Liturgical Appreciation

General Instruction of the Roman Missal
Continuing our look at the specific parts of the Mass:

General Instruction of the Roman Missal
Continuing our look at the specific parts of the Mass:
The Liturgy of the Eucharist:

78. Now the center and high point of the entire celebration begins: the Eucharistic Prayer. The Priest calls upon the people to lift up their hearts towards the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving; he associates the people with himself in the Prayer that he addresses in the name of the entire community to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the meaning of this Prayer is that the whole congregation of the faithful joins with Christ in confessing the great deeds of God and in the offering of Sacrifice. The Eucharistic Prayer requires that everybody listens to it with reverence and in silence.

79. The main elements of which the Eucharistic Prayer consists may be distinguished from one another in this way:

1. 1. The Thanksgiving - The Priest glorifies the Father and gives Him thanks for salvation.
   2. The Acclamation – The whole congregation sings the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy).
   3. The Epiclesis – The Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine offered.
   4. The Institution Narrative and Consecration – The bread and wine are sacrificed to become the body and blood of  Christ as at the Last Supper.
   5. The Anamnesis – The memorial of Christ’s Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension.
   6. The Oblation – The whole congregation offers the Sacrifice of Christ to the Father, along with their very selves.
   7. The Intercessions – Expressing the communion of the Church, living and dead.
   8. The Concluding Doxology – Glorifying God and concluded with the people’s “Amen”.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal
Continuing our look at the specific parts of the Mass:
The Liturgy of the Eucharist:

72. At the Last Supper Christ instituted the Paschal Sacrifice and banquet, by which the Sacrifice of the Cross is continuously made present in the Church whenever the Priest, representing Christ the Lord, carries out what the Lord himself did and handed over to his disciples to be done in his memory.

73. At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist the gifts which will become Christ’s Body and Blood are brought to the altar.

74. The procession bringing the gifts is accompanied by the Offertory Chant which continues at least until the gifts have been placed on the altar.

75. The bread and wine are placed on the altar by the Priest to the accompaniment of the prescribed formulas; the Priest may incense the gifts placed on the altar and then incense the cross and the altar itself, so as to signify the Church’s offering and prayer rising like incense in the sight of God. Next, the Priest, because of his sacred ministry, and the people, by reason of their baptismal dignity, may be incensed by the Deacon or by another minister.

76. Then the Priest washes his hands at the side of the altar, a rite in which the desire for interior purification finds expression.

77. Once the offerings have been placed on the altar and the accompanying rites completed, by means of the invitation to pray with the Priest and by means of the Prayer over the Offerings, the Preparation of the Gifts is concluded and preparation made for the Eucharistic Prayer.

The Holy Season of Christmastide
Blessing of the Home and Household on Epiphany
It is a long tradition for Catholics to have their home blessed on Epiphany. This is often done with a priest but can be done by the head of the household for the family and home.

This blessing is done with holy water, chalk, and a set of prayers. The family walks through the various rooms of the household and prays blessings on each room, sprinkling each with holy water. Holy water is available at each entry of the church.

When the prayers are completed, the leader marks the front door with “20 + C + M + B + 24” in chalk. The 20 and 24 are for the year of the blessing. The C, M, and B have two meanings. The first, is the initials of the three wise men who visited Jesus on Epiphany: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. The second meaning is the first letters of the Latin blessing “Christus Mansionem Benedicat”, meaning “May Christ Bless this house.”

A set of prayers for the blessing can be found on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website (usccb.org).

The Holy Season of Christmastide
The Twelve Days of Christmas
The 12 days of Christmas refer to the 12 days from The Nativity to Epiphany. In 567 the Council of Tours proclaimed all 12 days from the Nativity to Epiphany to be a sacred and festive season.

Therefore, we should not celebrate Christmas as one single day on the Nativity but keep the whole season holy and joyful as most normally would on the Nativity. This means that those traditions and celebrations that we associate with Christmas ought to be maintained throughout the 12 days.

