The Liturgy of the Heavenly Altar

The Offertory

The gifts to be offered to God are placed on the Altar. As they are brought forward, a hymn may be sung. The People stand.

As he offers the Chalice, the Priest says:

Priest: May these offerings and holy gifts cleanse us from the stain of our sin, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

As he offers the bread, the Priest says:

Priest: Graciously accept, we beseech you, O Lord, the offerings of our devotion. With purified hearts, through these glorious sacrifices, we render our homage unto you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

[The Deacon may read the names of the departed, as follows:

Deacon: Father, bless the departed, (especially .N.)

Priest: We offer to you, Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered for us and rose from the dead on the third day, these offerings and sincere libations for the souls of our dear ones, that their names may be inscribed in the book of eternal life. This we ask because of your mercy, who lives and reigns forever and ever. AMEN.]

Priest: May all our gifts please you which your people offer to you to the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in commemoration of the Virgin Mary, and of your blessed Apostles, martyrs, and confessors (especially .N. whom we remember today, and .N. our patron). With special intentions for .N. our Bishop, for our Priests and Deacons, for those dear to our hearts, for our boys, for our girls, and for our penitents; through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whom all our prayers are acceptable in your sight. AMEN.

The Sursum Corda and Sanctus

Then shall follow, all standing:

Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: AND WITH YOUR SPIRIT.
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
People: WE LIFT THEM UP TO THE LORD.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: IT IS RIGHT AND JUST.

Priest: It is truly right and just, it is our duty and delight , that we should always and everywhere give thanks to you, Heavenly Father, Almighty and Eternal God, through Jesus Christ your only-begotten Son, our Lord.

Here shall follow a Proper Preface.

Priest: Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

All: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD, GOD OF POWER AND MIGHT HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE FULL OF YOUR GLORY HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST. BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST.

The Canon

Priest: Truly holy are you, truly blessed are you, truly loving are you. God our heavenly Father.

Here shall follow a Proper Memorial.

Priest: Therefore, most merciful Father, we humbly beg and entreat you through Jesus Christ our Lord to accept and bless these gifts, these offerings, these holy and spotless sacrifices, which we offer to you for your Holy Catholic Church, that you would be pleased to keep her in peace, preserve her in unity, and govern her throughout the world; especially for those who keep the apostolic faith in this place, with .N., our Bishop.

Note: The following prayer is optional.

Where indicated, the names of the living may be read.

Priest: Remember also, O Lord, (your servants .N. and .N. and) all here present, whose faith and devotion are known to you, for whom we offer this sacrifice of praise, on their behalf, and on behalf of all who are theirs, for the redemption of their souls, the good estate of those in authority over them, the purity of all ministers, the chastity of virgins, the continence of widows; for fair weather; for a fruitful harvest of the earth, the return of peace and the end of strife, the safety of the people and the return of captives; for the hopes of those here present, the memory of the martyrs, the remission of our sins, the correction of our errors, and the repose of the dead; for Bishops, priests, and all in ecclesiastical orders; for all rulers, (especially .N. our president); for safety in our traveling; for our brothers and sisters; for our upright brothers and sisters; for our brothers and sisters whom from thick darkness of the world you, O Lord, have vouchsafed to summon, that divine goodness may receive them in the eternal peace of the heavenly light; for our brothers and sisters who are afflicted with various sorrows, that divine goodness may vouchsafe to care for them; and for the hope of safety and salvation for all who here pay their vows to you, the eternal, living, and true God.

