Liturgical Catechesis--Liturgy of the Word

Robert Hadden, Seminary Intern

2007

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Introductory Rites

Today we begin the Liturgical Catechesis. This is a short lesson on parts of the Mass and the development of these parts. The Liturgical Catechesis is a response to the Long Range Plan. There was a desire for more education in the area of worship and so this catechesis was developed. Mass is an important part of our Christian lives. We receive strength from the Mass as well as receiving the Lord at each Mass. This is one of the many reasons we go to Mass. Because of the importance of the Mass it is important to know more about the Mass, but this also coincides with the Mission Statement- worship God with gratitude by celebrating liturgy we need to know what we are doing to do it well.

The Mass is an ancient prayer that has developed over many centuries. There are several parts to the Mass, two main parts, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which then breaks down into several more parts. We will begin with the Introductory Rites.

As the people gather we pray, but we also greet each other. The lector begins with the call to worship, which brings everyone together and alerts everyone that the Mass is about to begin with the opening song and the procession. The opening or entrance song unifies us as a community so that we can come together to worship as one, one community of believers.

The procession is symbolic of the whole community gathering and approaching the altar as one. This is also symbolic of Christ coming among us. The priest is an Alter Christus, another Christ and it is Christ that is coming into our midst. Once Christianity became legal the procession developed further. Bishops held the rank of high empire official and because of this there was much ceremony in the 4^th 6^th century for the bishop's entrance. This developed into the procession we have today. The procession enters the sanctuary and bows to the altar as a sign of reverence. The priest and deacon kiss the altar as a sign of reverence and veneration of the altar of sacrifice upon which Christ is offered.

The Mass begins with a sign of God's love for us, the sign of the Cross. The Sign of the Cross is an ancient symbol used to identify Christians by other Christians in a time when it was illegal to be Christian. The Cross is a sign of our faith and a symbol of all that Christianity stands for. By making the sign of the cross the priest and congregation place themselves under the cross of Christ and signify that to this cross they look for salvation.

The priest then greets us with a biblical greeting that expresses God's love for us. Some priests use this as an opportunity to prepare us for the celebration and to put us in the proper mind set to celebrate the sacred mysteries of Christ's passion and death.

This does not conclude the introductory rites, but it does give us a little to consider about the Mass and it's many parts.

Introductory Rite -- Part II

Last time we spoke about the introductory rites but only in part, we covered the entrance song and processions, the sign of the cross, and the greeting; today we are going to finish talking about the introductory rites.

Once the priest has greeted us he moves the congregation into the penitential rite. This rite is placed here so that we enter the celebration of the Mass properly cleaned. The penitential rite is a cleansing of the soul, however it is not a full-fledged confession or reconciliation. The penitential rite only covers venial sins; mortal sins still require sacramental reconciliation. The penitential rite does not take the place of reconciliation, sacramental reconciliation is still required, but the rite cleanses us and prepares us for Mass. In the 8th century solemn liturgy the Kyrie (Lord have mercy) was sung by the celebrant and the choir. This is different from what we have today. The Confiteor (I Confess) was not part of the Eucharistic liturgy; strictly speaking, the public confession of sins appears in various forms in all ancient liturgies. The penitential rite was eventually dropped from the liturgy and was reinstated with the liturgical reforms of Vatican II. The penitential rite replaced the old prayers at the foot of the altar, which contained a profession of sin. These prayers developed over time and usually included the celebrant prostrating at the foot of the altar. These prayers used to be said silently in preparation, but progressed so much so that they became said out loud and part of the liturgy.

After the penitential rite there is the Gloria. This is a statement that gives glory and special praise to God. ?The Gloria is a very ancient and venerable hymn in which the Church gathered together in the Holy Spirit glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb? (GIRM 53). The Gloria is used to express joyful and special occasions. As early as the 8th century we see the Gloria being used in more solemn liturgies. The Gloria is a beautiful prayer and gives proper glory to God.

