The coat of arms of the DOY bears a golden dove,
taken from the shield of Pope Pius XII,
who created the diocese in 1943.
The dove is also symbolic of the patron of the Cathedral…
Saint Columba…
for "Columba" is the Latin word for "dove."
The image of the innocent…beautiful…little dove…
speaks to our hearts this holy morning…
and helps grasp the glorious mystery of the loving heart of Jesus.
Listen to the words of Saint Bonaventure…
a medieval philosopher and theologian,
a contemporary of Saint Thomas Aquinas…
"It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers
to open His sacred side with a lance…
so that the Church might be formed from the side of Christ
as He slept the sleep of death on the cross.
Flowing from the secret abyss of our Lord’s heart as from a fountain,
this stream gave the sacraments of the Church the power to confer grace…
Arise then, beloved of Christ!
Imitate the dove that nests in a hole in the cliff…keeping watch at the entrance like the sparrow that finds a home.
Press your lips to the fountain, draw water from the wells of your Savior…."
In the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ…our Savior and our Lord…
we find the source of life…
life for the Church, born from the side of Christ on the cross
life made present to us in the Sacraments
life for us who…
like doves nesting in the recesses of a cliff…
take refuge in Jesus’ Sacred Heart
and in its unending…flowing stream of love and mercy.
The water which burst forth from His Heart
is the source of the Sacrament of Baptism.
The Precious Blood which flowed down His broken body…nailed to the cross…
is the Precious Blood we receive in the Eucharist.
The mercy contained in that infinite Heart…
a heart overflowing with love for His beloved bride the Church…
is available to us in the Sacrament of Penance.
The heart of Jesus is the heart of one who knows us intimately…
who loves us beyond what we could ever hope to understand…
and who longs to be one with us forever.
How blessed we would be if we had hearts so loving as His!
The heart of Jesus is a heart that beats with love for us!
It is a heart that pities us in our sinfulness and our brokenness…
and skips a beat with us in our triumphs!
In the Sacred Heart of Jesus we find life…love…peace…joy…and mercy!
Run to His heart in your needs…in your moments of temptation…in your sorrows!
Run and hide yourself in His wounded side!
Run and take refuge in His care…
"make your nest" in the comfort of that Heart which knows no end to love!
Cleanse yourself in the fountain of His goodness and mercy
in the Sacrament of Penance.
Let His love and mercy flow over you and through you…
bringing you the peace that only comes from our glorious and immortal Lord.
Nourish your souls with His Precious Blood!
In the Sacred Heart of Jesus we find a fountain of life…
an indescribably beautiful and marvelous fountain of life…
a fountain of life that conquers all evil and sin…
a fountain of life that wells up within us…
and makes our hearts sing the praises of Christ Jesus…
and the awesome wonder of His loving Heart!
Jesus, meek and humble of heart…
Make our hearts like unto Thine!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Homily 13 June 2007 Feast of Saint Anthony
One beautiful spring evening in the mountains of Western PA…
a few of us seminarians were sitting on the porch of the seminary building…
having a nice chat with our rector.
He was describing to us a problem with bugs in the chapel.
It seemed that countless numbers of ants
were constantly crawling back and forth through the sanctuary.
In his uniquely witty style…
Father Kurt lamented that…worse than just having ants in church…
“They keep passing the Tabernacle without genuflecting!”
Recalling the ancient custom of the faithful of the Church
of “double genuflecting” when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed…
I wondered if bending all 6 legs is required of ants!
Silliness aside…
our beloved Saint Anthony
is famous for having commanded a member of the animal kingdom
to bend his knees in adoration of the Eucharist.
As the story goes…a Jewish merchant challenged Saint Anthony
to prove the reality of the Holy Eucharist…
which he considered to be a mere “fable.”
He devised a contest…
in which the merchant would starve a donkey for three days…
and Anthony would enter into fasting and prayer for three days in the forest.
At the end of the three days…
the merchant would place a bale of hay before the hungry donkey…
and Saint Anthony would expose the Blessed Sacrament.
After the three days had passed…
the merchant placed the bale of hay 20 feet from the hungry donkey…
and Saint Anthony went to the church
and brought out the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance.
As the hungry donkey naturally walked toward the food…
Saint Anthony called out to it:
“I command you to come here and adore your Creator!”
The donkey stopped on his path toward the hay…
turned as if being led by a bridle…
and walked toward Saint Anthony.
He bent his forelegs…
and bowed his head to the ground in adoration.
Needless to say…the sight of a hungry animal
stopping to adore the Eucharist before taking food
brought the Jewish man to beg forgiveness converted him to Christ.
The life of Saint Anthony…”The Miracle Worker”…
is filled with miraculous stories…
stories that show forth God’s grace at work in his life
for the salvation of the world.
Saint Anthony…
born in Lisbon, Portugal in the 12th Century
and first an Augustinian Canon…
later answered the call to become a Franciscan Friar
and served as a missionary preacher to France and throughout Italy.
Though his miracles are well known nine centuries later…
and though he was also a professor in the Franciscan Order…
as one spiritual writer describes…
“It was as an orator…that Anthony reaped his richest harvest.”
During a festive dinner
following the ordination of Dominican and Franciscan priests
the superior asked for a volunteer to give a brief sermon.
No one responded…
and so young Anthony was chosen.
He was expected to be an awful speaker…
since he had little formal education.
He stunned every one in the room
by speaking with eloquence and learning and beauty…
beyond anything the priests could have imagined.
His magnificent gifts were instantly recognized…
and he was sent to preach the Gospel in places far and near.
and so converted countless men and women to the Christian faith.
He spoke with power, and conviction,
and had a spirit about him that resonated in the hearts of all who heard him.
He strove every time he spoke to present “the grandeur of Christianity”…
that others might come to know the untold beauty of the Christian life.
In one of his sermons. Saint Anthony proclaimed:
“Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak!”
In a time when preachers of the Gospel message lived in luxury…
Saint Anthony insisted on a radical simplicity for clergy and missionaries.
He insisted that those who speak the words of Christ strive to live like Him…
that their actions speak as loudly as their words.
This is the message of Jesus to the chosen disciples in today’s Gospel…
Go forth and preach that “The Kingdom of God is at hand.”
As you go to preach…live simply…
take none of the trappings of this world which will weigh you down…
present yourselves as peaceful, gracious, and caring servants.
Saint Anthony’s life…itself a living image of Christ…speaks to our hearts today…
and challenges us to make of our lives living witnesses to the Gospel.
Our words and our actions are to be one with each other…
and in harmony with the truth.
How scandalous are our “Catholic” politicians!
“Personally I am opposed to abortion…
but in my public, political life…I support the so-called ‘right to choose.’”
Their words mean nothing because their actions promote evil.
How scandalous it is for us to stand here and profess faith with our words…
if in an hour from now our actions betray Christ.
As we celebrate the glorious…miraculous…and eloquent life of Saint Anthony…
we beg his powerful intercession…
that we may find the courage and strength to live as Christ call us…
to be people of integrity
whose words and actions proclaim the grandeur of the Christian life!
a few of us seminarians were sitting on the porch of the seminary building…
having a nice chat with our rector.
He was describing to us a problem with bugs in the chapel.
It seemed that countless numbers of ants
were constantly crawling back and forth through the sanctuary.
In his uniquely witty style…
Father Kurt lamented that…worse than just having ants in church…
“They keep passing the Tabernacle without genuflecting!”
Recalling the ancient custom of the faithful of the Church
of “double genuflecting” when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed…
I wondered if bending all 6 legs is required of ants!
Silliness aside…
our beloved Saint Anthony
is famous for having commanded a member of the animal kingdom
to bend his knees in adoration of the Eucharist.
As the story goes…a Jewish merchant challenged Saint Anthony
to prove the reality of the Holy Eucharist…
which he considered to be a mere “fable.”
He devised a contest…
in which the merchant would starve a donkey for three days…
and Anthony would enter into fasting and prayer for three days in the forest.
At the end of the three days…
the merchant would place a bale of hay before the hungry donkey…
and Saint Anthony would expose the Blessed Sacrament.
