In This Issue:
September, 2008
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church
100 Oak Dr. South
Lake Jackson, Texas
LIGHT FOR THE WORLD
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In This Issue: |
PARTS OF THE MASS continued
INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Procession
Entrance Song
Veneration of the Altar
Sign of the Cross: Greeting: Introduction
Penitential Rite
Invitation/Silence/Proclamation
Confiteor/Kyrie
(or Sprinkling Rite may take the place of the Penitential Rite)
Gloria (Glory to God)
Opening Prayer (Collect)
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading
Responsorial Psalm
Second Reading
Gospel Acclamation
Gospel*
Homily*
Profession of Faith*
General Intercessions*
(*featured in this issue)
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Preparation of the Altar and the Gifts
Presentation of the Gifts
Offertory Song
Prayers At the Preparation of the Gifts
Mixing of Water and Wine
Lord God, We Ask You…
Incensation
Washing of the Hands
Prayer Over the Gifts and Its Invitation
Eucharistic Prayer
Preface
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
Epiclesis
Institution Narrative
Memorial Acclamation
Anamnesis
Offering
Intercessions
Final Doxology
COMMUNION RITE
Lord’s Prayer
Rite of Peace
Breaking of the Bread
Commingling
Lamb of God (Agnus Dei)
(Private Preparation of Priest and People)
Invitation to Communion
Distribution of the Eucharist
Communion Song
Purification of the Vessels
Silent Prayer/Song of Praise
Prayer After Communion
CONCLUDING RITE
(Announcements)
Greeting and Blessing
Dismissal
Veneration of the Altar
Recessional
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
The accounts of the Last Supper in the New Testament highlight only basic actions of Jesus at the meal:
1. he took bread
2. gave thanks
3. broke bread
4. gave to his disciples
He followed a similar pattern in sharing the cup.
The early Church continued to follow Jesus’ command to break bread and share the cup "in memory" of Him, but several factors had an influence upon the structure of the Eucharistic celebration. It became more difficult to serve a regular meal every week to an increasingly large number of people. There were certain divisive abuses at times, as expressed by Paul in First Corinthians 11:18, and as Christianity spread to the Gentiles, there was danger the Eucharist might be confused with meals associated with pagan mystery religions or even political movements.
Eventually, the Eucharist became completely separated from a meal, and a gradual process of ritualization followed.
Preparation of the Altar and the Gifts
In the preparation of the gifts, bread, wine, and water are brought to the altar, the same elements which Christ used. However, water is not a eucharistic “gift”, it is a Baptismal symbol and should be brought forth from a credence table. There is also a monetary gift of the people representing the fruits of their labor. The altar is prepared, the gifts are “set apart” and presented as a sign of the community’s desire to incorporate itself in the sacrifice of Christ. The vessels, cloths needed, as well as the Sacramentary are placed on the altar, the table of sacrifice. This is a ministerial and not a presidential task, and the priest does not approach the altar at this time.
Presentation of the Gifts
In the early Christian community, this action remained very simple and informal. In Rome, bread and a cup of wine mixed with water were presented by the deacons to the Bishop, who then began the Eucharistic Prayer. Often the faithful brought these elements from home, sometimes adding things like oil, wax, flowers, and food for the poor. In time the rite gradually expanded with the people themselves bringing the gifts to the altar, and in the early Middle Ages, various private prayers were recited by the priest, some speaking of "offering" the gifts. The rite became quite complex and was called the Offertory; in some places it was known as the "Little Canon."
The rite has been simplified; is no longer called the offertory but rather the preparation of the gifts which will become the Lord's Body and Blood.
The focus has been up to now on the "altar of the bread of the Word": the Ambo. Now, the focus is on the altar as it is “dressed”.
Offertory Song
The collection is taken at this time. The function of the offertory song is to accompany the procession to the altar with the gifts, and highlight its communal aspects. The text can be any appropriate song of praise or rejoicing in keeping with the season, but instrumental music may also be used. It is continued at least until the gifts have been placed on the altar. The procession and song are expressions of the assembly’s participation in the Eucharist and in the social mission of the Church. The bread and wine are placed on the altar and the monetary gifts in an appropriate place nearby. Some communities designate a portion of each collection or have special collections for a purpose other than parish maintenance, since the gifts are “for the poor or for the Church” (GIRM 73e). In such a case, a petition may be formulated in the general intercessions to make the community aware of the particular need for which some of the money will be used.
DIDACHE (DID-ah-kay) subtitled, “Teachings of the 12 Apostles to the Nations” (Gentiles). (An even fuller title is found within the manuscript, "The Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles by the 12 Apostles".) Thought to be the oldest known document of non-canonical literature, its author and exact date are unknown, but most scholars date it to the late first/early second century, and may have circulated as early as the 60s AD, though additions and modifications may have taken place well into the third century. The work was never officially rejected by the church, but was excluded from the canon for its lack of literary value. The Roman Catholic Church has accepted it as part of the collection of Apostolic Fathers.
It was originally composed in Greek, probably within a small community. The text, parts of which may have constituted the first written catechism, has four main sections dealing with Christian lessons: the Two Ways-the Way of Life and the Way of Death, rituals such as Baptism, Eucharist and fasting, church organization, and a brief apocalypse.
Long considered lost, the Didache was rediscovered in Jerusalem in 1873 by a Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Bishop within a larger manuscript that had been written in 1056,(possibly in Antioch, Syria) which also contained the Epistle of Barnabas, the two epistles of 1 Clement and 2 Clement, the long version of the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch, and a list of books of the Bible following the order of John Chrysostom.
