The full, conscious, and active participation of all God's People is the goal to be considered before all else because it is through this kind of participation that every person is filled with the true Christian Spirit.
Filled with this Spirit, we are all sent into life to be that which we become in the liturgy, the Body and life Blood of Christ for the world.
(CSL, 14).
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Music in the Catholic Liturgy "Liturgical musicians are first of all disciples, and only then are they ministers. Joined to Christ through the Sacraments of Initiation, musicians belong to the assembly of the baptized faithful; they are worshipers above all else. Like other baptized members of the assembly, pastoral musicians need to hear the Gospel, experience conversion, profess faith in Christ, and so proclaim the praise of God. Thus, musicians who serve the Church at prayer are not merely employees or volunteers. They are ministers who share the faith, serve the community, and express the love of God and neighbor through music." Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, #49 Some parishes have been worshiping with paperback hymnals and missalettes for years. Many of the songs and hymns they have used in these resources are found in the hard hymnal. The Gather hymnal includes well known music and many newly composed songs encompassing many musical styles. The lectionary edition includes a full three-year lectionary, providing the reading citations and music for psalm refrains as well as the text of psalm verses. There are twelve new or revised Mass settings of various styles within the hymnal to enrich the singing experience of parishioners. Mass cards are no longer needed in the pews because the dialogues and prayers are printed inside the front cover of the hymnal. A hymnal also helps a parish to be practice thoughtful 'green' stewardship of the earth by deleting the need to produce new paper books every year! The liturgy draws all into the paschal mystery deepening our understanding of Christ's model of suffering, dying, and rising to new life. The purpose of liturgical music is not to entertain but to help participants in the liturgy surrender to the transforming dynamic of the liturgy. As a result, we need music that is consistent rather than constantly changing. We need to repeat acclamations we sing from the time of the Gospel acclamation to Lamb of God. We need to repeat seasonal hymns, scriptural hymns, Eucharistic hymns, and psalms until they become beloved texts and sounds our people long to sing over and over. And since we will sing them over and over, the music must be well written, substantial, and time-tried proving its last-ability. Texts and music touch sense and memory,
intellect and emotion, and form us as members of the Body of Christ who go into daily life to be Christ to one another. Pastoral music will be effective when it is cultivated thoughtfully into memory and spirit. Let us not be afraid to repeat the use of music.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
December 8th, 2012 is a holy day or solemnity even though it is on Saturday this year. Why? The Immaculate Conception of Mary is the patronal feast day of the United States.
By the way, you have access to this information through the book "Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist" or commonly referred to as the "ordo". Every parish sacristy has a copy of it on the vesting table.
You can have your own copy through your cell phone or computer application. Go into your "App Store" and type in "ordo". You want the Paulist Press ordo. You will need to press the "region" button to get the appropriate dates for your Archdiocese. It's a great resource.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Pope John Paul II on 12 August 1993 in Denver (Colorado) Papa Juan Pablo II el 12 de agosto de 1993 en Denver, Colorado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Blessed John Paul II will be remembered in the dioceses of the United States by an optional memorial added to the country’s proper liturgical calendar.
Until now, certain dioceses or sites had permission to celebrate this optional memorial, but that permission has now been extended to the whole country.
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments recently approved this request from the USCCB, and the memorial may be celebrated with proper texts on October 22. (The announcement—on October 19—came a little late for some parishes this year.)
Proper texts for Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours—in English, Latin, and Spanish—may be found at [ http://usccb.org/about/leadership/holy-see/pope-john-paul-ii/memorial-of-blessed-john-paul-ii.cfm ] USCCB.
The USA is blessed with people who believe in God and practice their faith through the prism of many religions. Freedom to express one's faith is a great gift in America. Check out a PBS documentary on religious freedom, "First Freedom: The Fight for Religious Liberty," airing on PBS stations December 18th.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool is the first Catholic diocese in England and Wales to commission lay people to preside at funerals in order to relieve pressure on priests. The current 170 priests in the Archdiocese of Liverpool, England will decline to 100 by 2015. The move was explained in a brochure, Planning a Catholic Funeral, which notes that the "community's main celebration and prayer for the deceased" may be "a funeral Mass or a funeral service led by a lay funeral minister or a deacon." In some parts of the world where priests and deacons are not available, lay minsters already preside at funerals, but this is the first time that the priest shortage in England and Wales has been addressed in this way.
The USCCB has announced a new series of blogs on the 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council in the following weeks. Two blogs per week will be written by bishops. The first blog is on liturgical reform, by Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans and chair of the bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship. The next will be on ecumenism by Bishop Denis Madden, auxiliary bishop in Baltimore and chair of the bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and interreligious Affairs.
