A Look at the Mass: The Second Reading

I apologize for the brevity of this post. I would normally seek to be more detailed in explanation, but I have been battling chronic bronchitis this week, and instead of delaying the post, I feel that this concise summary does justice to the purpose of “A Look at the Mass,” concerning the Second Reading. Please keep me in your prayers.

The majority of Catholics are probably unaware of how rare a Second Reading is. This is probably due to the fact that many only attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, when there is always a second reading, and the lack of historical liturgical knowledge amongst the laity. There is only a second reading on solemnities (which all Sundays are) and feasts of our Lord. Additionally, while the early Church, as I have now often mentioned, had a second reading, this fell out of use early on so that there was only one reading, which became known as the Epistle, since it was normally, though not always, from a letter of St. Paul. This remains the case in the Extraordinary Form, albeit some of the more ancient penitential days do contain a second reading.

Within the current setup, the Second Reading is always taken from a New Testament book, excepting of course the Gospels, and it, unfortunately, often does not seem to bear as strong a resemblance to the other readings as the First Reading and the Gospel reading generally do to each other. This, however, should in no way make us believe it is somehow unrelated to the other parts of the Mass, or that it is somehow an “extra.” It is an integral part of the Mass, when called for, and bears important symbolism of its own. 

Additionally, I am not saying that the Second Reading is completely unrelated to the other parts of the Mass; I am simply saying the relationship is often not as evident. As it is always taken from the New Testament, it is almost always from an Epistle of St. Paul or one of the other Catholic Epistles. These Letters were all meant as a form of teaching and preaching. Thus, in this part of the Mass we can see a source of special teaching on our new life in Christ.

This is what forms the uniqueness to having a second reading on solemnities, i.e. there is a teaching within the Liturgy, written infallibly and inerrant under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, geared toward the Solemnity we commemorate.

On Sundays, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the new life we have because of it. Therefore, within the Second Reading, we should revel in the teachings given us by the Apostles on this new life! On Solemnities of our Lord, we can use the Second Reading as a gateway to see the sublimity of the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption. Within the celebrations of the Saints, let us read the hand of Providence at work in instructing us in the way we should go, as He has done throughout the history of the world. 

The readings then, may be seen in this manner. The First Reading opens our hearts to the mysteries of God, which are followed by our praises through the Responsorial Psalm. When used, the Second Reading then further enlightens our minds to hear the Gospel of God. And with our minds and hearts opened, we sing the joyful Alleluia and verse, for we already rejoice that Christ has come and redeemed us. We then conclude by hearing of that very redemption through the Holy Gospel. 

All historical information taken from:
Rev. Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development. Volume 1. Part III: Origin and Plan of the Service of Readings, 391-393; The Choice of Readings, 393-403; and The Epistle, 419-421. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).

A Look at the Mass: The Responsorial Psalm

We've come to a very interesting part of the Mass, i.e. the Responsorial Psalm. Now I say this part of the Mass is interesting because it is a part of the Mass that continually underwent development, and continues to undergo development. Today, almost all are familiar with how this part of the Mass works; the choir/cantor intones the response, the people repeat it, and then the choir/cantor sings a verse which is followed by the people repeating the response. Easy, right?

Well not so historically! As I stated in the post on the First Reading (here), the original format for the readings was one from the Old Testament, a psalm or canticle, a reading from the New Testament, the Alleluia and a verse, and a Gospel reading, and it appears that the psalm/canticle was done in the same manner as today, with only one apparent difference - there was no attempt made to really link it to the readings (with the exception of some more important feast days). Instead it would more often simply be a means of praising God.

However, a balance, which the Western Church has always struggled to find, is one between art and inclusiveness. The more artistic talent flourishes in various liturgical settings, the more the people end up becoming less active participants at the Liturgy. While this is not to discredit their actual spiritual participation, it does present a certain dilemma on account of a decrease in the people's immediate knowledge of what is happening, and thus their ability to participate, at least so the argument seems to run.

The reason I bring the foregoing up is that it is on account of the artistic developments of the West that the method of response and verse fell out of use. This method was inherited from the Jewish synagogue, once again showing how much of our worship finds its origins in Judaism, just like the Faith itself. Nevertheless, once separated from Judaism, the Eastern and Western churches began their own developments, and the West was the center for artistic developments. As Jungmann points out, "Already in St. Augustine's time [4th-5th century] the singers displayed the tendency more and more to enhance the chant with richer melodies. The external beauty of God's house had been enhanced, the service increased in splendor; it was but natural that the music should follow suit (The Mass of the Roman Rite, 426)." With the increase in musical talent required to sing the psalm, it lost its position as a song of the people, and belonged exclusively to the schola.

And as the musical setting for the psalm developed in complexity, the psalms themselves began to be cut to only a few verses, leading to the setting found in the Extraordinary Form today. All that is left of what was once an entire psalm, is what is known as the Gradual, which consists of what may have been the response and then a verse of the psalm. However, there remains no longer any form of responsory in the Mass Gradual. This could be on account of the length of time it takes to sing the Gradual, for it is perhaps the most embellished and lengthy of the parts of the schola.