Priest: In the union of holy fellowship...
Here the Priest may say the Proper Communicantes.
...and venerating the memory first of all of the glorious and ever Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and
(also blessed John the Baptist, blessed Joseph, the blessed Apostles Andrew, Peter, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Thaddeus, and Simon; the blessed Paul, Mark, Luke, Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathea, Stephen, Anthony, Martin, Ninian, David, Brendan, Patrick, Columba, Columbanus, Kieran, Comgal, Gall, Bride, Ita, Mary Hazel and)
of all your saints, through whose merits and prayers, grant that we may ever be strengthened in all things by the help of your protection; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

We therefore beg you to accept, O Lord, this offering of our worship and that of your whole household, which we offer in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in memory of your martyrs in this Church, which your servants built to the honor of your Name. We beseech you, O Lord, to deliver us and all people from the worship of idols and turn us to you, the true God. Almighty Father, regulate the days of our lives that they may be spent in your peace; spare us from eternal damnation and help us to be numbered in the fold with your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Here the Priest may bow three times, saying each time:

Have Mercy on me, O God!

Priest: We beg you, O God, be pleased to send your Holy Spirit upon us, and upon this offering, to bless, consecrate, and approve it, making it reasonable and acceptable, so that it may become for us the body and blood of your most beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who, on the night before he suffered death, took bread, gave thanks to you, God His Almighty Father, blessed it, broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying:

Take, all of you, and eat of this: For this is My Body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.

In like manner, when He had eaten, He took the cup, and again He gave thanks to you, God His Almighty Father, blessed it, and gave it to His disciples, saying:

Take and drink this, all of you: For this is the Chalice of My Blood, of the new and everlasting covenant, the Mystery of Faith, which shall be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin. As often as you do these things, you shall do them in memory of Me.

All: YOU SHALL PREACH THE PASSION, AND ANNOUNCE MY RESURRECTION,
YOU SHALL HOPE FOR MY COMING, UNTIL I COME AGAIN.

Here the Priest may bow three times, saying each time:

Priest: Have Mercy on me, O God!

Priest: We your servants, O Lord, and with us your holy people, calling to mind the blessed passion of the same Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, and also his resurrection from the grave and glorious ascension into heaven, offer to your supreme majesty, of the gifts bestowed upon us, a pure, holy, and perfect sacrifice, the holy Bread of eternal life, and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.

Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a gracious and kindly countenance, and accept them as it pleased you to accept the offering of your just servant Abel, and the sacrifice of our father Abraham, and that which your priest Melchizedek offered to you, a holy sacrifice and a spotless victim.

Humbly we implore you, Almighty God, bid these offerings be carried by the hands of your holy angels to your Altar on high, before your divine majesty, so that those of us who, by sharing in the sacrifice at this Altar, shall receive the sacred Body and Blood of your Son, + may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing.

Remember, O Lord, the names of those who have gone before us + in the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace.

Remember, also, all the holy and venerable priests throughout the world who offer for the whole assembly of the Catholic Church a spiritual sacrifice to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that they may, with the ranks of the venerable patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and all the saints, graciously intercede for us to the Lord our God.

All: TO US ALSO, YOUR SINFUL SERVANTS, WHO TRUST IN YOUR BOUNDLESS MERCY, GRACIOUSLY GRANT FELLOWSHIP AND A PLACE WITH YOUR HOLY APOSTLES AND MARTYRS, AND WITH ALL YOUR SAINTS. INTO THEIR COMPANY, WE BEG YOU, ADMIT US, NOT WEIGHING OUR UNWORTHINESS, BUT FREELY GRANTING US FORGIVENESS, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST YOUR SON OUR LORD.

Priest: It is ever through Jesus Christ your Son that all good gifts, created by you, Almighty Father, are by you sanctified, endowed with life, blessed, and bestowed upon us.

Here the Priest elevates the Host over the Chalice.

All: THROUGH HIM, WITH HIM, AND IN HIM, ALL HONOR AND GLORY IS GIVEN TO YOU, GOD ALMIGHTY FATHER, IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOW AND FOREVER, WORLD WITHOUT END. AMEN.

The Breaking of the Bread

The Priest breaks the Bread, and says the following:

Priest: Risen Lord, be known to us in the breaking of the Bread!
People: ALLELUIA!

