Part Five

LITURGY OF THE WORD

Introduction

It is fundamental to remember that the art of celebrating consists in making Christ shine, bringing freshness, beauty, transforming our existence. Our way of celebrating is always poor in relation to what is accomplished in it: the encounter of the creator with his creature.

Today we have a language, borrowed from the documents of the Second Vatican Council, to encounter the Lord in the liturgy. The language changes, but the rite does not change (by rite we mean the structure of a celebration. Example: the Eucharistic celebration: Initial Rites; Liturgy of the Word; Eucharistic Liturgy; Communion Rites; Conclusion Rites); that is, what changes is the modality and the language. This makes us realise the importance of every gesture of every expression. In fact, it is dangerous for the notion to spread that the liturgical rite has changed since the reform implemented by the Second Vatican Council. Because this concept opens one up to anarchy, and one might go so far as to affirm that any change is possible, indeed, one might even go so far as to affirm that even the changes brought about by the Liturgical Reform are optional. The consequence is the loss of the value that the liturgy expresses.

The art of presiding is very important, indeed it is fundamental. In this regard, I recall what happened in a Eucharistic celebration of the trigesimo of the death of a young man in a parish where the liturgy is very much taken care of by the parish priest, unlike the cooperating vicar who presides over the liturgical celebrations as if they were one of many things to be done

An extraordinary minister of communion had persuaded the mother of the deceased to come and celebrate the Eucharist of her son’s three-year anniversary in that parish. The minister, given the occasion, was sure that the parish priest would preside; the church was full of young people. Unfortunately the vicar-co-operator presided: in 20 minutes it was all over. The mother of the deceased concluded that she would never set foot in that parish again, the minister extraordinary was mortified. This is to underline the damage that can be done by a sloppy presidency.

This introduction was made to gain a deeper understanding of the role of the presidency.

Ѐ it should also be remembered that God’s people, more often than not, have not been prepared to decode liturgical language, so they do not understand that the Eucharistic celebration is a unicum: there is no such thing as a more important and a less important moment in the Mass, one must participate from beginning to end. (S.C.19).

The Eucharistic celebration

Celebration is fundamentally an encounter with the Lord, it is a relationship; it is prayer par excellence; it is conversing with God; it is dialogue with Him and it presupposes from us our recognising ourselves before the Lord, limited persons. The encounter with God is the movement that He makes towards us and that we make towards Him. It is the concept of the Covenant already present in the Old Testament: God communicates Himself to man and man responds with faith and obedience to God’s word.

Celebration is movement that causes a change in life. In what does this movement consist?

The first movement gestures consist of the introit procession and the kissing of the altar (the first and last gestures) with which one enters into a relationship with Christ. The three questions that God poses to Adam and that Christ poses to Peter are repeated: Adam where are you? Who let you know that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree that I told you not to eat?

Peter, do you love me most of all? Pietro do you love me? Peter do you love me? These three movements are the ones that take place in the celebration.

God seeks Adam not to accuse him, because God knows that he created us for him. Our fulfilment consists in experiencing his love and doing his will. God wants Adam to recognise himself in his errors. The Eucharistic celebration is a journey to recognise ourselves, like the publican in the temple, to lead us to recognise the true face of God, which is that of the Father. How does this happen within the celebration?

With the sign of the cross, one enters into a relationship with the Trinity. Then, the president on behalf of the Trinity greets the assembly, which wishes him that the Spirit that acted on the day of his ordination will continue to act in him.

We were created to enter into a relationship with the Lord.

The fundamental relationship is to return to God’s three questions to man and the three questions of Christ to Peter.

In the celebration these three movements are realised: in God’s search for his creature so that it may recognise itself; the Eucharist is this knowledge.

This relationship begins with the rites of introduction: In which we acknowledge our sins. Our limitations, in order to have forgiveness. (silence is important), because it is the first moment in which we can be confronted with our limited condition and be able to recognise that we are loved by God.

After the recognition of our status as limited persons there is the acceptance by the Father’s gratuitous love that is expressed in the hymn of the Gloria (the parable of the Prodigal Son) and culminates in the presidential prayer of the Collect. We are at a real encounter with the Risen One.

At this point there is God’s second question to Adam: Who let you know that you were naked? and Christ’s to Peter: Peter do you love me?

Our response of love, is listening to the Word of God.

The Liturgy of the Word

The liturgy of the Word is another opportunity for us to pause.

We sit to receive what is given to us. Instead, Gospel, the incarnate word, is received standing, the attitude of the new man, which is continued during the Creed and the prayer of the faithful.

Two parts: the word of God and the word in the celebration.

In the celebration, the Word of God is also relationship, in which God seeks man. The purpose of creation is the Covenant.

The Word is the fullness of this relationship with God.

God is dialogue and through the incarnation allows man to enter into his dialogue.

The Word of God is also a fact: and God said….sia the light and the light was!

The word is written, hence it is posterior to the lived and celebrated experience. The whole is inseparable: heard word (oral phase) – celebration – living what was celebrated. Followed by the written word – celebration – living what was celebrated. The word is salvation history, it is not abstraction, because it is embedded in the history of the people who are saved by God. The word becomes a person in Jesus of Nazareth. Indeed, even the gospel always deals with the daily life of the Jewish people. If the word is accepted, it is fulfilled! The church is born of concrete deeds, not writings. The Spirit when received builds the church in the world.

