Reflections on the Liturgy in the light of the Apostolic Letter Desiderio Desideravi of the Holy Father Francis – II

In this second part, I will expound the main lines of a liturgical celebration in the light of the theology inherent in Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC): the ritual programme.

Part Two

 

THE RITUAL PROGRAMME.

Introduction

The first person who must implement the ritual programme in a celebration is the one who performs the presiding service. This person must have a good liturgical formation: to know the liturgical books, to remain in the ritual sequence, to have assimilated that the subject is the celebrating assembly, of which the presiding person is also a part, and to which he/she performs the presiding service: the celebration is not the property of the presiding person! (SC 48). It follows that the celebration of the Eucharist is not the property of the priest. Unfortunately, to this day, this concept is still not clear to all priests!

One celebrates what one lives and lives what one celebrates, (per ritus et preces) (SC 48). Liturgy is not something to be done. Otherwise one wastes time! (SC 49)

Here is the oldest source of the Latin liturgy from which we can deduce how it was celebrated in the 2nd century: the Apology of Saint Justin Martyr.

St Justin Martyr, a philosopher who was born Flavia Neapoli in the Syrian city of Palestine, lived in the 2nd century and composed the Apologies, in which he sought to prove the innocence of Christians who were accused of plotting the destruction of the state.

In the First Apology, the longest and most complex, composed in 153 A.D., Justin described the Eucharistic liturgy: certainly the oldest, most beautiful and most valuable source of documentation for getting to know the liturgical order in force in the Church in the 2nd century (cf. St. Justin, Le due Apologie, Edizioni Paoline, Roma, 1983, pag. 28).

1. The ritual programme in Justin. (Idem, pag. 118).

Justin presents the ritual programme and the time coordinates of the celebration:

1. […] on the day called ‘of the Sun’ – this is Sunday. Justin refers to the denomination in use in Hellenistic (= Greek) culture, according to which the seven days of the week were related to as many planets, to which divine honour was paid. Naturally the day of the Sun was compared by the Christian community with the day of the Lord: Jesus Christ the true spiritual sun of believers.

a) Liturgy of the Word.

1. The assembly sits in an attitude of listening. One or more readers proclaim the memories of the Apostles and the writings of the Prophets as long as time permits.

2. This is followed by a homily by the presiding officer delivered in language accessible to the celebrating assembly.

3. At the end of the homily, the assembly stands in the attitude of the new man risen from the water of baptism and raises invocations (= universal prayer).

b) Eucharistic Liturgy

1. At the end of the universal prayer, bread, wine and water are brought to the president (the water was used, at that time, to dampen the very strong taste of the wine).

2. After receiving the gifts, the one who presides raises the Eucharistic prayer to the Father, in the name of all, according to his capacity, at the end of which the assembly acclaims by saying “AMEN”.

The consecrated bread and wine are distributed to those present and, through the deacons, sent to those absent.

3. At the end of the celebration, goods are collected to help the poor, because one must live what one celebrates and celebrate what one lives. From rite to charity: cf. General Instruction of the Roman Missal (IGMR 28)

We note how the General Ordinance of the Roman Missal refers back to Justin: the celebration of the Eucharist consists of two parts connected by rites that precede and conclude.

2. The ritual programme in the General Order of the Roman Missal.

a) Euchological (= prayer) device: time and space; actors and verbal and non-verbal language.

1. Time:

Time is actualised in the Liturgical Year, which recalls (fulfils the anamnesis) the history of salvation, because in each of its sections it leads us to meet the Risen One (e.g. Advent: the Lord comes, when? Every day, in the face of our brothers), the mature spirituality of the Liturgical Year projects us towards the liturgy of the Kingdom of Heaven, in fact in the liturgical books we can see an itinerary of the sequela Christi. (Cf. NORME GENERALI PER L’ORDINAMETO DELL’ANNO LITURGICO E DEL CALENDARIO, in Messale Romano 3 ed., Roma, Editrice Vaticana, 2020, Cap. I, L’anno liturgici, nn. 1 – 2).

2. Space.

Justin writes of a community gathering in a space (cf. I Apologia, p. 118) in Justin’s time people gathered in a house. The architectural space is the sign of the church composed of living stones (1 Peter 2:4-12).
The Church is the domus orationis (the house of prayer) in which celebration takes place, where the faithful are favoured by a rite celebrated with noble simplicity (SC 34)

3. The Actors.

The first actor in the celebration is the people summoned around the Risen One (cf. OGMR 27). The face of the people that emerges is that of a community gathered and enlivened by charisms. When the people have gathered, the priest goes to the altar (Roman Missal 3 ed. p. 309). The diversity of roles within the celebratory assembly.

a. The presidency.

Presiding is the main service that is performed by the bishop or a presbyter to indicate that the church is gathered around the risen Lord.
Presiding therefore is a service and not a power (OGMR 92).

1. b. The deacon.
   The deacon occupies the first place after the one who presides, his service:
2. I. Proclaiming the Gospel and sometimes preaching the word of God;
3. II. propose the intentions of the Universal Prayer to the faithful;
   

III. serve the presbyter and prepare the table and provide service, that of charity, which the deacon must coordinate in the parish community;

the concelebrating priests, even in the absence of the deacon, remain in their place and do not replace him, because they are of equal dignity to the one who presides. (OGMR p. XXXVII, n. 214).

1. IV. help in the distribution of the Eucharist, especially that distributed under the two species; help the people to approach it with the right attitude (OGMR 94).
   
2. c. The reader and the acolyte.
3. I. The reader wears an approved robe n the introit procession, in the absence of the deacon, he may carry the Gospel Book, which he lays on the table according to common usage (OGNR 194 – 195).

He proclaims the readings and, in the absence of a psalmist, also the responsorial psalm, and also proposes the intentions of the Universal Prayer from the ambo in the absence of the deacon (OGMR 196 – 197).

If no hymn is sung at the entrance or at communion, and if the antiphons indicated in the Missal (entrance and communion) are not recited by the faithful, the reader may propose them at the appropriate time (OGMR 48 and 87).

1. II. The services of the acolyte are various: in the introit procession, he may carry the cross; during the celebration, he presents the Missal to the priest; he helps the deacon to prepare the table and, in his absence, takes his place; if he also holds the office of extraordinary minister of communion, he helps the priest in the distribution of communion. (Cfr. OGMR 187 – 193).

d) Other forms of service within the celebration.

1. 1. An important role in the celebrating assembly is played by the schola cantorum or choir. Its service is to promote the active participation of the faithful in the chant and to perform its parts in it. . A cantor is to help the assembly perform the song well. (OGMR 103 – 104).
   
2. 2. The care of the sacristy almost always mirrors that of the celebrations.
3. 3. The service performed by the welcoming group at the church door provides each person with the tools for active participation in the celebration (OGMR 105 a; 105 d).
4. 4. Especially in solemn celebrations, the presence of a director,commonly referred to as a master of ceremonies, is important: the liturgy is not improvised, but is carefully prepared so that the presence of the Risen One can shine in it. (OGMR 106).

In part three, we will discuss the importance of verbal and non-verbal language within a liturgical celebration le.

By Fr. Giorgio Bontempi C.M.