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The Mass
The Mass is offered especially for four purposes which can be remembered by the word acts:
A The Mass is offered to adore God as our Creator and Lord,
C To express our contrition for sins and to satisfy the justice of God for all the
sins committed against Him.
T To thank God for His many favors and blessings, and
S In supplication, that is, to ask God to bestow His blessings on all.
To make sure that you do not forget these purposes which should guide our participation in every Mass, remember that little word ACTS.
Active Participation
The II Vatican Council asked that all the faithful be led to full, conscious, and active participation in the Mass. Since we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, this active participation is our privilege and our duty by reason of our Baptism.
should participate both internally and externally.
Internal participation means that we understand the nature of the Mass as a sacrifice, and that we join our minds and hearts with Christ our High Priest in offering His sacrifice to the Father.
External participation means that we listen attentively to the lessons from Scripture which are read, and join in with the prayers and liturgical songs that are used.
The people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalms, and songs. They should also participate actively by appropriate actions, gestures and bodily attitudes, and, at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.
The most important form of participation is both internal and external; the reception of the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion. We receive God’s gift to us to indicate His acceptance of our gift to Him with Christ and we receive Christ Himself who is truly present through transubstantiation.
Because of the central role of the Mass in the life of Catholics, we recall the third commandment of God: Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day. This is the basis for Canon 1247 of the Code of Canon whereby all Catholics have an obligation to participate in the holy sacrifice of the Mass on Sundays and Holy days.