Click here for the blogs in English and here for Spanish.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan received a letter from Rome, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, requesting the bishops of the United States to adjust their liturgical music document, Sing to the Lord, published in June of 2008. Paragraph #188 will be altered to remove permission to use other Christological tropes in place of "Lamb of God". In many parishes in the USA, liturgical musicians accompanied the fraction rite with a litany form of the acclamation as the Body of Christ was broken and the Blood of Christ was poured out. Rome notes that this practice is not in conformity with #130 of the revised Order of Mass and requests the bishops to make the correction in their document. It will also add, "The Agnus Dei should not be prolonged unnecessarily (see GIRM, no. 83) nor may other texts be added to this chant." In addition to this change, there will also be minor changes to vocabulary, capitalization, and quotes from the GIRM and the revised Order of Mass.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Check out, "Navigating the Roman Missal". The project, completed by Region 7 FDLC, outlines comments for the following:
♦ADVENT
♦CHRISTMAS TIME
♦ORDINARY TIME BETWEEN CHRISTMAS TIME AND LENT
♦THE MASS AND ITS PARTS - CONCELEBRATED MASS
♦LENT
♦HOLY WEEK
♦MUSIC FOR HOLY WEEK AND THE TRIDUUM
♦THURSDAY OF THE LORD'S SUPPER
♦GOOD FRIDAY - THE PASSION OF THE LORD
♦HOLY SATURDAY AND THE EASTER VIGIL IN THE HOLY NIGHT
♦EASTER TIME
♦ORDINARY TIME - SUMMER
♦ORDINARY TIME - FALL
Go to the this link.
Monday, October 1, 2012
On Sunday, November 25, the Feast of Christ the King, representatives from every parish in the Archdiocese will gather at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hiawatha at 2:00 pm to celebrate the Eucharist to conclude the 175th Anniversary Year of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Archbishop Hanus invites very parish in the Archdiocese of Dubuque to assign 5-6 representatives of the parish to come to the celebration.
Let us celebrate the closing of the Anniversary Year with joy on the feast of Christ the King, November 25th!
In his book, Speak the Word with Boldness, Walter J. Burghardt, SJ, says, "Eucharist means thanksgiving. But the Eucharist is a genuine thanksgiving only if we ourselves become eucharists for the life of the world. Four verbs in each consecration spell out the rhythm in Christian discipleship. What Jesus did to ordinary bread at the Supper, that Jesus does to ordinary flesh and blood, to you. Jesus took, Jesus blessed, Jesus broke, Jesus gave. In giving you life, Jesus chose you to follow him. In your baptism Jesus blessed you, consecrated you to be his disciple. In your suffering Jesus "breaks" you, burns out the damnable concentration on self, remolds ou to himself, shapes you as a man or woman for others. And so, wherever you are, Jesus gives you -- chosen, blessed, and broken -- gives you to a whole little world for its salvation. As the bread is transformed into Christ's body, do you feel your own flesh transformed into Christ, to share in his work of redemption?" Excerpted from Speak the Word with Boldness by Walter J. Burghardt, SJ. c 1994 by The New York of Province of the Society of Jesus. Used by permission of Paulist Press.
The Catholic Sisters of the Upper Mississippi River Valley are hosting a four-part series on the Second Vatican Council. The series, entitled, "Celebrating Vatican II: Sharing the Vision" is free and open to the public.
October 21, 2:00 p.m. Dr. Richard R. Gaillardetz, will speak on "What Happened at Vatican II? Keys to Understanding the Council," in the Rogalski Center, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA
December 2, 2:00 p.m. Dr. Zeni Fox, will speak on "The Laity after Vatican II: Collaboration in Ministry" at Clarke University, Dubuque, IA.
February 24, 2:00 p.m. Dr. Massimo Faggioli will speak on "Liturgical Reform: the Crucial Impact and Legacy of Vatican II" at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Hiawatha (Cedar Rapids), IA.
April 21, 2:00 p.m., Dr. marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA, and Bishop Daniel Turley, OSA, will speak on "The Church in the Modern World: Vatican II's Challenge for Our Time," at Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Church, Clinton, IA.
For directions to these events, please use Google maps. I hope to see you there!
Friday, May 25, 2012
ADDING REVISED TEXTS TO RITUAL MASSES
and TEXTS FOR MASSES WITH CHILDREN
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments (CDWDS) in Rome has noted that the following adaptations are to be made in liturgical rites in light of the recent translation of the Roman Missal:
1. Every occurrence of "And with your spirit" including the dialogue between the confirmandi and the bishop in the Rite of Confirmation.
