The pilgrimage proper has not yet commenced - that’s tomorrow, Tuesday 22 September - so some might be asking why this particular column has been committed to paper … or what passes for paper in this continually developing technological age.

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The reality is that this pilgrimage might begin tomorrow, but it started a long time ago, almost eighteen months ago in fact, when I first approached the tour company, Harvest Journeys, to put something together for what was initially envisaged as a pilgrimage primarily targeted at the parishioners of St Francis of Assisi Parish, Dungog Gresford.

Much water has passed under the bridge of the preparatory stage of this pilgrimage, with changes, adaptations, and edits, and the journey that is about to embarked upon by twenty-four intrepids pilgrims doesn’t quite look like either what was originally envisaged or what was initially planned.

The reality is that the pilgrimage almost immediately took on a life of its own, with growth, successes, disappointments, and everything in between across time from the moment it was first conceived until it has take on a life of its own,

It is also true that the more immediate preparatory stage for this writer is also coming to a close as the pilgrimage begins to shift from a concept, admittedly well-developed and planned, to a reality that has gathered pilgrims from a variety of places to Dublin ready to embrace whatever comes next.

The final phase of the preparatory stage has been the journey from the small rural setting of parish, across almost thirty-six hours of travel featuring three separate flights, layovers, and delays and disappointment. All of those experiences have become part of the pilgrimage journey for this writer, just as the experiences of other group members have become part of the journey of pilgrimage.

For that reason, the preparation for this particular pilgrimage journey, or more accurately the more immediate aspects of the preparation, are just as much a part of what will come from the pilgrimage, how it will be remembered, and what it will reveal to the pilgrims and others during and after the pilgrimage.

With both the promise and hope for prayers,

Andrew

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After briefly continuing the theme of acclamation, the Presider then moves into the epiclesis, that part of the Eucharistic Prayer in which

by means of particular invocations, the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts offered by human hands be consecrated, that is, become Christ’s Body and Blood (GIRM, n.79c).

This invocation of the Holy Spirit over the gifts of bread and wine is a very powerful reminder that the consecration of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is not caused by human action, but is truly the action of the Holy Spirit.

The invocation of the Holy Spirit, the epiclesis, is achieved not only in words but in actions. It is during this part of the Eucharistic Prayer that the Presider (and concelebrants if present) first joins his hands together and then holds them extended over the bread and wine, palms down, during the invocation of the Holy Spirit (see Order of Mass, n.109) before finally making the sign of the cross once over the bread and chalice.

This action on the part of the Presider may be accompanied by the ringing of bells as a “signal to the faithful” (GIRM, n.150). This is not a requirement per se and only takes place “if appropriate”.

It is to be regretted that there are times when the epiclesis is missed by some members of the assembly because they are more intent of focussing on the contents of their personal missal, rather than being attentive to the invocation of the Holy Spirit over the bread and wine that will become the Body and Blood of Christ.

If the ringing of “a small bell” (GIRM, n.150) helps people to become attentive to what is being prayed in word and action, then perhaps such a bell should be rung. It would be infinitely preferable, however, if the entire assembly was so involved in the praying of the Eucharistic Prayer that the ringing of such a bell is simply redundant.

Having implore the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Eucharistic Prayer moves on to what is now called the Institution narrative, that part of the Prayer which

by means of the words and actions of Christ, that Sacrifice is effected which Christ himself instituted during the Last Supper, when he offered his Body and Blood under the species of bread and wine, gave them to the Apostles to eat and drink, and leaving with the latter the command to perpetuate this same mystery (GIRM, n.79d).

Some commentators and members of the faithful hold that these words are the central action of the entire Mass, the ‘moment’ when bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.

I prefer to think that the ‘moment’ occurs at some point between “The Lord be with you” spoken by the Presider at the beginning of the Preface and the “Amen” spoken by the assembly at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, that the whole of the Eucharistic Prayer, indeed the whole of the Mass, is consecratory rather than limiting the ‘moment’ to just these words.

My preference is bolstered by the reality that there is at least one Eucharistic Prayer used in the Eastern Churches that does not contain any of the words of the Institution Narrative and yet is considered to be valid in and of its nature.

Whatever the case, however, we will resume our exploration of the Eucharistic Prayer next week in Part 8 of our walk through the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

To be continued…

It may be of interest to readers that there are ten Eucharistic Prayers currently authorised for use with The Roman Missal, with seven of these appearing in the Missal itself and the other three being found elsewhere.

In addition to the well-known Eucharistic Prayers I-IV, The Roman Missal also features two Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation and one Eucharistic Prayer for use in Masses for Various Needs. This latter Eucharistic Prayer comes in four variations, which some people suggest means there are, in fact, thirteen authorised Eucharistic Prayers currently in force.

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In other resources there is to be found the three Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children. The reason for them being in a separate resource is a simple one: they are not found in the Latin original, and therefore they are not found in the English translation. It is one of the peculiarities of the current translation regime applicable to the liturgies of the Latin Church.

Although the choice of which Eucharistic Prayer is used on a particular occasion is primarily at the discretion of the Presider, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) does provide some guidance later within its text (see n.365).

The Eucharistic Prayer is made up of a number of elements, each of which is significant both in itself and as part of the whole. These elements are outlined in the GIRM in n.79.

The first of these elements is thanksgiving, which is expressed most especially in the Preface that is part of the Eucharistic Prayer.

There are numerous Prefaces available in the Missal, each serving to “bring out more fully the motives for thanksgiving” and setting out in various ways “the different facets of the mystery of salvation” (GIRM, n.364).

Some of the Prefaces are applicable to only one celebration of the liturgical year, others are applicable to particular liturgical seasons, while others are more generic and can be used on a number of occasions.

