The origins of the Mass are at the Last Supper. Here Jesus told the Apostles, our first priests, to “do this in remembrance of me.” In that gesture, Christ gave the priests the power and authority to do what He had just done – change the bread and wine into His Body and Blood. Through Apostolic succession and ordination, or “the laying on of hands,” this has been passed on to every priest down through the ages. As Catholics, we understand that Christ is present in the person of the priest. The priest is acting “in persona Christi.” This is a Latin phrase that means “in the person of Christ.” Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest is conformed to Christ in a special way. So, while the priest celebrates the Mass, it is truly Christ offering the Mass. Occasionally, you may see numerous priests and/or bishops at the altar. This is called concelebrating the Mass. All this gives us good reason to continue to pray for vocations to the priesthood. For without the priest, there can be no Mass. For further study: To learn more about the priesthood, please read CCC 1536-1600. This is the section on the Sacrament of Holy Orders. 23 The Priest Only a priest can offer Mass. Why is that? Why can’t just anyone get up and say the words and make the gestures? Notes
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