2018 is Year B in the Revised Common Lectionary. Year B is the year of the Gospel of Mark, interrupted and supplemented by the Gospel of John. Although the Church of England introduces its own idiosyncratic variations and so does not always follow the RCL, this is the Lectionary of the Church of England. Here are some notes on themes that arise from the four sets of readings for each month.  I have missed Advent, so I’ll start with January and Epiphany.

Epiphany means ‘revelation’. The revelation of the Lord goes on through the year. It starts at Advent at the beginning of the Church year, and then when the Lord appears at his nativity, in the manger in the stable. But first Epiphany is the moment when the Wise Men come to do him homage and so reveal his royal identity to us. This child is our King. The Epiphany continues in his presentation in the temple at Candlemas (2 Feb), and again when (in Luke 2) when the twelve year old boy is taken up to the temple for Passover, and is found among the teachers of the law are gathered around while the young Jesus is sitting in the middle.

The Lord is recognised, brought to the front and lifted up with his parents, by those waiting for him in the temple. Every Christian service is a presentation of our work before the Lord and before the world. There the Lord, and everyone else, will see it for what it is. There is a presentation in the temple, and it us who are being presented. Christ presents us to his Father, and the Father receives us from him. And we also lift each other up and present one another to the Lord. This is part of the process of our sanctification, and will be its climax too.

https://www.resourcesforchristiantheology.org/january-epiphany/

On May 31, Pope Benedict marked the 100th anniversary of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music with an Open Letter to its Chancellor, Cardinal Grocholweski. It was a timely reminder of how central music has been to our Catholic worship through the centuries, and once again the Pope reminded us of what the very sound of Catholic musical prayer should be.

?In giving priority to Gregorian chant and to classical liturgical music, the Catholic Church is not trying to limit anyone?s creativity but is showcasing a tradition of beautiful prayer?, Pope Benedict wrote.

In the letter, released by the Vatican, the Pope wrote that sometimes people have presented Gregorian chant and traditional church music as expressions ?to be overcome or disregarded because they limited the freedom and creativity of the individual or community.???But, he said, when people recognize that the liturgy does not belong to an individual or parish as much as it belongs to the church, then they begin to understand how, while some expressions of local culture are appropriate, priority should be given to expressions of the church?s universal culture. He said music used at Mass must convey a ?sense of prayer, dignity and beauty, and should help the faithful enter into prayer ? and should keep alive the tradition of Gregorian chant and polyphony.?

Unfortunately, the Church is presently awash with new music that isn?t good enough. We should be looking to the sacred treasury for inspiration. To that end a new and similar initiative in this country will come into being in September. The John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music is being established at the Birmingham Oratory and Maryvale and will stress the importance of chant. The activities of the new Institute will also be put at the service of the Conferences of Bishops.??Benedict, and the new thrust in liturgical understanding, points us all to the chant. This is the best composition lesson anyone could give to aspiring liturgical composers. Those who ignore this advice have much less to contribute to the communal prayer life of the Church, and their influence will wane. More pressing is what ordinary people can sing in liturgies which correspond with the Catholic paradigm. A new Graduale Parvum is being prepared for British Catholics. We are all used to seeing Entrance, Offertory and Communion Antiphons in our missals and weekly mass sheets, which are either mumbled perfunctorily or simply ignored. But these are the essential texts for our liturgies as they change from week to week, and day to day. They are meant to be sung. They are much more important and appropriate to our cyclic prayers than the largely protestant and frequently irrelevant hymns that are stuck on at the usual places during Mass. These antiphons are known as ?the Propers?. I have discussed these with Catholics from time to time, even priests, who look at me blankly and seem to have no idea what they are.

James MacMillan 31st July 2011

1. The Church is gathered Every Sunday morning Christians gather together in worship. What are they doing in Church? What is happening in these worship services? Why do they meet and pray and sing? We are going to look at what is going on in Church. We go to Church. We are called together and we come together. We leave our homes and offices to join this gathering. We are roused out of our everyday existence, drawn away from our computer, car and sofa to join these people. On Sunday morning we leave home and journey through these streets in order to come together with all the other members of our Church. We get up the steps and into the church, go down the aisle and take our places next to each other.

