The book of the Gospels is a collection of Gospel passages proclaimed at Mass. It is an excerpt of the lectionary, usually containing the Gospels for Sundays and solemnities, and decorated with dignity. It does not contain the entire text of all four Gospels. The words of Jesus are highly esteemed by Christians, so the Book of the Gospels receives more respect than other volumes of the lectionary.

It is not required to use the Book of the Gospels at Mass, but it is recommended. This book – not the lectionary – may be carried in the entrance procession by a deacon, or by a lector when there is no deacon. The minister walks with the book slightly elevated and places it on the altar, which represents Christ, the living stone (1 Pt 2:4). This placement unifies two primary symbols for Christ: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Liturgy of the Word begins immediately following the Collect prayer at the end of the Introductory Rites. It is comprised of: First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, Gospel, Homily, Profession of Faith, and the Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful). Proclamation of the Word of God is a dialogue with God. We hear the words of salvation history both from the Old and New Testament—words that tell the story of God’s participation in His own creation—words that have established the covenant relationship between God and His people.

A minister may swing incense toward the people at one point of the Mass. Incense may be used at any Mass, customarily for occasions of some importance. During the Mass, incense may accompany the entrance, the Gospel, the preparation of the gifts, and the elevations. The incensing of the people may happen during the preparation of the gifts.

After the priest has set the bread and wine on the altar and before he washes his hands, a minister hands him the boat (the vessel containing grains of incense.) The minister lifts the top of the thurible (the censer), and the priest spoons incense on top of the hot coals. The priest incenses the bread and wine, the cross, and the altar. Then the minister takes the thurible from the priest and swings it toward him. As the priest washes his hands, the minister incenses the people.

Music at Catholic worship is meant to be live. Recorded music is inappropriatebecause it obstructs the active participation of the faithful. In 1958, theCongregation of Rites excluded from worship musical instruments “operatedmechanically or automatically.” It absolutely forbade recorded music “toreplace or support the singing at a liturgy” (Instruction 60, 71). Decades later,this instruction has been largely ignored, especially its injunctions againstelectronic organs and mechanical church bells.

The altar used for Mass is covered with a cloth. At home and in restaurants, we often cover our tables, especially for a banquet or meal of some importance. Similarly, the altar is covered because of “the banquet in which the Body and Blood of the Lord are offered” ( General Instruction of the Roman Missal 304).

But the altar is covered for another reason: “out of reverence for the celebration of the memorial of the Lord.” We dignify the altar where we will solemnly remember the mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The letters IHS sometimes appear among the symbols adorning church furnishings. They draw the believer’s attention to Christ and his cross. The letters have two meanings, one in Latin and the other in Greek.

According to one early biography of Constantine, the emperor was praying to the false god of his family before an important battle in Rome. He saw a vision: a cross before the sun with the words, “in this sign, conquer.” Constantine ordered the shields of his warriors painted with the cross of Christ. He won the battle and became a Christian. The cross of Christ, to which Constantine attributed his military victory, is the emblem of victory over death for every Christian. The first three of the words in the emperor’s vision are rendered in Latin as “In hoc signo.” The first letter of each produced the monogram IHS, a symbol still used to proclaim the power of the cross of Christ.

The Greek and Latin alphabets are different. The capital letters for I are identical. In English this letter may be rendered as an “I” or a “J”, depending on the context. The Latin letter shaped “H” is equivalent to the same English letter, but the Greek letter shaped “H” is equivalent to an E in Latin and English. The Greek letters IHS, then, are read “IES” in Latin or “JES” in English. They are the first three letters of the names of Jesus. These symbolic letters recall the conversion of the emperor who helped spread the Christian faith, as well as the very name of the Son of God.

Many people find it helpful to pray over the Sunday Scripture readings at home before going to church. The practice puts them in touch with the church’s prayer, helps them listen as the readings are proclaimed at Mass, prepares them to hear the homily, engages them personally in the word of God.

The Sunday readings are available in many publications and online at www.usccb.org. To prepare the readings at home, get a copy of them or of just the citations and look them up in a Bible. Note: Weekly readings are found on the last full page of the bulletin each week.

Create some time and space for this prayer. If you do it alone, remove yourself from other activities. Choose a place where you can center yourself. Open the Scriptures and read over them. God’s word is able to go as deep inside you as you give it time and room. When you get to church, don’t read along while the readings are proclaimed. Lift your head and open your ears and heart to the word of God.

On the outside, Catholic church buildings look different from one another, but they have many common features. There are no rules governing the exterior appearance of churches. Some look as plain as a storefront. Others look as breath-taking as a cathedral. The appearance of a church exterior depends on the function of spaces inside, the demands of architecture, and the search for beauty.

As the art of stained glass developed, it became popular with churches. Images depicted in windows taught people about their religion. The colors made a church interior look beautiful on a sunny day. The overall effect created a sense of awe conducive to prayer.

Many churches display the papal and national flags. This optional custom began fairly recently in church history. During periods of national crisis, it became popular to post a country's flag inside its churches. When the periods of crisis waned, the flags remained. It probably seemed unpatriotic to remove them.

The papal flag commonly took up a position next to the national flag. It carries the pope's coat of arms, a triple tiara and crossed keys, symbolizing his ministry as ruler and successor to Peter, the apostle to whom Jesus entrusted the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The two flags often adorned a church's sanctuary. However, since the Second Vatican Council's appeal for simplicity in the liturgy, the sanctuary has become more reserved for those features necessary for the celebration of Mass. The removal of flags from the sanctuary does not promote disloyalty to church or state, but may assist the prayer of those gathered for the Eucharist by keeping their attention fixed on its central symbols: altar, ambo and chair, bread and wine.

Note: At St. Francis, the national and papal flags are in the Narthex on either side of the St. Francis of Assisi stained glass window.

Bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ during the Eucharistic prayer at Mass. The Holy Spirit works this miracle in the presence of the faithful, who join the priest in silence and song. Belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist in central to Catholic faith. In the past some have doubted this belief, but the church has always responded with unwavering conviction, founded on the Bible. “This is my body. This is my blood” (Mt 26: 26,28). “The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51). “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” (Jn 6:55).

The word “bread” in these Scriptures does not diminish our faith that the bread is the Body of Christ. The liturgy also used “bread and cup” to refer to the Body and Blood of Christ. The “Lamb of God” accompanies a ritual the missal calls “the breaking of the bread.” Some of our hymns also refer to bread and wine, but in the context of the Mass the meaning remains true to Catholic teaching. What we eat and drink is the Body and Blood of Christ.

The introductory rites help the assembly become a worshiping community. They also prepare us to hear God's word and celebrate the Eucharist. There are several elements to the introductory rites of Mass. The cantor or another minister may introduce the liturgy. We sing the entrance song and make the sign of the cross. The presider greets us. The penitential rite or rite of blessing and sprinkling holy water follow. We sing the Glory to God. Finally, the presider offers the opening prayer. A lot happens in just a few minutes.