Comments on the New
General Instruction to the Roman Missal
The NEW Instructions for Mass, part 1
“Don’t Believe Everything You Read.”
Last week, the newspapers and television announced that the Church had new rules concerning Sunday Mass and what Catholics were supposed to do at Mass. As always, the reporters took little snippets of the entire Revised General Instructions for the Roman Missal and sensationalized them out of proportion. After having read the entire document myself, and receiving some further details from the Archdiocese, I will be spending the next five weeks writing about the Mass. Why did I choose these five weeks? The Gospel readings at Mass for the next five weeks come from St. John’s Gospel, chapter six, which is the foundation for the Church’s theology of the Eucharist. Since the implementation of this new Instruction is to begin no later than Advent of this year, I felt that it would be most appropriate to address this topic now instead of earlier like some parishes have done or later when there is less time to absorb the “changes.”
The first thing you will notice as I write these articles is that there are not nearly as many changes as the newspapers would have you believe. There are two reasons for this fact: first, many of the rules highlighted in the newspaper are actually already rules, and so there may be no change for us; secondly, some of what the newspaper calls rules are not really rules at all, but simply guidelines with different options. This is highlighted in the Instruction itself when it says: “This Instruction aims both to offer general guidelines for properly arranging the celebration of the Eucharist and to set forth rules for ordering the various forms of celebration.” (GIRM #21) Therefore, before you get upset about the new rules, please, either read the entire document yourself or listen to my instructions over the next five weeks.
I know that most of us do not like change, especially changes in the teaching of the Church. It is still very difficult for me to use some of the new translation of the lectionary, especially when I see bad grammar or when I think some passages were more clear before. But the point of this change is good: that all Catholics may participate more fully in the Eucharist. “This will best be accomplished if, with due regard for the nature and the particular circumstances of each liturgical assembly, the entire celebration is planned in such a way that it leads to a conscious, active, and full participation of the faithful both in body and in mind, a participation burning with faith, hope and charity, of the sort which is desired by the Church and demanded by the very nature of the celebration, and to which the Christian people have a right and duty by reason of their Baptism.” (GIRM # 18) If you read this quote carefully, you will find two important ideas: the first is that the particular needs and circumstances of every assembly (meaning our parish) must be part of our consideration when planning a liturgy. That means, we can adapt the rules to our parish! Secondly, that we all have a right to inspiring celebrations of the Eucharist. This means that, where possible, we may choose to do something different from the norms if it allows us to participate more fully with faith, hope and charity. On the other hand, neither the priest nor the assembly can simply add, remove, or change anything in the celebration of the Mass on our own initiative. (GIRM # 24) This simply means, the structure of the Mass is fixed, including the options which are given to us.
In the next four weeks, I will write about the following areas and what changes will be incorporated. I will also be speaking about this at Sunday Masses. The areas to cover are: Our sense of the Sacred, Our Identity as Church, Celebrating the Word of God, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. I will try to include FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) at the end of every column as a way to highlight that topic. God bless you!
The NEW Instructions for Mass, part 2
“A Sense of the Sacred”
One of the most important aspects of any liturgy is developing a sense of the Sacred. Every Church, Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, etc., conveys through its principal worship service (for us that means Sunday Mass), its beliefs about who God is and the relationship the community of believers has with the Divine Being. Catholics believe that Sunday Mass is the work of Christ, and we join ourselves to Christ when we come together to pray. We believe that our Lord Jesus is present at the Mass in a number of ways, including the Word, the Eucharist and the Community. For us, Mass is a particularly sacred moment in our lives when we encounter the Lord.
One of the reforms of the “new” liturgy was connecting our sense of the Sacred with our everyday lives. Churches in the last thirty-five are generally less tall, more easily accessible for the elderly and the handicapped, brighter and less filled with statues. The altar is more prominent because it stands alone, even in some churches where the altar has been made smaller. As part of the connection to everyday life, altar rails have been removed, altars have been brought closer to the pews, and more open space is available for people to gather before and after Mass. These changes have made a dramatic difference in our understanding of God’s presence in our lives. We no longer ascend to the Lord’s throne, but the Lord comes to us in every moment of life.
The Church building today is meant to reflect the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel so that we come to Church to receive the food which lasts forever. The older churches, reflecting the signs and wonders of God could confuse people into looking for God in signs and wonders instead of in the Bread of Life. That is where our church has an advantage. When the new church was built, even before the reforms, we did not include a lot of statues or stained glass pictures of Jesus’ miracles.