As we arrive we start singing. Our service begins with a hymn or a song. We are a pilgrim people who sing on their way, and the first hymn is our song for the journey. We sing because we celebrate as we make our way to the house of God. The Lord has called us together and gathered us here. He has invited us so he is our host and we are his guests. As we journey out of our homes, down the pavement to church, we are drawn into this gathering and we are glad and so we sing songs of praise that anticipate our worship together. Anyone can come in listen and join in. The invitation is general, so every church service is public. The whole community around the Church knows that it can go. Imagine that the Church stands in the middle on marketplace, and that it has no walls, but takes place in the open air so everyone can watch and can hear what is going on, or they can keep their distance, as they wish. There's more here...

John Médaille The Vocation of Business: Social Justice in the Marketplace is far-and-away the best book I have seen on the (bad) theology of economics. It puts economics into its political-philosophical context, with plenty of history, Catholic Social Teaching and immediate relevance to our present situation. It is a big but very well controlled book pretending to be a modest one, and the only book I have not resented buying recently: the title gives no idea of its range or intelligence. Médaille blogs at the Distributist Review

Reliance on the government as consumer of last resort has resulted in a structure that favored global production over national income, the FIRE economy (â??finance, insurance, and real estateâ??) over the real economy (real production of goods), low wages over fair ones, and gargantuan size over human scale. It is this last point that is particularly troubling, since this gargantuan institutions have proclaimed themselves to be â??too big to fail,â?? and exercise economic blackmail over the whole republic. The problem with this claim is that it is correct. But the proper response is not to give into the blackmail, not to negotiate with crooks, but to make sure that the blackmailers are never in a position to control the whole economy, to demand trillions in ransom whenever they get themselves (and us) into trouble. Now, it would be mere carping by distributists to point out the problems if we could not offer solutions. But we do have solutions, and it is time to offer them, time to end the era of big business that depends on big government, on subsidies from the general public to private profits. I have nothing against profitsâ??when they are earned; I have everything against profits that are the result of subsidies and privileges. The distributist solution to all of these problems can be summed-up in a few words: Buy it up! Break it up! Fund it right!

And keep reading The Market Ticker

The words of eucharist remember the past event of the passion of Christ who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples

In the eucharist we remember the incarnation and the passion and death of Christ. We remember the last supper in the upper room and the chain of events that followed it: supper with the disciples was followed by the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus’ arrest and trial, his being scourged, stripped, dragged out of the city and of all human society and put to death on the cross. We call all this the ‘passion’: the passion tells us what the incarnation is; it tells us how deep the incarnation is, and that the incarnation goes down all the way to the bottom. The incarnation is the meeting of God with man, and the passion is the incarnation in miniature. It shows that God really has met man and is with him, and that this is irrevocable now, for not even death can undo it. The passion is the unchangeable fact of God’s being with man and therefore of his dedicating himself and giving himself to man.

Jesus is about to be handed over. To show that in this way God is handing himself over to man, Jesus hands this bread over to his disciples. As this bread is in their hands, and their teeth, so the Son of God is in the hands of man. Christ is about to be broken and divided up, so he breaks and divides this bread. He performs this handing over and being broken up in miniature. In this way he shows us that this did not happen to him without his knowledge or consent. It looks as though it is by his own power that man is taking Christ into his hands to do something appalling to him in which Jesus is simply the victim. But, by playing this all out before hand, Jesus shows that in all this action in which man’s violence rolls out, man is not master of this event at all. It is Christ who gives the instruction to ‘go and do what you are going to do’, to Judas. In the last supper Jesus demonstrates with this bread what is going to happen so we can see he took this role in it for himself, and so that in these events in which he is entirely passive, he is also entirely willing and active. He is actively passive. It is not man who is in charge – not Judas, not the crowd, not the Sanhedrin or high priest or Pilate – but Christ.

