Rev. Fr. Anthony Kanu, O.S.

A
Rev. Fr. Anthony Kanu, O.S.A
All rights reserved under international copyright law. No part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or be transmitted in any means mechanical,
electronic, or otherwise without the prior consent of the
author/publishers.

Imprimatur: Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins DD

Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos

ISBN: 978-978-55668-5-7

1st Edition: June, 2018

eCopy format by: Emmanuel Uche Kanu

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 Table of Contents

Dedication 6

Foreword 7

Introduction 9

Part One: Introductory Rite 14

The Procession 14
The Entrance Song 16
The Veneration of the Altar 17
The Incensation 18
The Celebrant goes to His Seat 20
The Sign of the Cross 20
Greeting the Congregation 21
Introduction to the Celebration 23
The Penitential Act 23
The Kyrie 25
Gloria in Excelsis 26
The Opening Prayer (Collect) 27
Part Two: Liturgy of the Word 29
The Scripture Readings 29
The Homily 33
The Profession of Faith/Creed 33
The Prayer of the Faithful 34

Part Three: The Liturgy of the Eucharist 36

Offering 36
The Preparation of Gifts 37
Holy, Holy, Holy, (Sanctus) 40
The Eucharistic Prayer 42
The Rite of Peace 44
Agnus Dei (lamb of God) 45
Reception of Holy Communion 47
The Post Communion Prayer 48

Part Four: The Concluding Rite/

Recession 49

The Saints on the Benefits of

Attending Mass 51

Bibliography 54

Index 56

About the Author 60

 Dedication

Emmanuela Chinwe Kanu

My niece

6
 Foreword

M
ass is the central act of
worship in the Catholic
Church (Canon 897).
Unfortunately the understanding of
many non-Catholics and some
Catholics about it tends to be poor. To
understand what the Mass is about, it is
important that we understand what it
means. The book, THE HOLY
SACRIFICE OF THE MASS, which
you have in your hand, is no doubt one
of the many contributions that attempts
to explain what happens during the
celebration of the Holy Mass and how
we should pay more attention on the

7
great mysteries that take place during
the Mass.

The author shows a mastery of the

Church's teaching on the subject
matter as seen in his simple manner of
presentation and explanation. This is
quite impressive and commendable.
Therefore, I gladly recommend this
book to those who in all honesty seek
to understand and participate more
actively in the sacrifice of the Holy
Mass.

Rev. Fr. Stanley E. Igboechesi

Department of Canon Law
Catholic Institute of West Africa
PortHarcourt, Nigeria

8
 Introduction

T
he Mass is the greatest and most
familiar prayer of the Catholic
Church. St Alphonsus taught
that “The sacrifice of the Mass has been
instituted for four ends: to honour God;
for the forgiveness of our sins; to thank
God for His benefits and to obtain
divine graces”1. From the first day of
the New Covenant, to be a Christian is
to go to Mass. After Jesus rose from the
dead, He sat at table with His disciples.
He took the bread, broke it and the
disciples recognized Him (Luke 24:30-
31). Among the first century Christians,

1
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 17.

9
Scripture says that they devoted
themselves to teaching, fellowship and
breaking of bread (Acts 2:42). Writing
to the Corinthians, Paul teaches:

For I received from the Lord what I

delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus
on the night he was betrayed took
bread, and when he had given thanks
broke it and said, 'This is my body
which 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' (1 Cor 11:23-
25).

The Mass is, therefore, the celebration

of the Lord's Supper and a Memorial of
the His sacrifice on the Cross. St
Bonaventure taught that the Mass

10
'Symbolizes nothing other than the
passion of Christ'2. For St Gregory the
Great, “it presents to us mystically the
3
death of the only begotten Son” .
Scripture says:

And he took bread, and gave thanks,

and broke it, and gave it to them,
saying, this is my body given for you;
do this in remembrance of me...
Likewise, he took the cup after supper,
saying, this cup is the New
Testament in my blood, which is shed
for you. (Luke 22:19-20).

In the Mass, Jesus gives us His very life,

not metaphorically or symbolically, or
as a foretaste. He gives us the reality of
Himself, body, soul and divinity.

2
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, pp. 17-18.
3
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San Francisco,
p. 18.

11
Jesus left the disciples with an
instruction: 'Do this in memory of me'.
He established a pattern of worship
and requested that it should be
celebrated continually. The purpose of
this request is that He may continually
nourish and sustain us through the
Eucharist. He says: “Truly, truly I say
unto you, unless you eat the flesh of the
Son of man and drink his blood, you do
not have life within you” (Jn 6:53).