The new instructions remind us that there is still a difference between the sacred world and the secular world, even as we find the Sacred in everyday life. One of the disadvantages of our current thinking is that we no longer recognize what properly belongs to God. Cell phones, jobs which demand that we work on Sundays, and sports teams which play on Sunday morning because there is no other time, all have helped to make Sunday worship just one of many activities in our busy lives. Even though the altar is closer to us than before, fewer people are approaching the altar. The altar no longer calls them to encounter something different, something unique, something Divine. The new Instructions continue the sense that God is part of our everyday lives. It asks us to keep our focus on Jesus Christ by keeping the churches clean of repetitive materials, but it also reminds us that our sanctuaries must be different than the rest of the world so that the Sunday Mass will be a time when people can recognize their hunger for the Lord and know where to find the Bread of Life.
The sense of the Sacred does not stop at the Church building or the design for the sanctuary. As God’s people, we, too, need to have a sense of the Sacred in our lives. When we pass through the doors of the Church, we choose to speak with God, to approach the Lord. Our friends, our families may be around us, but our focus is upon the Lord. We speak quietly to one another and we do not begrudge someone time for silent, private prayer. When we bring our children to Church, we teach them to listen at Mass, to respond at the proper times. If they are too young to understand, then we make sure that they do not disturb others. From the parking lot to the vestibule, from the vestibule to the body of the Church, from the pews to the altar, every step draws us closer to Christ, as we hear Him say, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (Jn 6:35)
The NEW Instructions for Mass, part 3
“Our Identity as Church”
I doubt that many of us think about this very often, but the Sunday Mass really defines the Catholic Church. All of our beliefs about Jesus Christ, our relationship to God, the work of the Holy Spirit, our sense of community, our sense of mission, our call to evangelize, our beliefs in forgiveness and charity are all found within the Mass. Many of these beliefs are expressed in the Creed, but it is the entire Mass and not the Creed that truly expresses the beliefs which make us Catholic. The richness of our Catholic faith can be found by understanding what is happening at Sunday Mass and appreciating how the Mass defines what we believe in.
The basis of Catholic identity is our belief in the Holy Trinity and in God’s presence in our lives together. We begin the Mass with the sign of the cross and an expression to recognize that God is part of our lives. (The Lord be with you...) Yet, our relationship with the Triune God is not simply individual; we have a common relationship with God which is expressed by our coming together, by our singing together, by our praying together, by sharing Christ’s peace and Christ’s Body and Blood. We are not Catholic without sharing the Body and Blood of Christ, and, as Catholics, we believe that we only have eternal life because Christ feeds us with His Body and Blood (Jn 6:50-51). The whole Mass culminates in that moment when the entire gathered community personally receives Communion. At this moment, we are alone with Christ, yet we stand in Communion with one another. We are united to Christ, to the Father and the Spirit, to one another, and to the saints.
On the other hand, the Mass does not allow for divisions in the Body of Christ, even when we have Masses in different languages at different times for the convenience of our people. The entire community is expected to come together each Sunday so that Christ may feed us with His Body and unite us in His Spirit. The Mass must be a place of welcome for rich and poor, young and old, men and women, black and white. The Mass offers forgiveness to the sinner, hope to the desperate and food for those who are hungry in body or spirit. It is the Lord who calls us to come to Mass. We must respect all those who answer God’s call, whether or not we agree with their politics, their lifestyles, their dress or their behavior. Everyone in the Church has been invited by Christ; who are we to judge whom God calls?
The new Instructions ask us to remain standing from the Our Father until the end of Communion. That means, we no longer kneel after the Lamb of God. When receiving Communion, we show a sign of respect to Christ present in the Sacrament. While everyone is asked to remain standing until the end of the Communion Song, those who cannot do so because of age and those who prefer to kneel or sit in private prayer may continue to do so. The common posture of standing is a way of showing our unity in the Body of Christ. After the Communion Song, we may sit or kneel to reflect privately or to listen to the meditation song. The Mass concludes as before.
One other point is made in the Instructions as it teaches us that the Mass reflects what believe about the Church’s identity. It seems odd at first, but the Instructions call for all of us to know some prayers in Latin! Having a common language for prayer reminds us that we put aside our differences when we come before the Lord. As every parish becomes more diverse ethnically, a song or prayer in Latin is once again a way of uniting the Catholic world.
The NEW Instructions for Mass, part 4
“Celebrating the Word of God”
The Mass is traditionally divided into two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The opening and closing rites are not part of these liturgies, but we generally group them together for convenience. There are not many changes being made in the Liturgy of the Word, but some things are emphasized by the new Instructions, primarily the importance of listening to the readings. “When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his own word, proclaims the Gospel.” (GIRM # 29)
But the Church doesn’t simply sit down to listen to God’s Word. The opening rites of Mass prepare us to listen attentively by calling us together to reflect and to praise God. The opening song is meant to set the tone for our coming together, sometimes celebrating who we are as God’s people, sometimes praising God, sometimes causing us to reflect upon God’s actions in our lives. The Penitential Rite does not absolve us from sin, but it helps us to recognize the forgiving nature of Christ’s sacrifice for us and for the world we live in. For those who remember, the Gloria is the song the angels sang at the birth of Christ. We echo their praise of God. These two parts of the Mass, can be sung or said, but they should be sung or said by everyone together, not by the choir alone or by a few who remember the words. These rites draw us together as God’s people and prepare us to listen to God’s Word because we recognize that the Lord is merciful and glorious both for us and for the world we live in.
