 New Testament or Christian Greek word “Euangelion” or

Scriptures Good News.

 the inspired testimony about  The canonical Gospels were
Jesus Christ the Son of God and written in Koine Greek in the
the New Covenant (relationship) period 65—100 A.D.
he came to establish between  The are four Canonical
humanity and God. Luke 22:20 Gospels:
 The New Testament is centered 1. Matthew
in the Person of Jesus of 2. Mark
Nazareth, his life, death, 3. Luke
resurrection also known as 4. John
Paschal Mystery.  The Gospels are not arranged in
 The New Testament present to chronological order. Matthew for
us Jesus’ ministry and instance, was not the first Gospel
teachings, and the Church’s to be written nor is the first book
post-resurrection understanding from the New Testament to be
(theology) of who Jesus really written.
was.  Biblical Scholars believe the
 The New Testament is for Gospel of Mark was the first to
Christians the living word of God be written around the years 65-
as fully revealed in the person of 75 A.D. Mark seems to have
Christ and his preaching about been the source of
the Kingdom of God.  The four Marian dogmas
 The New Testament is divided 1. Mother of God
in four main sections: 2. Immaculate Conception
1. Gospels 3. Perpetual Virginity
2. Acts 4. Assumption
3. Letter or Epistles  Mother of God
4. Apocalyptic  Jesus is God, Mary is
 Gospel Jesus’ mother, thus Mary is
 The word Gospel comes from the the Mother of God.
  This dogma was first Conception dates to the early
defined at the Council of centuries of the Church, but was
Ephesus in A.D. not defined until 1854.
 Mary gave birth to the  In her apparitions to St.
person of Jesus. Jesus is a Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858,
divine person with two the Mother of God referred to
natures – divine and herself by saying, “I am the
human. What is the Immaculate Conception.
difference between person  Perpetual Virginity
and nature?  Mary remained a virgin all
 Mary did not give Jesus His her life; before the
divinity. He always was pregnancy, during
God, is God now, and childbirth, and until she
always will be God. He did departed. The above-
take his humanity from mentioned prophecy refers
Mary. Because He fully to St. Mary directly and
possesses the divine nature literally. It accurately
and the human nature, describes her state as
Jesus is true God and true being virgin and betrothed
man. at the same time. For the
 Immaculate Conception Hebrew term used for
 “The most Blessed Virgin Mary “virgin” is “almah” and not
was, from the first moment of her “betulah” nor “issa”. The
conception, by a singular grace word almah means a virgin
and privilege of almighty God and maiden who may be
by virtue of the merits of Jesus betrothed, while betulah
Christ, Savior of the human race, means a virgin who is not
preserved immune from all stain betrothed and finally the
of original sin.” -Pope Pius IX, word issa means a
Ineffabilis Deus, 1854 married lady.
 Belief in the Immaculate 
  Assumption of the Blessed love and be united with him in
Virgin Mary Holy →COMMUNION. In this way
 The Immaculate Virgin, we are joined with the one Body
preserved free from all of Christ, the →CHURCH.
stain of original sin, when  After Baptism and
the course of her earthly →CONFIRMATION, the
life was finished, was Eucharist is the third sacrament
taken up body and soul of initiation of the Catholic
into heavenly glory, and Church. The Eucharist is the
exalted by the Lord as mysterious center of all these
Queen over all things, so sacraments, because the historic
that she might be the more sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is
fully conformed to her Son, made present during the words of
the Lord of lords, and consecration in a
conqueror of sin and hidden, unbloody manner. Thus
death.” - Pope Pius XII, the celebration of the Eucharist is
Munificentissimus Deus, “the source and summit of the
1950. Christian life” (Second Vatican
 Mary’s Assumption is a Council, Lumen gentium [LG],
result of her perfect 11). Everything aims at this;
obedience and besides this there is nothing
cooperation with her Son. greater that one could attain.
Eucharist: Source and Summit of Our When we eat the broken Bread,
Life in Christ we unite ourselves with the love
of Jesus, who gave his body for
What is Holy Eucharist?
us on the wood of the Cross;
 Holy Eucharist is the when we drink from the chalice,
