13 Biblical Origins The Mass you attend may not look and sound just like a Mass that was celebrated even a half-century ago. But even though changes have been made through the centuries of how the Mass is celebrated, the Mass itself has been around since the beginning of the Christian Church. We see the first references in the Bible. The Mass had its beginnings at the Last Supper. You can read the accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. You’ll note that to this day, the priest echoes the words of Jesus at every Mass. In Acts 2:42, we see that the very first Christians “devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” Here we see the Liturgy of the Word – the teaching of the apostles, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist – the breaking of the bread. In 1 Corinthians 11, St. Paul refers to the Mass when he writes, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” And, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.” Where does one go to “eat the bread and drink the cup” of the Lord? To Mass, of course! For further study: Matthew 26:26-30 • Mark 14:22-26 • Luke 22:14-20 Acts 2:42 • 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 Notes
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