ORIENTATION
(from STM Bulletin December 2, 2007)
A new Year of Grace begins today! It is new liturgical year, celebrating anew the “whole mystery of Christ, from his incarnation until the day of Pentecost and the expectation of his
coming again” (GNLY, 17). Today also begins a new year of the three-year Lectionary cycle—Year A. It is a new beginning—mark it well!
King of All Creation
(from STM Bulletin November 25, 2007)
Father all-powerful, God of Love, / you have raised our Lord Jesus Christ from
death to life, / resplendent in glory as King of Creation. / Open our hearts, / free all
the world to rejoice in his peace, / to glory in his justice to live in his love.—Alternative Opening Prayer, Solemnity of
Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, Roman Missal
The image that this prayer gives—of rejoicing in peace, glorying in justice, and living in love—describes nothing less than the reign of God that Christ came to establish. As such, this prayer points us toward the end of time when our risen king shall return in the glory of God.
At that time, the ancient promises of Godwill be fulfilled. Peace, Justice, and love are the hallmarks of the messianic reign. They telltale elements that describe that kingdom of God.
Today’s commemoration speaks of that aspect of our faith which looks back throughout the past liturgical year—from the celebration of the Incarnation at Christmas, to the revelation of Christ as Son of God, through the early public ministry of the Galilean preacher, to his trial ans condemnation and his Passion and crucifixion, to his death and Resurrection—and sums it all up by proclaiming him King of the universe and of all creation!
As the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the Church pauses and utters one last cry of hope and faith—the same cry of John the evangelist:”Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Circle is Complete
(from STM Bulletin November 18, 2007)
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks today of the end times: “There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place” (Luke 21:11). Jesus is describing to his listeners the end of the world—the end times.
Notice that today’s Gospel comes from the twenty-first chapter of Luke. Now go back to the first Sunday of Advent, almost a year ago. Look at the Gospel that was proclaimed as the new liturgical year began. See that it was the twentyfirst chapter of Luke? At that time we heard Jesus say, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth, nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world” (Luke 21:25—26).
We have come full circle; the liturgical year is almost complete. Next week we will celebrate the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King. After that we will begin a brand new year—a new liturgical year, a new year of grace.
Rather that seeing a frightening picture of dire predictions in today’s Gospel, we who have faith realize that we have been baptized into Christ’s promised return in glory. In this we see the culmination of all the ancient promises of God: that one day Christ will return to establish his great kingdom of peace and
justice.
The descriptions we hear in today’s Gospel are not of some terrible end to
the world as we know it. Rather, they are the descriptions of the dawn of a brand
new world, a brand new way of living, a brand new way of being alive—alive
forever in Christ Jesus.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Marriage of Heaven and Earth
(from STM Bulletin November 11, 2007)
An ancient image of the mystery of the Incarnation is that of a marriage between God and humanity. This image has roots in the writings of the prophets. Through the prophet Isaiah, for example, the Lord speaks to Israel, saying that “As a young man marries a virgin,/your Builder shall marry you;/ And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride / so shall your God rejoice in you” (Isaiah 62:5). For the prophets, Israel was the Lord’s betrothed—the one the Lord took to himself and for himself. Israel was the one to whom the Lord chose to be united—forever!
Of course, this image finds its greatest expression in the Incarnation. In this mystery God has forever united himself to his people. In the mystery of God becoming one with us—by becoming one of us, in all ways but sin—God has once again claimed us as his own. In Christ Jesus, God has married us—united to us in a bond that can’t be served. Because of this commitment, this bond, nothing can ever againseparte us from the love and faithfulness of God. Not even death!
This image of God’s marriage to humanity is also an eschatological symbol (that is, it is a symbol of the end times). In his return in glory, Christ the bridegroom will come at the end of time to take his bride the Church. Heaven is imaged as the great, eternal wedding banquet where the unity between God and humanity, which will be whole and complete upon the return of Christ in glory, will be celebrated forever.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Feast of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
(from STM Bulletin November 04, 2007)
On Friday of this week, the Church will celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. This basilica is the cathedral church of Rome and was built on land that was owned and given to the Church by the Laterani Family. The basilica was dedicated in 324 by Pope Sylvester I. As the cathedral church of Rome, Saint John Lateran (named after both Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist) is the Mother Church of all churches in Rome and in the world. In other words, Saint John is the cathedral church for the universal Church.
In any diocese, the role of the cathedral is extremely important. It serves as the Mother Church of all the parishes of that diocese, and is the Church of the local Bishop. In fact, the world cathedral comes from the Latin word cathedra, meaning “chair,” referring to the Bishop’s chair, a symbol of his role as chief shepherd of the diocese.
Therefore, it makes sense that the whole Church should celebrate the anniversary of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica: it is the mother church of all Catholics! As such, it reminds us of our unity as the universal Church. It reminds us of our unity under the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, whose cathedra, or “chair,” is at Saint John Lateran. It reminds us of the unity we share in Christ Jesus, whose body we are as the Church.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
All Saints and All Souls
(from STM Bulletin October 28, 2007)
This Friday and Saturday the Church celebrates two of the most profound liturgical celebrations in our liturgical year: the solemnity of All Saints and the commemoration of all the faithful departed (All Souls). In these two days we proclaim the great mystery of our faith that points us to the heavenly banquet of the Lamb. Over the course of these days, we look to the end of time when all who have been marked with the sign of faith will, we pray, one day join the great host of saints in heaven, eternally gathered around the slain and risen Lamb, singing our hymn of praise and thanks forever.
The solemnity of All Saints (a holy day of obligation this year) honors all those who, we believe, are in the eternal presence of God. It commemorates all those who in some way, mirrored the Paschal Mystery of Christ in their lives of faith. These are God’s holy and faithful ones who lived their faith in profound ways. Some were great leaders of nations; others were holy ministers of the Lord, ordained or professed. Still others were married men or women who lived Christ’s Gospel in an exemplary way, or they were single and loved Christ completely. All of them were examples to us of how we should live our faith.
All Souls Day commemorates all those who have died and who, we pray, may one day join the saints in the heavenly kingdom. These are the faithful departed who we pray to God, in his great love and mercy, takes to himself. On this day we pray for all the dead. We pray that God forgives them their sins, and we pray that they be admitted into the banquet of heaven with all the saints, in glory.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Book of the Names of the Dead
(from STM Bulletin October 21, 2007)
During the month of November, the Church prays especially for the souls of those who have gone before us in faith. The month begins with a special Mass of the Dead, on the commemoration of all the faithful departed (All Souls Day on November 2), in which we remember all those in the parish who have died in the past year.
Throughout the month, The Book of the Names of the Dead may be displayed—a book which contains the names of those who have died, especially in the recent past. This book has its origins in the ancient necrologies (“list of the dead”) kept in many monasteries and other religious houses.
In a way, this practice of having a parish book of the dead—a parish necrology—is a powerful expression of our Christian faith regarding death. Recall the practice in which a saint’s feast day is determined by the date of his or her death—their Dies Natalis, or “day of birth”—the day they are birthed into the new and eternal life of the kingdom.
Our faith proclaims that death is nothing of which to be afraid. It is nothing of which to be afraid because our Master has gone there before us and, we proclaim, has conquered death. Rather than fearing death, we proclaim that it is our entrance into the great, eternal banquet feast of the Lamb.
If your parish has the custom of displaying The Book of the Names of the Dead, be sure to visit it this month. Look through the names recorded in it, if you are able. Pray for those whose names are listed there. Perhaps you might ad someone’s name and date of death, so that someone who comes after you might pray for him or her.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
A Blessing of the Harvest
(from STM Bulletin October 14, 2007)
The Book of Blessings reminds us that the “symbolic offering of first fruits of the harvest to God, in order to praise him for this gift, is a custom that should be maintained” (BB, ch. 28, #1007).
As the fall harvest culminates during these last days of October, the Church reminds us that it is from God that all these gifts of the earth come. The great bounty of autumn vegetables and fruit is all around us: the store displays are full, farmers markets are at their peak, and orchards are busier now than at any other time of the year.