[But during Lent, the following is used:]
Priest: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a sharing in the Blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a sharing in the Body of Christ?
People: BECAUSE THERE IS ONE BREAD, WE WHO ARE MANY ARE ONE BODY, FOR WE ALL PARTAKE OF THE ONE BREAD.]

Here the Priest shall reverently place a particle of the Host into the Chalice, saying:

Priest: May the mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ be for us a sign of salvation unto everlasting life. AMEN.

The Lord's Prayer

Priest: Following our Savior's teaching and command, we boldly say:
All: OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME, THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD, AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US. AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.

Then the Bishop, if present, blesses the people.

Bless, O Lord, this your family assembled in your Name.
People: AMEN.
Bishop: Give them richness in grace, cleanness in action, and purity of heart.
People: DELIVER US FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN.
Bishop: Grant that when our time has come, we shall enter into that land of eternal rest which your saints possess.
People: AMEN.

The Adoration

Priest and People alternating:

Behold the Lamb of God, ALLELUIA!
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. ALLELUIA!
My peace I give to you, ALLELUIA!
My own peace I leave with you. ALLELUIA!
The King of Heaven comes in peace, ALLELUIA!
Full of the fragrance of life. ALLELUIA!
Sing to the Lord a new song, ALLELUIA!
Sing to the Lord, all the whole earth. ALLELUIA!
They knew the Lord, ALLELUIA!
In the breaking of the Bread. ALLELUIA!

Here may be sung a hymn.

Priest: Come, eat My Bread.
People: AND DRINK THE WINE I HAVE MINGLED FOR YOU.
Priest: He who eats My Body and drinks my Blood
People: REMAINS IN ME, AND I IN HIM.

The Communion

Hymns may be sung before and after communion.

The ministers and the people receive the Sacrament in both kinds.

The Bread and Cup are given to the people with these words:
Receive the Body of Christ unto everlasting life. AMEN.
Receive the Blood of Salvation unto everlasting life. AMEN.
Or with these:
The Body (Blood) of Christ. AMEN.

If the Christian names of the communicants are known to the minister, they may be used.

Postcommunion

Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: AND WITH YOUR SPIRIT.
Priest: Let us pray.

A proper Post-Communion may be used if one is appointed for the day, or else the following.

Priest: O Lord, you have fed us with your gift from heaven. By it may we be cleansed from our hidden sins, and delivered from the deceits of our enemies, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

All: WE GIVE YOU THANKS, O LORD, HOLY FATHER, ALMIGHTY AND ETERNAL GOD, WHO HAS NOURISHED US BY THE COMMUNION OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST YOUR SON. MAY THIS SACRAMENT BE FOR US, NOT A PUNISHMENT FOR SIN, BUT PARDON. THROUGH YOUR SAVING INTERCESSION MAY IT BE THE WASHING AWAY OF OUR OFFENSES, THE STRENGTH FOR OUR WEAKNESSES, AND A BULWARK AGAINST THE PERILS OF THE WORLD. MAY THIS COMMUNION CLEANSE US FROM ALL EVIL, AND MAKE US PARTICIPANTS IN YOUR JOYOUS HEAVENLY KINGDOM; THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, EVER ONE GOD, WORLD WITHOUT END. AMEN.

The Final Blessing and Dismissal

Then the Priest, or the Bishop if present, shall bless the people using the following or some other appropriate form. A blessing proper to the season may be used.

May the deep peace of the Father keep you. AMEN.
May the deep peace of the Son sain you from all temptation. AMEN.
May the deep peace of the Spirit renew you. AMEN.
And may the blessing of the Three: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you and abide with you this day and forever. AMEN.

Then the Deacon, or the appointed person, shall dismiss the people with the following:

Deacon: Go out into the world in peace; have courage; hold on to what is good; return no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak, help the suffering, honor everyone; love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
People: THANKS BE TO GOD!