Let's Stop Making Mass Attendance an Add-on to Catechesis!

More than once in my work as a diocesan administrator, I have encountered parish staffs who attempt to force families of children and youth in catechetical programs to go to Mass. Their methods range from a requirement to pick up a bulletin or sign in with the ushers to punch-cards to prove Mass attendance, sometimes accompanied by threats of withholding the sacrament the child is preparing for if attendance at Mass is not at a certain threshold.

Some parishes ask parents (and older students) to sign an agreement about Mass attendance. I was even told recently that at one parish a child with near-perfect class attendance was not advanced to the next grade level because her parents almost never took her to Mass (!)

I have to come right out and say it: all of this is shameful and manipulative - and ultimately ineffective - as shown by the continuing decline in the numbers of our Catholic people attending Mass regularly. We can see it by the number of families who simply disappear from the parish after their children have received the Sacraments of Initiation. They have been initiated, in their minds, into nothing in particular. Like secular life-events that are commemorated, their sacramental initiation is safely tucked away in the scrapbook of life instead of being a living reality that continues to enrich them and invite them to lives of holiness.

While a few families may intuitively benefit from the experience of being forced to go to Mass, most resent it (and I get the phone calls that tell me so!) Many will only comply until they get what they came for - that sacrament certificate- and some will even tell their children outright that after Confirmation they don't have to go to Mass.

There IS a better way.

While parish catechetical leaders and clergy should certainly encourage Mass attendance, why aren't they encouraging and forming people for Mass participation?  Mass is about much more than just showing up!

People will receive the full benefit of the power of the Mass only if they understand why they are invited to the table of the Word and table of the Sacrament. Mass is more than just something Catholics do.  It is the heart of Catholic faith and practice for a reason.

What is that reason?  Well, not because God needs our praise - he certainly has enough glory without anything we do. Jesus had something else in mind when he said "Do this in memory of me" and instituted the Mass.  He was inviting us to become a changed people and he continues to do that today. When asked where he lived, he said "Come and see."  Where does he live today? At Mass. (See Sacrosanctum Consilium 7 for the four ways Christ is present in the Mass.)

Basically, God wants us to offer ourselves at Mass to be changed by the Word and by the Eucharist. He wants us to grow in holiness, to become more like Jesus Christ - people of self-giving love. (For more on that, see Tim O'Malley's excellent book: Liturgy and the New Evangelization: Practicing the Art of Self-Giving Love )  We do that by listening actively and openly to the Word and by offering ourselves along with the bread and wine to be changed. This is the heart of the sacramental encounter.

What the Mass does is change who we are. It is NOT something we merely attend. It is also a "rehearsal" for the heavenly banquet.  So, why do we continue to "take attendance" as if it is a required class?

James Pauley, in Liturgical Catechesis in the 21st Century: A School of Discipleship,  argues that the transforming grace of God, enacted through the liturgy, is central to how people become disciples. He also points out that catechesis, unconnected to the liturgy, fails to connect people to this important wellspring of evangelization. He proposes an apprenticeship model, individualized and powered by mentoring, rooted in the liturgy. In short, he proposes a revolution in how we think about the relationship between parish religious education and the liturgy.

What do we need to get there?  It begins with parish leadership and clergy realizing that catechesis is more than just forming people in doctrine and practice, but should be about forming disciples - people who are willing to re-form the agenda of their lives around the self-giving model of Jesus Christ rather than the agendas of self and world. It begins with realizing that the true engine that powers the formation of disciples is not dispensing knowledge about the faith, but the Mass itself, which is the setting for personal transformation.

Parish catechesis will continue to falter and be marginally effective in making the next generation of Catholics until we learn that faithful, full and active participation in the liturgy is the primary power that will make our teaching about Catholic faith effective. Going to Mass not a mere add-on practice. It is not a hoop we ask people to jump through to get something else they want. It is the heart of who we are and can become.

NOTES FROM NOTRE DAME SYMPOSIUM ON LITURGY & LIFE 2: "Jesus Christ in the Liturgical Year"

"Jesus Christ in the Liturgical Year" - Simone Brosig, PhD
Second set of notes from the June 19-23 symposium at University of Notre Dame. Videos of the talks will  be posted on the McGrath Institute for Church Life YouTube Channel.

Simone Brosig is Director of Liturgy, Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Photo by Tim O'Malley

Name your favorite moment in liturgical year.

School liturgy example from real life - it's all about them. Diocesan school leadership Masses on August 31 and Nov. 1st built around "theme of the year" - same music, same readings, all picked to support the theme,  unaware that the liturgical year is primary. They started with their agenda - it was not about encountering Christ. Liturgical year should be their starting point.

See Sacramentum Consilium 10, General Norms on the Liturgical Year p. 2

Liturgical year first started with Easter, then gradually, over time, it became a season... By 4th century Christmas was added. These 2 cycles make up the lit year - everything else is geared around them.

Proper of Time takes precedence. (SC 108) Easter Cycle, Christmas Cycle, Ordinary time.  Sanctoral time (saints' days) is secondary.

Starting with Advent at the beginning was not a practice until the 10th or 11th century.

Liturgical year not conceived as a whole. It grew out of the Paschal Mystery. Every encounter of the liturgical year provides opportunity to encounter a particular aspect of Christ's grace.

We should ask where did we meet Jesus this year in the celebration of ______?
This helps us develop our spirituality and attitudes.

See SC 12 - we are touched by the mysteries of redemption.

Liturgical year shapes us and our discipleship. An instrument of evangelization and invitation to encounter with Jesus Christ.

People who aren't connected to the liturgical year aren't connected to themselves.  (Her story - stressful family issues around Christmas had distanced her from Advent/Christmas) Spiritual director told her to participate in the whole Christmas cycle. That practice gradually changed how she sees Advent and Christmas.

To connect to the liturgical year, we have to connect to ourselves.  It can shed new light on our inner life.

Advent to Dec. 16 - Eschatological emphasis.  Dec 17-24 - oriented toward the Lord's birth.

Cycle A
Psalm 85 - first Sunday - comfort
Psalm  second Sunday - promise
Communion antiphon 3rd Sunday - courage

Overall Advent is an invitation to get in touch with our fears and vulnerabilities. Not penitential in the same way as Lent. Devout and expectant delight. Yet, we may discover our own exile.

When the Baby comes, we put aside our agendas. That's what the liturgical year calls us to. Paradox of triumph through weakness.

Liturgical year is not a passion play. We are not expected to change our moods to correspond with it.   Even in the 50 days, we may experience grief.  The good news of the Resurrection comes with an edge -  we remember his suffering,  Palm Sunday reminds of us the willingness of Jesus to go to Jerusalem even though it meant death.  The Empty Tomb is not a source of joy, but of grief until the Resurrection is discovered.

