Sacraments | Understanding the Mass
7 Seasons
Sessions 1-5: Utilize the series "Elements of the Catholic Mass," which is designed to help the faithful better appreciate the beauty of the Mass. Featuring Fr. Douglas Martis, former director of the Liturgical Institute, the program comprises 31 beautifully produced short videos. Sessions 5-7 use lessons from the Catechism and scripture to further explain the Mass.
-
03:09Episode 1The Meaning of Liturgy
Episode 1
In our series premier, we find out the definition of the word "liturgy." While it technically means the work of the people, there are two more aspects that help us understand why we even have the Mass in the first place.
-
03:32Episode 2Intelligent Worship
Episode 2
The Second Vatican Council, in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, called for "active participation" on the part of the Faithful. It also called for a participation that would be full and conscious. In this episode we learn the importance of worshiping intelligently.
-
03:18Episode 3The Role of the Parishioner
Episode 3
We Christians are here on earth as exiles. Many of us grow up in middle class Christianity. The danger with that is that we have everything we want and as a consequence we don't really long for heaven. In this episode we learn what the role of the parishioner is in the Catholic Mass.
-
02:25Episode 4The Church Building
Episode 4
In this episode, we dive into the meaning of the church building. The Catholic Church is a sacramental Church which means deeper realities are expressed in perceptible signs. The church building is not a neutral place; it is not simply a skin for liturgical action. It is a place where prayer happ...
-
01:59Episode 5Processions
Episode 5
A procession is an assembly on the move. It symbolizes, in every instance, our pilgrimage through this world to our true homeland; we are citizens of heaven. There is a difference between "gathering" and "assembly." A gathering can be any group. An assembly, on the other hand, is a group called t...
-
05:03Episode 6Signs and Symbols
Episode 6
The Catholic Mass is full of signs and symbols. Where do these signs come from? Where do they get their meaning? The Church teaches that the meaning comes from four categories: creation, human culture, the Old Testament and they are fully revealed in the mission of Christ narrated for us in the N...
-
03:42Episode 7Sacramental Signs
Episode 7
The Catholic Church teaches that a sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace. Or as the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it: The sacraments are efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. (n°. 1...
-
03:05Episode 8The Purpose of the Mass
Episode 8
In everything we do in life, it is essential to understand the goal or purpose, if we want to participate in a fruitful manner. In the Catholic Mass, the goal of our worship is quite clearly directed at the praise of God and the sanctification of the world. In fact, the Church puts these very wor...