The General Intercessions: Prayer of the Faithful
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Salle de lecture Number 149 Reading Room 'Volume 30 Summer 1997 Litanies and General' , Intercessions 32-549 ', national bulletin onLitur ... Litanies and General Intercessions National Bulletin on Liturgy A review published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. This bulletin is primarily pastoral in scope. Editor: It is prepared for members of parish liturgy Zita E. Maier. OSU committees, readers, musicians, singers, catechists, teachers, religious, seminarians, Editorial Office: clergy, diocesan liturgical commissions, NATIONAL LITURGY OFFICE and for all who are involved in preparing, 90 Parent Avenue (613) 241 -9461 celebrating, and improving the community's Ottawa, Ontario extension 276 life of worship and prayer. K1N 7B1 Business Office: Editorial commentary in the bulletin is the NOVALIS responsibility of the editor. P.O. Box 990 Outremont, Quebec H2V 4S7 1-800-NOVALIS (668-254 7) Subscriptions The price of a single issue is now $6.00 For one year, excluding 7% GST: Individual copies and back issues must be 1-4 copies: Canada $20.00 purchased from the publisher. Customers United States $22.00 US should add to the price the GST (7%) plus International (air maiD $30.00 US shipping and handling (14% on orders Five or more copies: Canada $18.00 under $10 or 8% on orders of $10 and United States $20.00 US over). International (air maiD $28.00 US Quantity discount for this issue: National Bulletin on Liturgy is published by For 50 or more copies to one address, Publications Service of the CCCB and 30% discount. appears in spring, summer, fall and winter. Publisher: National Bulletin on Liturgy, PUBLICATIONS SERVICE copyright © Concacan Inc., 1997. Canadian Conference of No part of this bulletin may be reproduced Catholic Bishops in any form without the prior written per 90 Parent Avenue mission of CCCB Publications Service. Ottawa, Ontario K1 N 781 International Standard Serial Number: ISSN 0084-8425 Legal deposit: National Ubrary, Ottawa, Canada Second Class Mail: Registration Number 2994. Volume 30 • Number 149 • Summer 1997 on Litanies and General Intercessions -- c_onte.nts Page Introduction.............................................................................................. 67 The Church Prays: "Through Him, with Him, in Him .... " ............................................................... William Marrevee, SCJ 69 Litanies and Intercessions in the Liturgy after Vatican II .................................................................... J. Frank Henderson 72 The Bidding Prayers of Medieval England ............... J. Frank Henderson 80 The General Intercessions: Prayer of the Faithful................................... 85 When Do We Pray What? On the Relationship of Liturgical and Devotional Prayer ................................................. Joyce Ann Zimmerman, C.PP.S. 91 A Blessing in Disguise? On Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament ................................................. Joyce Ann Zimmerman, C.PP.S. 98 Choosing "Good" Music: II. Rhythm ....................................... Della Goa 103 Ex Opere Operantis: The Role of the Presider in Liturgical Celebration .................................................................. Gerald Wiesner, OMI 107 Brief Book Reviews.................................................................................. 126 66 • National Bulletin on Liturgy Introduction orne years ago a Catholic magazine who offers to the Father the prayer of this carried an article in which the Church. author described how her personal S The second article explores the extensive prayer life had changed over time. One use oflitanies and intercessions in the pres to mention was area she made it a point ent liturgical books. A third describes the what she prayed for in her intercessory intercessory prayers of medieval times, prayer. She used to pray for her own per called "bidding prayers"; one sees that the sonal needs and what she saw as the imme content of these prayers is remarkably sim diate needs of those around her, her family ilar to that of our own. Another article dis and her friends. But she was beginning to cusses the general intercessions as they are pray for more universal needs, for peace in used in the Eucharist and provides some the world, the mission of the Church in guidelines regarding their composition. In the world, and so on. She was no longer the article comparing liturgical prayer and focusing only on the needs of those in her devotional prayer, the author gives some immediate circle. practical suggestions how one can create a personal (and spontaneous) litany in one's This shift had happened, she said, because own prayer. the needs of the whole world were what article deals with a quite different she heard expressed each Sunday in her Another of prayer, on adoration of the parish church. The general intercessions in aspect Sacrament. It gives some back the eucharistic liturgy had begun to shape Blessed on the