Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Morning Mass
I've been awake since 0430hr this wet Wednesday Morning. My lack of shut eye was due firstly to the loud firing of rain drops against the old zinc roof, and secondly, the medicine I've been taking tends to cap my total sleeping hours at 5 hours.
Though it was raining, I decided to attend the 0615hr Mass at the Parish of the Holy Family. So with my Missal in one hand and my bright neon brolly in the other, I left for Church at 0600hr after saying the Morning Office or Lauds.
The Mass was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Ignatius Yeo, brother of Rev. Fr. Adrian Yeo of the Parish of the Risen Christ, Toa Payoh. This is the first time I assisted at a Mass celebrated by Fr. Ignatius Yeo.
Now, here's why I'm writing this post in the first place... Fr. Ignatius's celebrated the Mass so reverently and devoutly, that during the Final Doxology, ("through Him...... all glory and honour are yours......") I felt a Divine declaration, "Indeed this Mass has given Me ALL the glory and ALL the honour." Wow! I tried to keep my eyes transfixed on the Altar of Sacrifice as my hair stood and mind just began to pick up the essence of the message.
Perhaps it was of my own subconscious making but one thing is for sure, that Fr. Ignatius's celebrated the Mass with the highest reverence. The way he lifted his eyes to heaven, the way he changed his tone of voice according to the different parts of the Eucharistic Prayer, the way he bowed toward the host during the consecration, the manner in which he elevated the host and the chalice, et cetera...
Today, I can truly and proudly say that I've attended an authentic Novus Ordo Mass.
Let us pray that all priests will (re-)discover the sublime beauty of the Sacred Liturgy and make supreme effort to let glory's light radiate in the hearts of the faithful by celebrating Mass with reverence and in accordance with the guidelines stated in the Roman Missal.
Labels: Authentic Liturgical Renewal 2007, Liturgy, Novus Ordo, Personal, Thoughts
Monday, April 9, 2007
Watch, Compare, Decide
Above is a video presentation in honor of Holy Thursday when our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Priesthood and the Blessed Eucharist.
More wonderful videos like that above can be found at Sacred Heart Church. The site is full of great orthodox homilies and reverently celebrated Masses presented by eloquent, charismatic priests. The reverence displayed by the clergy of this parish is truly inspirational.
Now, compare the video above with this:
Before the above Sacrilegious, devil distributing Holy Communion video makes you cry out in disgust, I would like to turn your attention to a Good Friday of the Lord's Passion homily from Sacred Heart Church by Par. Vicar Fr. John Cihak. (Notice that Sacred Heart carries on the tradition of veiling statutes)
Now, how can we replace such a beautiful homilies- as we've heard in the above video- with this one below where we'll see a teenager give a SEVEN minute homily on love. Why don't we invite the congregation to take turns in celebrating the 'Happy Meal' (as it is now 'affectionately' known as) as well?
I shan't comment any further. Watch, compare, and decide where you stand: Reverent and orthodox liturgy or Happy MESSes.
May I now invite the faithful to recite the following in reparation:
Litany in Reparation to Our Lord in the Eucharist
For private use only.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, offered for the salvation of sinners,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, annihilated on the altar for us and by us,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, despised by lukewarm Christians,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, mark of contradiction,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, delivered over to Jews and heretics,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, insulted by blasphemers,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, Bread of angels, given to animals,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, flung into the mud and trampled underfoot,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, dishonored by unfaithful priests,
Have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, forgotten and abandoned in Thy churches,
Have mercy on us.
Be merciful unto us,
Pardon us, O Lord.
Be merciful unto us,
Hear us, O Lord.
For the outrageous contempt of this most wonderful Sacrament,
We offer Thee our reparation.
For Thine extreme humiliation in Thine admirable Sacrament,
We offer Thee our reparation.
For all unworthy Communions,
We offer Thee our reparation.
For the irreverences of wicked Christians,
We offer Thee our reparation.
For the profanation of Thy sanctuaries,
We offer Thee our reparation.
For the holy ciboriums dishonored and carried away by force,
We offer Thee our reparation.
For the continual blasphemies of impious men,
We offer Thee our reparation.
For the obduracy and treachery of heretics,
We offer Thee our reparation.
For the unworthy conversations carried on in Thy holy temples,
We offer Thee our reparation.