Evangelization through the liturgical year needs to be invitational, not directive.  Ritual greetings of the Eastern church are faith statements:
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.
Jesus is born. Let us glorify him. (invitation)

Liturgy and Life
We need to discover moments in the Liturgical Year that we look forward to. We need to allow the liturgy to work on people. It's not directive, it's invitational.

- The Word is a starting point.  Proclaimed well, liturgical preaching...
- Music should shape the celebration
- Bring the liturgy to the life of the parish - sing seasonal music at meetings and gatherings
- Good liturgical art. We can create it to sanctify other spaces - and bring it home  Candlemas candles and Advent wreaths bring the liturgical year into the home.

Liturgical practices can become part of identity. Ash Wednesday, for example. Young adults mark time, take it into their bodies and identify.

"Feast Day" - The Liturgical Year Board Game: Good, Low-Tech Fun & Learning

Feast Day!, the newly-released board game for ages 6-adult, is a personal project from Steve Botsford, a former youth minister, designed to help kids learn about the seasons and feasts of the Liturgical Year and the significance of parts of the Mass. Like a traditional board game, it comes with a colorful board, four markers - one for each person or team playing, a die and a set of cards corresponding to the seasons of the liturgical calendar. This visually attractive game is intended for families, schools, parish religious education, and home-schoolers and can be played either by individuals or teams. That makes it suitable for use in a classroom situation.

Game play is simple. Players place their markers on the Christ the King space, then roll the die and move through 52 spaces, one for each Sunday of the year, Whenever a player lands on a space, the player to the right draws a card from the pile that corresponds to that season and reads the question to him or her.  If the player answers correctly, he or she keeps the card.

The questions on the cards are mostly pretty basic - asking the color or meaning of the season, the significance of a symbol used during the season or the ways we celebrate the Liturgical Year. The Ordinary Time deck includes questions about the Mass and the Bible. Occasionally, some questions even invite brief reflection, such as this one: "During Advent we watch for signs of God's love in the world. Name one place you can see signs of God's love."

If a player lands on a space with the Feast Day! logo, everyone shouts "Feast Day!" and the player draws a card from the Feast Day stack. These cards contain interesting facts about the liturgical year, but no question. In effect, it's a free card - with bonus learning about how special days are celebrated during the Liturgical Year.


The first player to travel all the way around the board and land on the Christ the King space chooses a season and attempts to answer a question from that card pile.  If the question is answered correctly, the game is over and players count their cards. The player or team with the most cards wins the game.

My take:
This would be a great addition to any home or classroom to test knowledge of Catholic liturgical basics and encourage learning about the liturgical year by children, parents and even teachers and catechists. The graphics on the board are colorful and engaging, the game play simple enough for younger children. There is a nice variety of questions that can appeal to all ages.  I like that it gives a team-play option. When playing this in teams in a classroom, the teacher or catechist could, if time runs out, count cards as the end of class approaches, if the game is not completed.

While Feast Day! may not be as glitzy or "modern" as app-based learning games like Catholic Words and Games, it is attractive, simple and easily used in classrooms where a projector and screen are not available or the catechist reluctant to use technology. Board games may be low-tech, but they are versatile, easy to use and here to stay. At a reasonable price-point of $34.95, with potential appeal to all ages and a durable, heavy-duty box and board, this is a game worth getting and enjoying for years.

Feast Day! is a great learning tool and can be fun, too. Go here to order it now, while there is a free shipping offer. (Grab the free quick review guide for the liturgical seasons while you're on the site, too.)

NOTE: I was provided with a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Notes from the 2016 Notre Dame Symposium 8: Liturgical Catechesis - An Apprenticeship

JAMES PAULEY: "Liturgical Catechesis: an Apprenticeship in Mystery and Mission"

Cultural shifts in US affect how we do catechesis.  

Jim Beckman in Becoming a Psrish of Intentional Disciples  proposes small group ministry

"Apprenticeship" in the Decree on Missionary Activity

"The catechumenate is not a mere expounding of doctrines and precepts, but a  training period in the whole Christian life, and an apprenticeship duty drawn out, during which disciples are joined to Christ their teacher." [14] 

Characteristics of an Apprenticing Relationship:

• We put ourselves under the direction of someone who has mastered/is mastering the craft
• Objective: learning a new way of seeing and learning new abilities
• Learning happens through the experience of sustained presence with the other.

Three Related Concepts: 

1. Pope Francis has freqently mentioned "Spiritual Accompaniment"  (EG 169-170)
2. GDC 47 "Slow Stages" of Evangelization  - Before relationship with God is proposed there needs to be a sustained conversation
3. Sherry Weddell's Forming Intentional Disciples: Thresholds of Conversion. - We need to study the person... And tailor our approach based on who they are. 

How  Would "Apprenticeship" Inspire our Catechetical Approaches?

• The Content of Faith would e communicated in a genuinely personal way
• All that is taught would e oriented to how it may be lived
• Time would be set apart to allow for responsiveness, dialog and mentoring
• Participants would learn a new way of seeing and a new way of living

Sophia Cavelleti allows time for silence... 

Apprenticeship model is most germane to liturgical catechesis because the liturgy is a place of encounter with God. 

See CCC 1624 on marriage role of Holy Spirit...  

If catechist is teaching in impersonal way, the richness  will be missing

Four Necessary Skills Needed to Live a Rich Sacramental Life

1. The ability to disengage from distractions and attune ourselves to God in the sacramental action  - How do we help people disengage and attune to God? How the catechist starts the session is crucially important.
2. The ability to "see" and "receive" and "give" in a sacramental way  - Seeing in a sacramental way gives us the ability to unite ourselves to see the invisible in the visible (Sohia Cavaletti) we need to help people to see the invisible. Then, we need authentic witnesses
3. The ability to unit the mind and heart to the language of the liturgy  (is this even possible today - is it too much to expect? Children can. See Sophia Cavalletti Religious Potential of the Child, p. 43 
4. The ability to be responsive to the gift God gives so that a change is effected in how we live

3 challenges to doing this.  From 2013 institute of church life survey

1. Lack of trained personnelL
2. Insufficient intentional disciples
3. Catechesis takes place in larger groups

Maybe we start out small...