Whatever, the reason though, this should underlay the importance of the this part of the Mass. Even as the responsory form died out, a need was clearly felt to continue the idea that this was not simply another chant used to fill time, but was actually a meditation, a proclaimed reading! To further stress this it should be noted that, within the Extraordinary Form, the sacred ministers are not performing any function at this point, unlike during the other chants of the Mass. Instead they, like the people, are called to listen to the words being sung. Jungmann beautifully notes it as:

"These songs [the Gradual and Alleluia] were not like those of the schola, intended merely to fill out a pause, nor were they, like the latter broken off at the signal of the celebrant. They were independent, self-sufficient members inserted between the readings like a moment of pious meditation, like a lyrical rejoicing after the word of God had reached the ears of men (The Mass of the Roman Rite, 432)."

Although there has been a return to the ancient tradition of using the response and verse format, ergo, calling this part of the Mass the Responsorial Psalm, the importance of Jungmann's words remains. This is not simply a song, nor should we compare it to the Introductory, Offertory, or Communion chants. While hymns and the chants of the Mass are important for setting the mood and providing meditations for us, the Psalm at this point is so much more profound. The other parts use a line from the psalm to emphasize a point, but here the entire psalm is brought before us. This is a reading in its own right; it is a further instruction in the Faith.

St. Ambrose said on the Psalms:

"A psalm is a blessing on the lips of the people, a hymn in praise of God, the assembly's homage, a general acclamation, a word that speaks for all, the voice of the Church, a confession of faith in song. . . . In a psalm, instruction vies with beauty. We sing for pleasure. We learn for our profit. What experience is not covered by a reading of the psalms? . . . What is a psalm but a musical instrument to give expression to all the virtues? The psalmist of old used it, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, to make earth re-echo the music of heaven. . . . David . . . taught us that we must sing an interior song of praise, like St. Paul (From The Explanations of Twelve Psalms)." 

The psalms are only put in their proper context when sung. They were designed as songs, not as texts to be recited. Thus, the Responsorial Psalm only achieves its full ardor and purpose when it is sung/chanted by the people. Music in and of itself awakens certain emotions in men that words alone cannot do. There are inflections, tones, and melodies which move a person to naturally feel with the words. "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned (Psalm 51, Ash Wednesday Responsorial Psalm)," moves the heart to sadness and contrition in accordance with its low tone. "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad (Psalm 118, Easter Sunday Responsorial Psalm)," carries triumphant joy which lifts the soul up in glorious praise of God. "The Lord is near to all who call upon him (Psalm 145, today's Responsorial Psalm)," pours forth thoughts of confidence in the Lord, Who has been so good to us.

To summarize all that I've said so far, let us recall that within the Mass the first reading has been finished. Within it, there are many things we may have been reminded of or instructed in. For example, if from the Old Testament, we may have heard of God's Providence throughout history for His beloved people. If the reading was from the New Testament, we would have been instructed in the new life Christ has gained for us. Whatever it may have been, it should have so moved our hearts so that they now cry out in a song of praise to God. 

However, let us not forget that although the Responsorial Psalm is a means whereby we might praise God, it still is part of the Service of Readings. Therefore, it is a means whereby God speaks to us; the psalms are another means for our instruction in the Faith. For an example of this, let us consider the psalm of today's Mass, Psalm 145. The response is, "The Lord is near to all who call upon him." This is both a statement of belief and an instruction in the Faith; we believe the Lord is near to us, but we also need to be reminded of this. The verses of the song then speak of the kindness of God and His beneficence in all His works. 

Through the response we are able to praise God through song; within the verses we are instructed in the ways of God and of all the emotions of the human condition. This provides us with another opportunity for meditation within the Holy Mass. We praise God for all His works, for His mercy, and for His glory, but our minds must naturally move towards what is about to come, i.e. the Gospel. Although it may not immediately follow, the Responsorial Psalm is another means whereby our hearts, minds, and ears are open to hear the Gospel of Christ, the Good News!

The last thing I wish to say in regards to the Responsorial Psalm has to do with all I said about the Gradual of the Extraordinary Form. The Gradual is actually still an option, which may be utilized in place of the Responsorial Psalm, although this is rarely done. My suspicion of the reasons for this is if the Graduals were to be used, they would have to be done in Latin, as no translation exists for them. As I stated above, they are the most drawn out piece of the Mass, so this could consume a great deal of time with the people unable to understand the words.. 

While I personally do not care for that excuse, I will say a reverence for the ancient tradition of the Church and the practicality of the Responsorial Psalm do often seem to make it a better choice for the normal Parish Mass.
 
All historical information taken from:
Rev. Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development. Volume 1. Part III: The Intervenient Chants, 421-442. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).

Our Lady of Sorrows: Adorer of the Cross

I have always loved the structure of today's feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, because it occurs the day after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Like the Cross, we encountered Mary on Good Friday, but as I said yesterday, we were so absorbed in our Lord that we were not able to fully contemplate her. Thus, we are given today's feast to do so.

St. Cyril of Alexandria said of Mary, "Through thee the precious cross is honored and worshiped throughout the world." We often here of how Mary stood by the Cross. She did not succumb to its weight, which she mystically bore in union with her Divine Son. Although through it the Prophecy of Simeon was fulfilled and the sword of sorrow pierced her heart (Luke 2:35), she knew that it was the cause of her own redemption and that of the whole world. True, she was preserved from sin from the first moment of her conception, but it was account of the merits of the Cross.