This is reflected in the many festal days that occur within those 12 days. Seek to observe these days and keep the season joyful.

Dec. 25 – The Nativity of the Lord
Dec. 26 – Feast of Saint Stephen the First Martyr
Dec. 27 – Feast of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist
Dec. 28 – Feast of the Holy Innocents
Dec. 31 – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Jan. 1 – Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God
Jan. 2 – Memorial of Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen
Jan. 4 – Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Jan. 5 – Memorial of Saint John Neumann
Jan. 7 – Epiphany of the Lord

The Holy Season of Advent
The “O” Antiphons
From the Catholic Education Resource Center
The O Antiphons are the seven antiphons which have been recited during Advent since at least the 8^th century (though there are references from the 6^th century).

The O Antiphons each highlight a title for the Messiah and the prophesy from Isaiah of the coming of Christ.

The seven titles are:
O Sapientia (O Wisdom)
Isaiah 11:2-3
O Adonai (O Sacred Lord of Israel)
Isaiah 33:22
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)
Isaiah 11:1-10
O Clovis David (O Key of David)
Isaiah 22:22
O Oriens (O Rising Sun)
Isaiah 9:1
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations)
Isaiah 9:5
O Emmanuel (O God With Us)
Isaiah 7:14

Taking the first letter from each of these Latin titles in reverse, we have Ero Cras, which means “Tomorrow, I will come” in Latin.
 

The Holy Season of Advent
Catechism of the Catholic Church

524 When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: "He must increase, but I must decrease."

General Instruction of the Roman Missal
Continuing our look at the specific parts of the Mass:
The Liturgy of the Word:
The Biblical Readings

60.     The reading of the Gospel constitutes the high point of the Liturgy of the Word. The Liturgy itself teaches the great reverence that is to be shown to this reading by setting it off from the other readings with special marks of honor, by the fact of which minister is appointed to proclaim it and by the blessing or prayer with which he prepares himself; and also by the fact that through their acclamations the faithful acknowledge and confess that Christ is present and is speaking to them and stand as they listen to the reading; and by the mere fact of the marks of reverence that are given to the Book of the Gospels.

65.   The Homily is part of the Liturgy and is highly recommended, for it is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life. It should be an explanation of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of
the listeners.

67.   The purpose of the Creed or Profession of Faith is that the whole gathered people may respond to the Word of God proclaimed in the readings taken from Sacred Scripture and explained in the Homily and that they may also honor and confess the great mysteries of the faith by pronouncing the rule of faith in a formula approved for liturgical use and before the celebration of these mysteries in the Eucharist begins.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal
Continuing our look at the specific parts of the Mass:
The Liturgy of the Word:

Silence
56.   The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to favor meditation, and so any kind of haste such as hinders recollection is clearly to be avoided. In the course of it, brief periods of silence are also appropriate, accommodated to the assembled congregation; by means of these, under the action of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the First and Second Reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the Homily.

The Biblical Readings
57.   In the readings, the table of God’s Word is spread before the faithful, and the treasures of the Bible are opened to them. Hence, it is preferable that the arrangement of the biblical readings be maintained, for by them the unity of both Testaments and of salvation history is brought out. Nor is it lawful to replace the readings and Responsorial Psalm, which contain the Word of God, with other, non-biblical texts.

58.   In the celebration of the Mass with the people, the readings are always read from the ambo.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal
Continuing our look at the specific parts of the Mass:

The Introductory Rites:

53. The Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) is a most ancient and venerable hymn by which the Church, gathered in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb. The text of this hymn may not be replaced by any other.

54. Next the Priest calls upon the people to pray and everybody, together with the Priest, observes a brief silence so that they may become aware of being in God’s presence and may call to mind their intentions. Then the Priest pronounces the prayer usually called the “Collect” and through which the character of the celebration finds expression. By an ancient tradition of the Church, the Collect prayer is usually addressed to God the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit,[56] and is concluded with a Trinitarian ending.

