Cat C C0698

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Cardinal Roger Mahony Participating Fully at Sunday

An Adaptation of Gather Faithfully As bishop of the Church of Los individual and the whole Church'" (The Together: A Guide Angeles. I exhort you to enter Coming Third Millennium. #20). into reflection with me on the Eucharist My hope is that we can fulfill this for Sunday Mass we celebrate each Sunday in our parishes. mandate by a singular and concentrated Pope John Paul II, in calling us to the effort to strengthen Sunday liturgy. Jubilee Year, praises the Second Vatican Lacking that effort, we have no center, no identity as the Body ofChrist With that effort, the renewal of every aspect of our Church life becomes possible. It seems to me that only now axe we gelling glimpses of that wondrous experi ence when a parish lives by that full, conscious and active participation in the liturgy by all the faithful. The situation is unfortunately uneven. Only in some parishes have we seen the sustained effort from well-prepared leaders to work over many years toward a Sunday liturgy thai is QENB PLA1STED. OSC for the people of that Council and says this: "The best prepara parish the nourishment they need, the tion for the new millennium can only deeds of word and liucharist they cher be expressed in a renewed commitment ish. But there are beginnings here, and to apply, as faithfully as possible, the these cause us both to rejoice and to teachings of Vatican II to the life of every focus on what can be learned.