For the profaners of Thy churches which they have desecrated by their sacrileges,
We offer Thee our reparation.
That it may please Thee to increase in all Christians the reverence due to this adorable Mystery,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That it may please Thee to manifest the Sacrament of Thy Love to heretics,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That it may please Thee to grant us the grace to atone for their hatred by our burning love for Thee,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That it may please Thee that the insults of those who outrage
we beseech Thee, hear us.
Thee may rather be directed against ourselves,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That it may please Thee graciously to receive this our humble reparation,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That it may please Thee to make our adoration acceptable to Thee,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
Pure Host, hear our prayer.
Holy Host, hear our prayer.
Immaculate Host, hear our prayer.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
V\ See, O Lord, our affliction,
R\ And give glory to Thy Holy Name.
Let Us Pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who dost deign to remain with us in
Thy wonderful Sacrament to the end of the world, in order to
give to Thy Father, by the memory of Thy Passion, eternal glory,
and to give to us the Bread of life everlasting: Grant
us the grace to mourn, with a heart full of sorrow, over the
injuries which Thou hast received in this adorable Mystery,
and over the many sacrileges which are committed by the impious,
by heretics and by bad Catholics.
Inflame us with an ardent zeal to repair all these insults to which,
in Thine infinite mercy, Thou hast preferred to expose Thyself
rather than deprive us of Thy Presence on our altars, Who with God
the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest one God,
world without end. R\ Amen.
Labels: Authentic Liturgical Renewal 2007, Miscellaneous, Rants/Musings/Thoughts, Video
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Food For Thought: Abuse of the Liturgy
Sadly, the Sacred Liturgy has been abused, and many faithful Catholics suffer from this. The confusion that these abuses spreads would cause much harm. In Sacred Liturgy, there is not much room, if I would say, no room for innovations and creativity the tamper with the Liturgy. As Benedict out Pope would put it, “Unspontaneity is of their essence. In these rites I discover that something is approaching me here that I did not produce myself, that I am entering into something greater than myself, which ultimately derives from divine revelation. This is why the Christian East calls the liturgy the "Divine Liturgy", expressing thereby the liturgy's independence from human control.”
Somehow or another, many seem not to understand the part on the 'liturgy's independence from human control' A good friend once said to me, that everything is connected. For instance, faulty philosophy leads to faulty theology, faulty theology would also lead to faulty understanding in the liturgy. And if the liturgy is tampered with, it would spread much confusion among the faithful. It works both ways, faulty understanding of the liturgy, would lead also to a faulty understanding of theology. Liturgy is divine, not something to play around with.
Some like to use the term 'pastoral reason' to justify the 'changes' in the Liturgy. But one must note that these pastoral reasons must be SERIOUS! Therefore, it must not just be for one's convenience. An example of this is the use of extraordinary ministers of Communion. Many don't get the meaning 'extraordinary'. It means that they are out of the ordinary, and don't appear all the time. To cut short the Communion lines, we place Communion Ministers and deprive many from receiving from the priest who acts in the person of Christ (in persona Christi). We have replaced the symbolism of the priest with practicality. And it should not be so.
Those of the older generation who have experienced the Tridentine Rite, they would remember that the priest faces God, towards the east, Ad Orientem, the priest along with the congregation of the faithful faces Jesus, the Sun of Justice. Nowadays, we rarely see that. Even Vatican II documents did not intend the priest to face the people. The question to ask here is, are the prayers of the priest directed towards the people or God? If the priest is to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass to God, wouldn't the prayers in the Mass be directed to God? Yes, the prayers are directed towards God, and there is no reason whatsover to not pray Ad Orientem. If the priest faces the people, in our weak human nature, there is a strong tendency to act. But this problem is averted if the priest along with the people of God would face in one same direction. We have given in to horizontalism at the expense of verticalism. In that sense, by turning the priest around, we seem to give more concern to the people rather than to God. The conversation between God and man has been replaced by a conversation between men. One of the side effects of this one-sided conversation is religious entertainment, people tend to think that Mass is some sort of an entertainment, rather that the Sacrifice that happened on Calvary. And we know that religious entertainment, which only excites the people superficially, won't work out at all.
“Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment. Such attraction fades quickly - it cannot compete in the market of leisure pursuits, incorporating as it increasingly does various forms of religious titillation.” - Pope Benedict XVI
The bottom line is, if the Liturgy suffers, the People of God suffers! We as faithful Catholics should play our part in restoring the Liturgy, that the Liturgy may truly be Divine, not just some work of men.
"Who's going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops, and your religious act like religious." -Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Labels: Authentic Liturgical Renewal 2007, Litugical Abuse, Liturgy
Monday, January 29, 2007
Horizontalism … Does Damage to Catholic Faith and Worship
Cardinal Arinze Address to Institut Supérieur de Liturgie
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2007 ( Zenit.org).- Here is an address given by Cardinal Francis Arinze at a colloquium to celebrate the golden jubilee of the Institut Supérieur de Liturgie of the Institut Catholique de Paris. The prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments gave the address Oct. 26.
An extract:
5. The liturgical role of the priest
It is crucial that a higher liturgical institute delineate clearly the role of the priest in the sacred liturgy. The Second Vatican Council says that "the wished-for renewal of the whole Church depends in large measure on a ministry of priests which is vitalized by the spirit of Christ" ("Optatam Totius," No. 1).
The common priesthood of all the baptized and the ministerial priesthood of the ordained priest come from Christ himself. Confusion of roles in the hierarchical constitution of the Church does damage. It does not promote witness to Christ nor holiness for clergy and laity. Neither attempts at the clericalization of the laity, nor efforts toward the laicization of the clergy, will bring down divine graces. "In liturgical celebrations," says Vatican II, "whether as a minister or as one of the faithful, each person should perform his role by doing solely and totally what the nature of things and liturgical norms require of him" ("Sacrosanctum Concilium," No. 28). It is false humility and an inadmissible idea of democracy or fraternity, for the priest to try to share his strictly priestly liturgical roles with the lay faithful.
It is not therefore superfluous to state that a higher liturgical institute, just as any theological faculty, should help people to see that the priesthood is an integral and constitutive part of the structure of the Church and that therefore we absolutely need ordained priests to celebrate Holy Mass, to absolve people from their sins in the sacrament of penance and to anoint the sick (cf. James 5:14-15).
Moreover, if fuller spiritual benefits are to come to people at weddings and funerals, then we need priests to celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice, preach spiritually enriching homilies to the people, some of whom would otherwise rarely come to Mass, give them blessing and be a sign that the Church is near them at such a milestone in their lives. No doubt, it is necessary that the priest does not merely perform liturgical functions, but that his ministerial activities come from the heart and that his pastoral presence be a spiritual nourishment for the people.
If the role of the priest is weakened or is not appreciated, a local Catholic community may be dangerously lapsing into the idea of a priestless community. This is not in line with the genuine concept of the Church instituted by Christ.
If a diocese does not have enough priests, initiatives should be taken to seek them from elsewhere now, to encourage local vocations and to keep fresh in the people a genuine "hunger" for a priest (cf. John Paul II, "Ecclesia de Eucharistia," No. 32). Non-ordained members of the faithful who are assigned some roles in the absence of a priest have to make a special effort to keep up this "hunger." And they should resist the temptation of trying to get the people accustomed to them as substitutes for priests (cf. op. cit., No. 33). There is no place in the Catholic Church for the creation of a sort of parallel "lay clergy" (cf. "Redemptionis Sacramentum," Nos. 149-153,165).
Priests on their part should show themselves transparently happy in their vocation with a clear identity of their liturgical role. If they celebrate the sacred mysteries with faith and devotion and according to the approved books, they will unconsciously be preaching priestly vocations. On the other hand, young people will not desire to join a band of clerics who seem uncertain of their mission, who criticize and disobey their Church and who celebrate their own "liturgies" according to their personal choices and theories.
A higher liturgical institute and a theological faculty are precious instruments in the hands of the Church for the sharing of the correct theology on the priest as Christ's instrument in the sacred liturgy.
Labels: Authentic Liturgical Renewal 2007, News, Priesthood, Vatican
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Where wearing one's Habit isn't a habit
"I believe that even outside the Liturgy, Priests and Religious should not be ashamed to show who they are....... When we threw out the habit, (which was a sign of throwing out the Divine Vocation, I think) we threw out many vocations...... how attractive is it to dress as someone ordinary? The habit is an outward sign to show that this person has dedicated their life to Christ. It is a beautiful witness to all of those people that see it...... It is an honor to have one's life dedicated to Christ." Quote adapted from PBXVI.
