Category: Worship & Eucharist

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