On Singing!
A talented musician assures me that in order to get volume and
strength out of our singing, we need to open up our
mouth the width of three fingers side by side. If you look at people singing in
the television programme "Songs of Praise"
you will see almost everyone in the congregation singing strongly, with mouths
open wide. Perhaps it is only because the camera is watching, but nevertheless
what a beautiful sound comes out.
At times, when the volume of singing seems very soft, have a
look around. You may be surprised to see that a significant percentage of people
in the assembly are not merely opening their mouths very little, but many are
not opening their mouths at all !?
Perhaps many people were told as a child that they couldn't
sing. I am amazed at how many people were told this as a youngster and they never
sang again. What if this opinion was mistaken, or if your voice has matured.
Very few people are really tone deaf. Even someone without tune can keep a
rhythmic pace or a constant tone.
Even though we have repeated this principle over and over
again, it feels that some people still believe music to be an added extra - not
central to what we do. To have a mass without any music is strictly not
acceptable.
Full, Conscious and Active Participation
From time to time one hears someone saying: "Mass is
boring". But there is an analogy. Imagine going to a birthday party and
immediately sitting in the corner and not interacting with anyone. Imagine when
it comes to the singing of the song "Happy Birthday" that this same
person either did not sing it or sang it without feeling. Imagine if this
person wasn't really listening to any of the speeches and didn't bother to talk
to the hosts. If that person left the party and said "that was boring"
we would rightly say, "I'm not at all surprised! You didn't join in, how
could you possibly get anything from it, and you most certainly didn't give
anything to it either!" The same applies to liturgy. We are called to
"full, active, and conscious participation" in liturgy. We bring
ourselves, our lives, our hopes and fears and eagerly offer them up with Jesus
in the perfect offering of Eucharist.
One of the most important things about any liturgical action
is to maintain a sense of balance and proportion. The liturgy has a symmetry to it. It would be a very unbalanced liturgy if
we were to have a ten-minute introductory rite and spend five minutes on the
preparation of the gifts and then rush through the readings and the Eucharistic
prayer, with no space for silence and reflection. It would also be
disproportionate to give a half-hour homily and then a ten-minute Eucharistic
prayer. Similarly, too many announcements at the end of mass would overload and
over-emphasise the concluding rites that are intended
to swiftly send people out into the world to live as they have proclaimed. The
two significant parts of the mass are the liturgy of the word, including a
homily and prayers of the faithful, and the liturgy of the Eucharist, including
communion. These two need to stand in relationship with each other. Ideally,
they are roughly the same length. other subsidiary
elements, such as introductory rites, preparation of the gifts, and dismissal,
need to be seen as leading up to the flowing from these two high-points. This
is why we no longer sing a hymn at the preparation of the gifts or call it the
"offertory" as we once did. sometimes the
preparatory prayers are said silently, with instrumental music playing around
them so that they do not "steal the limelight" from the great prayer
of the offering: the Eucharistic prayer.
From Fr Paul.
On Liturgical Music
It was in 1903 that Pope Pius X insisted that "sacred
music.... is an integral part of the liturgy," vital for "the true
Christian spirit". This teaching was repeated by subsequent popes and by
the second
From
Sr Maree
Byron OSU.
The Ten Commandments of Liturgy.
1. Justice and integrity. the most
correct and carefully prepared liturgy can be neutralised
if - in order to achieve it people have stepped on toes or forced their
opinions and preferences on others. similarly, if
people have in any way failed to relate in a human and respectful way towards
others, it is not "good liturgy" no matter how smoothly it flows or
how beautiful the end result.
2. Read the texts. we do not need
to "re-invent the wheel". there are books of
Rites that provide rich detail of the structure of a liturgy and allow a number
of options.
3. An option that is never used is no option at all. make use of the options available. There is no excuses for a
parish using the "I confess" every week when the potential rite can
be the Kyrie or a sprinkling rite.
4. Plenty of space for silence and reflection is integral to
good liturgy when the priest says "Let Us Pray", we need to stop and
pray silently for a period of time. before, during and
after readings we need to prepare and reflect.
5. There are no spectators in liturgy everyone is
participating in the liturgy fully, actively and consciously. however, this does not mean that everyone has to do a
ministry in every liturgy. the assembly as a whole
participates by posture, vocal response, and prayers.
6. Singing and Music are integral to the liturgy, not an
added extra. A liturgy without music is virtually a contradiction in terms.
7. Liturgy is an organic whole. Liturgy is not a collection
of pieces but one whole action. One always needs to look at the whole of the
liturgy and not just it's parts. we
need to ask how all the pieces fit together and whether they are integrated. No
one element should dominate the whole of the liturgy.
8. Every mass does not have a special "Theme". The
readings do not set the theme for the whole mass. Every mass has this for its
core: The celebration of the life, death and the resurrection of Christ. Masses
that try to unify the liturgy and it's music and
prayers entirely around the "theme" of the readings are really
violating the liturgy as a celebration of the entire paschal mystery.
9. The Liturgy and social justice are inseparable. the liturgy rightly flows out into practical consequences
for our daily lives.
10.The liturgy is ultimately gods
work. It is god who gathers the assembly together. It is gods grace -- with our
cooperation -- which allows the liturgy to be life giving. It is not something
we make work by ourselves. Therefore, lets not be too
devastated when things go wrong. In the end, everything we do is directed
towards a sincere act of worship of the living god.
