Worship Office
Mrs. Karen Kane, Director

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Events Calendar - Events & Programs Sponsored By This Office

LAUDATE: FORMING YOUTH FOR MUSIC MINISTRY

YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST - EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

LENTEN PENANCE SERVICE

PRAYERS IN TIME OF WAR

HOLY DAYS

RENEWING THE CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST

RCIA

LITURGICAL CALENDAR

LITURGICAL NOTES FOR 2005 (Microsoft Word Document)

Word from the Director: Welcome to the Worship Office! The purpose of the Worship Office for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is to serve as a central location through which the liturgical needs of the Archdiocese can be addressed. The office devotes its efforts to offering theological, pastoral, canonical and historical guidance in the celebration of the church's liturgical rites.

Services Offered: The Worship Office primarily serves pastors, parish staff persons, parish worship commissions, and archdiocesan offices by:

• Providing consultation and resources in the areas of liturgy, RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), environment and art, music, and the sacraments.
• Offering and/or supporting courses on the liturgy.
• Publishing a quarterly Newsletter which is both formational and informational.
• Resourcing other archdiocesan office staffs in liturgy, conference, and worship planning.

Announcements:

Priest: Let us pray for our brothers and sisters as they go forth with courage and determination to face the forces of violence, weapons of destruction and hearts filled with hate.

RESPONSE: THROUGH THE DARKNESS BRING US TO THE LIGHT.

Deacon or Reader:

For our Commander-In-Chief, President George Bush and our political and military leaders that they may tirelessly seek peaceful settlements to international disputes; we pray to the Lord:

That the Lord may preserve the members of our Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force from all harm; we pray to the Lord:

That even in war, we may keep clearly before us the defense of all human rights, especially the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; we pray to the Lord:

That the families, relatives and friends of our military members may be strengthened in this time of concern and anxiety; we pray to the Lord:

That the Lord may help families with men and women in the armed forces to cope with daily challenges in the absence of their loved ones; we pray to the Lord:

That our homeland will be preserved from violence and terrorism; we pray to the Lord:

That the nations of the world will seek to work together in harmony and peace; we pray to the Lord:

That the hearts of all men and women will be moved to pursue true peace and justice; we pray to the Lord:

That violence may be overcome by peace; that weapons of destruction be transformed into tools of justice, and hate give way to true charity; we pray to the Lord:

That grateful for and inspired by those veterans who have given their lives for our country we may bravely face the challenges ahead; we pray to the Lord:

Priest: Lord God, Almighty Father,
creator of mankind and author of peace,
as we are ever mindful of the cost paid for the liberty we possess,
we ask you to bless the members of our armed forces.
Give them courage, hope and strength.
May they ever experience your firm support, gentle love and compassionate healing.
Be their power and protector, leading them from darkness to light.
To you be all glory, honor and praise, now and forever.

Amen.

A Soldier's Prayers

1. For Families and friends Left At Home

O God, Protector of all people and nations,
protect my family and friends at home
from the violence and evil of others.
Keep them safe from the weapons of hate and destruction
and guard them against the deeds of evildoers.
Grant them your protection and care
in tranquility and peace.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

2. On the Eve of Battle

God of power and mercy,
maker and love of peace,
to know you is to live,
and to serve you is to reign.
Through the intercession of St. Michael, the archangel,
be our protection in battle against all evil.
Help me [us] to overcome war and violence
and to establish your law of love and justice.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

3. For Hope in the Midst of Destruction

God of mercy,
you know the secrets of all human hearts,
for you know who is just and you forgive the repentant sinner.
Hear my prayer in the midst of destruction;
give me patience and hope,
so that under your protection and with you as my guide,
I may one day be reunited with my family and friends
in peace, tranquility, and love.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

4. Prayer For Officers In Command

God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Hear my prayer for these soldiers under my command.
Grant that I may bring the spirit of Christ
to all my efforts and orders
as I exercise my authority over those entrusted to my care.
Inform my judgment with your Holy Spirit
so that I may make decisions
in conformity with your law and for the common good.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

5. For Fellow Combatants

Lord God,
Remember Christ your Son who is peace itself
and who has washed away our hatred with His blood.
Because you love all men and women,
look with mercy on all who are engaged in battle.
Banish the violence and evil within all combatants
so that one day, we may all deserve to be
called your sons and your daughters.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

