The Ordinary Form
Missa — Forma Ordinaria
The Mass of the Roman Rite as renewed after the Second Vatican Council — the same one Sacrifice of Christ, offered in the Church’s living tongue and her ancient Latin alike.
The Introductory Rites
The people gather, confess their sins, and are drawn together as one body before the throne of mercy.
The Entrance
[The faithful stand; the priest and ministers process to the altar as the Entrance Antiphon or hymn is sung.]
Antiphona ad introitum, quæ diei proprium est, cantatur dum sacerdos ad altare accedit.
The proper to the day is sung as the priest approaches and venerates the altar.
The Introit sets the theme of the feast; it changes with every Mass.
Greeting & Sign of the Cross
In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen. Grátia Dómini nostri Iesu Christi, et cáritas Dei, et communicátio Sancti Spíritus sit cum ómnibus vobis. Et cum spíritu tuo.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And with your spirit.
The Penitential Act
[All strike their breast at the words “through my fault.”]
Confíteor Deo omnipoténti et vobis, fratres, quia peccávi nimis cogitatióne, verbo, ópere et omissióne: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa.
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.
This is the , one of the permitted forms of the Penitential Act.
Lord, Have Mercy
Kýrie, eléison. Christe, eléison. Kýrie, eléison.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
The keeps its original Greek — the oldest tongue of the Roman liturgy.
Glory to God in the Highest
Glória in excélsis Deo et in terra pax homínibus bonæ voluntátis. Laudámus te, benedícimus te, adorámus te, glorificámus te, grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam glóriam tuam, Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis, Deus Pater omnípotens.
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.
The is sung on Sundays outside Advent and Lent, and on feasts and solemnities.
The Collect
Orémus. Deus, qui hódie per Unigénitum tuum æternitátis nobis áditum, devícta morte, reserásti, da nobis, quǽsumus, ut, qui resurrectiónis domínicæ sollémnia cólimus, per innovatiónem tui Spíritus in lúmine vitæ resurgámus. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum. Amen.
Let us pray. O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten Son, have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant, we pray, that we may rise up in the light of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The “collects” the prayers of all into one; its text is proper to the day.
The Liturgy of the Word
God speaks to his people. The Scriptures are proclaimed, the Gospel acclaimed, and the faith professed.
The First Reading
Léctio libri… Verbum Dómini. Deo grátias.
A reading from the prophet Isaiah… The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Usually from the Old Testament; in Eastertide, from the Acts of the Apostles. Proper to the day.
The Responsorial Psalm
Psalmus, cui pópulus responsórium intérserit.
A psalm is sung, the people answering with a recurring .
The Second Reading
Léctio Epístolæ… Verbum Dómini. Deo grátias.
A reading from the Apostle… The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
On Sundays and solemnities, drawn from the New Testament letters.
The Gospel Acclamation
Allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.
Alleluia, alleluia. (In Lent, a verse of praise replaces the .)
The Gospel
[All stand. The deacon signs the book and his forehead, lips, and breast.]
Dóminus vobíscum. Et cum spíritu tuo. Léctio sancti Evangélii secúndum Ioánnem. Glória tibi, Dómine. In princípio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum.
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. A reading from the holy according to John. Glory to you, O Lord. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Homily
Sacerdos verbum Dei frangit et fidélibus expónit.
The breaks open the word of God and applies it to the life of the faithful.
Preached by the priest or deacon; on Sundays and holy days it is obligatory.
The Profession of Faith
[All bow at the words “and by the Holy Spirit… and became man.”]
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipoténtem, factórem cæli et terræ, visibílium ómnium et invisibílium. Et in unum Dóminum Iesum Christum, Fílium Dei Unigénitum, et ex Patre natum ante ómnia sǽcula. Deum de Deo, lumen de lúmine, Deum verum de Deo vero.
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God.
The , confessed since the Councils of Nicæa (325) and Constantinople (381).
The Universal Prayer
Pro Ecclésia, pro mundo, pro afflíctis, pro loci communitáte orémus. Te rogámus, audi nos.
For the Church, for the world, for the afflicted, and for this gathering we pray. Lord, hear our prayer.