As the natural cycle of nature brings forth the fruits of the earth, God, the great architect of all creation, brings forth to our attention the promised fruits of his kingdom, when Christ his Son will return in glory.
In this Spirit, the Church offers praise and thanks to God for all that he gives us through the harvest. The Order of Blessing in Thanksgiving for the Harvest, found in the Book of Blessings, offers prayers and readings that help us express our praise and thanks. After an opening song and a greeting, the order calls for the reading of scripture passages that contain images of the harvest and of God’s blessings. The reading is followed by a psalm of thanksgiving (e.g., Psalm 67 or 147), and Intercessions. After this, the Prayer of Blessing is prayed, in which we thank God for his bounty and for his gifts. The complete order can be found in the Book of Blessings, ch. 28. Families may wish to use this blessing as they harvest their gardens or share in the produce of autumn.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Ordinary Time during Fall
(from STM Bulletin October 10, 2007)
As the season of summer begins to wane and the first signs of autumn appear one may notice the liturgies of the Church begin to shift as well. In the readings and prayers of Sunday Mass there is a change of focus and attention. Where the scriptures of summer spoke of discipleship and the way a follower of Christ should live, the readings of autumn begin to point us to the end times and the return of Christ in glory.
Notice that a sense of urgency begins to creep into the readings and texts
of the Sunday Mass. In just a few weeks we will hear the Gospel in which Jesus asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18, the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 21).
These references to the eschaton ( the term theologians use for the “end
times”) begin to enter more and more into the readings and texts of the liturgy. As the liturgical year winds down, we are pointed toward the end of time when the kingdom of God will be established in its entirety. This is the kingdom that God established in Eden, which was altered by original sin. This is the kingdom of God about which John the evangelist wrote when he described a “new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1).
These themes will dominate the Sunday liturgy until we celebrate the end
of the liturgical year and the great solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time. The closer we get to this solemnity, the more we will be drawn into the life we are meant to live through our Baptism: the life of Joy and happiness, which has been the promise to those who are faithful since the creation of the world.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
A Blessing of Animals
(from STM Bulletin September 30, 2007)
This week, on Thursday, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis has long been identified as the patron saint of animals and of creation. Both the Book of Blessings (ch. 25) and Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers Include an Order of Payer for the Blessing of Animals on the feast of this great saint.
Our Catholic spiritual tradition has long held that creation (the earth, all the animals and birds, the trees and plants, the mountains and hills), by its existence, gives praise to God, the great creator who entrusts his work into the hands of humans. Psalm 148, for example, sings, calling upon all creation to praise the Lord: “Praise him, sun and moon;/give praise, all shinning stars;/You animals wild and tame,/you creatures that crawl and fly /. . . . Let them all praise the Lord’s name” (Psalm 148:3, 10, 13a).
Many parishes celebrates a blessing of animals in observance of feast of Saint Francis. Such a prayer service begins with the sign of the cross and an introduction to the service of blessing. A reading of scripture follows ( for example, the account of creation: Genesis 1:24—31). After that, the Prayer of Blessing is prayed, followed by Intercessions, the Lord’s Prayer, and a Closing Prayer. The full order of service can be found in the Book of Blessings or in Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers, pp. 174-77.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Archangels
(from STM Bulletin September 23, 2007)
ON Saturday of this week, the Church will honor the archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. These are the great messengers of God to humanity– those heavenly beings who, at moments when God’s word was vital, acted as mouthpieces for the Almighty, delivering messages of grave importance.
Of course, Gabriel was the great messenger to Mary, who announced to her the plan of God, to bring about the salvation of all people through the fruit of her womb. Gabriel’s message of hope was completed by Mary’s yes— her acceptance of the message from heaven.
Raphael was the great companion of Tobias, son of Tobit, a wealthy and devout Israelite living in Nineveh. As Tobias labored to recover his father’s fortune, it was Raphael who offered protection, guidance, and ultimately the healing of Tobit.
Then there’s Michael, the great soldier of God. It is Michael who battles against the beast in the book of Revelation and who, tradition tells us, led God’s army in the uprising against Lucifer.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
An Apostolic Church
(from STM Bulletin September 16, 2007)
On Friday of this week, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Matthew, an apostle and an evangelist (that is, one of the four authors of the Gospel). Since the earliest years of the Church, we have honored and observed the apostles during the liturgical year. They were the first witnesses to Christ: they were there to hear his teachings, they witnessed his miracles, and they hear his preaching on the kingdom of God. After the resurrection, and especially after Pentecost, they were the ones who went out into the world and preached about all that they had seen Jesus do and all that they had heard Jesus preach and teach. They were the link between Jesus Christ and the early Church. They still are that for us, in the twenty-first century.
The feast days of the apostles are special days for Catholics. All that we believe in our faith comes to us from the apostles. All that we know of Jesus comes from their experience of him, their memories of what he said and what he did. Our faith is, literally, built upon what they believed of Christ.
Because of that, the Church is apostolic. What we profess on Sunday (the Creed) has its roots in the teaching and preaching of the apostles after the death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ. So, of course, the days upon which we honor them are observed with a special solemnity, a unique celebration.
On these days we remember with reverence the first followers of Christ. We praise God for their witness and for their steadfastness in the faith.
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
(from STM Bulletin September 9, 2007)
We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation, our life and our resurrection; through him we are saved and made free.—Entrance Antiphon, Feast of the
Exaltation of the Cross, Roman MissalThis Friday the Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. This day actually commemorates the dedication of the Church of the Holy sepulcher in Jerusalem.
The focus of the feast might best be seen through the lens of the antiphon, quoted above. Interestingly, this is also the antiphon with which the Church begins the great celebration of the Triduum, the three-day commemoration of Christ’s Passion, death, and Resurrection on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
This can give us a clue as to how we should regard the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross: Through the cross of Jesus Christ we have been saved! For those of us who believe, the cross is much more than a sign of the means by which Christ died. It is a profound symbol of our Christian faith, one that encompasses and presents the heart of our faith: Christ’s Paschal Mystery. Through this instrument of torture and execution, we proclaim that God has brought life and salvation to the world!
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Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Heavenly Banquet
(from STM Bulletin September 2, 2007)
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks a parable about a great banquet and who should be the guests at such an event. His teaching ends by noting that when there is a banquet, one should invite “the poor, the crippled, the lame (and) the blind” (Luke 14:13)). This parable reminds us of the heavenly banquet, of which our participation in the Eucharist is a foretaste.
One aspect of the Church’s understanding of the Eucharist has always been that whenever and wherever it is celebrated, the Eucharist is a participation in the great messianic banquet that is being celebrated eternally in heaven. Heaven, we believe, is the great unending banquet around the table of the Lamb. There, no one goes away hungry; no one goes away with unmet needs.
The great feast of heaven is an image of the reign of God, where there will be no more suffering, no more tears, no more sadness, no more inequality, and no more injustice. The great feast of heaven is an image of what we are journeying to in our lives of faith, here on earth.
In the Eucharist we have a taste of what awaits us eternally, at the
heavenly banquet. There, when all wisdom is given to us and we have eternal life, we will enter forever around the table of the Lamb, in true and complete communion with him. When we gather on Sunday as the Church of Christ, and we eat and drink in memory of him, we are rehearsing for, we pray, what we will have and what we will do and who we will be for eternity: guests of the Lamb at his great feast of life, wisdom, and joy.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
A Blessing of Students
(from STM Bulletin August 26, 2007)
As the month of August winds down, students and teachers all over the country are preparing to return to school. For some students, it will be to the school they attended last year. For others it will be a brand new experience in a brand new school; the first year in middle school or high school, for example. For others, it will be a more symbolic beginning—the beginning of college and the first-time experience of being away from home. The Introduction to the Order of Blessing of Students and Teachers, from the Book of Blessings, chapter 5, reminds us that “it is appropriate that students and teachers alike acknowledge that all human wisdom and knowledge have God as their source.”