6. For the innocent victims of war

Lord God,
your own Son was delivered into the hands of the wicked,
yet he prayed for his persecutors
and overcame hatred with the blood of the Cross.
Relive the sufferings of the innocent victims of war;
grant them peace of mind, healing of body,
and a renewed faith in your protection and care.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

7. Prayer for refugees and victims of war

Lord God,
no one is a stranger to you
and no one is ever far from your loving care.
In your kindness, watch over refugees and victims of war,
those separated from their loved ones,
young people who are lost,
and those who have left home or who have run away from home.
Bring them back safely to the place where they long to be
and help us always to show your kindness
to strangers and to all in need
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Prayers in a Time of War

1. For Departing Troops

All-powerful and ever-living God,
when Abraham left his native land
and departed from his people
you kept him safe through all his journeys.
Protect these soldiers.
Be their constant companion and their strength in battle,
their refuge in every adversity.
Guide them, O Lord, that they may return home in safety.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

2. Prayer of a Spouse for a Departing Soldier

God of power and might,
at every moment and in every place
you are near to those who call upon your name in faith.
In marriage you have blessed us with a share in your divine love.
Look upon my husband/wife and keep him/her in your safekeeping,
no matter where the road may lead.
And when the battle is ended,
bring him/her safely home to those who love him.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

3. Prayer of a Parent for a Departing Soldier

Father all-powerful and ever-loving God,
from before we were born,
your love has nurtured and sustained us.
Hear my prayer for N., my son/daughter.
Keep him/her safe in time of battle
and faithful to you, day in and day out.
Bring him/her safely home to those who love him/her.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

4. Prayer for Those who Await a Soldier's Return

God of all goodness,
Look with love on those who wait
for the safe return of their loved ones
who serve in the armed forces of their country.
In faith and hope, we turn to you for comfort.
Grant that we may trust in your mercy
and send an angel to sustain us as we await their safe return.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

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HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION

Mary, the Mother of God – January 1

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – August 15

All Saints – November 1

The Immaculate Conception – December 8

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ – December 25

The Ascension of the Lord will be celebrated on the Seventh Sunday of Easter in Ohio dioceses. With permission from Rome, the Catholic bishops of Ohio decided to move the yearly celebration of the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord from Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter to the Seventh Sunday of Easter. This change has been in effect since the first celebration on June 4, 2000.

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RENEWING THE CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST
CONSIDERATIONS IN LIGHT OF THE REVISED GIRM

Reverend Jeffrey M. Kemper

INTRODUCTION

I imagine that there is a wide range of opinion in this room concerning the new GIRM. Some of us think it is the best thing that has happened in 30 years, others of us think it is the worst thing in 30 years. Probably most people are thinking that they don’t have a clue, since they haven’t read it yet. Wherever we stand on this topic, one thing is certain: the new GIRM will not save the Church, nor will it destroy it. The GIRM is a set of rubrics, and rubrics in and of themselves do not make a worthy celebration of the Mass. Rubrics can be followed perfectly, but the liturgy can still be lifeless. Rubrics do serve to keep us faithful to the belief of the Church and true to the meaning of the act we are celebrating. Rubrics contribute to a sense of unity among the believers, because they allow the assembled believers to participate in the action because they know the pattern of the liturgy. Yet, rubrics are the structure - the skeleton - of the liturgy; they are not its spirit. The spirit of the liturgy comes from the Holy Spirit who is manifest in the attitude and understanding of the participants of the liturgy. The new GIRM offers us an opportunity to examine our understanding of and attitude towards the Eucharist, as well as examine who we celebrate the Eucharist, and that takes us beyond the rubrical changes in the new GIRM.

THE CONCERNS OF GIRM 2002

When one looks at the revised GIRM, four concerns shine forth. First, that the Mass be a source of grace and renewal to all who celebrate it. (This is not new to this edition of the GIRM; it was a concern of the 1970 GIRM and a concern of the Missal of Pius V.) Second, that the Eucharist be celebrated with reverence and respect. (Once again, not a new concern.) Third, that the roles of the participants be clear and valued - those of the ordained ministers: bishop, priest, and deacon, as well as those of the lay ministers and the assembly. Fourth, that music be understood as integral to the celebration of the Eucharist. (You will notice in GIRM # 40 that Sunday Mass with out music is not considered an option.)

