How does your parish "enthrone" the Book of Gospels?

[tyiyfgwq]

Yes! Still can! dv.gd/35827

 

[EasterJoy]

After the proclamation of the Gospel is your ceremonial Book of Gospels (not the Lectionary) somehow “enthroned?” Around here we used to make a bigger deal out of doing that then the actual Holy Sacrifice on the Altar.

I’m not sure what you mean by making a bigger deal out of it than the actual Holy Sacrifice on the Altar. Being a single act of worship, the Mass doesn’t have a “virtual” part and an “actual” part. The entire Mass is “actual.”

As the Catechism puts it (boldface and underline mine: EasterJoy)

**1346 The liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds according to a fundamental structure which has been preserved throughout the centuries down to our own day. It displays two great parts that form a fundamental unity: **

• the gathering, the liturgy of the Word, with readings, homily and general intercessions;
• the liturgy of the Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and wine, the consecratory thanksgiving, and communion.

The liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist together form “one single act of worship”;172 the Eucharistic table set for us is the table both of the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord.173

 

[ElToro]

I’m not sure what you mean by making a bigger deal out of it than the actual Holy Sacrifice on the Altar. Being a single act of worship, the Mass doesn’t have a “virtual” part and an “actual” part. The entire Mass is “actual.”

As the Catechism puts it (boldface and underline mine: EasterJoy)

**1346 The liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds according to a fundamental structure which has been preserved throughout the centuries down to our own day. It displays two great parts that form a fundamental unity: **

• the gathering, the liturgy of the Word, with readings, homily and general intercessions;
• the liturgy of the Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and wine, the consecratory thanksgiving, and communion.

The liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist together form “one single act of worship”;172 the Eucharistic table set for us is the table both of the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord.173

What I am saying is that the “liturgists” around here have given this single element of the Liturgy of the Word more attention than the actual sacrifice upon during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Commonweal must have sponsored some sort of liturgists’ meeting – I’m not sure where else they would have come up with this stuff.

 

[Phemie]

I’m not sure of the terminology in the Latin Rite, but in the Byzantine Rite the deacon is considered a concelebrant. He ( the deacon ) is refered to as a concelebrant in a number of the prayers in the Liturgy.

In the Latin Rite the term ‘concelebrant’ refers to a priest who celebrates Mass together with the main celebrant.

 

[EasterJoy]

What I am saying is that the “liturgists” around here have given this single element of the Liturgy of the Word more attention than the actual sacrifice upon during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Commonweal must have sponsored some sort of liturgists’ meeting – I’m not sure where else they would have come up with this stuff.

I see what you mean. There is the mistake of sleeping through the readings and the homily and then kneeling in rapt piety for the elevation, doxology, and Holy Communion, and the other mistake of looking forward to the “interesting” (because changeable) readings while yawning throught the “boring” (because having far less variation) consecration. That doesn’t quite express what I mean, but I’m agreeing that an overemphasis on the Liturgy of the Word can prime the assembly for the second type of mistake.

I like the explanation that the Liturgy of the Word prepares the assembly to be buried in Christ and enfolded in His life, to be offered on the Altar. In other words, in the worship of listening to the Word, the Holy Spirit primes the assembly for the worship of being buried in the sacrificial Death and Resurrection of the Lord. Sort of like different phases of taking a lump of clay and making it into a pot: the Word forms and the Sacrifice fires, and when the whole thing is done, there is a sound vessel, a renewed life to send out. But still, it’s just an analogy, and it needless to say it is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to find even a group of analogies that work to satisfaction.

 

[ciero]

In the Latin Rite the term ‘concelebrant’ refers to a priest who celebrates Mass together with the main celebrant.

Same in the East…but the deacon is considered a concelebrant as well. In part of the Eucharistic prayer the priest refers to the deacon as “my brother and con celebrant”.

 

[ElToro]

I see what you mean. There is the mistake of sleeping through the readings and the homily and then kneeling in rapt piety for the elevation, doxology, and Holy Communion, and the other mistake of looking forward to the “interesting” (because changeable) readings while yawning throught the “boring” (because having far less variation) consecration. That doesn’t quite express what I mean, but I’m agreeing that an overemphasis on the Liturgy of the Word can prime the assembly for the second type of mistake.

Sticking the Book of Gospels on a rickety music stand does NOTHING to help what you illustrate.

I like the explanation that the Liturgy of the Word prepares the assembly to be buried in Christ and enfolded in His life, to be offered on the Altar. In other words, in the worship of listening to the Word, the Holy Spirit primes the assembly for the worship of being buried in the sacrificial Death and Resurrection of the Lord. Sort of like different phases of taking a lump of clay and making it into a pot: the Word forms and the Sacrifice fires, and when the whole thing is done, there is a sound vessel, a renewed life to send out. But still, it’s just an analogy, and it needless to say it is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to find even a group of analogies that work to satisfaction.