2. The "I confess to Almighty God" or Confiteor.
3. The invitation to communion, "Behold the Lamb of God" and "Lord, I am not worthy"
4. The dismissal dialogue of all rites
5. The prayers of the priest or deacon in preparation for the proclamation of the Gospel.
Additionally, adjustments may be made in the following celebrations:
- Baptism (the blessing of water and Baptismal promise text)
- Rite of Marriage (the Nuptial Blessing now appears in the Roman Missal, page 1034 in Catholic Book Publishing Co. RMIII and page 1186, Liturgical Press edition RMIII.)
- Funeral Liturgy
- Liturgy of the Hours
The Eucharistic Prayer for Masses with Children has been modified and is available for purchase through the USCCB Communications. There is no official word on the status of the revised Lectionary for Masses with Children approved by the USCCB in 2006 and sent to Rome for recognitio.
Permission has been granted to republish Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest with the new translations of texts. In the meantime, lay leaders of prayer are to write in the appropriately retranslated texts.
There is discussion about the use of the Glory to God during the celebration of Marriage, Confirmation, Ordination and other ritual Masses. The Ritual Masses in the revised Roman Missal call for a more frequent use of the Glory to God indicated in the rubrics of the Prayers (or propers) of the particular Ritual Mass. (Source: USCCB Committee for Divine Worship (BCDW) Newsletter, November-December, 2011)
Yesterday, Father Ev Hemann, former director of the Office of Worship, Archdiocese of Dubuque, died as the result of pancreatic cancer. Father Ev's blog will continue to inspire us with his reflection on suffering, death, and resurrection (http://revevhemann.wordpress.com) One of the things he said about the Holy People of God was that "they think a priest has an extraordinary or superhuman quality. If there is, I don't possess it. I must have been out behind the barn when God was handing that out. Just because we don't marry, people thing we are more holy even though the Catholic teaching is very clear that a person who takes a vow of celibacy is no more holy than others." And: "The mark of maturity is to dissove into the bigger oneness of the community and gain a solidarity that is bigger than our private lives." Today, we offer the prayer he prayed for 40 years every night before bed, "Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people. . ." (Luke 2: 29-32)
Offering the Exultet effectively has been made easier. Go to this ICEL link, scroll down the page to get the link to a copy of the Exultet in English. Other chant copies for the Triduum liturgies are also available.
A recording with the text of the EXSULTET is on the NPM page. It is titled, "The Paschal Proclamation". Go to this link NPM and scroll down to The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night.
You will see these two icons: One for the pdf file and another for a of the Exultet with the title, "The Paschal Proclamation." See http://www.npm.org/Chants/assets/exsultet.mp3
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
PRACTICE PREFACES ON-LINE
Recordings of twenty-eight prefaces in the new Roman Missal are now available for listening and free download at the NPM website, www.npm.org/Chants/index.htm. Here you will find sung prefaces for celebrations occurring between the First Sunday of Advent on November 27, 2011, and the beginning of Lent in late February 2012. The location of prefaces on the NPM website follows the order in which they appear in the missal. Look for recordings on the web pages marked Proper of Time, Prefaces in the Order of Mass, Proper of Saints, Ritual Masses, and Various Needs and Occasions.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Different Layout in the Revised Roman Missal
Fr. Paul Turner wrote an excellent article in this month's issue of "Pastoral Liturgy" magazine published by LTP. He made an excellent outline of new nomenclature from the Sacramentary to Missal regarding placement of texts. He discusses where the texts for certain days/feasts, etc. can be found since the structure of the revised Roman Missal now follows the structure of the Latin edition.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Distribution of Communion: The Body and Blood of Christ
The following appears at the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops web page at this link. The statement is adapted from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2011)
The distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds has been the norm for more than a millenium. It began during the first days of the Church's celebration of the Eucharist in fulfillment of the Lord's command to "take and eat . . . take and drink."
This practice continued until the late eleventh century when the custom of distributing communion to the faithful under of the form of bread alone began to grow.
The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council restored the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds at the bishop's discretion.
Support for this practice has grown even more strongly with the third typical edition of the Roman Missal:
"Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it takes place under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clearer expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord, as also the connection between the Eucharistic banquet and the eschatological banquet in the Kingdom of the Father." (GIRM, 281)
Please go to the USCCB web link here for more resources. You will find the following resources which will address specific issues related to the distribution of Holy Communion.
-A Short Introduction to Holy Communion and Celiac Sprue Disease
-Holy Communion from the Tabernacle
-La Recepción de la Sagrada Comunión En La Misa
-Preparation of Chalices for Holy Communion Under Both Kinds
Celebrations of the Liturgy of the Word
Communion Services?
Pastoral ministers are thoughtful of the needs of the "daily Mass crowd" who gather together each day to celebrate the Word and Eucharist. These faithful people are sometimes trained to bring Holy Communion from daily Mass to the people in nursing homes or in private homes in the community.