→SACRAMENT in which Jesus we unite ourselves with him who
Christ gives his Body and Blood even poured out his blood out of
—himself—for us, so that we too love for us. We did not invent this
might give ourselves to him in ritual. Jesus himself celebrated
 the Last Supper with his disciples Christ is consumed, the mind is
and therein anticipated his death; filled with grace, and a pledge of
he gave himself to his disciples future glory is given to us.
under the signs of bread and The institution of the Eucharist
wine and commanded them from
 In summary, this passage
then on, even after his death, to
highlights the profound
celebrate the →EUCHARIST.
significance of the Last Supper,
When did Christ institute the
where Jesus instituted the
Eucharist?
Eucharist. He did this during the
 Christ instituted the Holy Passover meal, giving it new
→EUCHARIST on the evening meaning by symbolizing his Body
before his death, “on the night and Blood. He instructed his
when he was betrayed” apostles to continue this practice
(1 Cor 11:23), when he gathered in memory of him, thereby
the →APOSTLES around him in making them priests of the New
the Upper Room in Jerusalem Testament. This act anticipates
and celebrated the Last Supper his death and Resurrection,
with them. representing a new Passover,
 “At the Last Supper, on the night and is celebrated in the
he was betrayed, our Savior Eucharist, connecting it to the
instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice final Passover of the Church in
of his Body and Blood. This he the future kingdom.
did in order to perpetuate the How did Christ institute the
sacrifice of the cross throughout Eucharist?
the ages until he should come
 “For I received from the Lord
again, and so to entrust to his
what I also delivered to you, that
beloved Spouse, the Church, a
the Lord Jesus on the night when
memorial of his death and
he was betrayed took bread, and
resurrection: a sacrament of love,
when he had given thanks, he
a sign of unity, a bond of charity,
broke it, and said, ‘This is my
a Paschal banquet 'in which
 body, which is for you. Do this in Mass, and the Sacrifice of the
remembrance of me.’ In the same Mass—the Lord’s Supper—the
way also the chalice, after Breaking of Bread—the
supper, saying, ‘This chalice is Eucharistic assembly—the
the new covenant in my blood. memorial of the Lord’s Passion,
Do this, as often as you drink it, death, and Resurrection—the
in remembrance of me’ ” (1 Cor. Holy and Divine Liturgy, the
11:23-25). Sacred Mysteries—Holy
 This, the oldest account of the →COMMUNION.
events in the Upper Room at the  The →CHURCH and the faithful,
Last Supper, is by the through their self-offering, unite
→APOSTLE Paul, who was not themselves with Christ’s sacrifice.
an eyewitness himself, but rather The word Mass comes from the
wrote down what was being Latin dismissal, Ite, missa est,
preserved as a holy mystery by “Go now, you are sent.”
the young Christian community  The Lord’s Supper: Every
and was being celebrated in the celebration of the Eucharist is still
liturgy. the one supper that Christ
How important is the Eucharist for celebrated with his disciples and,
the Church? at the same time, the anticipation
of the banquet that the Lord will
 The celebration of the
celebrate with the redeemed at
→EUCHARIST is the heart of the
the end of time. We men do not
Christian communion. In it the
make the worship service; the
→CHURCH becomes Church.
Lord is the one who calls us to
What names are therefore Jesus
worship God and is mysteriously
‘body and blood with us, and what do
present in the liturgy.
they mean?
 The breaking of bread: “The
 The different names indicate the breaking of bread” was an old
unfathomable richness of this Jewish ritual at meals, which
mystery: the Holy Sacrifice, Holy Jesus employed at the Last
 Supper to express his gift of self Sacrament.
“for us” (Rom 8:32). In the  Holy Communion: Because we
“breaking of bread” the disciples unite ourselves with Christ at
recognized him again after the Holy Mass, and through him are
Resurrection. The early Church united with one another, we
called their liturgical feasts “the speak about Holy Communion
breaking of bread”. (communio = fellowship).
 Eucharistic assembly: The What is This Sacrament Called?
celebration of the Lord’s Supper
 The inexhaustible richness of this
is also an assembly of
sacrament is expressed in the