This feast, however, does not carry the same triumph as yesterday, instead it brings a sorrow to our hearts, and this is on account of how we have pained our Blessed Mother. Venerable Fulton Sheen said, "She [Mary] knows what sin is not by the experience of its falls, not by tasting its bitter regrets, but by seeing what it did to her Divine Son." Tradition records the seven sorrows of Mary: the Prophecy of Simeon, the Flight into Egypt, the Loss of Jesus for Three Days, the Meeting with Jesus during on the Via Dolorosa, the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus, the Holding of Jesus in Her Arms after His Death, and the Burial of Jesus.

We may thus see that the earthly life of our Blessed Mother was one of earthly sorrow. She had to give birth to her Divine Son in a stable because she was rejected at the inn; she had to raise her baby in exile for fear of Herod's sword. The moments of joy for every mother, were thus laden with sorrow for this mother. For three days her Son was lost to her, and this would again happen at the end of His earthly life. She felt most profoundly the pain of separation from her flesh. She had to endure the most cruel torture any mother can undergo by watching her Son expire the most horrendous of deaths. And before the end of her earthly life, her earthly time as Mother of the Church, would be laden with sorrow for she would no longer have the companionship of her Beloved Son.

And yet, in spite of all of this, Mary said, "Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. May it be done unto me according to your word (Luke 1:38)," for her profound and deepest sorrow could not suppress a love beyond all telling. As I said yesterday, the Cross is for us a joy, and so it was with our Lady of Sorrows. She knew that it was through the Cross that salvation would flow forth for the human race. Indeed she was present when the blood and water poured forth for this very purpose, and the Church was born of the wounded side of her Son (John 19:34)!

Let us venerate our Blessed Mother of Sorrows for this, however, for it was for love of us that she endured this bitter anguish. Her heart is one with that of Christ's, and since He loves us, therefore Mary loves us.

Indeed the Church today pours forth a song of sorrow for the pain we have caused our Lady. Today, the Liturgy provides us with a sequence which may be used before the Gospel at Mass, i.e. the Stabat Mater.  This hymn is designed to remind us of the pain we caused Mary, on account of Christ's death for our sins, and to inspire within us a love for her and a desire to embrace the Cross of Christ as she did. Thus, through her, we will be able to pay fitting homage to it. But the Stabat Mater also reminds us of how Mary endured all of this sorrow, and that is in complete submission to the will of God, which we pray we may imitate.

As part of the sequence, we proclaim:

"O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.

"Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.

"Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified."

It cannot be said enough that without the Cross there is no salvation. Venerable Fulton Sheen often said, "Great saints are only made in the shadow of the Cross." Let us never forget this important admonition. Instead let us run to our Blessed Mother; let us place ourselves under her mantle; let us pour forth our tears with her on account of sin, for which she suffered such spiritual pain as her Son suffered physically. Then, we can rest assured that the final stanzas of the Stabat Mater will be given to us!

"Christ, when you shall call me hence,
Be your Mother my defense,
Be your Cross my victory.

"While my body here decays,
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally.
Amen. Alleluia."

In the Cross we Conquer and Reign!

"How radiant is that precious cross which brought us our salvation. In the cross we are victorious, through the cross we shall reign, by the cross all evil is destroyed, alleluia."
- Antiphon 3 of Lauds for the Exaltation of the Cross

Today the Sundays of Ordinary Time are interrupted, as is the series "A Look at the Mass," in order to celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the instrument of our salvation!

When we think of the Cross, sorrow often enters our hearts, since it was on account of our sins that the Lord bore the weight of the Cross, but the feeling the Church wishes us to have for this precious item is the exact opposite. She calls us to rejoice in the Cross, for through it was wrought the redemption of the world!

On Good Friday we encountered the Cross, but on that day we were so focused on the Passion and Death of Jesus that we were not able to pay it the full homage it deserved. Therefore, the Church has given us another day, well removed from Lent, in order that we may give it fitting homage and thanks. The date was chosen in accordance with the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, but we may also see a sublime message within this date. It is celebrated within Ordinary Time, the Season of the Church, as I, and others, have often called it; the Cross is an integral part of the Christian life. A few Sundays ago, the Gospel for the Mass was the one in which our Lord said, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24)." However, as this Feast shows, the Cross is not a sorrow but a joy.

St. Andrew of Crete says, in today's Office of Readings:

"The Cross is something wonderfully great and honorable. It is great because through the cross the many noble acts of Christ found their consummation - very many indeed, for both his miracles and his sufferings were fully rewarded with victory. The cross is honorable because it is both the sign of God's suffering and the trophy of his victory. It stands for his suffering because on it he freely suffered unto death. But it is also his trophy because it was the means by which the devil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gates of hell were smashed, and the cross became the one common salvation of the whole world."

Jesus Christ's death is the cause of our salvation, but the Cross is itself also part of that cause. In Thomistic philosophy, efficient causes have a principal agent, Who intends the cause produced, and an instrumental agent, which is the item directed by the principal agent, to cause the effect. Thus, with our Redemption, we see that Christ is the principal agent, but the Cross is the means by which He accomplishes the salvation of the whole world. Therefore we sing, "We must glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ant. 3, Evening Prayer 1 for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross)." When we adore the Cross, we bend our knee before it, just like the tabernacle, for it may contain a particle of our Lord's Precious Blood, but also because of its necessity for our salvation.