55. The main part of the Liturgy of the Word is made up of the readings from Sacred Scripture together with the chants occurring between them. As for the Homily, the Profession of Faith, and the Universal Prayer, they develop and conclude it. For in the readings, as explained by the Homily, God speaks to his people, opening up to them the mystery of redemption and salvation, and offering spiritual nourishment; and Christ himself is present through his word in the midst of the faithful. By silence and by singing, the people make this divine word their own, and affirm their adherence to it by means of the Profession of Faith; finally, having been nourished by the divine word, the people pour out their petitions by means of the Universal Prayer for the needs of the whole Church and for the salvation of the whole world.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal
(The Introductory Rites)
Beginning our look at the specific parts of the Mass:

46. The rites that precede the Liturgy of the Word, namely, the Entrance, the Greeting, the Penitential Act, the Kyrie, the Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) and Collect, have the character of a beginning, an introduction, and a preparation.

47. When the people are gathered, and as the Priest enters with the Deacon and ministers, the Entrance Chant begins. Its purpose is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical time or festivity, and accompany the procession of the Priest and ministers.

51. After this, the Priest calls upon the whole community to take part in the Penitential Act, which, after a brief pause for silence, it does by means of a formula of general confession. The rite concludes with the Priest’s absolution, which, however, lacks the efficacy of the Sacrament of Penance.

Our recent theme of ‘Where’ the Sacred Liturgy happens cont.:
From Catholic Answers
“Why does the Catholic Church make use of the lighted candle, particularly the beeswax candle, in the Mass?”

We find that by Jerome’s time (406 AD), “In all the churches of the East lights are lit when the Gospel is to be read, even though the sun be rising, but the purpose is not to dispel the darkness but to give a visible sign of joy.” When the meaning of the beeswax candle was pondered, particularly in the Middle Ages, a rich and detailed symbolism emerged. Christ had declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5), and the candle’s light came to be the symbol for his presence.

The pale wax of the candle symbolizes Christ’s flesh, his sacred humanity. The wick, embedded in the center of the candle, represents his soul. The flame, as it burns down the wick, consumes the wax to give us light. It burns, expending itself, sacrificing itself, just as Christ sacrificed himself. The burning candle is aesthetically pleasing, and it gives a sweet aroma as it burns, another reminder of the presence of our Lord.

The candle also symbolizes Christ’s presence in the individual believer. The Easter Vigil shows this when the new flame is lit, blessed, and touched to the tapers held by members of the congregation, The light spreads from one to the next.

The newly baptized, the newly ordained, and the newly professed are given candles, and votive candles stand in for the believer at prayer. On the other hand, the extinguishing of a candle is found in ritual excommunication.

Catechism of the Catholic Church
(Paragraph 1185-1186)
Our recent theme of ‘Where’ the Sacred Liturgy happens cont.:

1185    The gathering of the People of God begins with Baptism; a church must have a place for the celebration of Baptism (baptistry) and for fostering remembrance of the baptismal promises (holy water font).

The renewal of the baptismal life requires penance. A church, then, must lend itself to the expression of repentance and the reception of forgiveness, which requires an appropriate place to receive penitents.

A church must also be a space that invites us to the recollection and silent prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of the Eucharist.

1186    Finally, the church has an eschatological significance. To enter into the house of God, we must cross a threshold, which symbolizes passing from the world wounded by sin to the world of the new Life to which all men are called. The visible church is a symbol of the Father's house toward which the People of God is journeying and where the Father "will wipe every tear from their eyes." Also for this reason, the Church is the house of all God's children, open and welcoming.

Catechism of the Catholic Church
(Paragraph 1182-1184)
Our recent theme of ‘Where’ the Sacred Liturgy happens cont.:

1182 The altar of the New Covenant is the Lord's Cross, from which the sacraments of the Paschal mystery flow. On the altar, which is the center of the church, the sacrifice of the Cross is made present under sacramental signs. The altar is also the table of the Lord, to which the People of God are invited. In certain Eastern liturgies, the altar is also the symbol of the tomb (Christ truly died and is truly risen).

