Grassroots Liturgist

“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...

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...