St. Bonaventure Catholic Community

Thoughts from Fr. Richard on the New Missal

What Is The New GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSAL (GIRM)?

By: Fr. Richard Mangini

What Is Its Purpose?

Its purpose is to preserve the meaning of the Mass as handed down for centuries from the very earliest practice to us today; to ensure that all ordained bishops, priests and deacons follow an accepted pattern of practices that reveal the true meaning of the Eucharist; and to promote an ecclesial or church unity and harmony.

When Was It Written?

The new General Instruction was published in 2002 by Pope John Paul II revising and refining an earlier edition published by Pope Paul VI in 1970. It contains very clear explanations about the purpose of the Eucharistic sacrifice and banquet; the purpose of God’s Word, the inter-relationship of clergy and people and what words and gestures are to be used in our communal liturgical life. Before 1970, the Roman Catholic Church followed the Roman Missal published by Pope St. Pius V in 1570. Prior to 1570, there were many liturgical books and documents from Spain, England, France, Egypt, and Greece describing the cultural adaptations developed over the centuries.

Why Is It Important To Have A Roman Missal and a General Instruction?

The revised rites of today’s Mass or Eucharist are the result of the study of liturgical texts and practices going back to the early Church. Called “The Norms of the Holy Father,” it is important that we understand what was done and how it was understood to do what Jesus did, and to do it clearly “in His memory.”

Why Can’t We Be Free To Do What We Feel Is Best?

Because Jesus’ understanding of His sacrifice and His presence in our lives is more important than our desires or feelings. We come from a Jewish tradition where liturgical practice was very regulated in order to remain true to its original meaning. As the “Jesus Movement”, the new religion and its liturgical practice moved out of their Jewish background, it was even more important to write down and make clear how to do what Jesus asked us to do in his memory. And in a time when people were not well-educated, to know what to do and what to pray were very important. The communal dimensions of every liturgical action require a unity in prayer, in liturgical actions, in postures and gestures.

What Kind Of Changes Are We Talking About?

Most of the changes are refinements. Behind them is a cultivation of the Spirit of Reverence - - listening more in silence, bowing the head before receiving Holy Communion, being careful not to spill consecrated wine and using common gestures to emphasize the communal aspects of our worship together. The uses of singing or praying together, doing actions and postures together, foster a new communal mentality de-emphasizing the more individualistic approach.

Is There An American Catholic Approach To Liturgy?

The Apostolic See (the Vatican), the Congregation for the Discipline of Worship and the Sacraments have granted certain accommodations to the United States as requested by our bishops. The General Instruction calls for standing throughout the entire Eucharistic Prayer. By special indult, we will stand only after the Great Amen or Final Doxology and kneel throughout the Eucharistic Prayer. It is a concession to a more traditional and reverential practice in the United States of kneeling although the ancient tradition is to stand.

Are We Going Backward or Forward In This New General Instruction?

The new instruction makes permanent and includes as universal law and practice the offering and greeting of peace, standing for Holy Communion, receiving Holy Communion in the form of bread and wine using extraordinary ministers of Communion, lay people. Also, for the first time, it directs the posture and gestures of the assembly, not just the presider. On the other hand, it stipulates the use of ringing the bells when showing the bread and the wine during the Consecration. It adds also a new gesture of reverence toward the Eucharistic presence by bowing the head before receiving the bread and wine.

So Why All These Changes and Refinements?

We are a worldwide religious community. We have a responsibility to know, honor and practice the Eucharistic traditions as it has been handed down from one generation to another, to retain what is most accurate and at the heart of what Eucharist is, to simplify, change or omit what is pietistic or not sound, to promote the integrity of our communal worship and to adapt it to different cultures, times and circumstances. The Roman Rite encourages uniformity and diversity, keeping both in balance. So as you travel around the world or go from diocese to diocese, you will observe practices that are similar and practices that are different. The new Roman Missal delegates to National Bishops’ Conferences and to local Bishops a great deal of discretion.

