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August 11, 2022This second article on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is on the Liturgy of the Word, which is pretty much the whole first half of Holy Mass (Opening Rites through the Universal Prayer). Since the first article is on the Opening Rites, this article will be on the readings from Sacred Scripture through the Universal Prayer.
Typically, but not always, the first reading is from the Old Testament, the responsorial psalm always comes the Psalms, and the second reading (or third reading if you count the psalms) is from the New Testament. The Magisterium (fancy name for the bishops of the world) decided to split the readings we hear at Holy Mass into two different cycles. We have one cycle for daily Mass readings (Monday-Saturday) and a different cycle for Sunday readings. A common question is, “do we read every book in the Bible at Holy Mass through these cycles?” The answer is no, but we do hear and read a lot of the texts.
What the Magisterium did was look at the seasons of our liturgical year (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time), along with our various feast days, and themed every Sunday around a Gospel account that is appropriate for the season and/or feast. The Old and New Testament readings, and the Psalm, that proceed the Gospel were chosen by the Magisterium to match/go with/lead up to the Gospel. Our Sunday Mass readings are on a three-year cycle that has a specific focus on a Gospel writer. Currently in 2022, we are on Year C which focuses on the Gospel of Luke. Next year we will be in Year A, which will focus on Matthew. Year B is the Mark year and because Mark is much shorter than Luke and Matthew, we have some of John’s Gospel sprinkled in. Every year, regardless of the cycle, the Easter Season Gospels are mainly from the Gospel of John. When it comes to the weekday Mass cycle, that is a two-year cycle also put together by the Magisterium.
It is always important to listen attentively to the readings and respond during the psalm. Holy Mass is not a spectator sport. We cannot just sit in our pew and expect something to happen without putting in any work. We need to listen attentively to the prayers and readings, respond with a full voice, sing out loud, and of course use our bodies as well during the Eucharistic celebration. Might I make a suggestion to help listen and meditate on the readings during the Liturgy of the Word: prayerfully read through the readings before coming to Holy Mass. You can find the readings online at usccb.org or on any number of Catholic prayer apps. You can also subscribe to This Day or Magnificat, both are subscription series that mail the readings and prayers to your house each month. Many people like the Magnificat series, I personally use This Day. If you can get to Holy Mass 15 or 20 minutes early, that is plenty of time to read the readings before Mass begins or you can read them at home before coming to church. Knowing the readings will help you go deeper into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Again, Holy Mass is not a spectator sport, we need to be involved with our whole body, mind, and spirit. Do what you can to pay attention, come prepared, and fully participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Following the readings and psalm comes the Gospel Acclamation, which is the singing/chanting of the Alleluia (except in Lent). We stand during this time and view the procession of the Deacon or Priest with the Book of Gospels to the ambo. An Ambo is what we call the thing lectors and ordained ministers read the Sacred Scriptures from. Ambo comes from a Latin and Greek word meaning “edge” or “rim,” because it is on the edge of the sanctuary. The Altar is the center of the sanctuary and center of our worship during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the ambo is off to the side, on the edge, where we hear the Word proclaimed to us. Some newer churches were unfortunately designed to give “equal” prominence to both the ambo and altar, but this is foolish for those of us who understand the mysteries of the faith. The Eucharist and the actual Sacrifice of Christ that is re-presented to us at Holy Mass on the Altar is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than the proclaiming of the Word. The Sacred Scriptures are an important means of God’s self-revelation, but the Eucharist is Jesus Christ Himself who is perfect revelation. So, if you’re ever in a conversation about church design or architecture, any church that downplays or condescends the placement of the Altar (and the Tabernacle as well), please chime in confidently with these truths! Anyway…I digress…
When the Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia, except for Lent) begins, we stand and remain standing. Why do we stand? We stand out of respect for the words of Jesus that we will hear in the Gospel. Because the Gospel will have direct quotes from our Lord Himself, we have a more ritualized means of preparing and hearing the words of our Lord, Jesus Christ. First, there’s a special book the ordained minister reads from called the Book of Gospels. This book is treated with reverence and honor in that we process into Holy Mass with the Book of Gospels, and we have a procession during the Gospel Acclamation. Second, the ordained minister reading the Book of Gospels signs the reading with the Sign of the Cross before reading it as a way of marking the sacredness of the text. Third, we often have Altar Servers hold candles and even incense on special occasions to remind us that Christ is present in a special way during this moment. Fourth, only ordained ministers (deacon, priest, or bishop) read the Gospel at Holy Mass because they are configured to Christ in a special way through their Sacrament of Holy Orders. Fifth, and finally, when the Gospel is finished being read, the ordained minister reading the Gospel reverences the reading with a kiss, just like the Altar is reverenced at the beginning of Holy Mass.
