We thank Allison Gingras at Reconciled To You and Elizabeth Riordan at Theology Is A Verb for hosting Worth Revisiting each week. It is a privilege to share our work with them and their followers.
Monday Musings - Lasting Gifts to God and to Ourselves - Part II
A few months ago,
I shared some suggestions as to how we, as individuals, could approach
Mass attendance differently and as a result receive greater graces and
benefits from participating in the Holy Sacrifice. If you missed that
post, you can read it here. All the suggestions made in that article, were things we could do and which required no one's permission.
Today's post offers another list of
suggestions to reinstate a sense of the Sacred within our Churches and
during Mass, to encourage greater Mass attendance, to increase reverence
for and belief in Jesus's Real Presence among us, and to help others
rediscover awe and amazement in the great gift of our Lord's physical
presence among us.
Unlike the first post, all of the
suggestions that follow will require the consent, catechesis and support
of your pastor. Let us not be fearful in seeking such support. Those
parishes who have engaged in this effort, have found their parish and
members enriched.
None of these suggestions originated with this author:
Instruct
parishioners as to the proper manner of conducting themselves while in Church
incorporating in such instruction the points highlighted in my first post.
Post signs at all entrances:
THIS
IS HOLY GROUND. REVERENT SILENCE IS THE LANGUAGE SPOKEN HERE.
Following the example of St. Teresa of Calcutta, post sign in sacristy:
O Priest,
say this Mass as if it was your first Mass
O Priest
say this Mass as if it were your last Mass.
O
Priest say this Mass as if were you only Mass
If not already positioned there, return the Tabernacle to the center of the
Sanctuary directly behind the altar.
Reinstate
male only altar servers.
Offer
the Mass ad orientem, facing the
tabernacle where the God we are
worshiping resides, instead of facing the people, so that we all lift our prayers upwards to the heavens.
Use Latin During Mass: Kyrie
Elison, Sanctus,
Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.
Include
Gregorian Chant as the primary form of sung hymns.
Install altar
rails and/or kneelers.
Encourage
parishioners to receive Holy Communion on the tongue and while kneeling.
Offer the Sacred
Blood in the chalice on only rare occasions.
Use
extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist on only those very rare occasions
where the failure to do so will prolong the time needed to distribute Holy
Communion.
When
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are utilized, they should not enter
the sanctuary but remain outside where the altar rails are or should be and have
our Lord brought down to them.
Play soft,
meditative, instrumental music while Holy Communion is being distributed and
for a reasonable time thereafter so receipients can properly adore and thank
God for such a great gift.
Offer a sung
Communion hymn after this period of quiet reflection is over and before Father
resumes the Mass.
Before the
Recessional Hymn, all kneel to recite the Prayer to Michael the Archangel.
Exit the nave of
the Church at the end of Mass in silence.
Explain and
offer the Traditional Latin Mass periodically.
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