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THE PREPARATION RITES

By: Fr. Richard Mangini

Today, we begin to introduce the new changes from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, issued first in Latin in the Spring of 2001 by Pope John Paul II, translated into English in November 2002 and finally approved for reading and use in the United States in March 2003. In the midst of transition of one bishop retiring and a new bishop beginning his pastoral administration, the Diocese of Oakland delayed its implementation of the new General Instruction until now.

Why Do We Begin with the Liturgy of the Eucharist?

Our parish begins with the second part of the Mass which is called the Liturgy of the Eucharist which affects our own parish’s liturgical practice more than the first part (called the Liturgy of the Word). There are more changes in the second part.

The Celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist is arranged in three parts:

1. Doing what Jesus did, the gifts of bread and wine are brought to the altar table, the same elements that Jesus took into his hands
2. In the Eucharistic Prayer (there are nine) thanks is given to God for the whole work of salvation and the gifts become the Body and Blood of Christ
3. We receive the one bread and the one cup like the apostles did when the bread and wine are distributed at communion time.

How Do the Gifts of Bread and Wine Get to the Altar?

• At St. Bonaventure’s, three parishioners will present to the priest standing at the altar and not at the chair, the bread to be consecrated, the flagon of wine to be used and the collection of monies.
• The Head Eucharistic Minister will place a tray with chalices that will be filled with wine on the altar and a tray with plates of bread already prepared.
• The prior preparation, especially in the pouring of wine, will prevent any spillage.

Why Does the Priest Who Presides Place the Gifts of Bread and Wine on the Corporal?

The priest acts in the person of Jesus who took the bread and wine, blessed and distributed it. The Liturgy envisions this as an “action” making Jesus more visible and re-enacting what Jesus did.

Why is this First Part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist called the Preparation of the Gifts?

The former popular word used in the old General Instruction of 1570 was the word Offertory as in Offertory gifts. To be more precise and to describe what is happening, the General Instruction now designates this first part as the Preparation of the Gifts. There is no prayer that offers these to God. The actions prepare the altar table only. The prayer of offering comes in the Eucharistic Prayer itself.

What is the First New Posture for the Assembly or All the People to do?

The assembly stands at the invitation of the priest who presides. When the priest says “Pray, Brethren that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the Father Almighty,” before responding, the assembly stands and then prays.

What are these new words that I am hearing: Preside, Assembly?

In an effort to describe the proper role of priest and the people in the celebration of the Eucharist, the word Presider or presides refers to the role that the priest fulfills and the word Assembly describes the gathering of the people or the parishioners: those who have come, who have gathered to celebrate the Eucharist. The Priest and the Assembly celebrate together. Each have different roles.

What concludes the Preparation Rite?

This first part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist ends with the Prayer overthe offerings to which the people respond: “Amen.” The people or the assembly are already standing, adding their amen to the prayer the Presider prays.

What did I notice today?

• The bread anda flagon of wine, were presented
• Trays with chalices were filled with wine and plates of bread were placed on the altar
• We stood to respond to the Presider’s Invitation To Pray
• We remained standing and responded “Amen” after the Presider prayed the Prayer over the offerings.

Like a Symphony well-conducted, the music of praise produces one sound.

The Eucharist is a joint action of Jesus and the Church as it was between Jesus and the Apostles. There are many parts and actions in the liturgical prayer. The General Instruction seeks to describe and list who or which ministry is responsible for doing what. Each carries out the task or role so that the entire celebration will become one action of praise and thanksgiving to God.

The Priest does not do something for the people.

Rather, through the prayer led by the Presider, the priest - together with the assembly - offer themselves to God as Jesus did in a true sacrifice of praise. One goal of the Eucharist is to achieve a spiritual and fraternal unity. We become the one visible body of Christ most visibly in the Eucharistic celebration.

The Liturgy is like a Play, Everyone Has Their Part. What is yours?