What it means to be "Church"
Scholars in our century have often drawn attention to the
fact that assembly is actually the first definition of the Greek word
(ecclesia) that we commonly translate as "church".
The insight is an important one because it affirms that in
the New Testament, "church" is a noun that behaves like a verb.
"Church" is what happens when, in the Holy Spirit,
god calls people to faith in Christ. Assemble is what those people do, and
hence assembly is what the church is. First and foremost, church is an
activity. Note that the assembly is a radically inclusive body. It embraces all
the baptised, the people and their ministers women and
men, children and adults, rich and poor, somebodies
and nobodies, families, friends and struggling strangers, the ordained and the
non ordained the one who presides at the Eucharist whether presbyter, bishop or
pope is always first, a member of the assembly, called with the rest of the
congregation to the deeds of mercy, love and justice for the life of the world.
In public prayer and worship, the church makes it's identity
known, it tells the world who it is by doing what it does best inviting the hurt
and the hungry, the least and the littlest, to the bountiful supper of the lamb
where the oppressive old order collapse, pain and mourning seas, tears are
wiped away, and death is no more. the liturgical
assembly is that place or better that activity by which we entrust our deepest
belief, meaning and value to the care of human practice.
A Little Bit of History
In the early church, Christians would come together to hear
the Scriptures proclaimed and to break bread. in the
breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup, they recognised
the presence of Christ and also became more full from the body of Christ. as centuries rolled on, emphasis on the Eucharist as a feast
in which Christians celebrated a meal and received the body and blood of Christ
in the elements of bread and wine itself.
By the Middle Ages the altar had
been turned around so that the priest and people faced it.
very few people received communion
as they felt themselves unworthy and also felt that simply seeing the host and
cup and adoring the real presence was sufficient. The significance of the mass
as a feast in the body of Christ was all but lost in this emphasis. Because the
priest had his back to the people, he would have to raise the host and chalice
very high after the consecration so people could see it. people
were so keen to see these elements that they would sometimes call out
"raise it higher!"
with the renewal of the liturgy in
Vatican II, the church still affirms the ancient understanding of the real
presence of Christ. it has also re-emphasised
the Eucharist as a holy meal shared and received by the people who are not mere
observers.
this also explains why priests
don't have to hold up the chalice and host so high at all after consecration. they are not offering the element at this time, the host and
chalice are simply shown to the people for their adoration and worship. the true elevation and offering of both elements really
occurs at the much more ancient part of mass, called the doxology when the
priest says through him, with him and in him. we hold
the host and chalice side by side to show that Christ is equal and fully present
in both species.
Using Names in the Distribution of Communion
Would it be more desirable and personal if, at communion
time, the ministers of communion addressed each communicant by name? For
example: "The body of Christ, Janet!" "The
blood of Christ, Michael!"? Actually, No!
At first glance, this would seem to be true. However, there
are good reasons why this is not a good idea. Communion is that intense moment
when we receive Christ in a unique way. It is also the
From Fr Paul
The Prayers of the Faithful
We have all heard that in Mass there is no such thing as a
spectator! Everyone who is present at a liturgy, whether they be part of the
assembly, or involved in some particular ministry like Reading or Eucharistic
ministry, are intended to be participating in what is happening fully, actively
and consciously.
This participation is shown clearly in the part of the Mass
when the people stand to offer Prayers of the Faithful (also known as the
General lntercessions.
There is a distinct structure and pattern to these prayers.
People often fall into the trap of thinking that the person reading out the
Prayers of the Faithful is the one who is doing the praying for everyone else.
This is not correct.
The prayers ought to be prepared in such a way that allows
the reader to propose a particular intention, and then the assembly pauses and
actually does the praying for that intention.
For example, the reader may say: "Let us pray for peace
in the world (the reader then pauses for a time, to allow everyone present to
stop and pray for peace! Only then does the reader conclude the intention with
the words "We pray to the Lord". We all respond "Lord hear our
prayer".
This form is very different from a prayer such as this.- "Lord, let there be peace in the world. Lord Hear
us". In this last example, the assembly is not really involved in the
praying, the person up the front does it all.
Ideally, these prayers ought to he
short. Often, there are two sentences to Prayers of the Faithful Writers of the
prayers ought to look very carefully to see if the second sentence is really
necessary.
This is the general order of prayers- Prayer for those who
exercise leadership in the world and in the church. Prayer for particular world
and local needs; Prayer for those who are sick, Prayer for those who have died
The Prayers of the Faithful need not reinforce the readings or the homily of
the day. The prayers need only give voice to the many and varied hopes and
prayers of the People of God.
Space - The Final Frontier!
Imagine being invited to dinner.
As soon as you arrive, the hosts say "Hello, Let's eat." You are then immediately led to the table,
pushed into your seat and the entrée is served.
The moment the last bite is taken, your entrée is ripped from you and
the main meal is hurriedly served. Before you can finish the main dish, the
dessert is brought out and a swift exchange of plates occurs.
As soon as you finish dessert, coffee and tea are served and
then you are led towards the door and the hosts say, "Thanks for coming,
hope you enjoyed the meal!" The door slams shut.
