An Order of Indian Mass

(To understand the Indian Order of mass I request you to have a look at the importance of Liturgical inculturation / adaptation in my webpage go to search to have the better understanding of the Indian Rite Mass) 

ENTRANCE RITE:  

   

As the congregation gathers, the volunteers put Thilak on everyone’s forehead. With the Entrance hymn the Concelebrants enter by the main door and they are too welcomed with Thilak and go to the altar and make the reverancial bow and occupy their places. As the Main Celebrant enters inside the church, at the entrance itself he washes and wipes the hands and near the altar he will be welcomed with the arathi (Pusparthi) and Thilak.  Then he welcomes the congregation and goes to the altar and greets the community and invokes the blessings:

Om Purnamadah, Purnamidam 

       (Fullness beyond, fullness here)

Purnat purnam udachyate 

      (Fullness springs from fullness)

Purnasya purnam adaya 

      (from fullness take fullness away)

Purnameva vasishyate 

      (fullness still remains)

            

All:      Om Shanti, shanti shanti

Introduction to the Liturgy:

RITES OF PURIFICATION: Purification and blessing of water. A vessel of water is placed near the altar with leaves the celebrant keeps on the altar chants the following prayers (mantra) and blesses the water.

    

Om Shudhaya Namah  

       (Praise to the Most Holy)

Om Pavanaya Namah 

       (Praise to the Sanctifier)

Om Vishva Jivanaya Namah  

      (Praise to the Life Giver)

Then the priest sprinkles the water on all sides of the altar with the following chant

         

Om Jagar rakshakaya Namah 

       (Praise to the savior of the world)

Om Jagannivasaya Namah 

      (Praise to the one who dwells in the universe)

Om Jagannadaya Namah

     (Praise to the one who rules the universe)     

   

Then the celebrant sips the water to purify his own body &soul with these words:

As our body is made clean by this water, May our soul be made spotless by your grace.

Then the celebrant purifies the congregation with the Holy Water and sings: 

   

Om Visveshvaraya Namah 

       (Praise to the Lord of all things)

Om Mukteshwaraya Namah 

      (Praise to the Lord of Salvation)

Om Uttaneshwaraya Namah 

      (Praise to the Lord of resurrection)

Om Amriteshwaraya Namah 

      (Praise to the Lord who imparts Immortality)

Then the Lord have mercy is sung/said As the sign of contrition all make the Panchanga pranam (= full prostration) then all exchange the sign of peace.

3. LIGHTING OF THE LAMP: celebrant lights the lamp congregation sings a proper hymn as Jesus the Light of the world. After that the Celebrant recites the following prayer:

Eternal light, shining beyond the heavens, Radiant sun illumining all regions, above below and across,True light enlightening every man and woman coming into this world, Dispel the darkness of our hearts & enlighten us with the splendor of your glory.

All:  In you is the source of light and in your light we see light.

Then the celebrant and all the participants extend both their hands towards the light and receive the flame with the tip of the fingers and then bring the fingers towards the  eyes.

Gloria:

4. HOMAGE TO THE HOLY SCRIPTURE: Holy Scripture is brought in procession with this order: Bible, Garland and Dhupa that time the following chant is sung

      Adi Vacaname namo namah        

            (Praise to the Eternal Word)

     Deiva Vacaname namo namah     

           (Praise to the Word of God)

     Pita Putratmane namo namah    

            (Praise to the Son of the Father)

Blessing to the Readers: Both the readers must go and receive blessings from the main celebrant before doing the reading. After the 2^nd reading;

Main celebrant: 

     Asatoma Sadgamaya 

         (From the unreal lead to the real)

    Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya

        (From darkness lead to light)

    Mrityurma amritam gamaya 

         (From death to peace)

                            

     Om Shanti shanti shanti

The Gospel is read then follows the Homily and follows the intercession

5. LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST:  Offertory and the 8 flowers are brought and the main celebrant receives them and keeps them on the altar then the celebrant makes the arathi with the tray of 8 flowers over the offertory and then he prays:

Father, send down your spirit upon these offerings the symbol of our self gift to you, May we be pleasing in your sight, May we be united with the sacrifice of your son.

And he places on the 8 directions saying each time one of the attributes of Jesus Christ.

    

Om Shri Yesu Kristaya namah 

       (Adoration to Jesus Christ)

Om Shri Devaputraya namah 

       (Adoration to Son of God)

Om Shri Manavaputraya namah 

       (Adoration to Son of Man)

Om Shri Mariaputraya namah 

      (Adoration to Son of Mary)

Om Shri Atmotpannaya namah 

       (Adoration to One born of the Spirit)

Om Shri Krushitaya namah 

       (Adoration to the Crucified one)

Om Shri Mrutyunjaayaya namah  

      (Adoration to the one Conquered Death)

Om Shri svagarudhaya namah 

       (Adoration to the one ascended into heaven)

Then the celebrant makes the Dhuparathi and he says:

     

To whom with you the Holy Spirit be honor and glory now and forever.

All: Amen.

6. EUCHARISTIC PRAYER:

Cel: May the Holy Spirit O God, Enlighten our minds and open our lips that we may sing  the wonders of your love.

