The Sacred Liturgy No. 4

Postures and Gestures
Our postures and gestures contribute to the beauty of the liturgy and help us to express a proper spiritual attitude. Common postures and gestures -according to the instruction of the rubrics - should be observed by all, as a sign of the unity of the Church.
We stand at times during the liturgy to express reverence for God, as during the Gospel. We sit when listening attentively to the Readings and the Homily. As a sign of supreme adoration, we kneel during the Eucharistic Prayer. We genuflect toward the Tabernacle, wherein Jesus abides, when entering the church or passing the sanctuary.
It is also important to remember: During the Confiteor ("I confess…") we strike our breasts at the words "I have sinned." During the Creed, we bow profoundly at the words: "He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man." We stand when the priest says "Pray, brothers and sisters…" We bow our heads before saying "Amen" when receiving Communion.
GIRM 42-44

The Solemnity of the Birth of Jesus Christ

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum!
Hodie Christus natus est; hodie salvator apparuit!
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis!

Merry Christmas!

The Sacred Liturgy No. 3

Singing is essential in the Liturgy…
Singing is a sign of the joy of the heart, the joy we experience when we gather in the presence of Christ to pray the Mass. From the earliest days of the Church, singing has been part of Christian worship. (Saint Paul instructed the Colossians to sing "songs, hymns and inspired songs.") Singing is of great importance and should be present in the Liturgy whenever possible. Among the various types of liturgical music, Gregorian chant holds "pride of place," because it is the music proper to the Roman Rite. The Church desires that all Catholics know at least some Latin chants. All liturgical music needs to be carefully planned so that it is in the spirit of sacred worship and encourages participation by the faithful.
Active participation in liturgical singing – chants, vernacular hymns, and responsories – is an expression of our faith and devotion. Recall the ancient proverb: "he who sings well prays twice!"
GIRM 39-41

Homily 17 December 2006 Gaudete Sunday

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
Youngstown, OH

As the weeks of Advent drift by
we come ever nearer to the celebration of Christmas.
Our Lord is ever nearer to us.
On this Gaudete Sunday…a word in Latin that means "Rejoice!"…
the Liturgy calls us to rejoice in a special way
because the birth of Christ is almost upon us.
The Introit Antiphon of today’s Mass echoes the words of Paul
from today’s Second Reading from the Letter to the Philippians…
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near."
In my family, today is the traditional day when we put up our Christmas Tree.
This is one of the ways in which we gradually anticipate Christmas…
and celebrate today as a special day of rejoicing.
The Rose-colored vestments and candle on the Advent Wreath
Remind us of the great joy we feel today as a Church…
waiting for the birth of the Lord.
We wait with bitter longing as the Israelites did in ancient times,
as they longed for a savior.
We wait with Mary, as she joyfully expects the birth of her son.
[PAUSE]
As a Church, we have great cause to rejoice…
today and every day!
For as the disciples of Jesus Christ we possess a great treasure.
By the grace of God and the ministry of the Church
we have access to the power of God’s grace…love…and mercy
through the sacraments
We are the heirs of the authentic interpretation of the Holy Scriptures…
and to the living revelation of God through the Tradition of the Church.
To us Jesus has promised that the Holy Spirit will remain with the Church…
to guide us into the truth.
With us always is the living presence of Jesus Christ…
in the Tabernacle…
and in every Mass we celebrate.
To us is given the great and sacred Patrimony of the Church…
her beloved rituals…traditions…teachings…customs…
passed down through the centuries…
and her caring presence in the world.
Yes, my dear friends, we possess an awesome treasure…
gifts of grace and love beyond compare…
freely offered in love beyond measure…
Yes, it is good to be Catholic!
Rejoice in the Lord, my friends, I say again, rejoice!
[PAUSE]
The Holy Scriptures today tell us…
"The Lord is in your midst."
This is the cause of our rejoicing…
That in the Eucharist…the Sacraments…and in the whole life of the Church…
the Lord Jesus is indeed near to us…in our midst.
For the life of our Church is not simply old laws and empty rituals.
The life of the Church is at every moment an intimate journey with Christ.
Every sacrament, liturgical celebration, charitable outreach, social gathering…
every moment spent in prayer and learning about the Faith…
is a moment to grow deeper and deeper in our relationship with Jesus,
who is for humanity the only real source of life and love and happiness.
[PAUSE]
The Lord Jesus…who came among men as a baby boy…
and who longs to come into our hearts and souls in the Eucharist…
does not come only for us.
He calls us to share the great treasure we have as Catholic Christians.
We can ask ourselves…how have those around us benefited or been changed…
because of the ways we have shared Christ with them?
What is different about our lives because of the Lord’s nearness to us?
In today’s Gospel…
The crowds ask John the Baptist "What should we do?"
They are looking for direction and they turn to the prophet of God for answers.
He tells them to live justly and to treat others with dignity.
He tells them to share with those in need…
their extra cloaks and food.
In our world today…
there is not only a need for food and clothing among the poor…
but a tremendous need among all people
for the for the love and the truth of Christ.
For that message of love and truth to find its way into the hearts of all men…
demands that someone share it with those who long for it.
That someone is you.
We are each called to share with those in need,
in our broken, fallen, mixed-up, and violent world
the message that God’s love will triumph…
and the truth that His law is the path to true happiness.
In this holiday season we are saturated by the glitz and glamour of retailers.
This year I have heard at least a half-dozen radio commercials…
all with their own twist…
explaining to presumably incompetent men
how to buy jewelry for the ladies in their lives.
One is a woman telling her husband…
who she hopes is listening…
where to shop in order to be guaranteed of making her happy!
The question is…
What is the real pearl?
What is the real treasure…that brings lasting happiness?
It is our faith.
It is the great privilege we have to have the Lord Jesus so near to us.
This is a gift that is meant to be lived and to be shared!
So, this Advent, prepare well for Christmas.
Rejoice today that the Lord is near to us!
And this Christmas, give the gift of faith.
Share with those in your life the treasure you have been given…
the love and truth of Jesus Christ.