The Priest or Presider is to do his part, but the people or the assembly must do their part as well. And they “should not refuse to serve the People of God gladly whenever they are asked to perform some particular ministry or functions.” The people proclaim the Scriptures, except the Gospel. The people serve as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist. The people carry the cross, the incense, the bread, the wine, etc. Forty years ago, the Priest did almost everything. Today, there are specific roles to be fulfilled by the Presider and by the People.

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THE ROLE OF COMMUNION MINISTERS DURING THE COMMUNION RITE

By: Fr. Robert K. Rien

For the past two weeks, Fr. Richard has been writing in this space about the implementation of the new General Instruction to the Roman Missal. He began by introducing the General Instruction and the principals that foster unity in the celebration of the Eucharist and in liturgical practice, our developing sense of our maturing in what we do and how we do it through posture, gesture, and ritual. In last week’s article and homily, he focused on the Preparation Rite, formerly referred to as the “Offertory.” In that article and homily the focus was on how the collection is taken up and presented, how the Gifts of Bread and Wine are presented, how music supports the ritual action of presentation, the changes that have gone into effect with regard to the vessels used for both the bread and the wine, when they are brought to the altar and by whom, and standing for the Invitation to the Eucharistic Prayer.

In today’s article and homily, I have the privilege to reflect with you on “The Role of Communion Ministers during the Communion Rite.”

Who and what are “Extraordinary Minister of Communion?”

These are people who are known by various names: “extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion,” – “eucharistic ministers” – “Communion ministers.” Whatever their title, they have become an indispensable part of the ministry of Communion. As ministers of Communion, the title clearly identifies them as those who serve God’s holy people. Pope Paul VI explained the need for their service in his Instruction on Facilitating Sacramental Eucharistic Communion in Particular Circumstances (1973) where he described how a lack of sufficient clergy for the sharing of Communion could occur:

“During Mass, because the size of the congregation or a particular difficulty in which a celebrant finds himself; outside of Mass, when it is difficult because of distance to take the sacred species, especially in the Viaticum (Holy Communion under both forms for the dying), to the sick in danger of death, or when the very number of the sick, especially in hospitals and similar institutions, requires many ministers.”

With these circumstances in mind, Paul VI authorized extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to share the Body and Blood of Christ with their fellow worshipers in the assembly and with those confined to their homes, so that no one “be deprived of this sacramental help and consolation.”

The directives of Pope Pius X for frequent and early Communion (1905, 1910) have resulted in an unprecedented number of Catholics receiving Communion at each Mass.

The service of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion make it possible for the celebration of Mass or the distribution of Eucharist outside of Mass to not be “unduly prolonged.” They help ensure that the Communion Rite not be disproportionately long in relation to the other parts of the liturgy. Their ministry also enables a congregation to share in Communion Services when a priest cannot be present for the celebration of the Eucharist.

In 1978, the Bishops of the United States voted to extend permission for the assembly to receive both the Body and the Blood of Christ. This welcome practice, once provisional or experimental, is now the norm in the present General Instruction and has caused the increased need for extraordinary ministers in the sharing of Communion, and it will continue to do so.

What is the “foundation” for this ministry?

The ministry of the Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist complements and extend the ministry of the ordained. Their ministry is not only that of “official assistant” to the presider but also a particular way of exercising their baptismal priesthood. They are among us as those who serve, who are one with us and one with the priest-presider as he serves the assembly in its worship.

How will the Communion Rite look now?

Once the priest-presider has received Communion, the Communion Ministers will approach the altar and take their places: The Ministers of the Body of the Lord will be standing to the right of the altar (facing from the assembly) and the Ministers of the Blood of Christ will be standing to the left (facing from the assembly). The presider will distribute Holy Communion to each Communion Minister, followed by the Head Minister who will administer the chalice. When all of the Communion Ministers have received Holy Communion, the presider will hand each minister their vessel and the ministers will go directly to their Communion Stations to begin the distribution. At the conclusion of the distribution, The Communion Ministers will return their vessels to the trays at the Credence Table. Should any of the Precious Blood remain, the ministers will consume it and then place their chalice on the tray. The Head Minister will combine the consecrated hosts into the ciborium and place it in the tabernacle. The vessels will then be covered with a post-communion linen and purified following the liturgy. The Communion Ministers take their places in the assembly. The last responsibility of the Head Minister is to fold up the corporal, remove it from the altar, and place it at the Credence Table.