Organic Opportunities Today for Apprenticeship:

1. It remains a deep conviction within our tradition that parents are the primary educators of their children... - Challenge to help parents apprentice the sacramental life.. Need homes where faith is lived organically
2. A vitally important element of our ecclesial vision is that adult evangelization and catechesis  is "the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood and adolescence as well as thoat of old age." (GDC 275)...   We must pour our efforts into evangelizing adults 
3. We can invest deeply in the mentoring roles that are already clearly defined... - Invest in mentoring roles sponsor, godparent...
4. We recognize that the year after receiving a sacrament is a sensitive period... - The neophyte years is important. In marriage, the 1st year establishes behaviors
5. The practice of spiritual direction is an already familiar model...   Spiritual direction is an apprenticeship model
6. Opportunities may be found in catechetical sessions as they are currently structured...  Build time for mentoring into catechetical sessions 
7. Many of the Saints [our mentors] apprenticed others in the Christian life...  If the task is beyond our strength,   like St. Therese, turn to God

Our catechesis should be rooted in respect for the mystery of God and the person.

From Mass to Mission: Accessible Liturgical Catechesis for All Ages

How well do most Catholics participate in the Mass?  I have often commented in this space that as a cantor, facing the people, I frequently see the bored, passive expressions of the externally (and maybe internally) disengaged. However, Bishop Robert Barron has named an even bigger problem: 70% of our people around the world (75% in the US) do not even attend Mass!  He calls that a "spiritual disaster." How can we fix this? We need better tools.

As I have mentioned before in this space, I was privileged to be asked to write the children's portion of the new project from Liturgy Training Publications, From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and its Significance for Our Christian Life.  Created for use in parish catechesis, this series  is an answer to the common issue that catechesis and liturgy are not sufficiently connected in parish life.  More than that, it is a resource that can involve the entire community in learning about and growing in their appreciation of the Mass.



From Mass to Mission from Liturgy Training Publications on Vimeo.

The USCCB put it succinctly in the National Directory for Catechesis: “in the Church’s mission of evangelization, catechesis and Liturgy are intimately connected” (§ 33)  Unfortunately, that has not often been true. Catechetical textbooks barely scratch the surface of the liturgy. Parishes simply tell families with children to bring them to Mass. Catechetical sessions for first communicants provide a brief overview of the Mass, maybe the parish leader or catechist hands parents a children's picture missal, and then expects parents to fill in the blanks.  After that, people are mostly on their own for the rest of their lives to figure out the meaning of the liturgy and of their personal participation, with very little catechesis.  Is it any wonder that older kids often tell us Mass is "boring" and that by the time they can make a choice, the majority of our people do not attend Mass regularly?

Filling a much-needed gap in updated materials since the 2011 revision of the Roman Missal, From Mass to Mission provides a vehicle for parish communities to make the explicit connection between the Mass and full, conscious and active participation, both internal and external. Too often people know when to stand, sit, kneel and say responses, but have never been instructed about the internal spiritual participation of the assembly at Mass. Participants learn to bring their own Mass intention, to offer themselves to be transformed with the bread and wine, and to make a personal spiritual connection to the Eucharist that informs their prayer and actions in daily life.

Each level consists of a participant's book and a leader's guide, accompanied by a CD-Rom containing additional handouts and activities and  6 video segments depicting what we do at Mass. punctuated by clips from interviews with clergy, catechetical leaders. liturgical leaders, children, teens and adults.

When I was invited into this project last spring, I was asked to write a 36-page resource on the Mass for kids, grades 3-6 - to be part of a series that would also include teens and adults. However, it is my conviction that children's participation and attendance at Mass are inseparable from family practice and the level of understanding of their catechists. At my urging, LTP allowed me to expand the original vision for this from a 36-page classroom-based resource to a longer one that includes preparation and reflection for the adult catechist, family activities and reflections, and two models for an intergenerational introduction of the resource to parents and children together.

There are 5 chapters, but really this is six sessions, due to the length of the section on Liturgy of the Eucharist.  There are six videos, set up to accommodate that split.

Now, that I have seen the finished product of the children's level, I can't tell you how impressed I am with what LTP did with this. The photos and illustrations are great, the accompanying videos are outstanding. The CD-Rom contains letters for parents, handouts, quizzes, a PowerPoint game for identifying seasons of the liturgical year (probably best for the older children) and the video segments.

And, though I have not seen the adult or teen levels yet, I have been told that the adult level even has an all-day retreat option built in, using all 6 videos. That sounds great!

From Mass to Mission goes far beyond existing resources on the Mass insofar as it engages the learners in age-appropriate ways beyond mere presentation of the information.

Lest you think I am giving this series a thumbs up because I will personally benefit, this was a contacted project, and I will actually not profit from royalties. I am promoting From Mass to Mission because I believe strongly in it and its potential as a way to encourage people to attend Mass because they actually understand it, feel spiritually involved, and really want to be part of their community's worship. My dream is that this helps people to know what they bring to the Mass and what the experience of the Mass has to offer them.

Helping People Participate More Fully in the Mass - The "From Mass to Mission" Project

It's out and available to order. From Liturgy Training Publications, The From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life series offers catechists and school teachers an affordable tool to help people of all ages discover how to participate fully in the Mass and understand what the Mass has to do with their lives and the mission of Christ.

I was privileged to author the children's version, which includes catechist preparation, family connections as well as activities, quizzes and more for children in grades 3-6.  Kudos to LTP for recognizing that the original vision of this resource needed to expand beyond children to include the adults significant in their lives.

Watch the video below and for more information, go here: http://www.ltp.org/frommasstomission


From Mass to Mission from Liturgy Training Publications on Vimeo.

Why Parishes Should Provide Ongoing Liturgical Catechesis on the Mass: "Intelligent Worship"

The best bit of wisdom in this week's second installment of Fr. Douglas Martis' Elements of the Catholic Mass is the reminder that the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy made it incumbent on pastors to see that the faithful are properly prepared for their role at Mass.

He quotes:

"But in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects, it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain. Pastors of souls must therefore realize that, when the liturgy is celebrated, something more is required than the mere observation of the laws governing valid and licit celebration; it is their duty also to ensure that the faithful take part fully aware of what they are doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched by its effects." Sacrosanctum Consilium, 11

So, when was the last time YOUR parish provided support for full participation in the Mass by helping the laity to understand their role, both interior and exterior?  What ongoing support is there for them? You may want to start by sharing these weekly videos on the Mass, by giving the link and the study guide for each episode to small groups  or using them as opening prayer for parish meetings....

Or by downloading and distributing this handout on participation.

By the way, watch for more information on an upcoming new series of instructional books, From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and its Significance for Our Christian Life on participation in the Mass for adults, teens and children from Liturgy Training Publications.  Yours truly was privileged to be asked to author the children's book and the accompanying teacher's guide! Publication will be early next year... (and the children's book will include a nicer version of my handout above.)

