Crash Course on the Mass

www.happycatholic.org


Have you had a friend telling you that watching base-ball games is boring ? or basket-ball, or soccer, or tennis, or cycling are boring ? If you play one of these sports, then you'd know that your friend does not understand the rules and therefore does not understand what happens at a base-ball game for example.

It's the same thing with the Mass. If we don't make the minimum effort to know what is going on at Mass, then yes, there will be a high chance that we find it boring. The Mass is the highest form of prayer in the Catholic Church, so it is worth it to investigate a little bit more.

This is exactly what I am proposing you to do here. Once you understand the rule of the game, there is a very good chance that you'll fall in love with the Mass like I and many people do. You won't want to miss Mass on Sunday anymore.

If you are Catholic, then you know that you're required to attend Mass on Sunday ;-) But it's boring !!! So let's fix it :-) I'll give you some incentive to learn more about the Mass. Think like this :
If you have to attend weekly Mass, one hour per week, so that's 52 hours per year. If you still have 20 years (or more) to live, then attending Mass every Sunday for the next twenty years will require 1040 hours of your time. That's a lot of time doing something boring. So do you think it's worth to spend a few hours to discover what the Mass is about ?
The following materials and steps below are suggested here to allow you to learn about the Mass at your own pace. Going through these books and videos will allow you to explore the spiritual beauty of the Mass.

Since this is a crash course, it does not pretend to show you in depth everything about the Mass. Yet, it is my hope that, after going through the materials as suggested in the steps below, you will reach the level of understanding that you'll be in love with the Mass. You'll no longer say "I have to go to Mass" but rather "I want to attend the celebration of the Mass".

I have purposely selected the following materials because they are not long. Most suggested readings can be done in a few hours. The videos are there to entertain you while helping you to have a pictural view of what you will be reading.

Please see below for the suggested learning steps.

01_RSV_2CE
01_RSV_2CE.jpg 		02_JesusOfNazareth
02_JesusOfNazareth.jpg 		03_CelebratingTheMass
03_CelebratingTheMass.jpg
04_HowToBookMass
04_HowToBookMass.jpg 		05_TenCommandments
05_TenCommandments.jpg 		06_UnderstandingTheMass
06_UnderstandingTheMass.jpg
07_BeginningApologetics03
07_BeginningApologetics03.jpg 		08_LambsSupper_Hahn
08_LambsSupper_Hahn.jpg 		 


Suggested learning steps
  1. In every step that you follow below, say a prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to enlight your mind and heart to receive His grace to understand things that you read.

  2. Read the Gospel of St Luke from the Bible. This is the most direct way to learn to know Jesus.

  3. Watch the movie "Jesus of Nazareth". I consider this movie being the best one about Jesus. This will allow you to have a good overview of Jesus's life.

  4. Attend a Sunday Mass. No worry if you can neither follow nor understand. Observe carefully every gesture that is being done. Pay attention to anything that comes to your senses.

  5. Read the booklet Celebrating the Mass. This book gives you the first introduction to the Mass.

  6. Continue to attend Sunday Mass. Observe the Mass and remember what you've read in Celebrating the Mass.

  7. Read the book of Exodus in the Old Testament. This reading allows you to know the life of God's chosen people in Egypt and how God led them out of slavery.

  8. Watch the movie The Ten Commandments. This should remind you the book of Exodus. Don't watch the movie before reading the Book of Exodus though.

  9. Read the booklet Understanding the Mass. This excellent booklet shows you the connection between the New Testament and the Old Testament.

  10. Read the Gospel of St John. Pay particularly attention to chapter 6.

  11. Read Beginning Apologetics 3. This short book explains to you what the "Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist" is. You'll also have a better understanding of the Gospel of St John that you've previously read.

  12. Get your Bible again and read the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation (or sometimes called Apocalypse). Don't worry if you don't understand much of it.

  13. Read the How-To Book of the Mass. This book helps you to understand most of the symbols that you see at Mass.

  14. If you have done everything up to this point, God would be very pleased since you've shown Him your thirst of Him. You're almost done. Everything that you've done so far was to prepare yourself with the background knowledge to read and understand one last book : The Lamb's Supper by Dr. Scott Hahn. This is the book that made me fall in love with the Mass. Now, at last, enjoy this book which will enable you to see with the eyes of faith the depth and splendor of the Mass !