At the Mass, in obedience to the words

of Jesus, the Last Super is celebrated. It
is made up of two main parts: the
Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of
the Eucharist. At the Last Supper, the
Psalms were first read, which is
supplied by the Liturgy of the Word. In
the Mass, the sacrifice of Jesus on the
Cross is re-enacted. As His body was
broken on the cross of Calvary, so is
12
His body broken on the altar. During
the consecration of the wine, the priest
in persona Christi (In the Person of
Christ) takes the wine, saying: 'the
Blood of the new and everlasting
covenant which would be shed for you
and for many for the forgiveness of
sins'.

I picked interest in writing this little

piece in order to stress the spiritual
value of the Mass as the source and
summit of all Christian spirituality,
faith and celebration.

13
 Part One of the Holy Mass:
Introductory Rite
The introductory rite includes the
procession, the Entrance Hymn, the
Greeting, the Penitential Act, the
Kyrie, Gloria and Opening Prayer.
They serve as an opening, introduction
and preparation for the Mass, and
more purposefully enables the people
4
to realize that they are a community .

The Procession
The Mass normally opens with a
procession of the priest, accompanied
by his ministers: the lectors, altar
servers, etc.
The procession symbolizes that a
4
Sacred Liturgy 24 §2
14
community together is beginning an
action that is expressive of the life of its
faith, and is entering into God's
presence in an attitude of prayer. It
gives a definitive beginning to the
Mass. The cross bearer, lifting up the
cross and leading the way, is a
powerful sign of Christ's presence.
Jesus says: “When I am lifted up, then I
shall draw all men to myself” (Jn 12:32).
In front of the procession are the candle
bearers. It signifies God's presence.
Jesus says: “I am the light of the world,
anyone who follows me will not walk in
the darkness” (Jn 8:12). These remind
us of Jesus who is the principal figure in
the Mass5. As the priest enters the
Church, everyone is expected to stand
up. This act of standing up is a sign of
respect for Christ who is represented in
the person of the priest, and also, a way
5
J.D. Crichton, Christian Celebration: The Mass P 70
Sacred Liturgy 26

15
of putting the congregation into the
mood of the celebration that is about to
begin.

The Entrance Song

The entrance song usually
accompanies the procession, it
prepares the minds of God's people for
the Mass, and welcomes God's
presence. As scripture says: “God is
seated on the praises of his people” (Ps
22:3). The entrance song is sung by the
whole Church, a sign that everyone
6
shares in the celebratory action .

Hence, Johannes Emminghaus writes

that, “singing has power to order and
harmonize and is better able than
praying…singing also fosters
7
consciousness of community.”

6
Johannes Emminghaus, The Eucharist: Form, Essence, Celebration, PP 106-107
7
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius,
San Francisco, p. 35.

16
The Veneration of the Altar
When the priest and his ministers have
entered the sanctuary, they venerate
the altar by genuflection or bow. This is
because the altar represents Christ, the
head of the Church. St Thomas Aquinas
teaches that “Just as the celebration of
this sacrament is the image of Christ's
passion, so the altar represents the cross
on which he was immolated in his
physical appearance”8. The priest and
deacon further kiss the altar, after
which the priest incenses it if the
occasion warrants this. In the kissing of
the altar, Christ that it symbolizes is
embraced and honoured, a sign of the
ministers gladness that despite his
unholiness has been granted the
privilege of serving at the Holy of
Holies. It is also a salutation of the place
where the holy mystery would be
consummated.
8
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San Francisco, p. 35.
17
 The Incensation
The incensation of the altar, is also a
way of giving respect to the altar which
signifies Christ. God has asked that
incense be offered in honor of His
name (Exo. 30:34; Lev. 2:1). Incense is
also used for purification. In ancient
times and even in present day used to
ward off evil spirits. According to
Durandus, “The smoke of incense is
believed to have power to put demons
to flight. Hence, when Tobias asked
the angel what use those parts of the
fish were which he had been ordered
to keep, the angel replied: if you put a
little piece of its heart in coal, the
smoke thereof drives away all kinds of
devils, either from man or woman so
that they come no more to them”9.
Teaching further about the symbol of
incense, St Thomas Aquinas taught
9
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San Francisco, p. 68.