Other articles on habits:
Labels: Authentic Liturgical Renewal 2007, Links, Priesthood, Religious
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Nine Liturgial Mandates of Vatican II
The Second Vatican Councils document, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, brough about nine liturgical madates. Paragraph 50 says the rites are to be simplified and those things that have been duplicated with the passage of time or added with little advantage, are to be discareded. And, after the council, this reform did take place in many ways. I think it took place much greater degree than the council intended, but there are certain simplifications in the Mass that the Council clearly inteneded.
Paragraph 51: The treasures of the Bible are to be opened more fully. That has been accomplished by a greater number of readings from the Bible intersperses throughout the liturical cycle, both Sundays and weekdays. Now, especially if you attend daily Mass, you have much richer fare, if you will- a much expanded selection of Biblical readings.
Paragraph 52 says: "The homily is to be highly esteemed as part of the Liturgy itself." The council called for a greater effort to have good homolies and I think that effor has been made. Wether the homolies are good or no, you can judge for yourself. Paragraph 53 says the Common Prayer, or Prayer of the Faithful should be restored, and thats been done too.
Paragraph 54 is a key paragraph: "In Masses which are celebrated with the people, a suitable place may be alloted to their mother tounge." What did the council have in mind? Let's continue. "This is to apply in the first place, to the readings and to the Common Prayer. But also as conditions may warrant, to those parts which pertain to the people." Yet it goes on to say, "Neverthless, steps should be taken to ensure that the people may say or sing togehter in Latin, those parts of the Ordinary Mass (that is, the unchanging parts, that are there everyday) which pertain to them."
So, the council did not abolish Latin in the liturgy. The council permitted the vernacular to certain limited ways, but clearly understood that the fixed parts of the Mass would remain in Latin. Again, I am just telling you what the counicl said.
Paragraph 55 discusses receiving Communion, if possible, from hosts consecrated at the Mass in which you participate. That is often done or attempted in many parishes today, but it is difficult to do in a precise way. It's hard to calculate the exact number of hosts you will need. Also, you have to keep some hosts in the Tabernacle for the sick and for adoration. The Council also permits Communion under both species here, but under very limited circumstances. For example, "to the newly ordained in the Mass of the Sacred Ordination, or the newly professed in the Mass of Profession, and the newly baptized in the Mass which follows baptism." The Council itself did not call for offering both species to all the faithful all the time, but it did grant limited permission for it.
Paragraph 56 says that there are two parts of the Liturgy, the Word and the Eucharist, and that a pastor should insistently teach the faithful to take part in the entire Mass, especially on Sundays and Feasts of Obligation. That is, to consider the first part of the Mass, the Table of the Word, as a significant and essential part of the Mass, so you don't think you have gone to Mass just by coming after the Offertory and being there for the Consecration and Communion.
Paragraph 57 states that concelebration should be permitted; paragraph 58, that a new rite for concelebration is to be drawn up.
That is the sum total of the nine mandates of the Council for change in the ritual itself, although there are a few other pertinent paragraphs to mention here.
In paragraph 112, in which the Council speaks specifically of music, we read: "The musical tradition of the Universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art." That is a stupendous and shocking statement; the Council actually says that the Church's music is a treasure of art greater than any other treasure of art she has. Think about that. Think about Chartres Cathedral. Think about the Pieta. Think about Da Vinci's Last Supper. Think of all the crucifixes from Catalonia in Spain, and all the Church architecture and art and paintings and sculpture. The Council boldly says that the Church's musical tradition is a treasure of inestimable value greater than any other art.
But the Council would be remiss in making such a shocking statement without giving a reason for it: "The main reason for this preeminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy." What that means is this: it's wonderful to have a beautiful church, stained glass windows, statues, a noble crucifix, prayerful architecture that lift your heart up to God. But those are all surroundings of the Mass. It's the "worship environment," as they would say today. But it's not the Mass itself. The Council says that when the Mass itself is set to music, that's what ennobles music, which, itself, enhances the Mass; and that's what makes the musical tradition the most precious tradition of the Church.