The Sacred Liturgy No. 2

Christ is present in the Liturgy…
Jesus Christ is present and active in the Mass in four ways. He is present in the priest, who acts in persona Christi capitis, “in the person of Christ the head,” when offering the Sacrifice of the Mass. He is present in the liturgical assembly, when the members of the Body of Christ are gathered in His name for worship. He is present when His Word, the Sacred Scriptures, is proclaimed. Substantially and continuously, He is present in the Eucharist. The Body and Blood of Jesus become truly present when the priest recites the words of consecration and remain present under the signs of bread and wine.
Christ is the real “celebrant” of the Liturgy. When we gather for worship, we do so mindful that we are entering into a mystery greater than ourselves, a sacred event where Christ our God is made manifest to us.
GIRM 27

The Sacred Liturgy No. 1

The Sacred Liturgy: Did you know?
A series on liturgical catechesis.

Taken from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal
and the Instruction on the Eucharist Redemptionis Sacramentum (2003)
as well as other ecclesiastical and scholarly sources.

What is the meaning of the Mass…
According to the ancient tradition of the Church, the Mass is both a sacrifice and a feast. In the Mass, the sacrifice of Christ is re-presented on the Altar, as Christ again pours our His Body and Blood for our spiritual nourishment. It is also the gathering of the Church in the Lord’s Supper, wherein the community shares in the Body and Blood of Jesus. These two elements are inseparable. This is expressed in the prayer of the priest before Communion: “Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are they who are called to His supper.” When we approach to share in Christ’s Body and Blood, we partake of Him whose sacrifice took away our sins. We celebrate this sacrifice in every Mass, as the Church gathers for the Lord’s Supper.
GIRM 27-28

Homily First Sunday of Advent Year C 3 December 2006

The verses of the well-known Advent hymn
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
are based on the Great “O Antiphons” from the Liturgy of the Hours.
These Antiphons are sung at Evening Prayer
on the last seven days of Advent leading up to Christmas.

Veni, O Sapientia…
O Adonai…
O radix Jesse…
O clavis David…
O Oriens…
O Rex Gentium…
O Emmanuel.
Come, O Wisdom from on high…
O Lord of Might…
O Root of Jesse…
O Key of David…
O Rising Dawn…
O King of the Nations…
O God-with-us…

In this beautiful hymn…
we sing of the ways in which God has been present to His people Israel:
in the burning bush on Mount Sinai…
through the leadership of King David and the other kings…
we join the people of Israel in their deep desire and longing for a Savior:
as they cry out…
come, put the darkness to flight…
come, close the path to misery and give us victory over death…
come, make safe the path that leads on high!
and we celebrate Jesus,
who is the completion of all that was promised to Israel
by the prophets of old.