Indeed, some of the Eucharistic Prayers mentioned above have their own Preface associated with them either by default or invariably. In the case of those with invariable Prefaces, this limits the times when those particular Eucharistic Prayers can be used.

The Preface begins with a dialogue between the Presider and the assembly, starting with the ubiquitous “The Lord be with you”. The words of the primary part of the Preface, which is spoken aloud by the Presider on behalf of all those who have gathered, “glorifies God the Father and gives thanks to him for the whole work of salvation or for some particular aspect of it” (GIRM, n.79a).

Towards the end of the Preface, the prayer transitions to the second constitutive element of the Eucharistic Prayer, with the Presider inviting the assembly to join the heavenly powers in acclamation, by joining in the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy), the first of what are sometimes referred to as the Eucharistic Acclamations.

Like all such acclamations found during the liturgy, it is preferable for the Sanctus to be sung, and to be sung by the whole assembly. If for some reason it is not possible to be sung, then it is said by all those who are present (GIRM, n.79b).

After the Sanctus has been sung or said, the assembly kneels, ready to participate in the remainder of the Eucharistic Prayer in reverent silence (cee GIRM, n.78).

Sometimes it is seen that members of the assembly begin to kneel before the Sanctus is finished, but we should be careful to ensure that we do not cut short our participation in the Sanctus by doing so nor unduly anticipate our change of posture for what is still to come.

When the Sanctus is completely finished, then we kneel, and the Presider waits until the assembly has changed posture and settle once more before continuing to voice the Eucharistic Prayer in the name of all those who have gathered.

There is no need to rush this; we have plenty of time to offer “the centre and high point of the entire celebration” (see GIRM, n.78).

Next week, in Part 7 of our exploration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we will continue looking at the nature and content of the Eucharistic Prayer.

To be continued…

As part of the transition from the “Take” part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist to the “Bless” part, the Presider says the Prayer over the Offerings, one of the prayers that make up the Proper of the Mass (along with the Collect and the Prayer after Communion).

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal covers this very succinctly in n.77, while the Order of Mass provides a little more detail in nn.29-30.

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The Prayer over the Offerings begins with an invitation to the entire assembly to pray, along with the Presider, that what is about to be offered, i.e., the gifts of bread and wine, will be acceptable to God.

At the end of this invitation, the assembly stands and responds accordingly, before the Presider extends his hands and prays the Prayer over the Offerings set down for that particular celebration.

The assembly gives its assent to that prayer by saying “Amen”. With that “Amen”, the gathered assembly moves to the praying of the Eucharistic Prayer.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal captures the fundamental nature of the Eucharistic Prayer in n.78, which is worth quoting in full:

Now the centre and high point of the entire celebration begins, namely, the Eucharistic Prayer itself, that is, the prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. The [Presider] calls upon the people to life up their hearts towards the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving; he associates the people with himself in the Prayer that he addresses in the name of the entire community to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the meaning of this Prayer is that the whole congregation of the faithful joins with Christ in confessing the great deeds of God and in the offering of Sacrifice. The Eucharistic Prayer requires that everybody listens to it with reverence and in silence.

Before moving on, there are a couple of things that flow from this description that are worthy of some additional commentary.

Firstly, the Eucharistic Prayer is not the prayer of the presiding priest. At least, it is not his alone. The entire Eucharistic Prayer is prayed by the gathered assembly, although spoken aloud by the Presider “in the name of the entire community”. This is not simply something “Father says”; this is our prayer, the prayer of the priestly people of God joined “with Christ in confessing the great deeds of God and in offering Sacrifice”.

And secondly, because the Eucharistic Prayer is very much the prayer of the entire gathered assembly, its praying requires an active attentiveness “in reverence and silence”. We do not ‘turn off’ at this point, nor perhaps should we become distracted by making sure we’re on the right page of the personal missal in our hands. Our reverence and silence is exercised by listening to the prayer, our prayer, being spoken aloud on our behalf by the presiding priest. This “centre and high point of the entire celebration” surely warrants, indeed requires, our clear, undivided attention.

Next week, in Part 6 of our exploration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we will continue looking at the nature and content of the Eucharistic Prayer.

To be continued…

It should surprise no one that that since the bread and wine are being processed, there should be sung accompaniment. This singing “which continues at least until the gifts have been placed on the altar” follow the “norms on the manner of singing … as for the Entrance Chant” (GIRM, n.74).

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Those ‘norms’ determines both who does the singing, and what is sung, and is reflected in n.48 of the GIRM. In essence there is plenty of scope for the what, and the who has a number of permutations from the choir alone, through alternating between choir and assembly, to assembly alone.

The most important thing, clearly, is that there is singing, so much so that the General Instruction says that “Singing may always accompany the rite at the Offertory, even when there is no procession with the gifts” (n.74).

Once the bread and wine have been received by the Presider, they are “placed on the altar … to the accompaniment of the prescribed formulas” (n.75). These prescribed formulas begin with “Blessed are you…”, reminiscent of the Jewish prayers of blessing used during ritual meals, the same prayers that would have been prayed by Jesus and his Disciples at the Last Supper.

When said aloud by the Presider the formulas can invoke the response “Blessed be God forever” from the gathered assembly, but only in specific circumstances. The Order of Mass says, in nn.24 and 25, that “If, however, the Offertory Chant is not sung, the [Presider] may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may acclaim”.

There are some who suggest that the prescribed formulas used at this point of the Liturgy of the Eucharist should always be said aloud, even if there is singing, with the Presider waiting until the singing is completed before saying, aloud, “Blessed are you…”. Such a practice is completely contrary to even a cursory reading of the General Instruction and the Order of Mass.

In short, if there is singing, then the words are said by the Presider quietly; if there is no singing, then and only then, is it possible for the words to be said aloud and the assembly respond. Anything else is simply not appropriate.

