How we can receive more from the Mass – 28 (Dismissal)
What, I wonder, are your thoughts when you hear the words of the Dismissal at the end of our celebration of holy Mass? I am not sure that I even dare articulate some possibilities!! There are four options for the Dismissal that the priest or deacon may use. The first is, “Go forth, the Mass is ended.” The word ‘forth’ here is important; this is not the cry of a weary landlord, pleading with his customers to ‘Go! Go anywhere, but just get out!’ The use of ‘forth’ turns ‘go’ into something intentional, something purposeful. The next two options were explicitly added to the Missal by Pope Benedict XVI after the Synod on ‘The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.’ They were added so that the connection between liturgy and daily life would be more evident – they give us a greater insight into the meaning and purpose of the Dismissal: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” ...