The Mass quiz
14 questions from the guide. Think of your answer first, then check.
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Question 1 of 14
Why do Catholics go to Mass on Sunday?
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Question 2 of 14
On which two Sundays can the priest wear rose (pink)?
Gaudete Sunday in Advent and Laetare Sunday in Lent (GIRM 346). The rest of the year his chasuble (from the Latin for “little house”: Catholic Encyclopedia) is green in Ordinary Time, violet in Advent and Lent, white at Christmas and Easter, and red at Pentecost and for martyrs. Right now it’s , so on most days it’s .
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Question 3 of 14
How many times do we answer “And with your spirit”?
Five: at the greeting, before the Gospel, at “Lift up your hearts”, at the sign of peace, and just before the final blessing (GIRM 134, 148, 154, 167).
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Question 4 of 14
Which three ancient languages can you hear at Mass?
Hebrew: Amen, Alleluia, Hosanna. Greek: Kyrie eleison, and Eucharist itself. Latin: Mass. (See the Gospel, the Holy, Holy, the Great Amen and the sending out; CCC 1062, 1328, 1332.)
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Question 5 of 14
When a deacon reads the Gospel, what does the priest say to him first?
The deacon bows and asks for a blessing, and the priest answers, “The Lord be in your heart” (GIRM 175).
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Question 6 of 14
How old is the Creed we say on Sundays?
It turned 1,700 in 2025. It began at the Council of Nicaea in 325 and was completed at Constantinople in 381 (CCC 195).
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Question 7 of 14
What might be hidden inside the altar?
Relics of saints. The Church keeps the custom of placing them under the altar on purpose (GIRM 302). In Revelation, the souls of the martyrs are seen “underneath the altar” (Revelation 6:9).
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Question 8 of 14
What does “Hosanna” mean?
It’s Hebrew for “(O Lord) grant salvation”: in other words, “save us!” (Psalm 118:25; note on Matthew 21:9). The crowd shouted it as Jesus rode into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). And the “hosts” in “Lord God of hosts” are armies: the armies of angels (Psalm 148:2; CCC 1090).
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Question 9 of 14
Where does the word “Host” come from?
From the Latin hostia, which means a sacrifice offered to God (Catholic Encyclopedia).
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Question 10 of 14
How long have Christians been saying this Amen?
Since at least the year 155. St Justin wrote that at the end of the prayer “all present give voice to an acclamation by saying: ‘Amen’” (CCC 1345).
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Question 11 of 14
Why is there no “Amen” straight after the Our Father at Mass?
The priest carries on with a prayer of his own, and we finish with “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever” (GIRM 81).
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Question 12 of 14
How many times is the Lamb of God sung?
At least three, but it can go on for as long as the breaking of the Host takes, always ending with “grant us peace” (GIRM 83).
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Question 13 of 14
When did Christians start taking Communion to people who couldn’t come to Mass?
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Question 14 of 14
How many kisses does the priest give at Mass, when there’s no deacon?
Three: the altar at the start, the Book of the Gospels after reading it, and the altar again at the end (GIRM 49, 134, 90).