The Concluding Rites of the Mass close the liturgical celebration, but not its end in our Christian life. Through the blessing and sending forth, the Church urges us to bring Christ to the world, putting into practice everything we have celebrated and received in the Eucharist.
Saint John Paul II recalled:
The encounter with Christ, deepened and nourished in the Eucharist, arouses in the Church and in every Christian the urgent need to evangelize and bear witness.
Each celebration concludes with a concrete mission: to be witnesses of God’s love in our daily lives.
The Concluding Rites teach us that the grace of the Eucharist does not remain in the temple, but transforms us to transform our environment. As Saint Alberto Hurtado said:
“To be Christian is to make Christ present in the midst of the world”.
In this article, we will see what the Concluding Rites are and how to live them with greater awareness and gratitude.
The Concluding Rites of the Holy Mass are:
1. Final Blessing and Dismissal
After the post-communion prayer, the priest invites the faithful to receive the blessing:
℣ The Lord be with you
℟And with your spirit
Depending on the liturgical season, the priest pronounces different blessing formulas. The deacon or, in his absence, the priest himself, invites the faithful to bow their heads. Then the priest, with hands extended over the people, says the blessing and all respond: Amen.
This formula is used during Easter Time:
May God the Father, who by the resurrection of his Only Begotten Son
has redeemed you and made you children by adoption,
fill you with joy by his blessing.
R. Amen.May Christ, who by his redeeming work has given you true freedom,
make you heirs to an eternal inheritance.
R. Amen.And you, who have been raised with him in baptism through faith,
by living in a right manner on this earth,
may be united with him in the heavenly homeland.
R. Amen.And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever.
R. Amen.
Then, the priest dismisses the faithful saying:
℣ The Mass is ended. Go in peace.
℟ Thanks be to God.
In this dismissal, there is also an invitation to apostolate. This should spring from the Holy Mass and return to it. In the Eucharist is found the source and summit of all apostolic work of the Church. Because its purpose is the glory of God and the sanctification of men. Also in the Holy Mass, all honor and glory are rendered to God, and the faithful who participate with the proper dispositions are sanctified.
The Holy Mass never ends, but continues uninterruptedly. It continues in heaven and on earth. At every hour and in every corner of the world, the sacrifice is being celebrated.
- You may be interested in: How to receive a solemn blessing
2. Kissing the Altar and Recessional
The Concluding Rites end when the priest kisses the altar where the sacrifice has been offered and leaves in procession along with the altar servers who carry, first the cross and then the candles.
Meanwhile, the faithful sing to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We implore her help and maternal protection to be able to bring Jesus to every soul we encounter on our path.
Among the most beautiful and ancient songs dedicated to the Blessed Virgin is the Salve Regina:
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae;
Vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia, ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos
ad nos converte.
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.
3. Some Pious Practices After the Concluding Rites
1. Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel
After the Holy Mass and as part of the devotions of the faithful, it is highly recommended to pray the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel.
This prayer was composed by Pope Leo XIII after a private revelation. He saw how the devil was trying to destroy the Church and Saint Michael confronting him and casting him with his legions into hell. The Holy Father asked that it be prayed at the end of the Eucharistic celebration:
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
2. Personal Thanksgiving
The Holy Mass is thanksgiving. Indeed, Eucharist means just that. Pius XII advised remaining for a few minutes after the celebration to thank the Lord for such a gift. This prayer can produce abundant fruits of holiness in Christians.
This moment should consist of an ardent dialogue of love with Jesus in the tabernacle and in one’s own soul, trying to deepen the great effects of the Eucharist.
To Reflect on the Concluding Rites of the Holy Mass
What is the significance of the concluding rites of the Mass?
The concluding rites of the Mass send us forth as missionary disciples to the world. Through the blessing and the dismissal, the Church reminds us that we are called to live and witness what we have celebrated in the Eucharist.
What are the main elements of the concluding rites of the Mass?
The main elements of the concluding rites are the final blessing, the dismissal, the kissing of the altar, and the recessional procession. These liturgical gestures express that the celebration continues in our daily life.
Why is it important to live the concluding rites of the Mass with faith?
Living the concluding rites of the Mass with faith impels us to be authentic witnesses of Christ in the world. As Saint John Paul II reminded us, the encounter with Christ in the Eucharist arouses in every Christian the urgent need to evangelize.