In the midst of these life experiences, the Church provides blessings to help experience these events in the context of our faith. Whether the child is leaving for college or for day school, the family may gather around him or her. After making the sign of the cross and perhaps proclaiming an appropriate reading of the scripture, the mother or father may pray the blessing in the name of all the family. In this way the Church recognizes and celebrates the comings and goings of those of us who follow Jesus, the one true teacher.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Prophets and Prophesy
(from STM Bulletin August 19, 2007)
BIBLICAL prophets and prophesy have long been misunderstood. Many people think of them as fortune-tellers, or those who foretold the future.
Prophets and prophesy in the scriptures were more the voice of reason in the midst of upheaval and uncertainty of life. The prophets were those who remembered. They remembered the covenant that Yahweh made with their people, and they remembered the promises God made to them through the covenant. The prophets were the ones who would remind the people of the covenant when kings made decisions contrary to the spirit of God’s covenant, or when the people forgot the wondrous promises that God made through the covenant.
In reminding the leaders and people of the covenant, the prophets would point to the future and to things that would come, if they continued in their current ways of living or governing outside the covenant. Because the message of the prophet was, in fact, a criticism of the people and the leaders, it was often met with adversity and opposition.
The work of the prophet, as we know, is dangerous work. For the words of the prophet call us to examine our own lives and ask ourselves: will we remember the covenant and change, or will we, instead, denounce the prophet and ignore his vision?
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(from STM Bulletin August 12, 2007)
On Wednesday of this week the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On this day we commemorate the bodily entry of Mary into heaven. This belief was declared as dogma of the Church by Pope Pius XXII in 1950.
Mary, as the first disciple of the Lord, the one who’s great yes opened the doors of salvation to the world, has always been held as a model of the Church. As a model of discipleship and faith, her surrender to God’s will gives us a pattern for our own lives of faith. As a model of the Church, her life gives us hope in the future promise of glory given to us at our Baptism.
The preface to the Eucharistic Prayer for today’s Mass reminds us that Mary was “taken up into heaven to be the beginning and the pattern of the Church in its perfection.” In other words, Mary’s Assumption is our destiny as faithful followers of her Son! As disciples of Christ and as members of his Body the Church, we have a place at the heavenly banquet at the end of time when Christ returns to establish completely the kingdom of God. This is what is meant by saying that Mary is the image of the perfected Church—all the faithful, gathered from every time, nation, language, and way of life, forever gathered around the table of the Lamb, singing that hymn of endless life and praise!
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
A Blessing for Travelers
(from STM Bulletin August 05, 2007)
The summer months are high times for travel for many of us in the United States. Vacations and other excursions take us to different areas, different states, and different countries. Work and business calls us to the roads and to the air. In the midst of these comings and goings, the Church provides a context for asking for God’s care and watchfulness over those who travel.
In one sense, every trip, every vacation every reason to travel can be seen as an image of our own journey trough life. As such, we continually seek God’s favor and blessing as we make the journeys. We call to mind the great travelers of the scriptures, whom God guided in some way: Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Aaron, Miriam and all the Israelites, the three magi. As God guided them, so do we ask for God’s presence and protection. We might also call to mind the many6 journeys that Jesus made in his public ministry: from Galilee to Jerusalem, from Samaria to Jericho, from Jerusalem to Emmaus with the three disciples. As he journeyed with his disciples and others, so do we ask for his company and his guidance.
During this time of late summer, may God watch over us and guide us in all our travel, in all our journeys.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Blessings
(from STM Bulletin July 29, 2007)
In our Catholic tradition, we recognize the power of blessings. The introduction to the Book of Blessings reminds us that the “source from whom every good gift comes is God. Who is above all, blessed for ever. He who is all good has made all things good, so that he might fill his creatures with blessings and even after the Fall he has continued his blessings as a sign of his merciful love” (BB,1) To bless God is actually to praise God, to give him thanks.
To bless God is to recognize the many good and wonderful ways that God has acted in our lives. God’s powerful and saving presence is the basis of all of the praise and thanks we offer him.
When the Church celebrates a blessing we recognize that God is the source of all good things. We ask that God’s goodness continue in a specific situation. When the Church blesses objects, we ask that God make his presence and action known through our use of those objects. Finally, when the Church blesses people, we recognize God’s goodness in them as his son or daughter, and we ask God to continue to guide them, to be present to them.
In all of these rites, the Church acknowledges god’s great care for his people and the world. In acknowledging God’s saving presence and action, we are moved to praise him for all the good he has done, and we ask that his goodness continue in our lives.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Sunday, the Day of the Lord
(from STM Bulletin July 22, 2007)
SUNDAY is the original festival, the weekly celebration of Christ’s holy Resurrection. Sunday is the day of the Eucharist, the day of the Church’s joy, the day of the beginning again in grace of him who says, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). The festivity of Sunday worship overflows into all of life. There is delight in the details: freshly polished shoes, “Sunday best” clothes, flowers and wine for the Sunday dinner table. The absolute priority given to Sunday Mass is an irreplaceable witness to the kingdom God.
The beauty of Sunday Mass is an offering to God and a healing for the soul. The singing of priest, deacon, choir, cantor, and people; the use of incense and lights; the sacred movement of bodies in worship; vesture in the appointed liturgical colors; the clear sound of the bell; the flowers that delight the eye and perfume the air– all these good things proclaim the splendor of the mystery of faith, each in its own particular way.
In addition to Sunday Mass, following an impetus given by the Second Vatican Council, there are cathedrals and parish churches around the world where the faithful return for vespers, the Church’s solemn evening liturgy. The celebration of the vespers is often followed by a time of Eucharistic adoration. Having entered into Christ’s sacrifice in the morning, the Church returns at sunset to contemplate the glory of his face, praying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent” (Luke 24:29).
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Go, the Mass Is Ended:
(from STM Bulletin July 15, 2007)
AND the angel of the Lord came again a second time, and touched him, and said. ‘Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you.’ And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God” (1 Kings 19:7-8). The Eucharist is this mysterious food and drink prefigured in the experience of the prophet Elijah.
The dismissal of the people by the deacon or priest is a mandate for mission: “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Many who “sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79) wait for the light and warmth that only nourishment by the Eucharist can bring. Paradoxically, the end of the Mass is the beginning of our mission. We are bound to leave, and leaving to labor in love, so as to return “full of song, carry our sheaves” (cf. psalm 125:6).
The Mass ends, mysteriously, with a kiss. The priest and deacon kiss the altar. It is the kiss of promise and anticipation, something that the heart understands. The Church thus lives from Eucharist to Eucharist, “proclaiming the death of the Lord until he comes” (1Corinthians 11:26).
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Prayer after Communion
(from STM Bulletin July 8, 2007)
And their eyes were opened and they recognized him” (Luke 24:31). The Church celebrates the Eucharist with eyes opened wide in recognition of Christ her Lord and bridegroom. The priest introduces the Prayer after Communion as he did the collect at the beginning of Mass, saying, “Let us pray.” The assembly responds in a brief but intense silent prayer. The priest then prays in the name of all for the fruits of the mystery just celebrated: healing of mind and body, the forgiveness of sins, the protection of God, and strength to go forward in holiness. The people seal the prayer with their Amen. Brief announcements may follow, prepared in advance and made in such a way as to foster the climate of reverence and joy that should characterize the Mass from beginning to end.
In a final greeting, “The Lord be with you,” the priest wishes the people the abiding presence of Christ. The people in turn acknowledge the gift of grace that is his for the service of the Church: “And also with you.” The blessing follows. During Lent a Prayer over the People may precede it; on festive occasions a more solemn formula may be used.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Holy Communion, Part 2
(from STM Bulletin July 1, 2007)
O taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 33:9). We approach the body and blood of Christ in “Eucharistic amazement” and joy. The Church carefully regulates the manner of receiving Holy Communion. “The faithful are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and still less, to hand them from one to another” (GIRM< 160). Holy Communion is never “taken”; it is a gift receiver with adoration.