“thanksgiving”, in which the
different names we give it. Each
→CHURCH finds her visible
name evokes certain aspects of
expression.
it. It is called: Eucharist, because
 Memorial of the Lord’s Passion,
it is an action of thanksgiving to
death, and Resurrection: In the
God. The Greek words
celebration of the Eucharist, the
Eucharistein [and eulogein recall
congregation does not
the Jewish blessings that
celebrate itself; rather it discovers
proclaim - especially during a
and celebrates again and again
meal - God's works: creation,
the presence of Christ’s saving
redemption, and sanctification.
passage through suffering and
What elements are essential to a Holy
death to life.
Mass?
 Holy and Divine Liturgy, Sacred
Mysteries: In the celebration of  Every Holy Mass (celebration of
the Eucharist, the Church in the Eucharist) unfolds in two
heaven and on earth unites in main parts, the Liturgy of the
one feast. Because the Word and the Liturgy of the
Eucharistic Gifts in which Christ Eucharist.
is present are, so to speak, the How is the Mass structured?
holiest thing in the world, we also
 Holy Mass begins with the
speak about the Most Blessed
gathering of the faithful and the
entrance of the priest and the Eucharistic Prayer, which is
others who serve in the sanctuary introduced by the Preface and
(altar servers, lectors, cantors, the →SANCTUS. Now the gifts of
and so on). After the greeting bread and wine are transformed
comes the Penitential Rite, which into the Body and Blood of Christ.
concludes with the →KYRIE. On The Eucharistic Prayer
Sundays (outside of Advent and concludes, finally, in the
Lent) and feast days, the →DOXOLOGY, which makes the
→GLORIA is then sung or transition to the Lord’s Prayer.
recited. The prayer of the day Then comes the prayer for
introduces one or two readings peace, the →AGNUS DEI, the
from the →OLD and →NEW breaking of the bread, and the
TESTAMENT, followed by the distribution of the holy Gifts to the
responsorial psalm. Before the faithful, which often is done only
Gospel is read, there under the form of the Body of
is an →ALLELUIA, or Christ. Holy Mass ends with
acclamation. After the meditation, thanksgiving, a
proclamation of the Gospel on concluding prayer, and a blessing
Sundays and feast days, the by the priest.
→PRIEST or →DEACON gives a The movement of the celebration
→HOMILY at least on Sundays
 All gather together. Christians
and feast days. Then, again only
come together in one place for
on Sundays and feast days, the
the Eucharistic assembly.
congregation professes its
 The Liturgy of the Word includes
common faith in the →CREED,
“the writings of the prophets,” that
followed by the intercessions.
is, the Old Testament, and “the
The second part of Holy Mass
memoirs of the apostles” (their
begins with the preparation of the
letters and the Gospels).
gifts, which concludes with the
 The presentation of the offerings
Offertory prayer. The high point of
(the Offertory). Then, sometimes
the Eucharistic celebration is the
in procession, the bread and wine
 are brought to the altar; they will with the pastors of the Church, the
be offered by the priest in the Pope, the diocesan bishop, his
name of Christ in the Eucharistic presbyterium and his deacons, and all
sacrifice in which they will the bishops of the whole world together
become his body and blood. with their Churches.
 The anaphora: with the
 In the communion, preceded by
Eucharistic Prayer - the prayer of
the Lord's Prayer and the
thanksgiving and consecration -
breaking of the bread, the faithful
we come to the heart and summit
receive “the bread of heaven”
of the celebration:
and “the cup of salvation,” the
 In the epiclesis, the Church asks
body and blood of Christ who
the Father to send his Holy Spirit
offered himself “for the life of the
(or the power of his blessing on
world”:
the bread and wine, so that by his
Sacrament
power they may become the
 Mystery is the term St. Paul used
body and blood of Jesus Christ
when he referred to God’s hidden
and so that those who take part plan of always wanting to save,
in the Eucharist may be one body renew, and unite all things in Christ.
and one spirit (some liturgical  Sacrament is from the Greek
word, “mysterion” ( mystery) that
traditions put the epiclesis after
means “sacramentum” when
the anamnesis). translated into the Latin bible that
In the anamnesis that follows, the means ‘something hidden or secret’