Something else we don’t see often is that when a Bishop is present at Holy Mass, because the bishop is most perfectly configured to Christ the High Priest, the Bishop reverences the Book of Gospels with a kiss after it is read and not the priest or deacon who may have read the Gospel. Another rare thing is that the Book of Gospels, because of how special the book is, can be used by the priest or bishop to bless the people after the Gospel is read (much like we do with a monstrance during benediction with the Blessed Sacrament). Needless to say, the reading of and listening to the Gospel is a very important part of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Christ is literally speaking to us through the ordained minister (deacon, priest, or bishop) who is reading the Gospel.
Following the Gospel is the homily, which should help everyone reflect on what the Church and our Lord is telling us through the readings we heard. When the homily is over, we then together recite the Creed. Reciting the Creed has been part of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for centuries. Professing our faith before receiving Jesus in the Eucharist is important because it shows that all of us who gather for prayer are truly in communion with each other when it comes to our faith. We believe the same things and we try our best to live out our faith in everyday life. If we don’t believe even one small part of the Creed, then we shouldn’t present ourselves for Holy Communion, just like if we’re not in a state of grace. I highly encourage you to pray over the Creed and mediate on the most basic teaching of our faith and if any questions come up we should look up our question in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is a book that compiles and summarizes all the teachings of our One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. The first section of the Catechism is based off the Creed and goes line by line explaining what we believe in. It may not be the most exciting book on your shelf, but it will answer many of the questions you may have.
There are two other things I want to mention about the Creed. First, it’s important that we don’t change any of the words. Obedience is a hallmark virtue of Jesus’ disciples and obedience transfers down to saying the words as we’re asked to say them. I remember when I was a lay person sitting in the pew and hearing people change words and I can still hear people change words in the pews while I’m standing in the sanctuary. Again, if you have a problem or question something in the Creed, go look it up in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can certainly talk to me about it, but I’m not as smart as the Catechism and contrary to popular belief, I don’t have the Catechism memorized. In summary, practice obedience by saying the words we’re asked to say during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. As a whole, the Mass is the most perfect prayer of the Church. If we take it upon ourselves to change words, then our pride is getting in the way and we’re communicating to almighty God that we know better than God and His Church. We don’t.
Second, there’s a part of the Creed where we’re supposed to bow in adoration and reverence. It is during the words “…and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” When we recite those words during the Creed, we’re asked to bow in reverence for the Incarnation as well as for our Blessed Mother. During the Christmas Season (and on March 25 when we celebrate the Annunciation) we genuflect during that line for the same reason. If you’re not already bowing during this part of the Creed, start today (or next week if you’re reading this after Sunday Mass)!
We finally come to the end of the Liturgy of the Word with the Universal Prayer. This is an opportunity for the community to offer common prayer intentions together. We all come to Holy Mass with our own intentions, but as a community it's important we pray together for those in our community, in our country, and those in need of prayer around the world. We're all trying to grow in holiness together and to inspire others to grow in holiness. The Universal Prayer is a great opportunity for us to pray as one family rooted in a common faith.