In light of these four concerns, there are two qualities of the liturgy, especially the Eucharist, which are indispensable for it to bear fruit in the lives of the participant: 1) that it be celebrated reverently, and 2) that it be celebrated relevantly.

Reverence

What is reverence? The attitude that what we are doing is sacred - important. In the Eucharist we are engaged in the act that changes the destiny of the universe. We are engaged in the action of the Redeemer in our midst for our salvation. (Note, we are engaged in the act, not simply recipients of it by residual effect.) If this is the case, the Mass’s significance must be revealed in all that we do when celebrating it:

w the quality of the place in which we celebrate the Eucharist;

w the quality of the appointments we use: the altar, ambo, chair, vessels, vesture, books, etc.

(Note: Cost is not a determinant of worth. You can pay a lot of money for some pretty tacky stuff made of silver or gold; craftsmanship, beauty, and worthiness of materials as authentic are also considerations. At the same time, one cannot dismiss objects made of silver and gold as automatically ostentatious and therefore unworthy.

w the quality of the hymnody and musical elements

w the quality of the proclamation of the liturgical texts

w the quality of the preaching

w the quality of the participation of the assembly and the ministers.

If these are done with a sense of their ultimate significance, then those who participate in them can more easily realize the value and worth of the elements individually and the Eucharist as a whole. If the value of the act is apparent, it is so the easier for people to enter into the liturgical act and into the realities the liturgy leads us to.

The issue of reverence leads us to the question of how is the sacred expressed? In the Catholic tradition, the sacred actions and sacred objects are not disconnected from this world, but are found in the ordinary elements of this world which are raised to the significance God intended for them. One has only to look at how God chose to save us: by becoming one of us! Jesus is God who became human in the fullest sense of human, as God intends us to be. The sacramental life God gave us uses ordinary, everyday objects and actions to bestow grace: water, bread, wine, oil, touch, meal, bath, story (of salvation) and the ancillary - assisting - symbols: light, color, music. Sacrality is not what is distant and unrelated to life; rather it is found in the elements of life that put us in touch with God who created them.

Granted, it would easier to sense the sacred if it were detached from our reality, unrelated to life, because the distinction between the sacred and the ordinary would be so obvious. But this is not Christian belief. Given this reality of God’s mode of operation, it falls to the ministers of the liturgy to make God’s saving work evident and actualized in our midst through the language people speak and comprehend and through actions which are not alien to life. Using the best objects we have, in the best building we can provide, the best words we can sing and speak, the best demeanor we can muster, will serve to reveal and effect God’s work in our midst.

Relevance

The second quality for fruitful celebration that I mentioned - relevance - may sound jarring at first, or at least reminiscent of the 1970s. Yet it is not so strange when you think about it.

What is relevance? It is the connection of one thing to another so that the first may have value. No one engages in actions that are insignificant to them. Somehow, any action we engage in has some significance to us. For example, a healthy heart in and of itself is not seen as that important for an individual until that individual realizes that his or her healthy heart will keep them alive. A healthy heart becomes relevant when it is connected with our own lives. The liturgy must be relevant to people’s lives for them to see its value. Therefore, it falls to the ministers of the Church to make the liturgy speak to people who live in a "real" world. The liturgy must be able to show it has significance "here and now" and "there and then" (in life in the world to come). What fulfills the truest need of the Christian besides the celebration of Eucharist? Nothing! Somehow, this needs to be communicated to the faithful, so that they come to the Eucharist not because external canon law demands it, but because their internal conviction directs them to come together with others to do what Jesus, who died that we might live, commanded the Church to do in His memory.

The relevance of the Eucharist is manifest in several ways:

w through worthy and dignified celebrations that take into consideration the lived situation of the community that is gathered-

w the age, talents, abilities, size, and theological stance and acumen of the community;

w reflection on and teaching the meaning and significance of the actions taking place in the liturgy;

w homiletically - through mystagogical preaching.

Mystagogical preaching looks at the rite (or an element of it), reveals its meaning, and shows why it is relevant to people’s lives. It leads people to ask, "So what?" "So what?" in the sense of "So what do I do know, in light of what I have done in the liturgy?" So how must I see the world differently in light of what I "saw" in the liturgy?" Mystagogical preaching does not set necessarily ignore the readings, but can draw the scriptures, the rite, and life together. (In late July and through August of 2003, the Athenaeum preaching website - www.mtsm.org - will have mystagogical homilies available as models.)

w educationally - through talks, courses, retreats, parish missions, and bulletin announcements.