Christ breaks open this bread, tears pieces off and so divides it and hands it over to his friends, because he is going to open, and break and divide, hand over and share. He opens, divides, hands over and shares himself. What we are getting in all this, what we are being offered, is not this or that thing – it is Christ himself. God is given to man for God places himself in our hands. Our time here and now in this eucharist, is superimposed on that moment then. All the events that follow it, the Mount of Olives, the garden, arrest, passion and crucifixion, all the events of the passion, are contained in the Last Supper. That eucharistic meal is the whole incarnation and passion of Christ brought together. These two times come into synch: our time comes into synch with the master fly-wheel which is Christ’s time. The eucharist is the events of the passion, and the eucharistic service superimposes on our time these events of Christ’s passion. As a result we are able to follow Christ, and watch this offering and giving of God to man, from a distance. His passion is the frame into which all the events of our life fit, so that included within the events of his life, the events of our lives be raised and redeemed.

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread to offer which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the Bread of Life...

The minister prays that, whatever we bring, the Lord will take it from us; that is, whoever we are and whatever condition we are in, the Lord will receive us. Christ lifts man to God and God receives man from Christ. God has taken hold of man, holds him now, and will hold him finally in an eternal relationship. In this eucharist Christ offers all mankind back to God and sustains him in the communion of God, so in our eucharistic prayers we celebrate the past, and the present and future action of Christ for us. And at the same time Christ offers all creation back to God, and God receives it and affirms it so that all creation is sustained in their holy communion. In this prayer and act of elevation we have a snapshot of the eternal relationship of man to God: we are lifted up and we are received.

The eucharist is an offering from Christ to God, and in communion with Christ, it is also our offering, of ourselves and of all creation. We offer ourselves as his body, that is, as him. These elements of bread and wine represent all creation and us in it. And because they come from Christ, and represent us, they are received by God. And because they are received by God, they are redeemed and made holy. So in the eucharist we are being offered to God – Christ is presenting man to God and God receives him.

But the offering is also made to us. At that Passover supper celebrated with the disciples in that upper room, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. So here and now, he brings us in, sits us down, breaks this bread, and gives it to us. He feeds us and waits on us. The food he offers us comes from this creation that he has prepared for us and placed us in: all creation is this garden which he has laid out for us. And he not only serves us at this table, but he also eats with us, and by this act he makes us his equals. We are not left out, but invited to sit down at his table, so that, though unholy, we are made whole and holy simply by being near him. He has said the word, and so we are healed. So, happy are those who are called to his supper...

By the mystery of your holy incarnation; by your birth, childhood and obedience; by your baptism, fasting and temptation,

Good Lord, deliver us.

By your ministry in word and work; by your mighty acts of power; and by your preaching of the kingdom,

Good Lord, deliver us.

By your agony and trial; by your cross and passion; and by your precious death and burial,

Good Lord, deliver us.

By your mighty resurrection; by your glorious ascension; and by your sending of the Holy Spirit,

Good Lord, deliver us.

Govern and direct your holy Church; fill it with love and truth; and grant it that unity which is your will.

Hear us, good Lord.

Bring into the way of truth all who have erred and are deceived.

Hear us, good Lord.

Strengthen those who stand; comfort and help the faint-hearted; raise up the fallen; and finally beat down Satan under our feet.

Three things - the Church prays unceasingly, it withdraws to pray, and it prays in public, in the open air, before the whole city. The prayer of the Church is unceasing, and it alternates between this public form and this withdrawn, even monastic, form.

The practice of perpetual prayer(Latin: laus perennis) was inaugurated by the archimandrite Alexander (died about 430) the founder of the monastic Acoemetae or "vigil-keepers". Laus perennis was imported to Western Europe at Agaunum, where it was carried on, day and night, by several choirs, or turmae, who succeeded each other in the recitation of the divine office, so that prayer went on without cessation.

