Mass is the name used by several Christian churches for the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper. In this important ritual, the worshiping community gathers to give thanks and praise to God and to participate in the ongoing mystery of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This celebration is called the Mass by Roman Catholics, and by some Episcopal and Lutheran churches. The Eastern Orthodox service known as the Divine Liturgy is similar to the Mass. Other Christians celebrate it in similar rituals.
The Mass has two major parts. The first part is a service that includes readings from Scripture and a sermon. The second part is a Eucharistic rite of prayer focusing on a remembrance of the Last Supper, the basis of the sacrament of Holy Communion (see Communion ). Worshipers sing hymns and say prayers during the Mass.
The Eucharist was instituted by Jesus, who shared bread and wine with His disciples at the Last Supper. Most Christians believe that Jesus intended His words and actions during the Last Supper to be continued in a sacramental ritual. They base their belief upon accounts of the Last Supper in the Gospels and 1 Corinthians in the New Testament.
The word Mass comes from the Latin word mittere, meaning “to send.” People who had gathered to celebrate the Lord’s Supper or the “breaking of the bread” were then sent forth to practice what they had celebrated.
