercy.
R. Christ, have mercy.
℣. Lord, have mercy.
℟. Lord, have mercy.
Or:
℣. Kyrie, eleison.
℟. Kyrie, eleison.
℣. Christe, eleison.
℟. Christe, eleison.
℣. Kyrie, eleison.
℟. Kyrie, eleison.
The Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) is said. While the hymn is being sung, bells are rung, and when it is finished, they remain silent until the Gloria in excelsis of the Easter Vigil, unless, if appropriate, the Diocesan Bishop has decided otherwise. Likewise, during this same period, the organ and other musical instruments may be used only so as to support the singing.
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
When this hymn is concluded, the Priest, with hands joined, says:
Let us pray.
And all pray in silence with the Priest for a while. Then the Priest, with hands extended, says the Collect.
O God, who have called us to participate
in this most sacred Supper,
in which your Only Begotten Son,
when about to hand himself over to death,
entrusted to the Church a sacrifice new for all eternity,
the banquet of his love, grant, we pray,
that we may draw from so great a mystery,
the fullness of charity and of life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
at the end of which the people acclaim:
Amen.
THE LITURGY of the WORD
Then the reader goes to the ambo and reads the First Reading, while all sit and listen.
Ex 12:1-8, 11-14
The law regarding the Passover meal.
A reading from the Book of Exodus
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:
On the tenth of this month every one of your families
must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,
and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
“This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.
“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”
The word of the Lord.
All reply:
Thanks be to God.
The psalmist or cantor sings or says the Psalm, with the people making the response.
Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18
℟. (Cf 1 Cor 10:16) Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
℟. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
℟. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
℟. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
After this, a reader reads the Second Reading from the ambo, as above.
1 Cor 11:23-26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
Brothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
The word of the Lord.
All reply:
Thanks be to God.
There follows the Verse before the Gospel, as the liturgical time requires.
Jn 13:34
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:
love one another as I have loved you.
Meanwhile, 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 the 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.
The people reply:
And with your spirit.
The Deacon, or the Priest:
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
and, at the same time, he makes the Sign of the Cross on the book and on his forehead, lips, and breast.
The people acclaim:
Glory to you, O Lord.
Then the Deacon, or the Priest, incenses the book, if incense is used, and proclaims the Gospel.
Jn 13:1-15
Jesus loved them to the end.
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
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.
After the proclamation of the Gospel, the Priest gives a homily in which light is shed
on the principal mysteries that are commemorated in this Mass, namely, the institution of
the Holy Eucharist and of the priestly Order, and the commandment of the Lord
concerning fraternal charity.
THE WASHING of the FEET
After the Homily, where a pastoral reason suggests it, the Washing of Feet follows. Those who have been chosen are led by the ministers to seats prepared in a suitable place. Then the Priest (removing his chasuble if necessary) goes to each one, and, with the help of the ministers, pours water over each one’s feet and then dries them.
Meanwhile some of the following antiphons or other appropriate chants are sung.
Antiphon 1: Cf. Jn 13: 4,5,15
After the Lord had risen from supper,
he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the feet of his disciples:
he left them this example.
Antiphon 2: Cf. Jn 13: 12,13,15
The Lord Jesus, after eating supper with his disciples,
washed their feet and said to them:
Do you know what I, your Lord and Master, have done for you?
I have given you an example, that you should do likewise.
Antiphon 3: Jn 13: 6,7,8
Lord, are you to wash my feet? Jesus said to him in answer:
If I do not wash your feet, you will have no share with me.
℣. So he came to Simon Peter and Peter said to him:
— Lord, are you to wash my feet? Jesus said to him in answer:
If I do not wash your feet, you will have no share with me.
V. What I am doing, you do not know for now,
but later you will come to know.
— Lord, are you to wash my feet? Jesus said to him in answer:
If I do not wash your feet, you will have no share with me.
Antiphon 4: Cf. Jn 13: 14
If I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet,
how much more should you wash each other&rquo;s feet?
Antiphon 5: Jn 13: 35
This is how all will know that you are my disciples:
if you have love for one another.
℣. Jesus said to his disciples:
— This is how all will know that you are my disciples:
if you have love for one another.
Antiphon 6: Jn 13: 34
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another
as I have loved you, says the Lord.
Antiphon 7: 1 Cor 13:13
Let faith, hope and charity, these three, remain among you,
but the greatest of these is charity.
℣. Now faith, hope and charity, these three, remain;
but the greatest of these is charity.
