One
The Structure Jesus Gave the Mass
The Mass has kept the same basic structure through the centuries, a structure that remains unchanged even today. It consists of two great parts that form one single act of worship: The first part is the Liturgy of the Word, which includes the gathering, the readings, the homily, and the prayers of the faithful. The Creed is the doorway to the second part, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and wine, the consecration, and Holy Communion.
The Catechism (1347) teaches that this is the very structure Jesus Himself gave us: first at the Last Supper, and again on the day of His Resurrection, when He celebrated the “second Mass” with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. As they walked, He opened the Scriptures to them. Then, seated at table, “He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.”
Two
Liturgy of the Word
After the Introductory Rites comes the Liturgy of the Word with the readings and the homily.
On Sundays and solemnities we have the First Reading, which is usually taken from the Old Testament. From Easter to Pentecost, it comes from the Acts of the Apostles. Then we pray the Responsorial Psalm. The Second Reading is taken from the New Testament Letters or from the Book of Revelation.
On weekdays the pattern is simpler: the First Reading is from the Old Testament, Acts, or a New Testament Letter, depending on the season. Then comes the Psalm, and finally the Gospel. We read most of the Bible over two years at daily Mass.
After each reading, the reader proclaims, “The Word of the Lord,” and we reply, “Thanks be to God.” In that moment we are saying, “Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me today through Your Word.”
Then comes the high point: the Gospel. The deacon or priest announces, “A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.” He makes a small cross over the Gospel, while we make a cross on our forehead, lips, and heart and respond, “Glory to you, O Lord.” This triple cross is a prayer, “May the Word of God be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart.”
Three
Fed from the Word of God
As we have said, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist form one act of worship. In the Mass, God feeds us from two tables: the table of his Word and the table of the Body of Christ.
It is easy to see how God feeds us in the Eucharist because we come forward to receive and eat the Bread of Life, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. But we can easily miss that God also wants to feed us through his Word in the readings.
The Prophet Ezekiel gives us a powerful image of being fed from the Word of God, God said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, stand up; I am going to speak to you.” As he said these words, the spirit came into me and made me stand up, and I heard him speaking to me… “You, son of man, listen to the words I say; do not be a rebel. Open your mouth and eat what I am about to give you.”
“I looked. A hand was there, stretching out to me and holding a scroll. He unrolled it in front of me; it was written on back and front…He said, “Son of man, eat what is given to you; eat this scroll, then go and speak to the House of Israel.” I opened my mouth; he gave me the scroll to eat and said, 'Son of man, feed and be satisfied by the scroll I am giving you'. I ate it, and it tasted sweet as honey.”
It is easy to let our minds wander during the readings and miss the food God is offering us. Yet Jesus reminds us, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4).
Four
God’s Word to Us
You may feel as though God never speaks to you. But the principal way God speaks to us is through the words of Sacred Scripture. God Himself is the author of Scripture. He inspired the human writers so that they wrote everything, and only those things, that He wanted. The Catechism tells us, “In the sacred books the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them” (CCC 104).
If we approach the Bible as nothing more than an old book written by men, we will miss the voice of our Father. But when we receive it as the living Word of God, addressed to us today, we begin to recognize his voice.
So when we come to the Liturgy of the Word, we need to do two simple things: Know that God is speaking to you and pay attention.
Five
Anamnesis
In the readings, not only is God speaking to us; He is making the events present. The Catechism tells us that, “In the Liturgy of the Word the Holy Spirit “recalls” to the assembly all that God has done for us. (1103) The very next paragraph (1104) says, “Christian liturgy not only recalls the events that saved us but actualizes them, makes them present…in each celebration there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that makes the unique mystery present.”
Think of one scene from the Gospel that moved you. “Oh, how I wish I could have been there,” you might think. When those events are read at Mass, the grace of the event is made present for you. Like the Leper being cleansed; the call of the Apostles; the forgiveness of the woman caught in adultery…The Holy Spirit makes the grace of those events present so that what took place then can take place in us.