In This Issue:
August, 2007
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church
100 Oak Dr. South
Lake Jackson, Texas
LIGHT FOR THE WORLD
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In This Issue: |
In this issue, we will begin a series of adaptations of an article on the background of the Eucharist by Father Alfred McBride, O.Praem
Part One: From Passover to Eucharist:
There have been many changes in the church throughout history, but the core ritual has always been preserved. Although there has been much debate over the ages, many scholars view the account of the Last Supper in Scripture as being a Seder - or Passover meal, still celebrated by Jews today in commemoration of their Exodus from slavery in Egypt. (The Passover described in Exodus 12:1 - 14, 21 - 28 is a major scriptural source for understanding the context in which Jesus instituted the Eucharist.)
This supper was held in an Upper Room - also called the Cenacle - a place often used for Jewish Rabbinic scripture discussions. The tradition would call for a short - legged table surrounded by cushions where the participants would recline. On the table was a bowl of salt water in memory of the tears shed during the years of enslavement, while a dish of bitter herbs recalled crushing slave labor. The herbs were symbolically dipped into the salt water before eating them. A dish called Charoset, a mixture of apples, raisins and nuts, mixed with cinnamon, honey and wine symbolized the bricks they were forced to make. Even the bitterness of slavery can be tempered with the sweetness of hope of freedom.
There were platters of unleavened bread and a large Cup of Blessing filled with wine. Part of a lamb that had been sacrificed in the Temple and roasted, symbolized the sacrificial quality of the meal and recalled the blood of the lamb that had been smeared on the doorposts of the Hebrews; the action that saved them from the avenging Angel in Egyptian times. (It should be noted that in the time of Jesus’ ministry, the Temple was still intact, and after its destruction in A.D70, the symbols of the Seder changed to reflect this reality.)
Jesus, acting as the patriarchal head of the disciples, opened the meal with a psalm that praised God for his mighty deeds of salvation in the Exodus. Then, using the familiar actions of taking, thanking, breaking and giving the bread, he broke with tradition by adding new words: "Take and eat. This is my body that will be given up for you." This bread, now his body, would be broken, given up, that is offered on the cross for all.
After going through the rituals of the Seder, including prayers, recalling their salvation history, reflecting on the meaning of the symbolic foods, and praising God for creation and being their protector, a full meal was shared by everyone. At the end of the meal, Jesus took the Cup of Blessing filled with wine, and instead of making the usual toast, he again broke tradition and said, "Take and drink. This is my blood… it will be shed for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins." Again, Jesus was referring to his forthcoming Passion where he would shed his blood both before and during his crucifixion.
The disciples experienced their unity in Christ, as they drank of the one cup and ate of the one bread. At this meal that we now know as the Last Supper of our Lord, Christ gave them and their successors the power to celebrate Eucharist when he said. "Do this in memory of me." Scripture tells us that they concluded the Seder singing a psalm as Jesus went forth to the Garden of Gethsemane to face his saving death and resurrection. (The Hallel -or praise God - Psalms; 113 through 118, are Passover hymns designed to close the Seder meal.)
In this Last Supper, Jesus gave us the sacraments of the Eucharist and the ordained priesthood. We commemorate this wondrous event in a special way, each Holy Thursday, the first celebration of the Triduum – the three days. However, we also remember that every Eucharistic liturgy is a commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus - the Paschal Mystery. Traditionally, priests renewed their priestly vows on this day, but more recently, this happens during the Chrism Mass often held during the last week of Lent. Pope John Paul II wrote numerous Holy Thursday letters to his brother priests, and his encyclical on the Eucharist, Ecclesia de Eucharistia - the Church of the Eucharist - all showed him returning again and again to the events of the Last Supper, the source of this sacrament that contains the entire treasure of the church.
In the 13th chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus, taking on the role of servant and washing the disciples’ feet, showed them and us that an attitude of humble service is the best way to prepare for the celebration of Eucharist. Answering the call to humility, opens us to the love Christ wishes to give us and invites us to the privilege of serving others, which we are called to do.
