The Mass: from beginning to end
These twenty oil paintings have been exhibited in Westminster Cathedral during Holy Week, 1993, and in the Bar Convent, York, Autumn 1993. Most of them were painted during 1988 and 1989, and were the first of the ‘prayer’ paintings to be painted as large oils. They are published as high quality prints in the book THE MAJESTY OF THE MASS. All 20 paintings are also printed together on a single poster, called THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS: MASS POSTER. The series is also presented as part of the SECOND RADIANT LIGHT CONFERENCE VIDEO, with a spoken commentary by the artist. To see larger versions of each picture, click on the thumbnail picture within an exhibition.
 | INTROIT: Entry into the sanctuary This is our sanctuary: a holy place, consecrated so that a holy People can offer the Holy Sacrifice of Christ from the altar. We gather here to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection too, yet always with reverence. Christ our God is always Present, sacramentally, in our church. LX0064 |
 | KYRIE: Lord, have mercy In our centuries-old prayer, we pause to express sorrow for our sins, in preparation for the Sacred Mysteries in which we are about to take part. Here, the light of God’s glory is shining upon our hearts and lives, to enlighten and purify us and to free us from fear. L70 |
 | GLORIA: Glory be to God Here, someone bows down before the Most Holy Trinity: not grovelling, but adoring. Since we have been made children of God by Baptism, we worship in joy. Knowing of God’s majesty, however, we love to genuflect, to bow, and to offer thanks and praise. Every good thing we possess is a free gift from God. L417 |
 | ALLELUIA: The Gospel ‘Christ our Light’: That’s what we say at each Easter Vigil. Here is the light of the Gospel. It streams out towards us, God’s People, as we listen to God’s Word with open, attentive hearts. This is how we can receive wisdom, warning, or joy and consolation. L612 |
 | CREDO: The Creed Gathered together with our priest, we are glad to proclaim that we share one Faith; and we list out loud the wonderful things that God has done for us. He gave us Jesus, born of Mary. He offers us Salvation, through Christ’s saving work, with the hope of Heaven. LX0065 |
 | OFFERIMUS TIBI: The Offertory We offer bread and wine to God, to be changed into Christ’s Sacred Body and Blood: our spiritual Food; and we offer ourselves: our joys, sufferings, works, everything: as a sacrifice to God, so that His Will can be done in the world. LX0066 |
 | SANCTUS: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord We in the Church on Earth are on the ‘brink’ of Heaven’s worship. The whole Church – of Earth, Heaven and Purgatory – is united with the Angels in praise of God. God’s holiness is like a pure fire of love which overflows into open hearts. L442 |
 | EPICLESIS: Come Holy Spirit After all our preparations, our priest now asks the Father ‘Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ’. Here, the Holy Spirit is pictured not as a dove, but as an eagle – to emphasise His Almighty power. L157A |
 | HOC EST: This is My Body At the Consecration, Christ’s Sacred Body is Present on the altar, through the words and actions of our priest. Here is the Victim Who once died on Calvary: now here in sacramental form. We are taking part in a living memorial of the Work of the Cross: of the saving Work of Christ. Christ gave up His life for us, as His Mother stood close by; and as we couldn’t be there at Calvary, we can be here, before the altar, as that same Sacrifice is offered today, at the hands of our priest. L59 |
 | SANGUINIS MEI: The cup of My Blood By the sacred words of Christ, and the power of the Holy Sprit, the wine is consecrated, and changed into Christ’s Precious Blood: His life-blood, once poured out on the Cross, to save us. In this sacred memorial, the graces won for us by Christ on Calvary are applied to us and to our lives: and also to the souls of the Faithful Departed. The Holy Sacrifice can be offered for ‘the living and the dead’. L613 |
 | MYSTERIUM FIDEI: The Acclamation It is by faith that we recognise the Presence of Christ, Who is veiled from our sight. What appears to be bread and wine is bread and wine no longer. Christ our Lord is here in glory. His radiance fills the sanctuary. All the holy Angels who share our worship can see this glory, even though we are blind to it until we reach Heaven. L550 |
 | OMNES QUI: All our departed We cannot reach the Father in prayer by our own efforts. In the great prayer of the Church we join our little praises to Christ’s perfect praise, to make a single perfect Offering, to the glory of the Father, in thanksgiving for all gifts and in reparation for sins, and in petition for help and salvation – for ourselves, for those in special need, and for the Faithful Departed. L193 |
 | PER IPSUM: Through Him, with Him The Sacrifice now offered at the hands of our priest is a living memorial of Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross. We also celebrate His Resurrection and Ascension. It is the Risen Christ – ‘the Living Bread from Heaven’ – Who is now Present, praying to the Father on our behalf, as the priest, like a visible Christ amongst us, raises the Sacred Host and the chalice, whilst saying: ‘Through him, with him, and in him, all glory and honour is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever’. L535 |
 | PATER NOSTER: Our Father It’s almost time for us to make the sacrifice truly our own: by uniting ourselves with the Victim: with the living Christ, in Holy Communion. But we prepare for something so marvellous by further prayer. We are children of God, so we pray ‘Our Father’ – not ashamed to acknowledge our dependence on the God of love Who made us. In the darkness of Earthly life, we look up in faith towards the light of Heaven and the glory of the Saints who share our worship. L114 |
 | AGNUS DEI: Lamb of God We say these ancient words in humility: ‘Lamb of God…have mercy on us’. We remember the terrible way in which Christ was stripped and sacrificed: offered up like the lambs once offered in the Temple sacrifices. By shedding His Blood, He made a New Covenant. L375 |
 | DOMINE: Lord, I am not worthy We’ve been praying as one Body: God’s People, gathered to celebrate our Passover from death to life, and Christ’s Passover from Earth to Heaven; yet in a private moment, each of us speaks from the heart to our Saviour Who waits to greet us. We are not worthy to receive our God; but He is thrilled to be amongst us; and He loves to give joy: the sort of joy and peace that we can receive in no other way. L545 |
 | COMMUNIO: Communion There’s a huge crowd of Saints and Angels close by us, in the church. They see us as we make our way towards the sanctuary for Holy Communion. It’s a bit like Galilee, when crowds were struggling to be close to Jesus. But they could only touch Him briefly. We can take Him into our souls and lives, and also feed on His Divine life. He draws us closer to His heart. L150 |
 | LAUS ET JUBILATIO: Praise and Joy Here, we see someone kneeling in prayer to welcome Christ. But Christ is never separated from the Father and the Holy Spirit, and so Christ draws the loving soul deeper into the heart of the Holy Trinity. This really happens, whether we seem to kneel in darkness or whether we experience light and joy and consolation. L461A |
 | ITE, MISSA EST: Go to love and serve This is what the church is like, spiritually, when souls are ablaze with Divine love: each person lit up with the light of Christ, and longing to go out to tell other people about the hope, love and sense of purpose to be found through Christ and His Church. We should go out not to pursue selfish ambitions, but to work, pray and celebrate in the various ways which will best fulfil God’s Will and bring glory to God and help to other people. L155 |
 | DEO GRATIAS: Thanks be to God Perhaps we need to dash out straight after the final hymn. Or maybe we could offer another word of thanks to Christ – God within us – for His infinite kindness. Here, the tall column of white light represents the Guardian Angel: always nearby: a pure spirit given to each soul by God, to keep us from evil and to steer each of us towards Heaven. (L188) L188 |