rituals
Bringing gifts to the altar
The second major part of the Mass commences with the preparation of the gifts that are to be presented to the Father. The gifts, bread and wine, are brought to the altar in procession and are usually accompanied by a hymn. The gifts of bread and wine are brought from the back of the Church, through the assembly, to indicate that these are gifts from the people. It also represents the people making a gift of themselves to be transformed with the bread and wine (O'Dea, 2014).
Sign of Peace
The Sign of Peace is significantly placed before the Eucharistic communion as it is a particularly expressive gesture which the faithful are invited to make as a manifestation of the People of God's acceptance of all that has been accomplished in the celebration and of the commitment to mutual love which is made in sharing the one bread.
Breaking the bread
During Mass, before the distribution of communion, the priest breaks the Host in pieces. A host is a Communion wafer, a round piece of bread used for consecration and distribution at Mass. The term comes from the Latin word hostia, a sacrificial lamb. Jesus is “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29,36), and his body is given to us from the altar of the Mass (Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, 2014).
The Sign of the Cross
When we make the sign of the cross, we trace the cross on our body by touching our head, abdomen, left and right shoulder. This ritual signifies our salvation through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, a reminder of our baptism, and of our commitment to Christ. It is also a sign of our worship of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Making the sign of the cross before and after we receive Communion signifies that in the sacrament of the Eucharist, we recognize Christ crucified, risen, and present with us. We make the sign of the cross at the blessing at the very end of the liturgy because the blessing is made in the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The second major part of the Mass commences with the preparation of the gifts that are to be presented to the Father. The gifts, bread and wine, are brought to the altar in procession and are usually accompanied by a hymn. The gifts of bread and wine are brought from the back of the Church, through the assembly, to indicate that these are gifts from the people. It also represents the people making a gift of themselves to be transformed with the bread and wine (O'Dea, 2014).
Sign of Peace
The Sign of Peace is significantly placed before the Eucharistic communion as it is a particularly expressive gesture which the faithful are invited to make as a manifestation of the People of God's acceptance of all that has been accomplished in the celebration and of the commitment to mutual love which is made in sharing the one bread.
Breaking the bread
During Mass, before the distribution of communion, the priest breaks the Host in pieces. A host is a Communion wafer, a round piece of bread used for consecration and distribution at Mass. The term comes from the Latin word hostia, a sacrificial lamb. Jesus is “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29,36), and his body is given to us from the altar of the Mass (Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, 2014).
The Sign of the Cross
When we make the sign of the cross, we trace the cross on our body by touching our head, abdomen, left and right shoulder. This ritual signifies our salvation through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, a reminder of our baptism, and of our commitment to Christ. It is also a sign of our worship of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Making the sign of the cross before and after we receive Communion signifies that in the sacrament of the Eucharist, we recognize Christ crucified, risen, and present with us. We make the sign of the cross at the blessing at the very end of the liturgy because the blessing is made in the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.