Religious relevance should never be confused with the avant garde or that which is purely contemporary. Because religion deals with the deepest dimensions of life, there is an agelessness to it that is expressed in archetypes - ancient symbols: bathing, eating, drinking, touching, anointing, telling the story. Because our faith is rooted in a historical act, tradition and traditions play a significant role. Relevance, therefore, is often manifested in ancient acts that reveal meaning, just as reverence is often manifest in contemporary acts and objects.

But what is it that nurtures a sense of reverence and relevance?

I. Mastery of the "Genius" of the Rite and Its Parts

The first thing that is necessary to nurture a sense of reverence and relevance is that the ministers must come to understand the "genius" of the rite and its parts. "Genius" in this sense does not mean "intelligent" or "smart;" rather it means the inner logic or the dynamic of the rite - what the rite is all about and trying to accomplish. This is obviously much more than rubrics, although rubrics can help to reveal the genius of the rite.

Mastering the genius of the rite in the case of the Mass involves an understanding of the Eucharist in a holistic manner. One
therefore has to comprehend the reasons Christ gave us the Eucharist.

1. to unite the members of the Church to Christ as branches are grafted to a vine, and to unite them to one another as the parts of a body are united together. (Note it is both of these that are at play in the Eucharist. As Thomas Aquinas answered to the question about the res et sacramentum or the ultimate purpose of the Eucharist, it is to unite individuals to Christ and his Church. People - not stones and mortar or institutions - are the Church.)

2. To fulfill the command of Christ to do this in his memory. The object of his memory is ultimately his Paschal Mystery - his Passion, death, and resurrection (and his ascension and gift of the Spirit).

3. To participate in the priesthood of Jesus Christ by being joined to his ONE saving sacrifice to his Father: the Paschal Mystery.

We achieve these purposes through gathering as the Church, hearing the Word of God, offering the sacrifice in a context of grateful remembering, and receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord. Notice, these three purposes are not disparate, isolated ends, but are related and reciprocal.

Mastering the genius of the rite also involves understanding the relationship and purposes of the various parts of the Mass. Some questions which can help us with this are:

v What is the connection between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist?

v What is the connection between the Eucharistic Prayer and the Communion Rite?

v What is the purpose of the Eucharistic Prayer?

Is it simply to consecrate bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord, or is it to give thanks in obedience to the Lord’s command to remember his redemptive acts? If it is the latter, (which it is), then we must understand that Christ is not simply present to us under forms of bread and wine, but rather that Christ leads us in this act of thanksgiving, so that we may offer to his Father the sacrifice of Calvary and thus participate sacramentally in his Paschal Mystery by offering and receiving the Lord’s body and blood.

v Do we understand that the Communion Rite is not simply a private intimate act with the Lord, but a most communitarian intimate act with the Lord/

v Do we understand that it is Christ who leads us in this act of Eucharist?

w through the power of the Holy Spirit he has gathered us as his Body

w he speaks to us through the proclamation of the Scriptures

w he leads us in the great prayer of thanksgiving and offering - the Eucharistic Prayer

w he feeds us with his very self

w What difference does this understanding make in celebration, as opposed to simply thinking that we do this act and offer Christ to the Father, as if by our own power?

w What difference does this understanding make to our concept of what being a minister means?

We are stewards of Christ, making decisions appropriate to the concrete situation according to the will of the Master - Christ, not according to our own whim or fancy, nor according to the whim or fancy of the community.

v Are the various actions of the Mass understood to be disjunctive acts that are simply thrown together, or is the relationship between the individual acts evident?

v Do we understand that there is a hierarchy of importance to the elements of the liturgy? For example, the breaking of the bread is a significant act (after all, it is one of the actions the Lord himself did at the Last Supper) which is often performed all too hastily, yet the sign of peace can go on forever.

v Do we understand why music is important to the liturgical act?

w Because it expresses the reality of faith that words alone cannot express;

w Because it expresses the deeper significance of the mystery we celebrate;

w Because it draws the community together in a common act;

w The new GIRM #39-40 stresses the importance of singing; it does not envision Mass on Sundays or feast days being celebrated without singing.

v How does the whole celebration and its parts relate to the life of the Christian at the beginning of the third millennium?

v Do we understand and appreciate the significance of ritual and the dynamics that are involved in ritual activity - the style of liturgical language, the sense of movement, the characteristics of liturgical music, and the attitudes of the participants?