All : Help us Spirit divine to proclaim God’s mercy.

Cel: Let us praise and thank the Lord our God, whose majesty pervades the universe.

All: Great is his name and worthy of Praise.

Cel: Let us celebrate the glory of the Lord, whose splendor shines in our hearts.

All: Glory to Him in whom we have our being.

Proclamation:

Concelebrant I:  O Supreme Lord of the Universe, You fill and sustain everything around us. You are the ancient of days, who turned with the touch of your hands, chaos into order, darkness into light.  Deep and wonderful mysteries of your creation, you formed men and women in your image, entrusted the earth to their care, and called them to share in your own being, your own knowledge your own bliss.

All: Praise to the one who is being knowledge and bliss, Praise to the eternal reality, Praise to the fullness of all perfection. Praise to the supreme reality, Being, Knowledge and Bliss. Praise to the eternal Being, The fullness of all perfection.

Con. Cel.II:  Father most kind and merciful, you want all people to reach the shores of salvation.  You reveal yourself to all who search for you with a sincere heart.  You are the power almighty, adored as presence hidden in the nature, the light that shines bright in the hearts of all who seek you through knowledge and love, sacrifice and detachment.  You chose for yourself a people and made them a lasting covenant.  Despite their infidelity you were true to your promise and taught them to long for the day of their savior, the day of peace and salvation to all people.

All:  Praise to the expectations of the nations, praised to the promised one of Israel, Praise to him who comes in the name of the Lord.

Con. Cel. III. O God invisible at the favorable time, you were pleased to become visible to us.  Your word, your only begotten son took on our human condition and was born of the Virgin Mary, as supreme teacher and master, he imparted the words of eternal life, to the poor and humble of heart.  He went about doing good, and when his hour had come, of his own accord, he laid down his life as a sacrifice for our sin.  Raised from the dead by you, father, he became for us the source of life and sent by the Holy Spirit to fill the world with joy and peace.

Main Cel: Now we pray you Father, send the same spirit to fill these gifts of bread and wine with his divine power, and to make present among us the great mystery of our salvation.

All: Holy…holy… holy (is sung)

All Concelebrants:

            At the supper which he shared with his disciples your Son Jesus Christ, took bread in his sacred hands gave you praise and thanks, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples saying:

           

Take this, all of you, and eat of it: for this is my Body which will be given up for you.

In the same way after supper, he took the cup.  Again he gave you praise and thanks, gave the cup to his disciples saying:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it: for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.

And so father, in gratitude we celebrate the memorial of the obedient death of your son of his glorious resurrection from the dead, his triumphant ascension into heaven, and his out pouring of the spirit, in whom the church is born. While we offer you his unique and holy sacrifice we await his return in glory, when he comes he will gather up the fruits of redemption hold them together in his fullness and place them at your feet.

All: We proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.

Con. Cel. IV Merciful father, bring together all your people, in the Holy Spirit help them live in Unity and fellowship with …………..our Pope, …………..our Bishop and all the bishops, clergy, religious and faithful.

Con. Cel. V  Grant to all departed a share in your bliss.  Welcome them into your kingdom, where Mary the Virgin Mother of God, the apostles and martyrs along with the saints unceasingly pray for us and help us share in the riches of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Loving father, send down your spirit, the fullness of your bliss to fill with joy and peace all of us who share in the body and blood of Jesus Christ that we may be one in him and manifest our unity in loving service.

Doxology:  (after this triple arathi is made ) In the oneness of the supreme spirit, through Christ who unites all things in his fullness, we and the whole creation give you God, the father of all, honor and glory, thanks and praise, worship and adoration, now in every age forever and ever.

All: Amen. You are the fullness of reality, One without a second, Being, Knowledge, Bliss. OM, TAT, SAT.

7. COMMUNION RITE  This is the bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will never die; whoever drinks of this cup will live forever. For the Lord said: “He will have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day”.  Do you believe this?

All: Yes, Lord we believe.  For you have the words of eternal life.

Cel:  Invites the community to recite the Lord’s Prayer…..Then the celebrant breaks the bread and says:

The cup of blessing which we bless is the communion with the blood of Christ, the bread which we break is the communion with the body of Christ.

All:  Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body for we all partake of the one bread.

Cel: My feast is ready says the Lord.  Let us joyfully share in this banquet (then all receive communion after communion…)

Let us pray: Lord, today the light has flooded our eyes. Your face is bent from above and your eyes have looked down on our eyes.  We feel our limbs are made glorious by your touch. And now we beg humbly one final glance from your eyes and our lives ever be your own.  This we ask through the one who has made you known to us this day in breaking of the bread, Jesus Christ our Lord.

All: Amen

8. FINAL BLESSING:

Cel:  May God, beyond all names and form, share with you his glory beyond measure and make you enter into the mystery of his presence.

All: Amen

Cel: May God who became manifest in Jesus Christ, enlighten your minds, strengthen your wills and fill your hearts with love.

All: Amen.

Cel:  May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all to protect and to guide you.

All: Amen

Final hymn