A Deeper Invitation: Elements of the Catholic Mass Video Series

This week, the Liturgical Institute at Mundelein launched a powerful new initiative - a series of short weekly videos on the Mass by director Fr. Douglas Martis that invites lay people into the beauty of the liturgy. Martis, whose liturgical expertise has roots in his studies in France, offers a look into the deeper meaning of the Mass that is not generally presented to the ordinary Catholic - and, if the first videos are any indication, he will do this by breaking open liturgical theology for the rest of us. His teaser video offers his reasons for offering this liturgical catechesis
:

In short, his experience of the joy that people have shown when they are helped to understand why we worship the way we do has motivated him to create a way to share his expertise and love for the Mass more widely - one short bite at a time.

Episode 1 goes deep - very deep - into the nature of the liturgy, the God we worship and why we do what we do, by exploring the meanings of  liturgy as "the work of the people," the work of Christ who saves us, and even bigger, the work of God:

Download this episode's study guide here.

Each week the Liturgical Institute promises a new video in this series. You can subscribe to receive the link in your email here. I, for one, will be looking forward to my Sunday morning inbox.

Seven Conclusions from the Liturgical Catechesis and the New Evangelization Conference

In my previous 6 posts on this blog, I have shared my notes from the presentations I heard on Thursday and Friday from the speakers at the Liturgical Catechesis and the New Evangelization Conference at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein. Here is the link to Part 1. (You can follow the links at the bottom of each post to the next one.)

So, what did I learn from the conference?  I continue to ponder many of the ramifications, but here are a few thoughts.

1. Liturgical catechesis is crucially important to helping people connect fully with Christ to develop a personal relationship. His presence and action in the sacraments is the major way we can encounter and experience him. We need to help people bridge the public worship experience with their prayer life and private experience of Christ.

2. Liturgical catechesis is not about us. It is about Christ. Not what we do, but what Christ does in the liturgy and the sacraments. Learning about our role in the liturgy is only a tool to open ourselves to the grace and actions of God.

3. We must combat liturgical boredom by putting our best into the liturgy, and by helping people understand it. Many young people leave and don't come back today in part because of boredom with the liturgy.

4. Liturgical catechesis is crucial for formation of children and teens, but even more so for their parents, who are the ones who bring them to Mass and encourage practice of the faith. (So many people in the audience pointed out that issue, and presenters agreed.)

5. Catechesis on the symbols, words and actions of the rites should not be put off until the rehearsals for sacrament participants, but interwoven through their preparatory catechesis - and indeed through all catechesis. (In this, current textbooks are pretty much inadequate, so this requires a catechist well-versed in the liturgy.)

6.  The ability to interweave catechetical presentation of doctrinal points with examples from Catholic liturgical practice is an important skill we need to encourage in catechetical leaders and catechists. (Lex orandi, Lex credendi, Lex vivendi)

7.  So much needs to be done. Who is going to do this training and how? Where are the materials and workshops?  (A mission for the Liturgical Institute, perhaps?)  There is much work to do here - and I intend to be an ongoing part of it through the venues I have available to me: my diocesan ministry, this blog, my Liturgical Catechist website, social media and more....

Part 1 - James Pauley keynote
Part 2 - Fr. Douglas Martis
Part 3 - Petroc Willey
Part 4 - James Pauley
Part 5 - Jim Beckman
Part 6: William Keimig - RCIA

Notes from the Liturgical Catechesis and the New Evangelization Conference Part 6 - William Keimig

Here is the 6th and final installment of my notes from the Liturgical Catechesis conference at the Liturgical Institute at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein. This is from the talk by William Keimig, St. Mary's of Piscataway, Clinton, MD



"The RCIA Process: The Church's Measure for Liturgical Catechesis"

Common Errors

• Diabolica division between liturgists and catechists 
• Liturgy is "used" becoming the servant of catechesis
• Liturgy does not determine your catechetical emphasis
• No Rite book nearby means no exploration of the liturgy
• Thinking that people have sufficiently-sticking conversations through teaching only: no vision that prayer and liturgy are the glue of conversion; they stick you to God.

People outside the church think our liturgical practice is just weird. They can't imagine that is the way we show love to God.

Liturgy models utterance- Love longs to share itself
Liturgy models sacrifice - Love longs not to count the cost
Liturgy models surrender - Love longs to trust absolutely
Liturgy models dialogue - Love longs to speak to the beloved

All of these elements need to be present in our catechesis:
Lex orandi - Liturgical
Lex credendi - Catechetical
Lex vivendi - Pastoral

Catechecal component
Introduces worship - Gives a first exposure to sacred space
Incarnates worship - Explains signs, gestures and beauty
Informs worship - offers a compelling vision into the myster
Inculturates worship - Bestows orthodoxy, authenticated by Mother Church
Invites worship - Points all doctrine to the Story and tot the love that never ends (see Catechesii Tradendae 23)

We need to understand liturgy well enough that we become able to mentor others into loving the liturgy. We need to know why liturgy is an authentic need and why the liturgy is the center and soul of the striving for perfection. Cf. Fr. Cyprian Vagaggini, OSB. Liturgy is relational- not mechanical. To strive for perfection means you want to experience the love beyond all telling and total intimacy. That is what is being offered in the liturgy, along with the means to attain it.

Pastoral formation (fellowship of the group and their hospitality, witnessing and sharing of opinion) and catechetical formation are ABOUT Christ but only the liturgy OFFERS Christ.

READ Aidan Kavanaugh OSB: "A Rite of Passage" the experience of how a catchumen was prepared in the early church.

Lectionary-based Catechesis
During the period of Purification and Enlightenment there should be no more doctrine but a spiritual preparation for the sacraments. Mystagogy teaches from the rites.

*Lectionary-based catechesis is just wrong except in early Lent and Mystagogy. It assumes a mystagogical framework. For a full explanation, see his article in Appendix IV of The RCIA Catechist's Manual (Liturgical Training Publications)

Teaching a doctrinal point through the liturgy. 

Example: Purgatory. We offer every Mass for the departed souls and they are present at every Mass. That takes teaching about it from sterile doctrine to a lived reality.

