Familiarity Breeds Dissent in the Liturgy

[Spiller]

When people begin as readers, EMsHC or servers in my parish, they rarely receive enough training but they do seem quite reverent for the most part. They do their part as best they can. They may not be technically proficient, but they are reverent.

This contrasts sharply with the “veterans” who treat their ministries as if they were volunteering to BBQ at the local Elks Club. The reverence is long gone, replaced by a secular sense of what is good and bad. They have dumbed-down what should be sacred. Let’s just get it done so we can go to breakfast!

Some examples. Did you just finish distributing the Precious Blood? Go right ahead and stuff the purificator right into the chalice before handing it to a server! Did you just finish distributing the Sacred Body? While on your way to bringing back your ciborium, grab another EMHC’s ciborium (who is also done) and dump its contents into your ciborium as you walk as if you were cleaning up after a party! If you are serving Mass, make sure to hurry around the sanctuary with unnecessary trips as if you are working really hard to put on a show. There are a dozen more examples I could list.

Does this happen in your parishes? I’m involved with the liturgy at my parish and quite a few of us work to keep things reverent, but the people I just described absolutely ignore any tactful (name removed by moderator)ut of how to be show a bit more reverence. The pastor is overly diplomatic, not wanting to upset anyone. In the meantime the “sign value” of their actions seems to be taking quite a toll on the faithful in the pews.

 

[MusicMan]

These examples are not issues in my parish. Our readers, Communion distributors, servers, sacristans, ushers, and even musicians behave with a profound sense of reverence while discharging our duties.

 

[tamie]

I’ve seen some of this at my church. The habit of stuffing the purificator into the cup seems to have finally broken. The one thing I notice the most is that some of the lectors aren’t reverent enough. One lady barely nods her head! That is not what we were taught.

 

[MarieVeronica]

Well, we’ve had a problem in our parish with Eucharistic Ministers not dressing appropriately… especially prevelent with the women… during the hot, summer months.

And yes, I have also seen the “dumping” of Hosts, from one ciborium to another.

I have only been back in the Church for about 3 years… after an absence of 10 years. And I have noticed things, which were certainly not present in the past. But having said that… I have also noticed some really positive changes. Such as… Eucharistic Adoration and the emergence of special Adoration Chapels, in many parishes. Also, devotion to the Divine Mercy (although, this devotion isn’t too predominant in my current parish).

I try not to become discouraged… but place my trust in the Lord. God bless.

 

[Phemie]

And yes, I have also seen the “dumping” of Hosts, from one ciborium to another.

I’ve seen it too, but it’s usually my pastor doing it standing in the aisle as he transfers from his ciborium to the EMHC’s. I’m usually holding my breath at that point.

He then goes to sit down while the EMHC gives communion to the choir then returns the ciborium to the tabernacle.

 

[Phemie]

The one thing I notice the most is that some of the lectors aren’t reverent enough. One lady barely nods her head! That is not what we were taught.

When? Where?

 

[Spiller]

These examples are not issues in my parish. Our readers, Communion distributors, servers, sacristans, ushers, and even musicians behave with a profound sense of reverence while discharging our duties.

That is awesome. What do you attribute it to? Catechesis?

 

[rpp]

I used to serve as both a lector and an EMHC. I found myself falling into this very pattern. And it was born of familiarity. I do not think I was every irreverent, but I did find myself becoming more careless.

This lead me to a larger conclusions that I do not believe that most people who currently serve as EMHCs or lectors (including myself) should. Only people who can retain both the sense of reverence and newness, like I am sure they felt the first time they served.

I also had other reasons for not wanting to serve as an EMHC. This was highlighted once when one of the EMHC serving at Mass chose not to receive Holy Communion. When I asked him later why not, he said he had not been able to get to confession. Yet he still handled the Body of our Lord! I saw a lector do the same thing. Where is the consistency in that?

I would think that if a person cannot receive Holy Communion, they should not be distributing Him either.

So last summer, I quit being a lector and serving as an EMHC.

 

[Joannm]

Does your parish have follow up meetings for liturgical ministers? We have at least two a year where we go over the baics and discuss any problems we may be having, like dress code or some of the problems you discussed. I also write a monthly newletter to all our liturgica ministers where I point our problems before they really become a big problem. Part of the newletter is something spiritual and usually some personal reflections (which they seem to like), the rest of the newsletter included things in the parish calendar that they might be interested in attending, diocesan news and notes to the specific ministries and the welcoming of new ministers.

 

[benedictgal]

When? Where?

I think what the poster meant was that the reader is not reverencing the altar/crucifix when she goes up to proclaim the readings. The reverence posture we were taught was to bow.

 

[Phemie]

I think what the poster meant was that the reader is not reverencing the altar/crucifix when she goes up to proclaim the readings. The reverence posture we were taught was to bow.