Future articles will trace the Mass journey from the Upper Room to modern life in the church today; from the hands of Jesus to the local twenty-first century priests, the representatives of Christ.
Cenacle (SEN-uh-kull) from the Latin, cenaculum, the word for dining room.
Most Jewish houses in Jerusalem of New Testament times were one-story homes, but many had a small room on the flat roof that served as an attic for storage. Some of the larger homes contained a spacious room on the roof, and meals were served “upstairs” if one lived in a two-story house, or on the roof if there was not a second level to their home. An outside stairway led to the upper room, which was often used by Rabbis for meetings to study scripture and pastoral issues.
In such a room, Jesus celebrated the Last Supper and instituted the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles at the first Pentecost. It is also thought to be where Jesus appeared to his apostles after his Resurrection. For these reasons, it has been called the first Christian Church.
Tradition associates this place with the "house of Mary, the mother of John who is called Mark" (Acts 12:12). Since it was honored by Christians, the Roman emperor Hadrian ordered it demolished and replaced with a pagan temple. Today, an Islamic mosque marks the spot, although the patriarch of Jerusalem is allowed to celebrate Mass there once a year on Holy Thursday. The lower level is revered as the tomb of David.
In common use, the word "cenacle" is often used to name places and groups devoted to prayer.
QUIZ
(TRUE/FALSE)
Q. A bell is not required to be rung during the Eucharistic prayer.
(Click here for answers, or scroll down)
That bells were used in ancient times by the Babylonians, Egyptians, Romans and Greeks for secular and religious purposes?
Long before the time of mass communication, gongs, symbols and bells were all used to signal important events. It is difficult to trace the exact usage into the Christian period, as various names were given describing usage, but the first Christian writer to speak of bells (signa) was Gregory of Tours (circa 585). They were often said to be used to rouse the monks from their beds before services.
During the Middle Ages, the word "campana" undoubtedly meant church bell, and nothing else. By the eighth century, bells were regarded as essential equipment for every church and were blessed by a special form of consecration, and were considered sacramentals. Most churches had towers built to house their bells, which had increased in size. Large bells were used for many purposes, to announce the Mass, Liturgy Of The Hours times, deaths, grades of feasts, nature of services, curfews, Angelus, etc. The oldest existing Christian bells were those of Irish or at least Celtic origin, of which, a surprisingly large number are preserved.
The missionary's use of a hand bell to gather a congregation, often in the open air, caused it to become sacred as something immediately associated with him and his work. The idea grew that no religious service could take place without some preliminary ringing of a bell. However, in today’s society, many communities consider large bells to be noise pollution and some have ordinances regulating their use.
At the beginning of the 13th century, when many were required to work 7 days a week, at the introduction of the elevation of the host at Mass, it was customary to ring one of the great bells so that workers in the fields might momentarily kneel down and make an act of adoration.
It is reported that in England, the big bell was not rung but a smaller hand-held bell was used. This was taken to a small low side window, where the shutter was opened and the bell was thrust through and rung outside the church for an alert to the surrounding area. Whether this was distinct from the small bell which the rubrics of the Mass eventually ordered to be rung by the server is not quite clear. It should be noted that this usage varies in different countries. In Belgium, France and a few other places, the bell is rung at the "little elevation" before the Our Father (Pater Noster). In Rome, it is never rung at the Domino non sum dignus, (Lord, I am not worthy) and is not used at all at Masses said by the Pope or by Cardinals.
In token of mourning, the bells are silent from the Gloria of the mass on Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) until the Gloria on Holy Saturday (the Easter Vigil). This rule goes back to the eighth century, and then, as now, a wooden rattle is used in its place.
Taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia.
Bells at Mass
by Paul Turner
When a priest shows the consecrated bread and the chalice to the people, the server may ring a bell or the server may not ring a bell. It’s an option. Some Catholic communities exercise it: others do not.
