Posted on 01/02/2004 11:04:46 AM PST by Desdemona
B. THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
55. The main part of the Liturgy of the Word is made up of the readings from Sacred Scripture together with the chants occurring between them. The homily, Profession of Faith, and Prayer of the Faithful, however, develop and conclude this part of the Mass. For in the readings, as explained by the homily, God speaks to his people,58 opening up to them the mystery of redemption and salvation and offering them spiritual nourishment; and Christ himself is present in the midst of the faithful through his word.59 By their silence and singing the people make God's word their own, and they also affirm their adherence to it by means of the Profession of Faith. Finally, having been nourished by it, they pour out their petitions in the Prayer of the Faithful for the needs of the entire Church and for the salvation of the whole world.
Silence
56. The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to promote meditation, and so any sort of haste that hinders recollection must clearly be avoided. During the Liturgy of the Word, it is also appropriate to include brief periods of silence, accommodated to the gathered assembly, in which, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the first and second reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the homily.60
The Biblical Readings
57. In the readings, the table of God's word is prepared for the faithful, and the riches of the Bible are opened to them.61 Hence, it is preferable to maintain the arrangement of the biblical readings, by which light is shed on the unity of both Testaments and of salvation history. Moreover, it is unlawful to substitute other, non-biblical texts for the readings and responsorial Psalm, which contain the word of God.62
58. In the celebration of the Mass with a congregation, the readings are always proclaimed from the ambo.
59. By tradition, the function of proclaiming the readings is ministerial, not presidential. The readings, therefore, should be proclaimed by a lector, and the Gospel by a deacon or, in his absence, a priest other than the celebrant. If, however, a deacon or another priest is not present, the priest celebrant himself should read the Gospel. Further, if another suitable lector is also not present, then the priest celebrant should also proclaim the other readings.
After each reading, whoever reads gives the acclamation, to which the gathered people reply, honoring the word of God that they have received in faith and with grateful hearts.
60. The reading of the Gospel is the high point of the Liturgy of the Word. The Liturgy itself teaches that great reverence is to be shown to it by setting it off from the other readings with special marks of honor: whether the minister appointed to proclaim it prepares himself by a blessing or prayer; or the faithful, standing as they listen to it being read, through their acclamations acknowledge and confess Christ present and speaking to them; or the very marks of reverence are given to the Book of the Gospels.
The Responsorial Psalm
61. After the first reading comes the responsorial Psalm, which is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and holds great liturgical and pastoral importance, because it fosters meditation on the word of God.
The responsorial Psalm should correspond to each reading and should, as a rule, be taken from the Lectionary.
It is preferable that the responsorial Psalm be sung, at least as far as the people's response is concerned. Hence, the psalmist, or the cantor of the Psalm, sings the verses of the Psalm from the ambo or another suitable place. The entire congregation remains seated and listens but, as a rule, takes part by singing the response, except when the Psalm is sung straight through without a response. In order, however, that the people may be able to sing the Psalm response more readily, texts of some responses and Psalms have been chosen for the various seasons of the year or for the various categories of Saints. These may be used in place of the text corresponding to the reading whenever the Psalm is sung. If the Psalm cannot be sung, then it should be recited in such a way that it is particularly suited to fostering meditation on the word of God.
In the dioceses of the United States of America, the following may also be sung in place of the Psalm assigned in the Lectionary for Mass: either the proper or seasonal antiphon and Psalm from the Lectionary, as found either in the Roman Gradual or Simple Gradual or in another musical setting; or an antiphon and Psalm from another collection of the psalms and antiphons, including psalms arranged in metrical form, providing that they have been approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop. Songs or hymns may not be used in place of the responsorial Psalm.
62. After the reading that immediately precedes the Gospel, the Alleluia or another chant indicated by the rubrics is sung, as required by the liturgical season. An acclamation of this kind constitutes a rite or act in itself, by which the assembly of the faithful welcomes and greets the Lord who is about to speak to them in the Gospel and professes their faith by means of the chant. It is sung by all while standing and is led by the choir or a cantor, being repeated if this is appropriate. The verse, however, is sung either by the choir or by the cantor.
The Alleluia is sung in every season other than Lent. The verses are taken from the Lectionary or the Graduale.
During Lent, in place of the Alleluia, the verse before the Gospel is sung, as indicated in the Lectionary. It is also permissible to sing another psalm or tract, as found in the Graduale. 63. When there is only one reading before the Gospel,
During a season when the Alleluia is to be said, either the Alleluia Psalm or the responsorial Psalm followed by the Alleluia with its verse may be used;
During the season when the Alleluia is not to be said, either the psalm and the verse before the Gospel or the psalm alone may be used;
The Alleluia or verse before the Gospel may be omitted if they are not sung. 64. The Sequence, which is optional except on Easter Sunday and on Pentecost Day, is sung before the Alleluia.
The Homily
65. The homily is part of the Liturgy and is strongly recommended,63 for it is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life. It should be an exposition of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or from the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners.64
66. The Homily should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to the deacon, but never to a lay person.65 In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate.
There is to be a homily on Sundays and holy days of obligation at all Masses that are celebrated with the participation of a congregation; it may not be omitted without a serious reason. It is recommended on other days, especially on the weekdays of Advent, Lent, and the Easter Season, as well as on other festive days and occasions when the people come to church in greater numbers.66
After the homily a brief period of silence is appropriately observed.