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Summer Staff Reflection

By Father Robert Rien

I am grateful for this opportunity to write an article for our bulletin and in so doing, to share with our parish community. During the past several weeks, we have presented a series of homilies on the new General Instruction to the Roman Missal. Personally, I enjoyed the series and found the homilies to be educational, practical, and even enjoyable! In this article today, I would like to reflect with you on the significance and place of the altar, making use of an article written recently by David Philippart who writes about art and environment in Roman Catholic churches and is a staff member of Liturgy Training Resources.

At the center of our life as church stands the altar. On the day of its dedication, the bishop came, washed the altar with water and anointed it with sacred chrism. Then others robed the altar in fine linen and placed lit candles around it. Does this action sound familiar? This in fact is precisely what was done to us, what is done to all those whom God calls to gather around this altar: the baptized. Dedication transforms this table into a consecrated sign of Christ among us. Baptism makes us members of Christ’s body and gives us a seat with Christ at the table with God.

The word “altar” comes from a Latin word that originally meant “to burn up.” Before Christ, altars were fearful places where blood was spilled, flesh seared, incense, grain and oil sacrificed in smoke and fire. Our ancestors sensed that in sacrificing life and that which sustains life, God would be near. Jesus’ self-sacrificing love made the cross the ultimate altar. Because Christ offered his own body to be broken, his own blood to be poured out on the altar of the cross, we no longer have to spill blood or break bodies in violence or in war, in inner city alleys or on “death row,” in the streets of Iraq, the mountains of Afghanistan or the fields of Darfur. Were not Christ’s sacred body and precious blood enough?

So the Christian altar is no longer the blazing pit or the executioner’s weapon. Rising from the dead, Christ has changed the cross into the tree of life, shading beneath its boughs a table. Before suffering and after rising, Christ gathered people together and to God with food and drink. The altar of the living God has become the dining table, our sacrifice the lifting up of our hearts and the sharing of the Easter banquet. At this holy table, we are fed and made whole. From this holy table, we are sent to set a table for the homeless and the hungry.

We bow slowly to the altar, deeply from the waist. The presider and deacon kiss the altar at the beginning of each liturgy. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states that “only what is required for the celebration of Mass may be placed on the mensa (top) of the altar.” It also directs that from the beginning of Mass until the Gospel, the Book of the Gospels is set upon it. From the preparation of the gifts until after Communion, the cup, plate and additional Communion vessels, the linens (corporal, purificators), the Sacramentary (book of presidential prayer) are to be discreetly arranged. Candles and the cross “are to be appropriately placed either on or near the altar in a way suited to the design of the altar...so that the whole may be well balanced and not interfere with the faithful’s clear view of what takes place at the altar or what is placed on it,” namely, our gifts of bread and wine. It has become a good custom to use the processional cross as the altar cross. Carried in, it is set up near the altar, suggesting the tree of life that shades the Lord’s table.

The altar is covered with “at least one white cloth, its shape, size and decoration in keeping with the altar’s design.” Additional cloths of “other colors possessing Christian honorific or festive significance according to longstanding local usage” may also be used, “provided that the uppermost cloth covering the mensa is always white.” Perhaps it is helpful to think of the altar cloth as the altar’s baptismal garment.

The General Instruction gives this sound principle: “Moderation should be observed in the decoration of the altar.” The altar is never to be used as a backdrop for anything. Leaving space around the altar is a way of indicating its holiness. The candles, cross, and flowers may be placed near it but not up against it. As we stand before it, we must insure that it still appears as a holy table, that its shape and purpose are not obscured by plants or flowers. Again, the General Instruction has great advice: “Floral decorations should always be done with moderation and placed around the altar rather than on its mensa.”