OK, we teach them to bow to the altar if they crossed in front of it but that there is no gesture necessary otherwise. I’ve seen the nod from more than one reader but there are a few of us who try to model a proper bow when we take up the Gospel Book in the entrance procession.

 

[MusicMan]

That is awesome. What do you attribute it to? Catechesis?

1.) Witness. Several community leaders serve as lectors and as emHC. They behave in a reverent manner. Because they do so, others who perhaps don’t hold such prominent leadership positions tend to follow suit. We’re a small community. The public high school’s principal and the Catholic grade school’s principal both serve as readers and as emHC. They both take these tasks very seriously and others follow their reverent example.

2.) The Catholic grade school’s principal is in charge of the altar servers. She’s an “old school” “battle axe” Dominican nun (and I say that with deep respect – she’s a good friend of mine). Servers who even think about not putting their cincture on properly are reprimanded on the spot. They wouldn’t dare do anything worse. Because of her consistant demands for proper behavior and reverence, the altar servers are trained to behave correctly, and then grow up to serve in other lay ministries with that same mentality.

3.) The general, inherent goodness of people. This matters to the folks in our small community. Those who worship, regardless of denomination, take their faith lives very seriously. Our readers and emsHC want to behave reverently at Mass.

4.) The GIRM instructs the musicians to help set the example at Mass, especially if they are visible. We all do our part to listen to the readings, stand, sit, and kneel at the appropriate times, and behave appropriately. This goes back to the witness.

I don’t know if catechesis has anything to do with the positives in our parish. We just have a sense of doing things correctly. The beautiful thing is that once people are used to doing things the right way, it tends to continue and maintain itself.

 

[rpp]

Does your parish have follow up meetings for liturgical ministers? We have at least two a year where we go over the baics and discuss any problems we may be having, like dress code or some of the problems you discussed. I also write a monthly newletter to all our liturgica ministers where I point our problems before they really become a big problem. Part of the newletter is something spiritual and usually some personal reflections (which they seem to like), the rest of the newsletter included things in the parish calendar that they might be interested in attending, diocesan news and notes to the specific ministries and the welcoming of new ministers.

My (now former) parish had no such follow up. Just a 2-3 hour annual training.

 

[Spiller]

I used to serve as both a lector and an EMHC. I found myself falling into this very pattern. And it was born of familiarity. I do not think I was every irreverent, but I did find myself becoming more careless.

Yes. There is also that pressure that is often applied on those who are too “by the book.”

This lead me to a larger conclusions that I do not believe that most people who currently serve as EMHCs or lectors (including myself) should. Only people who can retain both the sense of reverence and newness, like I am sure they felt the first time they served.

I am glad I’m not the only one who feels that way. When I cannot retain the sense of reverence and newness (and sometimes it takes GREAT concentration and resolve) I am either going to retire or go on sabbatical.

I also had other reasons for not wanting to serve as an EMHC. This was highlighted once when one of the EMHC serving at Mass chose not to receive Holy Communion. When I asked him later why not, he said he had not been able to get to confession. Yet he still handled the Body of our Lord! I saw a lector do the same thing. Where is the consistency in that?

So very true.

I would think that if a person cannot receive Holy Communion, they should not be distributing Him either.

Agreed.

So last summer, I quit being a lector and serving as an EMHC.

You seem to lack the ego many lay ministers have. Good for you. I hope you return sometime when the time is right for you.

 

[Spiller]

Does your parish have follow up meetings for liturgical ministers? We have at least two a year where we go over the baics and discuss any problems we may be having, like dress code or some of the problems you discussed. I also write a monthly newletter to all our liturgica ministers where I point our problems before they really become a big problem. Part of the newletter is something spiritual and usually some personal reflections (which they seem to like), the rest of the newsletter included things in the parish calendar that they might be interested in attending, diocesan news and notes to the specific ministries and the welcoming of new ministers.

Nope. Some of asked for on-going training and we were given an embarrassing two-night sideshow (don’t ask) from a visiting priest on the theology of the Mass. What we need is nuts-and-bolts training.

Our pastor is a good guy, but he is relatively new still – and rather wise. If we have the correct type of training (he has no problem with putting the hours in) there would be a concrete foundation for then removing lay ministers who failed to perform and I think that concerns him.

On the good side our new bishop is supposedly getting ready to crack-down on diocese-wide liturgical deformations so that alone might change the tone of things.

 

[Spiller]

1.) Witness. Several community leaders serve as lectors and as emHC. They behave in a reverent manner. Because they do so, others who perhaps don’t hold such prominent leadership positions tend to follow suit. We’re a small community. The public high school’s principal and the Catholic grade school’s principal both serve as readers and as emHC. They both take these tasks very seriously and others follow their reverent example.

