A Walk through the Mass About mid-way through my graduate degree program, I was privileged to take a course taught by Paul F. Ford, Ph.D., Professor of Theology and Liturgy at St. John Seminary in Camarillo, California. After an intense semester studying exclusively moral and systematic theology, I found myself in a course which served as a breath of fresh air. It was designed for parish liturgical ministers and served as a way for us to step back and take a look at the individual elements of the Mass in hopes of giving us the time and space to reflect on why we do what we do. It was quite possibly the most valuable course of my degree program! Over the next calendar year, this newsletter will focus on various elements of the Eucharistic liturgy in hopes of providing that same opportunity to all of you to stop and reflect on why we do what we do at Mass. THE INTRODUCTORY RITES – Part One From the Roman Missal: When the people are gathered, the Priest approaches the altar with the ministers while the Entrance Chant is sung. When he has arrived at the altar, after making a profound bow with the ministers, the Priest venerates the cross and the altar. Then, with the ministers, he goes to the chair. When the Entrance Chant is concluded, the Priest and the faithful, standing, sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross, while the Priest, facing the people, says: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The people reply: Amen. Then the Priest, extending his hands, greets the people, saying: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Or Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Or The Lord be with you. In this first greeting a Bishop, instead of The Lord be with you, says: Peace be with you. The people reply: And with your spirit. The Priest, or a Deacon, or another minister, may very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day. “When the people are gathered…” The current Order of Mass begins with the premise, “When the people are gathered…” In Latin, “Populo congregato.” This simple instruction replaced the rubric from the Order of Mass before the Second Vatican Council, which began with “Sacerdos paratus,” and means, “When the priest is ready…” While this may seem like an insignificant detail, it directs our attention to one of the main values of the Roman Missal: the full, conscious, and active participation of the people. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, the rubrics of the Order of Mass focused primarily on the responsibilities of the priest and other liturgical ministers. Now the focus has shifted to the people’s participation. Therefore, this simple instruction is not only important, it is critical. Mass begins not when the priest is ready, but when the people have gathered. The word “gathered” itself is significant, because “gathering” implies something more than just “showing up” or “being present.” When we come together for worship, we gather for a purpose. The very nature of Christian worship creates community, builds relationships among parishioners, and provides hospitality to visitors. Worship also celebrates cultural and intergenerational diversity, creates leadership roles among the laity, and serves to form, heal, reconcile, and nourish the Faithful. Because worship is an act of witness, it is essential to growth of the community. Gathering is also necessary for liturgy, because by its very nature, liturgy, from the Greek word leitourgia, literally means the “work of the people” – not person. It is a literal translation of the two words “litos ergos” or “public service.” Liturgy involves engagement, participation and communion with one another. In a social context, we gather for meals, fellowship and conversation. When we gather with others, we greet one another, recognize their presence, and begin our shared time together. In a worship context, there are similar dynamics; however, there is an additional, incredible dynamic of the very presence of God in our midst. This presence suggests that when we come together for worship, our gathering bring us into a stream of ongoing encounter with God. Therefore, when we gather for worship, we come together, from our various walks of life, to acknowledge the events of the past week and to receive sustenance for the week ahead at this celebration of the Eucharist, the source and summit of our lives. Celebrant vs. Priest Another significant point in the rubrics of the Roman Missal is that the presiding minister is called “priest” and not “celebrant.” The word “celebrant” was used in descriptions of Masses without a congregation. Though subtle, it implies that the priest is the only person who “celebrates” the liturgy; however, as we have just seen above, it is the people who also engage in the liturgy. The word “priest” establishes his role in relation to the people for whom he presides. For these reasons, something important to consider is the need to shift our thinking and our speech from “celebrant” to “presider/priest” when discussing the role of the priest at Mass. Once the people have gathered, ministers move in procession to the altar. The order of the entrance procession can be found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) 120 and 172. The Entrance Chant, or song, accompanies the procession. Entrance Chant/Song Singing has always been an important element of Christian worship. The Last Supper was concluded with a hymn. Paul and Silas sang hymns while they were in prison. In the early second century, Pliny the Younger sent a letter to Emperor Trajan, describing the habits of Christians, one of which was singing a hymn to Christ. The USCCB document Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (2007) reads: After the entire liturgical assembly has been gathered, an Entrance chant or song is sung as the procession with the priest, deacon, and ministers enters the church. ‘The purpose of this chant is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical season or festivity, and accompany the procession of the priest and ministers.’ (STL, no. 142, cf GIRM, no. 47) Care should be taken when selecting an Entrance Chant and it should never be omitted, not even during penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. Since music is a primary way in which the people actively participate, singing an opening hymn begins the liturgy on a strong note. If the liturgy begins strong and with full, conscious and active participation of the people, that energy will continue throughout the liturgy until the final blessing and dismissal. Omitting the Entrance Chant and beginning liturgy in silence affects the overall participation and energy of the rest of the liturgy. The Entrance Chant sets the tone for the rest of the liturgy, so if you want people to participate, sing! A text for the Entrance Antiphon, or Introit, is provided for each Mass; however, most parishes today substitute the Antiphon with a hymn. Best practice is to do one or the other, but not both. One option for using the text of the Entrance Antiphon would be to have the priest adapt the text into his introductory remarks, following the greeting and before the Penitential Act. Procession During the procession, the Book of the Gospels is carried forward and placed on the altar. Note that it is the Gospels, not the Lectionary, which is carried in procession. Reverence and honor have been shown to this book since at least the fifth century when Cyril of Alexandria, in describing the Council of Ephesus, said that the Synod assembled at the holy Church dedicated to Mary where they set up Christ in some way as a member and the head. His description went on to say that the venerable Gospel was placed on a holy throne. Today, setting the book on the altar unites two primary symbols of Christ – Christ present in the Word proclaimed and Christ present in the Eucharist. Veneration of the Altar A series of gestures shows respect for the altar, the primary symbol of Christ in any Catholic Church. The ministers bow to it while clergy kiss it. The altar may also be incensed. This veneration takes place before the priest goes to his chair. The altar has been venerated as a symbol of Christ since at least the time of St. Ambrose (d. 397). Paragraph 1383 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church reads as follows: The altar, around which the Church is gathered in the celebration of the Eucharist, represents the two aspects of the same mystery: the altar of the sacrifice and the table of the Lord. This is all the more so since the Christian altar is the symbol of Christ himself, present in the midst of the assembly of his faithful, both as the victim offered for our reconciliation and as food from heaven who is giving himself to us. "For what is the altar of Christ if not the image of the Body of Christ?" asks St. Ambrose. He says elsewhere, "The altar represents the body [of Christ] and the Body of Christ is on the altar." Sign of the Cross The Sign of the Cross entered devotional practice among Christians as early as Tertullian (d. 220); however, its occurrence at the beginning of Mass dates to the fourteenth century. Once entirely assigned to the priest, who made the gesture while reciting the words himself, today, the words to the Sign of the Cross are the first words spoken by the priest and people in dialogue form, with the people answering “Amen.” Greeting When greeting the people at the beginning of mass, the priest may choose one of three options, the first two of which are inspired by the letters of Saint Paul, while the third option is found in several places in the Old Testament where it appears to be a common greeting to workers.