The Word of God is given to us in five parts: The Old Testament, the Psalm, the New Testament, the Gospel and the homily. The Psalm is our response to the Old Testament reading. Again, we should sing or say the Psalm response together. The New Testament reminds us that the Gospel is given to us to help us live, not simply as a series of stories about Jesus. The Gospel is Christ bringing the Good News into our lives and our world. It is not simply a record of Christ’s life and teachings. The Gospel calls us to believe in the Good News even as we marvel at the works of God. The homily is the final part of God’s Word because it helps us to understand what God is saying to us in our time. The homily is not supposed to be stories about the priest or deacon; it is not simply a lesson on what Catholics believe. The homily is proclaiming the Gospel in today’s world, helping us to recognize and believe in the saving presence of Jesus Christ.
The Liturgy of the Word ends with two responses from the community. The first response is the Creed, stating our beliefs. One change we are asked to make during the Creed is to bow our heads from the words, “he came down from heaven” until the phrase “and became man.” This is not a change, but an emphasis of a tradition that is seldom followed. If you watch me during Mass, you will notice that I always bow my head at this time. The second response we make is to bring our own needs and the needs of our world to the God who loves us. The Prayer of the Faithful is a way of saying we have listened to God’s Word and we believe that God wants to help His people.
NEW Instructions for Mass, part 5
“Liturgy of the Eucharist”
You will be happy to know that this is the last of the articles on the new General Instructions to the Roman Missal (GIRM). As I have already said at Mass, and as the Cardinal reiterated in his letter, the real point of the new instructions is to ask us to reflect upon the importance of the Mass as God’s work. The changes we are being asked to make are truly minor. The basic changes are: 1) we are asked to bow our heads during a portion of the Creed; 2) we are being asked to stand from the Our Father until the Communion Song is finished, although the elderly and others may choose to sit or kneel after receiving Communion; 3) We are asked to remember that the Sign of Peace is not a celebration in itself but a prelude to receiving Communion; and 4) We are asked to show a sign of respect when receiving Communion, a bow of the head or some other sign.
I cannot help thinking that when the news first came out about the revised General Instructions that all sorts of people were upset. The outcry from some corners almost sounded like the people in today’s Gospel who said, “This sort of talk is hard to endure; who can accept it?” Jesus told them that His words were Spirit and Life, but many of his followers refused to accept his teaching and they left him. The Mass is about the Spirit and Life of this community and the Church itself. If we see the Mass as a time of personal prayer or personal union with the Lord, then we do not understand that this community celebrates its Life with the Lord at Mass. If we think that the Mass will never change again, then we do not understand how the Spirit calls us time and again to grow in our expressions of faith. This is not the first change in the Mass that I have lived through, nor do I expect it to be the last. Yet, no matter what has happened over the years, the Mass is still focused upon Jesus Christ and His saving sacrifice which feeds us and gives us Life.
Whenever we are faced with changes of Church practices, whenever we are called to think about what we truly believe or what is truly being taught in the Bible, I go back to the words of Simon Peter in today’s Gospel: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68)
FAQs
· Our parish community is allowed to adapt the Mass in order to better express itself.
· The Mass does not belong to the priest or the people; it is the work of God which is given to us by Christ in order to nourish us. It is the source and summit of Christian life and prayer.
Newspapers seldom give you the whole story. Read the General Instruction to the Roman Missal. Talk to Father Sam and Father Nick.
· The Eucharist on the altar makes the sanctuary the center and the holiest place in the Church building.
· Each step toward the sanctuary, from outside, from vestibule, from pews, should inspire in us a deeper sense of God’s presence. Quiet will foster this devotion.
We should know some common prayers in Latin so that we can pray together as one people despite our many languages
· The Mass forms the Church’s identity and reminds us of what we truly believe.
· The Body of Christ is never to be divided by sin, hate or prejudice.
· We stand during the entire Communion Rite, from the Our Father until the end of the Communion Song.
· Learn some prayers and songs in Latin to help bridge the language barrier.
· Our parish community is allowed to adapt the Mass in order to better express itself.
· The Penitential Rite, the Gloria and the Creed are important prayers for the community to respond to God’s love.
We are asked to bow during part of the Creed as a sign of respect for Christ’s Incarnation.
· Our parish community is allowed to adapt the Mass in order to better express itself.
· The focus of the new instructions is to help us recognize the action of Christ in the Mass and thus in our community.
To whom shall we go? Jesus Christ has the words of eternal life.