When parishioners lead residents of nursing homes in a celebration of the Liturgy of the Word from the liturgy of the day, it is sometimes followed by the distribution of Holy Communion. For the residents who can no longer move about with ease, this is a wonderful ministry. The parish brings Word and Sacrament to those in need.
In our catechesis, we are thoughtful to point out that there is a difference between the celebration of the Mass - Liturgy of Word and Eucharist - and a celebration of the Liturgy of the Word with the distribution of communion. The two words, "Eucharist" and "communion" mean two different things. Eucharist is what we celebrate together led by the priest. Communion is the action of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.
As we all know, the Mass includes the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist with a particular act of remembrance and thanksgiving (the Eucharistic Prayer) and consecration done by the priest. This unique element is missing when a lay person leads a Liturgy of the Word with distribution of communion.
Rome asks us to remind one another when it is appropriate to celebrate the Rite of Distributing Holy Communion Outside Mass. It is celebrated when a priest is absent due to sickness or some other serious reason and when another priest cannot take his place. It may also be used in nursing homes if there has not been a Mass celebrated that day.
We are reminded that the rite should never be used in a parish church when the opportunity to participate in Mass that day is available at another time or in a nearby parish church.
Properly trained laypersons may serve as leaders of prayer at a weekday Word and communion service under the following conditions:
One, the pastor/pastoral administrator gives approval for the person to serve in the role of leader.
Two, the person is commissioned as an extraordinary minister of communion.
Three, the person has received prior training via the Office of Worship and is familiar with the proper rite for weekday Word and communion services (HCWEOM, #13-41).
Materials to assist in training weekday leaders of Word and communion services are available at the Office of Worship, 1-800-876-3546.
ROMAN MISSAL, Third Edition, in LARGE PRINT
In time for Advent 2011, National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) has large-print formats of the official text of the Roman Missal Third Edition.
Offered in font sizes 24, 34 and 44, these large-print versions will equip priests with low vision to celebrate Mass using the revised language.
The Roman Missal, Third Edition will be available on CD (or in print if requested - for a price).
For more information contact NCPD at
202-529-2933 or visit www.ncpd.org/romanmissal.
NCPD Large Print Roman Missal and Lectionary available free on charge.
Update on Children's Eucharistic Prayers
Fr. Rick Hilgartner, secretariat of the Office of Divine Worship, USCCB, has stated that we should have the revised translations of the EPs for Children by Advent of this year.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
INSPIRATION TO CATECHIZE ABOUT THE LITURGY
Have you had the chance to listen to Father J. Michael Joncas' videos on the Notre Dame Liturgy site (here)? If you are going to talk about the Glory to God, Holy, the Lord's Prayer, or the Lamb of God, you will want to check out his presentation. It will inspire you and feed your presentation preparations.
You can also use these handouts:
1. The liturgical, musical, and pastoral judgments in the selection of music
2. Scriptural sources of "And with your spirit."
3. The parts of the Glory to God
4. An outline of Father Joncas' presentation on the Lamb of God mentioned above.
Monday, September 26, 2011
SING THE PARTS OF THE LITURGY
Here are some samples from the Chantcafe.com, a project of the Church Music Association of America:
GREETING
PENITENTIAL ACT
PREFACE DIALOG
HOLY
MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION
DOXOLOGY AND AMEN TO THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
SING OF PEACE
LAMB OF GOD
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
CONCLUDING RITE
DISMISSAL
Reprinted with permission: Chant Settings from the Roman Missal 3rd Edition (Ordinary Form), courtesy of the CMAA with sheet music from ICEL. These videos are published with permission.
Implementing the Revised Roman Missal
and The Parish Staff
In the Archdiocese of Dubuque, pastoral leaders, liturgical musicians, Catholic school leaders, and faith formation directors have reviewed the revised texts of the Roman Missal in various local workshop settings.
As these leaders gather back in their parish settings, it will be important for staff members to meet together and review an implementation plan for the whole parish and parish cluster. The value of this is that what the People of God see and hear in various parish and parish cluster settings a that is consistent. The vision for implementation needs to be harmonious for the sake of the pastoral comfort level of working with revised texts.
To review one resource that the Office of Worship gave to participants in workshops over the last new months, click here. It is an outline of how to negotiate a parish wide implementation from the staff meeting on out.
The Pope's committee on evangelization will be holding a meeting October 15-16 entitled, "New Evangelizers for the New Evangelization." They have asked us to pray for them in our liturgies during the Prayers of the Faithful. Sample prayers were sent and appear below:
. Let us pray for the Church throughout the world to be animated by a renewed missionary spirit which will help it to advance on the way of the New Evangelization.