Benefits of catechumenal catechesis that is authentically liturgical:

• Fosters more genuine and deep conversions to God and His calling on individual lives
• Allows for more frequent and more full appropriation of grace
• More fully expressive of the Church nature 
• Fosters docility to the ancient ways of the Church
• Mitigates polemic tendencies regarding the teachings of the Church
• Helps the parish community grow in its communal and liturgical life
• Helps people to grasp the liturgical life of the Church in a daily pragmatic way
• Creates a greater diversity of ministries for differing gifts and abilities of parishioners
• Assists in vocational awareness due to the regular focus on saints who have lived fully their vocations
• The ordered nature and paschal focus of the liturgical year implies and demands systemic catechesis
• Provides more diverse means of approach for children; in better accord with the learning types of children
• Gives people a chance to experience the priest's liturgical ministry more frequently and in a less-distant setting
• Because the liturgical year forms the context of parish life, people become that much more integrated into parish life
• Helps catechesis accord with the adult learning model better than more didactic and academic forms of teaching
• Demands more people (sponsors, godparents, team) to be more liturgically aware and in tune with the cycles of the Church's life

Dangers of a parish that lacks a liturgically centered vision of the RCIA process

• The catechumenate is viewed as unnecessarily effort-intensive, or it becomes "canned"
• Doctrine is explained without reference to Jesus. His simple call is lost in the details
• Not expecting serious progress; or not having patience with how Jesus woos a soul
• Liturgical rites become celebrations of community entirely, not encounters with Christ
• The trust given to catechists and leaders never translates into trusting Jesus
• Forgiveness explained poorly can result in seeing Jesus' mercy as weakness or lenience

Questions to discuss in a parish setting to improve

• How do we prepare RCIA participants and the parish for the major liturgical rites?
• How do we reflect on these rites after they take place?
• How often and how well do we make available the various minor rites
• If we dismiss the catechumens from Sunday Mass, how often do we do so? If not, how can we change things to offer this opportunity?
• What takes place at Breaking Open the Word (Reflection on the Word?) is it just another teaching session, or perhaps just a sharing of opinions?
• What happens during Lent? Is Lent a time for interior reflection or primarily catechetical instruction?
• Do we celebrate all of the Scrutinies, the Presentations, and the preparation Rites on Holy Saturday?
• What is our Easter Vigil like? How many parishioners attend? Do the elect and the candidates feel welcomed and at home by their experience of the parish at the Vigil?
• Are sponsors and godparents deeply involved before and after the Easter Vigil? What sort of formation do they receive?

What should a parish see in its neophytes over time that gives evidence as to whether the RCIA process has been successful?

• Do your neophytes really feel they have a need for the Mass?
• Do your neophytes really have a desire for Jesus that is restless for more?
• Do your neophytes really desire to help others get to Heaven?
• Do your neophytes really have thankful hearts?
• Do your neophytes really need God in daily life?
• Do your neophytes really desire to sin less each day? 

Other suggestions

• Use guided meditations on prayers, ritual texts, Scripture, Eucharistic prayers, the Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, the Communion Rite, litanies, Lord/s prayer, other well-known prayers
• Tour the church, sacristy, diocesan cathedral, local monasteries or retreat houses, local shrines, other Catholic churches, an Eastern Rite Catholic church, a Catholic cemetery
• Use different prayer forms - Adoration, Liturgy of the Word, Silent prayer alone - indoors, outdoors, in small groups, in a chapel - Explain and offer Masses for different intentions, explain and pray Lectio Divina, Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Stations of the Cross, Stations of Light, the Angelus, the Regina Caeli, a litany, pray by laying on hands, pray a novena for a specific intention, pray in Latin, Sing psalms, Sing hymns, sing common Mass setttings, personal silent meditation on Scripture, an event in Church history, a saint's life or writings, a prayer text, a hymn text, a poem with suitable themes.
• Other creative elements: walk through the Mass,through the Bible or a specific Gospel, through a missalette, through one of the Liturgy of the Hours (Morning or Evening Prayer, for instance), walk though Examination of Conscience, demonstrate how to go to Confession, how to receive Communion, how to offer a thanksgiving prayer after Communion, explain and hold a Passover Seder, explain Catholic objects, vessels, sacramentals, statues, medals, devotional items; do a virtual or video tour of Catholic places, watch a video of a major Catholic event watch a movie on a biblical story, the life of a saint, a Catholic theme.

An exercise in liturgical catechesis:
Take 5 common doctrines, and come up with (in a single sentence for each) an ear-catching proclamation of how each doctrine connects to the sacred liturgy. Do not limit this to articulating connections to the Mass only, but also the broader liturgical reality that the Church understands.

Previous Posts in this series
Part 1 - James Pauley keynote
Part 2 - Fr. Douglas Martis
Part 3 - Petroc Willey
Part 4 - James Pauley
Part 5 - Jim Beckman

Notes from the Liturgical Catechesis and the New Evangelization Conference Part 5: Jim Beckman (Youth)

Here is the 4th installment of my notes from the Liturgical Catechesis conference at the Liturgical Institute at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein. This is from the talk by Jim Beckman, of the Augustine Institute.

"Liturgy's Vital Role in Discipleship Ministry with Teenagers"

At Augustine Institute - he is the practical guy with 30 years of parish YM. That means he often doesn't fit in with the academics and has to tell them that in the real world "that will never work" He believes that when students graduate each should be a "spiritual multiplier" - someone who evangelizes makes disciples

The current generation and statistics lead us to ask what should we do. His handout quotes "Joy of the Gospel", GDC 53 (Conversion and personal encounter with Jesus Christ) and cites Sherry Weddell's Three Convergent Spiritual Journeys. (Ecclesial journey into the Church through reception of Sacraments, Journey of active practice -attending Mass, participating in the life and mission of the Church; and personal interior journey of a lived relationship with Christ.

Young people today don't connect with the usual structures (Pope Francis)

Story... (Teenager - long pursuit conversion experience - helped by personal mentoring, relationship)

Why is the liturgy so important to discipleship? Because it is about the stuff of our lives.

(See his chapter in Sherry Weddell's Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples)

The "myth of youth ministry" is that we take teens away from their parents and other adults and put them with older teens... It actually should be more like Emmaus - we adults go with them where they are going.. And do mystagogy with them in the midst of their stuff.

We need mentors! We need disciples to disciple people. We are throwing people through classes but if we don't model discipleship as for them, a they don't get it.

Four earmarks of good youth ministry to youth for discipling.
Intimacy
Mutual responsibility
Customization - not program
Accountability

Strategies:
Engage parents
Form adult leaders well
Set up mentor relationships for teens (use their sponsors for sacraments)
Point teens to sacramental life of the Church
Small groups help make connections in ministry.
Large group activity becomes the small groups coming together.
Use the 4 areas of Formation: intellectual spiritual, human and pastoral
Stay true to the earmarks of a Discipleship approach. - intimacy, mutual responsibility, customization, accountability
Share sacramental life with whole parish IN COMMUNITY. Don't separate the youth....have them experience shared prayer, shared fellowship, shared learning, shared mission (See Acts 2.)

Pope Francis (in Joy of the Gospel) - wants a "missionary option" rather than a structure based on self-preservation. Requires renewal of structures to get people in position to respond to Christ.

