It has three parts:

1-The priest says "The Lord be with you." We respond "And with your spirit" with outstretched hands.

2-The priest says "Lift up your hearts." We respond "We lift them up to the Lord" while raising their outstretched hands.

3-The priest says "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God." We respond "It is right and just."

1. Presentation of the Gifts & Preparation at the Altar

2. Prayer over the Offerings

3. Eucharistic Prayer (Preface, Holy x 3, First half of prayer including Consecration, Mystery of Faith, Second half of prayer ending in Doxology)

4. Communion Rite (The Lord's Prayer, Sign of Peace, Lamb of God, Invitation to Communion, Communion, Prayer after Communion)

The prayer taught to the disciples by Jesus; also known as the 'Our Father'.

"Save us, Savior of the World,

for by your Cross and Resurrection,

you have set us free."

Refers to receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. We come forward in a reverent procession, and make a preparatory act of reverence by bowing our heads in honor of Christ's presence in the Sacrament. This is the high point in the celebration of the Eucharist. The response to "The Body of Christ" is "Amen."

"When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,

we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again."

This begins with the Lord's Prayer and concludes with the Prayer after Communion.

"We proclaim your Death, O Lord, (repeat)

and profess your Resurrection until you come again."

After his private prayers of preparation the priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice says aloud, "Behold the Lamb of God..." The congregation answers with "Lord, I am not worthy..." which are the words of the centurion (Matthew 8: 8).

In silence, pray that the Eucharist will strengthen us to live as Jesus did. Then the priest says the prayer which begins with "Let us pray..." and we stand. We respond with "Amen" at the end of this prayer.

During the offertory song the bread and wine are brought in procession. The priest offers the prayers of blessing quietly at the altar. If the priest says the prayer aloud we respond both times with "Blessed be God forever."

The Church's greatest prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God that takes place during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. It begins with the Preface and ends with the Great Amen.

The priest completes additional personal preparatory rites and the people rise as he says, "Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters) that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father." Then, we respond with "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands..."

The celebrant recalls Christ's gift of peace from John 14:27. The priest says to all "The peace of the Lord be with you always." We respond, "And with your spirit" with outstretched hands. The celebrant or deacon then invites everyone to extend a sign of Christ's peace to each other.

Now Christ is truly present on the altar. The priest offers the sacrifice, the Body and Blood of Christ, to God the Father and calls down the Holy Spirit, joining each of us to the sacrifice and to each other. At the conclusion of the prayer the priest takes the chalice and the paten with the host and, raising both, he says "Through him, and with him, and in him..." We respond with the Great Amen.

The priest continues with the Eucharistic prayer which implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts offered by human hands become Christ's Body and Blood. The celebrant repeats the words of Christ at the Last Supper. Then, the priest genuflects because the bread and wine are now the Body and Blood of Christ.

The priest and people sing the acclamation of praise: "Hosanna in the highest" just as the people did when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem quoting Isaiah 6:3. The congregation then kneels. (Latin: Sanctus)

An Old Testament title for Jesus that has roots in the Passover celebration. Unblemished lambs were sacrificed for the Passover meal. Jesus gave up his life for the redemption of all humanity and became the sacrificial lamb of the New Testament. John the Baptist calls Jesus this in John 1:29. As we sing, the priest breaks the bread. (Latin: Agnus Dei)

The third part of the Mass. It is the source and summit of the whole Christian life. It is the vital center of all that the Church is and does, because at its heart is the Real Presence of the crucified, risen and glorified Lord, continuing and making his saving work among us.