. Let us pray for the new Evangelizers who are meeting in Rome with the Holy Father, that strengthened by this experience, they may be faithful witnesses to Christ and the Gospel in today's world.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS FOR MASSES WITH CHILDREN
Parish leaders have been asking, now that the Roman Missal has been revised, what will happen to the "Children's Eucharistic Prayers".
In its August edition of the Newsletter, the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship (CDW) reported that the prayers were approved for the reprinting of the Roman Missal. They also said that, "Work has begun to prepare a supplemental text of the adapted Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children, which will be available later this year."
As always, the use of these prayers has been restricted to Masses with children only "or at Masses at which the majority of the participants are children." (See, Directoryfor Masses with Children, forward to the prayers).
The CDW reminded its readers of the importance of catechesis before using the prayers.
What does that mean for parish and school leaders? It helps to have the children read through the prayer, paragraph by paragraph, in the classroom setting to raise the child's awareness of what each paragraph says. An expert teacher will know not to do the whole thing in one setting but to take parts of the prayer over a week's time. The child discovers how the prayer tells a "story" of salvation and how the institution narrative - the very words of Jesus - is central to the bread and wine becoming the Body and Blood of Jesus. Using parts of the Eucharistic Prayer as gathering or dismissal prayer can also help the child to be attune to the text at Mass.
The CDW also reminds its readers that the Lectionary for Masses with Children, approved in 1991, is still approved for liturgical use today. In the future, we can look for a revision of this lectionary since the Bishops approved a new translation of it in 2005. That text is in Rome for review so we await its approval.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Accompaniment for the ICEL Chant
The chants in the revised Roman Missal will be printed in missalettes and newly revised hymnals. In the meantime, accompaniment for the Missal is available at www.icelweb.org/musicfolder/openmusic.php.
Recently, Father Richard Hilgartner, executive director of the USCCB Secretariat for Divine Worship, clarified what “chant” means in the English translation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. In response to a recent question by Catholic News Service, he explained that “chant” is used in a “generic way, a translation of [the Latin] ‘cantus,’ ‘that which is sung.’ . . . [The General Instruction on the Roman Missal] is really talking about what texts are sung, not the musical form.”
He offered this explanation because some sites in the “blogosphere” are maintaining that “chant” means that only Gregorian chant is to be used, and only the processional antiphons provided in the Roman Missal (with appropriate psalms) are to be sung for the entrance, presentation of gifts, and Communion processions.
Hymnody is still among the options for processional music, so long as they are “suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year, [and] approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop” (General Instruction, 48). He added the word "song" was removed from the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal because "it sounds secular, even when it's preceded by 'liturgical.'"
And what, if anything, preceded chant? "Likely, it was hymnody because it was memorable," Father Hilgartner said. "St. Paul does that whole great hymn to Christ -- 'though he was in the form of God.' Is that early hymnody? Is that used liturgically? We don't really know. As one of my liturgy professors used to say, we've lost the videotape."
The brief report is available on the Catholic News Service web page available with this link.
Monday, August 8, 2011
EARLY USE OF SOME REVISED MASS TEXTS
MUSIC ONLY
PRIESTS and LITURGICAL MUSICIANS may practice for November 27th on their home desk computer.Click on this site: NPM
The National Pastoral Musicians (NPM) have provided recordings of music from The Roman Missal.You will see a PDF file of the revised texts and can click on a recording of the chanted version of the text you view.
The musical settings of liturgical texts in The Roman Missal were prepared by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). The only exceptions for the United States copy of the Roman Missal are the Christmas Proclamation and the setting of the Our Father by Robert Snow, which will appear in the U.S. edition of the Missal as the primary version along with the ICEL settings.
ICEL has prepared an introduction to the music of the Roman Missal that explains the principles that were used in preparing these settings. Their copies of the musical settings (which you also see at npm.org) are located on their site: ICELWEB.
GRADUAL INTRODUCTION OF MUSICAL SETTINGS
The USCCB has authorized the gradual introduction of some musical settings (Mass settings) of the Order of Mass.Starting September 1, the bishops have said that, the Glory to God, Holy Holy, the memorial acclamations, the Amen, and Lamb of God may be introduced. Although this authorization means that these sung texts may be used during the Mass, when the spoken text is used, permission is NOT granted to speak the same revised texts. In other words, if the Glory to God, Holy, and the Memorial Acclamation are recited, the current translation must be used.
The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) will begin shipping CDs with the Roman Missal in large print for the visually challenged in September. Here's the link:NCPD Roman Missal.
The order from to receive discount for books and resources from LTP are now online for Archdiocesan pastoral leaders. The resources will be ordered through the Media Center. See the Worship conference folder on First Class mail program through the archdiocese. If you do not have access to First Class, please talk to your pastor, faith formation director, or principal of your Catholic School.
