Meaning of the Ceremonies at Mass : Rev. Leonard Goffine

1. The Priest Goes to the altar – Christ Goes to Mount Olivet.
2 The Priest Commences Mass -Christ Begins to pray.
3 The Priest Says Confiteor – Christ Falls down and sweats blood.
4 The Priest Goes up and kisses the altar – Christ Is betrayed by Judas with a kiss.
5 The Priest Goes to the Epistle side – Christ Is captured, bound, and taken to Annas
6 The Priest Reads the Introit – Christ Is falsely accused by Annas and blasphemed.
7 The Priest Goes to the middle of the altar and says the Kyrie eleison – Christ Is brought to Caiphas and there three times denied by Peter.
8 The Priest Says the Dominus vobiscum – Christ Looks at Peter and converts him.
9 The Priest Reads the Epistle – Christ Is brought to Pilate.
10 The Priest Says the Munda cor meum at the middle of the altar – Christ Is taken to Herod and mocked.
11 The Priest Reads the Gospel – Christ Is taken back to Pilate and again mocked.
12 The Priest Uncovers the chalice – Christ Is shamefully exposed.
13 The Priest Offers bread and wine – Christ Is cruelly scourged.
14 The PriestCovers the chalice – Christ Is crowned with thorns.
15 The Priest Washes his hands – Christ Is declared innocent by Pilate.
16 The Priest Says the Orate Fratres – Christ Is shown by Pilate to the people with the words, Ecce Homo.
17 The Priest Prays in a low voice – Christ Is mocked and spit upon.
18 The Priest Says the Preface and the Sanctus – Christ Is preferred instead of Barrabas and condemned to crucifixion.
19 The Priest Makes the Memento for the living – Christ Carries the cross to Mount Calvary.
20 The Priest Continues to pray the Canon in a low voice – Christ Meets His Mother and the other pious women.
21 The Priest Blesses the bread and wine with the sign of the cross – Christ Is nailed to the cross.
22 The Priest Elevates the Sacred Host – Christ Is raised on the cross.
23 The Priest Elevates the chalice – Christ Sheds blood from the five wounds.
24 The Priest Prays in a low voice – Christ Sees His afflicted Mother at the cross.
25 The Priest Says aloud, Nobis queque peccatoribus – Christ Prays on the cross for men.
26 The Priest Says aloud the Pater noster – Christ Says the seven last words on the cross.
27 The Priest Breaks and separates the Host – Christ Gives up His spirit and dies.
28 The Priest Lets a small portion of the sacred Host fall into the chalice – Christ His soul descends to Limbo.
29 The Priest Says the Agnus Dei – Christ Is acknowledged on the cross as the Son of God by many bystanders.
30 The Priest Administers Holy Communion – Christ Is laid in the tomb.
31 The Priest Cleanses the chalice – Christ Is anointed by pious women.
32 The Priest Prepares the chalice again – Christ Rises from the dead.
33 The Priest Says the Dominus vobiscum – Christ Appears to His Mother and the disciples.
34 The Priest Says the last prayers – Christ Teaches for forty days.
35 The Priest Says the last Dominus vobiscum – Christ Takes leave of His disciples and ascends to heaven.
36 The Priest Gives the benediction to the people – Christ Sends down the Holy Ghost
37 The Priest Says the Ita Missa est and the last Gospel – Christ Sends the apostles into all parts of the world to preach the Gospel.