The introductory rites end with the collect or opening prayer. The opening prayer reminds us that we are in God?s presence and that we should quiet and settle ourselves so as to be in the proper mindset to hear the Word of God and receive the Eucharist. It is in the collect or opening prayer that the character of the celebration is expressed. ?The collect prayer is usually addressed to God the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit and is concluded in a Trinitarian ending? (GIRM 54). The prayer unifies the community gathered and prepares the people for Mass.

The introductory rites may seem unimportant but through the introductory rites we are prepared to celebrate the sacred mysteries of Christ?s life, death, and resurrection.

Liturgy of the Word -- Part I

After the Introductory rites we continue the first main division of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word.

The Liturgy of the Word is divided into the introductory rites, first reading, responsorial psalm, second reading, Gospel acclamation or Alleluia, Gospel, homily, profession of faith, prayers of the faithful, and intermingled in the whole bit is silence. In ancient liturgies there were several readings from letters of the apostles and prophets as well as discussion of the Old Testament. In 165 St. Justin Martyr described the Eucharistic Celebration as beginning in the Liturgy of the Word which the ?memories of the Apostles? and the writings of the prophets were read.

Typically on a Sunday the first reading is taken from the Old Testament. There are particular instances when the first reading will be taken from the New Testament. An example of this is Easter Season. During the Easter Season the first reading is always taken from the Acts of the Apostles. But the first reading is otherwise taken from the Old Testament. The second reading is always taken from the New Testament, most of the time it is taken from one of St. Paul?s letters, on occasion we are privileged to hear from one of the other letters or books from the New Testament. We use both testaments because it shows the Tradition that the Catholic Church is based on.

The responsorial psalm is taken from the book of psalms. There are Psalms assigned to each Sunday, but there are also particular psalms that are based on each season. This is determined by what the psalm says and the season we are celebrating. The responsorial psalm holds ?pastoral importance, because it fosters meditation on the Word of God? (GIRM #61). Through the responsorial psalm we can meditate on what we just heard and to take an active role in the liturgy. In the 8th century, between the readings, one or more members of the choir would perform the chants as designated by liturgy. This developed into the form we have today. The responsorial psalm and the Gospel acclamation are sung because the liturgy takes on a nobler aspect when these rites are celebrated with singing and the faithful actively participate (SSC #113).

At Mass God is present in four ways, in the Word, in the Eucharist, in the Assembly and in the Priest. We remember that God and Jesus come to us through the Scriptures and it is through the Scriptures that we are spiritually and intellectually fed.

Liturgy of the Word -- Part II

Last time we discussed part of the Liturgy of the Word, the first and second readings, the responsorial psalm and we briefly touched on the Gospel acclamation, or the Alleluia.

For the Gospel acclamation, the majority of the year we sing Alleluia, which is a song of praise and rejoicing. However, during the Lenten Season we find another verse to sing. The verses of the Alleluia are taken from Scripture. In this acclamation ?the assembly of the faithful welcomes and greets the Lord who is about to speak in the Gospel and profess its faith by means of the chant? (GIRM #62). The Alleluia is a song of praise because Jesus, the Word of God, is coming among us in the Gospel. During Lent we are to be in a penitential mindset and due to a somber season we do not rejoice and so we find another hymn to sing besides Alleluia. At this point we stand because Christ is coming into our midst and standing is a sign of respect.

The main part of the Liturgy of the Word is the Gospel. The Gospel is always taken from the book of either Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. For Sundays we have a three-year cycle for the Gospel in which we rotate between Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We hear from John?s Gospel on special occasions and during the year when we read from the Gospel of Mark. Mark?s Gospel is short enough that we need to take from John to fill in the rest of that particular year. The Gospels always tell of some aspect of Jesus? life or a parable that Jesus is telling.