Church calls to mind the Passion,  St. Thomas Aquinas define that
sacrament was an efficacious
resurrection, and glorious return of
symbol. A sacrament though, is a
Christ Jesus; she presents to the Father special sign that brings about what it
the offering of his Son which reconciles symbolizes and symbolizes what it
brings about.
us with him. In the intercessions, the
 Sacraments are efficacious sign of
Church indicates that the Eucharist is
grace, originating in Christ and
celebrated in communion with the whole confided to his Church, by which the
Church in heaven and on earth, the divine life of grace is instilled or
deepened within us.
living and the dead, and in communion
1. ‘A Sensible Sign’  The effect of the sacraments is two-
fold:
The seven sacraments are the signs
and instruments by which the Holy Spirit
spreads the grace of Christ the head
[Link] draw us into a closer relationship to
throughout the Church which is his
the church.
Body. The Church, then, both contains
and communicates the invisible grace [Link] draw us into a closer relationship to
she signifies. It is in this analogical Christ himself, in the Spirit and to the
sense, that the Church is called a Father
"sacrament."

Sacraments, particularly, depend on

signs and symbols which signify a Divisions of the 7 Sacraments
sacred reality.

2. ‘Instituted by Christ’ [Link] Sacraments of Initiation

 If we understand Christ as the first (Baptism, Confirmation & Eucharist)
and most important sacrament, then
we recognize that the sacraments [Link] Sacraments of Healing
are always actions of Christ. They
are rooted in experiences in the (Reconciliation & Anointing of the
New Testament where Christ uses Sick)
specific symbolic actions (words,
[Link] Sacraments of Service
gestures, signs) as visible signs of
the life he brings. (Holy Orders & Matrimony)
 Jesus in his humanity is the
sacrament of God’s saving love for
all; the Church is the sacrament of Jesus as the first & most important
Jesus, and the seven ritual sacrament.
sacraments are the sacraments of
the church.
3. ‘To give grace’  Jesus was baptized with water in the
Jordan and the Holy Spirit
 The church has always taught that
descended upon him. Mk 1:9-10
the sacraments give grace ‘ex opere
operato’. This means that any lack ●Jesus' first miracle was to turn water
of holiness or the part of the minister into wine. Jn 2:1-11
does not prevent grace from being
offered.
●Jesus multiplied bread and fish to feed • To sanctify men and women,
the crowd. Mk 6:41-44
•To build up the Body of Christ, and
●Jesus touched people to heal them.
Mk 6:41-44 •To give worship to God.

●Jesus used his spittle to cure a blind Sacrament for short is “a saving
man. Mk 8:23 symbolic act or a visible sign, arising
from the ministry of Christ and continued
●Jesus breathed on his apostles to give in, by and for the Church, which when
them the Holy Spirit. Jn 20:22 received in faith, fashions us into
likeness to Christ in his Paschal
●Jesus gave his apostles his own body Mystery, through the power of the Holy
and blood in the form of bread and wine. Spirit.
Mk 14:22-23
Sacramentals
The sacraments are always actions of
Christ because they make Christ Sacramentals are sacred signs
present, in his dying and rising. They instituted by the Church. They prepare
are always actions of Christ because men to receive the fruit of the
they are celebrated by the body of sacraments and sanctify different
Christ, the Church. circumstances of life.

What does the sacrament do? "Holy Mother Church” has, moreover,
instituted sacramentals.
[Link] celebrate the Paschal Mystery.
Each sacrament recalls the saving These are sacred signs which bear a
deeds of Jesus. In this way sacraments resemblance to the sacraments. They
keep us in touch with our Christian signify effects, particularly of a spiritual
heritage. nature, which are obtained through the
intercession of the Church. By them
[Link] demonstrate in the present that men are disposed to receive the chief
Jesus Christ lives. The sacraments effect of the sacraments, and various
bring about an actual meeting with occasions in life are rendered holy."
Jesus through signs.
Examples
[Link] prefigures our glorious future with
Christ a the end of time. This point to Ashes
this day in the future and because of the
power of Jesus and Spirit they help •Candles
accomplish the union •Incents
Purpose of the sacraments: •Sign of the Cross
•Veil betrayed took bread, and when he had
given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This
•Wedding Rings is my body, which is for you. Do this in
•Church Bells remembrance of me.’ In the same way
also the chalice, after supper, saying,
•Altar ‘This chalice is the new covenant in my
blood. Do this, as often as you drink it,
•Rosary
in remembrance of me’ ” (1 Cor. 11:23-
•Processions 25).

•Holy Water What is transubstantiation?

•Holy Bible The term describes how the substance

of the bread and wine changes into the
The Eucharist substance of the body and blood of
Jesus
What is Holy Eucharist?
What does it mean to say that the
Holy Eucharist is the
Eucharist is Jesus but the accidents
SACRAMENT in which Jesus Christ
of bread and wine remain?
gives his Body and Blood himself for us,
so that we too might give ourselves to The bread and wine are no longer there;
him in love and be united with him in the Eucharist is entirely Jesus, but it
Holy COMMUNION. In this way we are retains the appearance of bread and
joined with the one Body of Christ, the wine
CHURCH.
Does the Eucharist contain all the
When did Christ institute the dimensions and parts of Jesus'
Eucharist? body?
Christ instituted the Holy Yes, even the smallest particle of the
EUCHARIST on the evening before his Eucharist contains the entire Jesus
death, “on the night when he was
betrayed” (1 Cor 11:23), when he How important is the Eucharist for
gathered the APOSTLES around him in the Church?
the Upper Room in Jerusalem and
The celebration of the
celebrated the Last Supper with them.
EUCHARIST is the heart of the
How did Christ institute the Christian communion. In it the CHURCH
Eucharist? becomes Church.

