The Musician/Liturgist
and The Sacrament of Charity (cont.)
The presentation of the gifts
[47] The Synod Fathers also drew attention to the presentation of the gifts.
This is not to be viewed simply as a kind of "interval" between the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist.
To do so would tend to weaken, at the least, the sense of a single rite made up of two interrelated parts.
This humble and simple gesture is actually very significant: in the bread and wine that we bring to the altar, all creation is taken up by Christ the Redeemer to be transformed and presented to the Father.
In this way we also bring to the altar all the pain and suffering of the world, in the certainty that everything has value in God's eyes.
The authentic meaning of this gesture can be clearly expressed without the need for undue emphasis or complexity.
It enables us to appreciate how God invites man to participate in bringing to fulfilment his handiwork, and in so doing, gives human labor its authentic meaning, since, through the celebration of the Eucharist, it is united to the redemptive sacrifice of Christ.
The Eucharistic Prayer
[48] The Eucharistic Prayer is "the centre and summit of the entire celebration."
Its importance deserves to be adequately emphasized.
The different Eucharistic Prayers contained in the Missal have been handed down to us by the Church's living Tradition and are noteworthy for their inexhaustible theological and spiritual richness.
The faithful need to be enabled to appreciate that richness.
Here the General Instruction on the Roman Missal can help, with its list of the basic elements of every Eucharistic Prayer: thanksgiving, acclamation, epiclesis, institution narrative and consecration, anamnesis, offering, intercessions and final doxology.
In a particular way, eucharistic spirituality and theological reflection are enriched if we contemplate in the anaphora the profound unity between the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the institution narrative whereby "the sacrifice is carried out which Christ himself instituted at the Last Supper."
Indeed, "the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts offered by human hands be consecrated, that is, become Christ's Body and Blood, and that the spotless Victim to be received in communion be for the salvation of those who will partake of it."
The sign of peace
[49] By its nature the Eucharist is the sacrament of peace.
At Mass this dimension of the eucharistic mystery finds specific expression in the sign of peace. Certainly this sign has great value (cf. Jn 14:27).
In our times, fraught with fear and conflict, this gesture has become particularly eloquent, as the Church has become increasingly conscious of her responsibility to pray insistently for the gift of peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family.
Certainly there is an irrepressible desire for peace present in every heart.
The Church gives voice to the hope for peace and reconciliation rising up from every man and woman of good will, directing it towards the one who "is our peace" (Eph 2:14) and who can bring peace to individuals and peoples when all human efforts fail.
We can thus understand the emotion so often felt during the sign of peace at a liturgical celebration.
Even so, during the Synod of Bishops there was discussion about the appropriateness of greater restraint in this gesture, which can be exaggerated and cause a certain distraction in the assembly just before the reception of Communion.
It should be kept in mind that nothing is lost when the sign of peace is marked by a sobriety which preserves the proper spirit of the celebration, as, for example, when it is restricted to one's immediate neighbors.
The distribution and reception of the Eucharist
[50] Another moment of the celebration needing to be mentioned is the distribution and reception of Holy Communion.
I ask everyone, especially ordained ministers and those who, after adequate preparation and in cases of genuine need, are authorized to exercise the ministry of distributing the Eucharist, to make every effort to ensure that this simple act preserves its importance as a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus in the sacrament.
For the rules governing correct practice in this regard, I would refer to those documents recently issued on the subject.
All Christian communities are to observe the current norms faithfully, seeing in them an expression of the faith and love with which we all must regard this sublime sacrament.
Furthermore, the precious time of thanksgiving after communion should not be neglected: besides the singing of an appropriate hymn, it can also be most helpful to remain recollected in silence.
In this regard, I would like to call attention to a pastoral problem frequently encountered nowadays.
I am referring to the fact that on certain occasions – for example, wedding Masses, funerals and the like – in addition to practicing Catholics there may be others present who have long since ceased to attend Mass or are living in a situation which does not permit them to receive the sacraments.
At other times members of other Christian confessions and even other religions may be present.
Similar situations can occur in churches that are frequently visited, especially in tourist areas.
In these cases, there is a need to find a brief and clear way to remind those present of the meaning of sacramental communion and the conditions required for its reception.
Wherever circumstances make it impossible to ensure that the meaning of the Eucharist is duly appreciated, the appropriateness of replacing the celebration of the Mass with a celebration of the word of God should be considered.
The dismissal: "Ite, missa est"
[51] Finally, I would like to comment briefly on the observations of the Synod Fathers regarding the dismissal at the end of the Eucharistic celebration.
After the blessing, the deacon or the priest dismisses the people with the words: Ite, missa est.
These words help us to grasp the relationship between the Mass just celebrated and the mission of Christians in the world.
In antiquity, missa simply meant "dismissal."
However in Christian usage it gradually took on a deeper meaning.
The word "dismissal" has come to imply a "mission."
These few words succinctly express the missionary nature of the Church.
The People of God might be helped to understand more clearly this essential dimension of the Church's life, taking the dismissal as a starting-point.
In this context, it might also be helpful to provide new texts, duly approved, for the prayer over the people and the final blessing, in order to make this connection clear.
Actuosa participatio (Authentic participation)
[52] The Second Vatican Council rightly emphasized the active, full and fruitful participation of the entire People of God in the Eucharistic celebration.
Certainly, the renewal carried out in these past decades has made considerable progress towards fulfilling the wishes of the Council Fathers.
Yet we must not overlook the fact that some misunderstanding has occasionally arisen concerning the precise meaning of this participation.
It should be made clear that the word "participation" does not refer to mere external activity during the celebration.
In fact, the active participation called for by the Council must be understood in more substantial terms, on the basis of a greater awareness of the mystery being celebrated and its relationship to daily life.
The conciliar Constitution Sacrosanctum concilium encouraged the faithful to take part in the Eucharistic liturgy not "as strangers or silent spectators," but as participants "in the sacred action, conscious of what they are doing, actively and devoutly."
This exhortation has lost none of its force.
The Council went on to say that the faithful "should be instructed by God's word, and nourished at the table of the Lord's Body.
They should give thanks to God.
Offering the immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest but also together with him, they should learn to make an offering of themselves.
Through Christ, the Mediator, they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and each other."
Participation and the priestly ministry
[53] The beauty and the harmony of the liturgy find eloquent expression in the order by which everyone is called to participate actively.
This entails an acknowledgment of the distinct hierarchical roles involved in the celebration.
It is helpful to recall that active participation is not per se equivalent to the exercise of a specific ministry.
The active participation of the laity does not benefit from the confusion arising from an inability to distinguish, within the Church's communion, the different functions proper to each one.
There is a particular need for clarity with regard to the specific functions of the priest.
He alone, and no other, as the tradition of the Church attests, presides over the entire Eucharistic celebration, from the initial greeting to the final blessing.
In virtue of his reception of Holy Orders, he represents Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, and, in a specific way, also the Church herself.
Every celebration of the Eucharist, in fact, is led by the Bishop, "either in person or through priests who are his helpers."
He is helped by a deacon, who has specific duties during the celebration: he prepares the altar, assists the priest, proclaims the Gospel, preaches the homily from time to time, reads the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful, and distributes the Eucharist to the faithful.
Associated with these ministries linked to the sacrament of Holy Orders, there are also other ministries of liturgical service which can be carried out in a praiseworthy manner by religious and properly trained laity.
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