For his homily at Sunday Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, our priest used a simple handout to describe the Mass. It consisted of two pyramids side by side. The first one was the Liturgy of the Word and the second, the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Going up the side of the "Liturgy of the Word is “We speak to God”. Going down the other side is “God speaks to us”. Going up the side on the second pyramid is "We offer to God (the Father). Going down the other side is “God (the Father) offers to us”. Connecting the two pyramids are the words “Creed” and General Intercessions.
This is a common diagram of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Perhaps, another poster has the thingamajig which can put her or his diagram into the computer, etc.
If not, I will go deeper into the explanation.
This is the promised explanation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
As said above, there are two pyramids side by side. The first one is the Liturgy of the Word and the second, the Liturgy of the Eucharist. A horizontal bridge of the Profession of Faith (creed) and the Prayer of the Faithful (general intercessions) connects them.
Going up left side of the first pyramid is the title “We speak to God”. This begins with all of us singing the entrance hymn. Next, being sinners, we confess to God that we have sinned and close with the repetition of Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord, have mercy. Then, trusting in God’s love for us, we sing or say “Gloria to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will …” The left side “We speak to God” ends with a short prayer of invocation to God known as the “Collect” with the emphasis on the first syllable.
Going down the right side of the first pyramid, is where God speaks to us. On Sundays, there are three Scripture readings, two from the Old Testament (with a Psalm between them) and one from the New Testament. Homilies will vary. Often the priest’s homily will include a reference to the Scripture readings. The priest’s homilies help us to follow Christ to eternal happiness in the presence of the Beatific Vision.
Crossing the “bridge” of the creed and general intercessions, we go up the left side of the second pyramid titled "We offer to God (the Father)”. First, there are the prayers for the preparation of the gifts of bread and wine which will soon become the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is the most solemn part of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We, too, must prepare our hearts.
In preparation for the Consecration of bread and wine, the priest prays the “Preface” followed by the “Eucharistic Prayer” whereby the simple gifts of bread and wine are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our gifts will retain the external looks, structure, taste of bread and wine. However, the substance will become the Body and Blood of Jesus. This change is known as Transubstantiation as taught in the Gospel of John, Chapter Six.
We hear the words of Jesus:
“Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is My Body, which will be given up for you.” and “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. Do this in memory of Me.”
Following this momentous event, there is a proclamation of the mystery of faith. The priest continues to pray. With love, we listen to the “Great 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.” We answer Amen.
It is now the time that “God (the Father) offers to us” which is the title of the right side of the second pyramid. Moving down the right side, we pray the “Our Father” which Jesus, True God and True Man gave to us. The priest continues to pray for “peace in our days, that, by the help of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” We answer: “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever.” The priest continues to pray and says to us: “The peace of the Lord be with you always.” We answer: “And with your spirit.” The priest prays quietly. We say or sing the “Agnus Dei” which is the prayer “Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.”
We are eager to receive the greatest gift of all, Jesus Himself. Yet, in honesty, we say “Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
When the reception of the Eucharist is completed, the priest purifies the paten over the chalice and also the chalice itself. He says quietly: “What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity.” He uses the word “we”.
As the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass concludes, the priest blesses us and sends us out to the world. There are different forms of this dismissal. One is
“Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”
? And that we are not cannibals 