Many priests are practicing the revised Eucharistic Prayers in private. I, II, III, and IV have been available (and have been for sometime) on the USCCB Roman Missal website (click here). Click the Sample Texts button. The priest can also review:
-- Order of Mass
-- Order of Mass Annotated (with biblical citations)
-- Proper of Time (Advent and Christmas Time) Sunday and weekday.
-- Priests Parts with commentary notes for Eucharistic Prayers.
In addition, the Church Music Association of America has a set of free videos of all of the Ordinary chants of the Mass online. You can access them here. You will hear the audio as the notation runs in front of you.
You can create CDs also via the NPM site (click here). You will find recordings of each Eucharistic Prayer and the public can download the recordings and burn them to a CD. There is an index page (click here) where you will find a list of all recordings made available by National Pastoral Musicians.
The Archdiocesan Worship Board of the Archdiocese of Dubuque has put together paragraph sized catechesis on the Roman Missal to include in the parish bulletin. Entitled, "Bread for the Journey", one paragraph may appear in the parish bulletin each week to catechize readers about the revisions of the Order of Mass. Click bulletin catechesis for your copy.
In the March-April edition of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship NEWSLETTER, American bishops offer guidelines for disposing of liturgical books that have been updated.
The the Book of Blessings, paragraph number 1343, says that the Roman Missal, the Lectionary, and other ritual books are to be blessed using the blessing texts, Order for the Blessing of Articles for Liturgical Use, paragraph numbers 1341-1359.
Whether a liturgical book was previously blessed or not, we should treat it with respect as we dispose of it. Old liturgical books may be buried on the parish grounds or in the parish cemetery. Another option is to burn the book first but bury the ashes in an appropriate place on the church grounds or cemetery. One copy of the present Sacramentary may be placed in a parish archive or liturgical library.
The new copy of the revised Roman Missal is to be used for the first time, November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent. The pastor should bless the new copy with the blessing from the Book of Blessings, 1341-1359. The USCCB Committee on Divine Worship suggests that the blessing "could take place during a Mass on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, at the last weekday Mass prior to the First Sunday of Advent, or outside Mass at a separate gathering of liturgical ministers or other parish leaders."
Dr. Paul Ford has been presenting a number of workshops on the Roman Missal throughout the nation. Known as an expert in theology, Ford holds a doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. His primary areas of competence are ecclesiology, spirituality, and music and liturgy; his secondary areas are Mariology and chant. Cardinal Mahony honored him with the Laudatus Award for 1995 “for excellence in the promotion of the liturgical life of the parishes and the people of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.” Dr. Ford has posted his presentations on the text revisions of the Mass and powerpoint programs on his web page so that we may benefit from his research. Take time to review and study his many online workshop materials at http://paulfford.com/ford/roman-missal-workshops.htm
Dr. Ford is also preparing a movie version of his presentations so be sure to check back on his web page for exciting updates!
GIA also has videos of Marty Haugen and David Haas discussing their work on the revised Order of Mass and new liturgical music settings. Have fun browsing through these resources!
The sung dialogs of the revised Roman Missal (at this link) will help priests and liturgical musicians prepare for the sung dialogue of the Mass. You will find the score (written part) plus a recording with which to practice.
The clarification is that we sing the liturgy vs. sing at the liturgy.
Priests and liturgical music leaders will want to check the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops' web page at this link here. You will find sample pages of the revised Roman Missal at the links on the right side of the page. Make sure you check the USCCB on you-tube and the video page for more catechetical explanations.
Finally, check Fr. Michael Joncas' presentation on the Roman Missal on the web page from Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. Other links:
Fr. Eric M. Augenstein, Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, New Albany, Indiana put together a resource to aid in the implementation of the revised Mass texts this year. He tells his readers: This "Schema of Liturgical Catechesis is meant to provide a starting point – some initial reflections – for priests, liturgy committees, faith formation teams, catechists, and other parish leaders in the months leading up to the November 27, 2011, implementation date. For each Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, themes are taken from the Scripture readings from the Lectionary that could provide for liturgical catechesis in homilies, small group discussions, prayer services, or catechetical sessions. From the First Sunday of Lent through the middle of September, most of the themes are designed for general liturgical catechesis, without direct reference to the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. Beginning in the middle of September and continuing through the end of December, the focus shifts to themes that primarily help to prepare for the new translations. Again, these themes are just beginning ideas – they are not exhaustive of possible connections between the Lectionary readings and the liturgy. However, while liturgical themes are given for every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, I would not recommend that liturgical catechesis occupy every homily or catechetical session during this time period. Each parish or community will want to decide how best to approach liturgical catechesis for their community, choosing occasional opportunities to catechize on the liturgy." Take a look at his resource at Resource for Homilists: Liturgical Catechesis for Revised Roman Missal.