The practice of perpetual prayer, 24-7 prayer movement continues to gain momentum. It focuses on creating "prayer rooms" where there are Christians engaged in prayer day and night.

The 24-7 prayer room is a simple idea - to make time, 'away' from the usual distractions of life, to speak with and listen to God. Even Jesus took time away from the demands of the crowds to be with his Father (Matthew 14.23). How much must we need this space and time 'away', so that we can be more effectively 'with'?

And it prays in public. I have been calling this 'processing'. But I suppose you could call it Prayer walking

Prayerwalking is the twin to praise marching in taking prayer onto the streets. It can be used by Christians in any land any day of the year. March for Jesus is rooted in the recognition that united, powerful prayer is a necessary foundation for effective evangelism. The key step was to take this prayer to the streets, to the very locations where the answers would be seen.

Ye holy angels bright, Who wait at God's right hand, Or through the realms of light Fly at your Lord's command, Assist our song; For else the theme Too high doth seem For mortal tongue.

Ye blessed souls at rest, Who ran this earthly race, And now, from sin released, Behold the Saviour's face, God's praises sound, As in his sight, With sweet delight, Ye do abound.

Ye saints, who toil below, Adore your heavenly King. And onward as ye go Some joyful anthem sing; Take what he gives And praise him still, Through good or ill, Who ever lives!

My soul, bear thou thy part, Triumph in God above: And with a well-tuned heart Sing thou the songs of love! Let all thy days Till life shall end, Whate'er he send, Be filled with praise.

Richard Baxter Ye Holy Angels Bright

Benedict and Roman Catholic theology (and of course much more Protestant theology) play down the personhood of the eucharistic president, and so, paradoxically, play down the priest. Because the eucharist appears to be about the bread and wine, our attention is drawn away from the priesthood of the many gathered around the one. We are left to assume that the priest is the man whom we presume we already entirely know, while these eucharistic elements are wonderful and mysterious, not known, but their truth revealed here. It looks as though the bread and wine are Christ, but the priest is not Christ.

It is simply not sufficient to say that these elements of bread and wine are Christ, without integrating them into a theology of the Whole Christ (Christ together with his people) and into an account of the coming-into-being of that body, and thus an eschatology. But in fact we need to say that the priest is entirely mysterious, because he is Christ-and-his body, and it is as we, the people of this congregation, are sanctified and integrated into that whole Church that we come to recognise the whole Church in the person of the Christian stands before us, presiding at this eucharist.

Perhaps it would be better to put it this way around: it is the people who, gathered around these elements and this priest, are this mystery. They are the first instalment of the redemption and consummation of the whole world in Christ. What they are becoming is being revealed here. These eucharistic elements are the future of priest and people, redeemed and consummated. The priest, together with these people, and this people together with this priest, are our glimpse of the future glory of man with God. They are our first view of man brought into communion with God and with all creation, and so man glorified.

We talk too much. We read too much. We hear too much. So much so, that we have lost the art of doing, of acting either as individuals or as a people. We no longer understand what it is to belong to a people who acts, who has "public action" of its own. We are no longer liturgical. For in our vernacularism and modernisation and reform, the very nature of the leiturgia - the nature of what is truly the work of the people - has been lost.

Today we seek to comprehend and explain and decide what we do in our churches but it is utterly questionable as to whether our people experience the liturgical revelation of Almighty God.

In fact, let's drop the adjective "liturgical" and use Hemming's words which assert that the liturgy is nothing less than "the ordinary and continual revealing of [God's] truth". If this is so, it cannot be a forum for our own self-expression. It cannot necessarily be within our immediate comprehension or subject to our didactic commentary. It must be experienced, indeed lived, as worship of Almighty God - as opposed to being "enjoyed" as a form of Christian activism - in order to begin to grasp something of what is being communicated in it: the very life of God Himself.