Bells have harmonized with church life since the sixth century, when they first summoned worshipers to church before the invention of beeping wristwatches. In the early I3th century, the faithful were going to communion so infrequently that the church had to require it once a year. When they attended Mass, the faithful wanted to see the host. The priest, presiding with his back to the people, lifted the host during the recitation of the words of Jesus at the Last Supper so that the faithful who would not receive it could adore it. During the same century, the server started ringing the bell to let the people know the elevation had come.
Today when the priest shows the consecrated bread and cup to the people, the ringing of the bell is optional. We approach the eucharistic prayer differently today than we did in the 13th century. The differences are spiritual, practical, and theological. First, at that time people came to Mass primarily for adoration, not for eucharistic communion. (This was sometimes called “communion of the eyes”, and somewhat derisively referred to as “the gaze that saves”. This practice is different from what is known as spiritual communion.)
So the elevation of the host and chalice became the central feature of Sunday worship. Today we emphasize the importance of everyone’s participation in the Eucharist. Next, people faced a practical problem. They could not physically see what they had come to adore unless the priest held it aloft. Some parishes put a dark colored cloth behind the altar so people could see the host more clearly during the elevation. The bells drew people’s attention to actions which otherwise excluded them. Today we pay attention to the entire eucharistic prayer. Finally, we have a more expansive theology of the eucharistic prayer today. We focus less on the “moment of consecration” and more on the consecratory power of the entire eucharistic prayer, from preface dialogue to amen.
Consequently, the bells during the eucharistic prayer no longer serve the purpose they did when they were introduced. They are permitted, but an assembly which prays attentively at Mass will not need them.
Another Mass tip that helps me to become a more active participant (stay awake
and stay focused) is to make a specific intention for that Mass.
Since the Mass is of infinite value - you can make your request as big and as
impossible as you want - knowing that there is no more powerful time to ask
Jesus than at that moment.
Be sure to ask God to make you "HOLY", make you a "SAINT". That might seem a
little weird - perhaps even presumptuous but nothing is impossible with God and
God wishes all of us to be Saints.
My definition of a saint is someone who loves God and lets themselves be totally
loved by God. It doesn't mean you have to be a martyr or endure great
sufferings....if so, I would be far too chicken to pray for that!
It just means you are willing to be totally and completely united to God - and if God wants you to do great things or little things... either way is fine with you. Sister Patricia Proctor, OSC, “Celebrate the Day”
THE LITURGICAL YEAR
ORDINARY TIME
As noted previously, liturgical Ordinary Time does not mean common, unexceptional or usual, as the word is often used in the English language.
It does refer to the series of weeks – 33 or 34 in number that are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects (GNLY #43), that stand apart from the seasons of Easter and Christmas - which have a distinctive character and celebrate a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ.
Before the reorganization of the liturgical year, Pierre Jounel wrote, “These Sundays are Sundays in a pure state. They have no secondary traits but simply embody the very essence of the Christian Sunday or Lord’s Day as presented to us in the tradition of the Church. Each of them is an Easter, each a feast.”
The Church has always stressed the primacy of Sunday, and it is the oldest element of the Christian calendar and the nucleus out of which feasts and seasons evolved.
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy addresses the Liturgical Year in chapter 5, and paragraph 106 states, “By a tradition handed down from the apostles and having its origin from the very day of Christ’s resurrection, the Church celebrates the Paschal Mystery every eighth day, which, with good reason, bears the name of the Lord’s Day or Sunday. For on this day Christ’s faithful must gather together so that, by hearing the word of God and taking part in the eucharist, they may call to mind the passion, the resurrection and the glorification of the Lord Jesus and may thank God, who ‘has begotten them again unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ (1 Pet. 1:3). Hence the Lord’s Day is the first holy day of all and should be proposed to the devotion of the faithful and taught to them in such a way that it may become in fact a day of joy and of freedom from work. Other celebrations, unless they be truly of greatest importance, shall not have precedence over the Sunday, the foundation and core of the whole liturgical year.” Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead, is called the “eighth day” since it marks the beginning of a new creation.