After the three days had passed…
the merchant placed the bale of hay 20 feet from the hungry donkey…
and Saint Anthony went to the church
and brought out the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance.
As the hungry donkey naturally walked toward the food…
Saint Anthony called out to it:
“I command you to come here and adore your Creator!”
The donkey stopped on his path toward the hay…
turned as if being led by a bridle…
and walked toward Saint Anthony.
He bent his forelegs…
and bowed his head to the ground in adoration.
Needless to say…the sight of a hungry animal
stopping to adore the Eucharist before taking food
brought the Jewish man to beg forgiveness converted him to Christ.
The life of Saint Anthony…”The Miracle Worker”…
is filled with miraculous stories…
stories that show forth God’s grace at work in his life
for the salvation of the world.
Saint Anthony…
born in Lisbon, Portugal in the 12th Century
and first an Augustinian Canon…
later answered the call to become a Franciscan Friar
and served as a missionary preacher to France and throughout Italy.
Though his miracles are well known nine centuries later…
and though he was also a professor in the Franciscan Order…
as one spiritual writer describes…
“It was as an orator…that Anthony reaped his richest harvest.”
During a festive dinner
following the ordination of Dominican and Franciscan priests
the superior asked for a volunteer to give a brief sermon.
No one responded…
and so young Anthony was chosen.
He was expected to be an awful speaker…
since he had little formal education.
He stunned every one in the room
by speaking with eloquence and learning and beauty…
beyond anything the priests could have imagined.
His magnificent gifts were instantly recognized…
and he was sent to preach the Gospel in places far and near.
and so converted countless men and women to the Christian faith.
He spoke with power, and conviction,
and had a spirit about him that resonated in the hearts of all who heard him.
He strove every time he spoke to present “the grandeur of Christianity”…
that others might come to know the untold beauty of the Christian life.
In one of his sermons. Saint Anthony proclaimed:
“Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak!”
In a time when preachers of the Gospel message lived in luxury…
Saint Anthony insisted on a radical simplicity for clergy and missionaries.
He insisted that those who speak the words of Christ strive to live like Him…
that their actions speak as loudly as their words.
This is the message of Jesus to the chosen disciples in today’s Gospel…
Go forth and preach that “The Kingdom of God is at hand.”
As you go to preach…live simply…
take none of the trappings of this world which will weigh you down…
present yourselves as peaceful, gracious, and caring servants.
Saint Anthony’s life…itself a living image of Christ…speaks to our hearts today…
and challenges us to make of our lives living witnesses to the Gospel.
Our words and our actions are to be one with each other…
and in harmony with the truth.
How scandalous are our “Catholic” politicians!
“Personally I am opposed to abortion…
but in my public, political life…I support the so-called ‘right to choose.’”
Their words mean nothing because their actions promote evil.
How scandalous it is for us to stand here and profess faith with our words…
if in an hour from now our actions betray Christ.
As we celebrate the glorious…miraculous…and eloquent life of Saint Anthony…
we beg his powerful intercession…
that we may find the courage and strength to live as Christ call us…
to be people of integrity
whose words and actions proclaim the grandeur of the Christian life!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Homily 12 June 2007 Sancta Clara Monastery
In today’s Gospel the Lord Jesus gives us two illustrations of the Christian life…
salt and light.
The Lord calls us to be salt for the earth.
Salt adds to food a lively taste.
So we are compelled as Christian people
to add zest to the world around us…
to bring some new life
to people who have not known the truth and beauty of the Gospel.
The Lord calls us to be a light for the world.
Light brings peace and comfort to dark places…
and allows us to see what is hidden in darkness.
So we are…by our Baptism…
entrusted with His light…
and called to shine that light in places of darkness and sin…
in order that peace and goodness may shine.
Each illustration presents an opportunity for Jesus to teach the Apostles…and us…
the sad reality of failing to live up to our vocations.
If salt looses its flavor…it is good for nothing.
If a light is hidden under a bushel basket…it is entirely useless.
The words us Jesus challenge us to be authentic disciples.
Each of our own vocations requires something particular of us…
and brings with it unique opportunities to be instruments of grace.
As Poor Clare Nuns…you place yourselves at the service of
the traditions of your Order and the traditions of the Church…
and you follow a uniquely graced life in the cloister.
As priests…we commit ourselves to ministry in the person of Christ…
the Head of His Body, the Church…
and to all the many challenges and graces that brings with it.
As lay persons, you have a vocation to bring the light of the Gospel
into places where nuns and priests cannot go.
Your place is not the cloister or the sanctuary…
but the school, the office, the factory, the grocery store…
wherever someone is in need of the presence of Christ.
Each of our vocations brings with it untold opportunities to be salt and light…
to season those around us with the truth…
and to enlighten their lives with Christ’s love.
After the example of Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians…
say "Yes" with Christ!
Be authentic disciples…living the unique call of your own vocations!
Don’t be unseasoned salt…or hidden lights!
Find lasting peace in this life…and heavenly rest in the life to come…
by entering more deeply into your own unique place in the Church…
and never fail to live completely what she asks of you!
salt and light.
The Lord calls us to be salt for the earth.
Salt adds to food a lively taste.
So we are compelled as Christian people
to add zest to the world around us…
to bring some new life
to people who have not known the truth and beauty of the Gospel.
The Lord calls us to be a light for the world.
Light brings peace and comfort to dark places…
and allows us to see what is hidden in darkness.
So we are…by our Baptism…
entrusted with His light…
and called to shine that light in places of darkness and sin…
in order that peace and goodness may shine.
Each illustration presents an opportunity for Jesus to teach the Apostles…and us…
the sad reality of failing to live up to our vocations.
If salt looses its flavor…it is good for nothing.
If a light is hidden under a bushel basket…it is entirely useless.
The words us Jesus challenge us to be authentic disciples.
Each of our own vocations requires something particular of us…
and brings with it unique opportunities to be instruments of grace.
As Poor Clare Nuns…you place yourselves at the service of
the traditions of your Order and the traditions of the Church…
and you follow a uniquely graced life in the cloister.
As priests…we commit ourselves to ministry in the person of Christ…
the Head of His Body, the Church…
and to all the many challenges and graces that brings with it.
As lay persons, you have a vocation to bring the light of the Gospel
into places where nuns and priests cannot go.
Your place is not the cloister or the sanctuary…
but the school, the office, the factory, the grocery store…
wherever someone is in need of the presence of Christ.
Each of our vocations brings with it untold opportunities to be salt and light…
to season those around us with the truth…
and to enlighten their lives with Christ’s love.
After the example of Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians…
say "Yes" with Christ!
Be authentic disciples…living the unique call of your own vocations!
Don’t be unseasoned salt…or hidden lights!
Find lasting peace in this life…and heavenly rest in the life to come…
by entering more deeply into your own unique place in the Church…
and never fail to live completely what she asks of you!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Homily Corpus Christi 10 June 2007
Every few years the bishops of the Church
gather in a special meeting called a "Synod."
The "Year of the Eucharist"…
called for by Pope John Paul the Great shortly before his death…
ended in October 2005 with a Synod of Bishops in Rome.
The theme of the Synod was:
"The Eucharist: the Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church."
It is also the case that, following each synod,
the Holy Father writes a document called an "Apostolic Exhortation,"
explaining the themes and outcomes of the meeting.
In the Spring of this year, the Pope Benedict’s Apostolic Exhortation
following the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist was published.
It is titled: Sacramentum caritatis. The Sacrament of Charity.
Available online…
Today…as we gather to celebrate Corpus Christi…
this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ…
it is a fitting time to reflect on the Eucharistic themes and lessons
our Holy Father shares with us in this document.
The Pope explains that he intends to set this document alongside his first Encyclical:
Deus caritas est. God is Love.
Pope Benedict has a fondness for a two-step approach to theological topics.
He explores first the theological foundations of the topic…
and then moves on to the practical considerations.
The first Encyclical moves from
a consideration of the theological meaning and nature of love
to a reflection on the practice of love…
how what we believe about love
and about God who is Love…
is lived out in the life of the Church.
The Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis
begins with the theology of the Eucharist…
and progresses toward liturgical expression and practice.
The two documents go hand-in-hand
in the Pope’s pastoral approach to the Church in our time.
In his first writing as Pope, Benedict set out to teach the Church
what love is…or rather…Who Love is…
and to teach us what love means to us as the Church.
Now we see him exploring the very heart of our faith and life as Catholics…
the Eucharist…
right alongside his understanding of the meaning and practice of love.
Pope Benedict’s words to us
flow through a three-fold expression of the mystery of the Eucharist:
The Eucharist is a mystery to be believed…
to be celebrated…
and to be lived.
It is the Revelation of the Son of God…God who is Love itself.
It is the celebration of the sacrificial love of Christ on the Cross.
It compels us to live and love with the passion and fervor of our Eucharistic Christ.
The Eucharist is first of all "A Mystery to be Believed."
It is…Mysterium fidei…a Mystery of Faith…
as the priest proclaims in the Eucharistic Prayer.
Not a mystery in the sense of something that confounds us.
A mystery in the sense of something before which we drop to our knees
in humble adoration.
The Mass is not just some thing among many which we Catholics do.
The Mass is the greatest event in which we poor mortal humans can share…
for in the Mass heaven is wedded to earth…
and we are given a foretaste of the glory which is to come.
The Real Presence of Jesus in the Tabernacle is not just one part of our religion…
alongside the customs of each other religious sect.
Such indifferentism must be avoided.
Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist…
in tabernacles in every corner of the globe…
is a reality for the whole world to rejoice in and to adore.
The Eucharist is the very source and summit of our life…
the very heart of who we are.
The Church’s faith is "Eucharistic."
All that we know and love as Catholics centers in Jesus’ abiding, loving presence.
All the other Sacraments are "bound up in" and "directed toward" the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is the fountain of the grace we depend on for living our Catholic life.
Secondly, the Eucharist is "A Mystery to be Celebrated."
"Lex credendi, lex orandi" exclaims the ancient phrase of the Church.
"The law of believing is the law of praying."
The Church’s beliefs are expressed in her prayer…
especially in her public, liturgical prayer.
The Liturgy of the Church is a celebration of what we believe.
The Mass is a celebration…in words, songs, and rituals…
of all that we believe about Jesus…
and of His real and abiding presence with us in the Eucharist.
The Pope reminds us that the our faith in the Eucharist and the liturgy of the Mass
are intimately united and "have their source in the same event:"
"Christ’s gift of Himself in the Paschal Mystery."
Thus the celebration of the Mass "should be…celebrated authentically."
It must be a true and authentic expression of the Church’s actual beliefs.
It must be celebrated properly, according to the Church’s norms and tradition.
Ultimately, the Mass is not about what we do.
It is about what God does in us and for us.
The liturgical action is the work of Christ, the real celebrant of the Liturgy.
We are called to place ourselves
at the service of the great gift of Christ in the Eucharist…
and at the service of the Church’s ancient tradition…
realities greater than us, which we dare not presume to control…
realities which we love, adore, and serve.
Third, the Eucharist is "A Mystery to be Lived."
The Eucharist should have a real and lasting impact in our daily lives.
Sunday is not just another day for us.
It is the Lord’s Day…the day of the Resurrection…
the Day of Pentecost: the birth of the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is the day of celebrating our Eucharistic faith.
A day of giving thanks for all the many blessings God has bestowed on us.
A day of resting in the Lord.
A day of enjoying the love and company of family and friends.
It is the day on which we must go to Mass… not because "the Church says so"…
but because God is so good to us…
and our hearts burn with a desire to praise Him…
to give thanks to Him…and to be more deeply united with Him.
The Mass we celebrate ends with the words "The Mass is ended, go in peace."
In the original Latin phrase, Ite, Missa est…
the words "Missa" comes from the Latin word for sending forth.
We are sent forth to live and proclaim what we have celebrated.
The Eucharist we receive transforms us…and becomes the "form of our life."
Because of the Eucharist, our lives are not the same as the rest of the world.
Because we receive Christ’s Body and Blood, and carry Him within us…
indulging in sin, greed, evil and worldly pleasure makes no sense for us.
Because Christ lives within us, we are compelled to be uniquely loving people.
We become one with Christ in this Holy Mass…
and so must strive to become one with Him in our lives…
by imitating His love, humility, and radical self-offering for the sake of others.
As the title of the Holy Father’s Exhortation proclaims…
The Eucharist is the "Sacrament of Charity…the Sacrament of Love."
The Church believes in and lovingly receives the Eucharist…
She lovingly celebrates this great mystery in the Mass
She lovingly proclaims Christ the Eucharistic Lord to the whole world.
May we always center our whole lives around this great Sacrament of love!
gather in a special meeting called a "Synod."
The "Year of the Eucharist"…
called for by Pope John Paul the Great shortly before his death…
ended in October 2005 with a Synod of Bishops in Rome.
The theme of the Synod was:
"The Eucharist: the Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church."
It is also the case that, following each synod,
the Holy Father writes a document called an "Apostolic Exhortation,"
explaining the themes and outcomes of the meeting.
In the Spring of this year, the Pope Benedict’s Apostolic Exhortation
following the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist was published.
It is titled: Sacramentum caritatis. The Sacrament of Charity.
Available online…
Today…as we gather to celebrate Corpus Christi…
this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ…
it is a fitting time to reflect on the Eucharistic themes and lessons
our Holy Father shares with us in this document.
The Pope explains that he intends to set this document alongside his first Encyclical:
Deus caritas est. God is Love.
Pope Benedict has a fondness for a two-step approach to theological topics.
He explores first the theological foundations of the topic…
and then moves on to the practical considerations.
The first Encyclical moves from
a consideration of the theological meaning and nature of love
to a reflection on the practice of love…
how what we believe about love
and about God who is Love…
is lived out in the life of the Church.
The Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis
begins with the theology of the Eucharist…
and progresses toward liturgical expression and practice.
The two documents go hand-in-hand
in the Pope’s pastoral approach to the Church in our time.
In his first writing as Pope, Benedict set out to teach the Church
what love is…or rather…Who Love is…
and to teach us what love means to us as the Church.
Now we see him exploring the very heart of our faith and life as Catholics…
the Eucharist…
right alongside his understanding of the meaning and practice of love.
Pope Benedict’s words to us
flow through a three-fold expression of the mystery of the Eucharist:
The Eucharist is a mystery to be believed…
to be celebrated…
and to be lived.
It is the Revelation of the Son of God…God who is Love itself.
It is the celebration of the sacrificial love of Christ on the Cross.
It compels us to live and love with the passion and fervor of our Eucharistic Christ.
The Eucharist is first of all "A Mystery to be Believed."
It is…Mysterium fidei…a Mystery of Faith…
as the priest proclaims in the Eucharistic Prayer.
Not a mystery in the sense of something that confounds us.
A mystery in the sense of something before which we drop to our knees
in humble adoration.
The Mass is not just some thing among many which we Catholics do.
The Mass is the greatest event in which we poor mortal humans can share…
for in the Mass heaven is wedded to earth…
and we are given a foretaste of the glory which is to come.
The Real Presence of Jesus in the Tabernacle is not just one part of our religion…
alongside the customs of each other religious sect.
Such indifferentism must be avoided.
Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist…
in tabernacles in every corner of the globe…
is a reality for the whole world to rejoice in and to adore.
The Eucharist is the very source and summit of our life…
the very heart of who we are.
The Church’s faith is "Eucharistic."
All that we know and love as Catholics centers in Jesus’ abiding, loving presence.
All the other Sacraments are "bound up in" and "directed toward" the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is the fountain of the grace we depend on for living our Catholic life.
Secondly, the Eucharist is "A Mystery to be Celebrated."
"Lex credendi, lex orandi" exclaims the ancient phrase of the Church.
"The law of believing is the law of praying."
The Church’s beliefs are expressed in her prayer…
especially in her public, liturgical prayer.
The Liturgy of the Church is a celebration of what we believe.
