By now,
many have heard at least something about the new General
Instruction of the Roman Missal. It seems that
questions are multiplying about the changes that will take
place in the liturgy as parishes begin the implementation
process of the new directives for the Mass. It is the
hope of Archbishop Pilarczyk and the Worship Office that the
faithful understand the changes being made to the
liturgy and why they are happening. This is also a
good time for us to deepen our understanding of the Mass
through various avenues of catechesis, this article being
one of them. Following are some of the most frequently asked
questions regarding the new General Instruction of the
Roman Missal, along with an outlineof the Mass
and the changes you can expect to see.
What
exactly is the General Instruction of the Roman Missal?
All
liturgical books have an introduction which helps those who
are responsible for implementing the liturgy to understand
why and how the liturgy is to be celebrated. These
introductions include a theology of the liturgical
celebration (why we do what we do), as well as rubrics or
directions on how to celebrate the liturgy.
The
General Instruction of the Roman Missal is the
introductory material to the Roman Missal, more
specifically, the Sacramentary. The
Sacramentary
is the official liturgical book used by the priest in
the celebration of the Mass and contains all of the prayers
the priest uses e.g., opening prayer, prayer over the gifts,
Eucharistic prayer, concluding prayer, as well as the
General Instruction.
Thus, the
new General Instruction of the Roman Missal contains
all of the directions for the celebration of Mass, including
the changes that will occur in the very near future.
Recently, itwas translated from Latin into English
and confirmed by Rome; and therefore, we, in the United
States, are now required to implement these changes.
The actual Sacramentary, however, has not been
translated from Latin into English; hence, it will not be
available to us for some time.
Why
are these changes coming about?
Forty
years ago at the largest gathering of bishops in the history
of the Catholic Church, the liturgy underwent
significant change. In subsequent years,
bishops, parish priests, liturgists, and parish worship
commissions have sought to implement the changes envisioned
by the Second Vatican Council. There have been two
earlier versions of the General Instruction, one
written in 1969 and the other in 1975. As the Church
has come to a deeper understanding of the reformed liturgy,
various refinements have been made since 1975 and reflected
in other Church documents. This new General
Instruction brings together these changes into a single
document. However, the underlying theology of full,
conscious and active participation by the faithful continues
to remain a priority in the way we as Catholics worship.
Other reasons for the changes found in the new General
Instruction include: to increase a sense of reverence
among the faithful in the way we celebrate the
liturgy; to create a more unified celebration of the
liturgy; and finally, to make a clearer distinction of roles
between the ordained minister and the non-ordained.
The overall goal, however, is that we celebrate the liturgy
well, with hearts and voices offering praise and
thanksgiving to God.
What
kinds of changes should be expected in the Mass?
Most of
the changes in the new General Instruction are not
significant, and they are certainly not as broad as those
that took place right after the Second Vatican Council.
Many of the changes that you might notice in the liturgy are
really refinements in the way we celebrate the Mass.
Some of the changes that you will see are not new directives
in the General Instruction, but were never
implemented in the first place. Hence, parish worship
commissions are using the implementation of the new
General Instruction
as an opportunity to refine the celebration of the liturgy
overall so that it more closely reflects the universal law
of the Church. Later in this article the various
changes in the Mass will be described in detail.
When
do the changes need to take place?
Archbishop
Pilarczyk has set the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood
of Christ, June 22, 2003, as the official date of
implementation of the new General Instruction for the
Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Several workshops were
held throughout the Archdiocese for priests, deacons, parish
pastoral staffs, and worship commissions to inform them of
the various changes that are to take place. These
workshops marked the beginning of a process of liturgical
catechesis which, hopefully, has continued over the past few
months in parishes so that all our Catholics will understand
why the changes have come about and what they mean.
Bulletin inserts have been provided to parishes through the
Worship Office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and many
parishes have taken advantage of these inserts to help the
faithful.
Will
these changes make Mass the same everywhere?