If this happened to you it would be awful. You would not
only get indigestion, but you would feel undervalued and presumably offended.
You would not have had the time and space to enjoy the food, let alone the
company, and how could you have savoured the meal as
an important human experience.
No polite host would do this.
Unfortunately, haven't we all been in parishes where this is
exactly what the Mass is like. As soon as the opening prayer ends, the reader
has shot up to the lectern and has sped through the first reading. Before this
reader has walked away, the Choir has begun the Psalm and as the last note of
the psalm is still sounding, the second reading feels as if it's half finished.
The Alleluia Verse is being rattled off in song (or worse it may be being
spoken ( which is a bit like speaking the words to the
song "Happy Birthday"). The gospel is over and we sit exhausted or
perhaps totally disinterested. It is as if we are hoping to speed through
something we don't understand or like.
When I first came to a church where silence was part of the
liturgy, I was immediately impressed with the reverent silence between the
prayers and the readings. I had never really experienced this in a parish, and
I liked it. This space is where we centre ourselves and prepare to allow the
word of God to enter into our hearts. It also gives us time for the words and
prayers to sink in.
Now, whenever I go to a parish where there are no gaps
between readings it feels jarring and rushed.
The great liturgical principle in all of this is that
silence is as much a part of the Mass as any other element. As one commentary
says, "never omit silence!"
The Prayer of the Church. (Liturgy
of the Hours)
"Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all
circumstances"(1 Thess 5:17).
"There is one thing you lack!" These were the words
Jesus addressed to the rich man who asked him what was needed to enter eternal
life. He was invited to sell everything and follow Christ. If we as a
worshipping community were to ask Christ, "what more must we do to fulfil our calling to be an authentic praying
community," according to Church documents, we would surely be called to
participate regularly in what is known as "The Liturgy of the Hours".
The Liturgy of the Hours (or Divine Office as it used to be
known) is a means that the whole Church unites in keeping holy the hours of the
Day and fulfilling the call to "pray without ceasing." At its heart,
it features the ancient and moving collection of songs known as the
Psalms.
The Liturgy of the Hours is not merely for Priests and
Religious, but for the entire People of God. The Liturgy of the Hours is not a
private devotion but is the official and liturgical public prayer of the
Catholic Church. Naturally the Eucharist is the summit and source of the
Church's worship, but this takes nothing from the Liturgy of the Hours and its
importance. Both are essential.
The Liturgy of the Hours is intended to become the prayer of
the whole People of God. In it Christ himself "continues his priestly work
through his church". His members participate according to their own place
in the Church and in the circumstances of their lives... The laity, too, are
encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among
themselves, or even individually."
Praying the Liturgy of the Hours, 'faithful to the apostolic
exhortations to "pray constantly," is
"so devised that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the
praise of God." In this "public prayer of the Church," the
faithful (clergy, religious, and the People of God) exercise the royal
priesthood of the baptised..." One cannot stress
the importance of the Liturgy of the Hours more strongly than to say that
"it is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body offers
to the Father."
(Taken from Paragraphs 1175 and 1174 of the Universal
Catechism, quoting Vatican II Document: Sacrosanctum Concilium)
The Anointing of the Sick
"The Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament for those
only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as one of the faithful
begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for
that person to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived"
(Vatican II. SC para. 73. ).
"Those who are seriously ill need the help of God's
grace in this time of anxiety, lest they be broken in spirit and, under the
pressure of temptation, perhaps be weakened in their faith."
"Those of the faithful whose health is seriously
impaired by sickness or old age receive this sacrament. The sacrament may be
repeated if the sick person recovers after being anointed and then falls ill or
if during the same illness the person's condition becomes more serious. Elderly
people may be anointed if they have become notably weakened even though no
serious illness is present." (para.
5,8-11. General Introduction to the Pastoral care of
the Sick, 1983).
The gospel this weekend mentions the Disciples going out
into the community and anointing people who were sick with oil. So it is timely
to look at the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. This sacrament is a
beautiful and precious expression of a tender and loving God who reaches out to
support and strengthen those suffering illness of mind or body. It is a strong
expression of the Church's concern and prayers for those who suffer.
It is precisely because this sacrament is so powerful that
the church makes it very clear when it is to be used and when it is not! This
sacrament is not a form of private piety. Two extremes must be avoided.
The first extreme is for people to think that the anointing
of the sick is only for people on the point of death. People often confuse the
Anointing of the Sick with the Last Rites and think that if they are offered
the Anointing, that people are suggesting they are about to die soon. This is
not the case.
The other extreme is that the Anointing of the sick is used
by people for minor illnesses like the common cold, or for general aches, pains
or the average stresses of life. The danger here is that it trivialises
the real and serious struggles of faith and hope that occur in peoples' lives
through significant illness and suffering.
The Instruction in the Rite says this: The Latin word for
"seriously ill" has been carefully studied and rendered as
"serious" rather than "grave" or "dangerous" to
avoid restrictions upon the celebration of the sacrament. On one hand, the
sacrament may and should be given to anyone whose health is seriously impaired;
on the other hand, it may not be given indiscriminately or to a person whose
health is not seriously impaired." Mental and spiritual illness can also included in this category of serious illness. Judgment is
not made on appearances, but on the seriousness and significance of the illness
in the life of the person.
