This weekend we focus on the part of the liturgy known as the Gathering Rite and the Liturgy of the Word. The Gathering Rite consists of our gathering at the church before Mass, the Opening Hymn, the Sign of the Cross, the Greeting, the Penitential Rite, the Gloria and the Opening Prayer. First and foremost, the Mass or liturgy is something done by everyone together. Therefore, we should show kindness, hospitality, and graciousness to everyone who gathers. We greet one another warmly and make this place welcoming to all – those of us with disabilities, those with young children, and those who are elderly, those we do not know.
The preliminary thing we do as a community is gather, congregate, assemble. This begins in the narthex area at Holy Family and moves into the main body of the church. One of the first things we hear upon entering the church are words of greeting and welcome by the liturgical leaders. As stated in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), #27, “Christ is really present in the very liturgical assembly gathered in his name…” For Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” (Matthew, chapter 18, verse 20). Christ is also present “. . . in the person of the minister, in His Word [Sacred Scripture], and indeed substantially and continuously under the Eucharistic species.” So, let us then acknowledge Christ’s presence in all those who are gathered.
We are invited to come forward into the main body of the church and fill up the front rows, not just the middle or back rows, not sitting just on the end of the pews but moving to the middle as if we are inviting others to sit beside us. We begin the gathering or entrance rite together. Though some of the assembly is in the ritual procession, we are all in procession, all moving into the liturgy. The entrance song is for all of us. We sing to signal the transition into communal activity that begins from moving from where we are to where we want to be in Christ. According to the GIRM, #47, “The purpose of the opening song is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical season or festivity, and accompany the procession of the priest and ministers.”
The presider then leads us in the sign of the cross, a simple but profound gesture that proclaims who we are and whose we are in Christ. We then move into the penitential rite where we acknowledge that we are all imperfect and wounded human beings in need of God’s blessing, healing, and reconciliation. During this time the presider reminds us to express sorrow for our sins and ask the Lord for forgiveness and mercy. We then sing the Gloria to recognize that Christ’s redemption is given to all who ask. The GIRM, #53, reminds us that “The Gloria is a very ancient and venerable hymn in which the Church, gathered together in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb.” We then observe a brief moment of silence and the presider then leads the assembly in a prayer which is customarily known as the collect and through which the character of the celebration is expressed. The people make the prayer their own with the acclamation, Amen.
During the Liturgy of the Word, we are all listening and responding to the Word of God. To enable us to listen and respond most effectively, the liturgy asks us to be seated. We sit so that we can better enter into
active listening and responding. The dialogues at the ends of the readings, the Responsorial Psalm, and the Gospel Acclamation all remind us that we respond to the Word of God, not just by saying or singing “Thanks be to God,” but by taking in the Word within us so that we are nourished by it. The proclamation of Sacred Scripture is more than the printed words on the page. It is the living Word of God spoken through the mouths of the lectors and presider. We proclaim the text orally in the midst of our community and we receive it aurally into our own minds and hearts during the living liturgy. It is a living, breathing, active Word for our present day, proclaimed for all of us who are listening and receiving actively. Into our daily struggles, our own joys and sorrows, our own hopes and fears, the Living Word of God comes afresh to nourish us, strengthen us, challenge us, and help us grow in faith. Let us be attentive to the Living Word of God!
We stand to hear the Gospel because it tells us of the life, ministry, and preaching of Jesus and therefore receives a special sign of reverence. The gathered assembly stands to hear the Gospel, just as one would stand for the guest of honor when he or she enters the room. We beautify the proclamation of the Gospel with a sung “Alleluia” beforehand. The Hebrew word Alleluia means “Praise for the Lord!” Another sign of reverence for the Gospel is the proclamation by the deacon – if no deacon is present, the priest proclaims the Gospel. A special Book of Gospels is used for this proclamation. The book of the Gospels is reverently processed by the deacon or presider from the altar to the ambo, where it is passionately proclaimed. The Liturgy of the Word focuses on the letters and writings assembled in the Bible so that the faithful will always be taught the scriptures. The readings are a way in which God communicates to each person. If I ignore the readings, I am not opening my ears to hear Him speak.
A few minutes before or after Mass, read through the Scripture passages. Ask God to help you reflect on His word and think about it throughout the day. The daily Mass readings can be easily accessed through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website http://usccb.org/bible/. St. Jerome is attributed with saying that “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” As we listen to the Scriptures at Mass, let us reflect on them, encounter Christ, and truly grow in our love and knowledge of God!
Fr. Rich Jakubik