Draft Order of Mass of 2027

NB: When † is printed, all make the Sign of the Cross.
NB: Any reference to "the rail" refers to an altar rail, a rood screen, or an iconostasis. If Mass is said in a Byzantine church, the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar are said before the Holy Doors, which remain closed until the Kyrie. During the Kyrie, the Doors would be opened, and the priest alone advances through them to the altar, where he prays the Gloria and the Collect. The doors are again closed for the Liturgy of the Word and remain closed until the Canon.
NB: A Low Mass may be sung or said, and may be said by a priest without any servers. A High Mass must be sung and requires all ministers listed in the procession. Collectively, the priest, deacon, and servers are "the ministers."

	Before the Mass, the Missal is placed on the altar, closed.

	In a High Mass, the order of procession is as follows: a thurifer, with thurible lit but not incensed; a crucifer, bearing the crucifix to be mounted on the altar; two candle-bearers; the deacon, carrying the Book of Gospels if there is one and a card with the Introit if needed; finally the priest, bearing the veiled chalice and corporal in the burse. The priest and deacon have their heads covered.
	In a Low Mass, depending on how many servers there are, the crucifix, the candles, or both are placed on the altar before Mass. Likewise for the Book of Gospels if there is no deacon.

	A bell is rung to indicate the beginning of the procession.

	As the ministers process, or standing at the rail:
D: I will go unto the altar of God.
C: To God, who gives joy to my youth.
D: [Introit Versicle]
C: [Introit Response]
D: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
C: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever,
O: Amen.
D: I will go unto the altar of God.
C: To God, who gives joy to my youth.

	Upon reaching the rail, the ministers genuflect together, then enter the sanctuary, using the Deacon's Doors if in a Byzantine Oratory. The crucifix is mounted on the altar first, then the candles are placed to its sides, then the Gospel book is placed on one side, finally the corporal is unfolded upon the center of the altar and the chalice is placed on it, and the Missal is opened to the Propers. The deacon and priest must uncover their heads before approaching the altar.

	At the foot of the altar, the priest, deacon, and servers kneel, and all kneel with them.
P: †In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
O: Amen.
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
C: Who made Heaven and Earth.
O: I confess to Almighty God, to Blessed Mary ever-virgin, to Blessed [local or daily patron],[1] to all the angels and saints, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault, therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, Blessed [local or daily patron], all the angels and saints, and you my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
P: May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to life everlasting.
O: Amen.
P: Thou wilt turn again, O God, and give us life.
C: And thy servants will rejoice in thee.
P: Show us, O Lord, thy mercy.
C: And grant us thy salvation.
P: O Lord, hear my prayer.
C: And let my cry come unto thee.
P: † May the almighty and merciful Lord grand us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins.
C: Amen.

	All stand, and the ministers enter the sanctuary. The priest prays "Aufer a nobis" whilst approaching the altar, then "Orámus te" at the altar.

D: Kyrie Eleison.
C: Kyrie Eleison.
D: Kyrie Eleison.
C: Christe Eleison.
D: Christe Eleison.
C: Christe Eleison.
D: Kyrie Eleison.
C: Kyrie Eleison.
D: Kyrie Eleison.

	If a High Mass: during the Kyrie, the priest puts incense into the thurible and blesses it silently, then incenses the altar during the Gloria.

	The Gloria, whether in Latin or vernacular, is started by the priest and continued by the people.

	Before the Collect: the priest turns to the people and extends his hands, saying aloud:
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And with thy spirit.
	Turning back to the altar:
P: Let us pray.

	All sit after responding "Amen" to the Collect.

The Liturgy of the Word follows, with three readings, a Psalm, and the Gradual and Alleluia/Tract, all proclaimed from the ambo, the first two readings by an instituted reader if possible, or by a qualified and blessed layperson.

	Before the reading, the reader receives a blessing from the priest before entering the sanctuary to approach the ambo. If the same reader reads both readings, they may wait standing within the sanctuary between readings. The Gospel remains reserved to the deacon, or priest if there is no deacon.

	The homily follows, then a short period of silence, then the Creed. The priest should introduce it with his own words to the effect of "Let us together profess the Catholic and Orthodox faith." Then, all say or chant the Creed (sans Filioque) aloud. The priest faces the altar at this point.

	A fixed or seasonal Universal Prayer follows. To be created.

	If it is proper, there may be a collection after this. There may also be a small procession bearing bread and wine. The Tridentine Offertory prayers are restored, prayed secretly except for "Orate, Fratres," but the Secret is prayed during the "Suscipe" response. The Sursum Corda dialogue follows this, then the Preface.

During the Canon, the following parts are said aloud: "Meménto, Domine, famulórum, famulurúmque tuárum" (but not after the pause), the Words of the Lord in the Institution Narrative, and the Great Doxology starting at "Per ipsum." All else is prayed in a low voice. [Uncertain.]

	The Communion Rite is most similar to the Pauline Missal, but lacking the Rite of Peace. Instead, we have the Lord's Prayer, the Sequel, the Doxology, [Rite of Peace?] then the Agnus Dei.

	After saying the prayers of the Fraction in a low voice and uncovering all Hosts that are to be given, the priest turns to the people, holding the Host over the Chalice, and says:
P: Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
C: Lord, I am not worthy that thou should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

	The priest communes himself, then the people.

	The formula for Communion is "Corpus Christi" or "Sanguinis Christi." Communion is given only on the tongue, and is given at the rail if there is one. If there is no rail, such as in a Byzantine oratory, then the communicants may stand, but still only receive on the tongue. The Communion Verse may be arranged in a form suitable for the choir to sing during Communion. If there is no music, then the priest reads the Verse immediately before distributing Communion.

	After Communion, the priest may allow for a short period of quiet reflection. At the end of this, he goes to the Altar then turns to the people and extends his hands, saying aloud:
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And with thy spirit.
	The priest turns back to the altar, joins his hands, and says:
P: Let us pray.
P: [Post-Communion Prayer]
C: Amen.
	If there is a Last Reading, it is read ad orientem, with the pre-Gospel dialogue if it is a Gospel. At the end:
P: The Word/Gospel of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God/Praise to thee, O Christ.
	The priest then turns to the people and blesses them, saying:
P: May Almighty God bless you, †Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
O: Amen.
P: Go forth, you are sent.
C: Thanks be to God.

	The Leonine Prayers are said after this Dismissal but before the hymn and before the ministers depart the sanctuary.
	As the hymn begins, each minister takes their item in reverse order of how they were placed (that is, priest, deacon, candles, crucifix), with the same reverences as at the beginning. The ministers organize at the rail to process out of the nave as they came in (crucifer leading, and so on). The priest prays the Placeat either while processing out or in the vestry.


[1] Styled thusly depending on titles: Bl. Apostle Peter, Bl. Confessor Maximus, Bl. Doctor Thomas Aquinas, Bl. Maximilian Kolbe, Bl. Therese of Liseux, and so forth.