The Mass is a celebration…in words, songs, and rituals…
of all that we believe about Jesus…
and of His real and abiding presence with us in the Eucharist.
The Pope reminds us that the our faith in the Eucharist and the liturgy of the Mass
are intimately united and "have their source in the same event:"
"Christ’s gift of Himself in the Paschal Mystery."
Thus the celebration of the Mass "should be…celebrated authentically."
It must be a true and authentic expression of the Church’s actual beliefs.
It must be celebrated properly, according to the Church’s norms and tradition.
Ultimately, the Mass is not about what we do.
It is about what God does in us and for us.
The liturgical action is the work of Christ, the real celebrant of the Liturgy.
We are called to place ourselves
at the service of the great gift of Christ in the Eucharist…
and at the service of the Church’s ancient tradition…
realities greater than us, which we dare not presume to control…
realities which we love, adore, and serve.
Third, the Eucharist is "A Mystery to be Lived."
The Eucharist should have a real and lasting impact in our daily lives.
Sunday is not just another day for us.
It is the Lord’s Day…the day of the Resurrection…
the Day of Pentecost: the birth of the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is the day of celebrating our Eucharistic faith.
A day of giving thanks for all the many blessings God has bestowed on us.
A day of resting in the Lord.
A day of enjoying the love and company of family and friends.
It is the day on which we must go to Mass… not because "the Church says so"…
but because God is so good to us…
and our hearts burn with a desire to praise Him…
to give thanks to Him…and to be more deeply united with Him.
The Mass we celebrate ends with the words "The Mass is ended, go in peace."
In the original Latin phrase, Ite, Missa est…
the words "Missa" comes from the Latin word for sending forth.
We are sent forth to live and proclaim what we have celebrated.
The Eucharist we receive transforms us…and becomes the "form of our life."
Because of the Eucharist, our lives are not the same as the rest of the world.
Because we receive Christ’s Body and Blood, and carry Him within us…
indulging in sin, greed, evil and worldly pleasure makes no sense for us.
Because Christ lives within us, we are compelled to be uniquely loving people.
We become one with Christ in this Holy Mass…
and so must strive to become one with Him in our lives…
by imitating His love, humility, and radical self-offering for the sake of others.
As the title of the Holy Father’s Exhortation proclaims…
The Eucharist is the "Sacrament of Charity…the Sacrament of Love."
The Church believes in and lovingly receives the Eucharist…
She lovingly celebrates this great mystery in the Mass
She lovingly proclaims Christ the Eucharistic Lord to the whole world.
May we always center our whole lives around this great Sacrament of love!
Homily 5 June 2007 Saint Boniface
In the early days of June 1813, Captain James Lawrence, in command of the U.S.S. Chesapeake, engaged the British frigate H.M.S. Shannon just outside Boston Harbor.
After a short, bloody battle, the Chesapeake was seriously damaged and Captain Lawrence lay mortally wounded.
Reportedly, Lawrence died with his last command still on his lips:
"Tell the men to fire faster. Fight 'til she sinks, boys. Don't give up the ship."
The Americans lost the battle and were compelled to surrender the Chesapeake, but Lawrence's dying words lived on.
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who is frequently and incorrectly credited with being the source of the phrase, had Lawrence's words – "Don't give up the ship" - stitched onto a battle flag. Commodore Perry flew that flag in the Battle of Lake Erie later in the same year – 1813.
Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Boniface…"The Apostle to Germany."
Saint Boniface…born around the year 673…professed vows as a monk in England
Went to preach the Gospel in Germany.
Through his tireless efforts…
many were converted to the Christian faith…
several diocese were founded or restored…
and the Church in Germany sprouted and grew.
In a letter that is found in today’s Office of Matins…
Saint Boniface writes these words:
"In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course."
He continues later in the letter, reflecting on the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel:
Let us not be "silent onlookers nor paid servants who run away before the wolf.
Instead let us be careful shepherds…Let us preach the whole of God’s plan to men of every rank and age…in season and out of season."
In the hall outside the chapel of Saint Vincent Seminary…
there is a statue of Saint Boniface, the patron of Saint Vincent’s founder.
He is depicted holding a Bible.
Thrust through the Bible and into his heart is a sword.
Saint Boniface was killed in 754 while preaching the Gospel to the Germanic people.
He went to his death calling for conversion…for victory in Christ.
He went down with the words of Christ on his lips…his own "battle orders."
If…as Saint Boniface writes…
the Church is a great ship tossed in the waves in the ocean of the world…
then each of us is called in our own way stand fast…
to maintain course and never fail to preach the truth of Jesus Christ…
in and out of season…and always with love.
In short… "Don’t give up the ship."
After a short, bloody battle, the Chesapeake was seriously damaged and Captain Lawrence lay mortally wounded.
Reportedly, Lawrence died with his last command still on his lips:
"Tell the men to fire faster. Fight 'til she sinks, boys. Don't give up the ship."
The Americans lost the battle and were compelled to surrender the Chesapeake, but Lawrence's dying words lived on.
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who is frequently and incorrectly credited with being the source of the phrase, had Lawrence's words – "Don't give up the ship" - stitched onto a battle flag. Commodore Perry flew that flag in the Battle of Lake Erie later in the same year – 1813.
Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Boniface…"The Apostle to Germany."
Saint Boniface…born around the year 673…professed vows as a monk in England
Went to preach the Gospel in Germany.
Through his tireless efforts…
many were converted to the Christian faith…
several diocese were founded or restored…
and the Church in Germany sprouted and grew.
In a letter that is found in today’s Office of Matins…
Saint Boniface writes these words:
"In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course."
He continues later in the letter, reflecting on the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel:
Let us not be "silent onlookers nor paid servants who run away before the wolf.
Instead let us be careful shepherds…Let us preach the whole of God’s plan to men of every rank and age…in season and out of season."
In the hall outside the chapel of Saint Vincent Seminary…
there is a statue of Saint Boniface, the patron of Saint Vincent’s founder.
He is depicted holding a Bible.
Thrust through the Bible and into his heart is a sword.
Saint Boniface was killed in 754 while preaching the Gospel to the Germanic people.
He went to his death calling for conversion…for victory in Christ.
He went down with the words of Christ on his lips…his own "battle orders."
If…as Saint Boniface writes…
the Church is a great ship tossed in the waves in the ocean of the world…
then each of us is called in our own way stand fast…
to maintain course and never fail to preach the truth of Jesus Christ…
in and out of season…and always with love.
In short… "Don’t give up the ship."
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Sacred Liturgy Nos. 39-50
39. Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament is reserved for two reasons: in order to bring communion to the sick, and so that we may adore Jesus truly present in the Eucharist. The Blessed Sacrament is to be “reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, readily visible, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer.” There should be only one tabernacle in a church, and it “should be immovable, be made of solid and inviolable material that is not transparent (cannot be seen through), and be locked.” The tabernacle where the Eucharist is reserved is not to be on an Altar where Mass is celebrated. It may be located in the sanctuary or in a separate chapel but the chapel must be connected to the church and easily visible. The tabernacle must be constructed in such a way that it cannot be broken into, or the sacred species profaned.
A lamp is to be kept always burning when the Blessed Sacrament is in the tabernacle, as a sign of the living presence of Christ. The tabernacle veil is also a sign of the real presence of Christ in the tabernacle.
No one may take the Blessed Sacrament to his or her home or keep It on one’s person. If one is taking communion to the sick, one should go directly there from the church and not carry the Blessed Sacrament elsewhere.
GIRM 314-317, RS 139-133
40. Eucharistic Worship Outside Mass
The worship of the Eucharist outside Mass is of inestimable value in the life of the Church, and is closely linked to the celebration of the Eucharist itself. Therefore, both public and private devotion to the Eucharist ought to be vigorously promoted and supported by Pastors.
Adoration before Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament should be promoted for it is essential to the life of Catholics. The faithful are encouraged to make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament, where Christ is truly present. Churches should be designated, at least in larger cities, for Perpetual Adoration.
The Blessed Sacrament, when it is exposed for Adoration, should never be left alone for any period of time.