18
that, incense “is used, first, out of
reverence for the sacrament, since its
sweet smell blots out any physical
stench that might be present in the
place, which would be repellent. Next,
it serves to represent the effect of grace.
For Christ was full of grace, as of a
sweet smell, according to the prophecy
of Jacob, 'behold the smell of my son is
as the smell of a plentiful field'. This
grace passes to the faithful through the
10
work of Christ's ministers” . St Robert
Bellarmine adds that: “Incense is used
because of its likeness to prayer. So it is
said in the Psalm, let my prayer be
directed as incense in thy sight. It is only
used to represent the glory of God, for
in the Old Testament he often showed
himself in a cloud”11. Thus, incense
signifies the presence of the glory of
10
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 69.
11
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 70.

19
God and the rising of the smoke to
heaven occasions for the lifting up of
our prayers to heaven.

The Celebrant goes to His Seat

After the incensation, the priest goes to
his seat from where he stands to
communicate with the people. He
represents Christ and in him Christ
presides at the Mass. The presidential
chair can be pictured as the Seat of
Moses (Matt 23:2).

The Sign of the Cross

As soon as the entrance song is
finished, the priest and all the faithful
make the Sign of the Cross on
themselves. He says: “In the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit,” and the people respond
“Amen”. The sign of the Cross at the
beginning of Mass has its origin from
20
the baptismal mandate in Matt 28:19
and is based on the mystery of the
cross12- that all salvation comes to us
through the cross of Christ, and that the
Sacrifice of the Mass is offered by the
authority of the Three Divine Persons
of the Most Holy Trinity. It is an
introduction to prayer. It is also an act
of self-blessing, and a gesture of faith
and devotion. St Athanasius teaches:
“At the sign of the cross, all magic is
stopped and all witchcraft brought to
nothing”13. Scott Hahn says: “It is the
mystery of the Gospel in a moment. It is
the Christian faith summarized in a
single gesture”14.

Greeting the Congregation

It is normal that in every meeting that
the celebrant greets the people
12
Sacred Liturgy 111-112
13
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 37.
14
Scott Hahn, The Lamb's Supper, p. 44.

21
gathered with words and gesture.
Thus, the priest greets the assembled
people, with his arms outstretched,
saying: “The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ and the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with
you all” or in the shorter form: “The
Lord be with you” or “Peace be with
you” if the celebrant is a Bishop. This
greeting is based on Scripture where
the Risen Lord greets his disciples on
Easter (Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 21).
Paul also greeted the early Christians
in this manner (2 Cor 13:13; 1:2; Rom
1:7; 1 Cor 1:3). The people then answer
“And with your spirit”. This greeting
and the people's response express the
mystery of the Church formally
assembled and a dialogue with God
through the presence of the Holy
Spirit15. The outstretched arms have
15
J.D. Crichton, Christian Celebration: The Mass, P70

22
two meanings: a gesture of invitation
and a stylized form of embrace offered
to the entire congregation. The greeting
also acknowledges Christ's presence
and the response of the faithful is an
acknowledgment of this presence.

Introduction to the Celebration

The priest, at this point says few words
to introduce the faithful to the Mass of
the day. It establishes openness to the
Holy Spirit and an atmosphere of
prayer and praise.

The Penitential Act

An act of repentance before Mass is
16
appropriate because we are sinful .
And the beauty of it is that no one rises
to accuse us but that we accuse
ourselves. We, therefore, plead guilty
and submit ourselves to the mercy of
16
Johannes Emminghaus, The Eucharist: Essence, Form, Celebration P 116

23
God. The scripture teaches: “All have
sinned and fallen short of the glory of
the Lord” (Rom 3:23). According to St
John: “If we say that we have not
sinned, we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:9). We are no
exception and thus, the need to
acknowledge our sins17. The
penitential act is very important at the
beginning of the Mass, because it sets
the mind ready to encounter God.
Thus, John the Baptist began his
ministry by calling people to
repentance (Matt. 3:2); Jesus began His
ministry by calling people to
repentance (Matt. 4:17); the Apostle
Peter began his ministry by calling the
people to repentance (Acts 2:28). It is,
therefore, appropriate that we begin
our worship with a penitential act.

17
Sacred Liturgy 120

24
During the penitential act, in the 'I
confess to Almighty God' precisely, we
mention four ways that we may have
offended God. The first is through our
thoughts- this is important because
Jesus condemns offending Our God
through our thoughts (Matt. 2:27). We
also confess the sins we have
committed through our words, because
Jesus makes it clear that what comes
out of our mouth can make us unclean
(Matt. 15:11 and 18-19). We also confess
the sins we commit through our actions
(Gal. 6:7-8), and these actions include
what we have done and what we have
failed to do. We take responsibility for
them and ask God for mercy.