Our love for the Cross also extends to our personal crosses, for it is through them that we are able to share in the life of Christ. When we unite our sufferings - our crosses - to the Cross of Christ and to His sufferings, our suffering becomes redemptive. It purifies us of our sins and merits us unto eternal life. Thus, we may say, "through the Cross we are victorious."

Within the establishment of this glorious feastday, one cannot hesitate to overlook the story of Constantine's conversion. Leading a Roman army in a losing battle at the foot of the Alps, the sign of the Cross suddenly appeared in the sky, surrounded by the words In hoc vince, meaning, "In this sign thou shalt conquer." From this point Rome was conquered for Christ! Even though, throughout the almost two millennia, rulers would try to crush the Church and Christianity, and return to paganism, or establish themselves as the supreme head, Christ would always remain the head of this earthly city, in which the blood of the Princes of the Apostles, and so many martyrs were shed. Even today, walking the streets of a Rome plunged into secularism, it is impossible not to be reminded that Christ is the conqueror, for all of the churches throughout the city proclaim Him so.

But we must not fall into the idea that Christ is an earthly conqueror, which the Jewish leaders at the time of Christ were so insistent upon. No! Jesus Christ is the Conqueror of Sin and Death! In the Cross is our hope, for by the Cross we are now able to regain Paradise, which was closed to us by Adam's sin. Adam set us a penalty, but Christ brought us a relief. As the hymn Crux Fidelis proclaims:

"Faithful Cross the Saints rely on,
Noble tree beyond compare!
Never was there such a scion,
Never leaf or flower so rare.
Sweet the timber, sweet the iron,
Sweet the burden that they bear!"

The saints rely upon the Cross, because through suffering they, and us, are made saints. As metal is purified when it endures the fire, so we are purified through the fires of our suffering. Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29)." The Cross is the burden that we must bear, willingly, as Christ did, but it is a joy to bear the Cross because of what it does for us. It allows us to suffer in joy, for through it we are given rest even in this life.

Within all of this we see the profound mixture of sorrow and joy that the Cross brings. Yes, there is a certain sorrow in bearing the Cross, for suffering by nature is sorrowful. However, once we see the Cross as what it truly is, namely the Throne from which our King and Conqueror triumphed over all the powers of Hell, then it becomes for us our joy here on earth!

Allow me to close with a legend of the origins of the Cross, which comes from the Aurea Legenda of Jacobus de Voragine of the Middle Ages. My only disclaimer is that this is a legend; it does not have to be believed:

It is said that as Adam felt his death approaching, the ultimate penalty for his sin in the Garden of Eden, he entreated his son, Seth, to go to the Garden of Eden and obtain from the angel set to guard it a remedy, which had been promised in the Protoevangelium, or the promise that the serpent's head would be crushed by the offspring of Eve.

Seth returned to the home, from which mankind has its origins, and begged the angel for the remedy to heal his father. The angel responded by giving Seth three seeds from the Tree of Life and instructions to plant them. "When the tree bears fruit, your father shall live," the angel told Seth.

Seth hurried back to his father and gave him the seeds. However, Adam, with an apparently deep understanding of what the angel's instructions meant, submitted himself to his just penalty and died. Nevertheless, Seth carried out the angel's instructions and planted the seeds with his father. As the seeds became a sapling tree, they absorbed the blood of Adam into itself. Nevertheless, Seth and his descendents died without ever seeing Adam live again.

When God sent the Flood to cleanse mankind, the tree was not forgotten, but was taken by Noah onto the Ark along with the skull of Adam, which was beneath it. After the Flood, these two items were finally separated. Noah buried the patriarch of all mankind on Mount Calvary, and replanted the tree on Mount Horeb.

The burning bush, in which Moses spoke to the Lord, was indeed this tree, and it was from this tree that he received the Rod, which he would use to bring water from the rock during the Israelites' wanderings in the desert.  However, because he was not able to enter the Promised Land, he buried his rod in Moab before dying.

The story of the angel's promise was not lost, however, but was passed down from generation to generation. After being crowned king, David went and searched for this tree, and finally found it in Moab bringing it to Jerusalem. Wishing to increase the glory of the Temple, Solomon ordered his workers to use the tree as one of the columns, but no matter how they cut it, it was always the wrong length, for that Temple was not meant to be the temple it would reside in.

Disgusted by this inefficiency of the tree, they instead used the wood for a bridge to connect Jerusalem with the surrounding hills. Then, when the Queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon, she was miraculously prevented from placing her feet upon the bridge. She instead had to go through the water to enter Jerusalem. This renewed Solomon's interest in the wood, and he ordered his men to wrap it in gold and place it above the entrance to the Temple.

The vices of Solomon only grew within his descendents though, one of which stole the gold and buried the wood to conceal his crime. Nevertheless, the spot where the tree was buried, burst forth in a spring, which became the pool of Bethesda, containing the power to heal.

One day, a log floated to the surface of the pool, and unsure what to do with it, it ended up being cut and turned into a tree of torture by the Romans - a cross. This cross, however, was the one carried by our Lord to Calvary, and when plunged into the ground, it hit the ancient skull of Adam, and the Precious Blood of our Lord flowed upon the Cross and into the ground, mixing with the remnant of Adam. 

