St. Bernard’s Parish
Levittown, New York
Celebrating the Eucharist
We come together as Christ’s people – to praise God who is present among us. We stand together and we join each other in greeting the priest – another Christ. Every Mass begins with an entrance hymn, or a recited entrance antiphon.
Priest: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
People: “Amen”. (Amen means “So be it”.)
A Greeting from the Priest:
He greets us in the name of the Lord, and we show our union with God, each other, our neighbors, and the priest by answering his greeting together.
For example: “The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”; and we reply, “And also with you.”
Penitential Rite:
The priest invites us to recall our sins and in silence to repent of them.
For example: “As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s love, let us acknowledge our failures and ask the Lord for pardon and strength.”
Confiteor: Priest and People Together.
“I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask the Blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. (Note that we always pray for each other as well as for ourselves).
After the Confiteor, we join the priest in asking for God’s mercy:
Priest: Lord have Mercy.
People: Lord have Mercy.
Priest: Christ have Mercy.
People Christ have Mercy.
Priest: Lord have Mercy
People: Lord have Mercy.
Consider what we have just done – we have prayed for ourselves and for each other. Isn’t it uplifting to realize that God is with us always and that others are concerned that we are loved?
Gloria: This prayer is used on Sundays and on major feasts.
Opening Prayer:
Priest: “Let us Pray.”
Think a minute, to focus on what we are about to say.
The opening prayer is a prayer which tells us the spirit of that day’s Mass.
(Note that during the previous ceremonies and prayers we are standing: similar to the start of any important, personal occasion – greeting God and each other.)
Liturgy of the Word:
Usually on Sundays and on a major feast day there are three readings – one from the Old Testament, followed by a psalm of response. The second reading is usually taken from an Epistle. After these readings we sing, “Alleluia”, “God be praised”, from the Hebrew for “Praise ye the Lord!”
