Concluding Rites of the Mass
We have been reflecting on the how God spiritual feeds particular through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Mass. Throughout our walk through the Mass, we have discovered how God feeds spiritual and physically.
It is not about what we get from Mass. Reconciliation and Mass are not transactional events. It is all about what He gives us and what we receive from Him. The gift of the Word of God and the gift of His Jesus Christ, in the Eucharist.
Let us look at the Concluding rites of Mass. It is the shortest ritual within the Mass, but it sends us off on mission. It occurs immediately after the closing communion prayer.
Depending on the parish, announcements are appropriately placed after the communion prayer because it gives an insight to what we do next. We receive the Word of God and the Blessed Sacrament to strengthen us to go on mission.
Announcements give us a practical response to a gift we just received. It helps put our faith into action. The concluding rite points us to respond with faith. Our faith is meant to be lived out and not stuck in the church building.
We conclude with the formal greeting once again, Dominus vobiscum, The Lord be with you. The priest may give a simple blessing or give a solemn blessing done in three parts. The solemn blessing is always indicated by the priest or deacon who says, “Bow down for the blessing.” Followed by three intersessions. Whichever blessing is given, it always ends with the sign of the cross.
Just as we begin with the sign of the cross and invoking the Trinity, we end our prayer of the Mass with the same sign. This gesture reminds us of our relationship with the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is also a sign that we are guided by divine love and the sacrifice of the cross.
The priest or deacon will say, “Go forth, Mass is ended” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” This dismissal is not just a nice saying. It is a command! In these words, we are commanded to go out into world and carry the presence of God in us to all we meet. We bring Christ into our homes, to our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and to the passerby on the street.
I had priest friend tell me at his parish he noticed many of his parishioners leaving after communion and before the final blessing. After some months of this, he decided to teach his parishioners a lesson. At one Mass, he noticed some of parishioners leaving early and he instructed the altar servers to process out with them candles in hand. The servers followed them out to their car. Confused by this, the pastor said to his people “The light of Christ dwells in you, especially after receiving the Eucharist.” Hence the servers carrying out the candles, the light of Christ, out of the Church.
As disciples of Christ, we bear the light of Christ into the world. We are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ bringing renewal to the world with Christ’s peace. We receive God’s love so that we may share that with the world. We are spiritually feed by the Scriptures and the Eucharist so we may draw others be fed from source, God Himself!