Never did a tree bear such magnificent fruit as this tree! Through its fruit, Adam did not return to earthly life, but was able to live the heavenly life!

And so it will be for all of us, if but bear and venerate the Cross in this life!

The Sublime Dignity of Our Lady

The past week was pretty much given entirely to Mary. On Monday, we celebrated her birth and yesterday we celebrated her holy name. She holds a very unique place in the Church in this regard, for we only celebrate three birthdays, Christ's, John the Baptist's, and Mary's. What's interesting, however, is that the birthdays of the first two are celebrated as solemnities, while Mary's is only a feast (albeit still important). The celebration of her name, on the other hand, is a privilege she shares with her Son, Jesus, and both the Holy Name of Jesus and the holy name of Mary are celebrated as memorials.

So the questions naturally present themselves: What should we draw from this apparent lack of full solemnity? Is Mary somehow lessened in her importance? What is the Liturgy trying to show us?

From the start, two things are theologically obvious; our Lord is higher in dignity and majesty than our Lady, and St. John the Baptist is lower in dignity and majesty than her. So why is John's birthday celebrated as a solemnity? It is because John's birth foreshadows and points to Christ. In the Gospel of Luke the birth of John comes before the birth of Christ. The Liturgy has also mirrored this imaging between the two celebrations. Thus, celebrating the birth of John is really a celebration of Christ. Furthermore, this is shown by the fact that the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is celebrated only as a memorial on August 29. His beheading relates primarily to him, but his birth relates to Christ, for it is the herald of our coming salvation.

Mary on the other hand, is the dawn of our salvation. One of her titles is "Morning Star," for her Immaculate Conception and birth were a sign of our approaching salvation. As the entrance antiphon for her nativity proclaims, "From her arose the sun of justice, Christ our God." The morning star is a planet, which appears in the sky just before dawn, i.e. the rising of the sun. Mary is given a feast then, because her birth, while not part of our salvation, was nevertheless, a sign of it. She was born of aged parents and she was born without ever having possessed the stain of Original Sin.

Within her birth we may see an image of the human race. Our race had grown old under the burden of sin, but Christ renews it and cleanses it! That which took place, and continues to take place, within the entire Church, took place first in Mary.

The feasts of the Church which directly concern our salvation are ranked as solemnities, those which give us glimpses into the great mystery of Christ and His Church are feasts, and those which proclaim His marvels and wondrous works are memorials. While that is not exhaustive or a scientific manner for describing the reasons the Church gives for Her assignments, it does allow us to see the reason the Nativity of Mary is ranked as a feast. Within her birth we see our new birth. Additionally, it is only because of her human birth that Christ was able to possess our humanity. Mary, though immaculately conceived, was still born in the natural manner. Thus, she was able to give God the Son our nature, when He took flesh in her womb. All of this shows us the sublime mystery of Christ's relationship with us, His Church.  

The Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, then, like the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, is ranked as a memorial because it proclaims a marvel of God and His work. Jesus' name means "The LORD saves," obviously showing His mission in becoming man and taking on a human name, namely to redeem us. The holy Name of Mary may be translated in many possible ways. One way could mean "Lady," which would naturally refer to her exalted dignity above the angels and saints, her purity and holiness, and her role as Mother of the Church and our Mother. The other possible meanings for her name are referring to "bitterness," or "myrrh" which would obviously relate to the sufferings she underwent to participate fully in the Mystery of our Redemption, setting us an example to follow, or something to do with "light" or "light giver," particularly "star of the sea." This, of course, shows that she is both a beacon to us to imitate in following Christ, from whom He received His humanity (All etymology from Wikipedia Page: Holy Name of Mary).

Whatever the exact meaning of her name at the time, though, we venerate the name because it is always a reminder of how God has worked gloriously through her. Through her the was born Christ our God, and she has shown us the way to salvation by her perfect life!

Mary, Star of the Sea, our Lady and our Mother, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

A Look at the Mass: The First Reading

While the exact starting point of the Mass was debated for centuries, there always seems to have been, at least unspoken, agreement that the Mass itself needed the Institution Narrative with the Consecration, and should be preceded by some sort of Scriptural reading. The exact readings were not always agreed upon, but it seems that from very early on, a reading from one of the Gospels was always used, along with some other Scriptural reading.

Admittedly, we can assume that the Apostles did not use a Gospel reading when they celebrated the Eucharist, since the Gospels had not yet been written. However, it would seem safe to allege that they at least did a reading from the Old Testament, which they explained in the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. We can also assume, from St. Paul’s letters, that those were read at liturgies, since they were written to the local churches, and many were eventually formally defined as the Canon of Scripture by the Council of Nicaea.  

The importance of a service of readings at Mass for the purpose of instructing the Faithful gives us what has today become the Liturgy of the Word in the Ordinary Form. Within the Extraordinary Form, it is part of what is called the Mass of the Catechumens, since the Catechumens of the Church would be present at it, as opposed to the Mass of the Faithful, which was limited to those who had been baptized. From this, we can see that the Church has always held the preaching of the Word in a high regard; even the non-baptized were to be present for it.