While
there will be a certain amount of uniformity in the way that
we worship, there will always be diversity in our
celebration of the Mass, because the communities that gather
week after week have their own cultural and local customs
that will be reflected in their worship. Diversity in
practice is not a bad thing, and the General Instruction
allows for such diversity. The document encourages the
local ordinary to make many decisions regarding the way the
liturgy is to be celebrated in his diocese. Therefore,
how we celebrate the liturgy in Cincinnati could be
different from other dioceses around the country.
Moreover, there are places in the document which uses
language that is less directive, allowing for possible
interpretation of the law. However, having said this,
the new General Instruction
does give us the opportunity to look at the way we worship
and refine our practices so that in areas where it is
important to be uniform in practice we can make such
adjustments. No matter what, the liturgy should be
celebrated reverently, prayerfully, and with an
understanding of what it is that we are doing.
The
following articles are a walk-thru of the Mass with some
explanation about what it is that we are celebrating,
including the changes one can expect to see in the near
future.
How does
the new General Instruction affect the celebration of
the Introductory Rites at Mass? In this section of the
Mass -- which extends from the opening hymn until all sit
for the readings -- there are a few changes, but not much
that would be noticeable to the whole assembly. For
instance, while the parts of the Introductory Rites remain
the same, the
names of some parts have changed. The entrance
song is now called the “entrance chant.” The
penitential rite is referred to as the “act of penitence,”
and the opening prayer has returned to its Latin name of
“collect.”
The Book
of the Gospels
One thing
that will appear different in practice for many parishes is
the custom of carrying the book of the gospels rather than
the lectionary in the entrance procession. In fact,
the previous General Instruction also called for the
gospel book at this point and did not mention the
lectionary. However, when the General Instruction
first appeared in 1969, the book of the gospels had not yet
been published in English. So parishes used what they
had instead: the lectionary. The current General
Instruction
now specifically asks that the lectionary not be carried in
procession. The deacon, as the one who proclaims the
gospel, carries the gospel book if he is present. But
in the absence of a deacon, a lay minister may carry the
gospel book and place it on the altar. If the gospel
book is not carried in the entrance procession, it is to be
placed on the altar before Mass begins.
Reverence to the Altar
The new
General Instruction gives more detailed directions
about the proper reverence shown to the altar or to the
tabernacle as the entrance procession approaches the altar.
The priest and other ministers reverence the altar, a sign
of the presence of Christ who offers himself there, with a
profound bow -- a bow from the waist. Those carrying
items such as the cross or candles do not bow. If
there is a tabernacle with the Blessed Sacrament behind the
altar in the sanctuary, then the priest and ministers
genuflect at the entrance and at the end of Mass, but not
during the Mass itself. Again, those carrying cross
and candles do not genuflect, but instead bow their heads.
Silence
An aspect
of Mass that is stressed throughout the new General
Instruction is the importance of silence. In the
Introductory Rites, silence occurs at the act of penitence
and after the invitation to pray at the collect. Here,
the purpose of silence is for recollection; these are
moments to compose ourselves, to recognize that we are in
God’s presence, to call to mind our sins or our intentions
for prayer. In addition, the new General Instruction
encourages communities to observe a period of silence before
Mass begins, so that everyone may be prepared to celebrate
the sacred liturgy together with their whole heart.
This does not rule out having prelude music at some point
just before Mass, since the prelude can also foster a sense
of recollection and preparation.
Gathered as God’s Holy People
“The
purpose of these rites is that the faithful who are
assembling should become a community…” (GIRM ’02,
n. 46). Before we can hear the word of God and
celebrate the Eucharist together, we carry out the
Introductory Rites to help us realize that we pray the Mass
not as individuals but as the Body of Christ. These
rites make the transition between our everyday lives and the
sacred action we are about to perform together as the holy
people of God. That’s why the “collect” is the climax
and completion of the Introductory Rites. All of our
personal prayers are gathered and “collected” into one
prayer offered to God by the priest in our name.