On some more solemn occasions, it is possible for the use of incense at this point. The Presider first incenses the bread and wine on the altar, and then proceeds to incense the altar itself along with the cross that stands near or on it. This is done to “signify the Church’s offering and prayer rising like incense in the sight of God” (n.75).

But it is not only the bread and wine that is incensed at this point: the Presider and whole assembly are also incensed, which further connects the offerings of bread and wine with the offering of themselves undertaken by the Presider and people.

After any incensing has been complete, the Presider washes his hands, symbolic of “the desire for interior purification” on the part of the Presider. Although the origin of this action probably goes back to the days when the people who gathered brough a whole range of gifts, including some that might be “messy”, those days are well behind us.

The significance of the washing of hands is no longer about the Presider having physically clean hands, but rather more about having a clean heart before continuing with the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This is highlighted by the words the Presider uses while undertaking this action:

Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

With this simple action with profound symbolic meaning completed, the “Take” part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist comes to a close. Next week, in Part 5 of our exploration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we will move on to look at what happens during the “Bless” part.

To be continued…

Everything is now ready for the bread and wine that will be used during this part of the Mass to move from wherever they have been until now to ultimately be placed on the altar ready for the Eucharistic Prayer.

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The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) again covers this in a very pragmatic way:

The offerings are then brought forward. It is a praiseworthy practice for the bread and wine to be presented by the faithful. They are then accepted at an appropriate place by the [Presider] or Deacon to be carried to the altar. (n.73)

This brief description describes what was once called the ‘Offertory Procession’ during which the gifts of bread and wine are presented by those who are gathered and are received by the Presider or Deacon to be placed on the altar.

Note the simplicity of what isdescribed in what is more properly called the Procession of the Gifts; there is nothing about candles, banners, other symbols, or being escorted by servers. The gifts of bread and wine are simply brought forward and presented to the ordained ministers.

And if there is no mention of such extra things, then they should not be included. As Fr Paul Turner, the doyen of rubrical interpretation, so often suggests in his writings, we should do what the liturgy tells us to do, and not do what it does not say.

The primary focus of the procession of bread and wine, therefore, is the bread and wine, and nothing else.

And the theological reason for this can be gleaned by what is taking place during this moment in the liturgy. As the GIRM says in n.73:

Even though the faithful no longer bring from their own possessions the bread and wine intended for the liturgy as was once the case, nevertheless the rite of carrying up the offerings still keeps its spiritual efficacy and significance.

And that “spiritual efficacy and significance” comes when we realise that the bread and wine that are being presented will ultimately be given back to those who have gathered as the Body and Blood of Christ.

What is given at one point of the liturgy will be given back transformed for the sanctification of the people who have been gathered together.

The gifts of bread and wine are usually carried to the altar through the gathered assembly, although sometimes, particularly at weekday Masses, they are simply carried from the credence table. The symbolic value of bring carried through the assembly, however, cannot be underestimated; it can provide the assembly with an individual and corporate connection to the bread and wine, as if we too are being offered, along with the bread and wine, and placed upon the altar alongside them.

This perhaps is also part of the “spiritual efficacy and significance” that the GIRM speaks of, and thus to be considered in how the bread and wine are moved from one place in the church to be placed upon the altar.

Apart from the bread and wine, the only items that might be brought forward in processions are “money or other gifts for the poor or for the Church”, though “given their purpose they are to be put in a suitable place away from the Eucharistic table” (n.73). It is very clear that such items should not be anywhere near the altar, despite this being a common enough sight.

The primary reason they should not be put near the altar is a simple one: unlike the bread and wine, they will not be returned to the gathered assembly. They will be used in other ways to support those in need, or to meet the needs of the parish in which the church is located, or to support the mission of the Church in some fashion.

Since they are not to be blessed in the same way as the bread and wine, they rightly are not treated in the same manner as the bread and wine. If they are brought forward, and there is no absolute demand that they should be, they are placed elsewhere to be attended to after the liturgical actions are brought to a close.

There are a few more parts of the “Take” part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, but they can wait until the next instalment in the series. So stay tuned for next week and for Part 4 of our exploration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

To be continued…

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The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) addresses the primary thrust of this action very simply:

At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist the gifts which will become Christ’s Body and Blood are brought to the altar. (n.73)

As well as being a simple explanation, it is also a very pragmatic description. The gifts – bread and wine – move from where they were until this point to the altar. How this happens we will look at in Part 3.

And that is because there is something that needs to take place before bread and wine make their way to the altar for what comes next.

As the GIRM notes:

First of all, the altar or Lord’s table, which is the centre of the whole Liturgy of the Eucharist, is made ready when on it are placed the corporal, purificator, Missal and chalice (unless this last is prepared at the credence table). (n.73)

The naming of these specific items, all of which are necessary for the remainder of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, seems to assume that they are not present on the altar before this point. It assumes that the altar is, in fact, bare, and nothing has been placed on it before reaching this point of the Mass.

The only exception is the Book of the Gospels if this was processed during the Entrance Procession and placed on the altar before ultimately moving to the ambo when needed during the Liturgy of the Word.

Which means that the sometimes-seen practice of having the Missal on the altar from the beginning of Mass – and the Presider ‘presiding’ from the altar at the beginning of Mass – is entirely contrary to the expectations of the GIRM.

It also means the practice of having the corporal on the altar from the beginning of Mass, or the ornately draped chalice on the altar when Mass begins, is also entirely contrary to the expectations of the GIRM.

Indeed, it seems abundantly clear from a plain reading of n.73 that nothing that will be used during the Liturgy of the Eucharist should be placed on the altar until this point in the Mass, leaving the Lord’s table completely free.

Arguments are sometimes heard that having these things on the altar from the beginning of Mass ‘saves time’ or makes a connection between what has gone before the Liturgy of the Eucharist with what happens during that part of the Mass.