Part 6: William Keimig - RCIA

Notes from the Liturgical Catechesis and the New Evangelization Conference Part 4: James Pauley, Practical Considerations

Here is the 4th installment of my notes from the Liturgical Catechesis conference at the Liturgical Institute at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein. This is from the second talk by James Pauley, University of St. Francis Steubenville.

"Liturgical Catechesis: Practical Considerations"

Necessary skills for a rich liturgical life that a catechist needs to have and teach:
1. Ability to disengage from distractions. 

We need to quiet ourselves. He teaches catechists that students have a right to the full prayer of the Church. They need to learn prayer with scripture, Liturgy of the Hours and other deeper forms of prayer. Students arrive in religious education class distracted. In the first 10 minutes of a class we need to get them away from their distraction.

2. Ability to unite our minds and hearts to the words we pray.
Where do catechists go for content? Textbooks, the Catechism, but also need to go to the rites of the Church. The first task of liturgical catechesis is to explain the words of the Mass. So, draw from the rites and preserve a disposition of wonder and awe. Especially important for those preparing for sacraments. Don't wait until the rehearsal to share with them the words of the rite. (We often do that for Confirmation, Matrimony...)

The second time we should use the words of the rites is in ALL other catechesis. Use the words of the readings or the Missal or ritual prayers. Example: when teaching about sin, use Ash Wednesday readings or the words of absolution from the Rite of Penance.

3. Ability to see what God is doing in the liturgical actions.
Reflect on the fruits and effects. You don't need to cover everything about a sacrament but be sure to cover the effects and do it well.

What does God do in a sacrament? Look at the words of the rite. They tell us exactly what we are asking God to do. Example: the Epiclesis in new marriage rite draft calls the Spirit to pour out God's love into the couple's hearts.

See CCC 1624 (matrimony) - grace builds on nature
CCC 1642 - what happens when Christ dwells with them... human love becomes supernaturalized

4. The ability to cooperate with sacramental grace so that a change is effected in how we live.
Liturgy is expected to lead us into metanoia. We are to be transformed to share Christs love.

Two principles
1. the liturgy is a lifelong source of catechesis
2. There is a great need for all of us to be more responsive to the grace we receive in the sacraments.

We need to be mentored how to live the sacramental life, cooperating with the grace of sacraments. Example, we should be doing Mystagogy for marriage. That would include testimony, mentoring...

(From his handout:)

REFLECTION:  What for me, does attunement to God's presence and action in liturgy look like?  How can I put myself more frequently in that position? How can I invite those I teach into this place?

Part 5: Jim Beckman - Youth

Notes from the Liturgical Catechesis and the New Evangelization Conference Part 3 - Petroc Willey

Here is the 3rd installment of my notes from the Liturgical Catechesis conference at the Liturgical Institute at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein. This is from the talk by Petroc Willey, University of St. Francis Steubenville.



"From the Sign to the Mystery: Foundations for a Liturgical Catechesis"

Liturgy is about seeing the invisible. We need to see the Cross. That's the mystery.

The pedagogy of God

The key to all catecheisis is the CCC.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is not just a dictionary but a tool. We look at how it presents things. The methodology is the he pedagogy of God.  Pedagogy is not methods.

God communicates himself to man gradually (CCC first articles.  God prepares us for revelation of Christ in stages. 

The Ladder to Heaven

This is illustrated in Guigo the Carthusian's book about Jacob's ladder (La Scala Paradiso) This is a vision for catechesis. The ladder is Christ himself. His feet are on the ground and his head is in heaven. Catechesis is about trying to understand the ladder, but not about leaving behind the visible to seek the invisible. We have to love what we can see to learn to love what you cannot see. The ladder needs to be held more firmly the higher up we go. We need to move in stages.

New evangelization is for the baptized who think they know Christ but really don't. They who have not heard proclamation of the gospel. People are sent to us out of order. They are often completely lost. They have no foundation for the ladder.

3 stages/foundations:
From the visible to the invisible
From the sign to the thing signified
From sacraments to mysteries

Pope John Paul II Faith and Reason. The sapiental reason.
We can know reality
We can understand mystery
We can see meaning

Recovering a vision of the sacred
Wordsworth's "Ode on Intimations of Immortality" - once, in childhood, he knew the things of heaven, but now in adulthood that is forgotten. Catechesis is about recovering this vision. The more we know the sign, the more we can see the reality. The more support for the ladder. It is about what did the sign mean in Christ's life not what it means in our cultural understanding. We are trying to understand the language of Gods love.

The human being is a microcosm of entire universe. We are visible and invisible. We are the ladder and we have visible and invisible in us. So, we need to recover what it is to see that. When we do that, we see that baptism really IS washing and that the anointing with oil is our anointing as priest, prophet and king. The CCC says our words do reach reality.

We need the anthropology to understand the human person and what they have in place before we can catechize. We need to help people find the ground that the ladder rests on first. Most people live in a flat universe. They don't have reality. Need to help them recover reality of created things and understand the depths.

Q and A
Q. Should children be the evangelizers? We must relearn to see the world like children. Openness, wonder - yes, children can teach parents.

Q. What does readiness for sacraments look like and do we take the time to discern? When someone approaches the church they are led by God. The answer is not "Come back later when it's time." The answer is "I will not let you go." ... And then to develop the process for them.

Q. Are metaphysics important and how do we teach it in a culture that doesn't understand? Yes. We need to teach a poetic imagination and a sense of the sacred.

Part 4: James Pauley (Second Presentation)

Notes from the Liturgical Catechesis and the New Evangelization Conference Part 2 - Fr. Douglas Martis

Here is the second installment of my notes from the Liturgical Catechesis conference at the Liturgical Institute at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein. Day 2 began with reflections by Fr. Douglas Martis, director of the Institute.

"Recovering the Meaning of the Liturgical Act and the Significance of Active Participation"

The problem
Both post-conciliar catechesis and liturgical movement suffered from the same failures of misinterpretation of the intentions of the Council. (Someday he wants to write a book called Liturgy or Lip Service)

Sacrosanctum Consilium says that Liturgy should "normally require no explanation" but after Vatican II that was interpreted to mean no explanation at all was needed (and resulted in watering down). We have forgotten Tertullians phrase "Christians are made, not born." We need to commit ourselves to help the faithful understand the liturgy.

Solutions
It's time for gnosticism and religious arrogance to stop. We don't need snobs. We need people who are committed to teach the faithful

Lambert Beaudoin - Belgian - 1910s said "we are the aristocrats of the liturgy. We must democratize. We must transform.... Attendance at Mass must become active participation. Early leaders of the liturgical movement saw the liturgy as the key the thing to get right. From that would come right living, social justice and more. Liturgy as source and summit should not be a cliche. We go to it to we learn who we are. It's all there. We just have to see it. We must work harder today to retrieve the meaning today than we did in the past.

