Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Liturgy - Class 4

As soon as class started we were divided into two groups; the Red Team vs the Blue Team. The plan was to take a few minutes to write down four questions that might stump the other team. We were playing for chocolates, so it was serious stuff.
 
Red Team’s first question was, “Name six things that are allowed on the alter?” Blue Team’s answer was, “The chalice, candles, corporal, pacificator, ciborium, paten, crucifix, wine, and bread”. Blue Team’s first question was, “What is the procedure for left over Precious Blood, and why is it important?” Red Team’s answer was, “It must be consumed, not disposed of, because it can’t be saved, and then the vessels must be purified”.
 
Red Team’s second question was, “When was communion under both species re-introduced?” Blue Team’s answer was, “The 1963 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy authorized the extension of the faculty for Holy Communion under both kinds”. Blue Team’s second question was, “Where and why should flowers and offerings be placed?” Red Team’s answer was, “Flowers should be placed at the base of the alter, or the base of the ambo, and the offering should be placed near the alter”.
 
Red Team’s third question was, “Do you have to have a closing song?” Blue Team’s answer was, “No, the recessional song is optional”. Blue Team’s third question was, “When is it most appropriate to celebrate the liturgy in Latin, and what songs are appropriate?” Red Team’s answer was, “When there are multiple languages spoken by the audience”. I tried to convince them that it was appropriate anywhere Latin was the native language, but they didn’t buy that. Red Team’s answer regarding the music was, “Suggested songs would be Gregorian chant”.
 
Red Team’s forth question was, “Why should you not use consecrated hosts from the Tabernacle during Mass?” Blue Team’s answer related to when you could use the previously consecrated hosts from the Tabernacle, and Red Team insisted that they did not provide the correct answer.
 
Blue Team’s answer should have been “People should understand that it is one body taken from the one sacrifice. It should not come from the Tabernacle because, although consecrated, it is not the work of the people in this Mass Celebration. There is value in the symbol of the host itself: Once consecrated it remains until it is no longer food. There is also value in the work of the people, who prayed over the bread and wine. It is important to respect the work of the people as much as the symbol of the host.
 
Blue Team’s forth question was, “What is intinction and who is allowed to do it?” Red Team’s answer was, “Intinction is dipping the host into the blood, and only ordained communion ministers can do it”.
 
Intinction cannot be done by lay people, although the cup minister should not be militant about this. It’s best to correct them at a more appropriate time. After all, Jesus put up with a lot of bad behavior in an effort to respect the dignity of the people.
 
After the break we worked on understanding the Eucharistic Prayer, which is the “source and summit of Christian life”. The Eucharistic Prayer is telling a story, and like a story it consists of many parts:
 
The Dialog, near the beginning, is the oldest part. The Priest begins, “The Lord be with you,” which is followed by our response, “And with your spirit.”
 
The Preface is to give thanks and has 86 different options for special occasions or ordinary time. Although the Priest can choose any preface that he wants, except when one is assigned for Feast Days, but the Liturgy committee should suggest a preface based on what we want to pray for on this Sunday; what are we thankful for and what preface reflects that?
 
The Epiclesis includes the calling down of the Holy Spirit and the laying on of hands. The Institution Narrative might also be called the Supper Story, because it recounts what happened at the Last Supper. There is no specific phrase or word or time that the Consecration occurs, and the emphasis is on the words that Jesus said. It is the whole prayer together.
 
The Anamnesis is the memorial acclamation preparing us for the crucifixion. Anamnesis is the opposite of amnesia, it is bringing the past, present, and future together in memory of his death and resurrection. The reason we call it the Last Supper is that Jesus was going to die, it was His last supper, and it is celebrated so that people can know that Jesus died for them too.
 
The Offering is not just the offering of the gifts but it is an offering of ourselves. This is the moment of sacrifice. Together before the Lord we are creating community and communion as we enter into the Sacrifice.
 
The Intercessions are to remind us that Jesus makes us worthy and new. The Doxology is a statement of praise through Him, with Him and in Him. It is completed with the Great Amen, as we proclaim “I Believe”.
 
This Amen should be expressed enthusiastically because it is the glorification of God expressed and confirmed by the people.
 
Obviously Jesus did not leave us the Eucharistic Prayer as it is now, and in fact originally it wasn't written down. It was necessary to improvise this prayer, and you had to do it well if you wanted to become
 
a Bishop. As a result it developed unevenly over time, and sprang up in various forms as a reflection of the various cultures using it.
 
The Eucharistic Prayer is important because within it is the ultimate goal: Unity. God is inviting us to join with his Son, and the Holy Spirit, to break this (our) body that we might be united with Him in
Glory. It’s important to recognize that the Last Supper as depicted in the first three Gospels is re-presented in John’s Gospel. The washing of the feet in John is what it looks like to follow Jesus’ Word: “Take my Body and Take my Blood” for the sake of everyone around us.
 
My post to the class website:
 
I liked that idea that within the Eucharistic Prayer is the ultimate goal: Unity. God is inviting us to join with his Son, and the Holy Spirit, to break this (our) body that we might be united with Him in Glory. It’s also important to recognize that the Last Supper as depicted in the first three Gospels is recreated in John’s Gospel.
 
John's gospel is different from the other three in the New Testament, and that fact was recognized by the early church itself. By the year 200 John's gospel was being called the spiritual gospel, precisely because it told the story of Jesus in symbolic ways that differed sharply at times from the other three.
 
The washing of the feet in John is what it looks like to follow Jesus’ Word: “Take my Body and Take my Blood” for the sake of everyone around us. John's gospel is forcing us, dramatically and through storytelling, to think of Jesus as the Passover Lamb. In John's Gospel, Jesus doesn't eat a Passover meal, Jesus is the Passover meal.

No comments:

Post a Comment