The Mass Explained: God Speaks His Word
God speaks to each one of us directly at every Mass, but most of us miss it. Today, Dr. Sri reminds us of the power of God’s Word spoken to us in the Liturgy of the Word and shows us how to receive God’s Word into our hearts in a personal and transformative way.
Snippet of the Show
"During the Liturgy of the Word, the God of the universe’s eternal Word travels through time and space to touch your life today."
The Gloria
The Gloria beautifully concludes the introductory rites of the Mass. The opening line of the hymn actually comes from Scripture itself, when the angels praised God on Christmas night when Jesus was born (Luke 2:14) When we sing this hymn, we echo the praise of the angels.
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Entering into the Liturgy of the Word
Do you struggle to focus on the readings at Mass? The Liturgy of the Word is a powerful part of Mass that many of us underestimate. God’s Word is not generic, it's personal. God spoke the ten commandments to the Israelites using the singular plural. God spoke personally to each Israelite on Mount Sinai. God knows what you are going through and what you need to hear, and he desires to touch your life with his Word at every Mass. Scripture is God’s eternal and divine Word, which he breathed through human writers in time. During the Liturgy of the Word, the God of the universe’s eternal word travels through time to touch our lives today. When God had His Word inspired, he was thinking of you.
Practical Tips:
1. Read the readings beforehand
2. Use the Mass readings for the daily prayer so you can meditate on them more deeply.
3. Show up to Mass early
4. Reading along with the readings at Mass
5. Listen to my episode How to Encounter God More in the Liturgy of the Word for more advice
Discover the Beauty and Riches of the Mass
After a decade of helping Catholics understand the Mass, A Bible Walk Through the Mass has been refilmed for a 10th anniversary edition!
Join this five-part program for an exciting tour of the Liturgy and its biblical roots. You will come to understand the profound significance of what we say and do at every Mass—and you will see its words and gestures in a new light, helping to deepen your participation in the Sacred Liturgy.
In this study, Catholics will…
- Learn the biblical background to the words, prayers, and gestures of the Liturgy and become more deeply enriched by its profound mystery
- Discover the relationship between the Mass and Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary
- Explore the three key aspects of the Mass as Sacrifice, Real Presence, and Holy Communion
- Gain helpful insights for getting the most out of every Mass
- And much more!
New features of this 10th anniversary edition of A Biblical Walk Through the Mass include:
- Video footage of a Mass celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia that is woven throughout the series
- A combined Leader’s Guide and Student Workbook that includes the study question responses
- New insights from Dr. Sri
Resources
- Visit Dr. Sri’s website at www.edwardsri.com and to book online events with Dr. Sri email events.edwardsri@gmail.com
- Find more of Dr. Sri’s episodes at ascensionpress.com/allthingscatholic
- Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings