What is the purpose of Mass?

[tristetrista]

The purpose of the Mass is to receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord either spiritually or in deed. All parts of the Mass (and actuality our entire lives) are intended to point to Christ and prepare ourselves to receive Him through the Eucharist.

Welcome to the feast of heaven and earth!

 

[tristetrista]

But then, why do we receive Christ? If that seems a little basic, well, sometimes I think we have to go there.

Luke 22:19-20
19Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PX5.HTM ]

Because He said so.

 

[tristetrista]

We “build the community” by inviting people to come to Sunday School and to RCIA.

and by living our faith in communion with our faith through out the day/week. ideally every moment of our life.

 

[ProVobis]

As Cardinal Arinze often repeats, Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Asking for what we need.

 

[Glacies]

St. Leonard of Port Maurice quotes St. Thomas Aquinas and answers that through Holy Mass we pay to God four infinite debts we owe Him: praise, satisfaction for sins, thanksgiving and supplication.

The Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas, teaches us what are the debts that we owe to God, and he says that they are four, and that each of them is infinite.
The first is to praise and honor the infinite majesty of God, which is eminently worthy of infinite honor and infinite praise.
The second is to make satisfaction for all the sins we have committed.
The third is to thank and bless God for all the benefits He has bestowed on us.
The fourth is to supplicate Him constantly, as the giver of all good gifts.

Let us be diligent in hearing Mass as often as possible, and with all possible devotion; and furthermore, let us endeavour to have as many Masses as possible celebrated for our intention. By this means, be our debts weighty as they may, and countless beyond numbering, there can be no doubt that we will be able to discharge them all completely and entirely by the treasure which is derivable from the holy Mass.

 

[otjm]

The purpose of Mass is to worship and give thanks and praise to God the Father, with and through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Praise, petition, thanksgiving, and reparation.

 

[HelenRose]

But then, why do we receive Christ? If that seems a little basic, well, sometimes I think we have to go there.

You might as well ask why do we eat food. We eat food to nourish our bodies and live.

We receive Christ in order to nourish our souls and to live in Christ.

 

[HelenRose]

It’s not that easy these days. No one can do anything involving children unless they go through VIRTUS training (3 hrs) which is held infrequently and usually not a short drive. I’m pretty sure this is why my Parish does not offer childcare for anything.

Any who, I don’t want to derail the thread. I’m still trying to fully understand the purpose of the Mass but it makes me terribly sad that I attend with all these people and don’t know any of them. I strongly believe that we are supposed to be a community, not just strangers who receive Jesus together and then go our separate ways.

It may help if you are able to find work in the church with a smaller group of people. Also, if you were to attend daily mass on the same day each week, it would be easier to learn who the people are and become known to them.

I am fortunate because I am a musician and it doesn’t matter where I live or what Church I attend I can be part of the music program and get to know people that way.

Everyone one has a least one talent to give to the Church which can lead to forming friendships with in the Church community.

 

[Genesis315]

Some posters in this thread have answered the question in the OP with “to receive Holy Communion,” but I think it’s good to distinguish between why we receive Holy Communion and what the purposes of the Mass are in general (although they are pretty intimately related). While receiving Holy Communion is ordinarily done within the Mass, the Eucharistic Sacrifice–what we call Mass in the Latin rite–has great purpose even when no one but the priest receives Communion.

The purposes for which the Sacrifice is offered are generally numbered as four as others have pointed out: adoration/praise, thanksgiving, propitiation/reparation for sin, petition/supplication.

Of course, the Mass also has other parts not directly related to the Sacrifice, such as the reading of Scripture and the homily, which exist to edify the faithful and of course glorify God.

 

[petronus]

THE MOST SACRED MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST

At the Last Supper, on the night when He was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity , a paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us .

The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration. They should be instructed by God’s word and be nourished at the table of the Lord’s body; they should give thanks to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the Mediator , they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all.

( From CONSTITUTION
ON THE SACRED LITURGY
SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM
SOLEMNLY PROMULGATED BY
HIS HOLINESS
POPE PAUL VI
ON DECEMBER 4, 1963 )

 

[smndtupidisaftr]

They do not offer childcare and I have three young children. They have an adult faith formation on one Sunday morning a month, for an hour before the 10am Mass but no childcare. They also have a women’s Bible study Tuesday mornings and do not offer childcare. I have asked if I can bring my 3 year old with me and was told no, that it’s not “child friendly”. I need catechesis badly and have had to give it to myself with books and the internet.

You may be better off with that given what passes for Bible study in many circles.