ŽuvelėGod loves you
Support
THE MEANING OF HOLY MASS INTENTIONS

What does a Holy Mass intention mean?

In Holy Mass, the Church unites with the one sacrifice of Christ and prays for the living and the deceased. By submitting an intention, we ask a priest to offer Holy Mass for a particular person, family, important concern or in thanksgiving to God.

It is an act of trust. We entrust our joy, pain or request to God’s love and wisdom. An intention is not a way to tell God what He must do, and an offering to the parish is not a payment for prayer.

Submit an intention
ENTRUSTING

God already knows what we carry in our hearts

Still, it is important for us to entrust our concern consciously. By submitting an intention, we name a person or situation and together with the Church ask for God’s presence, help and grace.

THE CHURCH PRAYS TOGETHER

Holy Mass is the prayer of the whole Church

A priest offers Holy Mass for a particular intention, while the Eucharist remains the prayer of the whole Church. It includes the prayers of the community and the intentions each person brings silently in the heart.

WHAT WE MAY ENTRUST

There is room for every sincere prayer

For the living

For health, strength, conversion, family unity, vocation, work, an important decision or peace of heart.

For the deceased

For deceased loved ones and those whom nobody remembers, entrusting them to Christ’s mercy, light and peace.

In thanksgiving

For received grace, recovery, reconciliation, a birth, a wedding anniversary, a jubilee or another gift of life.

For the Church and the world

For peace, vocations, the poor, the persecuted, missionaries and people touched by war, disaster or injustice.

We entrust our request to God’s wisdom and pray for what is good. He sees the whole life of a person and knows what we ourselves cannot yet understand.

FOR CLARITY

Three ways prayer meets in Holy Mass

A specific Holy Mass intention

The priest accepts the intention and offers that Holy Mass for the named person or request.

Prayer of the community

The gathered community prays together for the Church, the world and people who need help.

A personal prayer

Each participant may silently entrust family, work, suffering, thanksgiving and other concerns to God.

YOUR PARTICIPATION

Join the prayer when you can

A submitted intention is not merely an entry in a system. When you can, take part in Holy Mass and consciously entrust to God the person or concern for whom you are praying.

1

Pause for a moment

Before Holy Mass, remember the person or situation and entrust it to God in your own words.

2

Pray with the community

Come to church when possible. If illness, distance or another serious reason prevents you, you may join the broadcast prayerfully.

3

Come as you are

You may attend Holy Mass even when you cannot receive Holy Communion. Confession is not a condition for submitting an intention or attending Mass.

A broadcast helps us pray, but in ordinary circumstances it does not replace participation in Sunday Holy Mass. A Catholic conscious of grave sin should receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Holy Communion.

A SHORT INTENTION

A few clear words are enough

A short intention is no less important. For example: “Už Matą”, “Už šeimos vienybę” or “Dėkojant už pasveikimą”. God knows the whole story. To protect your own and others’ privacy, avoid unnecessary diagnoses, family conflicts or other sensitive details.

Sources for this explanation

This explanation is based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Code of Canon Law.

GO DEEPER WITH ŽUVELĖ

Conversations for learning more

Selected Lithuanian-language conversations about a Holy Mass intention, the Eucharist, and prayer for the deceased.

Understanding the Eucharist · Lithuanian

Žuvelė’22 #154–155 Kas vyksta šv. Mišių metu?

1 part ↗2 part ↗

Show two more conversations
Choose a Holy Mass time and write one short intention.

Enter the offering amount you have chosen; the full intention will be read during Holy Mass.

Submit an intention