Glossary

Plain explanations of the words you meet at Mass and in the church, written for someone coming for the first time. The names of the parts of Mass shown on the Mass panel are here too.

Parts of the Mass

Mass: The central act of Catholic worship. It has two parts, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and a priest presides.
Liturgy: The public worship of the Church as a whole: the Mass, the sacraments and the Liturgy of the Hours.
Entrance: The beginning of Mass. Everyone stands as the priest enters, and all make the sign of the cross together.
Penitential act: At the start of Mass we admit our sins and ask for God's mercy, striking the breast three times at "through my fault".
Kyrie: The prayer "Lord, have mercy" said or sung back and forth. The name comes from the Greek Kyrie.
Gloria: A hymn of praise to God. It is left out during Advent and Lent.
Collect: The prayer in which the priest gathers the intention of the day's Mass. All answer "Amen".
Reading: Scripture read aloud. It ends with "The word of the Lord" and the answer "Thanks be to God".
Responsorial psalm: A psalm sung after the reading, with a refrain the people repeat. The refrain changes each day.
Gospel: A passage from one of the four books about the life and teaching of Jesus. We stand to listen and trace a small cross on forehead, lips and breast as it begins.
Homily: The priest's talk explaining the day's readings. We sit to listen.
Creed: The statement of faith said together. It begins "I believe in one God".
Universal prayer: Prayers offered together for the Church, the world and those in need. The answer is "Lord, hear our prayer".
Offertory: Bread and wine are brought to the altar and offered.
Eucharistic prayer: The heart of the Mass. The priest consecrates the bread and wine, which become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Holy, Holy, Holy: The hymn sung before the Eucharistic prayer: "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts".
Consecration: The moment the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. A bell rings and we kneel or bow deeply.
The Lord's Prayer: The prayer Jesus himself taught: "Our Father, who art in heaven".
Lamb of God: The hymn before Communion: "Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world".
Communion: Receiving the consecrated bread, the Body of Christ. Baptised Catholics receive it.
Spiritual communion: A prayer inviting Jesus into the heart when one cannot receive the Eucharist in person. In this chapel, Communion is made this way.
Blessing: The blessing the priest gives at the end of Mass, making the sign of the cross over the people.
Dismissal: "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord." The sending out at the end of Mass.

Gestures and postures

Sign of the cross: Tracing a cross with the right hand: forehead, breast, left shoulder, right shoulder, saying "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Joined hands: Palms together before the breast, fingertips pointing up at shoulder height, right thumb over the left.
Genuflection: Touching the right knee to the floor and rising. It is made before the Blessed Sacrament.
Profound bow: A bow from the waist. In Korea it often takes the place of genuflection before the altar.
Bow of the head: A slight bow of the head, made at the names of Jesus and Mary and when passing the altar.
Kneeling: Kneeling on both knees, during the consecration and before Communion.
Amen: "So be it", said together at the end of a prayer.

Inside the church

Altar: The table at the centre front of the church where the bread and wine are consecrated. People bow when passing it.
Tabernacle: The small cabinet where the consecrated Eucharist is kept. A red lamp burns beside it.
Sanctuary lamp: The red lamp beside the tabernacle, kept lit to show that the Eucharist is present.
Ambo: The stand from which the readings are proclaimed and the homily given.
Communion rail: The low rail between the sanctuary and the pews. People once knelt here to receive Communion.
Pew: The long wooden benches where people sit, with a kneeler in front.
Holy water: Blessed water. On entering the church we dip our fingers and make the sign of the cross, remembering baptism.
Stained glass: Windows of coloured glass showing Bible stories or saints. Light through them colours the church.
Confessional: The small room where sins are confessed to a priest, usually through a screen.
Marian chapel: A small prayer space with a statue of the Virgin Mary, where candles are lit and the rosary prayed.

Devotions

Rosary: A prayer said on beads, repeating the Our Father and Hail Mary while meditating on the mysteries of Jesus' life.
Stations of the Cross: A prayer following Jesus' way to the cross in fourteen stations, often prayed on Fridays in Lent.
Adoration: Quiet prayer before the Eucharist kept in the tabernacle or shown in a monstrance.
Prayer intention: What or whom a prayer is offered for. In this chapel you can leave one on the board by the door.
Votive candle: Lighting a candle with a prayer intention. While it burns, the prayer continues.
Liturgical seasons: The Church's year: Advent, Christmas, Lent, the Triduum, Easter and Ordinary Time, with vestments in violet, white, green, red or rose.

Sacraments

Sacrament: A rite that gives God's grace through a visible sign. There are seven: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, confession, anointing of the sick, holy orders and marriage.
Confession: The sacrament in which sins are confessed to a priest and forgiven. Here you can only prepare; the sacrament itself is received in a real church.
Examination of conscience: Looking honestly at one's life before confession to see what has gone wrong.
Eucharist: The consecrated bread and wine, which Catholics believe to be the Body and Blood of Christ.
Latin ordinary: The Latin text of the parts of Mass that stay the same every day. The texts in this chapel are that original and our own translation of it.

Enter the church