These words from the General
Instruction state so beautifully what the Introductory
Rites are meant to make us all aware of.
“The
celebration of the Eucharist is the action of the whole
Church….
For these
people are the people of God, purchased by Christ’s Blood,
gathered together by the Lord, nourished by his word. They
are a people called to offer God the prayers of the entire
human family, a people giving thanks in Christ for the
mystery of salvation by offering his sacrifice. Finally they
are a people growing together into unity by sharing in the
Communion of Christ’s body and Blood. These people are
holy by their origin, but becoming ever more holy by
conscious, active, and fruitful participation in the mystery
of the Eucharist” (GIRM ’02, n. 5).
As with
the Introductory Rites, the new General Instruction
introduces no major changes in the Liturgy of the Word.
Several new paragraphs have been inserted in the 2002
General Instruction that did not appear in the
1975 version, but much of this new material comes from
liturgical documents that have come into force since 1975,
such as the 1997 Lectionary for Mass.
Some of
the new material does not contain directives for how to
celebrate the Word, but rather has short explanations with
insights about the meaning or purpose of a certain part of
the Mass, especially parts belonging to the congregation.
When we say, “Thanks be to God,” at the end of a reading,
“the gathered people honor the word of God that they have
received in faith and with grateful hearts.”
Reflecting on statements like this can help us appreciate
what we are to do in the Liturgy of the Word. Do we
realize that in this brief response we are honoring God’s
word? Have we, in fact, received the word in faith?
For what in this reading are we grateful?
Similarly, the new General Instruction clarifies the
role of the psalm in the Liturgy of the Word, saying it is
important because it encourages meditation on the word.
For this and other reasons, the psalm is to be sung, at
least the people’s response. Do we allow the psalm to
lead us in meditation on God’s word? Do we sing it in
such a way as to promote meditation?
The
purpose of the Alleluia is also given: “By it the assembly
of the faithful welcomes and greets Lord who is about to
speak to them in the Gospel, and professes its faith by
singing.” Have we thought of this acclamation as a way
to welcome Christ, present in his word? Do we realize
its importance as a profession of faith that we all sing
together every time we prepare to hear Christ speaking in
the gospel?
A few new
directives do appear concerning the Liturgy of the Word.
Everyone is to turn toward the ambo in anticipation of
listening to Christ in the gospel, and all are to make the
sign of the cross on the forehead, mouth, and heart.
While many people already do this gesture, it had not been
previously been mentioned for the congregation. No
words are given to accompany this gesture, but it indicates
a prayer that Christ’s word that we are about to hear may
always be in our minds, in our words, and in our hearts.
The
options for the place where the homily is delivered have
been expanded. In addition to the chair or the ambo,
the homily may also be given from “another suitable place.”
If more than one reader is available, the new General
Instruction, as does the Lectionary for Mass,
prefers that each reading have its own reader. This
practice enables the reader to prepare one passage well, so
that they can meaningfully proclaim God’s word to the
assembly, and not simply read the text aloud. However,
a single reading is not to be divided among several persons,
except for the Passion on Palm Sunday and Good Friday.
One
directive that appeared in the previous edition of the
General Instruction but has not often been put into
practice is the profound bow in the Nicene Creed. All
are to bow from the waist at the words, “by the power of the
Holy Spirit…and became man.” On the Annunciation and
Christmas, the bow is replaced by a genuflection.
Perhaps some are uncomfortable with physical gestures like
this, but liturgy is meant to be a prayer of our whole
being, not just our minds. A profound bow done by all
together can be a powerful bodily expression of our common
faith, as well as a strong way to form our faith.