Alcuin Reid Divine Worship

An exhortation and litany to be said during processions, used to pray for God's favour during times of troubles

Let us make our prayers, and supplycations, rendrynge and gyvyng of thankes for all men, and namely for kynges, princis, and al other set in chief dignitie and high roumes, that by theyr godly governance, their true faithfull and diligent execution of justice and equitie on to all their subjectes, our heavenly father may be glorified, the common welth may be daily promoted and increased, and that we al, that are theyr subjectes, may live in peace and quietnes, with al godlines and vertue, and our christen princis & heades in unitie and concorde emonges them selfes, ever callyng uppon theyr heavenly father, whiche is the king of all kynges, and the lorde of all lordes, which shall judge without respecte of persone, accordynge to every mans doing or workes, at whose hande the weake shall take no wronge, nor the myghty man not by any power escape his juste judgement

We make prayers and supplications for kings, princes and all who have been set in authority. We can pray to God for them, and we can do so publicly, so that all who who are in authority know that this is what we are doing. And we can also make our petitions known to these princes themselves. We can petition them to provide us with what almighty God has given them for our sake. Although we may address our prayers to God at all times, we may do so in particular when no other authorities will listen to us. We can ask God to allow those he has set in authority over us to hear his Word and to hear our prayers. We can encourage them to call upon their heavenly Father for grace to give us what we need. In this way the common wealth may be daily promoted and our heavenly Father glorified.

Ascension, procession and prayer - all somehow connected. If only someone would tell me how.

Public Christian devotions became common by the fifth century and processions were frequently held, with preference for days which the pagans had held sacred. These processions were called litanies, and in them pictures and other religious emblems were carried. In Rome, pope and people would go in procession each day, especially in Lent, to a different church, to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries. Thus originated the Roman "Stations", and what was called the "Litania Major", "Romana", or "Major Rogation". It was held on 25 April, on which day the heathens had celebrated the festival of Robigalia, the principal feature of which was a procession.

Pagans on the march? Well, we imitate them in everything else. Perhaps we Christians should also lumber to our feet? Perhaps if we just take the initial risk of taking our worship briefly out of the church building, we will discover that this is in fact the imitation of Christ. Perhaps then we will find that we can go rejoicing around the city, mark its bounds and ask the Lord’s protection on it. Maybe we should even wheel out a few bishops and get them to bless, pray for, repent and lament before the city, and then bless the city again.

Prayer and procession are connected, you say?

The word "Rogation" comes from the Latin verb rogare, meaning "to ask," and was applied to this time of the liturgical year because the Gospel reading for the previous Sunday included the passage "Ask and ye shall receive" (Gospel of John 16:24). The faithful typically observed the Rogation days by fasting in preparation to celebrate the Ascension. A common feature of Rogation days in former times was the ceremony of "beating the bounds", in which a procession of parishioners, led by the minister, would proceed around the boundary of their parish and pray for its protection in the forthcoming year.

Ah yes, but we Anglicans don't do this. And you can't make us.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has announced plans to mount an unprecedented mass walk of bishops and other faith leaders through central London during the forthcoming Lambeth Conference to demonstrate the Anglican Communion's determination to help end extreme poverty across the globe. Rowan Williams will be joined by approximately 600 other archbishops and bishops.

Apparently we Anglicans do go on processions then. What does an Anglican procession look like? Like that, I see - everyone holding banners and singing their hearts out. Well, you will never get us Evangelicals to do that. We don't do processions.

The March for Jesus began as 'City March' in London in 1987. It was formed in the seedbed of friendship amongst three church groups, Pioneer, Ichthus and Youth with a Mission, and the worship leader Graham Kendrick. Over the next three years marches spread across the UK, initially in 49 centres, which then spawned hundreds of small marches. Marches then spread across Europe and North America, and finally across the world. In 1994 the first Global March for Jesus covered every time zone and united over ten million Christians from over 170 nations. It is estimated that, by the final Global March for Jesus on 10 June 2000, over 60 million people in 180 nations had marched for Jesus.