The next part of the Liturgy of the Word is the homily. The homily, as part of the Mass, was seen as early as 165. There was a need to interpret the Scriptures in matters of faith, but also to instruct and teach the faithful in matters of faith and in living Christian lives. The homily is where we receive information about our faith. The homily should be based on the Scriptures, but can also be about a matter of faith. The homily is when the Deacon, Priest, or Bishop exercises the teaching aspect of their office. The homily is not an intermission, but is a time to reflect on God?s word given to us in the Scriptures and to grow deeper in our faith.

While the Liturgy of the Word contains a lot of reading/speaking and listening, we also need to recognize the importance of silence. Silence is to be used throughout the liturgy, but most importantly with the Liturgy of the Word. This gives us time throughout the liturgy to reflect on what we have heard or what we have received. Silence is very important, in the silence we truly come to meet Christ in the liturgy and in our prayers.

Liturgy of the Word -- Part III

To this point we have discussed the majority of the Liturgy of the Word. Today we conclude the Liturgy of the Word with two parts, the profession of faith, and the prayers of the faithful or petitions.

The profession of faith comes after a brief period of silence after the homily. The profession of faith is a statement of what we as Catholics believe. ?The Profession of Faith, also known as the Creed, is the whole gathered people responding to the word of God proclaimed in the readings taken from Sacred Scripture and explained in the homily and that we also call to mind and confess the great mysteries of faith by reciting the rule of faith in a formula approved for liturgical use, before these mysteries are celebrated in the Eucharist? (GIRM #67). The ?rule of faith? is a statement of the basic beliefs of the Catholic Church and it is the basic rule that the Church lives by. The form of the Creed we use during Mass comes to us from the Council of Nicea which was held around 325. We call this form the Nicene Creed. There are other forms of the Creed, such as the Apostles Creed, but the Church has decided to use the Nicene Creed for Mass. The word Creed comes from the first word of the Creed in Latin, Credo, meaning, I believe. This is why the beginning of the Creed is returning to ?I? believe instead of ?we? believe.

After we profess the faith that we hold and teach we then turn to God and bring our needs to the Father and to the Lord in the Prayers of the Faithful or the petitions. In ancient liturgies there were intercessory prayers given by the deacon on behalf of the assembly followed by a prayer by the priest. Throughout ancient liturgies we see prayers and Masses offered for various reasons and needs. We even see Masses offered for those who are deceased. Throughout the Tradition of the Church we take time at Mass to pray for people and needs of the community and the world. The prayers we bring to God at this time are the prayers for the needs and the guidance of the world, the whole Church, and our own local Church community. The events and needs of the world, of the Church of Cincinnati, and the Parish of St. Margaret of York are brought to the Lord during this time. These prayers reflect what is going on in our world and in our church. God as a good Father knows what we need and when we need it. Throughout the Mass we praise and worship God, but in our praising and worshiping we bring our needs and concerns to the Lord. By the 16th century there were a great number of reforms on the liturgy due to the reforms of the Council of Trent. With these reforms the general intercession and the offertory procession were dropped and would not be brought back until the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

The Liturgy of the Word is a very important part of the Mass. It is one of the two main divisions of the Mass. We celebrate the Liturgy of the Word with all due reverence and respect because of the presence of Jesus and God in and through the Scriptures.

Holy Week and Easter Catechesis

Today we take a break from the normal Liturgical Catechesis and focus on Holy Week.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday commemorates Christ?s entry into Jerusalem. The Scriptures tell us that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as the people came out to meet him carrying palm branches and crying out ?Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel? (Mark 12:13-14). It is appropriate that we celebrate Palm Sunday as the beginning of Holy Week. When Jesus was rode into Jerusalem he was preparing for his death. Jesus was coming to Jerusalem to be put to death. As we celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus it is appropriate to begin our celebration of Christ?s passion in the same way Jesus did.