Whenever possible, Eucharistic Congresses and processions of the Blessed Sacrament should be held, as an occasion for worship of the Blessed Sacrament, and as a public witness to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, especially processions on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.
RS 134-145
41. Matter for Consecration
When the priest recites the words of consecration, echoing the words of Jesus, the bread and wine really and substantially become the Body and Blood of Jesus, though the appearances of bread and wine remain.
It is not possible to consecrate just anything into the Body and Blood of Jesus. The Scriptures record that Jesus took “bread” (according to ancient Jewish custom, it would have been unleavened wheat bread) and “a cup” (of wine according to Passover custom).
Valid matter for the consecration of the Eucharist, according to continuous Church tradition and law, is unleavened bread, purely of wheat, and recently made so that there is no danger of decomposition; and pure, incorrupt, wine made from grapes, to which a little water is added at Mass. There can be no additives to the bread, such as fruit or honey. In order for the Eucharist to have the appearance of bread and wine while substantially being Christ’s Body and Blood, the matter for consecration must be real bread and wine, which are edible and resemble real food. Things like moldy bread, muffins, ordinary grape juice, wine that has turned to vinegar, or any other substitutes are unacceptable.
RS 48-50
42. The Church and its Furnishings
The celebration of the Mass is to be carried out in a sacred place. In situations of emergency, where no church is available, the place where Mass is celebrated must be decent and respectable. It is not lawful to celebrate Mass in a temple or worship space of a non-Christian religion.
Churches should be suitable for worship, conducive to the actual participation of the faithful, truly worthy and beautiful, and be signs and symbols of heavenly realities.
The Church seeks the assistance of artists in the design of sacred buildings. She strives to preserve works of art from throughout the centuries and promote new works of art in every age. Art used in the decoration of a church requires a true excellence which inspires faith and is fitting for the sacred purpose for which it is intended. Church decoration should be characterized by a noble simplicity rather than by ostentation or excess.
The proper arrangement of church furnishings expresses both the hierarchical ordering of the Body of Christ and the unity of the Body. Furnishings should be appropriate for the carrying out of all the liturgical ministries.
All churches should be dedicated, or at least blessed.
GIRM 288-294
43. The Church and its Furnishings Cont’d.
The Sanctuary of the church is the place where the Altar stands, where the Word of God is proclaimed, and where the ministers, servers, and readers exercise their offices. It should be marked off from the rest of the church by some structure and ornamentation.
In every church, there should be a fixed (not moveable) Altar. In other places where Mass is celebrated, the Altar may be moveable. The altar should be freestanding, so that one can walk around it, and should be the central focus of the church. A fixed Altar is dedicated; a moveable altar may be either dedicated or simply blessed. Altars should be made of solid, worthy materials, such as stone or wood. Relics of Saints may be placed under an altar.
“Old” Altars, which are part of the heritage of the parish church and are often of great artistic merit may remain when a new Altar is erected (See GIRM No. 303).
The altar must be covered with at least one white cloth for the celebration of Mass. Moderation should be used in the decoration of the Altar, especially during Advent, a season of quiet anticipation. During Lent it is forbidden to decorate the Altar with flowers. There is always to be a crucifix and candles on or near the Altar. Only those things required for Mass may be placed on the Altar.
GIRM 295-308
44. The Church and its Furnishings Cont’d.
The dignity of the Word of God requires that every church have a place suitable for proclamation – a stationary Pulpit or Ambo clearly visible to the faithful and constructed so that the readers may be easily seen and heard. From the ambo are proclaimed the Scriptures, the Easter Proclamation (Exsultet), and the Prayer of the Faithful. Only ministers of the Word are to use the ambo.
The chair for the priest must signify his office of presiding over the gathering and directing the prayer. It may be at the head of the sanctuary facing the people, or in some other suitable place, especially if the tabernacle is at the head of the sanctuary. Any appearance of a throne is to be avoided.
The “Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, readily visible, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer.” The tabernacle must be lockable, and made of solid and inviolable material. The tabernacle may be in the sanctuary of the main church, or in a separate chapel, which is connected to the church and readily visible to the faithful.
GIRM 309-317
45. Sacred Images and Church Appointments
In the earthly liturgy, the Church participates, by a foretaste, in the heavenly liturgy. In venerating the memory of the saints, the Church hopes one day to celebrate the heavenly liturgy with Mary, the angels and the saints, and to enjoy fellowship with them. Thus, images of the Lord, the Blessed Mother, and the saints, should be displayed in sacred buildings for the veneration of the faithful. The Church honors the memory of the saints, hold up their example of faith, and prays for their intercession; Catholics do not “worship” saints or their images. Images should be arranged so as to usher the faithful toward the mysteries of faith celebrated in the church. There should usually be only one image of any given saint, and images should not be excessive in number.
A “noble simplicity” should be observed in the decoration of churches and the use of sacred art.
Every church is to have a sacrarium, a sink that empties directly into the ground, into which blessed water and water used to purify sacred vessels and linens can be poured (rather than into a sewer).
All the liturgical appointments, books, linens, vessels, furnishings, etc., which are used for the sacred liturgy, should be truly worthy, dignified, beautiful, suitable for sacred use in church, and be signs of heavenly realities.
GIRM 318, 325-26, 334, 348-51
46. Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest
On Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the Church gathers to commemorate the Resurrection and the whole Paschal Mystery – Christ’s becoming man, suffering, dying, and rising for our salvation. She celebrates the Paschal Mystery especially by the celebration of the Mass. Every Christian community is rooted in and hinges upon the celebration of the Eucharist. It is the right of the faithful to have the Eucharist celebrated for them on Sundays and holydays of obligation. Pastoral solutions, under the direction of the Bishop and his priests, should be considered, so that all the faithful may celebrate Mass on these days. Priests have an obligation to provide Mass for the faithful.
If the celebration of Mass is not possible for some grave reason, then the faithful have the right to have the Bishop provide for them some celebration on Sundays and holydays. Those involved in such celebrations should keep alive a hunger for the Eucharist, and remember that these celebrations (commonly known as “Liturgy of the Word” or “communion service”) are extraordinary, and are not the same as the Mass. A lay person is not to be referred to as “presiding” over the celebration, nor to be confused with the role of a priest. It is “unthinkable” to substitute for the Mass ecumenical services or participation in the liturgies of non-Catholic churches or communities.
RS 162-67
47. General Norms
A genuflection – a reverence made by bending the right knee to the ground – signifies adoration. It is reserved for the Blessed Sacrament, and for the Holy Cross on Good Friday. The priest makes a genuflection after he elevates the Host and Chalice, and before Communion.
Everyone is to genuflect when passing the Tabernacle, or when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the Altar for adoration.
If the Tabernacle is in the sanctuary, the ministers of the liturgy genuflect when entering and leaving the sanctuary. However, during the liturgy, the focus is on the Altar, where the Eucharist will be consecrated, so the ministers bow to the Altar rather than genuflect toward the Tabernacle during Mass.
A bow of the head is made at the mention of the Trinity, the names of Jesus and Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor a Mass is celebrated.
A bow of the body is made toward the altar, and by the priest and deacon during special prayers of the Mass.
Each person also bows before receiving Communion.
GIRM 273-275
48. Norms Regarding Incense
When incense is used it is so at the following times:
at the beginning of Mass in procession and to incense the Altar,
at the Gospel to incense the Evangeliary (“Gospel Book”),
at the Offertory to incense the Gifts, Altar, Cross, priest(s), and people,
and at the Consecration to incense the Host and Chalice.
Incense is an ancient symbol of the presence of God. Incense also reminds us of the prayers of the Church rising up to Heaven, as the Psalms exclaim: “Let my prayer arise before You like incense” (Psalm 141).
When incense is used, certain rubrics apply. The Altar is incensed with a series of single swings. The Cross, Altar, priest, people, Evangeliary, and Eucharist are incensed with three double swings of the thurible. Relics and images of the B.V.M and saints are incensed with two double swings. Before and after incensing, a profound bow is made to the person or object being incensed.