We can never assume that just because we have passed a course, had hands laid on our heads, or have performed a rite over a long period of time that we have a mystery of the genius of the liturgy. We need to continue:

w to study - read, attend talks and workshops, ask questions and seek answers from credible sources. (Note: not everything in print, on TV, radio, or the web is a credible source!)

w to reflect and meditate on the Mass and its parts. Wonderful sources for meditation and reflection are the Eucharistic Prayers.

When the genius of the Mass is "mastered" (as if it ever could be truly mastered!), it becomes much easier to:

w function ministerially in a manner that is reverent and relevant because we understand more fully what is happening when we celebrate the Eucharist;

w choose appropriate texts (choices of greetings, penitential rites, opening prayers, general intercessions, Eucharistic Prayers and prefaces, blessings) and music that draw out the meaning of the Eucharist and the feast or season;

w determine how to arrange and decorate for feasts and seasons;

w to preach and teach on what we are doing and why we are doing it, as well as the significance of the feast, season, or liturgy to our lives;

w show the significance of the Mass in living Christian life and Christianity’s significance to the world.

II. Mastery of the Disciplines and Dynamics for Celebrating the Eucharist

The second quality that facilitates a sense of reverence and relevance for the Eucharist is a mastery of the disciplines and dynamics for communicating the significance of what we are doing at Mass as one act in Christ, as well as in the various elements that make up the Mass. Key to mastery is understanding that the dynamic of ritual activity is that it is "heightened" activity. Ritual uses ordinary human actions, but raises their significance.

Religious ritual deals with what is of ultimate importance, not with trifles. Our demeanor, posture, and movement, as well as our mode of speech say more than our words to. Several years ago on my way out of town, I attended Mass on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi at a parish. In his homily the pastor bemoaned the lack of respect shown to the Eucharist. Yet, when he prayed the Eucharistic Prayer, he recited it in a monotone voice that conveyed that a) he didn’t have a clue as to its significance or b) he couldn’t have cared less. He distributed the Eucharist in haste, continually saying "Body of Christ. Body of Christ. Body of Christ" - two or three for every host he distributed - and distributing hosts like he was dealing a poker hand. I am sure he was sincere in his mourning the loss of respect for the Eucharist, but he actually contributed to it by his sloppy actions. In another situation, One may ask whether beginning Mass with a secular "Good morning!" and then rotely saying "The Lord be with you." communicates the significance of the liturgical greeting. When you think about it, does not "The Lord be with you." said with expression speak much more eloquently than "Good morning"?

Religious ritual is intrinsically hopeful and joyful but it is not frivolous. The use of jokes or sports reports within the liturgy or the homily for no specific liturgical or theological purpose tends to deflate the action we are doing, as does any belittling of the ritual.

Communicating the meaning of the Mass demands that one has the ability to communicate not only the text - the words - of the liturgy, but also their meaning through inflection, pacing, voice tone and quality.

w First, though, the texts must be proclaimed so that they can be heard and the words understood. If the pronunciation of the text is unclear, what good will inflection or pacing do? If the text can’t be heard, what good is articulation? Pastors must make sure that churches are acoustically sound (pardon the pun) either in their design or by the assistance of a speaker system. Those speaking must know how to use the microphones effectively.

w Second, the speaker must master the text, so that it is clear who is speaking to whom about what. For instance, is the presider speaking to God in the name of the community? Is he addressing the assembly? Eye contact makes a big difference here. If you are speaking to God and looking at the people, it doesn’t make sense; or if you are speaking to the people but not looking at them, it doesn’t make sense. When something doesn’t make sense, it has no credibility. (This loss of credibility is very subtle. Now, people don’t consciously say, "Oh, that doesn’t make sense." In the back of their minds, however, it registers as non-sensical. The speaker has to prepare the text, making an effort to set aside presumptions. For example, during the institution narrative (commonly called the words of consecration) in the Eucharistic Prayer, most presiders look at the people when they say the words of the Lord. However, if one reads the text, these words are being spoken to the Father, not the assembly: "…he took bread, gave bread, gave you thanks…" It is in the act of thankful remembering addressed to the Father that these words are spoken.