— Let faith, hope and charity, these three, remain among you,
but the greatest of these is charity.
After the Washing of Feet, the Priest washes and dries his hands, puts the chasuble back on, and returns to the chair, and from there he directs the Universal Prayer.
The Creed is not said.
THE LITURGY of the EUCHARIST
When all this has been done, the ministers place the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar. At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, there may be a procession of the faithful in which gifts for the poor may be presented with the bread and wine. Meanwhile the following, or another appropriate chant, is sung.
Ant. Where true charity is dwelling, God is present there.
℣. By the love of Christ we have been brought together:
℣. let us find in him our gladness and our pleasure;
℣. may we love him and revere him, God the living,
℣. and in love respect each other with sincere hearts.
Ant. Where true charity is dwelling, God is present there.
℣. So when we are gathered all together,
℣. let us strive to keep our minds free of division;
℣. may there be an end to malice, strife and quarrels,
℣. and let Christ our God be dwelling here among us.
Ant. Where true charity is dwelling, God is present there.
℣. May your face thus be our vision, bright in glory,
℣. Christ our God, with all the blessed Saints in heaven:
℣. such delight is pure and faultless, joy unbounded,
℣. which endures through countless ages world without end. Amen.
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,
Grant us, O Lord, we pray,
that we may participate worthily in these mysteries,
for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated
the work of our redemption is accomplished.
Through Christ our Lord.
at the end of which the people acclaim:
Amen.
THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
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.
The Priest, with hands extended, continues the Preface.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
For he is the true and eternal Priest,
who instituted the pattern of an everlasting sacrifice
and was the first to offer himself as the saving Victim,
commanding us to make this offering as his memorial.
As we eat his flesh that was sacrificed for us,
we are made strong,
and, as we drink his Blood that was poured out for us,
we are washed clean.
And so, with Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory,
as without end we acclaim:
At the end of the Preface he joins his hands and concludes the Preface with the people, singing or saying aloud:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
In all Masses, the Priest celebrant is permitted to sing parts of the Eucharistic Prayer provided with musical notation, especially the principal parts. In Eucharistic Prayer I, the Roman Canon, the words included in brackets may be omitted.
(The other Eucharistic Prayers may be found under the appropriate tab in the iBreviary)
The Priest, with hands extended, says:
To you, therefore, most merciful Father,
we make humble prayer and petition
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord:
He joins his hands and says
that you accept
He makes the Sign of the Cross once over the bread and chalice together, saying:
and bless + these gifts, these offerings,
these holy and unblemished sacrifices,
With hands extended, he continues:
which we offer you firstly
for your holy catholic Church.
Be pleased to grant her peace,
to guard, unite and govern her
throughout the whole world,
together with your servant Francis our Pope
and N. our Bishop, [and his assistant Bishops]
and all those who, holding to the truth,
hand on the catholic and apostolic faith.
Commemoration of the Living.
Remember, Lord, your servants N. and N.
The Priest joins his hands and prays briefly for those for whom he intends to pray. Then, with hands extended, he continues:
and all gathered here,
whose faith and devotion are known to you.
For them, we offer you this sacrifice of praise
or they offer it for themselves
and all who are dear to them:
for the redemption of their souls,
in hope of health and well-being,
and paying their homage to you,
the eternal God, living and true.
Celebrating the most sacred day
on which our Lord Jesus Christ
was handed over for our sake,
and in communion with those whose memory we venerate,
especially the glorious ever-Virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ
and blessed Joseph, her Spouse,
your blessed Apostles and Martyrs,
Peter and Paul, Andrew,
(James, John,
Thomas, James, Philip,
Bartholomew, Matthew,
Simon and Jude;
Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus,
Cornelius, Cyprian,
Lawrence, Chrysogonus,
John and Paul,
Cosmas and Damian)
and all your Saints;
we ask that through their merits and prayers,
in all things we may be defended
by your protecting help.
(Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)
With hands extended, the Priest continues:
Therefore, Lord, we pray:
graciously accept this oblation of our service,
that of your whole family,
which we make to you
as we observe the day
on which our Lord Jesus Christ
handed on the mysteries of his Body and Blood
for his disciples to celebrate;
order our days in your peace,
and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation
and counted among the flock of those you have chosen.
He joins his hands. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)
Holding his hands extended over the offerings, he says:
Be pleased, O God, we pray,
to bless, acknowledge,
and approve this offering in every respect;
make it spiritual and acceptable,
so that it may become for us
the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
He joins his hands.