People can be forgiven for getting confused about this
issue, especially
When some parishes have had anointings where everyone present is invited (young, old,
sick and well) to come forward and be anointed. When this happens, it is
an abuse of the sacrament. From the above, we hope that you will agree that
this parish's careful approach to the Anointing of the Sick,
is motivated by a deep reverence for the importance of the Sacrament and flows
from our great respect and sensitivity to those who suffer serious illness.
RCIA: The Rite of Election
THIS YEAR eight people have chosen to make their faith
journey through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. These catechumens
– those who have not been baptised – and candidates –
those who have been baptised in another church – are
now entering the final period of preparation for their baptism or entering into
the full communion of the Catholic church, which we
will celebrate at the Easter Vigil.
This weekend they will participate in the Rite of Election,
a rite that means that they have progressed on their faith journey, have opened
their hearts to Christ in a spirit of faith and love. Because of this the
church has ‘elected’ or chosen them to proceed to full initiation in the
church.
Now they will be known as ‘the elect’ and the Catholic community
has a particular role to play in their journey. The church asks that we ‘should
surround the elect with prayer, so that the entire church will accompany them
to encounter Christ’ (RCIA #108). Perhaps we could learn and take to heart the
words we sing
As the elect leave :
Fill our minds
that we may hear your wisdom;
Touch our lips
that we may speak your truth;
Hold our hearts,
that we may always follow you;
Come now, O word of God.
Why Go To Church?
Often we hear people say - and perhaps agree with them
sometimes - 'I can pray better at home than in church!' What do
they really mean, I wonder. Maybe they are confusing two different forms
of praying, both of which are significant for nourishing our faith.
If you were invited to a baptism or a wedding you would sit
with the family and friends and enter into the celebration of the sacrament.
You would not go off alone and pray your favourite
prayers privately. Is that because there is something wrong with your private
praying? Certainly not! But that would not be the appropriate time or place for
such an action.
It has been said that we live a braided life with many
strands. Two significant strands are the public, official, liturgical prayer of
the church on the one hand and private or devotional prayer on the other. Both
liturgical and private prayer are essential for
strengthening our faith and nourishing our lives. If we engage in only one and
exclude the other our faith runs the risk of becoming superficial and
threadbare.
When we gather as the Body of Christ to worship God on a
Sunday, everything we do is part of our liturgical praying: the sitting,
standing, kneeling, listening and being silent, singing, walking up to
Communion, giving and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. Our private or
devotional prayer can take either an individual or a communal form, for
example, meditation, saying the rosary, joining in group prayer. It can happen
anywhere and at any time that we choose. Our liturgical prayer is always
communal. It is the celebration and sharing of our relationship with God. It
may well be that we feel closer to God when we pray privately and in that sense
it is 'better at home'. Liturgical prayer belongs to all the baptised; it is the church's official witness to the Reign
of God and so it is always public.
So perhaps it is true to say that we pray better at home,
but we certainly celebrate better together.
Sr Maree Byron OSU.
Broken and Shared
WHEN I was a child, the family would buy chips in one big
bundle, wrapped up in butcher’s paper. We all had to share. We would rip off a
bit of the butcher’s paper and eat our fill. Nowadays, with the onset of the
"McIndividualist" society, every child
often gets their own little meal, separately wrapped and boxed. The concept of
sharing and engaging in a communal meal is all-but lost. How often have you
seen one of the younger ones screaming because "they took one of my fries!"
It is so important for us to engage in shared meals, to give
ourselves the sense that we are not just individuals but all part of one great
big community. We owe consideration to others.
The Eucharist is and always will be a very holy and special
communal meal. In the breaking of "the bread of life" (Jesus, really
and truly present) we all receive the One Lord and become One Body, One Spirit
in Christ.
There are so many people coming to mass these days that many
churches use the small circular hosts in order to cope with the volume of
people. This is a practical way we deal with large numbers. I sometimes wonder
if it encourages an individualistic attitude to Church and the Sacraments.
Could we forget that the person sitting next to me is not just coincidentally
there, or some kind of distraction, but a living, breathing reminder to me that
this "Christianity" is entirely about the people of God, gathered by
the Spirit of God.
Therefore, the proper and most full sign of communion is all
people sharing from the one Host, broken and shared out. The People then share
the Blood of Christ, poured from the one cup of the covenant. Naturally,
logistics prevents this always happening. The ideal remains.
We really are one body in Christ and this is a spirituality
that some Catholics in our modern age find very difficult to incorporate into
our everyday practice.
From Fr Paul
The Church Year (In order of priority)
The following is a brief list of the order of priority of
liturgical events in the church (especially when there is a conflicting
celebration or event whether it be religious or
civil.)
1. Easter Triduum
2. Solemnities of Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension,
Pentecost. Sundays of
Advent, Lent, Eastertide, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Day in the Octave of
Christmas.
3. "Solemnities" of the Lord, or of the Blessed
Virgin Mary of the Saints; All Souls.
4. "Solemnities" of place - Principle patron of
town. Dedication anniversary of own church.
5. "Feasts" of the Lord
6. Sundays of Christmas, and Ordinary Sundays of the Year.
7. "Feasts" of Blessed Virgin Mary and Saints in
General etc.