Throughout the whole Liturgy of the Word,
a slow and unhurried pace is called for, as well as periods
of silence. This is expressed in forceful language; it
is not only encouraged but demanded. “The liturgy of
the word must be celebrated in such a way as to promote
meditation. For this reason, any sort of haste that
hinders recollection must be clearly avoided” (GIRM
‘02, n. 56). “Sacred silence, as part of the
celebration, must be observed at the designated times”
(n. 45). After the readings and the homily, the
purpose of silence is to allow the Holy Spirit to help “the
word of God be grasped by the heart” (n. 56). We spend
some moments reflecting on what we have heard in the
Scriptures. What images or phrases stay in our minds?
What is God saying to me at this time? To the parish?
To our nation or our world? What is our response to
God’s word?
At the Last Supper Christ instituted the paschal sacrifice
and meal. . .For Christ took the bread and the cup and gave
thanks; he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples,
saying:
A
take, eat, and drink: this is my Body; this is the cup of my
Blood. Do this in memory of me.@
Accordingly, the Church has arranged the entire celebration
of the liturgy of the Eucharist in parts corresponding to
these words and actions of Christ. (GIRM
>02,
n.72)
The liturgy of the Eucharist is the part of the Mass that
begins with the preparation of the gifts and ends with Holy
Communion [and the prayer after Communion]. It is the
time in which we offer gifts of bread and wine to be prayed
over, broken and shared. We pray the great prayer of
thanksgiving for the many deeds God has done in and through
Jesus Christ. And finally, we eat and drink of the Body and
Blood of Christ that we might be nourished to go out to the
world to be Christ to those who are most in need of our love
and care. These actions of Christ, taking, blessing,
breaking and sharing, constitute the liturgy of the
Eucharist: the preparation of the gifts, the Eucharistic
Prayer, and the breaking of bread and Communion.
Preparation of the Gifts:
The preparation of the gifts is considered to be a
transitional part of the Mass in that it moves us from the
celebration of the Liturgy of the Word into the celebration
of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Word proclaimed
and preached has brought us to a place in which we are ready
to offer thanks and praise. The preparation of the
gifts begins with the collection and procession of gifts to
the altar, with the gifts being received by the priest or
deacon at the altar. The General Instruction tells us
that it is
APraiseworthy
for the faithful to present the bread and wine. . .Even
though the faithful no longer, as in the past, bring from
their own possessions the bread and wine intended for the
liturgy, nevertheless the rite of carrying up the offerings
still retains its power and spiritual significance. (GIRM
>02,
n.73). The carrying forward of the gifts symbolizes
the giving of ourselves to be offered to God and to be made
holy for the life of the world.
Once the gifts of bread and wine have been placed on the
altar with the accompanying prayers said by the priest
privately, the priest then invites the people to pray.
It is at this moment in the liturgy that a noticeable change
has been made. After the priest says to the assembly,
APray,
my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may be
acceptable to God, the almighty Father,@
the entire assembly will stand rather than remain sitting
for their response:
AMay
the Lord accept this sacrifice. . .@
There is no explanation for this change in the liturgy, and
it is not altogether clear why it has been made.
Perhaps, one could infer that when we pray we usually stand.
After the prayer over the gifts, the Eucharistic Prayer
begins.
Eucharistic Prayer:
The General Instruction describes the Eucharistic Prayer in
this way:
Now the center and summit of the entire celebration begins, the
Eucharistic Prayer, a prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification.
The priest invites the people to lift up their hearts to the
Lord in prayer and thanksgiving; he unites them with himself in
the prayer which, in the name of the entire community, he
addresses to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy
Spirit. . .the meaning of the prayer is that the entire
congregation of the faithful should join itself with Christ in
confessing the great things God has done and in offering the
sacrifice. The Eucharistic Prayer demands that all listen
to it with reverence and in silence.@
(GIRM
>02,
n.78)
It is this prayer in which the priest and the community join
with Christ to offer praise and thanks to God in response to the
Word just proclaimed. While the priest is the one who
always prays the prayer out loud, the gathered assembly joins
him in prayer through active listening and responding by singing
the acclamations. This prayer is the prayer of the
community and not just the priest. We all offer our thanks
to God for the wonderful things God has done in our lives by our
attentiveness to the words of the prayer.