 

[centurionguard]

After the proclamation of the Gospel is your ceremonial Book of Gospels (not the Lectionary) somehow “enthroned?” Around here we used to make a bigger deal out of doing that then the actual Holy Sacrifice on the Altar. The open Book of Gospels used to be placed on a little shelf that was attached to the front of the ambo.

Someone crafted a beautiful new ambo for us but it has no such shelf (thank goodness – at least now the Book is placed on the altar and not the shelf at the beginning of Mass which is considered praiseworthy per the Church) The liturgical knownothings in my parish persuaded the pastor to allow a music stand to be positioned behind the ambo. Celebrants/deacons are now directed to place the Book of Gospels on the music stand (adjusted to its tallest height.) It looks hideous, as if someone forgot to move the music stand.

Seems like it would be FAR better to simply close the Book of Gospels and leave it on the ambo reading surface, place it “underneath” on top of the Lectionary or possibly place it on a small stand on the credence. What does your parish do? Does the Church give direction on this Thanks.

After the proclamation of the Gospel is your ceremonial Book of Gospels (not the Lectionary) somehow “enthroned?”

Not to take anything away from your post but I must admit I’ve never seen in all my 50 plus years a Ceremonial Book of the Gospels. However; unless your speaking about decorative binders or covers that can be obtained from a Catholic Religious Store I’m at somewhat of a loss to understand this referenced notation.

My thoughts on Enthroning the Book of the Gospels which to me is in respect to the Lectionary.

Few Catholic Churches today have anything on the Sanctuary that really brings significant attention to the Word of God accept that of the Ambo.

Given the reference here: newadvent.org/cathen/01381e.htm

How many Ambo’s in Catholic Churches today have any resemblance as to a raised symbolic mountain or elevation situated in the Nave (Sanctuary) particularly when speaking about modern built Churches?

The Ambo itself from its decorative aspect is really what edifies or Enthrones the Word of God. Many modern Catholic Churches today have nothing more than a lackluster Pulpit no more significant than that which one would see in a school auditorium.
Hardly anything resemblance of bringing edification and honor to the Word of God.

Given some of the lackluster furnishings seen in some modern Catholic Churches today the Faithful are really left to themselves having to Enthrone the Gospels (Word of God) in their Hearts. And really that’s where the importance matters most.

Peace
Chris

 

[Phemie]

Not to take anything away from your post but I must admit I’ve never seen in all my 50 plus years a Ceremonial Book of the Gospels. However; unless your speaking about decorative binders or covers that can be obtained from a Catholic Religious Store I’m at somewhat of a loss to understand this referenced notation.

I’m not sure what your understanding of “Ceremonial Book of the Gospels” is. If you look at church supply websites you’ll see that they often refer to almost any Book of Gospels as ‘Ceremonial’.

Since we don’t have an official “Book of Gospels” in Canada, I’m not sure what parishes use for this. Our parish has been using an American “Book of Gospels” for the procession but a copy of the Canadian reading is inserted in it each week. That only started in 2002 or 2003. Before that, the Lectionary was used in the Entrance Procession as it was in most of the parishes I’ve belonged to over the last 30 years – that in spite of the GIRM’s prohibition of using the Lectionary in procession.

When I attended Mass at St. Paul University in Ottawa, they used a Book of Gospels what cost over $1000. It is the most gorgeous book I’ve ever seen, very large, leather bound, gold embossed cover, gilt edged pages, beautiful illustrations - a real piece of art. Nothing close to what we use.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

You are just fine. It’s a problem in my parish where the deacon refuses to carry the Book of Gospels because he is busy pretending he is a priest…

This is a very disrespectful comment and really has no place in this discussion.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Not in the Latin Church though. The GIRM permits lectors to carry the Book of the Gospels in the entrance procession. Of course, only a Deacon/Priest may read the Gospel.

Just a note, the GIRM states that readers may carry the Book of Gospels.

I make this distinction because lector is an instituted ministry and not every reader (really hardly any readers) are lectors.

 

[centurionguard]

I’m not sure what your understanding of “Ceremonial Book of the Gospels” is. If you look at church supply websites you’ll see that they often refer to almost any Book of Gospels as ‘Ceremonial’.

Since we don’t have an official “Book of Gospels” in Canada, I’m not sure what parishes use for this. Our parish has been using an American “Book of Gospels” for the procession but a copy of the Canadian reading is inserted in it each week. That only started in 2002 or 2003. Before that, the Lectionary was used in the Entrance Procession as it was in most of the parishes I’ve belonged to over the last 30 years – that in spite of the GIRL’s prohibition of using the Lectionary in procession.