Such rationales are, however, spurious. The GIRM is quite clear in meaning.

Sometimes such practices are justified by referring to their existence during the pre-conciliar form of the Mass. But in this case, we need to understand that while they may indeed belong to the pre-conciliar Mass, they do not belong to the post-conciliar form that is managed by the GIRM and not any previous practice.

The preparation of the altar is a necessary and very practical aspect of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. There is no need for it to be overly ritualised in any way, though like all actions within the liturgy it should be undertaken with an appropriate level of decorum.

And once the altar is prepared, once all the things necessary to facilitate the remainder of the Liturgy of the Eucharist are present on the altar, then, and only then, can we move on to the movement of bread and wine towards the altar.

But that will have to wait until next week and for Part 3.

To be continued…

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Focussed on the second of the ‘Two Tables’, this time the Altar rather than the Ambo, the Liturgy of the Eucharist is of such significance that it can sometimes give its name to the whole celebration (“the Eucharist”).

In opening its dealing with the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) has this to say:

At the Last Supper Christ instituted the Paschal Sacrifice and banquet, by which the Sacrifice of the Cross is continuously made present in the Church whenever [a] Priest, representing Christ the Lord, carries out what the Lord himself did and handed over to his disciples to be done in his memory.

… Hence, the Church has arranged the entire celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist in parts corresponding to precisely [the] words and actions of Christ… (n.72)

These “words and actions of Christ” can be summarised in four words – Take, Bless, Break, Give. This simple slogan neatly and concisely indicates what will take place across the duration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Firstly, the gifts of bread and wine are brought forward and prepared at the Altar (“Take”), then the great prayer of thanksgiving, the Eucharistic Prayer, is prayed over them, and us (“Bless”), before they are prepared (“Break”) to be given to the gathered assembly as communion (“Give”).

It is also important to remember that the Liturgy of the Eucharist is rehearsing the “words and actions of Christ”. Not just words, not just actions but words and actions, which combination is fundamental to a Catholic understanding of liturgy. Indeed, this combination, this ritual ‘language’, is to be found at the heart of a Catholic approach to all liturgies.

In that light, it is important as we move through our exploration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist to pay attention to both aspects, to both words and actions, so we can better approach a fuller and deeper understanding of what it is that is taking place during this part of our celebration of Mass, and its connection to the other parts that we have already explored.

Next week, with the arrival of Part 2, we will begin our exploration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist in more detail. Over coming weeks we will unpack the true significance of these “words and actions”.

To be continued…

It might surprise a few people then that the last element mentioned in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) is

the kissing of the altar by the [Presider] and the Deacon, followed by a profound bow to the altar by the [Presider], the Deacon, and the other ministers. (n.90d)

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Which might seem to leave the various ministers standing in front of the altar, but if you read on in the GIRM – to n.169 – then we find out that after doing all of the above, the Presider “withdraws with them”. This instruction is repeated in the Order of Mass n.145.

The language used is interesting. Unlike at the beginning of Mass, when the Presider enters the gathering together with the other ministers, accompanied by some form of music, at the end he and they ‘withdraw’. There is no mention of musical accompaniment, and the language implies a simpler action.

Even the Ceremonial of Bishops, a ritual book that contains the more elaborate liturgical directions for liturgies presided over by a bishop, maintains the distinction between what happens at the beginning of Mass and what happens at the end of Mass (after the dismissal).

What do we make of this?

In most parishes in Australia – and other places to be sure – the ‘withdrawal’ of the liturgical ministers has taken on a level of solemnity that perhaps was never meant to be present in the post-conciliar liturgy.

There is music, often grand in order to ‘send people off well’, and the procession tends to be as solemn as the entrance procession. Yet nothing of all of that is mentioned in the instructions for how Mass is to be celebrated.

The requirement is, simply, to withdraw.

I am not suggesting, however, that we should do anything to change the current practice. I have to confess to liking nothing more than a stirring hymn to which to leave a church. And this is particularly the case during those more solemn moments in the life of the Church – such as the Annual Chrism Mass – where liturgical solemnity has been part of the entire experience.

I am saying, though, that we need to recognise that such a practice is, strictly speaking, not required by the liturgical document that outlines how we celebrate the most important celebration in the Church’s life, and from which other celebrations take a lead.

It might also mean that, occasionally at least, a simple withdrawal should be considered as an option for the of Mass. Those times of the liturgical year – the Seasons of Lent and Advent spring to mind – which lend themselves to a pared back liturgical experience might be considered as being appropriate for such a practice.

Whatever the case, at the end of the dismissal, the Presider and his liturgical ministers ‘withdraw’ in an appropriate manner, while the gathered Assembly begins to disperse back to doing good works.

And that brings us to the end of other exploration of the Concluding Rites of Mass. Next week, in Part 9, we will briefly summarise our exploration before this series comes to an end.

To be continued…

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The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) lists this third element as:

the Dismissal of the people by the Deacon or the [Presider], so that each may go back to doing good works, praising and blessing God; (n.90)

Before we look at the texts used for the Dismissal, however, it is interesting to note the rest of this phrase.

We are not dismissed to nothing, nor should the dismissal be seen as an ending. We are dismissed to go back to doing good works. Not to start doing good works; to go back to doing good works.

Such a seemingly inconsequential phrase has on the contrary very significant meaning for those who have gathered to praise and bless God while celebrating Mass.

The implication is that we have been called from doing good works, to be strengthened by Word and Sacrament, to be sent back to doing good works. The doing of good works does not flow from our attending at Mass or other liturgical forms, but rather from something much more fundamental: from our Baptism.

It is almost as if the gathering of the assembly is a temporary hiatus, an opportunity to gather to ensure that we are encouraged and strengthened to do what we should be doing in the first place. And I would suggest that is entirely accurate.

