At The Table
Our At The Table series will continue until Pentecost. We will be presenting a short video question and answer segment at the beginning of Mass each week about certain aspects of the Eucharist.
This week’s question:
What role does scripture play in the liturgy of the Mass?
There are scripture quotes all through the Mass. The opening line following the Sign of the Cross is a variation of the greeting used by Paul in each of his letters. “May the grace and peace of God…be with you,” from the Gospel of John, “Behold the Lamb of God,” from three of the Gospels “…heaven and earth are filled with your glory, Hosanna…” and of course, “Take this and eat it…”
A more recent addition is, “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul will be healed.” (Matthew 8:8) This is a statement from the Roman Centurion to Jesus, not an admission of our own worthiness, yet also admitting the healing power of Christ’s presence, which is at the core of our belief in the Eucharist.
But a major portion of the Mass is based on the fact that everybody likes a good story, proclaimed from scripture, preached about in contemporary ways, proclaimed in faith and offered to God. The Ambo is the special, large, ornate podium where the scriptures are proclaimed from. The Liturgy of the Word is a major part of the Mass that follows the Introductory Rites that Dennis described last week. It is the proclamation of the inspired word of God, remembered and lived. The word is scripture and it is our shared, sacred story of faith. The Liturgy of the Word begins with your own preparation at home. Read the scriptures before you come to Mass and you will have a richer worship experience. The Liturgy of the Word contains the following during Mass:
First Scripture Reading – 85% of these are from the Old Testament, the remaining from the Acts of the Apostles (New Testament)
Singing or reciting one of the 150 Old Testament Psalms, proclaimed as a response to the First Reading, the vast majority written by David
A New Testament Reading most of which are from one of St. Paul’s letters to various early Christian communities and some from John, James, Peter or Jude
The Alleluia – a verse, usually from the Psalms or New Testament chanted before the gospel. I liken it to a verbal High Five getting us ready for the Gospel
The Gospel – a passage from one of the four evangelists with a direct reference to Jesus. Each week we hear from one of the four portraits of the same Jesus, told to different audiences, at different times with varying emphasis and themes
Homily – A chat about the scriptures, breaking open the word, connecting our story now with the word of scripture and reverently, passionately, courageously remembering and recasting classic stories inspired by God
The Creed – Universal profession of our faith and most succinct proclamation of our deepest beliefs
Prayers of the Faithful – Petitions with a formula beginning with the church, then the world, then activities and concerns in the life of the church followed by prayers addressing contemporary issues in our world and community, followed by those for the sick, deceased and our own personal prayers
The Liturgy of The Word is our shared work in actively listening to and then living out God’s word and story.
The Vine
Jesus uses the metaphor of a vine to describe both his identity and his relationship with us. The vine connects the earth, or our deepest spiritual life, with the branches (us) who need pruning by the gardener (God) in order to be as fruitful as possible. The divine flow in this image is from Mother Earth, created by God, through Jesus Christ to branches. As our Academy fourth graders reminded us at Mass this past week, being fruitful means putting our faith into action with love. Jesus connects us, and God is the vine grower seeking to make us as fruitful as possible, with love, making the best tasting wine.
Coming Up…
St. John of the Cross says, “Silence is God’s first language.” Please join me via Zoom for the two remaining Three Rivers of Silence sessions, Wednesdays May 5 and 19. Contact Mary Whiteside in Adult Faith at mwhiteside@holyfamilyparish.org.