Easy-to-read book (or website) on the Mass?

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PhilotheaZ

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I just met with a man who wants to come back to the Church (he was baptized Catholic as an infant, but never catechized at all, and he never attended church). He wants to receive instruction so he can receive the rest of the sacraments (instruction means RCIA in our parish; we don’t have the resources for a separate program for uncatechized Catholics). He basically knows NOTHING about the faith, except that he believes there is a God and he understands that Jesus is God (a good start!).

Our next RCIA group won’t begin for several months, but I don’t want to leave him hanging for that long, since he is eager to learn. He said he has begun to attend Mass occasionally, but understands NOTHING of what is going on. He’s basically just sitting there confused or blank.

Can any of you recommend an EASY TO READ, short booklet on the Mass, explaining what is happening at each point? As I watched him fill out an information form, I could tell that he struggles with reading, so anything complicated or very long or wordy would not work. On the other hand, I don’t want to insult him by giving him something that is clearly written for children.

A good, easy-to-follow website might work, too.

Thanks!
 
LOL exact same website I was going to post. I’m always referring back to Why Do Catholics Bounce on One Knee.
 
A source might be tapes or dvds?
Try catholicity.com
They have great free tapes/dvds.
 
These are the books I suggest, in order of simple/short to involved/long. They are resources for what will hopefully be my book… but in the meantime, resources I’m using for my blog on the liturgy (Critical Mass), in my signature below.
  • Dubruiel, Michael. A Pocket Guide to the Mass. Our Sunday Visitor, 2007.
  • Kocik, Rev. Thomas A. Loving and Living the Mass. Zaccheus Press, 2007.
  • Stravinskas, Rev. Peter M. J. The Bible and the Mass. Newman House Press, 2001.
  • Dubruiel, Michael. The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You. Our Sunday Visitor, 2007.
  • Lukefahr, CM, Rev. Oscar. We Worship: A Guide to the Catholic Mass. Liguori Publications, 2004.
The liturgy blog I’m working on is about providing catechesis on the liturgy from a variety of perspectives: the Mass as it relates to the mission of the Church (and how we should participate in the Mass to experience that reality) is my first perspective. Eventually, when this series is done, I’ll do one on the new Mass texts (comparing them with the old translation) and going over exactly what we’re supposed to say and do, and what those things mean.
 
For a short booklet, I would recommend this booklet I put together for a Mass held during my school’s “ecumenical week” to help educate the Protestants and Jews who would be attending.

It goes through the Mass from beginning to end in two column format, with brief explanations of all of the major events and prayers on the left, and a Scriptural citation of where they took that line or prayer from on the right (if anyone is not aware, most of the things spoken in the Mass are either direct or paraphrased quotations from the Scriptures).

There are also short insets explaining the overall theological concepts involved in certain aspects, as well as a Scriptural key to the Nicene Creed (although for a later edition which unfortunately is not accessible online I made a much better version, which is available as a stand-alone chart in the “Scripture” portion of soladeiverbum.com)

The booklet is here: soladeiverbum.com/handouts.shtml
 
Lazer,

Wow!! I am very impressed with your booklet. I thought I knew alot about the Mass, but I have learned quite a bit, and I’ve only read up to page 4 so far (I wanted to tell you how great it was before I forgot, because I can get distracted easily… :D). Thanks for all of your research and hard work!

God Bless!
Ericka
 
PhilotheaZ said:
I just met with a man who wants to come back to the Church (he was baptized Catholic as an infant, but never catechized at all, and he never attended church). He wants to receive instruction so he can receive the rest of the sacraments (instruction means RCIA in our parish; we don’t have the resources for a separate program for uncatechized Catholics). He basically knows NOTHING about the faith, except that he believes there is a God and he understands that Jesus is God (a good start!).

Our next RCIA group won’t begin for several months, but I don’t want to leave him hanging for that long, since he is eager to learn. He said he has begun to attend Mass occasionally, but understands NOTHING of what is going on. He’s basically just sitting there confused or blank.

Can any of you recommend an EASY TO READ, short booklet on the Mass, explaining what is happening at each point? As I watched him fill out an information form, I could tell that he struggles with reading, so anything complicated or very long or wordy would not work. On the other hand, I don’t want to insult him by giving him something that is clearly written for children.