8. Ordinary time.
You will notice that civil celebrations, festivals or
special occasions do not override the above. Civil days for Australia or the
world ranging from things like, for example, United Nations Word day of Peace,
Australia day, Anzac day, or even events like Mother's/Father's Day, do not
override the rhythm of the Sundays. The Bishops Conference may specify certain
special dates and occasions and these need to be given emphasis over other
events, but in such a way as to maintain the integrity of the Sunday. Other
occasions are best noted and included in introductions to mass, homilies,
intercessions, and bulletins.
Since we have a lectionary that attempts to provide a
continuous series of readings over the days and weeks of the year, there should
be as little interruption to the ordinary cycle of readings as possible. This
principle applies even in the case of optional memorials, and memorials.
Advent
This Advent we hope to show the unity of the season by means
of a recurring set of liturgical music and symbols.
Each Sunday of Advent, we will sing the song "We will
go rejoicing" which will lead directly into a sung penitential rite and
opening prayer. This will show that we are in a special season and that the
introductory rites are not a series of independent elements but one unified
element. At the end of Mass, instead of a full recessional hymn the priest will
sing, and the assembly will respond singing "wait for the Lord, whose day
is near...." This reminds us that Advent is a time of waiting! It gives
the end of our liturgy during Advent an air of expectancy and of
"unfinished-ness".
For our environment, we have chosen to bring forward the
symbol of a Star in the entrance procession. Each week we will add a star to
the environment, building them up into the Southern Cross. We invite children
to take a page of stars this weekend and colour them
in and bring one up each week as part of the Entrance procession, to place
around the Southern Cross as it forms. This uniquely Australian symbol was
suggested in the periodical called "Liturgy News." It reminds us of
"Jesus, the light of the world and guide on the way to God."
Fr Paul Kelly
Liturgical Seasons
Winter turns to summer and the days get longer. So too, our
church celebrates changing liturgical seasons.
We represent the different liturgical seasons by changing colours. From the green of Ordinary Time to the violet of
Advent and Lent, or the red of Good Friday and Pentecost to the white of Easter
and Christmas.
Our readings change in emphasis too. Ordinary Time allows us
to follow a three-year cycle of readings. In Year A we read most of Matthew's
Gospel sequentially. Year B features Mark's gospel. Year C, which -we are
almost finished - presents Luke. Lent focuses on penitential themes and Advent
on Waiting and the coming of the day of the Lord.
This is the genius of the continuous cycle of readings. We
do not choose our favourite Scripture texts and make
them say what we want. No, we let the Scriptures speak for themselves and we
hear the familiar as well as the unfamiliar verses, the soothing and the
challenging passages as well!!
Symbols
LAST WEEK three parishioners attended what could be called a
liturgical retreat led by Fr Gilbert Ostdiek, a
Franciscan with an impressive liturgical history. The evening included a
reflective encounter with the ancient symbols of our tradition and some enlightening
insights that I would like to share with you.
Symbols are the bearers of our memories and our hopes. Our
liturgical symbols are ordinary things such as bread, a table, and a book. They
have meaning for us in our liturgy because of the meaning they carry in the
rest of our life.
For example, the family table is a place where we have meals
or a snack or where we sit and chat or talk over problems or disagree and argue
or reveal our lives to those we love. When we approach the table of the Eucharist
it carries for us all those other meanings from our life, reminding us that our
life too is caught up and transformed by the death and resurrection of Christ.
The power of liturgical symbols and symbolic action for
others depends also on the care and prayer with which they are done. This is
why ministers of the Word put energy into reading and thinking about the notes
in Break Open The Word.
I wonder how we as members of the assembly at Mass can open
ourselves fully to the power of the symbols. From Sr Maree Byron OSU
The Concluding Rite
I SOMETIMES wonder how it feels for the priest who is
presiding at Mass when he rises to give the final blessing and dismissal to
find himself talking to the backs of some heads
scurrying out and some places empty since communion!
Of course, the Concluding Rites are a part of Mass we don’t
think about much. Maybe we’re already focussed on
what we’re planning to do next – and that could be very appropriate in this
context.
In our day to day living, leave-taking is important for us.
Saying farewell until we meet again is a part, be it formal or informal, to
most human gatherings. It often implies a togetherness
in spirit and purpose as those who share in a common event disperse to pursue
other endeavours. It was only natural, then for the
Mass to develop a formal conclusion.
Those Concluding Rites consist of four possible elements:
announcements, the blessing, the dismissal and the exit procession. When
announcements are necessary this is the time for them, but they should always
be brief. They are not advertisements. In fact, if appropriate, they can
highlight for us some ways in which we might live our mission as the Body of
Christ in the coming week(s).
The priest’s blessing of the assembly can take various forms
and is often expanded on more solemn occasions. Our response – Amen – is an
affirmation of our desire to continue living the word of God. The blessing and
response can be sung as they are always simple.
The dismissal is ancient churches practice which "sends
each member back to doing good works, while praising and blessing the
Lord". To the presider’s words "Go in the
peace of Christ", or similar words, we respond "Thanks be to God!" as we depart in the peace of Christ as Christ’s
members, going forth to live what we have just celebrated.
The exit procession is a functional action and needs to be
carried out as such. A recessional song can accompany it but this is not an
integral part of the liturgy – something we tend not to be aware of when we are
accustomed to our familiar practice. A recessional song certainly enables the
assembly to participate actively in a concluding statement of faith and joy.
