Sunday Celebrations in the Absence
of a Priest:
Part
2 - The Introduction
This year in this column, I have been taking some time to examine Communion
Services. We first looked at the weekday ritual, a Roman Ritual document
that comes from Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of
Mass [HCOM]. In the last column, I gave an overview to the Sunday
Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest [SCAP]. We are still waiting
the publication of this United States Catholic Conference ritual at the time
of this writing. As I mentioned last time, I have a draft courtesy copy. Let
us look at the introduction to the SCAP.
The introduction is quite lengthy, as is the custom to the praenotanda,
or introductions of other liturgical books. Since Second Vatican Council,
the second edition of liturgical rites have introductions which help set the
context, shape the theology and give different options or ways of celebrating
the rituals well. SCAP has helpful pieces to set the context and importance
of this ritual in the life of the church.
The first part of the introduction gives five paragraphs on the Lord’s
Day and the importance of Sunday and its observance. There is a return
in the English language to use the term “Lord’s Day,” rather
than Sunday, as if to reclaim it’s importance and the many meanings that
this day has had in the context of the Christian community and its tradition. In
a world where every business is open every day, all day, and sports and other
leisure activities occupy so much attention, the purpose for the Lord’s
Day is being lost in many cultures. Pope John Paul II gave special attention
to the Lord’s Day in his pastoral encyclical in 1998.
The second part of the introduction focuses on the purpose of “Sunday
Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest.” There are eight paragraphs
which speak of the reason for SCAP – there are not enough priests and
this ritual helps the community still gather to celebrate the Lord’s
Day. The context is set in this part of the introduction for allowing
bishops to have this Sunday ritual.
The next part of the introduction, “Conditions for Holding Sunday Celebrations
in the Absence of a Priest,” gives details, from the diocesan bishops
role to the local community. Paragraph 15 stresses that “[SCAP]
may never be held in a location where Mass has been celebrated that weekend.” This
may be an ideal and when there is a plan for SCAP to be used when it is known
that a priest is not available. There is no detail as to what to do when
a priest does not show up and you have a church full of people waiting for
a Mass. One would pastorally hope that, even though these four paragraphs
do not give specifics, a deacon or local pastoral leader, would make the decision
to celebrate SCAP for the pastoral care of the faithful. They came to
church, in good faith, to worship the Lord and fulfill an obligation.
The introduction continues with the “Offices and Ministries” being
outlined and given certain tasks, from bishop (three paragraphs), pastor (two
paragraphs), deacon (three paragraphs), layperson or lay leader of the prayer
(five paragraphs). A lay leader is asked by SCAP, paragraph 27, “to
be chosen in view of the consistency of the way of life with the Gospel and
in the expectation of their being acceptable to the community of the faithful. The
appointment of such ministers is made by the bishop for a definite time.”
Paragraph 28 says, “all other roles in the celebration should be distributed
among lectors, cantors, servers and other liturgical ministers.” These
other liturgical ministers would be ushers or greeters, one would suppose,
since this paragraph insures that all the other roles seem to be covered. However,
one would also assume that other lay Communion Ministers would come forward
to assist the presider with the distribution of Holy Communion, as one would
do regularly during Sunday or weekday Eucharist. There is a brief reference
to other ministers of Holy Communion assisting “if needed” (SCAP,
63). One could guess at an average suburban parish, extra ministers of
Holy Communion would be needed!
There are eight paragraphs referring to preaching in the introduction. “The
local bishop bears the responsibility for moderating the entire minister of
the Word in the local church. Preaching is an essential ministry and
should be taken seriously by the who have been duly delegated by the bishops
(SCAP, 31).” “With the permission of the [b]ishop, a layperson
may be chosen to preach in the absence of a priest or deacon. The diocesan
bishop therefore should issue norms concerning the preaching ministry which
are to be observed by all the faithful of that diocese (SCAP, 32).” These
are significant statements about the importance of preaching and insuring that
it occurs in a parish. First, that preaching be done well, and the diocesan
bishop have quality preaching. More importantly, when there is no presbyter
or deacon, a layperson is to be trained to preach and be allowed to do so. This
is a sharp contrast in light of other documents in the late 20th century that
did not promote lay preaching. While these documents focused on Sunday
Eucharist, the impression left little flexibility for other liturgical occasions. SCAP
states that this is an opportunity for lay preaching because of the importance
of the Word of God being reflected and shared with the Christian community. Catechesis
needs to be shared that explains why preaching is important and allowed in
SCAP in contrast to the Eucharist.
The next part of the introduction turns to the “Forms the Sunday Celebration
May Take.” The first form recommended is the Liturgy of the Hours,
or Morning or Evening Prayer. It is helpful to remember that in the church’s
day, evening begins at 4:00 p.m. Paragraph 39 states that the “common
feature of the liturgical rites… is the proclamation of the Word of
God. The aim of this provision is that the riches of Sacred Scripture
and of the Church’s prayer be amply provided to the faithful gathered
on Sundays in various ways even apart from Mass.” “ The
second provision of the services which follow is the distribution of Holy Communion
(SCAP, 40).” Not mentioned in these paragraphs is the reality that
there may not be enough hosts for the entire community. A practical suggestion
would be to break the hosts to insure more. Also, if there were not enough
hosts for even this practice, it would be inappropriate to distribute communion,
since many might go without and cause disunity or otherwise bad feelings.
