Mass (liturgy)

Mass is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is commonly called in the Catholic Church,Western Rite Orthodox churches and many Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, as well as some Methodist churches. Apart from "Eucharist" others are the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly (synaxis)", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and Divine Liturgy" and "Holy Communion". In these denominations, the term Mass often refers to the entire church service in general. Some Protestants employ terms such as Divine Service or service of worship, rather than the word Mass, although other Protestants, such as Anglicans and Lutherans, use the word. For the celebration of the Eucharist in Eastern churches, including those in full communion with the Holy See, other terms such as the Divine Liturgy, the Qurbono Qadisho or Holy Qurbana and the Badarak are normal.

The English noun is derived from Middle Latin missa. The Latin word was adopted in Old English as mæsse (via a Vulgar Latin form *messa), and was sometimes glossed as sendnes (i.e. "a sending, dismission"). The Latin term missa itself was in use by the 6th century. It is most likely derived from the concluding formula Ite, missa est ("Go; the dismissal is made"); missa here is a Late Latin substantive corresponding to classical missio.

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