In This Issue:
March, 2008
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church
100 Oak Dr. South
Lake Jackson, Texas
LIGHT FOR THE WORLD
|
|
|
|
In This Issue: |
THE MASS
Every day of the year, around the globe, in elegant and massive cathedrals and in small and humble chapels, we the Church gather to celebrate and be formed by the Eucharist, the “heart and the summit of the Church’s life.” (CCC # 1407)
In the sacred meal, our one prayer gives praise, thanksgiving, and sacrifice to God for his saving plan for humankind through his Son, Jesus, in the Holy Spirit. As the Catechism notes, in the “blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.” (#1324).
Every Catholic should learn to understand, celebrate and participate fully in the liturgy and the sacraments. We will begin a brief explanation of the parts, actions and prayers of the Mass.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is one whole and single act of worship consisting of two great parts: The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Prior to the Liturgy of the Word, we gather together as one family, in the Eucharistic assembly, with Christ as our presider, represented in the priest. This is the Introductory Rite. Following the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Mass ends with the Concluding Rite, which consists of the priest greeting and blessing the assembly and a formal dismissal of the people to take into their daily lives the nourishment and blessings of the Eucharist.
GATHERING
Before we listen to the Word and celebrate the Eucharist we are to become a worshiping community. This is the primary role of the assembly.
The assembling of people is how Mass begins. We gather to prepare ourselves for prayer by becoming a worshiping community. We assemble as one because we have a common mission.
It’s just like the time before a dinner party. Come early so you can visit with one another before entering the nave. Introduce yourself to people. Form a community. Assemble. Gather. Quiet yourself, then worship. And eat.
ENTERING THE CHURCH
Most of the rituals Catholics do when entering the Church (like genuflecting, dipping the hand in holy water, etc.) have derived from custom rather than from law.
Upon entering the Church, Catholics should either genuflect or bow; genuflect to the tabernacle if it is in the sanctuary. If it is not, they should make a bow of the body toward the altar before taking their place, taking care not to disturb those who may be deep in prayer.
SILENCE BEFORE MASS
Some time of silence beforehand helps everyone enter the Mass devoutly. In silent prayer, we think about what we are getting ready to do, to hear, to ask, to sing, to live. Jesus Christ’s holiness renders us speechless.
In the next issue, we will look at the parts of the Introductory Rites.
DOXOLOGY (Gr. Doxa-opinion, belief –even praise or glory; logia science, knowledge.) Literally, “glory words”. Doxology is “an account of a belief” often sung in praise; belief translates into praise - a hymn or formula of praise to God. “Glory to God in the Highest” (Gloria in Excelsis Deo) recited or sung at Mass, is known as the greater doxology. ”Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit” is a lesser doxology. It continues to the effect that this glory shall last for ever.
The custom of ending a rite or a hymn with such a formula has been used for centuries. St. Paul uses doxologies very often (see Rom. 11:36; Gal. 1:5, etc.) In some countries, Germany especially, people make the sign of the cross at the first part of the doxology, considering it as chiefly a profession of faith.
The Eucharistic Prayer concludes with a final doxology summing up the praise/thanks theme which threads its way through the entire prayer. The priest raises the bread and cup in a gesture of offering while saying or chanting a lesser doxology which ends with “…all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever”. It ends with the resounding “Amen!” of the worshiping community.
QUIZ
(TRUE/FALSE)
Q. A priest may give a general absolution during the Penitential Rite of the Mass
or during a communal penance service if he chooses to do so.
.
(Click here for answers, or scroll down)
That Lent officially ends with the celebration of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday when the Triduum – the three days - begins? The Triduum is a period of 3 days of prayer, and can include fasting, either preceding some special feast or preparing for some major enterprise. Since it commemorates the biblical 3 days that Christ lay in the tomb, it is especially appropriate to bring Holy Week to a close with the Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, culminating in the glorious Resurrection of our Lord.
These 3 days must be seen together in relation to the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday, and can be thought of as one rite or service that extends over those days. The Last Supper is commemorated on Holy Thursday, the Crucifixion on Good Friday and the Resurrection on Easter. It wasn’t until Roman Emperor Constantine banned crucifixion in the 4th century that the cross became a symbol of victory over death, and so it allows us to remember that the cross is an expression of God’s glory, and from the cross, the Holy Spirit is unleashed.
