From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
It has gone by many names over the centuries: the Breaking of the Bread, the Eucharist, the Divine Liturgy, the Unbloody Sacrifice, the Mystical Supper of the Lamb, and many more. Any title falls short of capturing what is the “source and summit” of Christian faith. And yet, every title contributes to deepening our entry into this greatest Mystery of our faith.
The Mass–this simplest title most likely derives from the dismissal–in Latin: Ite MISSA est (“Go forth, the Mass is ended” or, more literally, “Go, She – the Church – has been sent”). The Mass is our greatest prayer because it is the prayer of Christ in his Paschal Mystery, in his supreme response to the Father, which includes his own “going forth” to the right hand of God. The ritual that clothes the Mass both invites and disposes the baptized to join in Christ’s response of offering, sacrifice, blessing and praise.