The Kyrie
The Kyrie is a cry of the people of God
for mercy, and so should normally be

25
sung by everybody, the people, choir,
etc18. In the three times that it is sung,
we ask mercy of each of the Three
Persons of the Most Holy Trinity: Lord
have mercy-the Father; Christ have
mercy- the Son; Lord have mercy- the
Holy Spirit. We ask it of God since
mercy is an attribute of God, and this
explains why men and women of faith
have gone to God severally for mercy:
Ps 6:2; 31:9; Mt 15:22; 17:15; 20:30; Exo
34:6; Jon 4:2. According to St Thomas
Aquinas, each invocation to the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit “is repeated three
times to denote the three elements that
make up our wretchedness: ignorance,
sin and the suffering due to sin”.

Gloria in Excelsis
The Gloria is a very ancient and
venerable hymn by which the Church,
18
Johannes Emminghaus, The Eucharist: Essence, Form, Celebration, P121

26
gathered together in the Holy Spirit,
offers praise and petitions to God the
19
Father and to the Lamb . Having asked
God for pardon, and being confident
that He has forgiven us, we thank and
glorify His name with the 'Gloria'. The
first part of the Gloria is a cry of praise
to God which begins with the Angel's
song at the birth of Jesus (Lk 2:14), it
also echoes the angels’ praises of the
power of God in the book of
Revelations (Rev. 15:3-4) and
accompanied by the authentic
heavenly praise “holy, holy, holy” (Is
6:3). The Gloria is addressed to the
Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity.

The Opening Prayer (Collect)

This is the final element and the climax
of the introductory rite. The priest

19
ibid P 123

27
invites the people to prayer. By this
prayer, the prayer of all God's people is
directed in the words of the priest to
God the Father, through Christ, in the
Holy Spirit. The people express their
assent by their own acclamation:
“Amen”. The opening prayer collects or
gathers the desires, aspirations and
needs of the community and presents
them to the Father through the Son in
20
the Holy Spirit . This is why it is called
the Collect.

20
J.D. Crichton, Christian Celebration: The Mass, P 72

28
Part Two of the Holy Mass:
Liturgy of the Word
The Scripture Readings
After the opening prayer, the Christian
community sits down to listen to the
Word of God. They sit down because
sitting in general is the most relaxing
way to listen. It is also a posture that
fosters alertness and understanding.
As the Word is read from several parts
of the Scripture, the Old and the New
Testaments, it reflects that Catholics
are Bible Christians. The reading of the
Word is very important because,
“Faith comes from hearing” (Rom
10:17). As we read this Word, our
hearts are prepared for the Eucharist.
And by sitting down to listen to the
29
Word, Catholics respect Christ's
presence in His Word as they respect
his presence in the Eucharist.

After the first reading, the Psalm is

taken; which is a meditative response to
the Word of God that has been heard. It
stimulates reflection on God's saving
deeds for His people. When there is no
second reading, the gospel follows. But
before the gospel, the alleluia is
chanted. According to Amalarius, “The
Alleluia refers to the gladness of heart
that the apostles felt at the promises of
Christ, or at the miracles that they saw
to be done by him or in his name”21. St
Thomas Aquinas taught that “The
alleluia intimates the joy that we feel in
the hope of the eternal things. It is
repeated, because both the soul and the

21
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 63.
30
 22
body are to be clothed in glory” . In the
words of St Augustine, the alleluia we
sing “is the melody that means that our
hearts are bursting with feelings
23
words cannot express” .

The gospel is the high point of the

Liturgy of the Word. While listening to
the Gospel, the people stand up
because Christ is present in His Word
and speaks to them through that
Word. Standing up denotes a greater
alertness and readiness than just
sitting down. The Scripture says that
when Ezra opened the book of the
Word of God to read it to the people, all
the people stood up (Neh 8:5). St
Francis de Sales makes the following
observation: “When the Gospel is to be
read at Mass, stand up to show that
22
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 64.
23
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 64.

31
you are ready and equipped to walk in
the way that the gospel commands”24.

When the Gospel is about to be read, the

priest introduces it saying: 'A Reading
from the Gospel according to St
(Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).' The
congregation then responds, 'Glory to
You Oh Lord,' making a small cross
with their thumb over their forehead,
lips, and chest. We cross our forehead
so that the Word of God may be in our
thoughts and purify our minds. We
cross our lips so that our speech may be
holy and incline us to share the Gospel
with others. And we cross our hearts to
invite God to strengthen our love for
Him and others. All of this is so that we
might know, proclaim, and love Jesus
Christ all the more. To honour Christ's
presence, the book of the gospel is
24
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 65.

