Missa

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specific type of religious service in the Roman Catholic tradition focused on the Eucharist
2. an ancient Latin term for a Mass that emphasizes the sacramental aspect of worship
3. a liturgical ceremony commemorating the Last Supper and involving communal prayer and rituals

Etymology: Ecclesiastical Latin "missa" comes from "mittere," meaning "to send," the same root behind English "mission" and "missile." The link to worship lies in how the service ended: the congregation was sent away at the close of the rite, and the word came to name the rite itself. The word therefore preserves an act of dismissal rather than a description of worship. Its core idea is one of being released, and the sacramental meaning the definition emphasizes grew out of that closing moment.

Synonyms: mass, church service, liturgy, celebration