Are there rubrics for a lay led liturgy of the word?

[Ragadash]

Our parish priest can’t do the the usual live stream mass tomorrow. I’m a resident seminarian and I’ve been asked to lead a liturgy of the word instead.
Are there rubrics for this?
I don’t suspect there is, but if they exist could someone point me in their direction.
Furthermore if a lay person leads a liturgy of the word, are certain priest parts included?
The entrance antiphon?
The opening dialogue of “the Lord be with you” ?
The penitential rite?

 

[Fauken]

@edward_george1

 

[Sursumcorda1]

Can you do your Office of the Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours for them?

 

[Glennon_P]

Do you have a copy of (I think it’s called) “The Rites”? If there are rubrics for what you’re describing, they should be there.

 

[JulianN]

For daily Mass, the rubrics can be found in Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Contact the Diocese to see if your Bishop has approved Word and Communion services (our Bishop only grants permission for these on a case by case basis).

 

[Usige]

Contact the Diocese to see if your Bishop has approved Word and Communion services (our Bishop only grants permission for these on a case by case basis).

That would be my first step as we are very restricted on when they may be offered. One time that they cannot be used in my diocese is when the priest for a regularly scheduled mass is not available (i.e. we cannot use it to substitute for a scheduled mass). We can pray the rosary or pray the appropriate office of the liturgy of the hours, but not celebrate anything that resembles mass in structure.

Since there couldn’t be distribution of the Eucharist (assuming you would be the only person there) it is possible to adapt Holy Communion Outside of Mass, but it is not something I would just wing. Based on how other rites are structured there are certain parts only proper to clergy (i.e. blessings, benediction) and should not be done by laymen. My initial thought is to just use elements from the introductory rites, Liturgy or the Word, and concluding rites, but that does mean leaving out the Lord’s Prayer as it is part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The reason I do not believe there are specific rubrics for Liturgy of the Word w/o reception of the Eucharist is that I don’t believe the Church ever envisioned a liturgical gathering of the sort.

 

[Adamek]

I’m a resident seminarian and I’ve been asked to lead a liturgy of the word instead.
Are there rubrics for this?

Did the priest ask you to lead the liturgy of the word? If so, wouldn’t he have given you the materials you need or point to someone who could provide such?

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

They do exist. Sunday Celebrations in Absence of a Priest is one such example. The first half of Mass is almost the same. The exceptions are the greeting “The Lord be with you.” is reserved to clergy and the form of blessing/closing is slightly different, since you can’t impart that blessing upon the people. If communion is included, the Our Father almost immediately follows the Prayer of the Faithful, the hosts are retrieved from the tabernacle, and then there’s closing prayer after distribution. No one sits in the sanctuary.

All of this, as said above, may be regulated by each bishop somewhat differently.

 

[TheLittleLady]

There are priests of a certain age who were very accustomed to having a “Word and Communion” service for any reason in past times, sometimes they do not realize these are now rather uncommon.

Another concern, I know our Diocese does not encourage consecrating many addl hosts, with the virus and all, only a few are in the Tabernacle for Last Rites.

 

[JohnLilburne]

I think the most detailed official description of the ceremony is found in Ceremonial of Bishops, Part III, Chapter 7: “Celebrations of the Word of God”. This includes:

“224 Celebrations of the word of God should be patterned on the structure of the liturgy of the word at Mass.”

“226 After the introductory rites (consisting of a song, greeting, and prayer), one or more readings from Sacred Scripture are proclaimed, with songs or psalms or intervals of silence interspersed. The readings are explained in a homily that relates then to the lives of those present.
The homily may be followed by a period of silent reflection on the word of God. Then the whole congregation with one heart and voice should join in praying the intercessions, in litanic or other suitable form that encourages participation. Finally, the Lord’s Prayer should be recited.
The bishop, as the one who presides over the assembly, concludes the celebration with a prayer and blessed the people in the manner indicated in nos. 1120-1121.
One of the deacons or ministers dismisses the people, saying Go in the peace of Christ, and all reply, Thanks be to God.”

Also instructive from Ceremonial of Bishops comes under the heading “Institution of Readers within a Celebration of the Word” in n. 805: “the celebration may begin with the singing of an antiphon or some other suitable song; then the opening prayer of the Mass for the ministers of the Church may be said. The liturgy of the word is carried out as at Mass and with suitable responsorial psalms or other songs between the readings.”

With a lay person leading I think they should follow this part of the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours “258 When there is no priest or deacon, the person who presides is only one among equals; he does not enter the sanctuary, nor does he greet or bless the people.” If being out of the sanctuary is not practical, then do not use the chair the Priest would use. The “does not greet” instruction means not saying “The Lord be with you.” The blessing at the end would be as in the Liturgy of the Hours or Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass for a lay person leading. The lay person would not use the orans posture. A lay person would not kiss the altar, even if he were putting the Book of the Gospels on it, following the instructions in that book.

It does not include the penitential rite. That would be included if there was a distribution of Communion, following Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass.

The General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours is at https://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/Rites/GILH.pdf

[Excerpts from Ceremonial of Bishops © 1989, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. Excerpt from General Introduction on the Liturgy of the Hours English translation © 1974, the Hierarchies of Australia, England and Wales, Ireland. All Rights Reserved.]