Keeping Faith

The prayers of the faithful

Behind the scenes look at Sunday in ordinary time

The Mass: Public worship of the church Fr. Francis X. Malloy                Special to Parenting For most Catholics, the primary contact with our faith comes at our parish church. Even though there are educational and institutional programs that join the church to the world, it's the weekend celebration of the Eucharist that unites us to one another. A very quick description of a Eucharistic celebration follows. The celebration of the Eucharist (or what we commonly call the Mass) is called the summit or best expression of the church's worship of God. The Mass, like all liturgical actions, is the public worship of the church. A typical Eucharistic celebration is divided into two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In the first, the Word of God is proclaimed; in the second the offering of bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Christ and is then distributed to members of the worshiping assembly. The Liturgy of the Word entails the proclamation of the Old and New Testament and Gospel punctuated by congregational responses of prayer psalms and verses of alleluia. A reflection by the celebrant (homily) follows the readings which in turn inspires the congregation to reaffirm their faith through the Creed of Nicea (Creed) and by offering prayers of petition and praise (prayers of the faithful). The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the presentation of bread and wine from the assembly. The priest then offers these gifts to God. After the offering prayers, the assembly is invited to offer their praise to God in what we know as the Holy Holy (Sanctus). The priest continues with the Eucharistic prayer, a lengthy prayer of praise and thanksgiving in which the bread and wine becomes the Body and Blood of Christ. The specific words of consecration recall the words of Jesus at the last supper. Throughout the Eucharistic prayer, the assembly is invited to respond, first by proclaiming the mystery of faith and then by offering their assent and belief in this liturgical action through the great Amen. After the conclusion of the Eucharistic prayer, the congregation joins to pray the Our Father, exchanges a sign of peace and prepares to receive communion by recognizing the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei). As the assembly comes forward to receive communion, hymns of thanks and praise are sung. After the distribution of communion, the altar table is cleared, and any left over hosts are placed in reserve in the tabernacle. A post communion song may be sung or some type of reflection may be offered. The priest concludes the service with a closing prayer, any additional announcements, and blessing and dismissal. It has become customary for the priest to exit the sanctuary in a procession.

I have to admit, for me, the parish church always had certain serenity and grace to it. It was the place where we came to pray and where the family came for Mass on Sundays and confessions on Saturday. It never occurred to me that there was anything more or that it took people to get the place ready for Mass.

Now that I'm a pastor, my view is a little different.

At 6:15 a.m., the first volunteer emerges on the scene. The doors are unlocked and the heating system is checked to make sure that all is in order. The parking lot begins to attract the earliest of worshipers. Some are engrossed in the Sunday headlines; others are tuned to the early news report on the radio. As soon as the church lights are turned on they will head inside for a few moments of solitude.

By 6:30 a.m., the pastor arrives to set up for the 7 a.m. Mass. The chalice and vestments are readied; vestments and microphone are set out for the visiting celebrant. By now the ushers are extending greetings to regulars. Parking places close to the door are now at a premium; strangely enough pews in the back are the first to be filled.

At 7 a.m., the visiting celebrant is introduced and Mass begins on time. Sleepy-eyed parishioners continue to arrive for the next 10 or 15 minutes. By 7:45 a.m., the Mass has been concluded and the celebrant exchanges greetings in the narthex with the members of the congregation as they exit. In the sacristy, a team of volunteer sacristans hurriedly refills ciboria and cruets in preparation for the next Mass. By this time the music minister arrives to set up the microphones and music for the next Mass.

At 8 a.m., Mass begins promptly with an opening hymn and a procession from the back of church. After Communion a special blessing is imparted upon a couple celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary as their extended family looks on. The applause is especially touching to a granddaughter who is to be married next month. A great grandson is also introduced.

While preparations are made for the 9:30 Mass, the music director warms up the adult choir in the music room. Due to vacations, today's choir is a little thin - no new music will be introduced. The 9:30 Mass easily has the largest attendance; many are young families, drawn by the children's Liturgy of the Word. This is also Girl Scout Sunday; new members will join the troup at this Mass. Extra chairs will be set in the crying room and the choir loft will be open for the overflow. Extra lay Eucharistic ministers will assist at Communion as well.

In the enormity of the crowd an unknown worshiper has refilled the vigil lights, topped off the baptismal fonts and changed the outfit on the Infant of Prague. A local policeman parks across the street to slow traffic as the parking lot empties.

The 11 o'clock Mass is a little smaller and takes on a decidedly older flavor. Many are teens in their last year of high school or college-age young adults. Many have been confirmed but haven't committed to a regular routine just yet. One of their friends is serving as cantor this morning; so this Mass might be worth a listen. Other teens in the confirmation program are there to collect contributions for the local food pantry. Due to a lack of ministers, Communion is received under one species.

While the congregation clears out of the church; the sacristans hurriedly change the sanctuary; the baptismal candle is moved to the center and font is readied for baptism. Today there will be five, including a set of twins. The collection of family and friends numbers almost 250. Many of the extended family are under the age of 6. The congregation takes turns coming to the font for the best view. Cameras and video recorders are in good supply. The entire congregation joins together in an Our Father to close the ceremony then nods appreciatively as a series of special prayers offer a benediction for the mothers, the fathers and those present as representatives of the church. The older cousins gather together to "blow out" the baptismal candles. The pastor's been a good sport as everyone gets a photo to record the special event. It's been a good beginning for this "fav five."

At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the last baptism is done. The lights are turned off and the church is locked. Three jugs of communion wine have been consumed, 2,000 communion hosts have been distributed, five new members have been baptized, the Infant of Prague wears a freshly pressed outfit, and three cases of vigil candles have been lit for the parish. It's been a busy day of prayers for the parish church.

(Malloy is pastor of St. Luke Church, Brookfield.)