Vatican II especially called for this importance. Within Sacrosanctum Concilium, the permission is expressly given for the proclamation of the readings in the vernacular (36). Indeed Jungmann notes that the importance of the Faithful understanding the readings has always been part of the Church’s interpretation of this part of the Mass. The issue arises in a reverence for tradition, especially within using the language and exact words used by the Church for centuries, i.e. Latin, and a deep desire that the people be able to truly hear and understand the words proclaimed unto them.

The Second Vatican Council, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in his Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum, which allowed for a more widespread use of the Extraordinary Form by priests, seem to have settled on the need for the people to understand the readings in our day when Latin is understood by so few, and that number is ever growing smaller (Article 6). The debate, which continues, in spite of these documents, is outside of the realm of this series.

Instead we will now focus our attentions on the specifics of the Liturgy of the Word, in the Ordinary Form. The Mass always contains at least one reading from the Old or New Testaments (excepting a Gospel), followed by the Responsorial Psalm or the Gradual, then the Alleluia and Verse (except in Lent which contains an acclamation and verse), and concludes with a reading from one of the Gospels. On Solemnities and Feasts of our Lord, the ancient setup for Mass is followed, in which there is included a second reading from the New Testament (once again excepting the Gospels), which follows the Responsorial Psalm, but precedes the Gospel Acclamation.

We’ll begin by looking specifically at the First Reading. In the ancient Roman liturgies, this was always taken from one of the Prophets, and would normally correspond with the Gospel, showing the fulfilment of the prophecy in Christ. However, in our times, it may be taken from any Old Testament book, or when it is the only reading at Mass besides the Gospel, may be taken from a New Testament book, following more of the format which was standard in the Middle Ages and the Extraordinary Form.

In its fullness the main idea of this gradation of readings, as Gueranger says, is, “We shall soon be hearing the words of our Divine Master, in the Gospel; but we are to be prepared for that, by the word of His servant; this was done in the Epistle. So that, first we have the Prophet, then the Apostle, and, at length, Our Lord Himself (The Holy Mass, Section: Epistle).” This reading, then, must be viewed in light of the high point of the Liturgy of the Word, namely the Gospel. It is a preparation to hear our Lord.

While it is true that the Spirit is the Author of all Scripture, as all the writers did so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 105-107), the Gospels record the actual teachings, actions, and words of our Divine Lord, thus giving them a special and unique dignity. However, this does not in any way lessen the dignity of the Old Testament. Rather, as constantly stressed, the Gospel illuminates our understanding of the profundity of the Old Testament passages, for only in Jesus Christ do they find fulfillment.

When we hear the reading proclaimed at Mass let us listen to it with open ears and hearts, for without this reading we will fail to gain a full understanding of the Gospel, and indeed the entire Liturgy. We must recall that many of our practices at Mass stem from the Jewish practices, many of which can be found in the Old Testament books. These ancient practices will give us a deeper appreciation for the actions performed by all within the Liturgy. 

The Narrative Books of the Old Testament will show us the work of God throughout human history, which will then prepare us to see the love of God for mankind perfected in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Prophecies show us the Divine Providence of God, for although He may punish us for a time, it is for our good. In the end He redeems us. The Wisdom Books instruct us in ways of God, once again which are displayed through Jesus Christ. 

While, as I've said, the First Reading may also be taken from the New Testament on ferias, memorials, and feasts, I will discuss these within the upcoming post on the Second Reading, as that, when used is always taken from the New Testament. 

However, I would once again be negligent if I did not point out the fact that the First Reading is always taken from the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter Season on the days where there is a second reading. This is to show how the preaching of the Apostles was done to all nations after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. Unlike the time before Christ, where the preaching of God's word was done specifically to the Jewish people, Christ has established a Church which now preaches to all of mankind. We are able to see the beginnings of this Church, formed on account of the Resurrection. 

When the First Reading is chanted, although rarely done nowadays, historically it takes a simple tone. This is to highlight the importance of the Gospel, which has more inflection and solemnity. We should not, once again however, allow this to diminish our appreciation for the reading, for its being chanted on certain occasions highlights its dignity and the theme it expresses in relation to the Gospel.

The last point I wish to touch upon is the posture which we take during the readings up until the Alleluia and Gospel. From the start of Mass until now, we have stood, a sign of respect and/or joy. Now we sit, but this is not a manner of saying that what we are listening to is less important or worthy of respect. Instead, it is meant to be a sign of the attentiveness we have to the Word of God and how we want it to penetrate into our minds and hearts. As a student sits to listen to the teacher, so we sit to listen to the Teacher, i.e. the Holy Spirit Who speaks to us through the words inspired by Him. 

All historical information taken from:
Rev. Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development. Volume 1. Part III: Origin and Plan of the Service of Readings, 391-393; The Choice of Readings, 393-403; The Liturgical Setting of the Lessons, 403-419; and The Epistle, 419-421. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).

The Servants of God

Servus servorum Dei - the servant of the servants of God. This title is perhaps the most important one which the pope carries, and I would be willing to go out on a limb and say the dearest to the heart of the popes, at least in recent times. And this title was first used by the saint whom we celebrate today, Pope St. Gregory the Great. Raised to the Chair of Peter on September 3, 590, he instituted a series of reforms, which restored the Church of his time, which had suffered greatly after the Sacking of Rome. In regards to his liturgical reforms, we may say he is the one who directly began the Roman/Latin Rite, and it is from him that Gregorian Chant gets its name, since he is the one who standardized the form of it in the liturgies. Additionally, he is known for his extensive writings, his reforms of the Roman Curia, his compassion for the poor and the alms he gave them, as well being the first to send missionaries to England.