“For I received from the Lord What is the right way to honor the
what I also delivered to you, that the Lord present in the bread and wine?
Lord Jesus on the night when he was
 Because God is truly present in 14:18). The harvest of new lambs
the consecrated species of bread and was also a time for the sacrifice of a
wine, we must preserve the sacred gifts lamb to show gratitude to God for
with the greatest reverence and worship the new flock and its contribution to
our Lord and Redeemer in the Most the wellbeing of the family and
Blessed Sacrament. tribe.”
 These ancient rituals were given a
The Church’s Teaching and Lived
historical meaning when God
Tradition
delivered the Israelites from the
The real presence slavery of Egypt. They celebrated
their Passover from slavery to
•Teachings: The Church teaches that freedom with a Passover meal
Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last which always involved a young lamb
Supper. Catholics believe that Jesus is usually called a Paschal lamb. (See
really present under the appearance of Ex 12:1-14 for a detailed account of
bread and wine; after the Consecration the Passover Meal.) At the time of
this belief is called the ‘real presence’. their deliverance or Passover from
Egypt, God commanded the
Receiving the Eucharist, they believe
Israelites to celebrate each year
that they are taking into themselves the
their freedom with a Passover Meal.
actual body and blood of Christ.
During the meal, the father of the
•Practices surrounding the Eucharist family told the story of his
have changed throughout the history of people’sdeliverance by God. As they
celebrated a historicalevent, it had a
the Church, becoming more, or less,
new dimension. They believed that
complicated at different times. Emphasis
the God who delivered their
on different aspects of the liturgy
ancestors continued to deliver them
changed as models of Church changed year after year (Deut 26:5-11).
Biblical Roots  During their celebration of the
Passover Meal, each Israelite family
 “The use of bread and wine in
shared the lamb that had been slain
worship is already found in the early
or sacrificed and the bread over
history of God’s people. In the Old
which a blessing had been
Testament, bread and wine are
proclaimed. They also drank from a
seen as gifts from God, to whom
cup of wine over which a similar
praise and thanks are given in return
blessing had been proclaimed.
for these blessings and for other
manifestations of his care and  “Do this in memory of me.” Towards
grace. The story of the priest the end of his Last Supper with his
Melchizedek’s offering a sacrifice of apostles, Jesus said: “Do this in
bread and wine for Abraham’s memory of me,” thereby
victory is an example of this (Gn commanding them and their
 successors to repeat his actions and broken "and about “blood that
words, his Eucharistic celebration, poured out” for the forgiveness of
“until he comes.” From the earliest sins. For Jesus, the reality of what
times, the Church has remained was to happen the next day on
faithful to the Lord’s Command a Calvary was a part of the meal that
practice that has continued for 2,000 he was celebrating with his
years. Apostles. They were participating in
a sacrificial meal, a meal that was
 The Eucharist as a Sacrificial Meal
clearly linked and made present in
Catholics speak of the Eucharist as
the sacrifice that Jesus was to make
both a meal and a sacrifice, or as a
the next day on Calvary. When the
sacrificial meal.
early Christians gathered to
 The meal aspect of the Eucharist celebrate the Eucharist, they were
points to its communal dimension. aware that Jesus, the slain Lamb of
We gather together as a community God (Rev. 5:12), and also their risen
of disciples and not as isolated brother, was in their midst.
individuals. Together we sing, pray,
 When Catholics state that the Mass
listen to God speak to us, and
is a sacrifice, we are not saying that
together we come forth to receive
Jesus is being sacrificed again and
the Body and Blood of Christ. In the
again. Rather we are saying that
Mass, we participate in a sacred
Christ’s sacrifice is being re-
banquet with Christ our Savior.
presented (made present),
 The Eucharist is also seen by our prolonged, or continued in time in a
Church as a covenant meal. Just as way that we will never fully
the Passover meal celebrated comprehend. There are millions of
Israel’s covenant agreement with masses but only one single sacrifice
God, so does our participation in of Christ. The Catechism states:
the Eucharist celebrate our “The sacrifice of Christ and the
covenant agreement with Jesus. In sacrifice of the Eucharist are the one
and through the Eucharist, we single sacrifice.” It is the same victim
renew and rededicate ourselves to (Christ), the same priest (Christ now