Outside of liturgy, even when we are cleaning or setting up or creating the environment for a particular feast or season, the altar is never to be used as a work station. By showing profound respect for the altar, we love Christ for whom it stands and we learn to make of all the world’s tables altars for our God.

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IMPLEMENTATION OF GIRM CONTINUES

For the next three weeks we continue and conclude the implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal or GIRM (2003 printing in English). Although there will not be visible changes, except bowing our heads during the Creed, the three week series offers a teaching opportunity to review the first parts of the Eucharist: The Liturgy of the Word, from the Entrance Rite to the Conclusion of the Prayers of the Faithful.

Today, the homily has focused on the Entrance Rite: namely the Entrance, Greeting, Act of Penitence, Kyrie, Gloria and Collect Prayer.

The Entrance or Introductory Rites are like a warm-up or rehearsal—getting everyone together on “the same page,” helping us to realize that we are indeed part of a spiritual community-family, that we have come to worship together as one. The final purpose of these rites, which can change in wording from season to season or Sunday to Sunday, are “to dispose ourselves to listen properly to God’s word and to celebrate the Eucharist worthily.” (In some celebrations that are combined with Mass, these rites may be omitted or performed differently)

The Entrance includes a procession of servers, lectors and presiders. We sing and the song is important because its words introduce us to the theme of the day’s worship.

Bow and Kiss The Altar Table is the primary symbol of the Presence of Jesus in the community of faith gathered at the Eucharist. It is the place where the bread and wine for the Eucharist are placed and where they are consecrated. The presider and minister enter this sacred space with reverence—bow and kiss the altar table profoundly.

Greeting The purpose of blessing ourselves with the sign of the Cross is to remind us that we have gathered because of our Baptism and that we recognize the Spirit of Jesus is within us and gathers us together to praise God.

Act of Penitence Recognizing that we have been called by our Baptism into a “chosen way” of life, aware of our need to walk that way more clearly, we ask God to bring us into a holier way of life. The liturgical expressions change from Sunday to Sunday, from season to season. Traditionally, we have used the Greek word “Kyrie Eleison, Lord Have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy.”

The Gloria This is a hymn which we sing during the Easter Season and omit during Advent and Lent. Because it is so ancient, the church requires us to pray or sing it on most Sundays of the year. It is somewhat like the “Star Spangled Banner.”

The Collect The word refers to “the prayer of all those gathered.” The Latin word is somewhat like the collected people present. The presider does two things. He says: “Let us pray and then pauses. That silence is very important because it allows us to become conscious of our own prayers and needs. The Church has prepared a prayer for each Sunday of the year to which we respond, “Amen”, signifying that it has become the prayer of everyone gathered.

The Intention Behind What We Do While the Eucharist is a gathering of people called to be a community of faith, it is also a moment of entrance into a larger and greater mystery – the life of God. Therefore we need to be careful, thoughtful and attentive to what we are doing, how we are listening or participating. To be present and not be distracted requires attention. How we sing, how we genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament, how we bless ourselves, how we pray, how we listen does not happen by rote. We need to be present to ourselves and know what we are doing.

One practical note: Please pay attention to how you make the sign of the Cross, how you genuflect or how you do both. Along with the gesture goes an act of faith.

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GOD REALLY DOES SPEAK TO US

Today we focus on the Liturgy of the Word in the very particular meaning of “the Scriptures” that we hear and listen to with our hearts in the first part of our Sunday Eucharist.

Never intended to be read in a perfunctory way but always as if God were speaking, because that is what God is doing, it is the responsibility of the Lector to communicate well, clearly and passionately, a word that is not his or hers.

And it is the courteous obligation of the Assembly, those who are gathered to listen, to pay attention, to grasp a word, a phrase, to listen for what God is saying to me and to us as a community. Of course, there are physical and mental distractions. So, a certain amount of discipline and willpower is needed.

