REFLECTIONS
Insert 1 : Celebrating the Lord's Day
Fran Manion
Before the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, the Catholic Church celebrated the Mass in Latin and the congregation observed rather than participating actively in the celebration. After the Council, the Latin Mass was translated into the common languages of the various countries. The first English translation was completed in 1969. It tried to capture the "spirit" of the Latin texts rather than being an exact translation. In 2001, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the liturgical commission in Rome, called for a new translation which would provide a more literal or exact translation of the Latin Mass. A group of scholars, poets and theologians has spent the past 10 years creating these new translations and we will soon be using them.
Roughly every two weeks between now and then, you will see bulletin inserts about the Mass and some of the changes in language. Watch in the bulletin for the banner "Celebrating the Lord's Day: New Words, Same Mass". During the announcements, we will provide information for the parish related to the inserts. This week, check the bulletin for the insert titled "Celebrating the Lord's Day." It speaks about the importance of the Mass as the prayer that
- brings us together as a community of faith and
- renews each of us as members of Christ's body.
Please watch for continued bulletin information on the implementation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. We will start to use the new translations on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27th.
Insert 2 : Parts of the Mass
Dolly Tidalgo
Two weeks ago, we introduced a process of implementing the new English Mass translation in this parish. We started with the insert titled “Celebrating the Lord’s Day.” It spoke about the importance of the Mass as the prayer that brings us together as a community of faith and renews each of us as members of Christ's body.
When each member of this community, fully and actively participates in the Mass, we become as one body, faithful to Christ. An element of full and active participation is an understanding of the Mass. In the process of learning New Words, we also have an opportunity to gain a better understanding of that Same Mass. This week’s bulletin insert is titled “Parts of the Mass.” It details the purpose and meaning of each part to assist us in a more conscious participation. Please watch for the next bulletin insert in two weeks.
Insert 3 : Praying with Body, Mind, and Voice
Mike Sheehan
As we continue to introduce the New Roman Missal in “Celebrating the Lord’s Day”, we must remember that, although we may be using some “New Words”, it is still the “Same Mass.” In addition, to some new words, we will be reflecting upon the meanings of the “postures” and “gestures” that we will use while we celebrate Mass together.
The Church reminds us that “our unity of posture and gesture is an expression of participation in the one Body” formed by all of us who are baptized realizing that Christ is our center, the reason for all that we do. They say that “actions” speak more loudly, than just mere “words.” We enhance our participation in the Mass with our postures-standing, kneeling, and sitting-and our gestures such as the “sign of the cross.” These “actions” allow us to express what is in our “minds” as well as what is in our “hearts.”
Praying with Body, Mind and Voice “engages” us in prayer; “we pray with our whole person.” People have said to me that when you sing praising God, you pray twice. These actions combined with our new words invite us to us exemplify the Love we feel as we pray to God, our Father.
Please, read today’s bulletin insert and all of those that follow, so that we all may praise God as one people, one Body of Christ.
Insert 4 : Liturgical Participation
Fran Manion
We continue today to discuss aspects of the new translation of the Roman Missal. This week’s bulletin insert addresses the issue of participation in the liturgy, that is, the Mass. Of course, the priest is called to act as the direct representative of Christ in the celebration of the Mass. He is the ordained minister who celebrates the sacred mysteries and both shares and interprets God’s Word for the congregation.
In addition, there are several members of the parish who participate in a special way, as liturgical ministers of the Word and the Eucharist, musicians and singers, ushers and hospitality, and altar servers. All of these ministers contribute to our worship celebration and, in doing so, fulfill their baptismal commitment.
What about those of us who do not serve in these various liturgical ministries? We need to understand that, as Catholic Christians, we are responsible, as recommended by the Second Vatican Council, to practice “full, conscious and active participation” in the Mass. This means engaging in both the responses and the music of the Mass, joining in praise and thanksgiving in both song and spoken form. Please take time this week to review the insert “Liturgical Participation” and reflect on your role as an active member of our Cathedral Chapel Parish community.
Insert 5 : Liturgy and Life
Nancy G-Sheehan
This weekend, we introduce to you our new Sunday bulletin which features our Roman Missal topic called "Liturgy & Life."
It's not an insert, but part of the new tri-fold bulletin format.
The past inserts have given us insights on the importance of Mass as the prayer that brings us together as a community of faith;
the purpose and meaning of each part of the Mass that brings about conscious participation; how praying with mind, body and voice exemplifies the love we feel as we pray to God; and most recently, the importance of our participation, as members of this parish,
in the Liturgy, that is, the Mass.
But what does this all mean?
"Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi," is an ancient saying in the Church which means -- how we pray, is how we believe,
is how we live. The law of prayer leads to the law of faith, which has a connection to our Christian life and how we live our faith.
It is said that in many ways, the final sentence of the Mass is one of the most important sentences in the entire liturgy. It tells us the purpose of our having gathered, and what it is that God expects of us, who gather around His table. The concluding rites does not tell us that the Mass is ended so that we can rush out wanting to be the first out of the parking lot -- rather, we are dismissed as refreshed and renewed disciples of Christ; we are commissioned and sent forth to do good works eager to LIVE out what we have just celebrated, as we return to our everyday lives in the coming week.
It should always be our hope that we can make some contribution to making our community more like the Kingdom of God that Jesus lived and died for. We say "Thanks be to God!" as our final response, not rejoicing that the mass is over, but because we are invited to do good works and to live a life of prayer and a life of loving service.
Insert 6 : Scripture and the Mass
Enid Dodough
We continue our discussion of the changes in the language of the Mass with a look at the relationship between the prayers of the Mass and the Scriptures.
At each Mass, the two main sections of the celebration are the Liturgy of the Word, another name for Jesus, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The Liturgy of the Word is the Sacred Scripture, that is, the written Word of God.
The first reading is generally from the Hebrew or Jewish Scriptures. The Responsorial Psalm is from the book of Psalms, also part of the Hebrew Scriptures. The second Reading is generally from the Letters of St. Paul, although sometimes it is taken from the Letters of St. James and St. John.
The Gospel, on the other hand, changes according to 3 year cycle. This year, we are celebrating cycle "A", the Gospel of Matthew. The new cycle always begins on the first week-end of Advent so, on November 27, we will move into Cycle B where the Gospel of Mark is read. In Advent 2012, we will switch to Cycle C, the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Mark, probably the first Gospel written, focuses on Jesus as the powerful servant of God. The Gospel of Matthew, probably written after Mark, presents Jesus as the King of the Jews while the Gospel of Luke, the third one written, presents Jesus as the Savior of the people.
In addition to the obvious connection in the readings, Scripture plays a role in the prayers of the Mass. The new translation of the Roman Missal tries to make clearer the connections between the prayers of the Mass and the text of the Scripture. Please take time to read this week’s bulletin insert, “Scripture and the Mass”, which highlights several of these connections.