When Jesus gave the bread, he did not say, “This is the symbol of my body”, but “This is my body.” In the same way, when he gave the cup of his blood, he did not say, “This is the symbol of my blood”, but “This is my blood”, for he wanted us to look upon the (Eucharistic elements) after their reception of grace and the coming of the Holy Spirit, not according to their nature, but to receive them as they are, the Body and Blood of our Lord. Theodore of Mopsuesita in a 5th century homily.
Lent
Lent continues this month, helping us to focus on our own conversion, allowing us to better prepare for the Lenten communal penitential service.
March 16th will open Holy Week, and Easter Sunday will be very early this year, March 23. Western Christians fix the date of Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox, which is usually March 20, or 21. (Orthodox Christians use a different calculation to set the holiday). Most ancient farmers viewed the vernal equinox as a time of renewal, when they planted their first crops and sheep gave birth. Because the date is based on a lunar calendar, the date varies greatly and can be as early as March 22, but that hasn’t happened since 1818, and will not happen again until 2285. Even March 23 is unusually early and last happened in1913 and will not happen again until 2228.
Easter is not just one day, however. Eastertide, or the Easter Season has 50 days and lasts until Pentecost; this year May 11, which is also the day that we will celebrate Mother’s Day.
Feast Days of Saints
March 3 St. Katherine Drexel*
March 7 Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
March 15 St. Joseph. This is being celebrated here because his feast day,
the19, is during Lent this year.
March 16 Passion (Palm Sunday)
March 20 Holy Thursday
March 21 Good Friday
March 22 Holy Saturday
March 23 Easter
March 30 Divine Mercy Sunday (Second Sunday of Easter)
March 31 The Annunciation of the Lord
*Katherine Drexel was born to a wealthy family in 1858, in Philadelphia. She learned love of God and neighbor from the example of her family, who opened their house to the poor and encouraged her to do charitable works at an early age.
She took a great interest in the spiritual and material well-being of black and native Americans and began donating money. She soon realized that what was needed was people, and founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indian and Colored People, whose members worked for the betterment of those they served.
From the age of 33 until her death in 1955, she dedicated her life and fortune of 20 million dollars to this work. In 1894, she took part in opening the first mission school for Indians in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and other schools quickly followed. She founded Xavier University in New Orleans, and at her death, there were over 500 sisters teaching in 63 schools throughout the country.
Katherine Drexel was beatified by Pope John Paul on Nov. 20, 1988 and canonized Oct. 1, 2000. She was the second American-born saint.
ANSWER:
A. False; a priest may never give “general absolution” as a substitution for
individual confession during an ordinary Mass or under non-emergency
circumstances. Code of Canon Law 961
Q: Is Christ fully present in both the consecrated bread and wine?
A: The Church exists at all times, but the moment of Eucharist is special, it is a living memorial in which the events on Calvary and Easter Sunday are made present now. The communion we receive is truly food and not a “metaphorical food.” Jesus meant it literally when he said, “My flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed (Jn. 6:55). Jesus is present body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist.
Some teachers of theology during the Middle Ages and the Reformation argued that it was necessary to receive communion under both consecrated forms, the bread and the wine. They said that by doing otherwise one does not fully encounter Christ.
The Church’s response was that Jesus is fully present under both forms and to commune with only one, the bread, is sufficient. However, Vat. II reminds us that eating and drinking is a clearer sign of a meal, and receiving under both species is becoming more common as an accepted practice in the Latin Rite church. However, if anyone, for whatever reason, receives the consecrated bread but does not partake from the cup, they still receive the full Body and Blood of our Lord.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1390 says this, “Since Christ is sacramentally present under each of the species, communion under the species of bread alone makes it possible to receive all the fruit of Eucharistic grace. For pastoral reasons this manner of receiving communion has been legitimately established as the most common form in the Latin rite. But ‘the sign of communion is more complete when given under both kinds, since in that form, the sign of the Eucharistic meal appears more clearly’ (GIRM 24). This is the usual form of receiving communion in the Eastern rites.”
(To submit any question on the Mass (Liturgy)
or Eucharist (Sacrament),
click here:
Questions will be answered in next
month’s issue)
Featured
book of the month
HOW NOT TO SAY MASS – A GUIDEBOOK FOR ALL CONCERNED ABOUT AUTHENTIC WORSHIP
By Dennis C. Smolarski S.J.
B X 2230. 5 S 66 92 pages paperback
Father Smolarski seeks to awaken an awareness of the celebration of the liturgy as set forth by Vatican II. Although directed primarily towards presiders of the Eucharist, this book is addressed to all who have an active role in the church - including members of the assembly.
Brought to you monthly by The Envision Priority Area Team:
Understanding The Mass and Eucharist