Lesson 5: Public Worship of God
Note:  As a creature of God, you are bound to pray to Him, not only as an individual, but also as a member of society.  The chief form of public worship in the Catholic Church is the Mass, which is explained in this lesson.  A fuller explanation will be given in Lesson 23.

  1. What happens at Mass?

    2.     The priest changes bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and offers them to God the Father.

  2. Who said the first Mass?

    3.     Jesus Christ, right after the Last Supper on the night before He died, nearly 2,000 years ago.
    "And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke:  and gave to His disciples, and said:  Take ye, and eat.  This is My Body.  And taking the chalice, He gave thanks, and gave to them, saying:  Drink ye all of this.  For this is My Blood."   (Matthew 26:26-28)

  3. How could Jesus change bread and wine into His Body and Blood?

    4.     Because He is God.

  4. Did Jesus give this power to anyone?

    5.     Yes, to His twelve Apostles.
    "Do this for a commemoration of Me."    (Luke 22:19)

  5. Did Jesus want His Apostles to hand down this power to others?

    6.     Yes, because He wanted all men of all times to have the Holy Sacrifice and to eat His Body and drink His Blood.
    "Except you eateth the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you."    (John 6:54)

  6. How did the Apostles hand down this power?

    7.     By making other men priests and bishops.

  7. Who has this power today?

    8.     The priests and bishops of the Catholic Church.

  8. At what part of the Mass does the priest change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ?

    9.     At the Consecration, about the middle of Mass, when he says "This is My Body." "This is the chalice of My Blood..."

PRACTICAL POINTS

  1. The Mass is said in Latin because Latin is the official language of the Catholic Church and was the official and universal language in many parts of the world 2,000 years ago; also, because it is a language that does not change (it is not spoken anymore).  (Ed. note:  This way, no matter where you travel, the Mass will always be the same and you will recognize it and the language.)

  2. The clothes worn by the priest at Mass, called vestments, are a special priestly type of clothing that has a relationship to the vestments worn by the priests of the Old Testament.  These vestments are symbolic of the unchangeableness of the Church.

  3. One cannot lay down set rules about how to pray at Mass because the Mass may be followed word-for-word, as in the missal, or in spirit, according to what is going on in the various parts of the Mass, or by practicing one's private devotion.

  4. The difference between High Mass and Low Mass is that at High Mass the priest sings some of the Mass prayers; whereas, at Low Mass he does not sing.

  5. Catholics must attend Mass every Sunday and on the six Holy Days of Obligation.  To miss Mass on these days is a mortal sin.

  6. Other forms of public worship are Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Novenas and Lenten services.