Many congregations are unfamiliar with the Liturgy of the Hours. This
is a disappointment these many years after the implementation of the Liturgy
of the Hours. The General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours,
as well as the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, encouraged the
celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours in each parish. Pastors were
expected to teach and implement celebrations of the Liturgy of the Hours. Luckily,
most hymnals or worship service books contain a sample format of the Liturgy
of the Hours that can assist communities in celebrating SCAP. It has
also been suggested by this author to publishers that SCAP now be inserted
to season music/worship aids so that communities may easily follow the outline.
SCAP recommends the Liturgy of the Hours because the structure does not mirror
the celebration of the Order of Mass. The introduction to the Liturgy
of the Hours is different than Mass (“O Lord, open my lips” or “God,
come to my assistance”). This sets a tone that is helpful for the
community in knowing what is being celebrated.
Paragraph 45 says:
Music is an essential part of [the Liturgy of the Hours] and should be a
part of the celebration as often as possible. The amount of singing
and the type of music used will depend on the musical resources that are
available and the abilities of the members of the gathered assembly to sing.
Music groups/choirs should be prepared with “backup music books” so
that they may easily move into a Liturgy of the Hours service or SCAP. Since
many music programs have the music in the hymnal or worship aid, during off
seasons or times, the music group or choir should practice and be prepared
to celebrate SCAP. Furthermore, paragraph 45 demonstrates the importance
of this music ministry and how song is vital to liturgical rites. This
theme is taken up later in the introduction to SCAP in paragraphs 109 to 111.
The next part of the introduction to SCAP reviews the “Individual Parts
of All Sunday Celebrations.” They are the introductory rites, psalmody,
the Liturgy of the Word, Act of Thanksgiving (even when there is no Holy Communion
distributed), the communion rite and the concluding rite. The description
of the communion rite notes:
The faithful are to be frequently reminded that even when they receive Holy
Communion outside Mass they are united to the Eucharistic sacrifice, but the
rite of reception of Holy Communion is not the same as participating in the
sacrifice itself. Communion may be received only under the form of bread,
as the consecrated wine is not reserved except for the communion of the sick
(SCAP, 60).
Hosts consecrated at the last Mass celebrated in the place where the liturgical
assembly gathers may be used (SCAP, 61).
One may ask, “Where else would one ‘get’ hosts?” Like
the fermentum, where a piece of the consecrated bread was added to the precious
Blood to demonstrate unity to the diocesan bishop, hosts could be brought from
a neighboring parish to demonstrate unity and connection to a Mass celebrated
that day. This is not detailed in SCAP as it is in specific rubrics of
certain dioceses that have had occasion to retrieve hosts from other churches.
It should also be noted that the collection of monetary gifts from the assembly
is done during the Communion Rite (see paragraph 64). Those familiar
with the designing of SCAP put the collection at this point to demonstrate
the difference of bringing forth “gifts” when there is no bread
and wine from the “main” gifts to be shared, blessed and broken. Hopefully,
SCAP communities will stay once they have received Holy Communion and participate
in the concluding rites. Some pastors are concerned that the people will
leave before they have a chance to place their envelope in the basket. Perhaps
ushers could hold baskets at the doors of the church? Furthermore, food
collections or other gathering of materials for those in need are expected
to take place at this time as well.
The introduction continues with “Preparations for the Sunday Celebration.” This
helpful section reminds the leader of prayer what and where items should be
placed. This section also lists the Liturgical Year and highlights from
the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar [GNLYC]. The
seasons are highlighted in order of how they occur in the calendar and not
in the rank, as in the GNLYC. Interestingly, the Feast of the Baptism
of the Lord is mentioned in paragraph 76, with no other details. Details
about the Christmas manager are taken from the Book of Blessings [BB]
reminding us that it is not to “overshadow” the signs of the Lord’s
real presence in word, sacrament, liturgical assembly and ministers [SCAP,
80].” I found it also interesting that “real presence” includes
all of the presences of the Lord, that were first written about by Pius XII,
but in a more equal proportion.
Eight more paragraphs about the importance of singing and the liturgical action
of the gatherer assembly continue the introduction. The last paragraph
of the introduction, 117, reminds us of the importance of sacred silence and
how the liturgical ministers must model sacred silence for the assembly.
The introduction to SCAP serves as a helpful overview for the ritual and ritual
aspects. For those unfamiliar with other texts, such as BB, GNLYC, or
the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, it serves as a helpful guide. Much
attention is given to music and preparation for SCAP. In the next column,
I will focus on the two rituals, or two chapters of SCAP which differentiate
between the Liturgy of the Hours SCAP and the Celebration of the Word with
Holy Communion SCAP.