March for Jesus? It is always us who are doing things for Jesus - lucky old Jesus. Or it is perhaps the Lord who marches in triumphal procession (Psalm 68; Eph 4.8, 2 Cor 2.14) - and if he catches us up into his procession then we are the lucky ones? With or without the Pelagianism, apparently we Evangelicals do have processions after all. We usually call them festivals - Spring Harvest, Soul Survivor - and we hold them out in the country. But then it is not really the countryside that needs praying for, is it? Perhaps London, somewhere between Abbey and Cathedral, would not be a bad place to pray and process, I mean, march, I mean, walk.

Praise be to the High Priest of our faith Jesus Christ, the Devout and Holy Sacrifice, Who performed purification of our sins by His own Person and cleansed the world by His sacrifice, the Good One to Whom is due glory, honor and dominion with His Father and with his Holy Spirit at this time of the celebration of this Eucharist and all feasts and seasons and at all times and forever.

O Lord God Almighty, Who accepts the sacrifice of praise from those who call upon You whole-heartedly, accept from our hands, Your sinful servants, this sweet incense and bring us near to Your holy altar. Strengthen us that we may raise to You spiritual offerings and sacrifices on account of our sins and the transgressions of Your people. Make us worthy that we become to You an acceptable sacrifice, and may Your Good Spirit rest upon us and upon these offerings that are set here and upon all Your faithful people in Christ Jesus our Lord with Whom befit You praise, honor and dominion with Your Holy Spirit, now, always and forever.

From God may we receive remission of debts and forgiveness of sins in both worlds forever and ever. Amen.

Syriac Anaphoras - Supplications

Again, we commemorate those who have gone before, fallen asleep in holiness, and are at rest among the saints; those who have kept the one apostolic faith without blemish and entrusted it to us. We proclaim the three sacred and holy Ecumenical Synods of Nicaea, of Constantinople and of Ephesus. We also remember our glorious and God-fearing fathers, prelates and doctors present at the Synods. Bishop James, the first bishop of Jerusalem, the apostles and martyrs and the saints: Ignatius, Clement, Dionysius, Athanasius, Julius, Basilius, Gregorius, Dioscoros, Timothy, Philoxenus, Antemus, Ivanius. Particularly, St. Cyril that exalted and firm tower who declared and made manifest the incarnation of the Word God, our Lord Jesus Christ Who took flesh. We also remember our Patriarch St. Severius, the crown of the Syrians, that rational mouth, pillar and teacher of all the Holy Church of God; and our saintly and holy father St. Jacob Burd`ono the supporter of the orthodox faith and St. Ephrem, St. Jacob, St. Isaac, St. Balai, St. Barsaumo, head of the anchorites, St. Simon the Stylite and the chosen St. Abhai. Let us, also, remember all those before them, with them and after them, who kept the one, true and uncorrupted faith and delivered it to us. May their prayers be a stronghold to us. Let us beseech the Lord.

Kyrie eleison

Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom

To You, O Lord, both heaven, which is the throne of Your Majesty, and the earth, which is the footstool under Your feet, sing praise. The earth glorifies Your Holy Name in this church that chants the sound of glory to You from the mouth of her children; by the succession of the prophets, the company of the apostles, the sufferings of the martyrs, the orders of the confessors, the theology of the doctors, the orderly standing of the ascetics, the endurance of the abstinents, the hosts of the just, the assemblies of the righteous and the faithful of all ages. In that heavenly Church which is set on high, where Your first-born are inscribed in Your holy books, You are praised by sons of the angels, the joyful voices of the archangels, the melodies of the cherubim, the zeal of the primacies, the splendor of the principalities, the brilliance of the thrones, the honor of the lords, the fiery glow of the legions, the companies of the victorious, the assemblies of the perfect, the feasts and the rejoicing of the saints and the hallowing of the seraphim, who, with their six wings and the serenity of their voices, praise and cry out, saying:

Holy, holy, holy

Anaphora of St. Cyril

Acclamations 53. The acclamations are shouts of joy which arise from the whole assembly as forceful and meaningful assents to God's Word and Action. They are important because they make some of the most significant moments of the Mass (gospel, eucharistic prayer, Lord's Prayer) stand out. It is of their nature that they be rhythmically strong, melodically appealing, and affirmative. The people should know the acclamations by heart in order to sing them spontaneously. Some rite is abbreviated in accord with the General Instruction on The Liturgy of the Hours.