We are formed by God’s Word proclaimed during the Sunday liturgy and found in the Lectionary. In our next issue, we will begin looking at the 3-year cycle of readings of the Lectionary.
Feast Days
of Saints
August 1 St. Alphonsus Liguori
August 4 St. John Mary Vianney
August 6 Feast Of The Transfiguration
August 8 Saint Dominic
August 10 Saint Lawrence
August 11 Saint Clare of Assisi.
August 14 Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe
August 15 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Holy Day of obligation)
August 20 St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
August 21 Pope Pius X.
August 22 The Queenship of Mary.
August 24 Saint, Bartholomew, Apostle.
August 27 Saint Monica.*
August 28 Saint Augustine.
August 29 Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
*Saint Monica was the mother of Saint Augustine, and is thought to have been born in North Africa around 331 to Christian parents, but she married a pagan and had three children. Through patience and prayers, she was able to convert her husband and his mother, but was widowed in 371 and for years prayed for the conversion of Augustine, who had abandoned his Christian upbringing and lived a wayward life for years. Monica followed him to Rome and then to Milan, where, after praying for years for his conversion, she witnessed his embracing Christianity and being baptized on Easter in 387. Monica died in Italy in 387, as they were awaiting a ship to take them back to Africa. She is the patroness of married women and is regarded as a model for Christian Mothers, her feast day is August the 27th, the day before that of her son’s.
ANSWER:
A. True(technically), although the General Rite indicates that a bell usually should be rung, is entirely appropriate, and sometimes necessary. (GIRM 109)
Q: My father (now deceased) used to beat his chest each time the bells were
rung during the Eucharistic Prayer. Why isn't that done anymore and why
aren't there bells at the Masses throughout the year?
A: Striking the breast is an outward and visible sign of an interior feeling or
condition; that of humble contrition, sorrow or remorse. It is almost like
saying you are heartbroken about your sins, faults, omissions and failings.
This gesture of repentance can be found in scripture, both in the Old
Testament (Jer. 31:19), and in the New (Lk. 18:10 and 23:48)
The action often accompanied the Latin words, Mea Cupla (my fault) that
acknowledges that people take responsibility for their actions. The words,
“through my fault”, are repeated 3 times, the last time adding “most
grievous” (maxima culpa), in the prayer known as the Confetior (I Confess).
In today’s culture, admitting fault has been trivialized by people saying
“my bad”, which is hardly an apology and anything but heartfelt. In the
political arena, “breast beating”, when used by journalists is often in a
derogatory manner accusing the opposition of trying to lay a guilt trip, or
trying to atone for long past sins of which today’s generation is not guilty.
However, that should not influence us to forget that, though we are
redeemed by Jesus Christ, we are sinners in need of grace.
In the Mass, the liturgical act of striking the breast is prescribed during
the Confiteor (at the phrase, ‘through my fault”) 3 times, during the
Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass. Then, it can appropriately be
done during the Communion Rite at the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) 3 times,
with the response of “Lord have mercy”, and the last response, “Grant us
peace”. After the Lamb of God, with the invitation to Communion, the
priest shows the Eucharistic Bread and says, “This is the Lamb of God who
takes away the sins of the World” (John 1:29). “Happy are those who are
called to his supper.” (Rev.19:9). All respond “Lord, I am not worthy to
receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed”. (Matt. 8:9) The
assembly is invited to look at the Bread – the Body of Christ - to express
reverence, confidence and faith, and may also use the gesture of striking
their breast as they respond, if they wish as a personal devotion.
For information on bells, see the above article under “Did You Know?”
(To submit any question on the Mass (Liturgy)
or Eucharist (Sacrament),
click here:
Questions will be answered in next
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ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AT MASS – WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO ATTAIN IT
Anthony M. Buono
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A brief but comprehensive overview and explanation of the various elements of the Mass and the importance of the involvement of the person in the Pew.
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