The Concluding Rite
The final part of the Mass, the Concluding Rite, exists to provide the faithful an opportunity to reflect upon the mystery they have just participated in and to prepare them to carry the love of Christ into the world. The words for the prayer after communion and the final prayer over the people or solemn blessing are both newly translated. The dialogue between the priest and people is the same as elsewhere in the Mass when the people respond: “And with your spirit.” The dismissal includes four new options prayed by the deacon (or priest if no deacon is present). All four phrases begin with the word “Go” to indicate forcefully the meaning of the word Mass which literally means “sent out.” Two examples: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord” and “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”
Dino Durando, BHI Instructor