U90I3 FHAKCISCAN MEDIA ?8W HH1IY Sll'-M. CINCINNAII. OH 4570? I'OSIINC PRINTING OH fc-MAII INCJ BY ANJYONI- OIHHi I HAN IHh I ICENSE HO DE * S PROHIBITED TOR;JACK WINT?, O.F.M, MANAGING EDITOR N BOOKSFfl lli.silH .-• II DIRECTOR MAHYA1TIERI DESIGNER: JULIE LONNEMAN The Jubilee Year calls out to us to nion ministries were done well. thanksgiving, the Communion for eveiy take those gifts the Spirit raised up in But good singing and good ministry kind of hunger and thirst satisfied in par the Church at Vatican II. Take them are not enough. You who are baptized taking together of the Body and Blood of with the wisdom gained these last three have duties that are wrapped up in that Christ and the dismissal for going out to decades. Come into the new millennium kind of participation the Council called love the world the way God does. doing gospel deeds throughout all realms "full, conscious and active." of human life because a compelling and in Conscious participation. In addition, contemplative celebrating of Eucharist Oa Full participation. This altitude brings our participation is to be "conscious." We is our doing and God's, Sunday after us to the liturgy, body and soul, with all must enter with great openness into the Sunday. our might. It begins long before the litur chant and song, the processions and ges To fulfill the vision of Vatican II gy in making sure that Sunday Mass is tures, the words and silences of the litur regarding participating in the Eucharist, not just one more thing on our "must do" gy. "Conscious" participation is opening 1challenge all baptized Catholics to think list. Catholics let the time of liturgy be every part of ourselves—body, mind and of our own involvement in the following first. They do not just keep the lime of spirit—to what we do at the liturgy. We ways. Mass from disruptions: they give it room stand consciously and with attention. If we reach out our hands to the Body and Blood of Christ, we do so with grace, mindful of our hunger and the world's hunger, and of God's goodness. Another way to be "conscious" at the liturgy is to be aware of our Baptism. We come on the Lord's Day to the table of the Eucharist because we have been through the waters of Baptism. Because we died to our old selves and became alive in Christ, we gather on Sunday, not as isolated persons, but as the Church, with its diversity of cultures, languages and races. This is difficult for those accustomed to think of themselves as autonomous individuals—workers, tax payers, citizens. But here, the liturgy is celebrated by the assembled Church. Cultivate, then, your deep awareness lhal il is nol so many individuals who are standing here singing, bul the Church. It is not individuals who arc coming for ward to the table, bul the Church. Il is not even individuals who are going forth to live by the word ihey have listened to and the Body and Blood of Christ ihey Participation at Mass: te their lives. They have some good have eaten and tasted. Tt is the Church Full, conscious, active habits: perhaps looking over the Scrip- going forth as a leaven in Ihe midsl of ihe lures, or fasling until Mass, or not dis world God loves. This is perhaps Ihe Come on Sunday knowing your tracting themselves in the early hours of most difficult part of the whole renewal. dignity: In Baptism, you put on Sunday. They come to Mass mindful of Christ. You are the Body of their responsibility—to themselves, one i_>.; Active participation. "Active" is the Christ. Vatican II. in the Consti another and God. Just as they want the third quality of the baptized person's par tution on the Sacred Liturgy, said lhal priest, choir and lector to prepare, ihey ticipation. Please do nol see "active" as "full, conscious and active participation know that they too must prepare to be the opposite of "contemplative." Some of by all the faithful" is Ihe "righi and the good members of the assembly. our activity al lilurgy is contemplation. duly" of all the faithful because o[ their Full participation also means that a Part of the genius of the Roman rite is Baptism (#14). haptized person does not mentally weave that it presumes a beauty on which our It has taken more than three decades in and out of the liturgy. Our duty is not spirits can feast. If we have too often seen for those profound insights to take hold. just to be present; our duty is to be fully "active" as "busy." consider the liturgy Most of us were satisfied to look for present. The songs are for singing, the and see the wealth of silence, as well as something less than what was iniended: Scriptures for listening, ihe silence for the powerful reading of Scripture, and We were happy when a parish had good reflecting, the intercessions for pleading, preaching and singing of psalms to singing, and when lector and Commu the eucharistic prayer for immense engage our contemplation. "Active" participation also calls us to These people understand attend to others, to a kind of presence. what it means to step for This is crucial to whal Catholic liturgy is ward and proclaim a reading, all about. Such attention to others has at minister holy Communion or least two manifestations. sing in the choir. Parishes First, we are here not to make our might set a limit on the num own prayer while each other person in ber of years a person serves the church at ihe same lime makes his or in a ministry, asking lhal her own prayer. We are baptized people each person take off a year standing with other baptized people. Our after four or five years in a thanksgiving is in the Church's thanks single ministry. This limit giving. Our attention to God's word is in would refresh people in their the assembly's attention. Our intercession primary role as assembly is in the Church's intercession. The mys members. tery of our transfiguration in Christ is in The best floor plans the whole body of baptized people trans manifesl the entire assembly figured (Catechism uf the Catholic as the body enacting this Church, #1136-1141). liturgy, so that the ministers To create solidarity, be attentive 10 come from the assembly where you take your place and set a good rather than sit as a separate example. Go as close as possible to the group. Many of us remember eucharislic table. Go to the middle of the living with an understanding pew and sit next to somebody and make that the liturgy was simply room for others next to you. The Body of the work of a priesl. Now we Christ has to be visible, audible, tangible. have begun to grasp in what Pope John Paul II recently called for way the assembled Church, bishops to attend to the quality of ihe the Body of Christ, cele signs by which the liturgy takes place, brates the liturgy together and he stressed that "the first sign is that with the presider. What. then, of the assembly itself.... Everyone's atti Ministering to the assembly is the ministry of the ordained priesl al tude counts, for the liturgical assembly is Sunday Mass? the first image the Church gives" (March Ministry is an area where ihe In our Catholic tradition, ihe one who 8, 1997 address to the French bishops). Churches in our country is called by the Church to the order of Second, "active" participation means have taken the renewal of priest is to be in the local parish commu the awareness thai al lilurgy we never Vatican 11 to heart. Il is clear nity as Ihe presence of ihe bishop. The close out the larger world. The liturgy thai many ministries are best done by bishop remains always for us in a direct shows us gospel living and how to be in members of the assembly who have the relationship with every parish of the the world. Catholic morality, how we talents and iraining to do them well. diocese. He is also our bond with the deal in justice and charity day by day The core of ministry is the assembly: through the world and with great and small matters, is to be Ideal ministers have been and continue to the Church of all the ages. Bul the encountered and uncovered from our be exemplary assembly members in their bishop, since Ihe early centuries of Ihe active participation in the liturgy. full, conscious and active participation. Church, has laid hands on other worthy

