USING THE GIRM: When to move from the Ambo?

[Apryl]

I am sure that I found it in the GIRM before, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out where I looked before.

I need your help:

Where it is spelled out when people should and should not be at the altar or on the ambo?

 

[MarkThompson]

I am sure that I found it in the GIRM before, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out where I looked before.

I need your help:

Where it is spelled out when people should and should not be at the altar or on the ambo?

Passim. Are you interested in a specific question?

 

[Joannm]

The Ambo is only to be used for the proclamation of scripture, the Responsorial psalm and the homily and the petitions. Anything else is to be done from a different lecturn. Not sure if this is what you are asking.

 

[Apryl]

Passim. Are you interested in a specific question?

How do I reference the GIRM and how do I use it to look up specific information?

I need to know so that when I go to others, I have to have some support.

 

[Apryl]

The Ambo is only to be used for the proclamation of scripture, the Responsorial psalm and the homily and the petitions. Anything else is to be done from a different lecturn. Not sure if this is what you are asking.

Where did you find that?

 

[Joannm]

Where did you find that?

From the GIRM

The Ambo

1. The dignity of the word of God requires that the church have a place that is suitable for the proclamation of the word and toward which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful naturally turns during the Liturgy of the Word.[117]

It is appropriate that this place be ordinarily a stationary ambo and not simply a movable lectern. The ambo must be located in keeping with the design of each church in such a way that the ordained ministers and lectors may be clearly seen and heard by the faithful.

From the ambo only the readings, the responsorial Psalm, and the Easter Proclamation (Exsultet) are to be proclaimed; it may be used also for giving the homily and for announcing the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful. The dignity of the ambo requires that only a minister of the word should go up to it.

 

[MarkThompson]

How do I reference the GIRM and how do I use it to look up specific information?

I need to know so that when I go to others, I have to have some support.

You can find the GIRM here. It doesn’t have an index, but you can use the table of contents and the subheadings in the text, and over time familiarize yourself with the general contents. Of course, plenty of norms and rubrics are not in the GIRM, but in the text of the Missal itself, in the General Introduction to the Lectionary, the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, and even spread through other places like the Ceremonial of Bishops.

In asking whether you had a specific question, I was more curious whether there was some particular thing in the Mass (e.g., should the priest be at the altar during the Gloria?) that you were really wondering about. The paragraph Joannm cites is helpful, but there is no one place that tabulates where everyone should be at every possible time; so if you were really curious about just one fact it would make it easier to give you a complete answer.

 

[Apryl]

In asking whether you had a specific question, I was more curious whether there was some particular thing in the Mass (e.g., should the priest be at the altar during the Gloria?) that you were really wondering about. The paragraph Joannm cites is helpful, but there is no one place that tabulates where everyone should be at every possible time; so if you were really curious about just one fact it would make it easier to give you a complete answer.

In my parish, and I guess in a few others in my Diocese, we use what is called a ‘Commentator’. This person announces who is the Celebrant for the Mass, if there is any one special (guest priest, Baptismal Family, yadda) as the Mass opens. We also say who is proclaiming The Word.

In some instances, we do the “Stand up”, “Sit down”, “Kneel” that is helpful when you have non-Catholic visitors.

Before you take my head off: this was no my idea, but I do happen to like it. I have attended other churches where they do not have this person, but they do it with big screens or some other non-personal method.

Anyway, at our church, the Commentator stands at the Ambo.

Here is where it gets ugly: In the past, the Commentator would stand at the Ambo for the entire duration of the Mass. As the Worship Chair, I looked it up and learned that was a no-no, and asked that the Commentator SIT during the Liturgy of the Word - and just go back when it’s time to read off the Communion Antiphon (we don’t sing this… another “don’t take my head off, please”). Receive Communion, and then return after the closing prayer. We have a number of people who don’t get this, and I’m trying to pull coat tails and say, STOP IT! One problem is I’m no longer the Chair of the Worship Commission, and these are habits from long ago.

Now what?

(See, this is why I get upset when people start down these side roads, because they tend to be slippery slopes)

 

[Joannm]

While the GIRM does allow for the ministry of commentator, I do not believe that it is a ministry that needs to be engaged in once the Mass has begun unless specifically needed, such as to lead the antiphon (which in our parish people do well on their own at daily mass). The commentator should not be at the Ambo but at a different lectern. I think it is rather absurd for him or her to be standing at the Ambo for the entire Mass. What is the purpose of doing that? Do they lead the assembly in the prayers? Are the people that stupid that they can’t say the prayers on their own? (I am being facetious here) With the new implementation of the Missal I would use the opportunity for the Worship committee to evaluate the position of commentator and set some strict guidelines for what they should and should not be doing.