There are three ways by which we listen:

1. Listening with our ears, receiving the words and their meaning;
2. Silence, that is listening with our hearts in a thoughtful way, taking a few moments to meditate;
3. Singing a psalm from the Hebrew book of prayers, this is the church’s prayer book as well. The Psalm is chosen to reinforce the meaning of the Scriptures of the day.

The Church assigns two types of duties in the Liturgy: one is presidential, the one who presides and the other ministerial, the one who carries out duties such as acolyte-server, lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, cantor (psalmist), choir, sound, hospitality-usher, all the people paying attention and worshipping together. Note the new word “psalmist,” the cantor who leads the singing of the Psalm. That is why the church is getting away from using the word “celebrant” that used to designate what the priest did. Actually, the word celebrant/officiant is the third person plural Latin verb form referring to “they”; the whole assembly is the “celebrant,” priest and deacon included. All of us are celebrating God’s saving grace and redemption that comes to us in Jesus Christ. We do it together exercising different roles.

Gospel “The reading of the Gospel is the high point of the Liturgy of the Word (#60).” The Catholic Church has accorded great honor to the reading of the Gospel:

• Carrying of the Gospel Book in procession and placing it on the altar at the beginning of the Liturgy.
• The deacon or priest preparing himself by prayer before proclaiming the Words of the Gospel
• The Assembly acknowledging the presence of Jesus by singing acclamations before the Gospel is proclaimed and by acknowledging: “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ” after its reading.
• Signing our foreheads, our lips and our hearts with a cross reminding us to listen at all three levels to Jesus the Crucified and Risen Lord. Note: This is a real, intentional tracing of the cross, not just some wiggly abstract gesture.
• And placing the opened Book of the Gospels on display after its reading. (We have done this from time to time, but will do so now each time the Gospel is read.)

Homily The Roman Catholic Church is a liturgical Church that provides readings from the entire Bible to be read over the course of three years for Sundays and two years for weekdays.

• The Church does not pick themes and then try to match scriptures to them.
• The Church employs the use of a Homily and not a sermon or an instruction on a theme. From the Greek word, a homily, a conversation speaking to a large group, unravels or explores the meaning of a sacred text for the day.

Periodically, exceptions are made in order to talk about a particular theme, like the implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal or a church’s annual report or an important charitable collection.

Ambo (Pulpit), Altar (Table) The place from where the Word of God is read has many names and has been placed differently and looked differently over the centuries. The General Instruction asks that the Ambo or Pulpit be used only for the Word of God and not announcements of any kind. In the future, announcements will be made in front of the Sanctuary or in front of the choir section.

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THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

The Liturgy of the Word ends with standing up and professing the Creed and praying the Prayer of the Faithful or what we call also the General Intercession. They are intended to be an appropriate and fitting response to the Word of God that we have heard. Because of what I have heard and how God has spoken to me, I can say that I believe and I pray.

(At the present moment, the Assembly prays “We Believe.” In a few years when a new translation is introduced, we will say “I believe” which is the literal translation of the Latin Word, Credo, I believe)

Symbol of Faith. It was common in the Roman Empire of Jesus’ day that religious or cultic rituals include what was called “The Symbol of Faith.” The Greek word, symbol, signifies a token, an expression that names which divine power or attribute that a person relates to and why. The Symbol is a collection of all those important doctrines the religion or cult believes.

Israel had the Shema (Deut 6:4); Islam has the Shahada, only God is God; Hinduism has the Gayatri Mantra; Buddhism, The Triple Refuge; Christianity, The Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed.

Actually, there were many regional creeds, sometimes short phrases, sometimes longer. The New Testament Scriptures are filled with sentences, paragraphs that are considered to be Creeds.

Baptismal, Initiation Rites. The first function or use of Creeds or Compositions that expressed the doctrines of Christian Faith emerged from and were used in the Baptismal and Initiation Rites in the early church.

One of the oldest symbols is the Apostles Creed, not actually composed by them but handed down in various fragments from the late first century. This symbol or formula as we have it now is being considered in ecumenical circles as a binding formula for all Christian Faiths.

