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Girm
- 2. Introduction “As Christ the Lord was about to celebrate with the disciples the pascal supper in which he instituted the Sacrifice of his Body and Blood, he commanded that a large furnished room be prepared (Luke 22:12). Indeed, the Church has always judged that this command also applied to herself whenever she decided about things related to the disposition of people‟s minds, and of places, rites and texts for the Celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist.”
- 3. The Mass is a “Testimony of an Unaltered Faith” Testimony to the sacrificial nature of the Mass “At the Last Supper, Our Savior instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood, by which the Sacrifice of his Cross is perpetuated until he comes again; and til then he entrusts the memorial of his Death and Resurrection to his beloved spouse, the Church.” Through the Eucharistic Prayers, enacted by the Priest towards God in the name of the people, thanks is given and the “living and holy sacrifice” of Christ is offered so that we might be reconciled to God. The real presence of the Lord in this sacrifice is proclaimed in the Mass not only through the words of the consecration but also through the demonstration of “greatest reverence and adoration” in the Eucharistic liturgy. The celebration of the Eucharist is an action of the whole church. “..the royal Priesthood of the faithful, whose spiritual sacrifice is brought to completion through the ministry of the Bishop and the Priests, in union with the Sacrifice of Christ, the sole Mediator” Through “conscious, active, and fruitful participation in the mystery of the Eucharist,” the people, unified by the Eucharist, grow constantly in holiness.
- 4. The Mass is a “Testimony of an Unaltered Faith” Uninterrupted Tradition The Second Vatican Council set forth that the rites be restored to the “original norm of the holy Fathers” and as such the new Roman Missal brings to fulfillment the older one. “The „norm of the holy Fathers‟ requires not only the preservation of what our immediate forebears have handed on to us, but also an understanding and a more profound pondering of the Church‟s entire past ages and of all the ways in which her one faith has been expressed in forms human and social culture so greatly differing among themselves… Moreover, this broader view allows us to see how the Holy Spirit endows the People of God with a marvelous fidelity in preserving the unalterable deposit of faith, even though there is a very great variety of prayers and rites.” Accommodation to New Conditions “The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council reaffirmed the dogmatic pronouncements of the council of Trent,… and were able to bring forward proposals and measures regarding pastoral life that could not have been foreseen four centuries earlier.” The Second Vatican Council, considering the catechetical and pastoral character of the Sacred Liturgy, gave permission for the Mass to be given in the vernacular, “so that the people may more fully understand the mystery which is celebrated.” This issue had been examined at the Council of Trent, but due to the circumstances of the time, the Mass remained given in Latin only. The Second Vatican Council also called for prescriptions of the Council of Trent set forth, namely that the Homily be given on Sundays and feast days, and a fuller participation in the Holy Eucharist. “At each Mass the faithful present should communicate not only by spiritual desire but also by sacramental reception of the Eucharist.”
- 5. The Importance and Dignity of the Celebration of the Eucharist The celebration of Mass is the center of Christian life for the Church “both universal and local, as well as for each of the faithful individually.” In the Mass is found the redemptive action of God and the worship offered to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit. Also, all the other sacred actions and activities of Christian life “are bound up with it, flow from it and are ordered to it.” Therefore, “the entire celebration is arranged in such a way that it leads to a conscious, active and full participation of the faithful… fervent with faith, hope and charity… required by the very nature of the celebration and to which the Christian people have a right and duty in virtue of their Baptism.” “The celebration of the Eucharist is always endowed with its own efficacy and dignity, since it is the act of Christ and of the Church, in which the Priest fulfills his own principal function and always acts for the sake of the people‟s salvation.” The celebration of the Eucharist is carried out through visible signs through which faith is “nourished, strengthened and expressed” great care is taken that those forms and elements are chosen and arranged to more “effectively foster active and full participation and more aptly respond to the spiritual needs of the faithful.”
- 6. The Structure of the Mass , its Elements, and its Parts At Mass “the People of God is called together, with a Priest presiding and acting in the person of Christ, to celebrate the memorial of the ..Eucharistic Sacrifice.” In the celebration of Mass, Christ is “present in the very assembly gathered in his name, in the person of the minister, in his word, and indeed substantially and uninterruptedly under the Eucharistic species.” The Mass consists of two parts, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, so closely interconnected that they form one single act of worship. “For in the Mass is spread the table of God‟s Word and the Body of Christ, and from it the faithful are to be instructed and refreshed”
- 7. The Different Elements of the Mass Reading and Explaining the Word of God. God speaks to his people through the Sacred Scriptures. As such the readings are to be listened to reverently by everyone and are of great importance in the Liturgy. They are addressed to all people throughout all ages. The Homily brings fuller understanding through a living commentary on the word. The Prayers and Other Parts Pertaining to the Priest. The Priest presides in the person of Christ, in the name of the entire holy people and those present, offers the presidential prayers, namely the Collect, the Prayer over the Offerings, and the Prayer after Communion. Other Formulas Occurring during the Celebration. Due to the communitarian character of the Mass, the dialog between the Priest and the faithful are of great significance in that they are outwards signs if communal celebration, but also they foster and bring about communion between the Priest and the people. Other parts are assigned to the whole gathering and express and foster the active participation of the faithful. Namely the Penitential Act, the Profession of the Faith , the Universal Prayer, and the Lord‟s Prayer.
- 8. The Different Elements of the Mass The Importance of Singing “The Christian faithful who come together as one in expectation of the Lord‟s coming are instructed by the Apostle Paul to sing together Psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles (Col 3:16). Singing is the sign of the heart‟s joy (Acts 2:46). Thus St. Augustine says rightly, „Singing is for one who loves,‟ and there is also an ancient proverb: „Whoever sings well prays twice over.‟” Gestures and Bodily Posture “The gestures and bodily posture of both the Priest, the Deacon, and the ministers, and also of the people, must be conducive to making the entire celebration resplendent with beauty and noble simplicity, to making clear the true and full meaning of its different parts, and to fostering the participation of all.” Common bodily postures, observed by those participating “is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered together for the Sacred Liturgy, for it expresses the intentions and spiritual attitude of the participants and also fosters them.” Silence Sacred silence is to be observed at designated times. Depending on the moment where it occurs it can be a time for individuals to recollect themselves, or to praise and pray to God in their hearts. Before the celebration also, it is a praiseworthy practice “so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred celebration in a devout and fitting manner.”