 

[MarkThompson]

In my parish, and I guess in a few others in my Diocese, we use what is called a ‘Commentator’. This person announces who is the Celebrant for the Mass, if there is any one special (guest priest, Baptismal Family, yadda) as the Mass opens. We also say who is proclaiming The Word.

In some instances, we do the “Stand up”, “Sit down”, “Kneel” that is helpful when you have non-Catholic visitors.

Before you take my head off: this was no my idea, but I do happen to like it. I have attended other churches where they do not have this person, but they do it with big screens or some other non-personal method.

Anyway, at our church, the Commentator stands at the Ambo.

Here is where it gets ugly: In the past, the Commentator would stand at the Ambo for the entire duration of the Mass. As the Worship Chair, I looked it up and learned that was a no-no, and asked that the Commentator SIT during the Liturgy of the Word - and just go back when it’s time to read off the Communion Antiphon (we don’t sing this… another “don’t take my head off, please”). Receive Communion, and then return after the closing prayer. We have a number of people who don’t get this, and I’m trying to pull coat tails and say, STOP IT! One problem is I’m no longer the Chair of the Worship Commission, and these are habits from long ago.

Now what?

(See, this is why I get upset when people start down these side roads, because they tend to be slippery slopes)

Ah yes, the little-seen ministry of the commentator. As you probably found already in the GIRM:
105(b). The commentator . . . if appropriate, provides the faithful briefly with explanations and exhortations so as to direct their attention to the celebration and ensure that they are better disposed for understanding it. The commentator’s remarks should be thoroughly prepared and notable for their restraint. In performing this function the commentator stands in a suitable place within sight of the faithful, but not at the ambo.
Likewise in the General Introduction of the Lectionary:
57. The commentator also fulfils a genuine liturgical ministry, which consists in presenting to the assembly of the faithful, from a suitable place, relevant explanations and comments that are clear, of marked simplicity, meticulously prepared, as a rule written out, and approved beforehand by the celebrant.
So the answer is clear enough as far as the question of standing at the ambo goes. There is, however, no directive on such topics as whether the commentator should be standing at his “suitable place” during times of the Mass when he has nothing to say, or whether he should go sit down and then get back up again later. That, I think, is up to prudent judgment on the part of your pastor.

 

[Apryl]

105(b). The commentator . . . if appropriate, provides the faithful briefly with explanations and exhortations so as to direct their attention to the celebration and ensure that they are better disposed for understanding it. The commentator’s remarks should be thoroughly prepared and notable for their restraint. In performing this function the commentator stands in a suitable place within sight of the faithful, but not at the ambo.

Oooooohhhhhhh! So, not only can I tell that one person to ‘bring it down a notch’, but we are standing in the wrong spot? Hmm… Well, I have seen other parishes, and we all seem to be doing the same thing. Where is a better place to stand?

Likewise in the General Introduction of the Lectionary:
57. The commentator also fulfils a genuine liturgical ministry, which consists in presenting to the assembly of the faithful, from a suitable place, relevant explanations and comments that are clear, of marked simplicity, meticulously prepared, as a rule written out, and approved beforehand by the celebrant.
So the answer is clear enough as far as the question of standing at the ambo goes. There is, however, no directive on such topics as whether the commentator should be standing at his “suitable place” during times of the Mass when he has nothing to say, or whether he should go sit down and then get back up again later. That, I think, is up to prudent judgment on the part of your pastor.

Thank you!

Why couldn’t I find that?

 

[MarkThompson]

Where is a better place to stand?

Ideally you would have a lectern separate from the ambo.

 

[Apryl]

Well, I came back to the church some 25 years ago (around 1984, '85) and it was like this when I got here

Visiting other churches in our diocese, as well as in others, I have seen it done this way… except my opinion says my parish is more ‘abusive’ of things than others.

I know things need to change. I also know they won’t change over night. I believe that if I complain too loudly, that will cause even more resistance to correction.

This is why I am so upset that the abuses were ever allowed to get so bad, and the parishioners were GLAD to go along…

I’ll stop. I’m moving to ‘vent’ mode and didn’t mean to.