The song should be strong in character and familiar. Another option is to use
instrumental music. During certain seasons of the liturgical year, the choice
may be to allow all to depart in silence.
From Sr Maree Byron OSU.
Filling the Gap between Baptism and
Eucharist.
AT COMMUNION time we see the young and not so young lining
up in procession. Those who have made their First Holy Communion come forward
and receive the Body of Christ and the Blood of Christ. But we also see young
ones coming up in the procession. Some young ones walk along with their
parents, some are so young they need to be carried.
These children as well as any adults who have not yet made
their First Holy Communion receive a blessing from the communion minister. This
is a wonderful sight!
This blessing of those who are yet to make their Communion
is not a pious thing or some kind of gimmick! We are actually thinking of the childrens’ rights as Christians. The blessing at communion
time is part of their initiation. After Baptism all Christians begin a pilgrim
journey of faith. That pilgrimage of life is symbolised
in the procession at communion. Since it's a journey people of all ages make,
it should involve everyone. In the Roman Catholic Rite, a child’s right to
receive communion is delayed. A blessing at communion generates and nourishes
the child’s desire to look forward to their communion day. It also assures them
that they also belong in this community here and now, even before they make
their communion.
Children really do have an important place in our community,
since they are members of our faith family. We here are wanting to emphasise this even more, so in once parish I was in, we
looked for different types of children’s chairs to be available in our
churches, so that its even more obvious that children
go first class here!!!
Fr. Paul.
The Bells, The Bells!!!!!!
EVERY ONCE in a while, someone asks us "whatever
happened to the ringing of bells in Mass?"
You may recall that a bell or a gong was rung at the
"Epiclesis" which is the laying of hands over the gifts of bread and
wine and asking the Holy Spirit to "come upon these gifts to make them
holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus
Christ." (Eucharistic Prayer II).
The bells were rung again when the priest held up the host
and again when the cup was held up after the words of Jesus were proclaimed. I
have even been in a church where they rang a little bell when the Priest knelt
down after showing the host and the chalice too !
The ringing of bells at this time was for various reasons.
When the Mass was celebrated in the old Latin Rite, the Eucharistic prayer was
said quietly and with the Priest’s back to the assembly. Since Medieval times
the experts on religion, like St. Thomas Aquinas, were very interested in
knowing the exact manner and form needed to make something valid. There was a
strong emphasis on the "Institution Narrative" (The words of Jesus)
saying "This is my body" and "this is my blood." The bells
were used to pin-point the moment when Jesus became present in the form of what
looked like bread and wine so that people could adore Christ. Otherwise, they
wouldn’t have been able to see or hear what was going on.
Since Vatican II there has been a change to using the language
of the people in liturgy. The presider faces the
people and they can see and hear what is going on. There is also an emphasis on
the fact that it's the whole Eucharistic prayer of praise and thanksgiving and
not only the Institution Narrative alone where we encounter the Real Presence
of Christ. So, the use of a bell is no longer appropriate, since it interrupts
the flow of the whole Eucharistic prayer. There is still a place for bells, but
it is for big bells which ring in bell towers to highlight the whole liturgy,
before or after a ceremony, or during the singing of the Gloria at Christmas
and Easter
From Fr. Paul.
Easter, Baptism and "Asperges"
Each season in the Church’s year has a different tone and
emphasis. As you look around the church you can tell which season of the
Church’s year it is by the colours and decorations.
In Easter time, the Paschal candle has pride of place. It
reminds us of Christ who is the Light of the world. The Paschal candle burns
throughout the Easter season and is a constant reminder of our Baptism. In the
rite of Baptism, the newly baptised or the parents or
Godparents of a young child are handed a baptismal candle, which is lit from
the Paschal candle. The minister of baptism then says: "Receive the Light
of Christ... This light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. Keep this flame (of faith) burning brightly in your heart.
You have been enlightened by Christ, walk always as a child of the light."
You may have noticed that in this season, we have had no
entrance hymn, but the presider has begun mass with
the greeting and a sprinkling rite, also known as "asperges".
This is to highlight that at Easter time, we recall that
Jesus calls us into the pattern of dying and rising which was begun in Baptism.
For this same reason, we replace the Nicene Creed with renewal of baptismal
promises. Easter is truly the proper time to focus on Baptism.
The Easter Vigil
Last Saturday Night at Coolum, Maroochydore
and Buderim, we had the ancient Liturgy of the Vigil
of Easter. It's an extraordinary and beautiful rite, which goes back to the
earliest centuries of the church.
We had the solemn blessing of the Fire, burning outside the
church. Then we all processed in as the Presider
carried the Easter (or Paschal) candle in. This Paschal candle will be used in
Baptisms, weddings and Funerals from now until Easter 2000. It takes its place
of honour in the sanctuary for the whole Easter
Season.
Then we had the singing of the great Easter hymn, called the
"Exultet". This hymn, traditionally sung by
the Presider or Deacon, proclaims the greatness of
the night, and the victory of Christ, the Light of the world.
The highpoint of the Easter ceremony, following after the
feast of readings from Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, is the Baptism of
adults who have been preparing since October last year for entry into the
church. Following this we celebrated the reception of those who seek entry into
the Catholic Church, having already been baptised
into the Christian faith in another tradition. The Easter Vigil is the proper
time for celebrating baptism and reception of people into the Church.