Perhaps the area that has concerned many Catholics the most is
the posture for the Eucharistic Prayer. There have been a
number of articles in the Telegraph (and other places) on
kneeling as opposed to standing during the Eucharistic Prayer.
In other parts of the world, standing is the universal posture
for the Eucharistic Prayer. In these places, standing is
not a posture of irreverence, but one of reverence. Those
who stand in the great cathedrals of Europe are not being
disrespectful of the presence of Christ in bread and wine, but
in fact, standing is considered to be a posture of respect.
However, in the United States, kneeling is the norm and has been
determined by the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops to be the
posture of the assembly during the Eucharistic Prayer.
Nevertheless, the General Instruction does allow for exceptions
to this norm, and Archbishop Pilarczyk has outlined some of
those exceptions. For example, if a church has no
kneelers, the faithful may stand; if the assembly usually
gathers around the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer, they may
stand; if the faithful are prevented from kneeling for good
reason (such as at a priest=s
funeral when a number of priests are in attendance and they
would block the view of the assembly) the faithful may stand.
However, for the most part, kneeling is the normal posture for
the Eucharistic Prayer. These things being said, it is
important to remember that unity of posture during this time of
the Mass is an overriding goal, and whether the posture is
kneeling or standing, everyone in the church should be doing the
same thing.
When the assembly stands during the Eucharistic Prayer, they
should make a profound bow while the priest is genuflecting
during the institution narrative (consecration).
The Eucharistic Prayer is concluded with the doxology and the
singing of the Great Amen. Once the assembly has given
their assent by singing the Great Amen, they stand to begin the
Communion Rite.
Although
there are no changes in the Communion Rite in the General
Instruction that one might consider major, there are a few
modifications and clarifications that will be noticeable to us
when we gather for Mass in the coming weeks and months.
These elements in the Communion Rite are further clarified in a
companion document, Norms for the Distribution and Reception
of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United
States of America, issued in June, 2001.
The purpose
of both of these documents is to help us to be drawn more deeply
into the mystery that we celebrate in the Eucharist. We do
this by signs and symbols, words, gestures and song that invite
us to enter into the truth of our celebration: the Body of
Christ fed and nourished by the Body of Christ to go forth to be
the Body of Christ in the world.
We are
referring here to the part of the Mass that begins with the Our
Father, and includes the Rite of Peace, The Breaking of the
Bread, and Communion. Within this framework a variety of
words, gestures and songs work together to help us encounter
Christ.
“Christ’s
presence in the Eucharist challenges human understanding, logic,
and ultimately reason. His presence cannot be known by the
senses, but only through faith – a faith that is continually
deepened through that communion which takes place between the
Lord and his faithful in the very act of the celebration of the
Eucharist. (Norms # 12)
The Our
Father begins this rite with its petitions for “our daily bread”
and the forgiveness of our sins. The Church has always
understood this as a most appropriate way to begin our immediate
preparation for Holy Communion.
This is
followed by the Rite of Peace, which includes a prayer for
peace, as well as the actual sign of peace exchanged by the
whole assembly. Here we recognize the presence and peace
of Christ in our brothers and sisters gathered in Christ’s name.
This is not a hierarchical gesture, that is, it is not passed
from the sanctuary down through the church. Rather, at the
invitation, all offer the sign of peace to those nearby, a
ritual gesture that while given to a few signifies a reality
that extends to the whole gathered community.
“The gesture
of breaking the bread of Christ at the Last Supper gave the
entire eucharistic action its name in apostolic times. It
is the sign that the many faithful are made one body (I Cor.
10:17) by receiving Communion from the one bread of life which
is Christ, who died and rose for the salvation of the world.” (GIRM
’02, #83)
The gesture
of breaking the consecrated bread and pouring out the Precious
Blood invites us to encounter in ritual form the Christ who was
broken and poured out for us, and to recognize that pattern both
in our own life and the lives of those around us.