A good, easy-to-follow website might work, too.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I do not know how to post an MS document onto the CAF; however, if you send me a PM I will send you the draft of a small book that I am working on regarding the Mass. It goes through everything, including the liturgical seasons. It was originally meant for children, but, when I rolled it out at a Cursillo ultreya, the teens liked it.
 
I found Scott Hahn’s book “The Lamb’s Supper” an easy read, giving excellent insights that I did not have before.
You can download the audio files of his narrative on the book at EWTN.
Scott Hahn also has an excellent video “The Fourth Cup”.
 
ericka1701 said:
Lazer,

Wow!! I am very impressed with your booklet. I thought I knew alot about the Mass, but I have learned quite a bit, and I’ve only read up to page 4 so far (I wanted to tell you how great it was before I forgot, because I can get distracted easily… :D). Thanks for all of your research and hard work!

God Bless!
Ericka
Click to expand...
I’ll second that…and everyone else too for all their hard work. I started reading this thread a few hours before attending Mass and the difference it made to me being able to understand the full meaning and nuances of what is actually happening and why were a revelation. I’ve never felt so much a part of Mass and/or the Church before.
Thankyou.
 
Lazerlike42 said:
For a short booklet, I would recommend this booklet I put together for a Mass held during my school’s “ecumenical week” to help educate the Protestants and Jews who would be attending.

It goes through the Mass from beginning to end in two column format, with brief explanations of all of the major events and prayers on the left, and a Scriptural citation of where they took that line or prayer from on the right (if anyone is not aware, most of the things spoken in the Mass are either direct or paraphrased quotations from the Scriptures).

There are also short insets explaining the overall theological concepts involved in certain aspects, as well as a Scriptural key to the Nicene Creed (although for a later edition which unfortunately is not accessible online I made a much better version, which is available as a stand-alone chart in the “Scripture” portion of soladeiverbum.com)

The booklet is here: soladeiverbum.com/handouts.shtml
Click to expand...
That booklet mentioned, The Mass: A Brief Explanation, is worth the download for scripture citations alone. I mean, finding scriptural grounds for liturgy is good fun. (The only thing that might be better is finding liturgical grounds for scripture. 😛 See, e.g., Letter and Spirit by Scott Hahn.)

Here’s one gem from the booklet that might be fun to mention casually to your Protestant friends:
Christ commanded the apostles to “do this in memory of me,” (Luk 22:19) using the word for memory ‘anamnesis,’ which meant “memorial sacrifice,” even though there were 9 non-sacrificial words for memory that could have been used. The word for “do,” ‘poiein,’ also had sacrificial meaning, and in fact was used 70 times in the Old Testament to read, “to offer.” A Greek speaker would have heard “This is my body given for you; offer this as a memorial sacrifice of me."
Click to expand...

ASD​

Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar
 
Lazerlike42 said:
For a short booklet, I would recommend this booklet I put together for a Mass held during my school’s “ecumenical week” to help educate the Protestants and Jews who would be attending.

It goes through the Mass from beginning to end in two column format, with brief explanations of all of the major events and prayers on the left, and a Scriptural citation of where they took that line or prayer from on the right (if anyone is not aware, most of the things spoken in the Mass are either direct or paraphrased quotations from the Scriptures).

There are also short insets explaining the overall theological concepts involved in certain aspects, as well as a Scriptural key to the Nicene Creed (although for a later edition which unfortunately is not accessible online I made a much better version, which is available as a stand-alone chart in the “Scripture” portion of soladeiverbum.com)

The booklet is here: soladeiverbum.com/handouts.shtml
Click to expand...
I love your booklet, Lazerlike42 !
 
This is an absolutely indispensible accompaniment for any rite of Mass. It is beautifully designed and very inexpensive (only $3 each). It explains the rubrics and the theological signifance of each one. Sections include and explain:

• What is the Mass?
• The Introit
• The Gloria
• The Epistle
• The Gospel
• Sermon
• The Creed
• Mass of the Faithful
• Offertory
• The Preface
• The Canon
• The Consecration
• The Our Father
• Holy Communion
• Final Blessing
• Prayers after Mass

http://www.wdtprs.com/image/08_04_29_Angelus_visitors03.jpg

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If the Mass in question is the Novus Ordo Mass, then I think Padua’s suggestion is going to prove confusing. If the Mass in question is a TLM, it’s a great suggestion.
 
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