The whole ceremony takes longer than a usual Sunday because
it is the most holy and wonderful of all the Church’s feasts. I can remember
from my childhood the wonder and beauty of the Easter candle entering into a
darkened church and all the people holding their candles as they renewed the
promises made at their baptism. Easter is the time we are renewed in our
baptismal commitment. This is why, for the whole Easter season,
we will have the renewal of baptismal promises instead of the Nicene Creed, and
a sprinkling rite to recall the waters of baptism.
The time of reflection has not ended for our newest members
of the Catholic Church either. They now enter into a period of time called
"mystagogy." This is where they will
reflect on what they have already experienced and meet in a discussion group to
continue to explore and deepen the understanding of their faith. This period of
time ends with Pentecost, which marks the end of the Easter season.
Lent
The journey towards Easter continues this weekend for those
involved in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Last week they
attended St. Stephen’s Cathedral with their Sponsors and Catechists from the
parish to receive the Creed from Archbishop Bathersby.
At this time of the year, they will undergo what are called "Scrutinies" and "exorcisms." Sounds a bit
unusual, but this is what the Book of Rites (1985-1990) says about them: - The scrutinies, are rites for self-searching and repentance.
"The scrutinies are meant to uncover, then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts
of the elect; to bring out, then strengthen all that is upright, strong, and
good. For the scrutinies are celebrated in order to
deliver the elect from the power of sin, to protect them against temptation,
and to give them strength in Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.
These rites, therefore, should complete the conversion of the elect and deepen
their resolve to hold fast to Christ and to carry out their decision to love
God above all.
The elect as with all of us are expected particularly to
progress in genuine self-knowledge through serious examination of their lives
and true repentance.
In the rite of exorcism, the elect, who have already learned
from the Church as their mother the mystery of deliverance from sin by Christ,
are freed from the effects of sin. They receive new strength in the midst of
their spiritual journey and they open their hearts to receive the gifts of the Saviour."
Receiving from the Cup
According to the General Instruction on the Roman Missal
(published 1969) "the sign of communion is more complete when given under
both kinds (bread and wine), since in that form the sign of the Eucharistic
meal appears more clearly." There is no doubt that Christ is present
equally in the host as in the consecrated wine, and yet the cup carries an
added significance: symbolising the new covenant
between God and humanity. Thus, drinking from the cup is the more
full symbol of sharing in the "cup of the covenant."
Receiving communion is always a sign of the gracious action
of God. It is a gift from God and not something we take. This is symbolised in how we receive communion. It is not a proper
sign for the communicant to take a host from the plate themself,
and neither is it appropriate to take the host and dip it in the chalice
(called "intinction"), since communion is a
sign of our gracious receiving and not our taking. In fact, when intinction is described in the General Instruction, it
seems to be as an exception and assumes that it is the communion minister who
dips the host and then places it on the communicant’s tongue.
The practice in this parish is for people to receive the
host and drink the cup. Although we do not advise communion ministers to refuse
visitors who try to intinct, we hope that regular
parishioners might see the reasons we are advocating for drinking from the cup
and feel happy to do this.
Fr Paul
Why have you moved the Tabernacle?
From the most ancient of times we have recognised
that Christ’s presence in the form of bread and wine continues even after the
celebration of Eucharist.
Thus, the Church has always reserved non-consumed hosts in a
place of reverence. The primary reason for this is for use in communion to the
sick. Later, there developed the practice of adoration of the sacrament in
private prayer.
It is interesting when people say "You’ve
disrespectfully moved the tabernacle from behind the altar." This is
wrong!
St. Peter’s in the
The reason for this distinction of place has been clarified
since Vatican Council II (1962-1965). There are two distinct emphases in
Eucharistic devotion. The "active" must not be combined with the
"static".
1. There is the "active" experience of the
Eucharist where Christ becomes present in the action of the Mass, in the form
of bread and wine and in the community gathered as the Body of Christ.
2. There is then the "static" presence of Christ
in the reserved sacrament for the sick and for private adoration. The two
emphases must not be confused or combined! It would be quite odd for us to be
celebrating the presence of Christ in the Eucharistic prayer at the height of
Mass while - at the same the time - Christ was already present in the hosts
directly behind the priest. Such an emphasis is improper at that intense
moment. The early church solved this problem by having small containers (some
shaped like doves) holding reserved hosts. These containers were then suspended
over the altar whenever Eucharist was not being celebrated. It would be taken
down before mass.
The different aspects of Christ’s real presence are now
respectfully highlighted, each in its own appropriate space.
Liturgical Music: In Order of Priority
Did you know that there is actually a priority list to the
different musical elements in the Mass? When people are asked to list the order
of importance of the different pieces of music, they often get the answer
wrong. It's not the Opening Hymn, nor is it the Recessional Hymn
. Here is the real priority order:
1. The Psalm. It is the most ancient of Biblical songs.
2. The Gospel Acclamation, The
"Holy Holy", The Memorial Acclamation (eg. Christ has died), The Great "Amen" and the
"Lamb of God".
