Ministering the Word of God
by Fr Allen Morris
All booklets are published thanks to the generous support of the members of the Catholic Truth Society
CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY publishers to the holy see
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Contents Extract from General Introduction: Lectionary for Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Liturgical Ministry: What is Liturgy? What is Ministry? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 A Theology of the Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Liturgy of the Mass as it relates to the Ministry of Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Guidelines for Ministers of the Word at Mass, leaders of Liturgy of the Word with Children, and leaders of Liturgy of the Word and Lectio Divina . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Order for the Blessing of Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Additional resources to support the Ministry of the Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 All rights reserved. First published 2015 by The Incorporated Catholic Truth Society, 40-46 Harleyford Road London SE11 5AY Tel: 020 7640 0042 Fax: 020 7640 0046. Š 2015 The Incorporated Catholic Truth Society. ISBN 978 1 78469 042 7
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Extract from General Introduction: Lectionary for Mass Gathered by Christ’s Word Christ’s word gathers the people of God as one and increases and sustains them. ‘This applies above all to the liturgy of the word in the celebration of Mass: there is an inseparable union between the proclamation of the death of the Lord, the response of the people listening, and the offering through which Christ has confirmed the New Covenant in his blood. The people share in this offering by their inner intentions and the reception of the sacrament.’ For ‘not only when things are read “that were written for our instruction” (Rm 15:4), but also when the Church prays or sings or acts, the faith of those taking part is nourished and their minds are raised to God, so that they may offer him their worship as intelligent beings and receive his grace more abundantly.’ Listening and responding… In the liturgy of the word, the congregation of the faithful still today receives from God the word of his covenant through the faith that comes by hearing. The faithful must respond to that word in the same faith so that more and more they may become the people of the New Covenant.
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The people of God have a spiritual right to receive abundantly from the treasury of God’s word. Its riches are presented to them through use of the Order of Readings, the homily, and pastoral efforts. For their part, the faithful at the celebration of Mass are to listen to the word of God with an inward and outward reverence that will bring them continuous growth in the spiritual life and draw them more deeply into the mystery they celebrate. …to Christ As a help toward celebrating the memorial of the Lord with devotion, the faithful should be keenly aware of the one presence of Christ in both the word of God - ‘it is he who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church’ - and ‘especially under the eucharistic elements.’ To be received and integrated into the life of Christ’s faithful, the word of God demands a living faith. Hearing the word of God unceasingly proclaimed arouses that faith. The Scriptures, and above all in their liturgical proclamation, are the source of life and power. As Paul attests, the Gospel is the saving power of God for everyone who believes. Love of the Scriptures is therefore the force that renews the entire people of God. All the faithful without exception must therefore always be ready to listen gladly to God’s word.
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When this word is proclaimed in the Church and put into living practice, it enlightens the faithful through the working of the Holy Spirit and draws them into the entire mystery of the Lord as a reality to be lived. The word of God reverently received moves the heart and its desires toward conversion and toward a life filled with both individual and community faith, since God’s word is the sustenance of the Christian life and the source of the prayer of the entire Church. When they hear the word of God and reflect deeply on it, the faithful receive the power to respond to it actively with full faith, hope, and charity through prayer and self-giving, and not only during Mass but in their entire Christian life. Cf. General Introduction: Lectionary for Mass 44-48
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Liturgical Ministry: What is Liturgy? What is Ministry? Liturgy is the public worship of the Church. It is first and foremost a participation in Christ’s worship of the Father, and it is in this worship that the Church is most evidently herself. Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of his minister, “the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross”, but especially under the eucharistic species. By his power he is present in the sacraments, so that when a man baptizes it is really Christ himself who baptizes. He is present in his word, since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. He is present, lastly, when the Church prays and sings, for he promised: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Christ indeed always associates the Church with himself in this great work wherein God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is his beloved Bride
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who calls to her Lord, and through him offers worship to the Eternal Father. Rightly, then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. In the liturgy the sanctification of the man is signified by signs perceptible to the senses, and is effected in a way which corresponds with each of these signs; in the liturgy the whole public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and his members. From this it follows that every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest and of his Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree. The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows. For the aim and object of apostolic works is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and to eat the Lord’s supper. Sacrosanctum Concilium 7, 10 Liturgy is always something more than just what we happen to do in this place, here and now. It is always a work of the whole Church. It is most fundamentally the participation