From the very brief account, we can imagine, perhaps, why Gregory instantly gained the title of "Great," after his death. However, my account of his life never mentioned the true and ultimate reason for this title, namely because all his actions were rooted in God. The Second Reading in today's Office of Readings is taken from St. Gregory's homily on Ezekiel, and within it Gregory speaks of how difficult his task is. He says:

"With my mind divided and torn to pieces by so many problems, how can I meditate or preach wholeheartedly without neglecting the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel? Moreover, in my position I must often communicate with worldly men . . . . And because I too am weak, I find myself drawn little by little into idle conversation, and I begin to talk freely about matters which once I would have avoided . . . . So who am I to be a watchman, for I do not stand on the mountain of action but lie down in the valley of weakness? Truly the all-powerful Creator and Redeemer of mankind can give me in spite of my weaknesses a higher life and effective speech; because I love him, I do not spare myself in speaking of him."

Pope St. Gregory acknowledged his own weakness. He did not want to be pope, for he feared he would lose his life of prayer, and thus his eternal soul. Nevertheless, he answered the call of God with trust in the goodness of the Lord, and for this was indeed given, in spite of his weaknesses, effective speech and eternal blessedness. The call which he answered though was not simply to be pope, but to fulfill what our Lord says in the Gospel of today's feast, "I am among you as the one who serves (Luke 22:27)," and, "Let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant (Luke 22:26)."

Pope St. Gregory the Great is "great," because he was a servant. He placed his life at the service of the Gospel, and at the service of all the people of God. Thus, he took upon himself the title, "servant of the servants of God." However, we must not simply let this be a title of the pope, for we are contained within this name; we are the servants of God.

Now the quality of a servant is defined not only by doing what his master expresses, but by his ability to anticipate the needs and desires of his master. So it must be with our relationship of service to God, and even more so with the pope's relationship of service to all the Church. Our Master, Christ, has graciously made known His will to us. He has given it in the Beatitudes and the Commandments, but how it plays out in our day to day lives requires discernment. Through prayer, we will be able to not only carry out the express will of Christ, but anticipate how our actions will provide for the needs of the Church and of the whole world.

St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." How true this is, and how much St. Gregory must have known Christ, for as St. Bede the Venerable proclaims in his hymn in honor of St. Gregory the Great:

"The depths the Sacred Books contain
you [St. Gregory] could both fathom and explain;
The Spirit of all truth indeed
Enlightened you in hours of need."

His writings on the Sacred Scriptures are extensive, and it is from them that he not only drew his teachings, but that he was able to discern his own decisions and code of conduct. Thus, we may see the importance of the reading of Sacred Scripture.

For this reason, then, the Church has placed the sacred texts at the heart of Her liturgies. The Gregorian chant, given us by Gregory is at its finest when it is used to sound forth the Scriptures in the liturgical antiphons. Through these, our hearts are moved to God, in all our various emotions. The chanting of the psalms and canticles throughout the day give us a means whereby we may praise our Divine Master, but also be instructed by Him. The reading of Scripture and its explanation prepare us for the Sacraments of the Church, which enlighten our minds and bring us closer to God. Through the Sacraments we are made able to be servants of God.

Let us then, like Pope St. Gregory the Great, be great, not simply by our actions, but by being firmly grounded in the Scriptures, especially as given us by the Liturgy. There, we will encounter our Divine Master, and not only learn His will, but be given grace, through the Spirit (which is always pictured in the form of a dove resting by Gregory's ear in art), to be servants of God to the world.

A Look at the Mass: The Collect

It seems fitting that this is the last post in the series which I'll be writing in the United States, for a while. And the reason it's fitting is that this post concerning the Collect ends the Introductory Rites of the Mass. After this we will move into the Liturgy of the Word, which will take us up to Advent. But first, we have to discuss the Collect.

And what a fitting conclusion to the Introductory Rites it is! I said in my previous post on the Gloria (here), that one of the things which emphasized the importance of the Gloria was that it is a spot where the celebrant, the choir, and the people meet in the Extraordinary Form. Within the Ordinary Form, all generally sing it together. The Collect, on the other hand, is different; its recitation is reserved to the priest alone. In both forms of the Mass, it is chanted or spoken with no one doing anything else at the time. This should speak both of the profundity and importance of its words.

Not only is the Collect used here in the Mass, but it is also the prayer used throughout the day by the Church in the praying of the Liturgy of the Hours. Thus, it may be called the prayer of the day, for it sums up all the Church's desires throughout the day. This also leads us to the reason for this prayer being called "the Collect." Within it the celebrant "collects" all of the petitions of the people and directs them to God, and he speaks on our behalf before God's throne.

Historically speaking, we may call the Collect, as part of the main orations of the Mass, one of the most stable and static parts of the Mass. Jungmann notes that somewhere between the third and sixth centuries the rule was that only approved texts could be used for this prayer, instead of the practice of the celebrant writing his own text along a certain style, which was done for many of the other Mass parts (372-373). Additionally, the form for the prayer was almost completely standardized from the beginning and has undergone little changes even to today.