32
incensed. After reading the gospel, the
priest kisses the Gospel, as a mark of
25
devotion and veneration.

The Homily
The homily “is a necessary source of
nourishment for the Christian life”26,
and is necessary so as to relate the
Word proclaimed to the concrete
27
world of the people listening.

The homily is drawn from the

Scriptures of the day, lightening up the
obscure passages and pointing out
practical applications for ordinary life.

Profession of Faith/Creed
The creed is the Christian faith- the
faith of our Fathers distilled in few
lines. The purpose of the Creed, which
originally belonged to the rite of
25
Sacred Liturgy 38
26
Sacred Liturgy 41
27
J.D. Crichton, P 74

33
 28
baptism, is to express the assent and
response of the people to the Scripture
reading and homily they have just
heard, and to recall to them the main
truths of the faith, before they begin to
celebrate the Eucharist. It is to be said
by the priest and people together on
Sundays and on solemn feasts. It may
also be said on other solemn occasions.

The Prayer of the Faithful

The prayer of the faithful concludes the
Liturgy of the Word. Having listened
to the Word of God and nourished by
it, God's people are now in the position
to think of the needs of the Church, the
world, their personal needs and to pray
for them. Listening to the Word of God
before the prayer of the faithful helps
the Church to discern the will of God
and to humbly address Him. The
28
Johannes Emminghaus, The Eucharist: Essence, Form, Celebration, P 149

34
prayer is offered not just for those
present but also for everyone. As
Scripture says, prayers, petitions,
thanksgiving, intercessions should be
offered for everyone (1 Tim 2:1; 2:8).

35
Part Three of the Holy Mass:
Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Eucharistic liturgy is strongly
connected to the Liturgy of the Word.
The Word of God that has been heard is
in preparation for the reception of
Jesus, Body, Soul and Divinity in the
Holy Eucharist.29 The liturgy of the
Eucharist has the following parts:
preparation of gifts, the Eucharistic
prayer and the breaking of bread and
communion.

Offering
The offering is the first part of the
Liturgy of the Eucharist. In the
offertory, bread, wine, gifts and money
29
Fr. Peter Uchu's Class notes.Saint Augustine's Major Seminary, Jos,
Plateau State.
36
are brought before God in
thanksgiving and in support of the
work of God. In our offering, we are
not just offering bread, wine, gifts and
money, but we offer ourselves. We
offer ourselves not because we are the
best gifts to offer to God but because
God can take us in our nothingness
and make something great out of us.

The Preparation of Gifts

First of all, the altar, which is the table
of the Lord, is made ready as the
central point of the whole Eucharistic
30 31
liturgy: the corporal , purificator ,

30
Corporal, from Latin corpus "body") is a square white linen cloth, now
usually somewhat smaller than the breadth of the altar, upon which the
chalice and paten, and also the ciborium containing the smaller hosts for
the Communion of the laity, are placed during the celebration of the
Catholic Eucharist (Mass).
31
The purificator (purificatorium or more anciently emunctorium) is a
white linen cloth which is used to wipe the chalice after each
communicant partakes. It is also used to wipe the chalice and paten after
the ablutions which follow Communion.

37
 32 33
chalice , and Missal are carried to it
and put in position. Then the bread and
wine to be transformed into the body
and blood of Christ are brought to the
altar by the faithful to be received by
the priest or deacon at a suitable point
and then placed on the altar34. In
preparing the gifts, water and wine is
mixed together. The priest says: “By the
mystery of this water and wine may we
share in Christ's divinity who humbled
himself to share in our humanity”. This
mixture according to St Thomas
Aquinas is done because, “First, this is
how it was first instituted; for it is most
probable that our Lord mixed water
into the wine, according to the custom
of his land. Secondly, because this is
suitable for representing Our Lord's

32
A chalice is a standing cup used to hold sacramental wine during the
Eucharist .
33
A missal is a liturgical book containing all instructions and texts
necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the year.
34
J.D. Crichton, Christian Celebration: The Mass, P 82-83

38
 35
passion” . For on the cross, blood and
water issued forth from His side.

Beyond the teaching of St Thomas

Aquinas, St Cyprian taught: “When
water is mixed with wine in the
chalice, the people are united to Christ.
Therefore, the sanctification of Our
Lord's chalice, neither wine alone or
water alone may be offered. If only
wine were offered, then would the
blood of Christ be without us. If there
were only water, the people would be
36
without Christ” . The gifts, now in
position, and the altar may be incensed
as a sign that the offering and the
prayer of the Church are to rise into
God's throne of mercy and grace like
the smoke of the incense. Then the
priest washes his hands as a symbol of
35
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San Francisco,
p. 80.
36
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San Francisco,
p. 80.