It further suggests that attending the Church’s liturgy is not the sum total of our Christian lives.

And again, I would suggest that while the Second Vatican Council referred to liturgical participation as “the source and summit” of the Christian life, the Council also suggested that liturgical participation did not exhaust the entire activity of the Church (see the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, nn.9, 10).

This is the context of the Dismissal of the people who have gathered to praise and worship God. It is to bring all that we have been doing to that action, so that we can be prepared to go back to undertaking that action.

Turning our attention to the texts to be used, the Order of Mass (OM) provides the words by which the Deacon (or Presider if there is no Deacon) dismisses the people back to their baptismal undertaking. There are four options to be found at OM n.144, and no provision for the use of “these or similar words” is made.

This lack of permission for variations is not something new in the current translation of the Roman Missal; it was there in the previous editions, but was sometimes honoured more in the breach.

The four variations in the current OM, listed in the order found in the OM, are:

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord

Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

Go in peace.

Each of these texts send people from the liturgical gathering, each in its own way. The use of ‘Go’ in each must really be seen as a command (the original Latin makes this clear) for everyone who has gathered to get back to what they were doing before that gathered. And that is the very point of the dismissal.

Whichever text is used by the Deacon or Presider, the response of the gathered assembly is a very simple “Thanks be to God”, a reminder I believe of why we were gathered in the first place, i.e., to praise God and to be strengthened for the mission that is ours in Baptism.

And that is the third of the four elements that make up the Concluding Rites. The last one can wait for Part 8.

To be continued…

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The Solemn Blessing involves adding a number of elements to this part of the liturgy. The first is similar to the Prayer over the People: the instruction to “Bow down for the blessing”.

Again, this is a simple instruction, given by the Deacon (or the Presider if there is no Deacon), and, similarly to its use in a Prayer over the People, highlights for members of the Assembly that something ‘different’ is taking place.

Again, after the instruction is given, the Presider extends his hands over all of the Assembly as a sign of calling down God’s blessing on them.

What is different in a Solemn Blessing from a Prayer over the People, however, is what comes next.

Instead of the quite compact text used in a Prayer over the People, the Solem Blessing uses a three-part text, with each part inviting the Assembly’s response of “Amen”.

There can be a practical difficulty here in eliciting the Assembly’s response, since there is no verbal cue (such as “Through Christ our Lord”) to prompt the response, at least initially. Presider’s need to be attentive to this, and speak in such a way during each of the three parts of the Solemn Blessing in such a way that the Assembly has some clue as to when to say “Amen”. This, however, is more art than science.

Each part of the three-fold Solemn Blessing speaks of the occasion for which it has been crafted, and often speaks beautifully and poetically about what God has already done and will continue to do for humankind’s benefit.

After the three-fold invocation, the Presider concludes the blessing using the same words used in a Prayer over the People:

And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you forever.

These words, of course, are accompanied by the Presider making the sign of the cross over the Assembly, and the Assembly responding in the usual way (see Part 4).

The texts for a wide range of Solemn Blessings can be found in The Roman Missal on pages 709-721, and cover a very broad range of possibilities in terms of occasions and seasons. In a manner similar to Prayers over the People, some Solemn Blessings are associated with particular feasts in the liturgical calendar and are thus found on the relevant page of the Missal associated with that feast. The recent celebration of the Easter Vigil provides a good example of this, as would the celebration of Christmas or Pentecost.

Again, in a similar manner to Prayers over the People, sometimes the use of a Solemn Blessing is compulsory and sometimes optional. The nature of the occasion is the determining factor, and the Missal will usually provide guidance on the status.

And that is the second form of the expanded Greeting and Blessing that is sometimes encountered at the end of Mass.

As an aside, the Missal indicates that the use of either a Solemn Blessing or a Prayer over the People is not limited to Mass. The rubric found in the Missal on page 709 and 722 indicates that they can be used

…at the discretion of the [Presider], at the end of the celebration of Mass, or of a Liturgy of the Word, or of the Office, or of the Sacraments.

The option of including these beautiful prayers of blessing at the end of other liturgical celebrations brings with it the possibility of adding solemnity to an occasion via the simple inclusion of one of them. Imagine the possibilities for all sorts of liturgical occasions that could open up if such options were used more often.

And having looked at all three of the forms of the Greeting & Blessing, we can now move on to the next of the four elements of the Concluding Rites, the Dismissal of the People. But that can wait until Part 7.

To be continued…

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As we noted in Part 4, however, there are times when the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) indicates that the simpler form is “expanded by the Prayer over the People or another more solemn formula” (n.90).

The first of these possible expansions – the Prayer over the People – involves inserting two additional elements: an instruction, and an invocation.

The instruction is a simple one. The Deacon (or the Presider if there is no Deacon) simply asks the Assembly to “Bow down for the blessing”. This text is included in the Roman Missal at the beginning of the section that details these expanded forms of the blessing.

After the instruction is given, the Presider extends his hands over all of the Assembly and uses one of the many texts available for use when this option is utilised. These options can be found on pages 722-726 of The Roman Missal.

In addition to those options, however, there are also some liturgical feasts and seasons that have particular texts for the Prayer over the People associated with them for either compulsory or optional use.

The Season of Lent is a prime example of this, where a Prayer over the People is available for each day of Lent, Sundays and weekdays. Such a prayer is mandated on the Sundays of Lent, while they are optional on weekdays.

Regardless of the source in The Roman Missal, each of the prayers concludes with “Through Christ our Lord”, to which the Assembly responds with the customary “Amen”.

The Presider then concludes this slightly expanded form of the Greeting and Blessing with a slightly expanded form of the blessing itself:

And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you forever.

While saying this, the Presider makes the sign of the cross over the Assembly in the usual way, with the Assembly also responding in the usual way (see Part 4 for more on this).