2.) The Catholic grade school’s principal is in charge of the altar servers. She’s an “old school” “battle axe” Dominican nun (and I say that with deep respect – she’s a good friend of mine). Servers who even think about not putting their cincture on properly are reprimanded on the spot. They wouldn’t dare do anything worse. Because of her consistant demands for proper behavior and reverence, the altar servers are trained to behave correctly, and then grow up to serve in other lay ministries with that same mentality.

3.) The general, inherent goodness of people. This matters to the folks in our small community. Those who worship, regardless of denomination, take their faith lives very seriously. Our readers and emsHC want to behave reverently at Mass.

4.) The GIRM instructs the musicians to help set the example at Mass, especially if they are visible. We all do our part to listen to the readings, stand, sit, and kneel at the appropriate times, and behave appropriately. This goes back to the witness.

I don’t know if catechesis has anything to do with the positives in our parish. We just have a sense of doing things correctly. The beautiful thing is that once people are used to doing things the right way, it tends to continue and maintain itself.

Awesome!

 

[japhy]

OK, we teach them to bow to the altar if they crossed in front of it but that there is no gesture necessary otherwise. I’ve seen the nod from more than one reader but there are a few of us who try to model a proper bow when we take up the Gospel Book in the entrance procession.

In my parish, the lector makes a profound bow (bending at the waist) to the altar when they approach the ambo for the readings. However, when the lector is carrying the Book of Gospels in the entrance procession, the lector only bows their head (when the priest and others in the procession make a profound bow to the altar) because we’re carrying something.

The GIRM (n. 274) says that genuflection is replaced with a bow of the head when carrying something, and I believe that replacement is appropriate for profound bows as well: that is, a profound bow is replaced with a bow of the head when carrying something.

 

[Phemie]

In my parish, the lector makes a profound bow (bending at the waist) to the altar when they approach the ambo for the readings. However, when the lector is carrying the Book of Gospels in the entrance procession, the lector only bows their head (when the priest and others in the procession make a profound bow to the altar) because we’re carrying something.

The GIRM (n. 274) says that genuflection is replaced with a bow of the head when carrying something, and I believe that replacement is appropriate for profound bows as well: that is, a profound bow is replaced with a bow of the head when carrying something.

The bow in the entrance procession is because the reader, the crucifer, and the altar servers carrying the candles all place what they are carrying in their proper places then return to reverence the altar with the priest. I can’t rightly recall when that became ‘the way we do things here’ but I remember being taught to bow only my head when taking up the BoG, placing it on the altar and then proceeding immediately to my pew which AFAIK is the proper way to do things in procession: keep it moving until it’s over.

 

[John_Lilburne]

In my parish, the lector makes a profound bow (bending at the waist) to the altar when they approach the ambo for the readings. However, when the lector is carrying the Book of Gospels in the entrance procession, the lector only bows their head (when the priest and others in the procession make a profound bow to the altar) because we’re carrying something.

The GIRM (n. 274) says that genuflection is replaced with a bow of the head when carrying something, and I believe that replacement is appropriate for profound bows as well: that is, a profound bow is replaced with a bow of the head when carrying something.

Phemie wrote:

OK, we teach them to bow to the altar if they crossed in front of it but that there is no gesture necessary otherwise.

The 1984 Ceremonial of Bishops has, in the chapter “General Norms”:
“72 A deep bow is made to the altar by all who enter the sanctuary (chancel), leave it, or pass before the altar.” (Ceremonial of Bishops, Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9, page 37.)

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“275. … b. A bow of the body, that is to say a profound bow, is made to the altar;”

But it does not explain, in the GIRM, when this bow to the altar is to be made. It describes it as part of the entrance procession and part of the procession at the end of Mass. For example:
“195. Upon reaching the altar, the lector makes a profound bow with the others. If he is carrying the Book of the Gospels, he approaches the altar and places the Book of the Gospels upon it. Then the lector takes his own place in the sanctuary with the other ministers.”

(I understand this to mean that a lector, instituted or not, can (perhaps even should) sit in the sanctuary for the whole of Mass. In this case, the lector would not bow to the altar a second time, before doing the reading, unless passing in front of the altar to get to the ambo.)

I think all who enter the sanctuary should make a deep bow to the altar, unless they are carrying something. It has this in the Ceremonial of Bishops, which has “All things to the contrary notwithstanding” in its decree. The 2002 GIRM does change this instruction, it just fails to repeat it (explicitly). It has:
“112. … At a Mass celebrated by the Bishop or at which he presides without celebrating the Eucharist, the norms found in the Caeremoniale Episcoporum should be observed. [footnote 92: Cf. *Caeremoniale Episcoporum, editio typica, 1984, nos. 119-186.]” But this is not the same as saying “The Ceremonial of Bishops should be ignored, unless there is a bishop.”