“When receiving Holy communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant . . . . As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes it entirely . . . . When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood” (GIRM, 160 and 161).
After the distribution of Holy Communion, the priest and people spend some time praying in silence. If desired, a psalm or hymn of praise may be sung before the priest says the Prayer after Communion.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Holy Communion, Part 1
(from STM Bulletin June 24, 2007)
LORD Jesus Christ, with faith in your love and mercy I eat your body and drink your blood. Let it not bring me condemnation, but health in mind and body.” Saying quietly this prayer or another one found in the Roman Missal, the priest prepares to receive the body and blood of Christ. At the same time, the faithful prepare for Holy Communion in the silence of their hearts.
Lifting the Eucharistic bread above the chalice, the priest invites the faithful to look upon the Lamb of God and to receive in Holy Communion to foretaste of the “Supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9) made ready for the blessed in heaven. “It is most desirable that the faithful, just as the priest himself is bound to do, receive the Lord’s body from hosts consecrated at the same Mass and that, in the circumstances when it is permitted, they partake of the chalice” (GIRM, 85). The Communion chant begins while the priest is receiving the sacrament.
Like the entrance and offeratory chants, it is, according to tradition, an antiphon often drawn from the Gospel of the day-and a psalm chosen to resonate with it.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Breaking of the Bread
(from STM Bulletin June 17, 2007)
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of
the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17). There was something unforgettable in the
way Jesus broke the bread at the Last Supper and again for the disciples encountered on the road to Emmaus. “He was known to them in the breaking of the
bread” (Luke 14:35). The bread of life is broken to be given to the many, bringing
into the unity of a single body all who receive it.
The priest breaks a piece from the host and puts it into the chalice to signify that in Holy Communion we receive Christ’s living and glorious body. He begins the breaking of the bread after the sign of peace and carries it out with reverence.
“This rite is reserved to the priest and the deacon” (GIRM, 83). Even after
the breaking, each fragment of the Eucharistic bread is the whole Christ. During the breaking of the bread, the choir or cantor sing the supplication to the Lamb of God, the Agnus Dei, to which the people respond, “have mercy on us.” The invocation may be repeated until the rite is completed. At the last repetition the people respond, “grant us peace.”
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Rite of Peace
(from STM Bulletin June 10, 2007)
PEACE I leave you, my peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). Peace descends from above; it is the gift by which Christ prepares us to become one in the sacrament of his body and blood. By coming together for the Eucharist, we demonstrate our readiness to forgive each other, to accept the peace of Christ into our hearts, and to exchange it with one another.
The exchange of “the peace” is not the expression of mere good wishes. It is the outward sign of a gift inwardly received, and as such is marked by reverence and dignity. “The priest may give the sign of peace to the ministers but always remains within the sanctuary, so as not to disturb the celebration” (GIRM, 154). At the same time, “it is appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner” (GIRM, 82). “While the sign of peace is being given, one may say, The peace of the Lord be with you always, to which the response is Amen” (GIRM, 154).
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Our Father
(from STM Bulletin June 3, 2007)
And I, when I am lifted up, will draw all Amen to myself” (John 12:32). Drawn to Christ, we dare to pray as he taught us, calling God “our Father” (Matthew 6:9).
The Lord’s Prayer opens the Communion rite. “Pray then like this,” said Jesus
(Matthew 6:9). By means of his prayer, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for
we do not know how to pray as we ought” (Romans 8:26).
“Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). In the petition for daily food we express, above all, our hunger for the “bread of life”( John 6:48). We ask, too, for purification from sin—”Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12)—so as to approach in holiness the
holy mysteries of Christ’s body and blood.
The priest introduces the Lord’s Prayer; all sing or say it together with him. After the last petition, “but deliver us from evil,” the priest alone continues in a prayer for deliverance “from every evil” and for peace. The people conclude with a doxology. The Roman Missal provides a simple chant for the invitation, the
Lord’s Prayer itself, the prayer that prolongs it, and the doxology.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Through Him, with Him, and in Him
(from STM Bulletin May 27, 2007)
Through him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, forever and ever. Amen.” The climax of the Eucharistic Prayer is a doxology, a word of glory. Praise blossoms on the lips of the priest and is sealed by the “Amen” of the people. The entire Eucharistic Prayer flows into this one moment, like a river into the sea. We acknowledge that every good thing descends to us from the Father through Christ and , through Christ, “in the unity of the Holy Spirit,” we return to the Father “all glory and honor.”
The priest alone, or in a concelebrated Mass, the principal celebrant, together with the concelebrating priests, sings or says the final doxology, lifting high the paten with the host and the chalice. The people’s solemn acclamation, “Amen,” signifies their complete adhesion to everything said by the priest. This is the true elevation fulfilling the psalmist’s mysterious words: “What shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord . . . In the presence of all his people” (Psalm 115:12-13).
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Offering
(from STM Bulletin May 13, 2007)
WE, your people and your ministers, recall his passion, his resurrection from the
dead, and his ascension into glory; and from the many gifts you have given us, we
offer to you, God of glory and majesty, this holy and perfect sacrifice, the bread of life and cup of eternal salvation” (Eucharistic Prayer I). In each of the Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Missal, offering follows remembrance. “From the rising of the sun to its setting” (Malachi 1:11), Christ, the Lamb of the eternal sacrifice is present and offered to the Father under the form of bread and wine. In communion with the Church in every place, the priest and faithful offer to the Father the sacrifice that “brings salvation to the whole world” (Eucharistic Prayer IV).
The offering of Christ, head of the mystical body, cannot be separated
from the offering of his members. In offering Christ, we learn to offer ourselves at
Mass and in all the circumstances of life. There is room on the altar of Christ’s
sacrifice for every joy, suffering, prayer, and work of ours. “I appeal to you by
God’s mercies,” says Saint Paul, “to offer up your bodies as a living sacrifice,
consecrated to God and worthy of his acceptance” (Romans 12:1). The unity of
the Church is forged in her one offering.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Intercession
(from STM Bulletin May 20, 2007)
Lord, remember those for whom we offer this sacrifice” (Eucharistic Prayer IV). No one is forgotten in the Mass: neither the saints in heaven, nor our fellow pilgrims on earth, nor those who have gone before us in death. In the Eucharistic Prayer we pray for “our Pope Benedict XVI, our Bishop, Gabino Zavala, and Bishops and clergy everywhere.” And we “remember those who take part in this offering, those here present and all your people, and all who seek you with a sincere heart” (Eucharistic Prayer IV). We pray for “those who have died in the peace of Christ and all the dead whose faith is known to you alone” (Eucharistic Prayer IV). In every Mass we rejoice to name “Mary, the Virgin Mother of God.”
We remember the apostles, the martyrs, and all the saints. Our Eucharistic
intercession is immense and all-embracing. Like Jacob’s ladder it stretches from earth to heaven. “And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending upon it” (Genesis 28:12).
Catholics request the celebration of Masses for the departed, for the needs
of the living, and for special intentions. There is no greater comfort in times of sorrow, no surer help in time of need, no higher joy in times of blessing than the Mass.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Offering
(from STM Bulletin May 13, 2007)
WE, your people and your ministers, recall his passion, his resurrection from the
dead, and his ascension into glory; and from the many gifts you have given us, we
offer to you, God of glory and majesty, this holy and perfect sacrifice, the bread of life and cup of eternal salvation” (Eucharistic Prayer I). In each of the Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Missal, offering follows remembrance. “From the rising of the sun to its setting” (Malachi 1:11), Christ, the Lamb of the eternal sacrifice is present and offered to the Father under the form of bread and wine. In communion with the Church in every place, the priest and faithful offer to the Father the sacrifice that “brings salvation to the whole world” (Eucharistic Prayer IV).
