The document “Ars celebrandi” by Fr. Giorgio Bontempi C.M. offers an in-depth reflection – in 9 parts – on the Catholic liturgy, highlighting the importance of a careful and conscious celebration, in line with the directives of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter “Desiderio Desideravi”.
Part I
Dearly beloved,
part of the charism that St Vincent left us is that of the formation of the clergy. This is why I believe that we should be among those who, more than many others, care passionately about the implementation of the liturgical reform arising from the documents of the Second Vatican Council. This also applies to the Daughters of Charity.
Let us remember that some Priests of the Mission gave their lives, even paying in person, for the implementation of the Liturgical Reform, first and foremost Bishop Annibale Bugnini C.M., whose 40th anniversary of his return to the Mission of Heaven falls this year, to whom the Church owes much in the liturgical field (A. BUGNINI C.M. “Liturgiae cultor et amator, servì la chiesa. Autobiographical memoirs. Edizioni Liturgiche, Rome 2012).
I would like to remind you that these contributions are not intended to have any authority other than that of a liturgist who gives his thoughts to his brothers and sisters, so that our community life may increasingly reflect the desire of St Vincent and St Louise to see us live as dear friends, so that the young people, whom the Holy Spirit is calling to be Lazarists and Daughters of Charity, may find in our communities the way to respond to their call.
Those who do not like to receive my reflections feel free to let me know so I can remove them from my list. I do not wish to be endured. Sincerity is a means to help us rid ourselves of the clericalism that has infected and still infects the Church, and to help us implement the Founders’ desire, which is the foundation of Christian life (Acts 2:42 – 48).
Beauty in the value of symbols in the liturgy
Our celebrations must not lapse into sloppiness and rubricism (Desiderio Desideravi 22. Henceforth DD). In fact, the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours (Lauds – Vespers) that we normally live together and the liturgy of the Eucharist must not be things to be done, so the space, time, gestures, words, objects, vestments, singing, music, the care of the presbytery must be carried out with care and taste and not with a dangerous superficiality. It is the quality of the celebration in all its parts, in all its movements that conveys the beauty of the Risen Lord’s presence in his Church that celebrates him in the liturgy. (DD 23)
The role of the presidency is fundamental in every celebration, because if this is not performed as a service, but as a self-referential power, the celebration does not produce the due effects. In this regard, I recall that in the Liturgy of the Hours, or in a liturgy of the Word, the service of presiding, in the absence of an ordained minister, can be performed by any baptised person, if he or she is able. (Cf. I PRAENOTANDA OF THE NEW LITURGICAL BOOKS. LITURGY OF THE HOURS ACCORDING TO THE ROMAN RITE, ed. A. Donghi, Ancora, Milan, 1991, p. 592, n.54).
When the one who presides concentrates several roles on himself, or does not prepare the celebration, because he must be at the centre and not the Risen One, the value of beauty that leads to the awe of the perception that the Risen One is present is not realised. I remember a reflection by a young man at the end of a Mass on Christmas Day: everything was there, but there was nothing!
This means that in the celebration of which the young man speaks, the dynamic imagery of which the Church Fathers speak was not realised: You see a book solemnly carried in procession; you see the lector proclaiming the Word; you see an assembly singing; you see an assembly marching to receive the bread and wine but….tu can see much more: you can see THE RESURRECTED in the midst of his Church! As happened to the two men of Emmaus!
Sloppiness and improvisation do not implement dynamic imagery, but boredom and insignificance.
It is good to bear in mind, so that we may SEE the Risen Lord in the midst of his Church, the following:
- the Mass does not belong to the one who presides. He performs a service to the Church. The Mass is of the celebrant, who is the assembly gathered around the table of the Word and the Bread and Wine of which the one who presides is a part (DD 36).
- The one who presides must help the assembled Church to perceive, to experience the mystery celebrated: with words and gestures, the assembled Church affirms that at the centre is a Living One who is perceived in the rite to then be welcomed daily in the face of the brothers. We live what we celebrate, we celebrate what we live. (SC 48). Otherwise the liturgy is wasted time, because it is not magic.
Next, I will briefly discuss the various parts of the Eucharistic celebration, with reference also to liturgical celebration in general.
Let us remember and remind Christians, deceived by that part of the clergy that deviously opposes the decrees of Vatican II, that those who do not recognise the authority of one of the constitutions of the last Council place themselves outside the Catholic Church: in our case I refer to the Council Constitution SACROSACTUM CONCILIUM on the Sacred Liturgy of 4 December 1963.
Let us bear in mind that, behind every liturgical issue, there is the concept of church that a Christian has in mind. Now, when a baptised person questions the aforementioned conciliar constitution, he doubts the concept of church that the Council has expressed, which is why he places himself independently outside the Church.
By Fr. Giorgio Bontempi C.M.
