Grassroots Liturgist

It was Russell Crowe's character, Maximus Decimus Meridius, in the film Gladiator who shouted this to the crowd in the Colosseum.   To our sensibilities, the question seems grotesque; can it ever be appropriate to be entertained by such a spectacle? Which, because of the way that my mind works, led me to think about how we approach the celebration of holy Mass: on any level, conscious or unconscious, do we turn up expecting to be entertained? Do we ever find ourselves judging whether the priest celebrated the Mass in a manner to our liking?   Or how well the organist or musicians played, how well the cantors or choir sang, and how well the readers read?   Do we leave church disappointed, because our favourite hymn wasn’t sung? If we ever find ourselves guilty of any of these, then we may need reflect on our understanding of holy Mass. “You either have an altar or a stage – it is either a sacrifice or it’s a show, it is either the Mass or it’s entertainment.” (Ga...

One of my university lecturers – the Professor, no less – was famed by an occasion when virtually an entire one-hour tutorial was held in silence.   A tutorial is very different to a lecture.   A wit once wrote that ‘a lecture is the process by which information is passed from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the student, bypassing the brain of both.’ But tutorials have a more interactive format.   They are designed for discussion, clarification, and applying the knowledge gained in lectures.   You cannot expect to turn up and be passive or disengaged.   You must be tuned in. Now, this Professor had asked his students to prepare for the tutorial by doing some reading.   This reading was essential as it would prepare fertile ground for the advancement of their studies; their understanding of the topic would deepen though their shared exploration of the reading and, because of this, they would take ownership and think for themselves – developin...

There are some words that we use so frequently that the original power of that word can diminish. Take the word disciple , for example.   Most of us would say that disciple means follower , and leave it at that.   We may be thinking that no more needs to be said; the disciples followed Jesus.   Simple!   But the modern English usage of the word follower doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what it truly means. Jesus, of course, was born, lived and died a Jew, and the Hebrew word for disciple is talmid .   This word stresses the relationship between rabbi (teacher or master) and disciple (student).   At the time of Jesus’ ministry, a talmid would give up his entire life in order to be with his teacher.   And what that disciple sought from his teacher was not simply some head knowledge, as you might if attending a lecture or talk today.   No.   Rather than simply wanting to know what the rabbi said, the disciple wanted to b...

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...

Just a few years ago, a study in the USA revealed that about 75% percent of American Catholics believed that the Eucharist is merely a symbol.   That’s really quite shocking.   And would it be much different in the UK? The Church, from its very beginning, has taught that Jesus is really, truly and substantially present in the Eucharist.   So why is it that so many Catholics seem not to have taken this to their heart? We are not the first generation to find this to be a difficult teaching.   When Jesus told the people, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.   Whoever eats this bread will live forever.   This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:51) the crowd reacted with confusion, horror and anger.   “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (6:52)   To his Jewish listeners, especially, the idea of drinking ANY blood, let alone the blood of a human, was abhorrent and struck at the heart of t...

“Show me your calendar, and I will tell you your priorities.” A few days ago, I watched a YouTube video featuring Bishop Robert Baron, where he used this phrase.   And there is clearly truth in those words.   We spend our time, we offer up our time to things that, for whatever reason, are important to us.   For example, I remember offering up a great deal of my time taking my children to their various evening and weekend activities.   I say ‘offering up’ because, frankly, if I were to have made a selfish choice about what to do with my days, they would not have been spent watching endless lengths of swimming or standing in the freezing wind and rain watching a rugby or football match.   But enriching our children’s lives is very important and so I offered up that time, and did so joyfully.   But what else is important to us? In our reflections on the Holy Mass, we have noted the importance of our full, conscious and active participation in the litur...

In a recent homily, our parish priest explained why he allows the collection to proceed before he prepares the altar, and then stands as the collection is taken to the sanctuary.   These are his gestures of respect to our own self-giving to God, made through the daily sacrifices we embrace to live in the light of the Gospel, and symbolised in our offerings.   As we reflected last time, true sacrifice is humbly submitting ourselves to God.   Our offering at the collection is necessary for the practical needs of our parish, but its significance is so much more.   It is a symbol of our life, our work, our labours.   And, in recognition that all comes from God, we offer our life and our labours to God in humble sacrifice.   Our financial offering is, in a very real way, an offering of ourselves.   And this is part of the priestly role that, as baptised Christians, we share with Jesus the Christ. “Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and your...

I suspect that the Offertory deserves and requires much more of our attention. Too often, we can be focussed on singing a hymn.   Or we allow our mind to wander before the ‘important bits’ start.   But we cannot begin to truly understand the Mass without an understanding of offering and sacrifice, and we really need to give our undivided attention to what is happening here.   Maybe, part of the problem is our understanding of the word sacrifice .   In modern usage it has a negative feel, as in giving up something valuable.   It can hold connotations of the brutal, barbaric human sacrifices made by the Incas and other ancient cultures.   Or perhaps the catechesis that we received as children wrongly suggested that the death of Jesus was to appease a God who demands bloody retribution for our sins. But true sacrifice stems from a deep acknowledgement that everything that we are, and everything that we have, comes from our Eternal God.   And the...