In the formulas that follow, the words of the Lord should be pronounced clearly and distinctly, as the nature of these words requires.
On the day before he was to suffer
for our salvation and the salvation of all,
that is today,
He takes the bread and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:
he took bread in his holy and venerable hands,
He raises his eyes.
and with eyes raised to heaven
to you, O God, his almighty Father,
giving you thanks, he said the blessing,
broke the bread
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
He bows slightly.
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT,
FOR THIS IS MY BODY,
WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.
He shows the consecrated host to the people, places it again on the paten, and genuflects in adoration.
After this, the Priest continues:
In a similar way, when supper was ended,
He takes the chalice and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:
he took this precious chalice
in his holy and venerable hands,
and once more giving you thanks, he said the blessing
and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying:
He bows slightly.
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT,
FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT,
WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY
FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.
He shows the chalice to the people, places it on the corporal, and genuflects in adoration.
Then he sings or says:
The mystery of faith.
And the people continue, acclaiming:
We proclaim your Death, O Lord,
and profess your Resurrection
until you come again.
Or:
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your Death, O Lord,
until you come again.
Or:
Save us, Savior of the world,
for by your Cross and Resurrection
you have set us free.
Then the Priest, with hands extended, says:
Therefore, O Lord,
as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion,
the Resurrection from the dead,
and the glorious Ascension into heaven
of Christ, your Son, our Lord,
we, your servants and your holy people,
offer to your glorious majesty
from the gifts that you have given us,
this pure victim,
this holy victim,
this spotless victim,
the holy Bread of eternal life
and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.
Be pleased to look upon these offerings
with a serene and kindly countenance,
and to accept them,
as once you were pleased to accept
the gifts of your servant Abel the just,
the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith,
and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek,
a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.
Bowing, with hands joined, he continues:
In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God:
command that these gifts be borne
by the hands of your holy Angel
to your altar on high
in the sight of your divine majesty,
so that all of us, who through this participation at the altar
receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son,
He stands upright again and signs himself with the Sign of the Cross, saying:
may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing.
He joins his hands. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)
Commemoration of the Dead
With hands extended, the Priest says:
Remember also, Lord, your servants N. and N.,
who have gone before us with the sign of faith
and rest in the sleep of peace.
He joins his hands and prays briefly for those who have died and for whom he intends to pray. Then, with hands extended, he continues:
Grant them, O Lord, we pray,
and all who sleep in Christ,
a place of refreshment, light and peace.
He joins his hands.(Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)
He strikes his breast with his right hand, saying:
To us, also, your servants, who, though sinners,And, with hands extended, he continues:
hope in your abundant mercies,
graciously grant some share
and fellowship with your holy Apostles and Martyrs:
with John the Baptist, Stephen,
Matthias, Barnabas,
(Ignatius, Alexander,
Marcellinus, Peter,
Felicity, Perpetua,
Agatha, Lucy,
Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia)
and all your Saints;
admit us, we beseech you,
into their company,
not weighing our merits,
but granting us your pardon,
He joins his hands.
through Christ our Lord.
And he continues:
Through whom
you continue to make all these good things, O Lord;
you sanctify them, fill them with life,
bless them, and bestow them upon us.
He takes the chalice and the paten with the host and, raising both, he says:
Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours,
for ever and ever.
The people acclaim:
Amen.
Then follows the Communion Rite.
THE COMMUNION RITE
After the chalice and paten have been set down, the Priest, with hands joined, says:
At the Savior’s command
and formed by divine teaching,
we dare to say:
He extends his hands and, together with the people, continues:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
With hands extended, the Priest alone continues, saying:
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
He joins his hands.
The people conclude the prayer, acclaiming:
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Then the Priest, with hands extended, says aloud:
Lord Jesus Christ,
who said to your Apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you;
look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and graciously grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will.
He joins his hands.
Who live and reign for ever and ever.
The people reply:
Amen.
The Priest, turned towards the people, extending and then joining his hands, adds:
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
The people reply:
And with your spirit.
Then, if appropriate, the Deacon, or the Priest, adds:
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
And all offer one another a sign, in keeping with local customs, that expresses peace, communion, and charity. The Priest gives the sign of peace to a Deacon or minister.
Then he takes the Host, breaks it over the paten, and places a small piece in the chalice, saying quietly:
May this mingling of the Body and Blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ
bring eternal life to us who receive it.
