Liturgy

Tuesday, January 15 2013

Recommendations regarding:	Paragraph # in Verbum Domini
Liturgy
Anointing of the Sick, Blessings, Book of Book of the word of God, location Celebrations of the word Chant, Gregorian Ecumenism, study and celebrations Feast days, other special days Gospel Book Homilies Lectionary, as basis of good preaching Liturgy of the Hours Readings from Scripture, not to be replaced Silence, value of Solemnity Songs Training for liturgical readers Translations of the Bible	61 63 68 65 70 46 65 67 59 60 62 69 66 67 70 58 46

 

The word of God should receive greater space during communal celebrations of the Anointing of the Sick

•  “It is good that in parishes and in hospitals, according to circumstances, community celebrations of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick should be held. On these occasions greater space should be given to the celebration of the word, and the sick helped to endure their sufferings in faith, in union with the redemptive sacrifice of Christ who delivers us from evil.” (Verbum Domini 61)

The use of the Book of Blessings should show a connection to the word of God

•  “Likewise, in using the Book of Blessings attention should be paid to the space allotted to proclaiming, hearing and briefly explaining the word of God. Indeed the act of blessing, in the cases provided for by the Church and requested by the faithful, should not be something isolated but related in its proper degree to the liturgical life of the People of God.” (Verbum Domini 63)

The book containing God’s word should receive a place of honour with churches

•  “It is good that the book which contains the word of God should enjoy a visible place of honour inside the Christian temple, without prejudice to the central place proper to the tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament.” (Verbum Domini 68)

In some areas, due to a shortage of clergy, celebrations of the word of God are recommended when Sunday Mass is impossible, provided they are not confused with the celebration of the Eucharist

•  “Celebrations of the word of God are to be highly recommended especially in those communities which, due to a shortage of clergy, are unable to celebrate the Eucharistic sacrifice on Sundays and holydays of obligation. . . . I recommend that competent authorities prepare ritual directories, drawing on the experience of the particular Churches. This will favour, in such circumstances, celebrations of the word capable of nourishing the faith of believers, while avoiding the danger of the latter being confused with celebrations of the Eucharist.” (Verbum Domini 65)

In the Liturgy, songs should be chosen which are of biblical inspiration, Gregorian chant in particular

•  “Preference should be given to songs which are of clear biblical inspiration and which express, through the harmony of music and words, the beauty of God’s word. We would do well to make the most of those songs handed down to us by the Church’s tradition which respect this criterion. I think in particular of the importance of Gregorian chant.” (Verbum Domini 70)

There is need for greater ecumenical study, discussion, and celebrations of the word of God, ensuring that these are not seen as alternatives to Holy Mass

•  “There should be an increase in ecumenical study, discussion and celebrations of the word of God, with due respect for existing norms and the variety of traditions. . . . Nonetheless, while it is praiseworthy and right to promote such services, care must be taken that they are not proposed to the faithful as alternatives to the celebration of Holy Mass on Sundays or holydays of obligation.” (Verbum Domini 46)

Liturgical celebrations of the word of God are recommended on special days such as pilgrimages, special feasts, etc.

•  “The Synod Fathers also recommended celebrations of the word of God on pilgrimages, special feasts, popular missions, spiritual retreats and special days of penance, reparation or pardon.” (Verbum Domini 65)

The proclamation of the Gospel should be made more solemn

•  “the proclamation of the word of God, and the Gospel in particular, should be made more solemn, especially on major liturgical feasts, through the use of the Gospel Book, carried in procession during the opening rites and then brought to the lectern by a deacon or priest for proclamation. . . . it is good that the word of God, especially the Gospel, be enhanced by being proclaimed in song, particularly on certain solemnities. The greeting, the initial announcement: “A reading from the holy Gospel” and the concluding words: “The Gospel of the Lord”, could well be sung as a way of emphasizing the importance of what was read.” (Verbum Domini 67)