1183 The tabernacle is to be situated "in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honor." The dignity, placing, and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.

The sacred chrism (myron), used in anointings as the sacramental sign of the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, is traditionally reserved and venerated in a secure place in the sanctuary. The oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick may also be placed there.

1184 The chair of the bishop (cathedra) or that of the priest "should express his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer."

The lectern (ambo): "The dignity of the Word of God requires the church to have a suitable place for announcing his message so that the attention of the people may be easily directed to that place during the liturgy of the Word."
 

Catechism of the Catholic Church
(Paragraph 1179-1181)
Our recent theme of ‘Where’ the Sacred Liturgy happens cont.:

1179 The worship "in Spirit and in truth"of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place. The whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men. What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the "living stones," gathered to be "built into a spiritual house." For the Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth: incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, "we are the temple of the living God."

1180 When the exercise of religious liberty is not thwarted, Christians construct buildings for divine worship. These visible churches are not simply gathering places but signify and make visible the Church living in this place, the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united in Christ.

1181 A church, "a house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble, and where is worshipped the presence of the Son of God our Savior, offered for us on the sacrificial altar for the help and consolation of the faithful - this house ought to be in good taste and a worthy place for prayer and sacred ceremonial." In this "house of God" the truth and the harmony of the signs that make it up should show Christ to be present and active in this place.

Catechism of the Catholic Church
(Paragraph 1383)

1383 The altar, around which the Church is gathered in the celebration of the Eucharist, represents the two aspects of the same mystery: the altar of the sacrifice and the table of the Lord. This is all the more so since the Christian altar is the symbol of Christ himself, present in the midst of the assembly of his faithful, both as the victim offered for our reconciliation and as food from heaven who is giving himself to us. "For what is the altar of Christ if not the image of the Body of Christ?" asks St. Ambrose. He says elsewhere, "The altar represents the body [of Christ] and the Body of Christ is on the altar." The liturgy expresses this unity of sacrifice and communion in many prayers. Thus the Roman Church prays in its anaphora:
 

"We entreat you, almighty God,
that by the hands of your holy Angel
this offering may be borne to your altar in heaven
in the sight of your divine majesty,
so that as we receive in communion at this altar
the most holy Body and Blood of your Son,
we may be filled with every heavenly
blessing and grace."

From “Eucharistic Presence”
By Robert Sokolowski
(Introduction, p. 3)

Jesus instructed his disciples to repeat what he did at the Last Supper. The Eucharist, in its countless celebrations, was to allow the divine action of Christ’s death and Resurrection to be reenacted throughout the world. The Eucharist was to allow the act of our Redemption to exercise its effect sacramentally, but still visibly and audibly and palpably, throughout the human race, to bring together before God the lives and the suffering of all who believe: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16-17). Through the Eucharist, the one action of God in Christ can be reenacted in all places and times. The one action is made able to spread sacramentally throughout the human race and we are enabled to participate in it.

The Eucharist looks backward in time to the Last Supper and the death and Resurrection of the Lord, and, more remotely, to the Passover and the Exodus. It also looks forward to the eternal life that was won for us by Christ on the cross: “et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur; the promise of future glory is given to us.” The Eucharist images the eternal banquet that is the fruit of our Redemption.
 

From the G.I.R.M.
(General Instruction of the Roman Missal)
The Functions of the People of God

95. In the celebration of Mass the faithful form a holy people, a people of God’s own possession and a royal Priesthood, so that they may give thanks to God and offer the unblemished sacrificial Victim not only by means of the hands of the Priest but also together with him and so that they may learn to offer their very selves. They should, moreover, take care to show this by their deep religious sense and their charity toward brothers and sisters who participate with them in the same celebration.
They are consequently to avoid any appearance of singularity or division, keeping in mind that they have only one Father in heaven and that hence are all brothers or sisters one to the other.