Sacrament is the visible sign. The water in baptism is important the sacramental world depends on it. We have tended to neglect the signs and gestures... Need to understand that the Res is the reality - the invisible sign.

Catechesis after the Council did not understand the importance of repetition. It forms you. The church's prayer depends on repetition. Liturgy requires discipline. The Roman liturgy is written for those who are in it for the long haul.

We have got to understand what the liturgy is for:
1. To praise God. the liturgical act has got to be conscious
2. To pray for the world

We have to understand that the public liturgy is first and foremost Christ's prayer to the father.... I need to put myself IN him.
How do we participate in this prayer?

Romano Guardini: "How can the act of walking become a religious act? A procession is a retinue walking through Gods land."

It's wrong to say "I don't get anything out of the Mass? You are not supposed to! That's not what it's for.

Concepts for reflection
Repetition: When you feel like you are doing the same thing over and over. Repetition in the Mass is not boring or pointless

The purpose of liturgy: Ephesians: "you are strangers and aliens no more but fellow citizens of the household of God" The Greek words "para oikos" used are same ones that give us "parishioner" - but it actually means "outside the house"... So - we are not IN the house. Instead, we belong in heaven. The liturgy is a reminder that we belong in heaven, aisles mean pilgrimage - progress toward the holy. (Circular churches don't do that because we look at each other.) The heavenly city is our destination. Communion does not mean union , it actually means we are within the city walls. "Municipal" comes from the same root. So, we need to teach that the Mass brings us closer to our home in the Heavenly City.

Part 3: Petroc Willey

Notes from the Liturgical Catechesis and the New Evangelization Conference - Part 1- James Pauley Keynote

I have had requests to share my notes from the conference here at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Here are the cleaned-up  notes from tonight's presentation by Dr. James Pauley of University of St. Francis, Steubenville.

"Today's Declining Sacramental Practice: A Catechetical Vision for Revitalization"

We need to mentor those we teach to help them encounter Christ in the liturgy where he is present. The challenge is decreasing sacramental practice. The cure is liturgical catechesis.

Quotes Forming Intentional Disciples. Only 48% believe personal relationship with God is possible. he also quotes p. 39 as Sherry Weddell's "Thesis" - "We can no longer depend on rites of passage or cultural, peer or familial pressure to bring the majority back... cultural Catholicism is dead as a retention strategy...."

What are we to do? How can liturgical catechesis evolve? Need to place primary emphasis on fact
that sacraments are encounters with God.

If kids today are bored they reject the experience. Greatest crisis in church today is liturgical boredom

Pope John Paul II On Catechesis in our Time (23) . "it is in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, that Christ Jesus works in fullness for our transformation... It is the duty of pastors to ensure that the faithful take part fully aware of what they are doing, actively engaged in the rite and enriched by it...." otherwise we have hollow ritualism.

"The more we are convicted that the sacraments are encounters with God with supernatural effects, the more interesting they become to the contemporary person."  It is essential to have good liturgy.

We have tended in catechesis (1960's -80's) to focus on what we do instead of what God does. We need to make evident the supernatural nature of liturgy.

Three points:

1. Through liturgical catechesis we can prepare people more intentionally for full conscious and active participation.
Active participation is "uniting ourselves with God" Pamela Jackson - An Abundance of Graces

How ? It starts at home with the parents. Stories of successful moments with children should be shared and support is needed. We need to focus on family formation.

2. Mentor them in the ability to see and hear in a sacramental way.

See Mystical Body, Mystical Voice, Martis et al. p. 67.

CCC 1075 Liturgical catechesis proceeds from the visible to the invisible, from the sign to the thing signified, from the sacrament to the mystery.

 Is that too theological? No. Sophia Cavaletti (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) said children understand mystery.

The catechist is more important than the textbook. (He recommends to his students that it should be 80% catechist, 20% book)

3. Uncover for them how liturgy makes accessible Christ's gift of himself in the paschal mystery.

How do we respond? We give ourselves back. Worship is self-donation. Timothy O'Malley (Notre Dame) - "Our entire selves are joined to Christ's sacrifice to the Father as we give ourselves away in prayer in response to the God who first loved us. "

Pope Francis: the more we unite ourselves to Christ the more we come out of ourselves.

Part 2: Fr. Douglas Martis

Ashes - The Sacramental that Points to the Sacraments

Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments: they signify effects, particularly of a spiritual kind, which are obtained through the Church's intercession. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.  (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 60)

We begin Lent with ashes, a sacramental made from the burning of the blest palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday.  By the definition above, the ashes should resemble the sacraments, but which ones?

The cross of ashes on our forehead is placed exactly where the cross of oil was placed on our heads during Baptism and Confirmation. Yet, made from ashes instead of holy oil, this mark is clearly visible - a public statement that we belong to Christ.

When an adult preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation is first signed with the cross, at the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechism, it is an invisible sign, traced on their forehead by their sponsor or catechist: a foreshadowing of the cross of oil they will later receive at Easter. These are the words spoken:

Receive the cross on your forehead.
It is Christ himself who now strengthens you
with this sign of his love.
Learn to know and follow him.  

Words to remember today. The cross of Ashes is a renewed call to follow Christ, who first called us at our baptism and calls us every day of our lives to keep learning to follow him. It is the visible connection to the baptismal character of Lent that that Constitution laid out:

The season of Lent has a twofold character: primarily by recalling or preparing for baptism and by penance, it disposes the faithful, who more diligently hear the word of God and devote themselves to prayer, to celebrate the paschal mystery. This twofold character is to be brought into greater prominence both in the liturgy and by liturgical catechesis. Hence:

a) More use is to be made of the baptismal features proper to the Lenten liturgy; some of them, which used to flourish in bygone days, are to be restored as may seem good.
b) The same is to apply to the penitential elements...   (SC 109)

So today, consider how your Ashes recall your baptismal invitation to follow Christ in everything. It began when oil was used to make that cross on your forehead...

Major Update to My Website

As we approach Lent, I have been inspire to expand this blog's companion site.

The Liturgical Catechist now features resources for liturgical seasons, with a new page for Lent, full of resource links and videos to help catechists of people of all ages.

The video page, too, has been updated, with new categories and separate pages for
General Topics
The Mass
Sacraments
Liturgical Symbols

Take a look!

Full Participation in the Body of Christ at Worship Matters

At one of our parish Masses every week for a few years, there was a mother and teenage daughter who always arrived as the opening song was ending, then stood, sat and knelt without ever moving their lips during the entire Mass.  As a regular cantor at that Mass, I had the opportunity to watch them, noticing because they so obviously looked bored and disengaged.