39
his desire for inward purification.
While silently saying the words: 'wash
away my iniquities and cleanse me
from my sins'. This symbolizes that the
priest is also a sinner needing mercy
from the Lord.

Holy, Holy, Holy (Sanctus)

The entire congregation, in union with
the heavenly powers, sings or says the
Sanctus. This acclamation is an integral
part of the Eucharistic Prayer itself, and
the voices of all should join with that of
the priest. The Sanctus is a song that the
angels and saints sing before the
heavenly throne (Rev. 4:8; Is 6:2-3). By
singing this song, St Thomas Aquinas
taught: “With the angels, the people
devoutly praise the divinity of Christ,
saying sanctus, sanctus, sanctus… they
praise his humanity, saying bendictus
37
qui venit” . Interpreting the repetition
37
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 100.
40
of the Sanctus thrice, St Albert the Great
writes: “It may also be said thrice
because this sacrament is composed of
three things, one ancient, one new, one
eternal. First, the matter of Christ's
body, which came from the ancient
stock of Adam, though sanctified by
the Holy Spirit. Second, his human
soul that was created from nothing by
the Father and filled with all holiness
and grace and wisdom. Third, his
deity, which joined to itself the holy
body and soul in the person of the
38
Son” . It is sung that the heavens are
full of his glory- because those whom
the Mass commemorates are
triumphant in heaven- the Triumphant
Church; the earth is also full of His
glory because the Church on earth
depends on it for grace and strength.

38
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 100.

41
The Eucharistic Prayer
The Eucharistic prayer “is the climax
and the very heart of the entire
celebration, a prayer of thanksgiving
39
and sanctification.” The priest invites
the people to raise their hearts to God in
praise and thanks, and associates them
with himself in the prayer which he
addresses to God the Father, through
Jesus Christ, in the name of the whole
community. The lifting up of hearts is
to heaven, where reality would be
perceived by faith and not by sight.

Stretching his hands over the gifts and

invoking the Holy Spirit, heaven and
earth embraces; the Holy Spirit and the
Word transforms the elements of bread
and wine into the body and blood, soul
and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Then the priest relates the story of the
39
Sacred Liturgy 54

42
Last Supper which renews the
covenant sacrifice between God and
His people. Speaking the words of the
institution of the Eucharist 'this is my
body', 'this is my blood', the priest
speaks in the person of Christ, who is
the principal celebrant of the Mass.

There are also intercessory prayers

which express the truth that the
Eucharist is celebrated in union with
the whole Church in heaven and on
earth, and that the sacrifice is offered
for her and for all her members living
and dead, since all of them are called to
share in the redemption and salvation
acquired through the Body and Blood
of Christ. The intercessions in the four
Eucharistic prayers are rich in that they
deal with the different dimensions of
the Church, namely Church

43
Triumphant, Church Militant and
Church Suffering’40.

The Rite of Peace

During the rite of peace, God's people,
by word and gesture pray for peace and
unity in the Church and the whole
human family, and express their love
for one another before they share the
one bread and one cup (Matt 5:23-24)41.
St Cyril of Jerusalem interpreted the
kiss of peace thus: “Think not that this
kiss ranks with those given in public by
common friends. It is not so: this kiss
blends souls one with another, and
solicits for their entire forgiveness.
Therefore, this kiss is the sign that our
souls are blended together, and have
banished all remembrance of
wrongs”42. Speaking further on the rite
40
Sacred Liturgy 95
41
Sacred Liturgy 56
42
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 171.
44
of peace, Durandus wrote: “The people
exchange this kiss, congratulating each
other that through their Lord's death
they have received his grace, and
fellowship with the angels”43.

Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)

In the Mass, the Bible is not just
brought besides you but before you.
Every point of the liturgy reminds you
of what Scripture says. At the point in
the Mass when the hymn of the 'Lamb
of God' is taken and when the Priest
raises the Eucharist and says 'Behold
Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world', what comes to
mind immediately is the book of
Revelation, where Jesus is referred to
as the Lamb of God not less than
twenty eight times in twenty two

43
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p. 171.

45
chapters (eg. Rev. 5.6; 5.9; 5.13-14). The
role of Jesus as the Lamb of God was
prefigured in Abraham's experience on
Mount Moriah (Gen 22). Instead of
Isaac dying, the ram came and took his
place. In the same way, Jesus the Lamb
of God, became sin that we may
become the righteousness of God; He
took our place on the Cross of Calvary
and died that we may live.