As we begin the holy Season of Advent…
and with this Sunday enter into a new church year…
this is our song…the song of the whole Church:
“Come, O Emmanuel, and ransom your captive people!”

[PAUSE]
In this time when the days grow shorter,
we wait in the darkness…
we wait as the Israelites did…
hoping and looking forward to the birth of Jesus,
the light of the world…
and the promised Messiah.

[PAUSE]
As today’s readings express…
Advent is also about anticipating the Second Coming of Christ,
when He will come in power and glory at the end of time.

Jesus calls us all to be vigilant…
to commit our lives to Him,
to turn away from the pleasures of the world,
to pray for the strength to escape tribulations that will come,
to be always ready…
because your redemption is at hand.

[PAUSE]
Jesus came as a baby boy some 2,006 years ago…
Jesus will come one day as the glorified savior and judge of the world…

We celebrate His coming in the past…and His coming in the future…

And as we gather for Holy Mass…
we celebrate His coming among us now in the Holy Eucharist!

Each time we receive Communion…
we experience the coming of Emmanuel…
which means “God-with-us.”
Jesus is with us as a Church in every celebration of the Mass…
and is with each of us personally in our reception of Holy Communion.

Mary awaited the birth of her son…
Israel awaited the coming of the promised Messiah…
We await the coming of Christ at the end of time…
In this Advent Season…we await the celebration of Christmas…

In every Mass… we long to receive our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist.

In that spirit of longing for Jesus…
we prepare our bodies…and our souls…and our lives…
for the coming of Jesus in the Eucharist!

[PAUSE]
Because our preparation for Communion is so important…
The bishops of the United States…at their meeting two weeks ago…
released a document on preparing to receive Christ worthily in the Eucharist.
The title of the document is taken from the prayer of the priest
immediately before Communion,
which is a poetic translation of a passage from the Book of Revelation:
“Happy are those who are called to His supper.”
Excellent document available online…link on diocesan website…www.doy.org

[PAUSE]
The bishops remind us that none of us is worthy of so great a gift as the Eucharist…
and yet Jesus comes to us in love to share with us His divine life.

In anticipation of such a great and holy gift…
we ought to make ourselves ready and worthy to receive Him.

What happens so often in our churches
is that everyone who is present for Mass
simply approaches the Altar to receive Communion.
Not enough thought is given to one’s worthiness to enter into Communion with Jesus.

[PAUSE]
Our Communion at Mass…
is a real experience of union with the person of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes our lives are not in union with Jesus Christ…
and so, receiving the Eucharist is no longer a true act of union.

Thus, it is necessary to examine ourselves…
and to prepare ourselves well for Mass…
so that we may experience our Eucharistic Communion
in its fullness…
as a truly rich and complete experience of union with Jesus.

The bishops tell us that we prepare for Communion by the way we live our lives…
by faithfully and lovingly fulfilling the duties of our own unique vocation…
whether that be as a cleric, as husband and wife, as mother or father…
by spending time often and regularly in prayer and reading Sacred Scripture
especially prayer before the Blessed Sacrament…
and by regular participation in the Sacrament of Penance.

We also prepare for Communion by our celebration of the Liturgy.
We hunger for the Lord…
by keeping the Eucharistic Fast for at least one our before Communion.
We prepare spiritually…
by coming early and prayerfully recollecting ourselves before Mass…
by participating fully in all the songs and prayers of the Mass.
We show our reverence for God and the Liturgy…
and our respect for one another…
by dressing appropriately and modestly for Mass.

In all these ways, we prepare ourselves for the greatest gift God will ever give to us!

[PAUSE]
Last week, I was home for Thanksgiving,
and I was the deacon at Mass with the pastor if my home parish.
He mentioned in his homily that on Black Friday
there were people up at 5 AM waiting in line at the department stores…
but no one was waiting at 5 AM to get into church!

