Grassroots Liturgist

This seems an appropriate point at which to explore the Lectionary, of which we start using a new edition on the 1st Sunday of Advent later this year. The Second Vatican Council reminds us that we are fed from two tables in the Holy Mass: Word and Sacrament. “The treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God's word.   In this way a more representative portion of the holy scriptures will be read to the people in the course of a prescribed number of years.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium 51) For too long, the Church didn’t provide its flock with a great deal of nourishment from Scripture in the Mass.   The Council Fathers sought to correct that, which led the introduction of the 1969 Lectionary – the   book which contains all the Readings that are proclaimed during the Liturgy of the Word.   On any given Sunday, at every Catholic church in every country of the world, we listen to the same...

To be honest, this post has been churning in my head for twelve months.   The title has gone from “What does the Football World Cup teach us…” to “What does the [rugby] Six Nations...” to “What does the Cricket World Cup….” All of these sporting events are festivals; a celebration of their sports.   Assiduous preparations are made, invitations are sent out (though these invitations require credit card numbers) and the whole thing is eagerly anticipated.   Some of the greatest stars of their realm are assembled from all over the world and a wondrous drama unfolds. But what has often struck me most is the crowd.   For them, the drama doesn’t start when the match starts.   They have all been eagerly anticipating this moment for days or weeks, the excitement building up as the day draws near.   They will know everything there is to know about their team and its players, eagerly feeding their hunger for more knowledge through news outlets and social media; ...