The offering of Christ, head of the mystical body, cannot be separated
from the offering of his members. In offering Christ, we learn to offer ourselves at
Mass and in all the circumstances of life. There is room on the altar of Christ’s
sacrifice for every joy, suffering, prayer, and work of ours. “I appeal to you by
God’s mercies,” says Saint Paul, “to offer up your bodies as a living sacrifice,
consecrated to God and worthy of his acceptance” (Romans 12:1). The unity of
the Church is forged in her one offering.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Remembering
(from STM Bulletin May 6, 2007)
Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation, his glorious
resurrection and ascension into heaven, and ready to greet him when he comes
again, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice” (Eucharistic
Prayer III).
The Church retraces the whole passage of Christ through suffering and
death into the glory of the Resurrection and Ascension. She remembers, too, his
promise to come again. In the mysteries of Christ she sees the unfolding of the
Father’s plan, the “secret and hidden wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 2:7). Offering the sacrifice of Christ, she gives thanks.
Having “passed through the heavens” (Hebrews 4:14), the ascended
Christ presents himself to the Father in an act of everlasting remembrance and
thanksgiving. As the Church remembers and gives thanks, she too, in hope, a
moment, full of adoring silence. Then, out of this silence, the priest raises his
voice in a cry of Eucharistic amazement: “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.”
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Consecration
(from STM Bulletin April 29, 2007)
Take this, all of you, and eat it; this is my body which will be given up for you. Take this, all of you, and drink from it, this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all, so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me “ (Eucharistic Prayer).
At the heart of the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest says and does what Christ said and did at the Last Supper. The power of Christ’s words and actions, and the power of the Holy Spirit, make present the sacrifice of the cross. The bread appears unchanged, but it is no longer bread; it is the body of Christ. The wine appears unchanged, but it is no longer wine; it is the blood of Christ.
The priest shows the consecrated host to the faithful, and after that, he
shows the chalice containing the blood of Christ. A bell may be rung; incense may be offered. The church is, for a moment, full of adoring silence. Then, out of this silence, the priest raises his voice in a cry of Eucharistic amazement: “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.”
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
(from STM Bulletin April 22, 2007)
The counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” ( John 14:25). Ceaselessly, the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance the lifegiving words of Jesus: “This is my body which is given for you” (Luke 22:19).
In the Eucharist Prayer, while giving thanks to the Father, the Church
“implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts offered by human hands be consecrated that is, become Christ’s Body and Blood” (GIRM, 79). The Church also prays that, by the action of the Holy Spirit, “the spotless Victim to be received in Communion be for the salvation of those who will partake of it” (GIRM, 79).
At the Annunciation (cf. Luke 1:35) the Holy Spirit overshadowed the
Virgin Mary, forming the Body of Christ in her womb. At Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:4) the Holy Spirit was present in a mighty wind and tongues of fire to form the body of Christ, the Church. In every Mass the Holy Spirit makes fruitful the Church’s obedience to the command of Christ: “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19).
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Holy, Holy, Holy!
(from STM Bulletin April 15, 2007)
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might!” One can almost hear the rush of angel’s wings in the Sanctus, a hymn of adoration belonging to the Eucharistic Prayer itself. The biblical sources of the Sanctus are in the book of the prophet Isaiah and the Gospel of Saint Matthew thus it brings together the Old and New Testaments in single song. “I saw the Lord,” says Isaiah, sitting upon a throne high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).
Surrounding the Lord, the prophet saw seraphim, angels of fire calling out.
“Holy, Holy, Holy!” The second part of the Sanctus echoes the cry of the
children of Jerusalem waving palm branches before Christ the true king:
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9).
The Sanctus expresses what lies at the heart of the Christian experience
of God. The thrice-holy God adored by the angels is, at the same time, the
humble self-emptying God who, in the Eucharist, gives us his body and blood.
Like the preface that leads into it, the Sanctus cries out to be sung. The Roman Missal provides a sim
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Eucharistic Prayer
(from STM Bulletin April 1, 2007)
When Jesus has spoken these words, he lifted up eyes to heaven and said, ‘Father , the hour has come; glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you’” (John 17:1). Thanksgiving was the heart of prayer of Christ to the Father. It was in giving thanks that he instituted the memorial of his Passion, blessing his Father in advance for the glory of the cross and for the joy it would bring into the world. Lifted up on the cross and raised to the Father in glory, Christ became our everlasting Thanksgiving. “It was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26).
The Eucharistic Prayer is the center and summit of the Mass. The Roman Missal contains four. The first of these, the venerable Roman Canon was for centuries, and until quite recently, the only Eucharistic Prayer of the Roman Church. The second, third, and fourth Eucharistic Prayers were introduced in the Roman Missal of 1970.In addition to these, the Roman Missal contains six other Eucharistic Prayers; three of these are for Masses with children.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Prayer over the Gifts
(from STM Bulletin March 25, 2007)
I appeal to you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). To conclude the preparation of the gifts, the priest appeals to the assembly: “Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.” Called to pray, the people stand and make their response, holding themselves in readiness for the mystery about to unfold. The Mass engages neither the priest alone, nor the people apart from the priest, but the people offering with the priest and through his ministry. “The celebration of the Eucharist is an action of the whole Church, and in it each one should carry out solely but completely that which pertains to him or her, in virtue of the rank of each within the People of God” (GIRM, 5).
The Prayer over the Gifts follows. It asks God to receive the offerings set before him and to give us, in exchange, the surpassing gift of himself. The faithful, uniting themselves to this prayer, make it their own by sealing it with the acclamation, “Amen.”
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Preparation of the Gifts
(from STM Bulletin March 18, 2007)
The Altar is prepared at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Corporal, a white linen cloth, is unfolded over the altar cloth already in place. When all is ready the faithful bring forward the offerings of bread and wine. Money and gifts for the poor may also be collected and brought forward; these are put in a suitable place away from the altar.
The procession is accompanied by the offertory chant, usually an
antiphon and psalm. Even when there is no procession, singing may accompany the rites of preparation. The priest places the bread and wine on the altar, praying silently as indicated in the Missal. He may also, if there is no singing, say aloud the prescribed formulas. He then bows low, praying silently, “with humble spirit and contrite heart” (cf.Daniel 3:39-40).
The priest may then incense the offerings, the cross, and the altar. The
clouds of incense rising in the presence of God are a sign of the Church’s prayer. The priest may also be incensed, in recognition of his sacred ministry, and the people too, by reason of their baptismal dignity. The priest then washes his hands, praying silently, “Wash me of my iniquity, Lord, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 50:2).
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Prayer over the Gifts
(from STM Bulletin March 25, 2007)
I appeal to you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). To conclude the preparation of the gifts, the priest appeals to the assembly: “Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.” Called to pray, the people stand and make their response, holding themselves in readiness for the mystery about to unfold. The Mass engages neither the priest alone, nor the people apart from the priest, but the people offering with the priest and through his ministry. “The celebration of the Eucharist is an action of the whole Church, and in it each one should carry out solely but completely that which pertains to him or her, in virtue of the rank of each within the People of God” (GIRM, 5).
The Prayer over the Gifts follows. It asks God to receive the offerings set before him and to give us, in exchange, the surpassing gift of himself. The faithful, uniting themselves to this prayer, make it their own by sealing it with the acclamation, “Amen.”
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
(from STM Bulletin March 11, 2007)
I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying. ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me’“
(1 Corinthians 11:23-25).
The Mass is the sacrifice of Christ and the banquet of his body and blood. It is the mystery of Christ’s cross and Resurrection made presenting our “here and now,” the foretaste on earth of “what God has prepared for those who love him”(1 Corinthians 2:9) at the heavenly “supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).
The Liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds in three movements: the Preparation of the Gifts, the Eucharistic Prayer, and the Breaking of Bread to be given in Holy Communion. The Mass thus corresponds precisely to the words and actions of Christ: “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them” (Luke 24:30).
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Prayer of the Faithful
(from STM Bulletin March 4, 2007)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respecable in every way” (1Timothy 2:1-2). The Prayer of the Faithful, also called the General Intercessions, is a litany of supplication for the Church, for civil authorities, for those afflicted by suffering, and for local community. It concludes the Liturgy of the Word. In the Prayer of the Faithful the word heard in the readings, explained in the homily, and meditated in silence becomes the word prayed. “So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty” (Isaiah 55:11).