Notice, however, that the Council implies what many Church documents have said explicitly - that the most perfect form of music at Mass is not the hymns, the so-called "Gathering hymn" and its antithesis - I guess you would call it the "Scattering hymn" - at the end. The most appropriate use of music at Mass, as seen by Church tradition and reaffirmed by the Council, is singing the Mass itself: the Kyrie, the Agnus Dei, the Sanctus, the Acclamations, the Alleluias and so on. Again, this isn't Father Fessio's pet theory; this is what the Council actually says. Paragraph 112 adds, "Sacred music is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is the more closely connected with the liturgical action itself." This reinforces my point.
Paragraph 114 adds: "The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care." Then in paragraph 116 we find another shocker: "The Church acknowledges Gregorian Chant as specially suited to the Roman Liturgy. Therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services." That's what the Council actually said. If you are in a parish which prides itself on living the spirit of Vatican II, then you should be singing Gregorian chant at your parish. And if you're not singing the Gregorian Chant, you're not following the specific mandate of the Second Vatican Council.
Labels: Authentic Liturgical Renewal 2007, Liturgy
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Liturgical Abuse.... What's the Point?
Have you ever gotten frustrated about liturgical abuse and thought: What's the point? Why can't so-and-so or such-and-such just be done right?
Well, believe it or not, those who do liturgical abuses usually do have reasons (though not necessarily good reasons). By the way, much of what I will be posting about liturgical stuff will be coming from Jimmy Akin's book "Mass Confusion". I suggest that you purchase this book if you are interested in promoting the Sacredness of the Liturgy.
Anyway, so what reason is there for liturgical abuse? It mostly boils down to the priest (or whoever) not knowing the reasons for doing things the right way. The Church for example does not ask us to pour the wine before it is consecrated into the chalices for no reason. One reason would be to protect the dignity of the Precious Blood to prevent it from spilling and being irreverenced. But for everything in the Liturgy there is a reason it is done- from the beginning of Mass until the end. So, many times a priest who is not informed on why something is supposed to be done a certain way will change it to his way that he understands.
A common example may be that the priest during consecration will break the host during the words: "before he was given up to death, a death he freely accepted, he took bread and gave you thanks. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:" However, the priest is not supposed to break the host until the Agnus Dei (The Lamb of God).
There is a theological reason for this though, and the Church has not said this for the sake of making more rules. When we study the mass, we can start to understand why things are done. When addressing a liturgical problem at your parish, remember to include why it is wrong. The Catechism talks about the Holy Mass starting at #1348. When trying to stop a liturgical abuse, try to find out what the reason is on their side first, and then show why the Church has said to do it the right way. I have not yet found a situation in which the liturgical abuse had the better reason.
Labels: Authentic Liturgical Renewal 2007, Liturgy
What is Sacred Liturgy?
As we all probably know by now, this (2007) is the Year of Authentic Liturgical Renewal in the Roman Liturgy. This means that we want to implement orthodoxy, tradition, and obedience into the way the Sacred Liturgy is celebrated here in the Diocese of the United States of America, and in the universal Church.
Moneybags, posted a good comment in which I would like to post here: "Again I must say that this is a great idea. Let's make sure this isn't just words. Let's make sure we turn our words into action. I'm not sure where to start or what to do, but I'm sure that all of the participating blogs could work together to think of ways in which we can help liturgical renewal."
Each of us live in different parents of the country and the world. Some of us are young, others older. While some attend the Tridentine Mass, others the Novus Ordo Mass. Either way we are bond together by our common Baptism, and become a family, the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. As members of the Church, we most do our part to ensure that the Sacred Liturgies of the Church be safeguarded and protected. And that is why we have come together this year. Now, since each parish has different problems, it is hard to find a place to start. But, lets begin with just the very basic which is understanding the Sacred Liturgy. If we do not understand Liturgy, how can we expect to live it with reverence? We can't.
"The word 'liturgy' originally meant 'public work' or a 'service in the name of the people.' In Christian tradition it means the participation of the people of God in the work of God. Through the Liturgy, Christ, our redeemer and high priest, continues the work of redemption in, with and through his Church. As the work of Christ liturgy is also an action of his Church. It makes the Church present and manifests her as the visible sign of the communion in Christ between God and men. It engages the faithful in the new life of the community and involves the conscious, active, and fruitful participation of everyone."
