Concluding Rites

Excerpts from the book, A Biblical Walk Through The Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do in the Liturgy written by Edward Sri, S.T.D. and printed by Ascension Press in 2011.

The people stand for the closing rites of the Mass, which mirror how the Mass began, with the words “The Lord be with you” and the sign of the cross. This time, the sign of the cross is made while the priest blesses the people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In the ancient world, it was customary to close an assembly with a formal dismissal. From the fourth century onward, the Latin words Ite Missa were employed for this task. Literally meaning “Go, you are dismissed”, these words are rendered into “Go forth, the Mass is ended”. What is most significant about this dismissal is that the whole Liturgy receives its name, the Mass, from the word Missa in this closing line. This points to how the Mass ultimately should be seen as a sending forth. The liturgy in which the mystery of salvation is accomplished concludes with the sending forth of the faithful, so that they may fulfill God’s will in their daily lives.

Jesus told the apostles, “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you”.

As we have seen, the entire paschal mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection is made present to us in the Eucharistic liturgy so that we can be more deeply incorporated into Jesus’ life and mission. The more deeply the Eucharist unites us to Jesus, the more we will radiate his life and his love in the world around us. The closing line is a dismissal with a mission; it is a sending forth of God’s people to bring the mysteries of Christ into the world.