w Third, what are we doing in the text? Are we thanking, praising, asking, acknowledging sinfulness, offering? They all do not sound alike. Hopefully, "We come to you with praise and thanksgiving." sound different than "Lord, we have sinned against you."

w Fourth, pacing helps communicate meaning and the relationship of what is presently being said with what preceded and what follows. Commas, semi-colons, periods, paragraph spacing all denote various levels of pauses.

w Inflection is also important to communicate meaning. A basic ground rule of the hierarchy of stress in a sentence is as follows: first, action verb; then subject of the action , then object of the action, then modifiers. Yet, the context of the texts may (and very often is) determined more so by the context of the text - what precedes and follows, the readings just heard, the feast or season, and the true theology of the Church. For example, in Eucharistic Prayer III we proclaim, "Father, you are holy indeed and all creation rightly gives you praise.’ Depending on the context, it may be proclaimed: "Father, you are holy indeed…" in order emphasize "holy" in light of the Sanctus just sung. Or, "Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise" in order to manifest the worship of God by the cosmos. Whatever is the case, the one way of proclamation that is not acceptable is: "Fatheryouareholyindeedandallcreationrightlygivesyoupraise." Flat and dead don’t cut it!

If these qualities are important in the proclamation of prayer texts, how much more important is the proclamation of the word of God, which is living and active like a two-edged sword! Are readers (including deacons and priests, who are at times the worst readers) well-trained in the art of proclamation so that they hold the assembly’s attention and communicate the meaning and spirit of the text? There are some excellent tools for readers, among them, Liturgy Training Publication’s Workbook for Lectors and Gospel Readers. (Every sacristy, of course, should have a pronunciation guide handy.)

Music, which can no longer be understood as an accessory to the Eucharist as it once was, demands that the choice of text and tune reflect the dignity of the liturgy, lead people into a deeper understanding and appreciation of the rite, feast, or season, not to mention that it must reflect sound theology. Not all religious music is liturgical music. Much music is inspirational and appropriate for non-liturgical prayer and meditation. (This does not make it second class religious music; it just means it is not intended for liturgical use.) Just as the proclamation of the spoken text is important, so to is the leading of music, which must be led so that the assembly can more easily participate. Cantors, instrumentation that enables singing, a viable schema of new music over a period of time (which will vary from parish to parish) as well as a method of teaching the music that works for a specific community are the tools for helping a parish become a singing parish.

A word about time. Rushing denotes a lack of importance. It tells people there is something more pressing to do. I have researched the liturgical documents since the invention of the clock, and I can find nowhere legislation that Mass must be 40 minutes or 50 minutes! While we need not dally around, we do need to take the time to celebrate fully and reverently. This is all the more important in light of the new legislation that only ordained ministers may assist in the breaking of the bread and the pouring of the cups. Will we sacrifice Holy Communion under both forms because we do not want to take three more minutes to prepare the cups? (By the way, it is worth noting how often the revised GIRM mentions the significance of receiving Communion under both forms.) Yet, we must also recognize that "empty" time - that is, time wasted because proper preparations for the liturgy were not made or useless activity is occurring - is an enemy of good liturgy as well.

Finally, what we perceive ourselves to be doing may not be what the assembly perceives. If you have a chance, watch yourself on video tape and see how you come across. It may be humbling, but it may also be affirming. If you can’t do that, ask a group of people to discuss the liturgy with you. Ask questions about what they perceive to have been communicated by the music, the readings, and prayers. This may reveal as much about the mode of proclamation as it does about the text.

CONCLUSION

Why is all this important? Because Christianity, especially Catholicism, believes that God works through the human faculties - hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, imagining, thinking, feeling. For the liturgy to be effective in the sense of touching human lives (what we traditionally refer to as "bearing fruit"), we have to take full advantage of the rites in the best ways possible to draw people into the life of Christ so that, through the liturgy - the source and summit of Christian life - they may come to full stature in Christ and eternal life.

What I have mentioned here covers only a small part of the whole picture; however, I think it offers enough of an agenda to keep us busy for a while.

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