Meanwhile the following is sung or said:
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
grant us peace.
The invocation may even be repeated several times if the fraction is prolonged. Only the final time, however, is grant us peace said.
Then the Priest, with hands joined, says quietly:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
who, by the will of the Father
and the work of the Holy Spirit,
through your Death gave life to the world,
free me by this, your most holy Body and Blood,
from all my sins and from every evil;
keep me always faithful to your commandments,
and never let me be parted from you.
Or:
May the receiving of your Body and Blood,
Lord Jesus Christ,
not bring me to judgment and condemnation,
but through your loving mercy
be for me protection in mind and body
and a healing remedy.
The Priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice, while facing the people, says aloud:
Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
And together with the people he adds once:
Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
The Priest, facing the altar, says quietly:
May the Body of Christ
keep me safe for eternal life.
And he reverently consumes the Body of Christ.
Then he takes the chalice and says quietly:
May the Blood of Christ
keep me safe for eternal life.
And he reverently consumes the Blood of Christ.
After this, he takes the paten or ciborium and approaches the communicants. The Priest raises a host slightly and shows it to each of the communicants, saying:
The Body of Christ.
The communicant replies:
Amen.
and receives Holy Communion. If a Deacon also distributes Holy Communion, he does so in the same manner. If any are present who are to receive Holy Communion under both kinds, the rite described in the proper place is to be followed.
While the Priest is receiving the Body of Christ, the Communion Chant begins.
1 Cor 11: 24-25
This is the Body that will be given for you;
this is the chalice of the new covenant in my Blood, says the Lord,
do this, whenever you receive it, in memory of me.
At an appropriate moment during Communion, the Priest entrusts the Eucharist from the table of the altar to Deacons or acolytes or other extraordinary ministers, so that afterwards it may be brought to the sick who are to receive Holy Communion at home.
When the distribution of Communion is over, the Priest or a Deacon or an acolyte purifies the paten over the chalice and also the chalice itself.
While he carries out the purification, the Priest says quietly:
What has passed our lips as food, O Lord,
may we possess in purity of heart,
that what has been given to us in time
may be our healing for eternity.
After the distribution of Communion, a ciborium with hosts for Communion on the following day is left on the altar. The Priest, standing at the chair, says the Prayer after Communion.
Let us pray.
All pray in silence with the Priest for a while, unless silence has just been observed. Then the Priest, with hands extended, says the Prayer after Communion
Grant, almighty God,
that, just as we are renewed
by the Supper of your Son in this present age,
so we may enjoy his banquet for all eternity.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
at the end of which the people acclaim:
Amen.
THE TRANSFER of the MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT
If they are necessary, any brief announcements to the people follow here.
After the Prayer after Communion, the Priest puts incense in the thurible while standing, blesses it and then, kneeling, incenses the Blessed Sacrament three times. Then, having put on a white humeral veil, he rises, takes the ciborium, and covers it with the ends of the veil. A procession is formed in which the Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by torches and incense, is carried through the church to a place of repose prepared in a part of the church or in a chapel suitably decorated. A lay minister with a cross, standing between two other ministers with lighted candles leads off. Others carrying lighted candles follow. Before the Priest carrying the Blessed Sacrament comes the thurifer with a smoking thurible. Meanwhile, the hymn Pange, lingua (exclusive of the last two stanzas) or another eucharistic chant is sung.
When the procession reaches the place of repose, the Priest, with the help of the Deacon if necessary, places the ciborium in the tabernacle, the door of which remains open. Then he puts incense in the thurible and, kneeling, incenses the Blessed Sacrament,while Tantum ergo Sacraméntum or another eucharistic chant is sung. Then the Deacon or the Priest himself places the Sacrament in the tabernacle and closes the door.
After a period of adoration in silence, the Priest and ministers genuflect and return to the sacristy.
At an appropriate time, the altar is stripped and, if possible, the crosses are removed from the church. It is expedient that any crosses which remain in the church be veiled.
Vespers (Evening Prayer) is not celebrated by those who have attended the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
The faithful are invited to continue adoration before the Blessed Sacrament for a suitable length of time during the night, according to local circumstances, but after midnight the adoration should take place without solemnity.
If the celebration of the Passion of the Lord on the following Friday does not take place in the same church, the Mass is concluded in the usual way and the Blessed Sacrament is placed in the tabernacle.