The priest shows to the faithful the

Eucharistic Bread which they are to
receive in Communion and invites
them to the table of the Lord thus: 'This
is the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world' (John 1:36). To this
has been added a text from Rev. 19:9,
'Happy are those who are called to the
wedding supper of the Lamb'. At the
end, the faithful respond: “Lord I am
not worthy that you should enter under
46
my roof, but only say your word and
my soul shall be healed” (Matt 8:8).
According to Origen: “When you
receive the holy food, that pure
banquet; when you enjoy the bread
and draught of life; when you eat and
drink the body and blood of Our Lord,
then you receive him under your roof.
And so you must humble yourself,
imitating this centurion saying, Lord, I
am not worthy that you should enter under
44
my roof ” .

Reception of Holy Communion

During the reception of the Holy
Communion, a suitable hymn is sung.
The purpose of this song is to express
the spiritual union of the
communicants with one another by the
union of their voices, to show forth

44
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco, p.171.

47
their spiritual joy, making it clear that
the Communion procession is a
fraternal occasion.

The Post Communion Prayer

During the Post Communion prayer
(Prayer after Holy Communion), the
priest prays that the celebration of the
sacred mystery may bring forth its due
effects in the lives of God's people. The
people associate themselves with this
prayer by adding their Amen.

48
Part Four of the Holy Mass:
Concluding Rite/Recession
The priest greets the people “The Lord
be with you” and gives them his
blessing. According to St Albert the
Great, “Having finished the Post-
communion, the priest again… says,
Dominus vobiscum (the Lord be with
you), desiring that when they depart
from the temple they may not depart
from Our Lord's presence. And the
people again respond, Et cum spiritu tuo
(and with your spirit), for even after the
Mass the giver of holiness must
continue to perform spiritual works
and not bodily ones for the sake of the

49
people”45. By this mutual salutation,
the Mass ends.

He then kisses the altar at the end of the

celebration as he did at the beginning
of the Mass. Then, the priest, together
with the servers, make the proper sign
of reverence like a deep bow, or a
genuflection if the tabernacle is located
on the altar, and leaves the sanctuary.
He kisses the altar and genuflects or
bows before the altar in reverence, as
the altar signifies Jesus and the
Tabernacle, the dwelling place of God.

45
Cited in Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints. Ignatius, San
Francisco.

50
 The Saints on the
Benefits of Attending Mass

1. “When the Eucharist is being

celebrated, the sanctuary is filled
with countless angels who adore the
divine victim immolated on the
altar”. ~ St. John Chrysostom

2. “The angels surround and help the

priest when he is celebrating Mass”.
~ St. Augustine

3. “If we really understood the Mass,

we would die of joy”. ~ Saint Jean
Vianney

4. “The celebration of Holy Mass is as

valuable as the death of Jesus on the
cross”. ~ Saint Thomas Aquinas

5. “Once, St. Teresa was overwhelmed

with God's Goodness and asked Our
51
 Lord “How can I thank you?” Our
Lord replied, “ATTEND ONE
MASS.

6. “My Son so loves those who assist at

the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that, if
it were necessary He would die for
them as many times as they've
heard Masses.” Our Lady to Blessed
Alan.

7. “ W h e n w e r e c e i v e H o l y
Communion, we experience
something extraordinary – a joy, a
fragrance, a well-being that thrills
the whole body and causes it to
exalt”. ~ Saint Jean Vianney

8. “There is nothing so great as the

Eucharist. If God had something
more precious, He would have
given it to us”. ~ Saint Jean Vianney

52
9. “When we have been to Holy
Communion, the balm of love
envelops the soul as the flower
envelops the bee”. ~ Saint Jean
Vianney

10. “It would be easier for the world to

survive without the sun than to do
without Holy Mass”. ~ St. Pio of
Pietrelcina

53
 Bibliography

E. K. Kitir, The beliefs and practices of

Catholicism. Plateau: Fab Anieh. 2014

Jude Mbukanma, Is it in the Bible?

Lagos: Dominican Publications. 1978.

Karl Keating, Catholicism and

fundamentalism: The attack of
'Romanism' by 'Bible Christians'. Lagos:
Criterion.

Steve Kellmeyer, Bible Basics:

Discovering the scriptural basis for 70
Catholic doctrines. USA: Basilica Press.

54
The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Paulines Publications, Kenya, Nairobi.
1995

Thomas Crean, The Mass and the Saints.

Ignatius, San Francisco.

