Concluding Rites
National Liturgical Council
Before blessing the assembly and sending them forth, the priest or parish representative may briefly draw everyone’s attention to forthcoming events and activities.
The Mass draws quickly to a close with the priest’s greeting and prayer for God’s blessing on all.
Then the priest, or the deacon if there is one present, sends everyone forth to live what they have celebrated.
Pope John Paul II, in Dies Domini #45, makes the point that Mass does not end with the dismissal:
For the faithful who have understood the meaning of what they have done, the Eucharistic celebration does not stop at the church door. . . Once the assembly disperses, Christ’s disciples return to their everyday surroundings with the commitment to make their whole life a gift, a spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God (cf Romans 12:1).