So, the liturgy is the act of the Church as a whole worshiping, adoring, and praising our Lord and Maker. Different types of liturgy exist, such as the Sacrifice of the Mass, the Divine Office, the Way of the Cross, Celebration of the Word, or even praying the rosary in community, or Eucharistic Adoration, along with Benediction. Several others exist, but these are the most common. Each act is a action done in the company of all the angels and saints. That means it should be carried out with reverence, solemnity; basically a different mood that that of a fiesta the First Assembly of God is celebrating next door.
In the Sacrifice of the Mass, which Pope John Paul the Great explains as "heaven on earth," Christ dies on the Cross and rises to new life. This is not a new life, but the same sacrifice offered 2,000 years ago. Remember, with God there is no time, everything is the eternal now! So, if this is the Sacrifice of Calvary being offered to the Most Merciful Father, it should be celebrated with dignity, nobility, and once again solemnity. Why do we have jazz music playing? Holding hands during the Our Father? Why does the Kiss of Peace seem like a social rather than a symbol of the peace and unity we have with one another? Because people are not taught what the Eucharistic Sacrifice is. Yes it is a celebration, I understand, but it is Calvary too!!! It is crazy that I can go to a protestant Church and see a sign on the chapel door reading, "Please reserve silence in the chapel" but in a Catholic Church it is like a gossip space rather than a "worship space" to use modern terminology.
So first, we must teach our brethren the meaning behind the Sacred Liturgy, then explain to them with charity the liturgical norms put out by the Apostolic See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. We cannot invent things in the Liturgy, but only keep those which have been approved. That is shown in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy which states, "Therefore, no person, not even if he is a priest, may on his own, add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy." Be vigilant, fight the good fight, and don't give up!!!
Labels: Authentic Liturgical Renewal 2007, Liturgy
Sign of Peace
(via Mysterium Fidei)
Did you know that the Sign of Peace is not mandatory. In fact the rubric reads, "The deacon (or priest) may add" Let us offer each other the Sign of Christ's peace. The "may" implies it not to be mandatory but optional. Possibly suitable for more solemn celebrations if done properly. This is why Pope Benedict XVI refrains from doing this in Papal Masses, because it is not essential!
So where should the Sign of Peace be? Do you think that the Sign of Peace should be moved to the Penitential Rite? I think the concept is great, "make peace with your brother, then offer a Sacrifice to God." But, maybe while we are confessing our sins would be a better time. The interruption during the Liturgy of the Eucharist and Communion Rite would no longer exist. I have heard rumors from Australia's Cardinal Pell that this is being considered. "Pax Tecum. Et cum spiritu tuo."
Comments: In fact, the General Instructions of the Roman Missal state that is should be done in a somber manner. Pope Benedict once said, "The Sign of Peace should be done only with those closest to you, and in a solemn mannner. This idea of the sign of peace being a party is one of the biggest problems in the Liturgy. It is a sign of reconciliation with eachother, and I suggest it only be done with the person on each side of one." (Aug 15, 1987, Vatican City.)
Did you know that the Sign of Peace is not mandatory. In fact the rubric reads, "The deacon (or priest) may add" Let us offer each other the Sign of Christ's peace. The "may" implies it not to be mandatory but optional. Possibly suitable for more solemn celebrations if done properly. This is why Pope Benedict XVI refrains from doing this in Papal Masses, because it is not essential!
So where should the Sign of Peace be? Do you think that the Sign of Peace should be moved to the Penitential Rite? I think the concept is great, "make peace with your brother, then offer a Sacrifice to God." But, maybe while we are confessing our sins would be a better time. The interruption during the Liturgy of the Eucharist and Communion Rite would no longer exist. I have heard rumors from Australia's Cardinal Pell that this is being considered. "Pax Tecum. Et cum spiritu tuo."
Comments: In fact, the General Instructions of the Roman Missal state that is should be done in a somber manner. Pope Benedict once said, "The Sign of Peace should be done only with those closest to you, and in a solemn mannner. This idea of the sign of peace being a party is one of the biggest problems in the Liturgy. It is a sign of reconciliation with eachother, and I suggest it only be done with the person on each side of one." (Aug 15, 1987, Vatican City.)
Labels: Authentic Liturgical Renewal 2007, Liturgy
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