Here the
Norms give a new directive that only the “ordinary”
ministers of Communion, that is bishops, priests and deacons,
are to perform the action of breaking and pouring. The
predecessor to the Norms, a document issued a few years
ago, This Holy and Living Sacrifice specifically
encouraged involving a few of the extraordinary ministers of
Communion to help with this rite as needed. Why the
change? Perhaps restricting this action will allow it to
stand out more clearly in its ritual and symbolic value.
Perhaps we had become a little too “utilitarian” in performing
this ritual action too quickly. It may take more time in
some parishes now, but the reverent and careful attention to
this gesture will give us the opportunity to reflect on the
mystery of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection as we
prepare to process forward to receive the Body and Blood of
Christ.
This gesture
is accompanied by the singing of the Lamb of God, which should
be extended as needed to cover the entire action of breaking and
pouring.
Both the
General Instruction and Norms remind us that
Communion is to be administered from the Body and Blood of
Christ consecrated at the Mass that is being celebrated.
The reception of Communion is a way that we say, “yes” to a life
lived in imitation of the Christ we encounter in the entire
Eucharistic celebration. Similarly, both documents
encourage the reception of Communion under both kinds.
“It is most
desirable that the faithful, just as the priest himself is bound
to do, receive the Lord’s Body from hosts consecrated at the
same Mass and that… they participate in the chalice, so that
even by means of the signs Communion will stand out more clearly
as a participation in the sacrifice actually being celebrated.
( GIRM ’02, # 85)
The Communion
Procession is a ritual gesture that is symbolic of the
pilgrimage of life. Our final goal is eternal life, a life
that is promised by Jesus to those who eat his flesh and drink
his blood. This procession is not merely utilitarian.
It is yet another way that we are drawn into the mystery of this
sacrament we celebrate. The singing of the Communion hymn
is another ritual element that unites us in voice and prayer as
we celebrate our communion with and in Christ.
In the
dioceses of the United States the proper posture for the
reception of Holy Communion is standing. As we move
forward in procession to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord,
the rite prescribes that a gesture of reverence be made.
This “gesture” is not a new requirement. Previous editions
of the General Instruction have called for it.
However, what is new is that the gesture is now specified.
It is a “simple bow.” The bishops felt that it was best
that a specified gesture be given. The purpose for
specifying this gesture is to ensure unity in the act of
communion. Individuals are not free to choose a gesture
they prefer or judge to be better. Take your time.
The gesture is meant to help us slow down and make this a
reverent moment.
The basic
sequence is this: approach the minister of Holy Communion;
bow as the
host or chalice is shown to you; respond, “amen” when the
minister of Holy Communion says “The Body of Christ.” or “The
Blood of Christ.”; communion is then received as the communicant
desires, either in the hand or on the tongue. Be careful
to bow to the sacred elements, and not to the back of the person
in line in front of you. The purpose here is that we take
our time and carefully and reverently receive Holy Communion.
In some parishes people will kneel after they return to their
place from receiving communion. In some parishes all will
remain standing until the whole community has received.
Either choice is acceptable, but the whole assembly should do
the same thing.
A period of
silence is to follow the communion of the faithful. This
is our most common experience. Another option is that all,
standing, may sing a congregational hymn of praise.
There is no mention or encouragement of a so-called “meditation
hymn” at this time in the Mass.
The Prayer
After Communion brings the Communion Rite to a conclusion.
In this prayer the priest prays in the name of all that our
reception of Holy Communion may have an effect on our lives.
The presider prays this prayer either at the Chair or at the
Altar. When prayed at the Altar, the priest would then
move to the chair for the Concluding Rite.
The Prayer
After Communion completed, there follows the simple and
straightforward Concluding Rite. This rite begins with a
place where any necessary announcements might be made if
necessary. The rite then moves to a blessing, either
simple or solemn, followed by the dismissal of the assembly by
the deacon, or in his absence the priest. There are no
changes or modifications during this Concluding Rite.
