From Gert’s Catholic Library
The Mass should not be an event we attend to be entertained. The Mass should be an opportunity for the whole community to participate in the worship of our God and spend time in prayer as part of our parish family.
The Mass itself starts with us standing and joining together singing the opening hymn. For those that can’t or don’t like to sing just listening to the words and following along in the hymnal sets the tone for the Mass. During the singing of the opening hymn there is a procession of the altar servers (one carrying the cross), the reader carrying the Book of the Gospels overhead, and finally the priest who will preside at the Mass. Those in the procession stop at the front of the church and bow towards the altar. The Priest then goes to the altar and venerates it by kissing it. The Priest welcomes everyone and we all make the sign of the cross, replying to the Priest’s greeting “The Lord be with you” with the phrase “And with thy spirit.”
After a short silence everyone joins in the Penitential Act of reciting our confession to God. During this prayer we strike our breast (touch our heart) when saying “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.” This action is done as a sign of mourning just as the crowd did at Jesus’ death on the cross. It is done as a symbol acknowledging our sinfulness. This is followed by the invocation, as we respond to the Priest as he says the words “Lord, have mercy;” “Christ, have mercy;” “Lord, have mercy.”
Except on Sundays of Advent, Ash Wednesday, and Sundays of Lent, we are then asked to join in singing or reciting the Gloria. This is our opportunity to worship by offering our praise, blessing, adoration, glorification, and thanks to God. Again for those that don’t want to sing, recite the words and follow along in the missal.
Following the Collect by the priest and our “Amen” in reply, we are ready to listen to the word of God through the readings offered for this Sunday’s Mass.