GIRM 276-277
49. General Norms Regarding the Mass
The priest is to choose from the options for the Eucharistic Prayer (the prayer during which the bread and wine are consecrated and become the Body and Blood of Jesus) given in the Sacramentary. No one is to compose Eucharistic Prayers or change the prayers of the Church. The Eucharistic prayer is to be prayed entirely by the priest(s) alone. There is to be no musical accompaniment during this prayer.
The practice in some places of the priest breaking the Host at the time of the consecration is an abuse and to be corrected with haste.
The faithful have the right to a celebration of the Mass that is carefully prepared according to the liturgical norms of the Church, in which clean and dignified vestments, linens and furnishings are used. The practice of priests and laity altering the texts of the prayers of the Mass is to cease, for it renders the Liturgy unstable and distorts its meaning. Non-biblical texts (poetry, popular music, etc.) may not be substituted for the Scripture Readings.
The proclamation of the Gospel and the preaching of the Homily are reserved to the priest and deacon, and are never to be given to the laity.
If there is a need for a layperson to speak at Mass, this is to be done after the Post-Communion Prayer. This is not a substitute for the Homily.
No other creed or profession of faith may be substituted for the Creed of the Church at Mass.
It is not permissible to join the Mass with a communal celebration of the Sacrament of Penance, nor with a common meal, nor with political or secular events. The Mass is not to be celebrated in a dining room setting, with people seated at tables. It is not permissible to introduce into the Mass rites of other religions.
RS 51-79
50. Abuses and Sacrilege
A person who throws away the consecrated species (the Blessed Sacrament or the Precious Blood), or who takes them away from the church for a sacrilegious purpose, incurs a latae sententiae, that is, automatic, excommunication. A cleric who does this may be punished by being dismissed from the clerical state. These penalties show the seriousness of showing reverence and care for the Eucharist.
“Whenever an abuse is committed in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy, it is to be seen as a real falsification of Catholic Liturgy.” (Redemptionis Sacramentum, No. 169) There is a need in the Church for both pastors and people to experience biblical and liturgical formation, so that the Liturgy may be celebrated without abuse, and so that Liturgy may be taught and presented accurately.
Where abuses persist, action should be taken to safeguard the Liturgy and the spiritual heritage of the Church.
Graviora delicta, or “grave abuses,” are those abuses which put at risk the validity and dignity of the Eucharist. In other words, grave abuses include those actions that make the Mass invalid or constitute serious sacrilege.
Even lesser abuses are to be treated as serious. The diocesan Bishop is responsible for issuing norms on liturgical matters and for dealing with abuses. It is the duty of everyone in the Church to do what is in their power to protect the Eucharist from irreverence and to see that abuses are corrected.
RS 169-183
The Blessed Sacrament is reserved for two reasons: in order to bring communion to the sick, and so that we may adore Jesus truly present in the Eucharist. The Blessed Sacrament is to be “reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, readily visible, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer.” There should be only one tabernacle in a church, and it “should be immovable, be made of solid and inviolable material that is not transparent (cannot be seen through), and be locked.” The tabernacle where the Eucharist is reserved is not to be on an Altar where Mass is celebrated. It may be located in the sanctuary or in a separate chapel but the chapel must be connected to the church and easily visible. The tabernacle must be constructed in such a way that it cannot be broken into, or the sacred species profaned.
A lamp is to be kept always burning when the Blessed Sacrament is in the tabernacle, as a sign of the living presence of Christ. The tabernacle veil is also a sign of the real presence of Christ in the tabernacle.
No one may take the Blessed Sacrament to his or her home or keep It on one’s person. If one is taking communion to the sick, one should go directly there from the church and not carry the Blessed Sacrament elsewhere.
GIRM 314-317, RS 139-133
40. Eucharistic Worship Outside Mass
The worship of the Eucharist outside Mass is of inestimable value in the life of the Church, and is closely linked to the celebration of the Eucharist itself. Therefore, both public and private devotion to the Eucharist ought to be vigorously promoted and supported by Pastors.
Adoration before Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament should be promoted for it is essential to the life of Catholics. The faithful are encouraged to make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament, where Christ is truly present. Churches should be designated, at least in larger cities, for Perpetual Adoration.
The Blessed Sacrament, when it is exposed for Adoration, should never be left alone for any period of time.
Whenever possible, Eucharistic Congresses and processions of the Blessed Sacrament should be held, as an occasion for worship of the Blessed Sacrament, and as a public witness to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, especially processions on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.
RS 134-145
41. Matter for Consecration
When the priest recites the words of consecration, echoing the words of Jesus, the bread and wine really and substantially become the Body and Blood of Jesus, though the appearances of bread and wine remain.
It is not possible to consecrate just anything into the Body and Blood of Jesus. The Scriptures record that Jesus took “bread” (according to ancient Jewish custom, it would have been unleavened wheat bread) and “a cup” (of wine according to Passover custom).
Valid matter for the consecration of the Eucharist, according to continuous Church tradition and law, is unleavened bread, purely of wheat, and recently made so that there is no danger of decomposition; and pure, incorrupt, wine made from grapes, to which a little water is added at Mass. There can be no additives to the bread, such as fruit or honey. In order for the Eucharist to have the appearance of bread and wine while substantially being Christ’s Body and Blood, the matter for consecration must be real bread and wine, which are edible and resemble real food. Things like moldy bread, muffins, ordinary grape juice, wine that has turned to vinegar, or any other substitutes are unacceptable.
RS 48-50
42. The Church and its Furnishings
The celebration of the Mass is to be carried out in a sacred place. In situations of emergency, where no church is available, the place where Mass is celebrated must be decent and respectable. It is not lawful to celebrate Mass in a temple or worship space of a non-Christian religion.
Churches should be suitable for worship, conducive to the actual participation of the faithful, truly worthy and beautiful, and be signs and symbols of heavenly realities.
The Church seeks the assistance of artists in the design of sacred buildings. She strives to preserve works of art from throughout the centuries and promote new works of art in every age. Art used in the decoration of a church requires a true excellence which inspires faith and is fitting for the sacred purpose for which it is intended. Church decoration should be characterized by a noble simplicity rather than by ostentation or excess.
The proper arrangement of church furnishings expresses both the hierarchical ordering of the Body of Christ and the unity of the Body. Furnishings should be appropriate for the carrying out of all the liturgical ministries.
All churches should be dedicated, or at least blessed.
GIRM 288-294
43. The Church and its Furnishings Cont’d.
The Sanctuary of the church is the place where the Altar stands, where the Word of God is proclaimed, and where the ministers, servers, and readers exercise their offices. It should be marked off from the rest of the church by some structure and ornamentation.
In every church, there should be a fixed (not moveable) Altar. In other places where Mass is celebrated, the Altar may be moveable. The altar should be freestanding, so that one can walk around it, and should be the central focus of the church. A fixed Altar is dedicated; a moveable altar may be either dedicated or simply blessed. Altars should be made of solid, worthy materials, such as stone or wood. Relics of Saints may be placed under an altar.
“Old” Altars, which are part of the heritage of the parish church and are often of great artistic merit may remain when a new Altar is erected (See GIRM No. 303).
The altar must be covered with at least one white cloth for the celebration of Mass. Moderation should be used in the decoration of the Altar, especially during Advent, a season of quiet anticipation. During Lent it is forbidden to decorate the Altar with flowers. There is always to be a crucifix and candles on or near the Altar. Only those things required for Mass may be placed on the Altar.
GIRM 295-308
44. The Church and its Furnishings Cont’d.
The dignity of the Word of God requires that every church have a place suitable for proclamation – a stationary Pulpit or Ambo clearly visible to the faithful and constructed so that the readers may be easily seen and heard. From the ambo are proclaimed the Scriptures, the Easter Proclamation (Exsultet), and the Prayer of the Faithful. Only ministers of the Word are to use the ambo.
The chair for the priest must signify his office of presiding over the gathering and directing the prayer. It may be at the head of the sanctuary facing the people, or in some other suitable place, especially if the tabernacle is at the head of the sanctuary. Any appearance of a throne is to be avoided.