And that is the first form of the expanded Greeting and Blessing that is sometimes encountered. It is a beautiful and joyous means of enhancing this part of the Concluding Rites, and is really only trumped by the Solemn Blessing.

But that exploration can wait until Part 6.

To be continued…

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The second element mentioned as belonging here is described thus:

“the [Presider]’s Greeting and Blessing, which on certain days and occasions is expanded by the Prayer over the People or another more solemn formula;” (GIRM, n.90).

There are several elements within this paragraph that should be unpacked and commented upon.

The ‘Greeting’ is the standard greeting used by the Presider on several occasions during the liturgy, including at the very beginning. The dialogue is well known:

P: The Lord be with you.

A: And with your spirit.

The only real change in this greeting in English took place almost 15 years ago, when the current translation of the Roman Missal came into force. That translation changed the response given to the Presider’s greeting from “And also with you” to “And with your spirit”.

Although many people struggle with that change when it was first introduced, most people no longer struggle with the response.

The second element is the ‘Blessing’, which in its simplest form goes:

P: May almighty God bless you the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

A: Amen.

During the invocation of the Trinity, the Presider “makes the Sign of the Cross over the people” (GIRM, n.167).

It should be noted that this action is different to that which takes place at the beginning of Mass when the Presider, “together with the whole gathering, signs himself with the Sign of Cross” (GIRM, n.50). At the beginning of Mass everyone signs themselves with the Cross as both a profound surrender to Christ and a reminder that we, all of us, have been claimed by Christ.

At the end of Mass, however, the Presider is invoking God’s blessing on us and makes the Sign of the Cross over the entire assembly (GIRM, n.167) as they prepare to leave the liturgical gathering and venture out into the world to be about God’s work in the world. The blessing, God’s blessing, is about strengthening us for what we are about to embark on as soon as we depart the church building.

Going further along this same track, the fact the Presider is invoking God’s blessing means that we respond differently.

Rather than signing ourselves with the Sign of the Cross as we do at the beginning of Mass, at the end we do nothing. We await the ministerial action of the Presider, who makes the Sign of the Cross over us, rather than doing it ourselves.

We are not blessing ourselves; God is blessing us.

While some scholars have suggested we make the Sign of the Cross ourselves to ‘receive’ God’s blessing, I think this is a little bit of a stretch, and may have more to do with piety than liturgy. The liturgical action, however, is very clear – at the end of Mass, God’s blessing is invoked on us in word and action by the Presider.

And that is where we’ll leave our exploration of the ‘Blessing’ at the end of Mass. Next week, when Part 5 of the series comes along, we will look at those times when the ‘Blessing’ is expanded with other things.

To be continued…

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The first element mentioned as belonging here is “brief announcements, should they be necessary” (GIRM, n.90).

There are two aspects of this inclusion that are worthy of note and commentary.

Firstly, any such announcements are meant to be brief. This is not the place for long-winded items; the descriptor ‘brief’ should be understood in its usual meaning, referring to something this is short and succinct.

It might be a means of highlighting something from the parish bulletin that is particularly worthy of some attention, or it might be the place to mention something that didn’t make the bulletin but is time sensitive.

Judgement should be exercised by those who are responsible, predominantly the Parish Priest and the Presider (if they are, in fact, different) as to how and what is briefly mentioned here. If something cannot be reasonably mentioned in a brief manner, then this is not the place for it.

The second aspect is the phrase “should they be necessary”, which implies that care should be taken to avoid including anything here that might detract from the overarching nature of this part of the Mass.

This is not the place for reading out every notice that is contained in the parish bulletin (why have a bulletin if it’s read out?), although a brief mention of the general thrust of a bulletin notice might be appropriate. I have sometimes heard this practice referred to as the ‘liturgy of the bulletin’, with the entire Assembly being invited to sit down while the Presider – or someone else – reads aloud every item found in the bulletin.

As a general rule of thumb, I would argue that if something is recorded in the parish bulletin, then it is generally not necessary for it to be mentioned during the Concluding Rites.

Any announcements should not require those who have gathered to take a seat. They are standing because the whole point of the Concluding Rites is to prepare them to be sent out into the world on mission. Anything that gets in the way of that – and that includes unnecessary announcements – must surely be avoided as much as is possible in order to keep the Concluding Rites focussed.

A well-constructed parish bulletin available to everyone, alongside other means more in keeping with modern technology, would surely mitigate against the need for announcements to be made at this point of the Mass. If as a result there are the occasional “brief announcements”, then they will be heard more closely if only because they are rare.

And that is the first of the elements that properly belong to the Concluding Rites. We will continue our exploration next week when Part 4 of the series comes along.

To be continued…

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Although it sometimes happens, this is not the place for a long address to be inserted. Such things, often associated with fundraising appeals from various bodies, more properly belong to the Liturgy of the Word – if, indeed, they ought to be inserted into the Mass at all.

Along similar lines, this is not the place to play a video (if the equipment is available in the church building). Again, depending on the subject matter, this might be better placed during the Liturgy of the Word.

It has also been known for the ‘parish prayer’ or a prayer for rain or such like to be inserted into the Mass at the beginning of the Concluding Rites. Such prayers, often included with the best of intentions, should never be included in the Mass, either during the Concluding Rites or anywhere else in the Mass.

Such prayers, which are more devotional than liturgical, could be prayed before or after Mass, but not during the Mass. Something like a ‘parish prayer’ might be better distributed in such a way to encourage its use as part of the devotional life of parishioners rather than attempting to add it to the formal liturgical prayer of the parish.

Something like a prayer for rain might be better acknowledged as one of the petitions of the Universal Prayer, which is the place where the parish community prays for the needs of the local community and the world.

In essence, and as we saw during Part 1 of this series, paragraph 90 of the GIRM is very clear about what is part of the Concluding Rites. Anything else should generally be avoided, or placed in a more suitable place within the overall structure of the Mass.