One of the unique features of the Collect is that it is geared primarily to supplication, as opposed to adoration, thanksgiving, or contrition, and this has always been its purpose. In fact the most basic of the Collects simply use a phrase of petition, with no extrapolation on the mysteries being celebrated. However, over time, the Church began to add a mention of the mystery being celebrated or a praise of the saint whose celebration was commemorated. For an example of the most basic form, let us look at the Collect for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time:

"God of might, giver of every good gift,
put into our hearts the love of your name,
so that, by deepening our sense of reverence,
you may nurture in us what is good
and, by your watchful care,
keep safe what you have nurtured.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever."

We can see that there is really none of the normal added praises or titles of God which we see in the rest of the Liturgy, beyond a simple acknowledgment that He is the giver of all gifts. The rest of the Collect, with the exception of the conclusion, is a request for various graces and/or that God may bring certain virtues to perfection in us. However, as I stated above, there is little addition for the feasts of saints or of their solemnities. As a proof of this, I offer the Collect for Easter Sunday:

"O God, who on this day,
through your Only Begotten Son,
have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity,
grant, we pray,
that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord's Resurrection may,
through the renewal brought by your Spirit,
rise up in the light of life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever."

Notice that after the invocation of, "O God," there is a simple acknowledgement of the mystery being celebrated, namely the Resurrection of Christ and what is accomplished, but it lacks very little doctrinal explanation, and is more of a lead-in to the petition of the Collect.

The last part which we should note of the Collect's form is that it is almost always addressed to God the Father, with a few exceptions where it is addressed to God the Son, but never to the Holy Spirit. The reason for this will be explained shortly, in light of the two possible conclusions to the Collect.

At the Mass, the Collect is always begun with the invitation of the celebrant to the people of, "Let us pray." We may see here the importance of this moment. As with the Penitential Act, the priest is here calling our attention to something specific. Like the "Dominus vobiscum," he is asking us for something specific. That which he calls our attention to is that he is about to go before God on our behalf, and what he asks for is that we may both pray for him as he does so and be united with him in his prayers.

The priest will then either recite or chant the Collect, which as previously noted, gets its name from the fact that within this prayer are "collected" all of the specific petitions of the Universal Church for the day and for the mystery being celebrated. Here is a moment where the priest is truly separated from the faithful. It is not that he is worthy of this, but God has called him to be one who prays as a representative of the entire Church before God. We may, then, say that here he acts in persona Christi, Who always offers intercession to God the Father on our behalf in Heaven.

While we of course should bring our own personal intentions to the Mass, we must never elevate these above the public prayers of the Church. We must live our spiritual lives in union with the Church's liturgy. There are numerous occasions throughout the Mass where the priest will pray on our behalf for our personal intentions; here, however, we must also pray for that which the Church Universal prays for, since as a loving Mother, She always proposes that which is for our good. Thus, we cannot afford to neglect this, but must include these prayers in addition to our personal supplications.

The Collect always concludes, at least in the Ordinary Form, with one of the two following forms:

"Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever."

or, if our Lord has been mentioned and expounded upon in the Collect:

"Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever."

As can be seen, these two are really the same conclusion, the second merely avoids needless repetition. The depth of this conclusion is incredible. Not only does it again bring before us Christ's role of Mediator, but it also brings before us His Divine Sonship, and, additionally, the entire co-equal and co-eternal Trinity.

The priest, acting in persona Christi, has addressed God the Father; he has taken upon himself the Mediatorship of Christ. However, as I said, he also prays as a representative of the Church. Therefore, his prayer is said also as a human representative. He prays in persona ecclesiae - in the person of the Church (my own term). For this reason, he does not use the word "I," or "my," or "mine," as he does when consecrating the Eucharist or when absolving from sin, but speaks as himself. The prayer then concludes by offering the petitions through Christ, Who as Son of God is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, but due to His humanity is also our Mediator.

The Collect then concludes with the people's response of "Amen." This ancient word, which has always remained untranslated in all of the Church's liturgies, rites, and forms, means, "Let it be so." It is a way of giving assent to what has been said before. It is crucial that we at least spiritually respond with our Amen to the Collect. Even if we were to attend Mass in a language where we did not understand the words, our Amen is a way of affirming our unity with the Church. We are part of the Universal Church, and thus we may rest assured that our Amen is not simply an affirmation of some fancy words of the priest, or a desire of the people, but is part of the sensus fidei, the sense of Faith of the Faithful, who can never ere when they act in union with the Magisterium, Sacred Scripture, and Sacred Tradition.

This Amen, this affirmation to all that has taken place so far in the Mass, concludes the Introductory Rites. Through these rites, we have prepared ourselves to hear the Word of God and to participate in the Sacred Mysteries. Thus, the importance of being present for all of them. It is not enough that we arrive before the Gospel. Doing so may mean that we have attended Mass, but it neglects the importance of properly disposing ourselves for the most sacred actions man can do.

All historical information taken from:
Rev. Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development. Volume 1. Part III: The Collect. The Inclusion of the Congregation Assembled, 359-372, and The Collect. Form and Content, 372-390. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).