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of the whole Church, the Body of Christ, in the worship offered to God the Father by God the Son, Jesus Christ. It is a work that is visible here on earth but which is, invisible to us, shared in also by saints and angels. The ordinary forms of the Liturgy are those contained in the Church’s ritual books. The most regularly celebrated are the Liturgy of the Hours and the Mass, but also included are the rites of Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Marriage etc. (the Sacraments), the rites of Christian Funerals, and rites of Blessing. Liturgy is always intended to be prayerful, drawing us into the prayer and worship of Jesus Christ. But not all prayer is liturgical prayer. Our private prayers - such as lectio divina or the Rosary, or our quiet personal prayer - have a different character. Even when they are spiritual exercises especially commended by the Church they are private prayers. Prayer of this sort helps deepen our relationship with God and helps us better live our Christian lives. However in this prayer we pray essentially as individuals who come before God in our own right, and set before him ourselves, our needs, our hopes and fears. This is the case even when we pray such forms of prayer together with others, even in church. Liturgy always has the broader ecclesial dimension, and always it is a participation in the prayer of Christ. For this reason the Church takes the greatest care of how the Liturgy is celebrated. The liturgical books themselves
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witness to the care taken with regard to the proper ordering of the rites. There is clear instruction about what is to be done, at Mass for example.1 The roles of the ministers and the congregation as a whole are described. The approved readings and prayers are provided. There is guidance about the way symbols are used and how the church building itself is to be arranged. Nothing is left to chance! But of course the guidance has to be applied to particular celebrations in particular places and at particular times. Ministry Christian ministry is a sharing in the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ. It is a participation made possible by our baptism, where we are anointed with the chrism of salvation so that, united with the Church, we may remain, each of us, for ever members of Christ who is Priest, Prophet and King. This ministry which is the duty and right of all the baptised is carried out in so many ways. Some of these are the responsibility of those called to particular ministry and ordained as deacon, priest or bishop so that they may carry out the work entrusted to them. More usually the ministry is carried out by laymen and women in the daily business of family life, at work, and as active citizens of their local, national and international communities. Whatever the differences, all Christians are called to be united in making this world holy, in witnessing to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
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by word and deed, and in living the love of God, especially in the service of those most in need. Mostly Christian ministry is to be exercised in the ‘world’ of our towns and cities, in our places of work and in our homes - wherever it is that daily life and the mission of the Church takes us. However some part of it is also exercised in church! And of that part, which includes administration, fundraising and a variety of other works, an especially important part is liturgical ministry. Liturgical Ministry One of my privileges as a parish priest is introducing children to their first exercise of liturgical ministry. It is usually as they prepare to be altar servers. At the very first training session I ask them who it is that, as servers, they are there to serve. The answers are interesting, and revealing. Often the first answer is ‘God’. I tell them that although that is true, that is not the answer I am looking for. Then someone will say that they are there to serve me! I tell them that that is also true. And that I am very grateful. But that it is not the answer I am looking for. Then, usually, someone will give me the answer I hope for: ‘We are here to serve everybody else.’ And I thank them for that answer - and say that when they do that God and the priest will be very happy, because in the liturgy God and the priest also are there to serve the ‘everybody
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else’, the congregation, helping them to the full active and conscious participation in the liturgy that, through baptism, is their right and their duty. Ministries to the Liturgy take a wide variety of forms. In the General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) there is mention of that of Bishop, Priest and Deacon, the ordained ministries; the ministry of the congregation (who are also there to serve as well as be served); acolyte and lector2 (in practice these ministries are reserved for those preparing for ordination); altar servers, commissioned ministers of the word, psalmist, the schola or choir, cantor, sacristan, those who take up the collection, those who welcome people to the church, and Master of Ceremonies.3 One might add to the list those responsible for the preparation of the Liturgy for example the choosing of settings for the Liturgy’s sung parts, and the decoration, even the cleaning of the church where the Liturgy will be celebrated. Collaborative ministry The vision of the Church is that the celebration of the Liturgy be seen as a work not only of the ordained minister (essential though that is, for example, to the celebration of Mass and some of the other sacraments) but of the gathered Church. The ministers called from the community, and called in some number according to the above list, are there to assist that community in its praying of the Liturgy.