The Profession of Faith
67. The purpose of the Symbolum or Profession of Faith, or Creed, is that the whole gathered people may respond to the word of God proclaimed in the readings taken from Sacred Scripture and explained in the homily and that they may also call to mind and confess the great mysteries of the faith by reciting the rule of faith in a formula approved for liturgical use, before these mysteries are celebrated in the Eucharist.
68. The Creed is to be sung or said by the priest together with the people on Sundays and Solemnities. It may be said also at particular celebrations of a more solemn character.
If it is sung, it is begun by the priest or, if this is appropriate, by a cantor or by the choir. It is sung, however, either by all together or by the people alternating with the choir.
If not sung, it is to be recited by all together or by two parts of the assembly responding one to the other.
The Prayer of the Faithful 69. In the Prayer of the Faithful, the people respond in a certain way to the word of God which they have welcomed in faith and, exercising the office of their baptismal priesthood, offer prayers to God for the salvation of all. It is fitting that such a prayer be included, as a rule, in Masses celebrated with a congregation, so that petitions will be offered for the holy Church, for civil authorities, for those weighed down by various needs, for all men and women, and for the salvation of the whole world.67
70. As a rule, the series of intentions is to be
For the needs of the Church;
For public authorities and the salvation of the whole world;
For those burdened by any kind of difficulty;
For the local community. Nevertheless, in a particular celebration, such as Confirmation, Marriage, or a Funeral, the series of intentions may reflect more closely the particular occasion.
71. It is for the priest celebrant to direct this prayer from the chair. He himself begins it with a brief introduction, by which he invites the faithful to pray, and likewise he concludes it with a prayer. The intentions announced should be sober, be composed freely but prudently, and be succinct, and they should express the prayer of the entire community.
The intentions are announced from the ambo or from another suitable place, by the deacon or by a cantor, a lector, or one of the lay faithful.68
The people, however, stand and give expression to their prayer either by an invocation said together after each intention or by praying in silence.
Question for the more knowledgeable (sp), do you recall the Creed once had the following line. Anyone know why it was removed?
He descended into hell, the 3rd day he rose again from the dead.
Current Version
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
QUESTION: If the Apostles' Creed is the original, it must be
that upon which the Nicene Creed. Why is the Nicene Creed
different?
You asked about the relationship between the Apostles' Creed and
the Nicene Creed. There are those who believe that the Apostles'
Creed is the ancestor (so to speak) of all Christian creeds.
But, contrary to its name, this creed is not of apostolic origin.
The name, "Apostles' Creed," does not appear until the fourth
century, when it is mentioned in a letter by St. Ambrose (in 390)
-- but that was obviously not its first use, for the legend that
it had been composed by the twelve Apostles was already known to
him. The wording of the Apostles' Creed at present is first
found in the writings of St. Pirminius (founder [in 724] and
first abbot of the monastery of Reichenau, an island on the
western arm of Lake Constance). It is actually an elaboration of
the shorter form of the Old Roman Creed, official baptismal creed
of the Church of Rome from at least the end of the 2nd century.
That creed first appears in the Apostolic Tradition of St.
Hippolytus (who died in 235), in the form of questions asked of
those to be baptized. In statement form it is found in a letter
by Marcellus of Ancyra (who turned out to be a heretic, but that
is another story) to Pope Julius (mid-fourth century). Rufinus
of Aquileia in Northern Italy (345-410) wrote a commentary on the
Old Roman Creed -- and gives therein the earliest known complete
continuous text of this creed as it was used in Aquileia and
Rome. Apparently the Old Roman Creed was based upon earlier and
more simple forms, based in turn upon the Lord's command
concerning baptism in Matthew 28:19. The developments from this
to the Apostles' Creed apparently originally occurred in Spain
and Gaul. When Charlemagne (c. 742-814) made it the basic
baptismal creed in his empire, this creed earned a place in the
West -- eventually becoming the creed used at Rome, where the Old
Roman Creed in its various form had held sway for centuries.
Consequently, it became used throughout the West, and sometime
between the 7th and 9th centuries was established as part of the
daily hours of prayer there. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer
(at least until recently -- I haven't seen the latest forms)
decrees it for use at baptism, Mattins and Evensong (Vespers).
The Nicene Creed was thus not based upon the Apostles' Creed
(which did not yet exist), but upon the baptismal creeds used in
the churches in various places -- which were not all exactly the
same, but were remarkably similar. The statements chosen at
Nicea were carefully formulated to exclude the Arian heresy and
the elaborations at I Constantinople (the Second Ecumenical),
which brought the Nicene to its final form, were chosen to
clarify the deity of the Holy Spirit and to exclude the
Apollinarian and Marcellian heresies. This Creed, and that of
Chalcedon, are the only creeds which came out of the Ecumenical
Councils. The Nicene Creed is the Creed of Christendom, accepted
by the Orthodox Church, by Rome, and by those aspects of
Protestantism which are willing to accept creeds at all.
The ‘Apostles’ Creed’ is called by this name because it is considered to be a true summary of the beliefs of the Apostles themselves. It is the oldest Creed of the Church in Rome, to which St Peter himself brought the Christian faith. It is even older than the ‘Nicene Creed’ which we say at Mass every Sunday, and which is a fuller expression of the Catholic Faith. We follow the Apostles’ Creed here because it allows us to focus on the basic beliefs of our Faith.
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated
at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church,
the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
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