As we have already discussed briefly, the very nature of Concluding Rites is meant to be simple and focussed on the impetus of the community to go out into the world to be about the work of the Gospel. Anything that gets in the way of that simply does not belong as part of the Concluding Rites.

Having looked at some of the miscellaneous things that are sometimes inserted into the Concluding Rites, we can now turn our attention to what properly belongs to this part of the Mass… but that can wait until next week when Part 3 of the series comes along.

To be continued…

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And that’s not because this last part of Mass is somehow unimportant. On the contrary, this part of the Mass propels the gathered Assembly, who have been nourished by Word and Sacrament, out into the world to be about the work of the Gospel!

Indeed, the very name of what is concluded, the ‘Mass’, has its origin in the Latin phrase “Ite missa est” that dismisses the Assembly at the end of the liturgical celebration in the original Latin language edition of the ritual books.

Everything that has taken place from the moment the Assembly gathered, finds its conclusion in it being sent out, dismissed back into the world.

The Concluding Rites, then, is not some mere unfinished ending; it reminds us of what comes next.

It is generally surprising to many people that unlike the other parts of the Mass, which the General Instruction of the Roman Missal covers across numerous paragraphs and in some detail, the Concluding Rites are dealt with in just one, n.90:

To the Concluding Rites belong the following:

a) brief announcements, should they be necessary;

b) the [Presider]’s Greeting and Blessing, which on certain days and occasions is expanded and expressed by the Prayer over the People or another more solemn formula;

c) the Dismissal of the People by the Deacon or the [Presider], so that each may go back to doing good works, praising and blessing God;

d) the kissing of the altar by the [Presider] and the Deacon, followed by a profound bow to the Altar by the [Presider], the Deacon, and the other ministers.

That’s all there is.

And that short paragraph has much to offer in our understanding of both the Mass as a whole and the Concluding Rites as a distinct unit. And we will continue our exploration next week in Part 2.

To be continued…

The flame of the Paschal Candle flickers in the slight breeze, casting its glow against the walls of the church. The sweet scent of Sacred Chrism wafts through the assembled people, while the Baptismal Font settles once again into stillness. The newly initiated member of the Body of Christ that is the Church, arrayed in the brilliant whiteness of their baptismal robe, takes their place of pre-eminence among the assembly as they prepare to exercise the baptismal priesthood for the first time during the Prayer of the Faithful.

It is a scene, an experience, that many people would be familiar with having attended the celebration of the Easter Vigil. Such moments are wonderfully powerful, not just for the newly initiated but for the entire community of faith. Such moments witness the culmination of a journey of discovery and discernment and the beginning of a new life in God within a community of faith.

While Christian initiation is usually and normatively associated with the annual celebration of Easter, and the Easter Vigil in particular, the scene described above, however, does not take place during the celebration of the Easter Vigil in March or April, but during a Saturday evening Mass sometime in September.

The reason for celebrating someone’s initiation in September could be for something as practical as an illness ‘disrupting’ their preparation for initiation. Perhaps a family will be moving interstate over the Christmas holidays. Or tt could be that the person initiated on that September evening was not yet ready for the Easter Vigil this year, but their readiness was discerned in the intervening time. In such circumstances do we really need to wait until the arrival of the next Easter Vigil, some five or six months away?

Whatever the reason, however, the celebration of Christian initiation on that September evening is entirely in keeping with what the Church teaches. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) identifies the connection with Easter as the ‘general rule’ (RCIA 17) while acknowledging that for pastoral needs of a more serious nature, … it is lawful to arrange the schedule for the entire rite of initiation differently. These details are then articulated in RCIA 26-30.

Before we look at the details of that brief section of the RCIA and what it means for the celebration of Christian initiation, a couple of observations about Christian initiation in general are worth noting.

Firstly, the RCIA’s normative pattern, where the Easter Vigil is the culmination of the journey of Christian initiation, is applicable only to those who are not yet baptised. By its very nature, the RCIA has been created for the unbaptised.

The rite of Christian initiation presented here is designed for adults who, after hearing the mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the living God and enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts. By God’s help they will be strengthened spiritually during their preparation and at the proper time will receive the sacraments fruitfully. (RCIA 1)

What is missing from this paragraph? There is no mention of people who, having already been baptised in another Christian tradition, seek to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church! Such people, whose baptism we must acknowledge and honour, do not participate in the RCIA, since the RCIA is for those who are not yet baptised. The reception of those who are already baptised takes place whenever they are ready and is not linked to the Easter Vigil! The section of our current Australian edition of the RCIA on the reception of baptised Christians into full communion is a local additon to the book. So too is the plan in the appendix which integrates them into the celebration of the Easter Vigil. It is true that many parishes have these two groups journeying together, but the practice is worth a critical re-examination. Those already baptised have a different starting point and the pattern of the movement to communion should be seen to be different. Vive la difference!

Secondly, the journey of Christian initiation is never the same for every person who responds to God’s call. For some it may unfold across years; for others, it may be more immediate. For some it could be triggered by momentous life-changing events; for others, it may be a slow, gradual realisation of it simply being ‘right’. This variety requires of the Church a preparedness to walk with the seeker (see RCIA 9) and let the journey for each person unfold at the right time and proper pace for them.

It should be obvious then that a ‘one size fits all’ model based on ‘beginning’ in September and ‘finishing’ at Easter is not the most appropriate means by which the Church fulfills its responsibilities to seekers. This is especially the case if the model used is based solely on mid-week classroom gatherings where seekers are taught things. What if, instead, communities of faith were ready to welcome seekers when they emerge, and invite them into the life of the faith community to begin a journey by living as Christians live, similar to the way apprentices become masters of their trade by living and working in their trade?