3. Entrance Hymn.
4. Communion Hymn
5. Recessional Hymn.
How many times have you been to a mass where we might sing
an Entrance and Recessional Hymn but speak the psalm and the Eucharistic
responses? Also, did you know that hymns don't need to have any relationship to
the readings? They need only praise God.
What is a Sacrament?
We live in a sacramental world. Because God created the
world and everything in it, all things are capable of revealing the handiwork
of its creator. For example, one person may see a beautiful sunset and think:
"There must be a fire somewhere, and it's causing the sky to look quite
red this evening!" The same sunset may evoke something different to
someone who looks at it and recognises it with the
eyes of faith: "Lord, what a wonderful world you have made. I thank you
for the beauty of creation that you have given us in love. I feel your love.
The Sun is capable of being a sacrament of God’s love to us,
just as a kiss can be a sacrament of love, because it conveys and is a real
sign of someone’s affection or respect.
Jesus is the ultimate sacrament of God. He shows us
everything that God the Father is. Jesus shows us how God loves us, how God
relates to us, and how God forgives and heals us. The Church, which carries on
the mission and love of Jesus, can be said to be a "sacrament" of
Jesus, because it continues the message of Jesus and does the things that Jesus
did. The Church is never more church when it gathers together to encounter its
seven foundation sacraments. These sacraments are guaranteed to convey the
presence and action of Christ, because they are so intimately linked with the
life, and mission of Jesus. As Jesus welcomed people into his life and called
them to abide in him, the church has sacraments of initiation to bring people
intimately into the life and mission of Jesus. As Jesus opened the Scriptures
for us and broke the bread (giving himself to us), so does the church to
strengthen the people in holiness. As Jesus healed and forgave, the church
continues this mission in its sacraments of penance and anointing of the sick.
As Jesus committed himself as servant and teacher, so too does the church have
sacraments of commitment like marriage and ordination. The sacraments of the
church are concrete expressions of Christ’s presence and action, and make sense
in the broader context of Jesus "the Sacrament of God," and the whole
world as a sacrament of God’s love and action.
When Perfect Liturgy is Bad Liturgy!!
A number of years ago, far from the
The organisers of this event got
so carried away with trying to make the Mass the best Liturgy ever that they
actually started stepping on people’s toes to achieve it.
The organisers of this Mass felt
that the regular parish readers were not as good as they could be, so they
imported people from other parishes who they considered to be the kind of
readers that could do a perfect job.
The problem with this plan is that they left out all the
regular readers and everyone knew that they had been snubbed because they were
considered "not good enough." In fact, these readers were alright.
Their only crime was not being as good as the imported readers. It caused
enormous embarrassment and hurt amongst the people.
After the Mass a number of people commented that the Liturgy
was excellent, with beautiful singing, and wonderful proclamation of the word.
However, it was a bad liturgy, because in its preparation it was unjust. It was
also working out of an extreme perfectionism that is not consistent with the
gospel.
Naturally, we should always strive for excellence in our
liturgies, however, justice and fair relating must always be at the heart of
the matter.
From Fr Paul
Lord, Have Mercy!
Lord, have mercy!
Christ, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!
We hear this familiar chant in the preparatory rites of the
Even though the "Lord Have Mercy" (or Kyrie Eleison)
is called a pentitential rite, if one looks carefully
at its structure, you will see it’s actually something much more! Some experts
in liturgy now suggest it should be called a "Litany of Praise" more
than a "Pentitential Rite", because of the
words used.
This is the structure of that prayer: --
Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of Peace: Lord,
have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary. Christ, have
mercy.
Lord Jesus, you are word made flesh and splendour
of the Father. Lord have mercy.
As you can see, these are more in the form of statements
than requests. It is a litany of praise for God who is all these things and who
IS Merciful. It would be closer to the original meaning of this rite if we were
to say "Lord, you are merciful, Christ, you are merciful, Lord, you are merciful!"
It is an error when people write these prayers and say
things like: "For the times we have hurt others, Lord have mercy";
"For not being aware of others, Christ have mercy." That is not what
this section is for. However, by declaring qualities about God’s goodness and
mercy, we are aware of our failings and ask for forgiveness. This is emphasising the positives, rather than dwelling on the negatives.
More On Liturgical Music
It was in 1903 that Pope Pius X insisted that "sacred
music....is an integral part of the liturgy," vital for "the true
Christian spirit". This teaching was repeated by subsequent Popes and by the
Second Vatican Council.
Looking back - not to 1903! but in
our own various lifetimes - it took us a while to learn, didn’t it. But now we
sing the hymns and responses heartily. Some of us will remember when we thought
singing was an optional extra, not realising that
some of the texts of the Mass, for example the psalm after the first reading
and the Gospel acclamation, by their nature need to be sung. Not to sing at
Mass would be a bit like reciting Advance Australia Fair when we win gold at
the Games!
Sung worship then is the norm and, for Christians,
"norms" are embodied actions that transform our experience.
Entering heart, soul, body and voice into our liturgies is
part of our ministry as the assembly, gathered to worship our God and to offer and
celebrate our lives. Even when we don’t have the words of responses provided
for us on the screen or paper we are invited to pick up the simple responses
from the cantors and repeat them, knowing that they are forming our hearts,
knowing that we become what we sing.
From Sr Maree Byron, OSU (Maroochydore,
Pastoral Associate).