When I attended Mass at St. Paul University in Ottawa, they used a Book of Gospels what cost over $1000. It is the most gorgeous book I’ve ever seen, very large, leather bound, gold embossed cover, gilt edged pages, beautiful illustrations - a real piece of art. Nothing close to what we use.

]I’m not sure what your understanding of “Ceremonial Book of the Gospels” is. If you look at church supply websites you’ll see that they often refer to almost any Book of Gospels as ‘Ceremonial’.

The only Book of Gospels that I’ve seen that your referring to is three separate vinyl brown soft cover books with a cheap gold cross emblem embossed on the cover. And yes; it contains the gospels in relation to the A,B,C liturgical annual cycles.
Hardly a $1000 dollar price tag…but then again anything the Church buys from Catholic Religious Church supply stores is sure to be super excessively priced with a profit margin of lets say a marginally exaggerated 3000%.

Thanks for the info though…I’ll research it at Broughton’s in Toronto. catholicanada.com/directory/resources/for-sale/books-and-religious-articles/5811.html

 

[Phemie]

The only Book of Gospels that I’ve seen that your referring to is three separate vinyl brown soft cover books with a cheap gold cross emblem embossed on the cover. And yes; it contains the gospels in relation to the A,B,C liturgical annual cycles.
Hardly a $1000 dollar price tag…but then again anything the Church buys from Catholic Religious Church supply stores is sure to be super excessively priced with a profit margin of lets say a marginally exaggerated 3000%.

Thanks for the info though…I’ll research it at Broughton’s in Toronto. catholicanada.com/directory/resources/for-sale/books-and-religious-articles/5811.html

My understanding is that in Canada we are lacking two volumes of the Lectionary.

When they first went with the NRSV translation there were to be 5 volumes: Lectionary for Sundays and Feasts, two-volume Weekday Lectionary, Lectionary for Sacraments (readings for weddings, funerals, etc.) and a Book of Gospels. The project stalled at three volumes when Rome said “NO! You can’t use the NRSV for liturgy.”

Now that we have a revised translation for the Lectionary for Sundays and Feasts, the next step is publishing the new volumes of the weekday one. After than I don’t know if the plan is to publish the* Lectionary for Sacraments* or the Book of Gospels. I think the Lectionary for Sacraments would be more practical since now it requires us to photocopy readings for those liturgies. It would be so much more practical if we could simply tell the readers “'Your reading is the one marked by a red ribbon, yours with the green ribbon and the priest will read the Gospel marked with the gold ribbon.” Really, since the Gospel can be proclaimed from the four other volumes, it doesn’t make sense to delay the 4th lectionary just so we can have a book to carry in procession.

 

[Phemie]

Just a note, the GIRM states that readers may carry the Book of Gospels.

I make this distinction because lector is an instituted ministry and not every reader (really hardly any readers) are lectors.

They GIRM doesn’t use the word ‘reader’ unless they’ve changed it in the latest 2010 version. Any time the GIRM refers to Lector and Acolyte it is referring specifically to the instituted minister. In one article it says that if there is no such person available then another properly trained lay person may do some of their duties.

The distinction between reader/lector exists only on these boards as far as I can see. You will find official English documents referring specifically to instituted lectors where they are called instituted readers. Other languages don’t use a separate word for this instituted vs non-instituted ministry.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

They GIRM doesn’t use the word ‘reader’ unless they’ve changed it in the latest 2010 version. Any time the GIRM refers to Lector and Acolyte it is referring specifically to the instituted minister. In one article it says that if there is no such person available then another properly trained lay person may do some of their duties.

The distinction between reader/lector exists only on these boards as far as I can see. You will find official English documents referring specifically to instituted lectors where they are called instituted readers. Other languages don’t use a separate word for this instituted vs non-instituted ministry.

The GIRM that is available online states the following in 82.d., “a reader, who may carry the Book of the Gospels”.

This is the 4th edition GIRM from the EWTN website.

edit:
I also did some digging and found the GIRM on the USCCB website and 120.d. states, “a reader, who may carry a Book of the Gospels (though not a Lectionary), slightly elevated”.

 

[Phemie]

The GIRM that is available online states the following in 82.d., “a reader, who may carry the Book of the Gospels”.

This is the 4th edition GIRM from the EWTN website.

edit:
I also did some digging and found the GIRM on the USCCB website and 120.d. states, “a reader, who may carry a Book of the Gospels (though not a Lectionary), slightly elevated”.

This is definitely a change since 120 in the 2003 version said ‘lector’ and the 1975 version also said lector. OTOH, it referred to ‘several readers’ when talking about how one reading couldn’t be divided between several readers.

