Mass Guide for Non-Catholics

Hello and welcome! This guide is meant as a way to show non-Catholics how the
Catholic Mass works. Mass can be very confusing and convoluted to non-Catholics (and is
sometimes even confusing for Catholics), and I hope that this guide will present an easy-to-
understand overview of the Mass. Lets get started!

Before we look at the different parts of the Mass, one very important question needs to be
answered:
Why is Mass so important to Catholics?
Mass is important to Catholics because, during the Mass, we remember Jesus sacrifice for
us and we partake in the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is the bread and wine that is
transformed during Mass into the Body and Blood of Christ. Be taking in the Body and
Blood, we invite Jesus into our hearts and are prepared to do Gods work. The Eucharist
is also a symbol of our communion with God.

Now that we know why Mass is so important, lets look at the different parts of the Mass:

Gathering
The people come into the church and take their seats. We come together as one family and
community in order to worship God and begin the Introductory Rites. We raise our voices up
and sing praise to God as the priest walks up to the altar. The priest greets us and we exchange
the Sign of the Cross.

Penitential Rite
We acknowledge that our sins affect our relationship with God and everyone in our lives. We
seek Christs healing power individually and as a community. During the Confiteor, we ask the
people of the heavenly community and our brothers and sisters to pray for us and us for them.
We confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.

Liturgy of the Word
We hear the proclamation of Gods great works through Scripture Readings and psalms.
Through the readings and psalms, we receive teaching, correction, and righteousness and are
guided in our faith and our relationship with God.

Universal Prayer/Prayer of the Faithful
We and the Church Community respond to the needs of humanity and ask God to help the people
in need of his love and grace.

Preparation of the Gifts
The Church collects donations in order to help the poor and underprivileged. Also, the gifts of
bread and wine are presented to the priest

Eucharistic Prayer
The priest prays that we may share in the fellowship of the Apostles, saint, and martyrs. Jesus
Christs sacrifice is proclaimed and we see the fullness of God. During the consecration, the
Holy Spirit transforms the gifts of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. This
transformation is known as transubstantiation. Also, Jesus sacrifice enters into our hearts and
the memorial of the Last Supper strengthens our faith.

The Communion Rite
We say the Lords Prayer and pray for our salvation and the coming of the Kingdom of God. We
also perform the Rite of Peace, where we extend hands to one another as a sign of communion.
Next, we ask the Lamb of God for mercy and peace, the priest proclaims how Christ brought life
to the world, and the priest prays that we always are faithful. Before receiving the Eucharist, we
acknowledge our unworthiness and ask for Gods forgiveness. We then receive the Eucharist
and welcome Christ into our hearts.

Final Blessing and Dismissal
The Concluding Rites and the Dismissal prepare us to live out our baptismal consecration in the
world. The Mass ends and we are sent out into our daily lives in order to continue Christs
mission.

Now, the Mass format above is the way that Mass would work most of the time. However, the
Mass changes throughout the year according to the liturgical calendar, which is the calendar of
the Church that is made up of a cycle of seasons. Depending on the season, certain parts of the
Mass may change. For example, during Lent, the season where we prepare for Jesus last days,
death, and resurrection during Holy Week, the Gloria and Alleluia are not sung during Mass. On
Good Friday, there are not any Masses in honor of the death of Jesus. So, although the template
above is the way Mass would work usually, there may be certain times where the Mass is
different.

Well, thats it! That is the Mass in a nutshell as clearly and as simply as I can make it. Although
there are many parts to the Mass, you should always remember that the Mass is really at its heart
about praising God, remembering Christs sacrifice, welcoming Christ into our hearts, and
preparing ourselves to live out Christs mission in the world.
Before I wrap up this guide, here are a few Dos and Do Nots for non-Catholics at Catholic
Masses:

Do:
1. Go to Mass! Everyone, even non-Catholics, is welcome to attend Mass!
2. Sing the hymns with the rest of the parishioners. Most churches have hymns books, so
you can sing even if you do not know the hymn
3. Shut off your cell phone. Mass is a time for God, and it would be very rude for your
phone to go off during Mass
4. Wear nice clothes. Mass is a respectful time for worship, and casual clothes like
sweatpants and a t-shirt are not appropriate
Dont:
1. Receive the Eucharist if you are not Catholic. This rule is not about Catholics trying to
be rude to non-Catholics. This rule is in place because receiving the Eucharist is a
powerful thing that should only happen when the person fully understands the power of
the Eucharist
2. Be late to Mass. Mass is about worshiping God, and you should be able to remember
what time Mass starts
3. Bring food or drink.
4. Wear a hat into a church. It is disrespectful