My dear friends in Jesus Christ,

     

      The liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960's

continue to be implemented in the Church.  Paramount among these reforms is the Roman Missal, which regulates the celebration of the Eucharist as the “source and summit of the Christian life.”

      The first stages of the postconciliar reform of the Mass were marked by Pope Paul VI's Missale Romanum in 1969.  Other documents followed. 

After many years of preparation, a revised Missale Romanum was published in 2001.  This long-awaited revision includes a new General Instruction of the Roman Missal.  On November 12, 2002, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved an English translation of the General Instruction.  The translation was confirmed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on March 17, 2003.

      The primary purpose of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal is to provide specific instructions concerning the proper celebration of the Mass.  Its ultimate goal, however, is more profound than that.  It serves as an invitation for all the members of the Church to appreciate anew the meaning and beauty of the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

     The General Instruction reminds us that priests are “servants of the sacred liturgy.”(#24)  The same could be said of all members of the Church.  We are “servants of the liturgy.”  The liturgy is given to us as a gift to be cherished, to be nourished and protected, so that the People of God can participate fully and actively, and that the dignity of the liturgy is never lost through human carelessness or secular interpretation.

     The importance of following the directives of the liturgy should be self-evident.  Fidelity to liturgical norms, leading to a certain uniformity of

observance, helps to promote the unity of the Church, the Body of Christ.  Fidelity to the norms also prevents any member of the Church from imposing his or her personal preferences upon the liturgy.  The liturgy is intended to be the handed down and mediated by the Church for the common good of all.

             It is my hope that we can begin introducing some of these changes beginning next week on the First Sunday of Advent.  Gradually, through

instruction at Mass and bulletin inserts, I hope that we will be able to fine tune our worship at Mass so it will be in complete conformity with the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

 

In Christ Jesus Our Lord,

Very Rev. Edward C. Puleo

Pastor

 

General Instruction of the Roman Missal

The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to promote meditation.  It is appropriate to observe brief periods of silence after the first and second reading and after the homily. (Paragraph 56).

If the tabernacle is in the sanctuary, the priest and ministers genuflect to it when arriving at the sanctuary and at the end of Mass ... Ministers

      carrying the processional cross or candles make a simple bow of the head in any case. (Paragraph 274).

The Profession of Faith is sung or said on all Sundays and Solemnities.  All make a PROFOUND BOW at the words “by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man.” (Paragraphs 68, 137).

The people should stand after the priest’s invitation to pray, “Pray, brethren that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father” ... STAND before the response, “May the Lord accept this sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of His Name, for our good and the good of all the Church.” (Paragraph 146).

“Reasons of health” is stated as a reason why people might not kneel at

      prescribed moments of the liturgy (Paragraph 43).

The norm for the reception of Holy Communion in the United States is STANDING ... When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant BOWS HIS OR HER HEAD before the Sacrament as a gesture of

reverence  and says Amen. The consecrated host may be received either in the hand or on the tongue, at the discretion of the communicant. (Paragraph 160).