Breaking Open the Word Format

Before the Start of the Mass

Entering the Church, using Holy Water to bless themselves will remind them of their Baptism and how the waters of Baptism cleanses us of our original sin. The cross is the Sign of how this is able to happen. Jesus died on the cross so that our sins can be forgiven.

Genuflecting - saying in your heart, "My Lord and My God" is how we acknowledge that Jesus is truly present in the tabernacle. We want to bow down before Him, knowing that He is God and we are not.

Kneeling down in the pew and praying: quieting down, opening with the Our Father or any other prayer, and asking the Holy Spirit to help you to enter into the Sacred Mysteries of the Holy Eucharist. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us prepare to receive the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Jesus into our heart. In receiving His Word and His Divine life within us, He gives us the desire and strength to love Him more and follow Him more closely.

Go through the missalette (or the Sunday Missal), showing the major prayers, the readings and how they are for each Sunday and the prayers for the consecration.

We prepare to enter the Sacred Mysteries by calling to mind our sins -- the ways that we have failed to follow Jesus Christ and His Way.

• How have we offended other people, ourselves, or God

• Think especially of one or two areas of your life that you need help to change the attitude behind the behaviors. In the mass, we pray "I confess to Almighty God..."

• Asking God to forgive us so that our hearts are better ready to worship and adore Him.

Liturgy of the Word

The first part of the mass is the Liturgy of the Word. The highlights are the 1st Reading, Responsorial Psalm, 2nd 1st Reading, the Gospel, and the homily. More information here.

Rite of Acceptance / Rite of Welcoming

During the mass for the 1st Sunday of Advent (which is the fourth Sunday before December 25), we have the Rite of Acceptance / the Rite of Welcoming for the RCIA participants. In St Monica Parish, this is typically done after the Homily. After this Rite, we have the Breaking Open the Word.

(For the RCIA team: Look at the Rites book to see how the candidates and catechumens should be dismissed -- Rites Manual #67 for the unbaptized or #528 for the combined rites.)

Breaking Open the Word

At the end of the homily, the RCIA participants (catechumens and candidates) are dismissed and proceeds with the Breaking Open the Word.

• Re-read the Readings and the Gospel.

• Bring a notebook to write down what touched you in the readings and from the homily.

• Read over a good commentary and have a very simple way of explaining the main point of the two Readings and how they are connected -- how Jesus fulfilled what happened in the Old Testament.

• Invite them to share which part(s) of the Readings/ Gospel struck them and how they can apply the Scripture into their lives.

• Each week and when there is time, you may present a simple explanation of one part of the Mass. There are separate talks about the Mass and the Creed.

Explain the Nicene Creed.

The three major divisions are about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Explain the Offertory.

We offer our gifts of bread, that will become the Body of Christ, and the wine that will become the Blood of Christ, and the money as our gifts to God.

Tithing is giving back to God a 10th of what He has given to us.

Explain the words preparing for the consecration

Lift up your hearts. We have lifted them up to the Lord. (And others.)

After Baptism and Confirmation

The RCIA participants receive the Sacraments of Baptized and/or Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. They also receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. From hereon, there is no more "Breaking Open the Word" sessions for them. They are nourished in the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist during mass.