Resource: The Catholic Book of Blessings Order for the Blessing of a Repository for the Holy Oils
Each year when the bishop blesses the oils and consecrates the chrism, the pastor should see that the old oils are properly disposed of by burning and that they are replaced by the newly blessed oils. (BB, Chapter 32, #1127)
Dispose of old Holy Oils in a dignified manner.It is not fitting to burn Holy Oils along with trash or other non-religious refuse or bury it in any locale. Pastors may burn old oils in the Easter Fire at the Easter Vigil Mass.
In some locales, burning is restricted.In those cases, pastors may bury the unused oils in blessed ground such church grounds or a Catholic cemetery.
Near the church, one would dig a hole 12 inches deep near the foundation of the church. In a cemetery locate a special area for the old Holy Oils and bury them using the same size hole. Since the oils and chrism essence are of olive oil and non-petroleum based materials, the ground will eventually absorb them.
Cleaning the Vessels
After they are emptied, the ambry vessels or other containers of old Holy Oils should be cleansed in the church with hot soapy water to dilute the olive oil and essence of chrism.
Empty the soapy water into the sacrarium in the sacristy or (in absence of a sacrarium) directly into the ground next to the church in a similar manner and location recommended above for burying old oils.
After traces of the old oils have been removed from the ambry vessels and containers, they can be cleansed and dried in a normal fashion.
The high point of our year, as Catholics, is the Triduum.
This word, meaning three days, refers to the first day beginning at sunset Holy Thursday and ending at sunset on Good Friday. The second day begins at sunset, Good Friday, and continues unto sunset Holy Saturday. The third day begins at sunset on Holy Saturday and ends at sunset on Easter Sunday.
These three days are marked with a connected liturgy that begins on Holy Thursday and concludes at Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday. This one liturgy over three days highlights for us the center piece of our Catholic spirituality: The Paschal Mystery.
When we hear the phrase, Paschal Mystery, we recall that Jesus suffered, died, and rose to new life. That three-fold dynamic - suffer, die, and rise - is the Paschal Mystery. Death is not the final word to the believer. We are the people of the resurrection which is the final "word" to our existence.
We bring our children and grandchildren to the liturgies of the Triduum so they will learn the story of the Paschal Mystery and so the dynamic of resurrection or new life will become theirs, too. They learn to look forward to the unique rituals of these days: the washing of the feet, the adoration of the cross, the Easter fire, candle lights and baptism, first communion, and confirmation of adults.
In order to prepare our families and grandchildren for these important liturgies, we need to schedule the dates and times into their weekly schedule. One parish is helping families prepare for the Triduum by placing the schedules of the liturgy on the front page of the bulletin every week during Lent.
Holy Thursday, April 21
7:00pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper - Followed by Adoration until 10:00pm
Good Friday, April 22
3:00pm The Stations
7:00pm Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
Holy Saturday, April 23
NOTE: No private reconciliation on April 23
8:30pm Easter Vigil Mass - Come to the reception after Mass to welcome newly initiated people
Easter Sunday Masses, April 24
7:00am, 9:00am, 11:00am The Resurrection of the Lord
Another parish has individual parish groups "sponsor" a liturgy by being the greeters at the door before AND AFTER a liturgy to r emind people to come back. A parish group is organizing the 30 minute adoration times after the Holy Thursday liturgy. Another group are parish hosts for the guests who come to witness a family member or friend's baptism, first communion, and confirmation at the Easter Vigil. Another group sponsors the reception after the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. Still another volunteers to set up the Easter fire outside, to clear it with the local fire department and to notify neighbors that a ritual fire will be lit outside (and to invite them to come). Still another group has prepared announcements for every Sunday of Lent to remind people to come to the Triduum and celebrate the story of the Paschal Mystery. Let us prepare people and help them to look forward to the wonderful liturgy of the Triduum!
Rome (Vox Clara) has published a study text for priests to practice prayer texts. As we all know, the Roman Missal will not be available until October 1, 2011. A number of the texts are available online for study (see, www.usccb.org/romanmissal). There is also a book available entitled, Roman Missal: A Study Text with Excerpts form the New English Translation that has a selection of prayers of the Roman Missal, the Order of Mass, and the four Eucharistic Prayers. Included are the presidential prayers for the four Sundays of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, as well as a selection of Sundays of Ordinary Time. They have also published the prayers from the sanctoral cycle for November, excerpts form the Various Needs and Occasions, Ritual Masses and Masses for the Dead. The book is available through Amazon.com (ISBN 978-1-936045-40-2) for $15.00.
We may pre-order the missal but we will not receive a copy until October 2, 2011 since the Bishop’s Committee on Divine Worship (BCDW) has stated that no missal edition is to be available until then.
