Where does the term “MASS” come from? It is very possible that you may not know what “MASS” means. Since many of us do not remember when Mass was celebrated in Latin, the word “MASS” is derived from the way the Mass was ended in Latin. It is an English rendering of the Latin term “missa.” In Latin the Mass ends with “Ite missa est,” which means “Go, it is sent” – the “it” being the Church. From the Latin word “missa” comes the English word “dismiss.” So “Mass” means “dismissal.” The celebration takes its name from the sending forth that occurs at the end of every Mass.
Eventually, the celebration of the Lord’s
Supper became known simply as the Mass. There were two dismissals in the
celebration-one in which catechumens (people who were not fully Catholic yet but
wanted to be) were dismissed right after the sermon/homily, and the dismissal at
the end, when all the fully initiated Catholics, the faithful, were dismissed.
There were two “Masses” – namely, the Mass of the Catechumens and the Mass of
the Faithful.
The fact that we call this greatest of Christian prayers the “dismissal” points to the essence of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. He calls us to Himself, and through His saving act invites us to a unity with God the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus makes communion with God possible. But following Jesus does not stop with this communion, for once He has united us to Himself, He then sends us forth with a mission (a dismissal).
“Go” is one of His final words to His disciples as He ascends into heaven in the Gospel of Matthew’s account (Mt. 28:19). The way every Mass ends with “go” is at the heart of what we come to the Mass for-to be empowered by God and sent forth again.
Saint Peter spoke up for the apostles in John’s Gospel when Jesus asked the disciples whether they wanted to leave Him too. Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God”.
(John 6:68-69).
The “go” that is the very meaning of the word “Mass” receives its meaning from our communion with our Lord Jesus Christ during the Mass, where we believe and come to know Him!