About the Mass Series Vol 2: Concluding Rite: Dismissal.

 ABOUT THE MASS SERIES VOL 2

The Mass: About the Mass Series Vol 2 Icon.

CONCLUDING RITE: DISMISSAL.

ABOUT THE MASS SERIES VOL 2

 

CONCLUDING RITE PART 3

‘DISMISSAL’.

 

The word Blessing has many meanings. In Scripture it is used to mean: (a) praise, (b) divine favour, (c) a prayer that God shall be with a certain person or thing, (d) the dedication of person or thing to a sacred purpose.

The priest’s greeting and blessing is important. By raising his hand and making the sign of the Cross, he calls down God’s help upon the congregation. The priest then dismisses the congregation with one of the invocations: 

 

1. ‘God in the peace of Christ’;

 2. The Mass is ended, go in peace;

 3. Go in the peace to love and serve the Lord.

 

The congregation respond ‘Thanks be to God’.

These are the 1969 invocations but comments about the new translation are written under the subheading.

 

From the fourth century, the dismissal statement was ‘Ite missa est’, since the word ‘Missa’ comes from ‘mittere’ which means to send. 

 

‘Ite missa est’ means simply ‘Go, this is the dismissal’. However, the dismissal formulae which are used today are inspired by the formula of Eastern Syria, and in doing so the East and Rome are united by it.

The priest venerates the altar one last time by kissing it as a sign of reverence to Christ, since on the altar His sacrifice on Calvary is made present to us.    The kiss of farewell at the end of the Mass mirrors the kiss whereby the altar is greeted at the beginning of Mass. Both are gestures venerating the altar as the symbol of Christ.  

 

Engraved in the marble altar are five crosses, which represent the five wounds of Christ.  In every altar, there are relics of saints placed in it. The farewell kiss looks back to the Eucharist, which has just concluded, and anticipates the next occasion when the congregation will assemble again.

We have heard God’s Word and have been nourished by eating Christ’s body.  Now it is the time for us to leave, to do good works, to praise and bless the Lord in our daily lives. We too then can throughout the week or until the next time we come to Mass say ‘thanks be to God’.

   

The dismissal in the concluding rite of the Mass underwent a notable change with the 2010 English translation of the Roman Missal compared to the 1969 version. The 1969 version, following the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, kept the dismissal simple and direct, typically using variations such as:

 

- "The Mass is ended, go in peace."

- "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord."

 

These phrases focused on concluding the liturgical celebration and sending the congregation forth to live out their Christian mission.

 

In the 2010 translation, more emphasis was placed on fidelity to the original Latin texts, resulting in some changes and additional options for dismissal. The current version offers four different formulas for the priest or deacon to use:

 

1. "Go forth, the Mass is ended."

2. "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord."

3. "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life."

4. "Go in peace."

 

These options highlight the missionary dimension of the Eucharist, urging the congregation not only to leave in peace but also to carry the message of the Gospel and to live out their faith actively. The second and third options, in particular, emphasize the call to evangelization and to live in a way that reflects the glory of God.

 

The 2010 translation aimed to align more closely with the meaning and intent of the original Latin, enriching the theological depth of the dismissal.

 

So after stopping and starting through the years from 2010 until now, I have now finished the About the Mass series vol 2.  I hope you have found it helpful in giving you a clearer understanding of the Mass and its significance along with the dramatic and subtle changes. 

I thought I would never get to the end.  However, like the dismissal, I can say Thanks be to God.

 UPCOMING NEW SERIES.

Next week, I intend to start another series.. probably around 20 posts called the Holy Spirit Series.  I wish to explore who is the Holy Spirit and why is the Holy Spirit so important for us as Catholics.  Along with this, we will delve into the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Holy Spirit and how these gifts and fruits are essential to our discipleship.  So stay tuned.  It will be once a week posting.