Christ and we receive the divine works through the ministry of the
strength to be faithful to our priest). In the Mass, the same Christ
covenant with him who offered himself once in a bloody
manner on the altar of the cross is
The Eucharist as a Sacrifice contained and offered in an
 Catholics believe that the Mass is a unbloody manner
sacrificial meal. As we examine the The Real Presence of Christ in the
words of institution or consecration Eucharist
recited at each Mass, we clearly
notice their sacrificial language.  At Mass, Christ, by the power of the
They speak about “a body that was Holy Spirit, is present in the
 proclamation of the Word, in the Spirit come upon these gifts to make
gathered assembly, in the presider, them holy so that they may become
but above all and in a wholly unique the body and blood of our Lord
manner, in the Eucharist. The Jesus Christ.” The bread and wine
presence of Christ in the bread and remain changed until consumed.
wine is called ‘real,’ not to exclude
Grace Effects of Receiving Christ in
other types of presence that are also
‘real,’ but to emphasize that the the Eucharist
presence of Christ in the bread and  (The Catechism lists several effects
wine is a presence in the fullest or spiritual benefits that come to us
sense; it is a substantial presence when we participate in the
 In the sacred species of bread and Eucharist.
wine, Christ comes to us in the Four of these are:
fullest possible expression and
communication of his love. “Since [Link] Communion deepens our
the Middle Ages, the change of relationship with Christ (C 1391).
bread and wine into the Body and
Blood of Christ has been called [Link] Communion separates us from
“transubstantiation.” This means that sin and helps us to do battle with the
the substance of the bread and wine forces of evil (C 1393).
is changed into the substance of the
Body and Blood of Christ. The [Link] Communion deepens our
appearances of bread and wine relationship with our Church family (C
remain (color, shape, weight, 1396).
chemical composition), but the
[Link] Communion commits us to caring
underlying reality that is, the
substance is now the Body and for the poor (C 1397).
Blood of Christ” Five Behaviors that Help Us to be
 What looks like and tastes like bread Active Participants at Mass
and wine is now filled or taken over
with the presence of our divine The Constitution on the Liturgy states
Savior. An early Father of the that “full and active participation by all
Church, St. John Damascene, the people is the aim to be considered
writes: “If anyone wishes to know above all else” . It also states that
how the bread is changed into the “Pastors of souls must realize… that it is
body of Christ at Mass, I will tell him. their duty to ensure that the faithful take
The Holy Spirit overshadows the part in the Mass knowingly, actively and
priest and acts on him as he acted fruitfully”. The following are five
on the Blessed Virgin Mary, when behaviors to develop for all who wish to
the angel Gabriel visited her.” be active participants in the Mass.
During the Eucharist Prayer of the
Mass, the priest prays: “Let your
Behavior #1 Hospitality •Giving of ourselves to the songs and
prayers of the Mass
Everyone enjoys coming to a place
where there is a spirit of welcome and •Giving of our financial resources to the
hospitality. A spirit of hospitality does Church during the collection
not mean a lot of chatter before Mass.
Rather, it calls for an attitude that says •Bringing food for the poor if your parish
to those around us: “I am glad to see has such a project
you.” A simple “good morning” or a Behavior #5―Spirit of Thanksgiving.
smile communicates a spirit of
hospitality. We help the presence of At each Mass we participate in, we
Christ in the assembly to come alive come primarily to give of ourselves and
when we are hospitable to those around not to receive. Though of course, in
us at Mass. ourgiving, we will receive. When we
come to Mass with a “what’s in it for me”
Behavior #2 Participating in the Sung attitude, we are bringing a consumerist
Prayer of the Church. mentality into the house of God.
An important part of active participation
in the Mass is joining in the “sung
prayer.” Ideally, at Mass we don’t just
sing the songs, but we pray the songs.
We do this by paying attention to the
text of the song and making an effort to
lift our minds and hearts to God during
our singing

Behavior #3―Active Listening.

During the proclamation of the readings

and the homily, we are especially called
to listen attentively. This demands a real
effort on our part. It is so easy to allow
our minds to be distracted.

Behavior #4―Spirit of Generosity.

The following are four ways that we can

allow a spirit of generosity to impact the
way we participate in the Eucharist.

•Getting to Church on time and

remaining until the end of the final song