development of this devo her own personal prayer. ground tion, the tenets of a theology of adoration, This important part in the liturgy has a and some of the challenges the practice challenge all its own. It has a shape and presents. content that has been given; yet the text is music begun in the not given. Each community must, more or The series on liturgical continues in this issue. The final less, fashion its own text week after week. last issue will be of interest to all who are But this is the point in its favour; the com article on to preside at the Church's liturgy, munity identifies those on whose behalf it called article explores the wishes to plead. clerical and lay; the theology of the ministry and the practical Yet these prayers are much more than a issues that flow from it. II] "gimme" list. The first article in this issue reminds us that no community in the Church prays its liturgy on its own. Christ, the Head of the Church, his body, is pre sent, and not only is he present; it is he Volume 30 • Number 149 • 67 0 -' 0 >2 en L_------------------------~--------~------~@ 68 • National Bulletin on Liturgy The Church Prays: 11Through Him, with Him, .1n H.1m .... II William Marrevee, SCJ he Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy once again into the communal activities of the Second Vatican Council of a priestly people. celebrated phrases Tcontains a few The recovery of the assembled community that have had a significant impact on the as the subject of the Church's liturgical liturgical renewal we have witnessed in celebrations is very much part of that our Church over the last thirty years. required shift. It has made us see that, Their impact is due to the fact that they when assembled for worship, the commu capture some foundational liturgical-the nity that is gathered in Christ exercises its ological insights that will continue to be baptismal priesthood. This does not make of great benefit if we allow them to be the the ministry of the ordained minister in governing principles in the care we give the assembled community superfluous. to the liturgical life of the Church. One of Nor does it reduce that ministry to one of these phrases is found in no. 14 of this sociological necessity in the sense that to be someone who co-ordinates, document: "The Church earnestly desires there has facilitates, animates the various ministries that all the faithful be led to that full, con that together make the community of scious, and active participation in liturgi believers into a worshipping assembly. On the very cal celebrations called for by the contrary, in the midst of the assembled nature of the liturgy. Such participation community one ministry has to embody by the Christian people as 'a chosen race, the fact that this community has not a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's assembled on its own initiative or by gen own people' (1 Pt 2.9; see 2.4-5) is their eral agreement, but on the initiative of right and duty by reason of their baptism." Jesus Christ who in the power of the Spirit is the real presider of this worshipping The principle articulated here has done assembly. much to seeing our liturgical celebrations evolve from being the activity of the priest This principle, the full, conscious, and for the sake of the people present towards active participation of all the faithful, being the corporate activity of the assem must be given the widest possible range. bled community of baptized-confirmed But, on the other hand, we must be care men and women presided over by the ful not to use it in a reductionist sense. ordained minister. That evolution has not That would be the case, for example, if we been easy, and it is not yet complete were to limit the significance of the prin because it requires a major shift in ciple to the activating of the various min thought, discourse, and symbol system. istries that together make the community Yet, the consistent application of this prin of believers into a worshipping communi ciple is making our liturgical celebrations ty. However necessary that is, the intent of Rev. William Marrevee, SC], is pastor of St. Mark's Parish, Aylmer, Quebec, and a part-time lecturer at St. Paul's University, Ottawa. Volume 30 • Number 149 • 69 The Church Prays: "Through Him, with Him, in Him .... " • William Marrevee, SCJ the full, conscious, and active participa ty that is not their own; instead, it is an tion of all reaches further. As the assem activity of Jesus Christ. It is in Christ's bled-in-Christ worshipping cornm~:~R-ir,y worshipping~and saving activity that we we are Christ's body, and as such we par participate inasmuch as in the Church's ticipate in the worshipping and saving liturgical activity; it is Jesus Christ who is activity of our Head, Jesus Christ. When the principal actor. What occurs in as Christ's body we engage in liturgy, we Christian liturgy is totally shaped, defined, are being drawn into something that is not and owned by Jesus Christ. And it is in the our own, but Christ's, whose members we exercise of his priesthood that we as a are.