The Liturgy of the Word 45. Readings from scripture are the heart of the liturgy of the word. The homily, responsorial psalms, profession of faith, and general intercessions develop and complete it. In the readings, God speaks to his people and nourishes their spirit; Christ is present through his word. The homily explains the readings. The chants and the profession of faith comprise the people's acceptance of God's Word. It is of primary importance that the people hear God's message of love, digest it with the aid of psalms, silence, and the homily, and respond, involving themselves in the great covenant of love and redemption.

The Alleluia 55. This acclamation of paschal joy is both a reflection upon the Word of God proclaimed in the liturgy and a preparation for the gospel. All stand to sing it. After the cantor or choir sings the alleluia(s), the people customarily repeat it. Then a single proper verse is sung by the cantor or choir, and all repeat the alleluias

Responsorial Psalm 63. This unique and very important song is the response to the first lesson. The new lectionary's determination to match the content of the psalms to the theme of reading is reflected in its listing of 900 refrains. The liturgy of the Word comes more fully to life if between the first two readings a cantor sings the psalm and all sing the response. Since most groups cannot learn a new response every week, seasonal refrains are offered in the lectionary itself and in the Simple Gradual. Other psalms and refrains may also be used, including psalms arranged in responsorial form and metrical and similar versions of psalms, provided they are used in accordance with the principles of the Simple Gradual and are selected in harmony with the liturgical season, feast or occasion.

Committee on the Liturgy, US Conference of Catholic Bishops – Music in Catholic Worship

When we come forward to receive Holy Communion at the Eucharist, we are not lining up as isolated individuals, couples, families or groups to be nourished and sustained for our Christian lives. We come forward together as the Body of Christ to receive the Body of Christ. We receive the Body of Christ so that we may be more truly together the Body of Christ in the world. As St Augustine of Hippo reminded us, at the Eucharist we receive what we are, and we become what we receive: â??You reply â??Amenâ?? to that which you are, and by your reply you consent. For you hear â??the Body of Christâ?? and you reply â??Amenâ??. Be a member of the Body of Christ so that your â??Amenâ?? may be true.â??

One Bread One Body

The Communion procession expresses the humble patience of the poor moving forward to be fed, the alert expectancy of Godâ??s people sharing the Paschal meal in readiness for their journey, the joyful confidence of Godâ??s people on the march toward the Promised Land. In England and Wales it is through this action of walking solemnly in procession that the faithful make their sign of reverence in preparation for receiving Communion.

Celebrating the Mass

The Communion Procession is not simply about getting up out of oneâ??s seat, walking to the minister, receiving communion and walking back to oneâ??s seat and sitting down again. The procession is

* ï? a procession accompanied by song which is to express unity in spirit by means unity in song and to show joy of heart

* ï? a communal action and not simply a private, individual action

* ï? not merely action but action as prayer, a visible sign of reverence

The Church makes quite some demands of this procession. They are not always going to be easy for particular communities of the Church to fulfil. One common reason for this in England and Wales is that many of our church buildings were designed before the renewal of the Liturgy over the past 100 years. A good number of them were designed before the encouragement to frequent communion by Saint Pope Pius X, and their design did not envisage the whole congregation coming forward to receive Holy Communion. Still more were designed before the more recent encouragement to the ministering of Holy Communion under both kinds, and the additional number of ministers and communion stations that this will usually require.

Yet if the Communion Procession, and our reception of Holy Communion itself is to be carried out in a worthy fashion we need to overcome these common difficulties. We need to achieve a sense of order and rhythm in the procession, so that it can signify reverence and a communitarian corporate quality in what we do.

The Communion Procession

Liturgy Office of the Catholic Church in England and Wales