Liturgy Newsletter

November 2003

News

Making good use of WWW

As well as the Liturgy Office website newly enlarged recently as noted in the last issue of this Newsletter, there are a wealth of resources available from the web.

A rich list of liturgical website links is maintained on the Notre Dame website

Of particular note is the very rich collection of materials available from the Official Site of the Congregation of the Clergy. The Congregation has prepared for clergy a ‘smart -cd’ which will enable them to be kept up-to-date with that Congregation’s publications. Copies are obtainable from support@clerus.org The CD contains various texts which are in any case downloadable from their website.

The following recommendations were made recently in the online edition of The Catholic Telegraph, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

U.S. Catholic Bishops-New American Bible This no-frills web site includes both the Sunday and daily readings. If you want to be really high-tech, you can even access the readings formatted for your PDA.

Sunday Scripture Reflections. Contains delightful commentary and reflections on the Sunday Scriptures from an Irish Jesuit priest. The Making Sense of the Mass link is also very helpful.

Cyberfaith Click on the Proclaiming Faith link to find the Sunday readings, reflections and discussion questions. The resources here can be used with young people, with a few modifications. Cyberfaith also includes a very helpful “Faith Words” glossary.

…and for something a little closer to home try: the newly created website for the Sacred Heart Church, Droitwich,

Ad Limina Apostolorum

During October the Bishops of England and Wales made their 5 yearly ad limina visit to the Holy See. This included a meeting at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, where they met with Cardinal Arinze and Mgr Marini, Prefect and under-secretary of the Congregation, respectively. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the continuing work of the English and Welsh Conference of preparing, through ICEL, its translation of the 3rd revised edition of the Roman Missal, including its General Instruction (GIRM).

The Bishops also had the opportunity to discuss with Cardinal Arinze, the much leaked draft Instruction concerning Eucharistic abuses, requested by the Holy Father in the recent Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia. The Congregation continues its internal review of the document, in association with other Dicasteries of the Holy See. Because the text of the Instruction is not yet finalised, it is not possible to say for certain what it will contain. However it is clear that bishops remain free to authorise the ministry of girl altar servers in their dioceses; that the encouragement to Communion under both kinds recently re-emphasised in GIRM is not being withdrawn; and that liturgical dance or perhaps more accurately ‘rhythmic movement’ such as is indigenous to a local culture, most commonly in Asia or Africa, remains authorised, although the practice of interpolating dance and other ‘entertainments’ into the liturgy, in ways more common in Europe and in North America continues to be considered inappropriate.

Vespers Catechesis

The Holy Father, since the beginning of October, has offered at his Wednesday General Audiences a catechesis on the liturgy of Vespers. The following excerpts come from the first of these.

‘The rising of the sun and its setting are special moments of the day... They have an unmistakable character: The joyful beauty of dawn and the triumphal splendour of sunset mark the rhythm of the universe, in which the life of man is profoundly integrated.’

The Pope reminded his listeners that morning and evening prayer have elements that refer to the mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Quoting St. Augustine of Hippo and other Church Fathers, he explained: ‘In the evening the Lord is on the cross; in the morning he rises. [...] In the evening I narrate the suffering endured by him in death; in the morning I proclaim the life that arises from him.’

Even though industrial and urban communities are not so aware of the passing of the day and of the season as are rural and agricultural societies, even here morning and evening continue to be ‘moments that are always opportune to dedicate to prayer, either in community or alone.’ The times of morning and evening prayer are ‘effective means to orient our daily way and direct it toward Christ, light of the world.’

‘When darkness falls, Christians know that God illuminates even the dark night with the splendour of His presence and with the light of His teachings. …Inspired by the symbolism of light, the prayer of vespers has become an evening sacrifice of praise and recognition for the gifts of creation and redemption.’

‘However nightfall also evokes the mysterium noctis. The darkness is felt as an occasion of frequent temptations, in particular weakness, of giving in to the attacks of the devil. With its dangers, the night becomes a symbol of all the evils from which Christ came to free us.’

The Holy Father indicated that ‘the night is a perfect time to reflect upon the day before God in prayer. …Also it is a moment ‘to give thanks for what we have been given or what we have accomplished with rectitude.’ It is also a time to ask pardon for sins that we have committed, begging through divine mercy that Christ shine once again in our hearts.’

Live Worship on the Web

On 31 August the Anglican Church of St Philip and St James in Bath broadcast their Sunday service live on the Internet, courtesy of Telenet. Those preparing to watch the broadcast were given the opportunity to vote for a favourite hymn to be included.

More than 500 people are reported to have seen the broadcast, many from the UK, others from Ireland, USA, Scandinavia, Australia and elsewhere. Responses from many of the viewers can be read on the church’s website, www.stphilipstjames.org. (Given the continuing controversy concerning the broadcasting of ‘live’ celebrations of Mass on television, maybe this new technology offers a new way forward for the Catholic Church too. In the meantime any parishes preparing liturgies for TV (or broadband) broadcast might like to contact the Liturgy Office for a copy of the Guidelines for Broadcast Worship: Televising the Mass published in 1993.

Praxis

Praxis was formed to provide and support liturgical education in the Church of England. Their programme of formation days for 2003-4 has just been published and is available from Highlights include ‘How has early liturgy changed since I left college?’ a seminar led by Dr Paul Bradshaw; a day on ‘Writing for Worship’ and another on ‘Worship when resources are limited’. Details at praxis@praxisworship.org.uk.