At the head of our calendar stands Sunday, still called by us Ihe Lord's Day, the First Day of creation, the Day when Christ defeated death and the Spirit blew upon the disciples {Catechism, #2174-2175). It is above all the day when we assemble. St. Justin tried to explain to the non-Christians in Rome what Christians were all about: Sunday "On the day called Sunday there is a meeting in one place of those who live in cities or the country, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writing of the prophets are read as long as time permits. The "Then we ail stand up together and offer prayers. And when we have finished the prayer, bread is brought, and wine and water, and the president similarly sends up prayers and thanksgivings to the Lord's best of his ability, and the congregalion 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— Day "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." (St. Justin. Apology, 2nd century, 67:3-5, 7. Selection from Gather FaithfullyTogether. #19) members of the Church and sent them to {VQ3511. week. Listening to God's word on be his presence with the scattered com Question Box Sunday morning is preparation for the lis munities. tening we do for God's word in our lives On Sunday, the one who presides, the 1. What makes Sunday all week. The thanks we proclaim at the ordained priest, comes not only as other Mass special for you? eucharistic prayer is a preparation for ministers do. from the assembly, but also thanks over all tables and all meals, and 2. How do you try to comes as the one who "orders" this also over all. The common tabic of holy participate more fully assembly, who relates ihis assembly to Communion is a preparation for looking at Mass? the bishop and to the larger Church. True at the whole world. 10 our Catholic soul, we understand our 3. How can we carry the Church bonds lo be more flesh and blood Mass with us into the 5. Give thanks always. Pray grace al than theory and theology. Here, in this world? meals even when you are alone in the human being, is our bond with the bishop traditional prayer of "Bless us, O Lord." and with the other communities through or a phrase as simple as "Let us give out the world and the centuries. poor: extending the peace of Christ that thanks to the Lord our God: it is right to you receive each Sunday lo others in need give thanks and praise!" Sing when you of that peace: or fasting from food or are with others at table. If your morning Steps you can take distractions and so becoming thoroughly and night prayer is not permeated with I will be asking priests and others in hungry fur God's word and the eucharis- praise and thanks lo God. enrich it wilh leadership in my archdiocese to ric banquet. verses of psalms and prayers from our begin preparing themselves and the In ethnic communities we find many tradition. (For example. "We worship parishes to make much progress by examples of practices that resonate with you. we give you thanks, we praise you ihe year 2()(K) in our Sunday liturgy. Here the Sunday liturgy, such as the blessing for your glory." "Te hendecimos, te ada- are several habils lhal each churchgoing of children lhal is so much lo be praised ramos, re glorificamos, te demos gracias Catholic can begin to cultivate that will in Hispanic families. par tu santa gloria." Or, "Blessed be God bring us together into a life-giving litur for ever!" "Bendito seas par siempre, gical practice Sunday after Sunday. 3. At the liturgy, be the Church. Know Senvr." or any or all of Psalm 148.) the awesome responsibility you share for Cultivate moments of contemplation even 1. Become people who worship in the making this liturgy! Do not hide: do your during the busiest day, when gratitude can midst of the Sunday liturgy. Know private praying in the other hours of the flow from the goodness of a person, any which Gospel and New Testament letters week. Welcome one another, he at peace element of creation or any good work of we are currently reading on Sundays, and with one another. Sit together. Sing songs human making. • use these for daily reading. Bring to the from your heart. Do not be afraid to show- Ciircliiuit Roger Mahony is archbishop of Los prayer of intercession on Sunday all thai in your eager attention that you are Angeles, tunnedcardinal by Pope John Pant II in you pray for: lake from il persons lo be hungry for God's word when Ihe readers 1991.Although lir wrote thispastoralfor the lxn AngelesArchdiocese, it has been receivedwidely rcmemhered daily by you: when you hear read, hungry for Christ's Body and Blood us a gift lo the universal Church. We encourage the news of the community and the world, when you come forward in holy Commu you to rv.ati theentiretext«/(iaihcr Faithfully hear it as a Christian who must in prayer nion. Give thanks and praise to God by Together, available in English and Spanish both on the Web at la-archdiOCese.org or in an attrac lift up the world's needs. your great attention in the cucharistic tive bookletfrom LiturgyTruiniivj Publications. Mark with prayer your morning prayer. Keep your eyes open to one IHOO .V Hermitage Ave., Chicago. IL(M22- rising and your evening going lo bed: the anolher and do everything you can lo 1101.(800)933-1800. Lord's Prayer certainly, but also some huild up the Church, the Body of Christ.

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