Also called the Prayer of the Faithful.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
Bread and wine are offered, and by the power of the Spirit and the words of Christ become his Body and Blood.
The Presentation of the Gifts
[The gifts of bread and wine are brought to the altar.]
Benedíctus es, Dómine, Deus univérsi, quia de tua largitáte accépimus panem, quem tibi offérimus. Benedíctus Deus in sǽcula.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you. Blessed be God for ever.
The presents the bread upon the and the wine in the chalice — the fruit of the earth and work of human hands, soon to be transformed.
Prayer over the Offerings
Oráte, fratres… Súscipiat Dóminus sacrifícium de mánibus tuis ad laudem et glóriam nóminis sui, ad utilitátem quoque nostram totiúsque Ecclésiæ suæ sanctæ.
Pray, brethren… May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.
The Preface & Sanctus
Sursum corda. Habémus ad Dóminum. Grátias agámus Dómino Deo nostro. Dignum et iustum est. … Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dóminus Deus Sábaoth. Pleni sunt cæli et terra glória tua. Hosánna in excélsis. Benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini. Hosánna in excélsis.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and just. … Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
With the the Church on earth joins the unending hymn of the angels.
The Epiclesis
[The priest extends his hands over the gifts.]
Hæc ergo dona, quǽsumus, Spíritus tui rore sanctífica, ut nobis Corpus et Sanguis fiant Dómini nostri Iesu Christi.
Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The calls down the Holy Spirit upon the gifts.
The Consecration
[Taking the bread, and again the chalice, the priest speaks the words of the Lord; he genuflects in adoration.]
Accípite et manducáte ex hoc omnes: hoc est enim Corpus meum, quod pro vobis tradétur. … Accípite et bíbite ex eo omnes: hic est enim calix Sánguinis mei novi et ætérni testaménti, qui pro vobis et pro multis effundétur in remissiónem peccatórum.
Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you. … Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
In the the bread and wine become, by , the Body and Blood of Christ — the .
The Mystery of Faith
Mortem tuam annuntiámus, Dómine, et tuam resurrectiónem confitémur, donec vénias.
We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
The of the people.
The Doxology & Great Amen
[The priest raises the Body and Blood of Christ.]
Per ipsum, et cum ipso, et in ipso, est tibi Deo Patri omnipoténti, in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, omnis honor et glória per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.
Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever. Amen.
The people’s seals the whole Eucharistic Prayer.
The Communion Rite
Prepared by the Lord’s own prayer and the sign of peace, the faithful receive the Bread of Life.
The Lord’s Prayer
Pater noster, qui es in cælis: sanctificétur nomen tuum; advéniat regnum tuum; fiat volúntas tua, sicut in cælo, et in terra. Panem nostrum cotidiánum da nobis hódie; et dimítte nobis débita nostra, sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris; et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem; sed líbera nos a malo.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
The is followed by the embolism, “Deliver us, Lord, we pray…”.
The Rite of Peace
[The faithful offer one another a sign of peace.]
Pax Dómini sit semper vobíscum. Et cum spíritu tuo. Offérte vobis pacem.
The peace of the Lord be with you always. And with your spirit. Let us offer each other the .
Lamb of God
[The priest breaks the consecrated Host — the Fraction.]
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi: miserére nobis. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi: miserére nobis. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi: dona nobis pacem.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
The accompanies the breaking of the Bread.
Holy Communion
[Before communicating, all say:]
Dómine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo, et sanábitur ánima mea. … Corpus Christi. Amen.
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. … The Body of Christ. Amen.
The words echo the Roman centurion of the Gospel.
Prayer after Communion
Orémus. … Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. Amen.
Let us pray. … Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Concluding Rites
Blessed and sent, the faithful go out to love and serve the Lord in the world.
Greeting & Blessing
Dóminus vobíscum. Et cum spíritu tuo. Benedícat vos omnípotens Deus, Pater, et Fílius, et Spíritus Sanctus. Amen.
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Dismissal
Ite, missa est. Deo grátias.
Go forth, the Mass is ended. Thanks be to God.
From — the sending — the Mass itself takes its name.
“Ite, missa est.” — Go forth, the Mass is ended.