We will find that every publisher's copy will be identical on the inside. Page 22 will appear the same in all with the same font and the same layout.
What will be different between publisher's editions will be the art work, cover of the book, page edgings, and of course, the price. Here is a shoppers comparison:
6. USCCB Publishing: 25% off the Ritual Edition, ($169) and the Chapel Edition ($115). You must order before June 30 and use the discount code on the page when ordering your copy.The pre-ordered altar edition (No. 7-100) will put the price at $126.75 and the smaller chapel edition (No. 7-192) will be $86.25. After June 30, they will sell the altar edition for $169 and the chapel edition for $115. Use discount Code RM-0311 to receive 25% Off on pre-orders through June 30th
Book for parish Liturgy Committee study: Parish Guide to Implementing the Roman Missalwith practical resources for the parish implementation plan including a calendar, ministry-specific suggestions, "to do" lists, bulletin inserts, homily helps
CATECHETICAL RESOURCES
FEDERATION OF DIOCESAN LITURGICAL COMMISSIONS (FDLC)
Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissionspractical resources with a calendar, to do lists, bulletin inserts, homily helps, pamphlets, power point presentations, website, and pulpit announcements for use the parish. These resources explain the revisions and educate on the core principles of active participation in the liturgy.
Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ, an interactive DVD-ROM with various topics: Part One: Exploring the Mass; Part Two: Receiving This English Translation; Part Three: Crafting The Art Of Liturgy ; Part Four: Celebrating The Eucharist. Purchase the DVD through USCCB.
The Liturgical Institute at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake and LTP have a resource to discuss how the Church's understanding of the Second Vatican Council is deepened through the revised translation of the Missal. This book cites the opportunity of the promulgation of third edition of the Roman Missal as a valuable vehicle for liturgical catechesis. Their resource is entitled, Mystical Body, Mystical Voice: Encountering Christ in the Words of the Mass
NOTRE DAME CENTER FOR THE LITURGY
Notre Dame Center for Liturgy (NDCL) Web Catechesis contains videos (including transcripts) of presentations on the new Missal by such renowned experts as Fr. Anthony Ruff, Fr. Paul Turner, Sr. Joyce Ann Zimmerman and Msgr. Bruce Harbert in 15-minute clips. These videos are now available for purchase the NDCL in DVD format. Go to order form for purchase.
RENEW INTERNATIONAL
A six-session small group faith-sharing process has been developed: Renew International -Lifting Up Our Hearts: Praying with the New Tranlation of the Roman Missal.. This process will renew parishioners' spiritual life and their appreciation of the liturgy. Through prayerful reflection on the changes to the people's parts of the Mass, this resource emphasizes the role of the assembly and leads Catholics into a deeper understanding of the meaning of the Mass and its significance in their lives. Go to their flyer for more information.
FAITH CATHOLIC PUBLICATIONS
Pew cards, with the revised Mass parts to encourage active participation among the assembly, are available at FAITH Catholic
MUSIC PUBLISHERS
MASS SETTINGS
Music publishers have set up websites to showcase revised as well as new Mass settings:
Father Paul Turner walks you through the newly translated Entrance and Communion Songs, Collects, Prayers over the Gifts, and Postcommunion Prayers for Sundays and Solemnities. Helpful pastoral suggestions and historical background are provided in a clear, concise, accessible manner. This eminently pastoral book is packed with helpful scholarship, making connections between the texts of the Missal and the Lectionary. Special bonus: introductions and conclusions to the Prayer of the Faithful for each Sunday and Solemnity, written in new Missal "style."
An exploration and commentary on the inner dynamics and theological streams at the heart of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal: the core text for the Mass in the Latin Rite.
A Commentary on the General Instruction of the Roman Missalby members of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy. Authors provide a balanced view of the GIRM and thoughtful analysis of the theological, pastoral, and ecclesial implications of the GIRM, 2002. They educate on the overall significance of the current GIRM followed by a concise and meaningful chapter-by-chapter commentary. Readers will find a varied and rich commentary by top liturgical scholars.
Signs, Words and Gestures (1990) is a classic (originally published in 1979) by Balthasar Fischer. Both books are a series of short meditations on the various symbols that we encounter at liturgy.
RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN
Gerard Moore, We Learn About Mass, is currently in the process of being updated with the new texts.
Robert, Duggan, Teaching Kids the Basics of Liturgy is a good, basic text. While it predates the revised Missal, the value of this resource will remain in classic standing.
Fr. Turner is a pastor, author, and liturgist--and serves as a facilitator for ICEL (one of the groups responsible for translating the Missal). This link will take you to his website, where you will find a number of articles about the new Missal.
From ICEL. This article provides extensive samples of the chants that will be used in the new Missal as well as explanations of the decisions made regarding musical settings.