To me that means either that whether or not the readings are done by an instituted minister, a person doing the readings may carry the Book of Gospels or that they are using the word lector & reader interchangeably.

But again, I have seen English documents that used the term reader for the instituted ministry, in the same way that the original translation of* “Immensae caritatis”* called EMHCs, “Special ministers of the Eucharist” (the translation on EWTN).

 

[centurionguard]

My understanding is that in Canada we are lacking two volumes of the Lectionary.

When they first went with the NRSV translation there were to be 5 volumes: Lectionary for Sundays and Feasts, two-volume Weekday Lectionary, Lectionary for Sacraments (readings for weddings, funerals, etc.) and a Book of Gospels. The project stalled at three volumes when Rome said “NO! You can’t use the NRSV for liturgy.”

Now that we have a revised translation for the Lectionary for Sundays and Feasts, the next step is publishing the new volumes of the weekday one. After than I don’t know if the plan is to publish the* Lectionary for Sacraments* or the Book of Gospels. I think the Lectionary for Sacraments would be more practical since now it requires us to photocopy readings for those liturgies. It would be so much more practical if we could simply tell the readers “'Your reading is the one marked by a red ribbon, yours with the green ribbon and the priest will read the Gospel marked with the gold ribbon.” Really, since the Gospel can be proclaimed from the four other volumes, it doesn’t make sense to delay the 4th lectionary just so we can have a book to carry in procession.

My understanding is that in Canada we are lacking two volumes of the Lectionary.

The project stalled at three volumes when Rome said “NO! You can’t use the NRSV for liturgy.”

Actually Pope Benedict XVI asked the CCCB to stop using the NRSV years ago which amounted to much less a faint echo in the wind until our New Roman Missal & Lectionary this coming Advent.

Presently; as you have already stated there is three (“Two Large Green Hardcover Weekday Lectionary” published and edited in 1992) that cover all three annual liturgical cycles. Then there’s the large Red Lectionary for Sundays, Solemnities, and Feasts Days marked with three annual cycles.

The Sacramentary (Roman Missal) was published in 1975

The liturgical book for Requiem Masses (Funerals) is a separate volume hardcover brown book in itself. So too is it for a separate silver hardcover book for Weddings.

And if you want to get technical there’s separate hardcover volumes for Baptisms and Initiation of Catechumens. I’ve seen all these booksl kept in the Sacristy.

As I see it there’s actually there’s six separate volumes.

 

[Phemie]

Actually Pope Benedict XVI asked the CCCB to stop using the NRSV years ago which amounted to much less a faint echo in the wind until our New Roman Missal & Lectionary this coming Advent.

Presently; as you have already stated there is three (“Two Large Green Hardcover Weekday Lectionary” published and edited in 1992) that cover all three annual liturgical cycles. Then there’s the large Red Lectionary for Sundays, Solemnities, and Feasts Days marked with three annual cycles.

The Sacramentary (Roman Missal) was published in 1975

The liturgical book for Requiem Masses (Funerals) is a separate volume hardcover brown book in itself. So too is it for a separate silver hardcover book for Weddings.

And if you want to get technical there’s separate hardcover volumes for Baptisms and Initiation of Catechumens. I’ve seen all these booksl kept in the Sacristy.

As I see it there’s actually there’s six separate volumes.

But the Rite of Baptism of Infants, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the Rite of Confirmation, the Rite of Marriage, and the Order of Christian Funerals are not part of the Lectionary.

The Lectionary contains just the readings and psalms. Presently we’ve got 3 volumes and only the Sunday Lectionary uses the licit translation – and it took 17 years to get that one. I wonder how long it’s going to take to get the two volumes of the Weekday Lectionary in the licit translation? Once the new translation is complete we should have 5 volumes.

 

[centurionguard]

But the Rite of Baptism of Infants, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the Rite of Confirmation, the Rite of Marriage, and the Order of Christian Funerals are not part of the Lectionary.

The Lectionary contains just the readings and psalms. Presently we’ve got 3 volumes and only the Sunday Lectionary uses the licit translation – and it took 17 years to get that one. I wonder how long it’s going to take to get the two volumes of the Weekday Lectionary in the licit translation? Once the new translation is complete we should have 5 volumes.

I’m as hopeful as you are but; at the risk of sounding pessimistic I’m not holding my breath anytime soon.

Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m under the impression the New Lectionary with be the RSV with minor corrections from the NRSV inclusive language version presently being used.

 

[Phemie]

I’m as hopeful as you are but; at the risk of sounding pessimistic I’m not holding my breath anytime soon.

Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m under the impression the New Lectionary with be the RSV with minor corrections from the NRSV inclusive language version presently being used.

We already have the first volume of the new Lectionary (the Sunday one) and it’s a revised NRSV. It’s been in use since Pentecost 2009.