Other fragments have been found, and the Didache is mentioned by Eusebius (c. 324), and
QUIZ
(TRUE/FALSE)
Q. A priest must not omit washing his hands at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
(Click here for answers, or scroll down)
That the Liturgy is really a celebration of eternity, here and now?
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy #8, says, “In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, a minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle; we sing a hymn to the Lord’s glory with the whole company of heaven; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with him in glory.
For us, it means that the Eucharistic Liturgy contains the entire mystery of Faith: it is our food as pilgrims, our hymn of praise and our partnership with God.
The sacred Liturgy gathers together all who have gone before us and all who will come after us together with Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega. It is most essential to us.
Celebrate the Thanksgiving (Eucharist) as follows: say over the cup: "We give you thanks, Father, for the holy vine of David, your servant, which you've made known to us through Jesus your servant. To you be glory for ever."
Over the broken bread say: "We give you thanks, Father, for the life and the knowledge which you have revealed to us through Jesus your servant. To you be glory for ever. As this broken bread scattered on the mountains was gathered and became one, so too, may your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. For glory and power are yours through Jesus Christ for ever."
From the Didache, chapter 9 circa A.D100
ORDINARY
TIMES
The entire Liturgical Year is centered on the single mystery of Christ's death and resurrection, which is lived each day of our lives. During the month of September, we celebrate the 23rd through the 26th Sundays of Ordinary Time. However, September the 14th is celebrated as the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and this year it falls on a Sunday, which would normally be the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, so the feast day’s reading will be read instead of the 24th Sunday’s readings. This feast was formerly called the Triumph of the Cross.
Venerated by Christians, the cross points to the most important event in Christ's life -- his death and resurrection, by which we are saved. The church exalts or holds up the cross to remind us of this truth every year on September the 14th. "We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation, our life and our resurrection; through him we are saved and made free." [Taken from the entrance antiphon for that day]. This feast day also has a Sequence that can be read or chanted before the Gospel, but its use is not mandatory.
Although the Gospel reading for this day comes from John's Gospel, the other Sundays of the month readings are still from Matthew's Gospel account. The focus of the Sunday readings is on the Kingdom of God or, as it is called in the Gospel according to Matthew, the Kingdom of Heaven. During these final Sundays the focus of the readings from Matthew draw attention to various aspects of God's kingdom, giving opportunities to consider both the kind of Kingdom to which we already belong and that which will be established in its fullness at the coming of Christ. The 23rd Sunday points to the powerful effects of reconciliation, the 25th Sunday teaches that there are no privileged members in this Kingdom; Saints and death-bed converts share equally in its rewards. According to the Gospel on the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the kingdom is open to those who hear the word of God and respond.
Feast Days of Saints
Sept. 3 Pope St. Gregory the Great
Sept. 8 Birth of the Virgin Mary
Sept. 13 St. John Chrysostom
Sept. 15 Our Lady of Sorrows
Sept. 14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Sept. 16 Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian
Sept. 20 Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and companions
Sept. 23 St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Sept. 26 Sts. Cosmas and Damian
Sept. 27 St. Vincent DePaul
Sept. 29 Feast of our Patron Saint, *Michael, and Archangels Raphael and
Gabriel
Sept. 30 St. Jerome
*Although Sept. 29 is the Feast day of all the Archangels named in scripture and liturgically celebrated by the Church, we especially celebrate it as the feast day of the patron saint of our parish, St. Michael the Archangel. Sometimes known as Michaelmas Day, it was celebrated since the 6th century to honor the dedication of a basilica in his honor in Rome. However, in 1970, his feast was joined with those of Gabriel and Raphael.
The name Michael means “who is like God”. He appears twice in the Old Testament (Dan. 10:13ff; 12:1), and twice in the New Testament (Jude v.9 and Rev. 12:7-9), but is also mentioned in apocryphal literature. Many stories and legends have appeared about him, but the prayer approved by the Church asks for his protection.
He is most often depicted with a sword, either fighting or standing over a conquered dragon. His insignia is depicted as scales, as he is considered to be the angel who executes (but does not make) the decision on each person’s eternal destiny on Judgment Day.
ANSWER:
A. True The priest washes his hands at the side of the altar, a rite that is an
expression of his desire for inner purification. (GIRM 76)
Q: If Michael is an Archangel, why is he called a Saint?
A: Angels and Saints are two different groups. Angels have no bodies. Saints are humans who achieved a high level of perfection and are role models for other humans. Angels and humans have this in common: they have free will which they can use wisely, or unwisely.
The word “saint”, from the Latin, sanctus, means holy. Calling an angel saint, is also a recognition of holiness, which is the wise and generous use of one’s freedom in accord with God’s plan. Thus, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have seen no problem with invoking angels and archangels as patrons of persons, places or institutions.
St. Isidore said, “The word angel is the name of a function, not of a nature – they are always spirits, but are called angels when they are sent.”
The Greek word, angelos, means messenger. Angels are depicted as having wings to show their function as being sent by God, thus carrying His messages.
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Featured
book of the month
THE MASS OF THE APOSTLES
Joseph Husslein, S.J.
BX2215.H85 333 pages hard-cover book
The Eucharist; its nature, earliest history and present application. The New Testament Scriptures, the most primitive inscriptions and monuments, as well as the earliest catacomb paintings were studied exhaustively in their bearing upon this subject, and the conclusions then set down in a way that it is hoped will prove both popular and convincing.
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Understanding The Mass and Eucharist