Author Archives: Father Joe

The Collect or Opening Prayer follows the Kyrie litany and the Gloria. Its origin and the authorship of the varying prayers are not always clear.  St. Justin Martyr (100 AD or so to 165 AD) gives an account of the … Continue reading →

The Gloria began its life as a “private psalm” or Greek metrical hymn composed in the early Church. It was modeled on the biblical psalms. The hymn is initiated with the angels announcing Christ’s birth to shepherds (Luke 2:14). Pope … Continue reading →

Going back in time, while the Church of Jerusalem logically offered the Eucharist and the prayers of the Church in Hebrew and Aramaic, the Church of the Diaspora Jews and the Gentile converts celebrated their liturgies in Greek.  When the … Continue reading →

While the priests who celebrate Mass in the early Church may have made a personal confession of sinfulness or reflected upon their spiritual standing prior to celebrating Mass, it would be many centuries before any such prayer is formalized for … Continue reading →

The priest begins the Mass with the sign of the cross and a liturgical greeting. While there may follow a Confiteor, Kyrie and Gloria; it is the Collect that is organically connected to the greeting. The Collect would have him … Continue reading →

If the given antiphon is not used, as in many Masses with music, then the substituted hymn accompanies the procession. Weekday Masses frequently have the Introit recited, either by the congregation as the priest approaches the altar or by the … Continue reading →

The Mass is divided between two essential parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  (Formerly, the first part of the Mass was labeled the Mass of Catechumens given that the early Church would allow inquirers to … Continue reading →

While the origins of the Mass clearly go back to the Last Supper of Christ, the development of the liturgy does not become clear until the time of the Gelasian Sacramentary.  Once ascribed to Pope Gelasius I (492-496 AD), it … Continue reading →

Is 58:7-10 / Ps 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 / 1 Cor 2:1-5 / Mt 5:13-16 Isaiah is the great prophet for the coming Messiah and so it should not surprise us that his admonitions about charity deeply reflect our Lord’s ministry … Continue reading →

COMMENT & QUESTIONS How are we to interpret Mark 16:18? “They will pick up snakes with their hands and when they drink deadly poison it will not hurt them.” Isn’t this promoting dangerous behavior? Should we take this figuratively? I’d … Continue reading →