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The ministers draw on their own particular skills and ability to serve the Liturgy, to allow the beauty and dignity and pace appropriate to the Liturgy to communicate itself to the congregation, so that the community gathered may celebrate worthily and fruitfully. Training is essential for the proper exercise of ministry. Sometimes the ministry will require that the person exercising of it will develop exceptional skills - musicians need to have a certain competency in their instrument, singers know how to use their voice, and each group has to rehearse with the other so that the congregation will be helped and not hindered by the resulting sounds. Sometimes the ministry may be less specialised, less demanding but always a ministry can be exercised well or less well. Training helps it to be exercised well. The minimum training will include ensuring ministers know •
the coordinator for their ministry (not least so they can let someone know if they are on the rota but cannot minister that day for some reason)
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the practicalities for that day (take collectors for example: where are the baskets kept? Is there a second collection today or not? Or take readers for another example - what are the readings set for a particular day?)
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•
the safeguarding responsibilities involved (take ministers of hospitality for example: what are the safe places for those in wheelchairs to sit? What is the policy in case of fire or other need for emergency evacuation?)
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with which other ministers they need to coordinate their ministry (musicians and readers, for example: is the Psalm being sung or said? What is happening with the Gospel Acclamation?)
However the minimum is far from being enough. Ministers need and deserve to understand how their ministry helps to support and build up the community of the Church; why the Liturgy is important and how it helps us to mature as Christians. They need and deserve also to be thanked and encouraged and helped to bond as a particular cadre within the family of the parish, and not only so as better to be able to support and encourage each other in the work of being a minister - which often is costly and demanding on people’s time. When people are giving as much as our ministers do, they deserve their own time for care and support. Commissioning of Ministers The commissioning of ministers is clearly an important moment in the life of a parish, and should take place when a sizeable portion of the parish community is able to be present.
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It is better to avoid the great feasts, such as the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, as these already have important focusses of their own. For the commissioning of readers, the first Sunday of Advent might be considered. The second Sunday of Advent is kept as Bible Sunday in many denominations, and ‘Openness to the Word of God’ is a particular focus of the Cycle of Prayer for the Catholic Church in England and Wales.4 Alternatively the first Sunday of Lent may be suitable. The Gospel of that Sunday in Year A contains the phrase: ‘Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Reading and listening to Scripture is a good spiritual practice for Lent, and commissioning of readers provides a further opportunity to promote love of Scripture in the parish more broadly. Local circumstances will suggest whether it is better to commission all ministers at a single celebration, or at the Mass at which they will most regularly serve. Local circumstances will also determine whether ministers are commissioned for a single year, or for longer. At the end of their time of service it should be a matter of mutual discernment between minister and parish priest whether they are to be commissioned for a further period of service.
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A Theology of the Mass At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the first liturgy of the Sacred Paschal Triduum, we hear the following words from St Paul - the first written account of the Eucharist, the Mass, that we possess. This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death. 1 Co 11:23-26 The passage reminds us of several things. •
The Mass is firmly established in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus’s Passion, Death and Resurrection
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The Mass is about the gift of Jesus’s body and blood, the new covenant offered to us.
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The Mass is an expression of the Tradition of the Church, handed on through the Church down the ages, and presently entrusted to us. • Our participation in the Mass - especially in the eating and drinking of the Lord’s Body and Blood - is a memorial, an active remembering, of him. And our participation means that we here and now proclaim and witness to our faith in his saving death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), quoting the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on the Liturgy, puts it this way: At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.’ CCC 1323, quoting Sacrosanctum Concilium 47 There is much here to note - including the language of sacrifice, of love and charity, of salvation. These are themes well worth exploring in days of recollection and formation for those who are involved in ministering at celebrations of the Mass.
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