Grassroots Liturgist

In Lent, there are echoes from significant past events.   One of those is the Jewish people being led through the wilderness towards the land that God had promised them.   Despite some hiccups, they trusted God and allowed him to lead them. Their journey was not just a trek with a destination, but a pilgrimage – a journey of transformation; they were being made fit for the Promised Land.   Any pilgrimage that does not lead to a transformation of the person making it is, in the end, no more than a long walk. And Lent is very much a pilgrimage.   In his recent Message for Lent 2025 , Pope Francis asks us to reflect, “ Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone?   Am I seeking ways to leave behind the occasions of sin and situations that degrade my dignity? ” Pope Francis also reminds us that we do not make this pilgrimage alone, but in fellowship, as di...

“ …the dismissal of the people by the deacon or the priest, so that each may go out to do good works, praising and blessing God. ” (GIRM 90c) The Dismissal is very much one of us being sent and not a mere casual departure.   In the same way that we are called to be consciously and actively engaged with the celebration of Holy Mass, so are we called to be consciously and actively involved in sharing in the sacrifice, the self-giving, of Jesus Christ in our everyday life; offering up our lives to God in everything – yes, everything that we do. In the Penitential Act, we acknowledge that we have not always been true ambassadors for the Kingdom of God; as we go out into the world from Mass, we resolve to be better signs of the Kingdom this time. An athlete takes on good nourishment so that he/she can win the race, and in holy Mass we have been nourished by Word and Sacrament so that we have the strength to “ Fight the good fight of the faith and win the eternal life to which you...

I have been tossing ideas around my head about how we can improve our Paschal Triduum liturgies since last year's were actually happening.  But we have been pitched a curve ball in that we have lost our organists for Maundy Thursday and the Easter Vigil.  So, much more thought will be required. Our parish planning meeting for Lent and Easter took place in January.  Last year, we introduced sung Evening Prayer for the Sundays of Lent up to Easter Sunday, which completed the Triduum.  This year, we will continue with this through the Easter Season until pentecost, so I will have the composing of Antiphons and the production of booklets to add to my list. Easter is very late this year, only five days shy of being as late as it can be.  Therefore, since we are obliged not to start the Easter Vigil until the hours of darkness, I fear that our numers will be down.  I find this a shame; it is THE most important celebration of the Christian calendar, but it hasn't ...

What, I wonder, are your thoughts when you hear the words of the Dismissal at the end of our celebration of holy Mass?   I am not sure that I even dare articulate some possibilities!! There are four options for the Dismissal that the priest or deacon may use.   The first is, “Go forth, the Mass is ended.”   The word ‘forth’ here is important; this is not the cry of a weary landlord, pleading with his customers to ‘Go! Go anywhere, but just get out!’   The use of ‘forth’ turns ‘go’ into something intentional, something purposeful. The next two options were explicitly added to the Missal by Pope Benedict XVI after the Synod on ‘The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.’   They were added so that the connection between liturgy and daily life would be more evident – they give us a greater insight into the meaning and purpose of the Dismissal:   “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” ...

“There follows the Rite of Peace, by which the Church entreats peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family, and the faithful express to each other their ecclesial communion and mutual charity before communicating in the Sacrament.” (CCC 82) What do you make of the Sign of Peace?   What are your feelings when you exchange the Sign of Peace during mass?   What is going on in your heart and in your mind?   Is it just a little light relief from the drama of the Mass unfolding before you?   A chance to greet others or to catch the eye of someone that you haven’t seen for a while? The early Christians exchanged peace during their celebration of the Eucharist, but the practice fell out of use until after the Second Vatican Council. Let’s explore a little what is behind this ancient symbolic act in the holy Mass. Christian peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but rather the unity of spirit and of and purpose under God.   A unity of love f...