Right after the final blessing, they would slip out the side aisle before the procession of the ministers had even started down the aisle. Every week, the same thing. I often wondered why the mother continued to give such a poor message to her daughter about what it meant to part of the celebration of the Mass. I suspected it was most likely that is the model she had been given by her parents, or perhaps that there was resentment over the absence of the child's father.  The only positive thing I could say about the years I observed this was that the mother did bring her child to Mass - in body, if not in spirit.

Finally, one summer, they simply stopped coming. Most likely no one other than me noticed, because they had never talked to people around them before or after Mass, or connected in any way. (Unfortunately, our parish does not have a formal hospitality ministry.) Most likely, the girl got confirmed, or perhaps graduated from high school - Mom's responsibility to get her to Mass was over. So was Mom's attendance at Mass. Apparently, this was all about obligation.

Today, on the feast of Corpus Christi we  celebrate what it means to be a committed member of the "One Body" that is the community of faith - the Church. We also hear clues about what it means to participate fully.  The readings of the day provide some clues as to what this looks like.

We hear the unified voice of the people in the first reading:

When Moses came to the people
and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD,
they all answered with one voice,
"We will do everything that the LORD has told us."  (Exodus 24:3)

In the Gospel reading (Mark 14:12-16, 22-26) we hear more corporate actions from the disciples gathered for the Last Supper:

he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them

Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it.

Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.
All of this implies full participation, full engagement by all who are present. There are no watchers hanging around the margins, no mention of anyone not being part of this. (No "except so-and-so). No one with folded arms standing silently watching. Yet at Mass, sometimes that is what priests and cantors see during the people's responses and the songs.  When we meet this same community on the 2nd Sunday of Easter in our first reading from the Book of Acts, we hear "The community of believers was of one heart and mind..."  (Acts 4:32)

The biggest question in catechetical and liturgical ministry today is the growing lack of participation in the life of the Church.  Why do so many not feel like they are part of the community? The proof is all around us: families who never attend Mass, but drop off their children for a couple of years for sacrament preparation, then disappear. People who can't wait for Mass to be over, but leave after Communion - not realizing that an important part of the experience of Mass is to rejoice (in song) as they are SENT, not simply to leave.

We need to continue to explore all options to improve our outreach and evangelization from both the catechetical and liturgical sides of the Church. These ministries share the same fundamental issues. It's way past time for them to come together.  In 1997, the General Directory for Catechesis noted missing areas ("lacunae") in catechesis -particularly this in section 30:

— Catechesis is intrinsically bound to every liturgical and sacramental action.' Frequently, however, the practice of catechetics testifies to a weak and fragmentary link with the liturgy: limited attention to liturgical symbols and rites, scant use of the liturgical fonts, catechetical courses with little or no connection with the liturgical year; the marginalization of liturgical celebrations in catechetical programs.

This, along with good liturgical celebrations and parish hospitality that welcomes every person needs our attention NOW.  Statistics on attendance at Mass by Catholics continue to show a downward trend.  Despite shrinking resources and de-professionalization of lay ministry, (as I previously noted HERE) we cannot afford to allow the situation to get any worse. The growing dis-engagement of our people is a call for increased, not decreased resources to be devoted to catechesis and liturgy.

Liturgical Word for the Day: "Kavanah"

This morning, I caught a show on my local ABC affiliate that featured an interview with three Jewish rabbis - talking about the upcoming high holy days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.  During the discussion, each rabbi shared a bit about his/her own preparation and interior disposition for leadership of the liturgies of these celebrations. Of course, since our tradition in the Church is rooted in Jewish liturgy, there were similarities to our own worship.  However, I was struck by a particular word one rabbi used to describe the attitude that he must have to be able to lead prayer authetically: kavanah.

One webpage about Judaism describes it this way:

The mindset for prayer is referred to as kavanah, which is generally translated as "concentration" or "intent." The minimum level of kavanah is an awareness that one is speaking to G_d and an intention to fulfill the obligation to pray. If you do not have this minimal level of kavanah, then you are not praying; you are merely reading. In addition, it is preferred that you have a mind free from other thoughts, that you know and understand what you are praying about and that you think about the meaning of the prayer.

I think this delightful concept is a treasure we need to explore more deeply as Catholics. When we celebrate the Mass, whether as presider, liturgical minister, or as a member of the assembly, we should have that kind of interior intentional focus.  De musica sacra et sacra liturgia  (Instruction on Sacred Music and Sacred Liturgy)  written in 1958, at the time when the concept of "active participation" was first being universallly promoted, puts the concept this way:

22. By its very nature, the Mass requires that all present take part in it, each having a particular function.
a) Interior participation is the most important; this consists in paying devout attention, and in lifting up the heart to God in prayer. In this way the faithful "are intimately joined with their High Priest...and together with Him, and through Him offer (the Sacrifice), making themselves one with Him" (Mediator Dei, Nov. 20, 1947: AAS 39 [1947] 552).
b) The participation of the congregation becomes more complete, however, when, in addition to this interior disposition, exterior participation is manifested by external acts, such as bodily position (kneeling, standing, sitting), ceremonial signs, and especially responses, prayers, and singing.

53 years on, it is possible that we may have lost the original balance between interior and exterior participation.  We focus on asking people to sing, to say the prayers, etc, but I see very little evidence that  in our catechesis  of children, youth and adults that we more than sporadically make an effort to help people understand what should be going on in their mind and heart during Mass.  To be sure, most people who are willingly at Mass naturally make an effort to be involved in what is happening during the liturgy. They sing, sit, stand, process, and listen.  However, are they doing kavanah?  Are their minds free of other thoughts? Do they understand what they are praying about, and do they think about the meaning of the prayer?

When we begin using the Third Edition of the Roman Missal in the coming months, will people be engaged more deeply because they now have to think about the words? Or will they be put off by long, complex sentences and difficult words? I am convinced that the quality of interior engagement with the liturgy in the months and years to come will be due to the quality of the catechesis provided to people on the new Missal.

Resources for Liturgical Catechesis in Spanish

Just updated my website, The Liturgical Catechist, with a new page of resources in Spanish (some biligual).

There are a few nice ones created especially to be bilingual, but, as is typical  of most resources in the Church, most are simply resources originally written in English translated (or with sub-titles). It is what it is. Someday, perhaps, when we have more people from the Hispanic culture who have been well-educated in liturgical theology and practice, we may see more resources created from within the mindset of their culture. Until then, these are pretty good and readily available from major Catholic publishers.  As always, if you have suggestions for additions to my resource lists of things that are specifically liturgical-catechetical, please let me know.