the mass

The Mass, also called the Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion, is the principal act of worship on the Lord’s Day and other Major Feasts. This Sacrament is inextricably connected to Holy Baptism, which is why Baptism is the entrance into receiving Holy Communion. In the Mass, we participate in the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood. We hear God’s Word, and we respond to that Word by offering bread, wine, and our selves on God’s Altar. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, ordinary bread and wine become for us the Body and Blood of Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are changed, too.

We believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Although as Anglican Christians, we are reticent to define exactly how this happens, we believe that by God’s grace, Christ is made truly present on the Altar for us at each Mass. The way we treat the Bread and Wine after they are consecrated says what we believe about them. We either reverently consume the Bread and Wine, or we reserve the Sacrament for Communion of the Sick or adoration in the devotional service, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

The word “Mass” comes from the word meaning “sent.” At each Mass, we are sent into the world to proclaim the Good News and be disciples of Christ. Mission is intimately connected to our worship of God in the Mass and to our communion with God and one another effected in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

The Mass is healing, and so at each Mass, we are reconciled to God and one another. We pray for the world. We pray for ourselves. And we pray for the furtherance of God’s kingdom on this earth.