The priests directs the Prayer of the Faithful from the chair; taking care to relate it to the Word that has been proclaimed and preached, he begins it with a brief invitation and concludes it with a prayer. A deacon, cantor, or lector announces the intentions. “The
intentions announced should be sober, be composed freely but prudently, and be succinct” (GIRM, 71). The people make supplication after each intention by singing or reciting an invocation or by praying in silence.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Homily
(from STM Bulletin Feb. 18, 2007)
PREACH the word in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching” (2Timothy 4:2). The homily is an integral part of the Mass, reserved to priest celebrant himself, or entrusted by him “to a concelebrating priest or occasionally, according to circumstances to a deacon, but never to a lay person” (GIRM, 65). The homily may be an explanation of the Gospel, of the other Mass readings, or of the Responsorial Psalm. It may call attention to other texts of the Mass or develop the feast or mystery being celebrated on a given day. The homily is “the Word in other words.”
The best preaching is prepared in silence. Before preaching the word, the priest listens to it, repeats it, and allows it to germinate in his heart. The homily is a bridge in two ways. It connects the first part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word, to the second part, the Liturgy of the Eucharist; and it connects the Mass to the rest of life. The homily sends God’s people, full of thanksgiving, into the sacrifice of Christ renewed on the altar, and prepares them to go forth into a world hungry for goodness, beauty, and truth.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Profession of Faith
(from STM Bulletin Feb. 25, 2007)
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion” (1 Timothy 3:16). In the rofession of faith or creed we respond to the word of God proclaimed in the readings and explained in the homily. The creed is a synthesis of what the Church believes and teaches, a glorious summary of the deeds and promises of God. When, on Sundays and solemnities, we sing or recite the Creed, we praise “the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33) and, at the same time declare our resolve to “guard what has been entrusted to us” (ef. 1 Timothy 6:20).
We stand during the Creed: The uprightness of our bodies depicts the uprightness of the faith. At the words, “by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man,” all bow low in adoration of so awesome a mystery. At the same words on Christmas and on March 25, solemnity of the Annunciation, we kneel in humility and wonder, acknowledging the love by which Christ Jesus” emptied himself, taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of
men” (Philippians 2:7).
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Holy Gospel
(from STM Bulletin Feb. 11, 2007)
The Holy Gospel is not the mere reading of a text; it is the presence pf the risen Jesus in the midst of the Church. No sooner is the Gospel announced than the people address Christ directly, saying, “Glory to you Lord.” Similarly, after the Gospel, the people address their Lord, saying, “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.”
Lit candles and burning incense, marks of reverence and joy, may accompany the procession with the Book of the Gospels and surround the ambo while it is chanted or read. We listen to the Gospel while standing, like a people trilled to see and hear their king. Before the Gospel, we make a sign of the cross three times: on the forehead, the lips, and the heart, praying that
the word of Christ will fill our thoughts, bring praise to our lips, and inflame us with love.
The Sunday Gospels roll on a three-year cycle: Saint Matthew (Year A), Saint Mark (Year B), and Saint Luke (Year C). Part of the Gospel of Saint John, Jesus’ discourse on the bread of life, is proclaimed during Year B; the greater part of it is read during the Paschal Triduum. ”Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
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of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
Alleluia
(from STM Bulletin Feb. 4, 2007)
THEN I Heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying, ‘Alleluia’” (Revelation 19:6). Alleluia means “praise the Lord.” It is a cry of jubilation, the sound of pure, undiluted joy. We sing Alleluia to welcome and greet Christ, the bridegroom-king, present in the proclamation of the Holy Gospel. Alleluia says, “We recognize you, O Christ, and welcome you with inexpressible gladness.” The last syllable of Alleluia—ia—is derived from the Hebrew Yahweh. In the Church’s ancient tradition of liturgical chant, this last syllable becomes a river of ecstatic sound, a prolonged cry that climbs above thezone of words.
The Alleluia is sung in every season other than Lent. The return of the Alleluia at the Easter Vigil is a solemn and glorious moment. Three times it is intoned by the priest and repeated by the people. At other times the Alleluia is intoned by the cantor and repeated by the whole congregation. The cantor sings a short verse that sums up the Gospel of the day. Then, as the Book of the Gospels arrives at the ambo, the people acclaim Christ with a final Alleluia and stand ready to hear his voice.
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Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese
of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Responsorial Psalm
(from STM Bulletin Jan. 28, 2007)
THE unfolding of your words gives light” (Psalm 118:130). The book of Psalms, also called the psalter, is a collection of 150 poem songs inspired by the Holy Spirit and entrusted to Israel in view of the day when Jesus, the Son of God, would use them to express his own prayer to the Father. The Church sings the psalms and, like Christ her head, finds in them the expression of her own power. Psalm singing marks or accompanies various moments of the Mass. The Responsorial Pslam chanted after the First Reading is one such moment.
The text of the Responsorial Psalm is given in the Lectionary. Psalms are best chanted to a simple melody that allows the sacred text to speak for itself. The psalmist or cantor sings the verse of the Responsorial Psalm from the ambo, signifying that the psalm, like the reading that preceded it, is the word of God addressed to his people as well as their prayer to him. During the Responsorial Psalm the congregation remains seated, listening with reverent attention and singing the response after each strophe. The Responsorial Psalm is a meditation, a prayerful repetition of the word of God. The Responsorial Psalm is the word of God “taken to heart.”
. Note:
Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese
of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Word of the Lord
(from STM Bulletin Jan. 21, 2007)
THE word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). On Sundays and great feasts, the Mass has two readings before the proclamation of the Gospel. The first is taken from the Old Testament or, in the Paschal Triduum, from the Acts of the Apostles. The second is taken from the letters of Saint Paul, from the writings of another apostle, or from the book of Revelation. The two readings that precede the Gospel either point to the drawing light of Christ or Bathe in the splendor of his Resurrection.
Persons chosen to serve as lectors must be “truly suited to perform the function and should receive careful preparation, so that the faithful listening to the readings from the sacred texts may develop in their hearts a warm living love for Sacred Scripture” (GIRM, 101). The readings are proclaimed from the ambo and introduced by means of the prescribed formula: “A reading from the book of . . . “ or “A reading from the Letter of . . . .”At the end of the reading, the lector sings or says, “The word of the Lord.” In response, the assembly sings or says, “Thanks be to God.”
. Note:
Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese
of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
A Listening Silence
(from STM Bulletin Jan. 14, 2007)
The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to promote meditation, and so any sort of haste that hinders recollection must clearly be avoided ”(GIRM, 56). Liturgy and leisure are related. In a world stressed by noise and haste, the liturgy is a space of silence wherein each thing can be done calmly, deliberately, and with grace.
Brief periods of silence mark the Liturgy of the Word. These periods of silence are to be adapted to the needs and readiness of the assembly. The first of these may occur after the collect, just before the Liturgy of the Word begins. After the First Reading, a moment of silence prepares the Responsorial Psalm. After the Second Reading the Alleluia rises out of silence on the wings of song. Lastly, silence follows the homily, allowing the word proclaimed to become a word held in the heart.
In some communities, the introduction of silences will involve unlearning old patterns and entering into a new way of proclaiming, hearing, and praying the word. The rewards of such an effort will be great. “Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they
hear” (Matthew 13:16-17).
. Note:
Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese
of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
(from STM Bulletin Jan. 7, 2007)
Attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching” (Timothy 4:13).The Liturgy of the Word consists of the readings from Sacred Scripture together with the Responsorial Psalm and other chants that come between tem. The homily, profession of faith, and Prayer of the Faithful develop the message of the scriptures, apply it to life, turn it into prayer and conclude this part of the Mass.