This fact is emphasised in the New Testament: the Gentiles accept the word and the Jews reject it! The last will be first and the first last. Israel remains a prisoner of the way it has always been done!

The word is the presence that all seek, a presence that is in our midst in the silence of everyday life. The word is the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

Let us consider the passage that narrates the story of Emmaus: Lk 25.

The word has the ability to speak to us at all times and personally.

It is important to be attentive to listening so as not to be confused by the many voices. The word invites us to welcome the other who is the presence of the Risen One. This requires listening to and recognising what is different, its gifts, and welcoming its proposals.

The celebration of the liturgy of the Word

It is difficult for everyone to listen, to recognise, to welcome the encounter with God who reveals his heart to us. The Eucharist is this encounter between our misery and his gratuitous love. That is why the Eucharistic celebration is called medicinal.

All must listen with reverence to the word proclaimed. (OGRM No. 29). The liturgy of the word helps us understand the significance of the sequence of rites in the celebration during the liturgical year.

The liturgical season helps to read the meaning of the Christian life as well as the meaning of the liturgical colours. Each scan of the liturgical year recalls the review of a specific point in the Christian life.

• the first reading to help us recognise ourselves. This is linked to the gospel (OGMR 59).
• The psalm is the response to the first reading (OGMR 61).
• the meeting takes place in the acclamation of the Alleluia song with which the assembly of the faithful welcomes and greets the Lord who is about to speak in the Gospel and with the song manifests their faith. (OGMR 62).
• The prayer before the gospel should be done by the whole assembly to make us worthy of hearing the word of the Lord. The signs of the cross indicate the indwelling of the Lord who is in our midst and which is reaffirmed by the response: praise to you O Christ!
• The homily should be what binds the parts of the Mass in harmony, it is recommended daily (OGMR 65).

1. The symphony of the homily: Lectio and Meditatio in relation to the celebration. The homily is part of the whole, that is, of the celebration: the homily is not an exegesis, nor is it a catechesis, let alone the narration of external facts.
2. The homily is the encounter between the proclaimed word and everyday life. That is why the celebrating assembly that the homilet has in front of him or her must be taken into account. this

A brief moment of silence follows, which serves to internalise the contents of the homily (OGMR 66).

1. the length of the homily depends on the preacher, i.e. on his ability to attract interest, but it is essential that the preacher remembers that the protagonist is the Holy Spirit. Clear synthesis reflects an inner clarity. Silence must be relative to the time of the homily. Because the action of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individuals is fundamental.

• The Symbol, or profession of faith, has as its purpose that all the people gathered respond to the word of God, proclaimed in the readings of Sacred Scripture and explained in the homily […] and remember and profess the great mysteries of faith before their celebration in the Eucharist (OGMR 67).
• During the universal prayer or the prayer of the faithful, the celebrating assembly exercises its baptismal priesthood, responding in a manner appropriate to the proposed prayer intentions. (OGMR 69.

The scheme to be followed in proposing invocations is as follows:

1. for the needs of the Church;
2. for the rulers and the salvation of the whole world;
3. for those in difficulty;
4. for the local

However, the succession can be adapted in particular circumstances, never replacing the intention for the universal Church in the first place (OGMR 70)

The intentions proposed should be sober, formulated with wise freedom and few words, and express the intentions of the entire community (OGRM 71).

Books for the proclamation of the word of God in celebrations

The liturgical book (evangeliary and lectionary) from which the word of God is proclaimed, is not the word of God, but the sign of the Word with which the Father speaks in the world and in the hearts of all people. However, as this sign and symbol of higher realities, it must be worthy, decorous and beautiful (Ordination of the Mass readings = OLM 35).

Unfortunately, liturgical books are often unkempt, with their covers broken and patched with adhesive tape; the pages are dirty and broken. In this case, the liturgical book does not appear worthy, decent and beautiful, but anything but. This, in parish communities and religious communities should be guarded with the utmost care.

It would be recommended if there were a “shrine” in the celebration hall, next to the ambo where the Gospel book and lectionaries are kept, visible to the people of God. This would manifest the care and veneration that is shown for the word of God in that church.

This care and veneration culminates in the care of the Gospel Book, which is to be splendidly adorned, distinct from the other book of readings. It is not without reason that the same Gospel Book is given to the deacon at his ordination, and at episcopal ordination it is placed and held open on the head of the elected (OLM 36)1.

It is important to note the following: the books of the readings (lectionary and Gospel Book) then, prepared for the celebrations, are not to be replaced, out of respect for the dignity of the word of God, by other pastoral aids, e.g. leaflets for the faithful – this also applies to the Missal – to prepare the readings or meditate on them personally (OLM 37). Let us not make the excuse that the laity are not prepared. Liturgical groups should be established in parishes for the ongoing liturgical formation of the people of God.

Unfortunately, it is noticeable that the clergy is missing from this formation…..!

By Fr. Giorgio Bontempi C.M.

¹ Cf Roman Pontifical. Ordination of the Bishop, Presbyters and Deacons. Second Typical Italian Edition, Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City 1992. no. 313, p. 194; no. 51, p. 49; no. 55, p. 50.