96. Moreover, they are to form one body, whether in hearing the Word of God, or in taking part in the prayers and in the singing, or above all by the common offering of the Sacrifice and by participating together at the Lord’s table. This unity is beautifully apparent from the gestures and bodily postures observed together by the faithful.

97. The faithful, moreover, should not refuse to serve the People of God in gladness whenever they are asked to perform some particular service or function in the celebration.
 

From the G.I.R.M.
(General Instruction of the Roman Missal)

22. The celebration of the Eucharist in a particular Church is of the utmost importance.

For the Diocesan Bishop, the prime steward of the mysteries of God in the particular Church entrusted to his care, is the moderator, promoter, and guardian of the whole of liturgical life.[33] In celebrations that take place with the Bishop presiding, and especially in the celebration of the Eucharist by the Bishop himself with the Presbyterate, the Deacons, and the people taking part, the mystery of the Church is manifest. Hence, solemn celebrations of Mass of this sort must be exemplary for the entire diocese.

The Bishop should therefore be determined that the Priests, the Deacons, and the lay Christian faithful grasp ever more deeply the genuine significance of the rites and liturgical texts, and thereby be led to the active and fruitful celebration of the Eucharist. To that end, he should also be vigilant in ensuring that the dignity of these celebrations be enhanced and, in promoting such dignity, the beauty of the sacred place, of the music, and of art should contribute as greatly as possible.

From the writings of St. Peter Julian Eymard
Eucharist: sacrament of life

The Eucharist is the life of the people. The Eucharist gives them a centre of life. All can come together without the barriers of race or language in order to celebrate the feast days of the Church. It gives them a law of life, that of charity, of which it is the source; thus it forges between them a common bond, a Christian kinship. All eat the same bread, all are table companions of Jesus Christ who supernaturally creates among them a feeling of togetherness. Read the Acts of the Apostles. It states that the whole community of the first Christians, converted Jews and baptized pagans, belonging to different regions, “had but one heart and one soul”. Why? Because they were attentive to the teaching of the Apostles and faithful in sharing in the breaking of the bread.

Yes, the Eucharist is the life of souls and of societies, just as the sun is the life of the body and of the earth. Without the sun, the earth would be sterile; it is the sun which makes it fertile, renders it beautiful and rich; it is the sun which provides agility, strength and beauty to the body. In the face of these amazing effects, it is not astonishing that the pagans should have adored it as the god of the world. In actual fact, the sun obeys a supreme Sun, the divine Word, Jesus Christ, who illumines everyone coming into this world and who, through the Eucharist, Sacrament of life, acts in person in the very depths of souls in order to form Christian families and peoples. Oh how happy, a thousand times happy, is the faithful soul who has found this hidden treasure, who goes to drink at this fountain of living water, who eats often this Bread of eternal life!

From the G.I.R.M.
(General Instruction of the Roman Missal)

16. The celebration of Mass, as the action of Christ and of the People of God arrayed hierarchically, is the center of the whole of Christian life for the Church both universal and local, as well as for each of the faithful individually. For in it is found the high point both of the action by which God sanctifies the world in Christ and of the worship that the human race offers to the Father, adoring him through Christ, the Son of God, in the Holy Spirit. In it, moreover, during the course of the year, the mysteries of redemption are celebrated so as to be in some way made present. As to the other sacred actions and all the activities of the Christian life, these are bound up with it, flow from it, and are ordered to it.

18. This will fittingly come about if, with due regard for the nature and other circumstances of each liturgical assembly, the entire celebration is arranged in such a way that it leads to a conscious, active, and full participation of the faithful, namely in body and in mind, a participation fervent with faith, hope, and charity, of the sort which is desired by the Church and which is required by the very nature of the celebration and to which the Christian people have a right and duty in virtue of their Baptism.