Such an ‘apprenticeship’ model opens the door to embracing the RCIA’s vision of a ‘year-round’ catechumenate. This in turn shifts the focus of catechesis and preparation away from the classroom and back to the liturgical year (see RCIA 75.1). The model encourages the flexibility found in RCIA 26-30. It is immensely helpful in permitting Christian initiation to take place when seekers are ready, rather than when we might think it ‘should’ take place. It opens up possibilities beyond initiating only at the Easter Vigil. And the RCIA’s year-round approach is a better response to the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20.

Outside the Usual Times

In light of these considerations, what does Christian initiation “Outside the Usual Times” look like? While there are certainly adjustments required, the overarching principle applicable to celebrating Christian initiation at another time of the year is ensuring the structure of the entire rite, with its properly spaced intervals, remains the same (RCIA 26).

This reference to ‘entire rite’ means ensuring that there is a liturgical acknowledgement of a person’s entry into the Order of Catechumens, that there is a rite of election celebrated about six weeks before the celebration of baptism-confirmation-communion, that the scrutinies and presentations that usually take place during Lent (the traditional ‘period of purification and enlightenment’0 are still celebrated, and that the sacraments of initiation are celebrated on a Sunday.

There are those who might argue that, since Christian initiation is not being celebrated at Easter, there is no need to keep to all the steps outlined in the RCIA. Yet the RCIA itself makes it clear that this is not the case. Indeed, the RCIA highlights the necessity of the various steps because the journey to Christian initiation, and thus the journey of the initiation process, is as important as the destination, regardless of when the celebration of the sacraments takes place.

The beauty and power of the ritual elements and occasions that constitute the ‘entire rite’ need to be experienced not only by the catechumen but also the entire community. There is something powerful about the greeting of the soon-to-be catechumen at the door of a church building where, in answer to the question put to them, What do you ask of God’s Church?, we hear the answer, Faith. Equally, the subsequent signing of the person with the cross, which mirrors a similar action during the baptism of children, not only needs to be felt by the one being signed but also witnessed by those in whose name it is done.

The writing of a name in the Book of the Elect, the three scrutinies that follow for the Elect, along with their accompanying exorcisms, and the presentation of the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer – not on paper but by being spoken by the Church and heard by the Elect – all highlight in ritual the reality of the seeker becoming more closely connected to the Church to which they will be forever joined following their initiation. The texts of the scrutinies are tightly linked to the gospel reading of the Lenten Sunday and so will need careful adaptation. The exorcism texts given as ritual resources for the period of the catechumenate might be of assistance (RCIA 94).

Each of these ritual moments is vitally important to the journey that will reach its culmination at the baptismal font and it waters. They are important whether they take place during the Season of Lent, as is the ‘general rule’, or at another point in the liturgical year. When celebrated well these moments provide meaning for both the Elect and the community of faith of which the Elect will become integral members.

Shifting the ‘entire rite’ to another point in the liturgical year is no easy task and needs careful scheduling. It is important to ensure that the celebration of the rite of election and thus the scrutinies do not fall on a solemnity of the liturgical year (see RCIA 29, 30 respectively). The other consideration that requires attention is the timespan of the journey, with the normative approach taking twelve months – a ‘liturgical year’. Care should also be taken to ensure that a similar span of time is kept when initiating outside the usual times. With those requirements observed any suitable date is possible for the celebration of Christian initiation.

While Christian initiation will always be intimately associated with the celebration of Easter and the Easter Vigil, the Church is also attentive to the needs of those who, having heard God’s call on their lives, seek to become part of the Body of Christ through baptism. Their journey of faith, inspired by the promptings of the Holy Spirit, cannot become so tied to a single event on the calendar that God’s work in them is frustrated by the Church’s hesitancy to initiate them when they are ready simply because the calendar does not ‘work’.

Thankfully, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults itself provides the means by which the journey of faith of a seeker unfolds not according to the calendar but rather according to God’s plan. The rite itself says, nothing can be determined a priori (RCIA 76).

While we can become immune to seeing the outcome of such events in other countries, usually places we only vaguely know, seeing and hearing the results of a deliberate, cowardly and targeted attack against fellow Australians taking place in Australia is relatively unknown.

And yet, this has happened.

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At a time of year when many people are looking forward with joy and hope to the end of a civil year, the arrival of summer and all that is attached to that, and, for believers, great religious festivals, the people of Bondi, of greater Sydney, of New South Wales, and of Australia, must now face the fact of violence, and violence inspired by hatred, visiting our shores.

That the violence is most likely motivated by ethnic and religious ideologies only adds to the profound tragedy that has confronted us.

The level of uncivil discourse, of polarisation and of division, has been on the increase for a number of years, with the threat of violence never too far away from the surface.

And now that threat has surfaced, claiming the lives of innocent members of our community who were simply going about their lives, lives that no other Australian should have been perturbed by.

Tragic events such as took place at Bondi last Sunday render the very fabric of civil society, even though there had already been damage done to civil discourse by those who have sought to do so for whatever reason.

How are we to make sense of what has forced its way into our consciousness? Can we make sense of what has happened?

In the days immediately following this tragedy, this crime, the answer to those questions remains largely unknown. And we must also face the possibility that such questions may never be fully answered. Speculation about what, how, when and who will not allow our reality to be wound back; what has happened has happened, and we will be forever changed by it.

The Catholic Season of Advent, like the Jewish Festival of Lights (Hanukkah), is a time when holding on to hope in the face of everything else is encouraged and celebrated.

The light, which for Christians, is Jesus the Christ, can never be tamed by the darkness, whether that darkness is sin, or hatred, or violence, or anything else that threatens the world we inhabit.

Perhaps the greatest response for all believers in the face of the hatred and violence we witnessed last Sunday is hold fast to the hope that the true light, however we understand that, will never be extinguished.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

May their memories be a blessing.