What we use presently on Sunday, The Nicene Creed is a combination of the credal formula of The Ecumenical Council of Nicea, 325 C.E. and the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, 381 C.E. Both are formula that wish to make clear, against the Arian Heresy, that God the Father and Jesus share the same nature. This Creed was introduced in the Liturgy in the East in 451 C.E. in 589 C.E. in Spain and in the 11th Century in the entire West.

Posture Stand. Out of respect for the Gospel and Words of Jesus, we stand for Alleluia or an Acclamation that greets Jesus and praises His Word, for its proclamation, for The Creed and for The Prayer of the Faithful as well.

Posture Bow. The whole assembly is asked to make a Profound Bow, a bow of the body at the Words in the Creed that “by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary , and became Man.”

Prayer of the Faithful. The last part of the Liturgy of the Word is the Prayer of the Faithful whereby, responding to the Word of God just proclaimed and preached, the assembly exercises their baptismal priesthood by offering prayers to God for the salvation of all.

As a rule the prayers or intentions follow a sequence: “ for the needs of the church; for public authorities and the salvation of the whole world; for those burdened with any kind of difficulty; for the local Community.”

The presider directs the prayer from the chair, beginning with a brief introduction and concluding with a prayer.

Two Tables. In one sense, The Liturgy has two tables: one is the place around which God speaks in the Scriptures and Prophets of the Old Testament and in the words of Jesus and the early Church in the New Testament. The Ambo is the table from where The Word of God is served.

The other table is the Altar-Table from where the Eucharistic bread and wine of Jesus is served. Both are of equal importance.

One of the things that we are going to be more careful about is the use of the Ambo and the Altar Table, not using either for anything except for which they were blessed – thus only the Word of God – no announcements from the Ambo. There will also be some new policies regarding the use of the sanctuary and the chapel. These will be announced shortly.

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GENERAL INSTRUCTION CONCLUDES WITH GUIDELINES ON USE OF SANCTUARY

We have concluded our implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. We have used a four-week period in June and a three-week period in September to implement the required changes. The refinements in this last General Instruction issued by Rome several years ago aim to accent several elements within the liturgical assembly:

• Clarifying roles that are proper to the priest as presider, to the deacon and to the assembly and not confusing or mixing them up.
• Encouraging Participation by listening, responding in acclamations, praying out loud and singing.
• Clarifying Postures that encourage a sense of unity, the assembly doing what it does together as one community and not as single individuals.
• The Intentional Use of Silence so that each person can hear and take in God’s Word in an intentional way, so that each person can enter the mystery of God’s presence. The Mass or Eucharist is both a Sacrifice and a Banquet. It is both a time of profound prayer and building up of the community in the Spirit.
• Praying of Community Prayers Together in an enthusiastic intentional way, not mumbling them but praying them together as a community.
• Using Signs and Symbols that are prayer forms inviting us to think more deeply about what we do when we sign ourselves with the Cross or touch our forehead, lips, and heart with the sign of the Cross, or bow during the Creed.

Part of the changes in the General Instruction also requires us to protect the use of the Sanctuary as a Sacred Space. It is not a stage. However, we do occasionally use the sanctuary as a community auditorium because we do not have a community center. How to keep the balance?

The church is, first and foremost, the place where the community gathers around the tables of Jesus to hear God’s word, to celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection, to receive Jesus in his sacramental presence and to be transformed into his image and likeness.

Therefore, we want to keep the furniture of the Sanctuary in its proper place and use it for its sacred use. That means that Eagle Courts of Honor and musical concerts will be asked to use the sanctuary differently than they have used it in the past. Practically speaking, what this means is that the ambo/pulpit is reserved only for reading the Word of God, and the altar table is only for the Eucharist. Details and all questions about the use of the Sanctuary will be referred to Steve Angelucci, Director of Liturgy and Music. Steve’s contact info is phone 672-5800, ext. 2214 or .

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