Our Church’s celebration of Advent stands in stark contrast
to the commercialism and hype of a Christmas… or “Holiday”…Season
that now begins in September.

As the retailers are fighting over your money…
and shoppers are fighting over video games…
the Church is saying:
“slow down, watch and wait with joyful expectation…
and really savor the beauty of Christmas.”

If we celebrate Advent well…
how much more special will be our Christmas!


If we live our lives always ready for Jesus’ second coming…
how much more joyful will it be when He appears!

If we prepare well for Communion…
how much more beautiful and truly special will be our union with Jesus!

Perhaps we can add one more verse to our favorite Advent hymn:
Veni, O Rex Eucharistiae!
Come, O Eucharistic King! Come, and fill us with your love!

Catholic Christian Celebration of Advent and Christmas

A Truly Christian Christmas

Rev. Mr. Matthew J. Albright, M.A.

It seems that every year the holiday shopping season begins earlier. The retailers no longer even wait for Halloween to pass. Ghost and goblin costumes, Thanksgiving pilgrims, and Christmas Trees occupy the same aisles in stores. Decorations pop up in October and often disappear well before New Year’s. Many “continuous Christmas” radio stations begin in early November but then only keep the seasonal music playing through the evening of December 25th. The world is in a hurry to celebrate Christmas, and then to get it over with. In stark contrast stands the tradition of the Church, which looks forward to Christmas Day in a special way for several weeks, and then celebrates it with great joy for weeks thereafter.
Catholics begin the new church year with the Season of Advent (from the Latin adventus, which means “coming”), a time of joyful anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ that begins four Sundays before Christmas. While anxiously preparing to celebrate the coming of the newborn Savior, the Church also looks ahead to the end times when Christ will come again in glory. The spirit of this season offers the people of the Church a moment to reflect on their readiness to receive Jesus who comes to us in the Eucharist. This season has a somber tone, and a penitential spirit, as reflected in the purple vestments of the priest, which stand in contrast to the white and gold of Christmas.
Among the beautiful customs of the Advent Season is the Advent Wreath. This is originally a popular home devotion that has now found a place in every parish church. A wreath of green foliage is often decorated with red flowers, which anticipate the blood of the crucified Savior; and white flowers, symbolic of hope in the Resurrection. Inside the wreath are placed four candles: three purple and one rose. Rose is the color of the wreath’s candle, and the vestments, for the Third Sunday of Advent, for it symbolizes the theme of that Sunday: “Gaudete Sunday,” from the Latin meaning “Rejoice!” As the Church journeys toward Christmas, the candles are lit each week and the light increases, driving out the darkness.
The final seven days of the Advent Season, December 17th – 24th, are celebrated with particular devotion, including special music which joyfully anticipates the imminent coming of the Savior. The ancient Latin chants have been adapted into the popular Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!”
Christmas Eve is celebrated with great solemnity, as the Manger Scene or Creche is blessed in church. Often churches are decorated in stages throughout Advent, so that only on this holy night do worshippers see the full splendor of the Christmas Trees and poinsettias. The prayers of Christmas proclaim the glorious news of the angels in Sacred Scripture: “This day a Savior is born, who is Christ the Lord!”
In the Church’s tradition, Christmas does not end the night of December 25th. Instead, for eight days the Church celebrates with the same joyful spirit as Christmas Day itself. The “Christmas Octave” culminates on New Year’s Day, which in the Church calendar is a feast honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The Christmas Season lasts until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which celebrates Jesus’ Baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River.
The Church has a valuable lesson to teach all people: take time to really savor the Christmas Season, the sights and sounds, the music, the worship, the gathering of family and friends. Above all, give thanks for the tremendous gift of God’s love made present in Jesus Christ. Instead of hurrying up Christmas and then getting it over with, approach Christmas with anxious expectation and celebrate it with abundant joy for many days.

The Season of Advent

A Blessed and Holy Season of Advent to you all!

Please note that a special feature will soon begin here on the website. Periodic short columns on the Sacred Liturgy, based on the G.I.R.M. and Redemptionis Sacramentum will be appearing. These originally appeared as weekly coloumns in a parish bulletin. I hope you enjoy them. Please pass this web address on to anyone who may enjoy what is published here.

God bless you!

Deacon Matthew