The next big event of Holy Week is the Chrism Mass. This is the Mass in the diocese where the sacred oils used for the year are blessed by the bishop. Since the time of Jesus oils have been used in many different sacraments. The bishop is the only one who is permitted to bless the oils used to celebrate the sacraments. This is one of the few jobs that only the bishop can do. The Chrism Mass can only be celebrated once a year and it is during Holy Week that the Church has decided to hold this Mass. This is because the sacraments that the Church uses the oil to celebrate will be held a few days after the Chrism Mass at the Easter Vigil. This is also a time when the priests of the diocese gather together to reaffirm their commitment to the priesthood.

Some dioceses hold their Chrism Mass on Tuesday and some hold it on Thursday. No matter what the next big event during Holy Week is Holy Thursday. Holy Thursday begins the Triduum. The Triduum is a special time of prayer and fasting in preparation for the coming Easter feast. This is the Mass of the Lord?s Supper. Traditionally this is the night when Christ celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples. It was on the night before Christ died that we were given the Eucharist as well as the sacrament of Holy Orders. At this Mass we also celebrate the washing of the feet, this is because Christ washed the feet of his disciples as a sign of service at the Last Supper and so we too celebrate the washing of the feet at the celebration of the Lord?s Supper. Also this is the last time the Eucharist will be celebrated until the Easter Vigil. Christ gave us the Eucharist at the Last Supper and so it is proper and fitting that we celebrate the Eucharist on this day. The Mass on Thursday night is not concluded in the normal manner. The Mass ends with a prayer and procession of the Eucharist to the place of adoration, which is the Day Chapel where we will have Eucharistic Adoration until midnight. The Eucharist, after midnight, is then placed in a special tabernacle, this is to represent or reenact Jesus leaving the Last Supper and going into the garden. It is a special time of prayer for all of us as we relive the final events of Jesus? life. The tradition has been, on Holy Thursday and Good Friday to strip the altar. The tabernacle, since the 14-16th century, had been placed on the main altar or high altar. When the altar was stripped the tabernacle could not be used, the result was a separate side tabernacle, not displayed for public veneration, is used on the night of Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

The Triduum continues with Good Friday. This is the day when we commemorate the death of Jesus. On Good Friday there is no Mass celebrated. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are all connected as one worship, the Lord?s Supper, the passion and venation of the cross, the memorial of Christ?s passion and death, and concluding on the evening of Holy Saturday with the commemoration of Christ?s resurrection from the dead. On Good Friday we revisit and reread the passion of Jesus as he walked the lengthy passage from Jerusalem to Golgotha (The place of the Skull) where he was put to death. On Good Friday we venerate the Cross. Good Friday is a day when the cross is highly exalted. We honor the cross on this day because it is the cross upon which Christ died for us and for the forgiveness of our sins.

After nightfall on Holy Saturday we begin the celebration of the Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ as well as when the Church celebrates the Sacraments of Initiation. The Church traditionally welcomes candidates and catechumens into the Church at the Easter Vigil. This tradition is something that has been handed down to us from the time of the apostles. The Easter Vigil would begin after nightfall and end around Easter morning. This celebration has been shortened to last only a couple of hours versus an all night Mass. The Easter Vigil has many characteristics that we celebrate on this special night, Light, the Word, and the reception of the elect. The Mass on the Easter Vigil contains a celebration of all of these aspects. While there is a focus on the reception of the elect, we are also to celebrate the light and the word through the special ceremony at the beginning from which the Paschal candle is light. We also have several readings, we have the option of seven plus the Gospel, but less may be done, however there are always more than the normal two plus the Gospel. In ancient liturgies there would be several rituals performed so as to initiate those who were seeking to join the Church. The bishop would be present and celebrate the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. On Holy Saturday we still celebrate these sacraments to welcome to the faith, those seeking to become full initiated and full members of the Catholic Church.

Over the Church's history there have been many traditions kept and many changes made to Holy Week and even the Easter Vigil. As the Church grew and continues to grow there are always changes, but Holy Week and the Easter Vigil is a time to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to welcome to the faith the candidates and catechumens that have been preparing to join the Church.

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