48 Mass Cards

A Mass Card is a card that is given to someone to let them know that they, or a deceased loved-one, will be remembered and prayed for in the intentions at a Mass. Every Mass has an intention. This means that everyone who is celebrating the Mass is praying for the person for whom the Mass is being offered. Of course, everyone may also come to Mass with their own personal intentions too. 

Cards from Cathedral Bookshop
Open after Sunday 10.30 Mass 

CCC 1325 "The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."

Mass Card 

Details of Mass intentions are sometimes announced by the priest or appear in a parish newsletter this reminds other members of the community who the Mass intention.

47 Incense - Liturgy of the Word

Thurible used at 
Lancaster Cathedral

Incense is used during Mass and as the smoke from the burning incense rises, it symbolises our prayers rising to God. The incense is carried in a container called a boat. It is blessed and then spooned into the thurible which is used to hold incense as it burns. The thurible is held on a chain which is swung by the priest, deacon or server towards what or who is being incensed. This could be the altar, the Gospel, the bread and wine offered for the Eucharist, the consecrated Eucharist, the priest or bishop celebrating Mass, the congregation, the Paschal candle, the crucifix or the Blessed Sacrament during Benediction.

CCC 1154 The liturgy of the Word is an integral part of sacramental celebrations. To nourish the faith of believers, the signs which accompany the Word of God should be emphasized: the book of the Word (a lectionary or a book of the Gospels), its veneration (procession, incense, candles), the place of its proclamation (lectern or ambo), its audible and intelligible reading, the minister's homily which extends its proclamation, and the responses of the assembly (acclamations, meditation psalms, litanies, and profession of faith).


The icons  have been travelling around the secondary schools in the Diocese 

Bishop Michael Campbell incensing
Year of Faith Icons at Education Mass 2012

47 Incense Thurifer

Thurifer leading procession
Altar Servers Mass 2008

 The Thurifer is the server who carries the thurible and will incense the priest and people.  Below the thurifer is seen swinging the thurible during the Gospel after the Deacon has incensed the Gospel. 

Thurifer standing behind Deacon
during 150th Anniversary Mass October 2010

CCC 1154 The liturgy of the Word is an integral part of sacramental celebrations. To nourish the faith of believers, the signs which accompany the Word of God should be emphasized: the book of the Word (a lectionary or a book of the Gospels), its veneration (procession, incense, candles), the place of its proclamation (lectern or ambo), its audible and intelligible reading, the minister's homily which extends its proclamation, and the responses of the assembly (acclamations, meditation psalms, litanies, and profession of faith).

Giant Thurible
One of the largest thurible needs a team of servers to swing it to incense the altar.  See video below of the thurible in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela or open video in separate page

47 Incense - Thurible

Thurible

Incense is used during Mass and as the smoke from the burning incense rises, it symbolises our prayers rising to God. The incense is carried in a container called a boat. It is blessed and then spooned into the thurible which is used to hold incense as it burns. The thurible is held on a chain which is swung by the priest, deacon or server towards what or who is being incensed. This could be the altar, the Gospel, the bread and wine offered for the Eucharist, the consecrated Eucharist, the priest or bishop celebrating Mass, the congregation, the Paschal candle, the crucifix or the Blessed Sacrament during Benediction.

This is one of the thuribles used at the Cathedral.

Bishop Michael Campbell incensing
Year of Faith Icons at Education Mass 2012
The icons  have been travelling around the secondary
schools in the Diocese 

46 Book of the Gospels

The Book of the Gospels contains the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and is used during Mass when the priest or deacon proclaims the Gospel. There may be a procession with the Book ofGospels from the altar to the ambo (the place of reading) and incense may be used to honour the Gospel. This reminds us of the importance of listening to God's Word, spoken to us through the Gospel. As we listen with open hearts, we learn more about Jesus, his teachings and example. Jesus shows us the way to God our Father and this is why it is so important to listen to the Gospel and reflect on what God may be saying to us.

CCC 125 The Gospels are the heart of all the Scriptures "because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Saviour".

The Book of Gospels held over Bishop Michael's head during his ordination
This symbolises the centrality of the Gospel in the life of a bishop. A bishop's calling
as a successor of the Apostles is rooted in the Gospel; his duty is to preach the Gospel
faithfully and fearlessly; his own life of faith must always be founded on what God
 has revealed to us in Christ.  To read more of ordination

45 Lectionary - Ambo

The Ambo is where the Liturgy of the Word is proclaimed.  At the Cathedral the link between the breaking open of the Word at the Ambo, and breaking of the bread at the altar is highlighted by the same design and stone work of each object.

Ambo at Lancaster Cathedral -
decorated during the Flower Festival 2009 click to see other images 

CCC 102 Through all the words of Sacred Scripture, God speaks only one single Word, his one Utterance in whom he expresses himself completely:

You recall that one and the same Word of God extends throughout Scripture, that it is one and the same Utterance that resounds in the mouths of all the sacred writers, since he who was in the beginning God with God has no need of separate syllables; for he is not subject to time.

CCC 103 For this reason, the Church has always venerated the Scriptures as she venerates the Lord's Body. She never ceases to present to the faithful the bread of life, taken from the one table of God's Word and Christ's Body.

The catechism has plenty of references to Church Documents and Scripture, here you can see the link with Dei Verbum one of the Vatican 2 Constitutions.   

Dei Verbum (DV)

CHAPTER VI: SACRED SCRIPTURE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

DV 21 The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God's word and of Christ's body. She has always maintained them, and continues to do so, together with sacred tradition, as the supreme rule of faith, since, as inspired by God and committed once and for all to writing, they impart the word of God Himself without change, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit resound in the words of the prophets and Apostles. Therefore, like the Christian religion itself, all the preaching of the Church must be nourished and regulated by Sacred Scripture. For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life. Consequently these words are perfectly applicable to Sacred Scripture: "For the word of God is living and active" (Heb. 4:12) and "it has power to build you up and give you your heritage among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32; see 1 Thess. 2:13).

66 Cf. DV 21.

67 1 Thes 2:13; cf. DV 24.

68 DV 21.

45 Lectionary

The Lectionary contains all the readings from the Bible that are used at Mass. It is organised so that for each day there is a first reading (usually Old  Testament), Psalm, second reading (on Sundays and Feasts days only – New Testament) and Gospel reading.  
The Sunday readings are organised into a 3-year cycle, called A, B, C and each yearly cycle begins on the first Sunday of Advent.

Year A: Gospel of Matthew 
(last time November 2010 through 2011, next starts November 2013)

Year B: Gospel of Mark 
(last time December 2011 through  2012, next starts November 2014)

Year C: Gospel of Luke 
(November 2012 through November 2013)

The Gospel of John is read throughout Easter, and is used for other liturgical seasons including Advent, Christmas, and Lent where appropriate. The Liturgy of the Word is the part of the Mass where we listen to readings from the Lectionary.  We believe that we are listening to God's Word and that God speaks to us through the readings. The priest's homily, which is given after the Gospel has been proclaimed, helps us to understand the readings and what they mean for us today.

Image of the four evangelists -
Can you see the symbolic animal?

CCC 104 In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, "but as what it really is, the word of God". "In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them."