There is a need for the quality of homilies to be improved

•  “I pointed out that “given the importance of the word of God, the quality of homilies needs to be improved. The homily ‘is part of the liturgical action’ and is meant to foster a deeper understanding of the word of God, so that it can bear fruit in the lives of the faithful”. The homily is a means of bringing the scriptural message to life in a way that helps the faithful to realize that God’s word is present and at work in their everyday lives. It should lead to an understanding of the mystery being celebrated, serve as a summons to mission, and prepare the assembly for the profession of faith, the universal prayer and the Eucharistic liturgy. Consequently, those who have been charged with preaching by virtue of a specific ministry ought to take this task to heart. Generic and abstract homilies which obscure the directness of God’s word should be avoided, as well as useless digressions which risk drawing greater attention to the preacher than to the heart of the Gospel message. The faithful should be able to perceive clearly that the preacher has a compelling desire to present Christ, who must stand at the centre of every homily. For this reason preachers need to be in close and constant contact with the sacred text; they should prepare for the homily by meditation and prayer, so as to preach with conviction and passion. The synodal assembly asked that the following questions be kept in mind: “What are the Scriptures being proclaimed saying? What do they say to me personally? What should I say to the community in the light of its concrete situation? The preacher “should be the first to hear the word of God which he proclaims”, since, as Saint Augustine says: “He is undoubtedly barren who preaches outwardly the word of God without hearing it inwardly”. The homily for Sundays and solemnities should be prepared carefully, without neglecting, whenever possible, to offer at weekday Masses cum populo brief and timely reflections which can help the faithful to welcome the word which was proclaimed and to let it bear fruit in their lives.” (Verbum Domini 59)

Preaching should be connected to the Lectionary                                                              

•  “The art of good preaching based on the Lectionary is an art that needs to be cultivated. . . . I ask the competent authorities, along the lines of the Eucharistic Compendium, also to prepare practical publications to assist ministers in carrying out their task as best they can: as for example a Directory on the homily, in which preachers can find useful assistance in preparing to exercise their ministry.” (Verbum Domini 60)

The Liturgy of the Hours should be promoted among the laity

•  “I recommend that, wherever possible, parishes and religious communities promote this prayer [the Liturgy of the Hours] with the participation of the lay faithful.” (Verbum Domini 62)

In the Liturgy, Scripture readings may never be replaced by other texts

•  “the readings drawn from sacred Scripture may never be replaced by other texts, however significant the latter may be from a spiritual or pastoral standpoint” (Verbum Domini 69)

There is need for a greater appreciation of silence, particularly in the Liturgy of the Word

•  “it is necessary nowadays that the People of God be educated in the value of silence. . . . The importance of all this is particularly evident in the Liturgy of the Word, “which should be celebrated in a way that favours meditation”.” (Verbum Domini 66)

The proclamation of the Gospel should be made more solemn

•  “the proclamation of the word of God, and the Gospel in particular, should be made more solemn, especially on major liturgical feasts, through the use of the Gospel Book, carried in procession during the opening rites and then brought to the lectern by a deacon or priest for proclamation. . . . it is good that the word of God, especially the Gospel, be enhanced by being proclaimed in song, particularly on certain solemnities. The greeting, the initial announcement: “A reading from the holy Gospel” and the concluding words: “The Gospel of the Lord”, could well be sung as a way of emphasizing the importance of what was read.” (Verbum Domini 67)

In the Liturgy, songs should be chosen which are of biblical inspiration, Gregorian chant in particular

•  “Preference should be given to songs which are of clear biblical inspiration and which express, through the harmony of music and words, the beauty of God’s word. We would do well to make the most of those songs handed down to us by the Church’s tradition which respect this criterion. I think in particular of the importance of Gregorian chant.” (Verbum Domini 70)

Readers (Lectors) who proclaim the first or second reading during Mass require careful preparation and training

•  “The Synod on the Eucharist had already called for greater care to be taken in the proclamation of the word of God. As is known, while the Gospel is proclaimed by a priest or deacon, in the Latin tradition the first and second readings are proclaimed by an appointed reader, whether a man or a woman. I would like to echo the Synod Fathers who once more stressed the need for the adequate training of those who exercise the munus of reader in liturgical celebrations, and particularly those who exercise the ministry of Reader, which in the Latin rite is, as such, a lay ministry. All those entrusted with this office, even those not instituted in the ministry of Reader, should be truly suitable and carefully trained. This training should be biblical and liturgical, as well as technical: “The purpose of their biblical formation is to give readers the ability to understand the readings in context and to perceive by the light of faith central point of the revealed message. The liturgical formation ought to equip readers to have some grasp of the meaning and structure of the liturgy of the word and the significance of its connection with the liturgy of the Eucharist. The technical preparation should make the readers skilled in the art of reading publicly, either with the power of their own voice or with the help of sound equipment.”” (Verbum Domini 58)

Ecumenical translations of the Bible are to be encouraged

•  “Promoting common translations of the Bible is part of the ecumenical enterprise. I would like to thank all those engaged in this important work, and I encourage them to persevere in their efforts.” (Verbum Domini 46)