In the readings and in the Responsorial Psalm, God speaks to his people. When God speaks he communicates himself; the word of God is an outpouring of his light, his life, and his love. The Liturgy of the Word invites all to the deepest kind of listening: a listening with the ear of the heart and a humble readiness to be changed by what is heard. “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
The word of God proclaimed in the Liturgy recalls God’s wondrous deeds in the past. It reveals his will for us in the present. It holds out the hope of “what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love
him”(1 Corinthians 2:9)
. Note:
Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese
of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Collect
(from STM Bulletin Dec. 31, 2006)
In everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God” (Phillippians 4:6). What is the collect? The origin of the term refers to the prayer made by the people “collected together in one place” and to the “collecting up” of the petitions of the many into one single prayer. The collect concludes the introductory rites of the Mass and directs our hearts and minds to celebrate both Word and Sacrament.
The collect is made up of four elements. (1) The priest, by saying, “Let us pray,” invites the faithful to make their petitions to God in a silent supplication. (2) The faithful respond by praying in silence. (3) The priest collections the prayers of the many into a single solemn prayer and presents it to God through Christ. (4) The faithful respond, “Amen,” placing the seal of their assent on the prayer offered by the priest.
Read the collect of today’s Mass and take it to heart. It will teach you how to call upon God, remind you of what his power has done in the past, teach you to ask wisely for his grace in the present, and invest your prayer with the joyous assurance that comes from going to God “ through Christ our Lord.”
. Note:
Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese
of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Gloria
(from STM Bulletin Dec. 24, 2006)
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people of good will” (Luke 2:15). The Gloria is sung on Sunday’s outside Advent and Lent, Solemnities, and feats. Often referred to as “the angelic hymn,” the Gloria was first intoned by angels from heaven for the birth of Christ on earth. The Gloria is a true hymn. Its opening burst of praise overflows
into a series of joyful cries addressed to the Father: “We worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.”
The hymn goes on to implore the mercy of the Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. In singing the Gloria, the Church relives the experience of Saint Stephen who, “full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55) Gazing on Christ, the Church praises him: “You alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High.” The final lines of the Gloria soar into the blinding mystery of the Trinity: “Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.” The hymn ends where it began: in the heavens.
. Note:
Prepared by Father Mark-Daniel Kirby, OCist, PhD. Copyright ©2005, Archdiocese
of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; 1-800-933-1800; www.ltp.org
The Baptistery
(from STM Bulletin Dec. 10, 2006)
A quick look at any contemporary journal devoted to interior design will make it very clear that people of our time spend a lot of time and attention on their baths. Sometimes the money and attention given to bathing facilities exceeds that given to other important rooms. We are not the first culture to give such attention to bathing. The Romans built huge public baths where people gathered to do business or socialize while enjoying their own version of the hot tub.
The excavation of old Roman churches often reveals the presence of bathing facilities not unlike those of the Roman public baths or our own contemporary bathing rooms. We know, of course, that in these ancient houses of prayer what at first glance might appear to be a bath was, in fact, the baptistery where catechumens were baptized. That room had at its center a large font where the catechumens could be immersed or where they could stand while generous buckets of water were poured over them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
This sort of font is becoming much more evident in our new or renovated places of worship. This is no mere archaeological practice. A return to this older form of Baptism bespeaks a revival of our sense of what Baptism is all about—an entrance with Christ into his death that with him we might come to his new and eternal life. We are buried in the waters of Baptism that we might have the promise of rising with him as well. Large bodies of water can at one and the same moment speak of death and life. We can drown in the river that irrigates the fields or in the sea that provides fish for our tables. People approaching Baptism should know that they are approaching a way of dying unto life that they might rise again.
The font frames our Christian life. At our entrance into the Body of Christ, the Church, we are lowered into the waters of the font. We emerge as from this womb reborn as children of God. Then on the day of our burial we are sprinkled with the water that recalls our beginnings at the font. We can begin to imagine that in some of our newly designed places of worship the day will come when Catholics will be buried and their coffins (or ashes) will be sprinkled with water from the same font in which these same people were baptized years before. Ideally each of us should be able to bless ourselves with water from the baptismal font as we enter the worship space. Through Baptism we entered the Church, God’s people; with water and the sign of the Cross we enter again into the worship of God.
The Roman bath was a place of cleansing and a place of fellowship. Christian Baptism is an entrance into the fellowship of Christ’s saints and therein a cleansing from all selfishness, pride and evil.
In Christ,
Rev. Paul F. Menke, Pastorfootnote:
. from the writings of Andrew D. Ciferni, O.Praem.
The Altar
(from STM Bulletin Nov. 26, 2006)
Imagine what stories would be told if our dining room or kitchen tables could speak. So much happens around our tables that in many ways they are the most powerful symbols of a family’s history. We come to the table to be nourished, to share a common life by sharing one food and drink. We do this in times of great joy and in times of grief, on ordinary days and in extraordinary circumstances.
So it is with the Table of the Lord, the altar. While they were at table Jesus took bread . . . The altar is the repository of our history. It is the table around which we gather for the meal which is at one and the same time the expression of our common life and the source of that life.
This table, like God’s family, has had a long history. The table at which Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Last Supper was probably lower than we might imagine it to be because Jesus would have reclined at that table. Early Church communities gathered in houses and their tables were undoubtedly dining room tables of the households where they gathered. As the Eucharist became more a ritual meal separate from dinner, the table became higher and smaller for it had only to hold the bread and wine being consecrated. This shape was also closer to the shape of altars of sacrifice.
When the growing size of early Church communities necessitated the building of special places of worship, the table was often a portable wooden one which could be brought in when needed. As the Church grew even more and many ordinary Christians lost their sense of being baptized into the priesthood of Christ, the altar was removed from the midst of the congregation and was confined to that part of the worship space restricted to the clergy. In this way it eventually became fixed against the back wall and became a base for all sorts of religious art which practically made it impossible to realize that the priest was celebrating the Eucharist at a table.
The freestanding altar is one of the clearest symbols of the liturgical change brought about through the Second Vatican Council. After the assembly itself, which the primary symbol of Christ’s presence, the altar is for Roman Catholics the most important symbol of Christ in our places of worship. Altar, of course, bespeaks more than a simple table for eating. The bread and wine on our altars are God-given gifts which we want to offer to God only in union with the self-sacrifice of Christ. Thus the altar is always to be treated with the greatest reverence. It is not a shelf for holding papers or other objects to be used in the liturgy. Only bread, wine and the Sacramentary (the book of Mass prayers for the Church) properly belong on the altar. Therefore, we should not expect an altar to be very large. It should be in good harmony with the human body. If it is too long it becomes an obstacle between the presiding priest and the rest of the congregation.
We are called to the table. The story we celebrate takes flesh upon this table from which we are fed and satisfied.
In Christ,
Rev. Paul F. Menke, Pastorfootnote:
. from the writings of Andrew D. Ciferni, O.Praem.
A Climate of Hospitality
(from STM Bulletin Nov. 19, 2006)
A Climate of Hospitality An American liturgist once remarked that the chief reason we have a penitential rite at the beginning of our Sunday Eucharist is so that we can be reconciled after the experiences that we have just had outside in the parking lot. Some of the best planning and practice for Sunday Eucharist is undone by the lack of hospitality we sometime experience before the more formal beginning of our worship.
What does the domestic virtue of hospitality have to do with Catholic worship? Everything! Catholic life and prayer are part and parcel of a thoroughgoing Gospel spirituality of hospitality. We model our lives on that of Jesus who sat at table with sinners and called them to be reconciled through his gracious sharing of food and drink. Jesus welcomed all with grace and warmth. He is still guest and host, sometimes served and more often serving.
He is our food and our drink.
It is not hospitable to greet dinner guests at the door, rush them immediately to the table and then usher them out as soon as dessert is finished. The more important a social event is the more we need to gather before it. The more successful a social event the more we tend to linger at and after its end. In our worship, our act of ritual prayer, we become the members of Christ’s Body, more his People. This is ultimate socialization.