The “Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, readily visible, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer.” The tabernacle must be lockable, and made of solid and inviolable material. The tabernacle may be in the sanctuary of the main church, or in a separate chapel, which is connected to the church and readily visible to the faithful.
GIRM 309-317
45. Sacred Images and Church Appointments
In the earthly liturgy, the Church participates, by a foretaste, in the heavenly liturgy. In venerating the memory of the saints, the Church hopes one day to celebrate the heavenly liturgy with Mary, the angels and the saints, and to enjoy fellowship with them. Thus, images of the Lord, the Blessed Mother, and the saints, should be displayed in sacred buildings for the veneration of the faithful. The Church honors the memory of the saints, hold up their example of faith, and prays for their intercession; Catholics do not “worship” saints or their images. Images should be arranged so as to usher the faithful toward the mysteries of faith celebrated in the church. There should usually be only one image of any given saint, and images should not be excessive in number.
A “noble simplicity” should be observed in the decoration of churches and the use of sacred art.
Every church is to have a sacrarium, a sink that empties directly into the ground, into which blessed water and water used to purify sacred vessels and linens can be poured (rather than into a sewer).
All the liturgical appointments, books, linens, vessels, furnishings, etc., which are used for the sacred liturgy, should be truly worthy, dignified, beautiful, suitable for sacred use in church, and be signs of heavenly realities.
GIRM 318, 325-26, 334, 348-51
46. Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest
On Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the Church gathers to commemorate the Resurrection and the whole Paschal Mystery – Christ’s becoming man, suffering, dying, and rising for our salvation. She celebrates the Paschal Mystery especially by the celebration of the Mass. Every Christian community is rooted in and hinges upon the celebration of the Eucharist. It is the right of the faithful to have the Eucharist celebrated for them on Sundays and holydays of obligation. Pastoral solutions, under the direction of the Bishop and his priests, should be considered, so that all the faithful may celebrate Mass on these days. Priests have an obligation to provide Mass for the faithful.
If the celebration of Mass is not possible for some grave reason, then the faithful have the right to have the Bishop provide for them some celebration on Sundays and holydays. Those involved in such celebrations should keep alive a hunger for the Eucharist, and remember that these celebrations (commonly known as “Liturgy of the Word” or “communion service”) are extraordinary, and are not the same as the Mass. A lay person is not to be referred to as “presiding” over the celebration, nor to be confused with the role of a priest. It is “unthinkable” to substitute for the Mass ecumenical services or participation in the liturgies of non-Catholic churches or communities.
RS 162-67
47. General Norms
A genuflection – a reverence made by bending the right knee to the ground – signifies adoration. It is reserved for the Blessed Sacrament, and for the Holy Cross on Good Friday. The priest makes a genuflection after he elevates the Host and Chalice, and before Communion.
Everyone is to genuflect when passing the Tabernacle, or when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the Altar for adoration.
If the Tabernacle is in the sanctuary, the ministers of the liturgy genuflect when entering and leaving the sanctuary. However, during the liturgy, the focus is on the Altar, where the Eucharist will be consecrated, so the ministers bow to the Altar rather than genuflect toward the Tabernacle during Mass.
A bow of the head is made at the mention of the Trinity, the names of Jesus and Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor a Mass is celebrated.
A bow of the body is made toward the altar, and by the priest and deacon during special prayers of the Mass.
Each person also bows before receiving Communion.
GIRM 273-275
48. Norms Regarding Incense
When incense is used it is so at the following times:
at the beginning of Mass in procession and to incense the Altar,
at the Gospel to incense the Evangeliary (“Gospel Book”),
at the Offertory to incense the Gifts, Altar, Cross, priest(s), and people,
and at the Consecration to incense the Host and Chalice.
Incense is an ancient symbol of the presence of God. Incense also reminds us of the prayers of the Church rising up to Heaven, as the Psalms exclaim: “Let my prayer arise before You like incense” (Psalm 141).
When incense is used, certain rubrics apply. The Altar is incensed with a series of single swings. The Cross, Altar, priest, people, Evangeliary, and Eucharist are incensed with three double swings of the thurible. Relics and images of the B.V.M and saints are incensed with two double swings. Before and after incensing, a profound bow is made to the person or object being incensed.
GIRM 276-277
49. General Norms Regarding the Mass
The priest is to choose from the options for the Eucharistic Prayer (the prayer during which the bread and wine are consecrated and become the Body and Blood of Jesus) given in the Sacramentary. No one is to compose Eucharistic Prayers or change the prayers of the Church. The Eucharistic prayer is to be prayed entirely by the priest(s) alone. There is to be no musical accompaniment during this prayer.
The practice in some places of the priest breaking the Host at the time of the consecration is an abuse and to be corrected with haste.
The faithful have the right to a celebration of the Mass that is carefully prepared according to the liturgical norms of the Church, in which clean and dignified vestments, linens and furnishings are used. The practice of priests and laity altering the texts of the prayers of the Mass is to cease, for it renders the Liturgy unstable and distorts its meaning. Non-biblical texts (poetry, popular music, etc.) may not be substituted for the Scripture Readings.
The proclamation of the Gospel and the preaching of the Homily are reserved to the priest and deacon, and are never to be given to the laity.
If there is a need for a layperson to speak at Mass, this is to be done after the Post-Communion Prayer. This is not a substitute for the Homily.
No other creed or profession of faith may be substituted for the Creed of the Church at Mass.
It is not permissible to join the Mass with a communal celebration of the Sacrament of Penance, nor with a common meal, nor with political or secular events. The Mass is not to be celebrated in a dining room setting, with people seated at tables. It is not permissible to introduce into the Mass rites of other religions.
RS 51-79
50. Abuses and Sacrilege
A person who throws away the consecrated species (the Blessed Sacrament or the Precious Blood), or who takes them away from the church for a sacrilegious purpose, incurs a latae sententiae, that is, automatic, excommunication. A cleric who does this may be punished by being dismissed from the clerical state. These penalties show the seriousness of showing reverence and care for the Eucharist.
“Whenever an abuse is committed in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy, it is to be seen as a real falsification of Catholic Liturgy.” (Redemptionis Sacramentum, No. 169) There is a need in the Church for both pastors and people to experience biblical and liturgical formation, so that the Liturgy may be celebrated without abuse, and so that Liturgy may be taught and presented accurately.
Where abuses persist, action should be taken to safeguard the Liturgy and the spiritual heritage of the Church.
Graviora delicta, or “grave abuses,” are those abuses which put at risk the validity and dignity of the Eucharist. In other words, grave abuses include those actions that make the Mass invalid or constitute serious sacrilege.
Even lesser abuses are to be treated as serious. The diocesan Bishop is responsible for issuing norms on liturgical matters and for dealing with abuses. It is the duty of everyone in the Church to do what is in their power to protect the Eucharist from irreverence and to see that abuses are corrected.
RS 169-183
The Sacred Liturgy Nos. 35-38
35. Liturgical Vestments
Not all the members of the Body of Christ have the same role. The variety of offices and ministries is shown outwardly by the diversity of sacred vestments. Besides being a sign of the office proper to each minister, the vestments contribute to the beauty of the sacred action. It is appropriate that the vestments worn by liturgical ministers be blessed according to the Roman Rite before they are used.
The garment common to all instituted lectors or acolytes, ordained priests and deacons is the Alb. It is a white robe (the word alb in Latin means “white”). It is tied at the waist with a Cincture. An Amice is worn if the alb does not cover the street clothes at the neck. It is a square piece of white cloth that ties around the neck. The pure white Alb represents purity and the Cincture around the waist symbolizes chastity.
For the priest and deacon, the Stole is worn for Mass and other liturgical functions. It is a band of fabric in the color of the day that hangs around the neck; for the priest it hangs straight and for the deacon it hangs at an angle across the body. The stole symbolizes the authority of the office.
A deacon wears a Dalmatic over the top of the other vestments at Mass. A priest wears a Chasuble on top, symbolizing charity, which covers all things and is to permeate his whole life.
The Cope is a cape worn for processions, the Liturgy of the Hours, and Benediction.