Planning for July/August:
Begin Learning the Liturgy of the Hours or SCAP. It
may be “Gershwin time,” but summer time in the northern hemisphere
can serve as an important time for preparation. As I mention above, if
your parish does not have familiarity with the Liturgy of the Hours, have the
music ministers begin a process of learning a setting. Furthermore, with
fewer priests to cover for vacation, communities will more likely than not
celebrate SCAP or need to be ready to celebrate SCAP. Several composers
have recorded the Liturgy of the Hours. Most music books contain a setting
or two of Morning and/or Evening Prayer. Invite someone from the diocesan
Office of Liturgy or a religious order to come to your parish to give an overview
of the Liturgy of Hours and help train your ministers for the ritual celebration.
Also this summer. Use the summer as an opportunity
to develop a funeral music group and other liturgical ministries around them. Encourage
young people to be trained for serving funerals. Learn new music settings
and discover blessings and other prayers in the Sacramentary/Roman Missal.
Eucharistic Time. From July 30 to August 27, we take
a break from the Gospel of Mark and move into the Bread of Life discourse in
the Gospel of John. Encourage some faith sharing groups on the Eucharist. Contact
the Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing in Houston, Texas for resources to
develop your Eucharistic spirituality. Focus the Sunday homilies and
music around the Eucharistic themes to support and encourage full, active and
conscious participation in the Eucharist. Review the General Instruction
of the Roman Missal, with your parishioners through catechesis in the
bulletin or during the homily time.
Encourage the BB. Look to the Book of Blessings to
celebrate some of the special rites that would encourage participation and
presence within your community. Bless cars, fishing gear, etc. These
are opportunities to make special connections with the secular and the sacred.
School Year Blessings. Do not forget the annual August
preparation and rituals around the school. See “Beginning of the
School Year” (BB 522- 550).
Other dates and times to remember:
- Saturday, July 1: Canada Day
- Sunday, July 2, 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time: An
opportunity to celebrate the communal celebration of the Anointing of the
Sick with the readings of the day. The intercessions could be used
from Anointing of the Sick, if there will be an anointing, or for use during
the SCAP
- Monday, July 3: Feast of Saint Thomas, apostle
- Tuesday, July 4: US Independence Day (votive) (Catholic
Household Blessings and Sacramentary). Other parts of the
world – Optional memorial Elizabeth of Portugal
- Tuesday, July 11: Memorial of Saint Benedict
- Friday, July 14: Memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha,
Native American virgin and martyr
- Saturday, July 15: Memorial of Saint Bonaventure,
bishop and doctor of the church
- Saturday, July 22: Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene,
apostle to the apostles
- Tuesday, July 25: Feast of Saint James, apostle
- Wednesday, July 26: Memorial
of Saints Joachim and Ann, parents of Mary. Call
or write Emmanuel for
an excellent holy hour for Saint Ann, written by former
editor of Emmanuel,
Rev. Anthony Schueller, SSS. Please pray on this
day for a miracle healing for former Senior Editor of Emmanuel,
Rev. Eugene La Verdiere, SSS.
- Saturday, July 29: Memorial of Saint Martha
- Monday, July 31: Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola,
priest and founder
- Tuesday, August 1: Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori,
bishop, doctor and founder. Remember the Redemptorists in your prayer.
- Wednesday, August 2: Memorial of Saint Peter Julian
Eymard, priest, founder and the Apostle of the Eucharist. Please pray
for our order, the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in our 150th anniversary
year.
- Friday, August 4: Memorial of Saint John Vianney,
priest
- Sunday, August 6: Feast of the Transfiguration of
our Lord. A special Sunday to remember a special event in the life
of Christ. Do not forget to remember the anniversary of the electric
chair (1890), praying for an end to capital punishment and the anniversary
of the dropping of the first atom bomb in Hiroshima, praying for peace and
a limit to armed conflict. Because of the dropping of the bombs, the
USCCB recommends that August 6-9 be Ember Days, to make up for our sins and
to pray for peace and an end to all conflict between nations and peoples.
- Tuesday, August 8: Memorial of Saint Dominic de
Guzman, priest and founder. Please pray for the Dominicans and their
ministry.
- Thursday, August 10: Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon
and martyr
- Friday, August 11: Memorial of Saint Clare, virgin
- Monday, August 14: Memorial of Saint Maximilian
Mary Kolbe, priest and martyr
- Tuesday, August 15: Solemnity
of the Assumption of Mary. A day to also remember the following:
-
Blessing for the First fruits of the Harvest (BB 1007- 1022)
-
Blessing of Produce (CHBP)
- Monday, August 21: Memorial of Saint Pius X, pope
- Tuesday, August 22: Memorial
of the Queenship of Mary
- Thursday, August 24: Feast of Saint Bartholomew,
apostle
- Monday, August 28: Memorial of Saint Augustine,
bishop and doctor. Since his mother, Monica, is not celebrated this
year, due to the Sunday, remember to include a mention for her.
- Tuesday, August 29: Memorial of the Beheading of
John the Baptist,martyr
Blessed Sacrament Father John Thomas Lane is pastor of Saint Charles
Borromeo Roman Catholic Community, Albuquerque, NM. Contact him with
a question at <jtlanesss@blessedsacrament.com> or
(505) 243-7373, extension 12, for a liturgical
question or advice.