The liturgical act really does begin in the parking lot—even earlier in our bedrooms as we dress for Mass—or on the sidewalk in front of church. The smooth flow of traffic and the barrier free entrance tell us that we are welcome at the house of all God’s People. Sunday Eucharist in Roman Catholic parishes demands a space where individuals and families can gather and become remembered as the Body of Christ, a place where we can share news who’s sick, who just had a new baby, etc., a place where strangers can be introduced and welcomed.
IN THE EARLY CHURCH, roman basilicas often had an enclosed garden in front of them, a sort of buffer zone one passed through between the noise and activity of the street and the prayerful quiet of the house of prayer. A person’s movement through this space was not simply physical. It was also a psychological procession from preoccupation with one’s own business to a more selfless attention to the other members gathering for common prayer. In that sort of greeting and exchange we encounter Christ in one another for it is Christ who has called us together. Our very act of assembling together is a response to God’s call in Christ; it is an experience of the real presence of Christ in our midst.
In Christ,
Rev. Paul F. Menke, Pastorfootnote:
. from the writings of Andrew D. Ciferni, O.Praem..
Liturgy Demands Full, Proper Symbols
(from STM Bulletin Nov. 12, 2006)
Fast food in disposable containers manifest our penchant for convenience and practicality. When that tendency is carried over into liturgy, the result is a perfunctory performance rather than a devout celebration.
Archbishop Mahony in his Guidelines for Sunday Eucharist, observes that “minimalism in ritual and an unyielding concern for practicality thwart the liturgy’s fruitfulness.” Every Catholic should come to church on Sunday with a belief that the celebration of the Eucharist is the high point of the week.
AT ONE TIME “Sunday best” meant what people wore to church for Mass. Dressing up for Sunday Mass is appropriate but never should anyone be made to feel embarrassed because of the simplicity of their attire. Those who proclaim the scripture readings should do so from the lectionary (the book of the selected scripture readings), never from a sheet of paper, a missalette or from any substitute for the lectionary.
THE ALTAR is the most sacred of all the liturgical furnishings; it is the very center of a Catholic church since upon it, is offered the one sacrifice of Christ. Papers, worship aids, hymnals, eye glasses, or any other paraphernalia ought never to be left on the altar, as though it were some “side table.” A casual attitude contradicts the reverence which the priest is directed to pay by bowing to the altar and kissing it. A similar respect should be afforded to the ambo (that is, the lectern or stand from which the scriptures are proclaimed).
So that the sign of unity may be more manifest, “there should be one bread and one cup.” Empty dishes and cups for the consecrated species of bread and wine are only brought to the altar during the “Breaking of the Bread” while the Lamb of God is sung.
A sense of the importance of what we do at Mass, and not a yen for convenient practicality, should pervade our celebration of Sunday Mass.
In Christ,
Rev. Paul F. Menke, Pastor
. from the writings of Rev. Charles E. Miller, C.M.
Liturgy, Tradition, Scripture (from STM Bulletin Nov. 5, 2006)
The Church has professed her doctrine both through her writings and through her tradition. The writings are the inspired words of the New Testament; tradition is expressed primarily in liturgical practices.
The celebration of the Christian liturgy was in full force for possibly as long as 20 years before the first book of the New Testament was composed, which was St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. Liturgical practice had by then firmly established Sunday, rather than Saturday, as the Christian Sabbath. The practice began a tradition which is followed to this day.
THROUGHOUT the first generation of the Church’s liturgy, the Gospels and epistles were being composed. There was a question, unspoken as far as we know, as to whether these writings were on a par with the accepted Old Testaments books. Were they truly God’s Word, inspired and authentic?
Liturgical practice answered the question. As these books developed, they were read when the community came together for the liturgy on Sundays. Not all then current Christian writings were accepted in this way but only those which today we know as the collection called the New Testament. The practice of the Church in liturgy, its tradition, determined which of the Christian writings were the Word of God.
AN IMPORTANT principle emerges from these historical facts. Liturgical worship as an expression of the Church’s tradition determined the authenticity of the New Testament, and not the other way around. Liturgy took the lead and throughout the centuries the liturgy has both safeguarded and proclaimed the faith. What the Church has written in the New Testament is not the only expression
of her faith, what the Church has done, especially in the liturgy, is also an expression of her faith. In other words, we do not depend on Scripture alone, sacred though it is.
The New Testament is the Church’s book. Through her members she has composed it, and through her liturgy she determined its authenticity. The Church also accepted the Old Testament and professes that those writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit as were those of the New Testament. The tradition of the Church, especially as it is experienced in liturgy, is an authentic source of our belief.
In Christ,
Rev. Paul F. Menke, Pastor
. from the writings of Rev. Charles E. Miller, C.M.
Sunday Is a Celebration (from STM Bulletin Oct. 29, 2006)
When I was growing up, priests “said” Mass and people “heard” Mass. That was our usual terminology even though Pope Pius XI, who was Pope from 1922 until 1939, had made a plea that we should “pray the Mass.” He was responsible for advocating hand missals so that people could follow a translation of what the priest was reading silently at the altar in Latin.
Pope Pius XII taught that we all offer the Mass through the ordained priest in union with Christ, and he called for active participation by all the faithful . . . The Second Vatican Council brought the dreams of Pius XII and church scholars to fruition. It established that “the aim above all else is the full, active participation of the people.” Its teaching led to the canonization of the term we use today, “to celebrate Mass.”
OUR ENGLISH word “celebration” comes from a Latin word which means a “gathering of people.” This should remind us that the Mass is never a private devotion. It is the prayer of the entire baptized people of God in union with Christ. The connotation of the word “celebrate” suggests the observance of a joyful event which is characterized by music, food, and fellowship. In this sense we celebrate birthdays and similar occasions. Liturgically, we celebrate our birth as Christian people through the death and resurrection of Christ. By dying he destroyed our old life of sin, and by his resurrection he has given us a new life whereby God has become our Father, and we have become sisters and brothers of one another.
THIS NEW BIRTH is so important that we celebrate it, not once a year, but every Sunday. Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is the original feast day. Sunday without Mass should be unthinkable. Each and every Sunday Mass should include, as much as possible, the use of music and liturgical ministers. This is not a question of taste or preference, but of what is proper to the “celebration” of Mass on Sunday.
In Christ,
Rev. Paul F. Menke, Pastor
. from the writings of Rev. Charles E. Miller, C.M.
Why Sunday? (from STM Bulletin Oct. 22, 2006)
On the day called Sunday there is a meeting in one place of those who live in cities or the county, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writing of the prophets are real as long as time permits. Then we all stand up together and offer prayers. And when we have finished the prayer, bread is brought, and wine and water, the presider similarly sends up prayers and thanksgiving to the best of his ability, and the congregation assents, saying the Amen, the distribution and reception of the consecrated elements by each one takes place and they are sent to the absent by the deacons...
We all hold this common gathering on Sunday, since it is the first day, on which God transforming darkness and matter made the universe, and Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead on the same day. *In Christ,
Rev. Paul F. Menke, Pastorfootnote:
* -Apologia from St. Justin Martyr begining of the 2nd CenturyReference on St. Justin Martyr's:
http://www.sjm87.org/patron_saint.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08580c.htm
http://www.catholicity.com/encyclopedia/j/justin_martyr,saint.html
What is church? (from STM Bulletin Oct. 15, 2006)
Most of us have hidden somewhere in the back of our minds an "ideal" picture of what a church building should look like (lofty, stately, beautifully adorned, made of stone-in short a "worthy" temple for the Lord). It would probably also be true that when we dream about the ideal building, we don't think of people being in it! However the word - church really doesn't refer to a building at all. It refers to the group assembled, the believers, who gather there.
When St. Paul wrote to the "churches" of his time, (e.g. a letter to the church at Corinth) he was writing to the groups of believers who met together in one another's homes. Only much later, when the number of Christians got too large to fit into a home, and it had become legal to be a "Christian", did buildings for the Church (the people of God) begin to be built.In Christ,
Rev. Paul F. Menke, Pastor