GIRM 335-144
36. Liturgical Vestments Continued
The Liturgy is always to be celebrated with all the required vestments. The celebrant at Mass is always to wear the Chasuble over the top of the Alb and Stole. Concelebrating priests may wear only the Stole over the Alb.
The Stole may not be omitted, nor is it to be worn over the Chasuble. The Alb may not be omitted either. A priest may not celebrate Mass without vestments, or simply with a Stole over the ordinary clothes or religious habit.
The colors of the vestments are important liturgical symbols. White is worn for celebrations of the Lord, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of Saints who were not Martyrs, and for the Feasts of the Nativity of John the Baptist (June 24, Saint John the Evangelist December 27), the Chair of Saint Peter February 22), and the Conversion of Saint Paul (January 25). Gold and Silver vestments, festive in nature, may be used in place of White.
Red, symbolic of the fire of the Holy Spirit, and of the blood of Christ and of the Martyrs, is worn for the celebrations of the Lord’s Passion, Pentecost, and Feasts of the Apostles and Evangelists, and Martyrs.
Green is used during The Season of the Year (“Ordinary Time”).
Violet is worn in Advent and Lent.
Rose is worn on Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) and Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent, as a symbol of hope and the joy we anticipate in Christmas and Easter.
Either Black, Violet, or White may be worn at Funerals.
RS 121-128, GIRM 346
37. Sacred Vessels
The vessels used in the celebration of Mass are held in high honor, especially the chalice and paten, in which the bread and wine, which become the Body and Blood of Jesus, are offered and consecrated, and from which they are consumed. Sacred vessels are to be made of precious metal, or some other solid material that does not rust, break, or deteriorate, and is not porous or absorbent.
Vessels may be fashioned by artists to reflect the customs of different places, provided they are distinguishable from ordinary items of everyday use, e.g. common wineglasses and household dishes. The vessels used for the liturgy are always to be of high quality, beautiful, and noble. They ought to be signs of the Church’s faith in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Sacred vessels are to be blessed according to the rites of the Church.
Preferably, the sacred vessels are to be purified after Communion but they may also be purified immediately after Mass. The water used to wash the vessels, which contains the sacred species, is poured down a sacrarium, a special sink (required of every church) that empties directly into the ground. Great care is always to be taken that the remaining Precious Blood is consumed during Mass, immediately after Communion, and that the vessels are purified well and reverently.
GIRM 327-334, RS 117-119
38. Linens Used in the Liturgy
It is the duty of pastors, and indeed all those entrusted with service to the Liturgy, to take care that the altar cloths and linens are always clean, neat, and appropriate for sacred worship. The linens that will receive the sacred species, i.e. corporal and purificator, need to be washed in the traditional way, by washing them in water and pouring the water into the sacrarium or directly into the ground.
The corporal is a square, white cloth placed on the Altar. On it are placed the chalice(s), paten, and ciboria. It helps to define for the priest the bread and wine he intends to consecrate: clearly those on the corporal, and not those on the credence table or in the cupboard. It also serves to catch particles of the sacred species that may fall on the Altar. The purificator is a rectangular cloth used to wipe the chalice after one has drunk from it. The pall is the square piece of cardboard covered in cloth used to cover the chalice. Current norms indicate that chalices are also veiled in a veil matching the color of the vestments of the day, or white.
Altar cloths are always white. Colored cloths according to the liturgical season are called frontals or antependia (from the Latin words meaning “to hang in front”). Great care should always be taken in the manufacturing, display and cleaning of the linens and cloths used in the Liturgy.
RS 120
Not all the members of the Body of Christ have the same role. The variety of offices and ministries is shown outwardly by the diversity of sacred vestments. Besides being a sign of the office proper to each minister, the vestments contribute to the beauty of the sacred action. It is appropriate that the vestments worn by liturgical ministers be blessed according to the Roman Rite before they are used.
The garment common to all instituted lectors or acolytes, ordained priests and deacons is the Alb. It is a white robe (the word alb in Latin means “white”). It is tied at the waist with a Cincture. An Amice is worn if the alb does not cover the street clothes at the neck. It is a square piece of white cloth that ties around the neck. The pure white Alb represents purity and the Cincture around the waist symbolizes chastity.
For the priest and deacon, the Stole is worn for Mass and other liturgical functions. It is a band of fabric in the color of the day that hangs around the neck; for the priest it hangs straight and for the deacon it hangs at an angle across the body. The stole symbolizes the authority of the office.
A deacon wears a Dalmatic over the top of the other vestments at Mass. A priest wears a Chasuble on top, symbolizing charity, which covers all things and is to permeate his whole life.
The Cope is a cape worn for processions, the Liturgy of the Hours, and Benediction.
GIRM 335-144
36. Liturgical Vestments Continued
The Liturgy is always to be celebrated with all the required vestments. The celebrant at Mass is always to wear the Chasuble over the top of the Alb and Stole. Concelebrating priests may wear only the Stole over the Alb.
The Stole may not be omitted, nor is it to be worn over the Chasuble. The Alb may not be omitted either. A priest may not celebrate Mass without vestments, or simply with a Stole over the ordinary clothes or religious habit.
The colors of the vestments are important liturgical symbols. White is worn for celebrations of the Lord, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of Saints who were not Martyrs, and for the Feasts of the Nativity of John the Baptist (June 24, Saint John the Evangelist December 27), the Chair of Saint Peter February 22), and the Conversion of Saint Paul (January 25). Gold and Silver vestments, festive in nature, may be used in place of White.
Red, symbolic of the fire of the Holy Spirit, and of the blood of Christ and of the Martyrs, is worn for the celebrations of the Lord’s Passion, Pentecost, and Feasts of the Apostles and Evangelists, and Martyrs.
Green is used during The Season of the Year (“Ordinary Time”).
Violet is worn in Advent and Lent.
Rose is worn on Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) and Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent, as a symbol of hope and the joy we anticipate in Christmas and Easter.
Either Black, Violet, or White may be worn at Funerals.
RS 121-128, GIRM 346
37. Sacred Vessels
The vessels used in the celebration of Mass are held in high honor, especially the chalice and paten, in which the bread and wine, which become the Body and Blood of Jesus, are offered and consecrated, and from which they are consumed. Sacred vessels are to be made of precious metal, or some other solid material that does not rust, break, or deteriorate, and is not porous or absorbent.
Vessels may be fashioned by artists to reflect the customs of different places, provided they are distinguishable from ordinary items of everyday use, e.g. common wineglasses and household dishes. The vessels used for the liturgy are always to be of high quality, beautiful, and noble. They ought to be signs of the Church’s faith in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Sacred vessels are to be blessed according to the rites of the Church.
Preferably, the sacred vessels are to be purified after Communion but they may also be purified immediately after Mass. The water used to wash the vessels, which contains the sacred species, is poured down a sacrarium, a special sink (required of every church) that empties directly into the ground. Great care is always to be taken that the remaining Precious Blood is consumed during Mass, immediately after Communion, and that the vessels are purified well and reverently.
GIRM 327-334, RS 117-119
38. Linens Used in the Liturgy
It is the duty of pastors, and indeed all those entrusted with service to the Liturgy, to take care that the altar cloths and linens are always clean, neat, and appropriate for sacred worship. The linens that will receive the sacred species, i.e. corporal and purificator, need to be washed in the traditional way, by washing them in water and pouring the water into the sacrarium or directly into the ground.
The corporal is a square, white cloth placed on the Altar. On it are placed the chalice(s), paten, and ciboria. It helps to define for the priest the bread and wine he intends to consecrate: clearly those on the corporal, and not those on the credence table or in the cupboard. It also serves to catch particles of the sacred species that may fall on the Altar. The purificator is a rectangular cloth used to wipe the chalice after one has drunk from it. The pall is the square piece of cardboard covered in cloth used to cover the chalice. Current norms indicate that chalices are also veiled in a veil matching the color of the vestments of the day, or white.
Altar cloths are always white. Colored cloths according to the liturgical season are called frontals or antependia (from the Latin words meaning “to hang in front”). Great care should always be taken in the manufacturing, display and cleaning of the linens and cloths used in the Liturgy.
RS 120
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