Donald Wuerl and Mike Aquilina, The

Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the
Tradition. Doubleday: London.

Jude Ossai, Some Features of the Catholic

Faith. Mindex, Benin. 2013.

Kenneth Enang, The Nigerian Catholics

and the Independent Churches. Paulines,
Nigeria, 2012.

Kenneth Enang, Growing in our Catholic

Faith. Paulines, Nigeria, 2012.

55
 Index

A
Adam, 28
Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), iv, 32
Amen, 7, 15, 34
Apostle Peter, 11
B
Bendictus qui venit, 27
Body, i, ix, x, xi, xii, 18, 23,
24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 33, 37
C
Catholic Church, viii
Chalice, 24, 25, 26
Christian, viii, xii, 2, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 20, 25
Church Militant, 30
Church Suffering, 31
Church Triumphant, 30
Collect, iii, 14, 15
Corporal, 24
Creed, iv, 20
D
Divinity, x, 23, 25, 27, 29
Do this in memory of me, xi
Dominus vobiscum, 34

56
Durandus, 5, 31
E
Et cum spiritu tuo, 35
Ezra, 18
F
Faith, iv, xii, 2, 8, 13, 16, 20,21, 29
G
Gloria, iii, 1, 13, 14, 15
Gloria in Excelsis, iii, 13
God, iv, viii, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36,37
Greeting the Congregation, iii, 8
H
Holy Eucharist, 23
Holy Mass, vi, vii, 36, 38
Holy Spirit, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14,15, 28, 29
Holy, Holy, Holy (Sanctus), iv,27
I
I am the light of the world, anyone who follows me will
not walk in the darkness, 2
Introduction to the Celebration, iii, 10
Introductory Rite, iii, 1, 14
It presents to us mystically the death of the only
begotten Son, x
J
Jerusalem, 31
Jesus Christ, 9, 19, 29
Johannes Emminghaus, 3, 10,13, 21
K
Kyrie, iii, 1, 12
L
Lamb of God, iv, 32, 33
57
Liturgy of the Word, iv, xi, 16, 18, 21, 23
M
Missal, 25
Mount Moriah, 33
N
Non-Catholics, vi
O
Offering, 23, 24, 26
P
Parts of the Mass , 1
Paul, ix, 9
persona Christi, xii
Profession of Faith/Creed, iv,
20
Purificator, 24
R
Reception of Holy Communion, iv, 33
S
Sanctus, iv, 27, 28
Scott Hahn, 8
Soul, x, 17, 23, 28, 29, 31, 33,38
Spirituality, xii
St Alphonsus, viii
St Augustine, 18, 36
St Cyprian, 26
St Cyril, 31
St Francis de Sales, 18
St Gregory, x
St Thomas Aquinas, 4, 5, 13, 17, 25, 26, 27
T
The Alleluia, 17, 18
The baptismal mandate, 8

58
The Celebrant goes to His Seat, iii, 7
The Celebrant goes to His Seat, iii, 7
The Concluding Rite/Recession, iv, 34
The Entrance Song, iii, 3, 7
The Eucharistic Prayer, iv, 23,27, 29
The Father, 7, 13, 14, 15, 27, 28
The Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 7
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, i, vi, 37
The Holy Spirit, 7, 9, 10, 13,14, 15, 28, 29
The homily, iv, 20
The Incensation, iii, 5, 7
The Kyrie, iii, 1, 12
The Liturgy of the Eucharist, iv, xi, 23
The Opening Prayer (Collect), iii, 14
The Penitential Act, iii, 1, 10,11, 12
The Post Communion Prayer, iv, 34
The Prayer of the Faithful, iv, 21
The Preparation of Gifts, iv, 24
The Procession, iii, 1, 2, 3
The Profession of Faith/Creed, iv
The Rite of Peace, iv, 31
The Saints on the Benefits of Attending Mass, iv, 36
The Saints on the Benefits of Attending Mass, iv, 36
The Scripture Readings, iv, 16
The Sign of the Cross, iii, 7, 8
The Son, xi, 7, 13, 15, 28
The Veneration of the Altar, 4
Three Divine Persons of the Most Holy Trinity, 8
Tobias, 5
W
When I am lifted up, then I shall draw all men to myself, 2

59
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rev. Fr. Kanu, Ikechukwu Anthony, O.S.A, is

a priest of the Order of Saint Augustine of
the Province of Nigeria.
He is the Parish Priest of Saint Vincent
Catholic Church, Olodi, Apapa, Catholic
Archdiocese of Lagos, Nigeria.

ISBN: 978-978-55668-5-7