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Formed in Christ

Friday, July 25, 2025Faith

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One of the things that we must recall is that the pronouns of the Mass are the first-person plural (we, us, ours), not the first-person singular (I, me, mine).

Father Robert M.
O'Grady

When preparing for any kind of trip, wise travelers will consult others. Usually, this would mean talking with those we know who have previously made the proposed trip or picking up a guidebook, starting with something general and moving towards the more specific, e.g., Italy, then Rome, and then Vatican City.
Our pilgrimage through the Mass requires something similar. Usually, our first experience of the Mass is with others, such as family. It might be our parish church or one that the family has "scoped" out. However, they are usually the first connection and guide.
As we get increasingly specific, we start to see the complexity of the trip and, likewise, that of the Mass.
The present Roman Missal contains prayers, some of the music, and some of the directions for the celebration of Mass. It is the result of the impetus of the Second Vatican Council, which, in its premier document "Sacrosanctum Concilium," set out the task for the reform of the church's liturgical life. The specifics were entrusted to the pope, initially Pope St. Paul VI and then subsequent popes, notably Pope St. John Paul II.
That document contains the general framework. But it provides excellent guidance for all of us at Mass, especially bishops and priests, but also deacons, and all other ministers and indeed the entire assembly.

The reform is to be carried out so that "all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations, which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people (I Peter 2:9; cf. 2:4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism."
"In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else; for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit; and therefore, pastors of souls must zealously strive to achieve it, by means of the necessary instruction, in all their pastoral work.
"Yet it would be futile to entertain any hopes of realizing this unless the pastors themselves, in the first place, become thoroughly imbued with the spirit and power of liturgy, and undertake to give instruction about it. A prime need, therefore, is that attention be directed, first, to the liturgical instruction of the clergy." (SC #14)
Regarding our approach to the shape and form for the celebration of Mass, or any liturgy:
"1. Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop.
"2. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established.
"3. Therefore, no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority." (SC #22)
So serious is this conciliar admonition, i.e., # 3, that it is repeated in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal # 24 and in the Code of Canon Law (cf. can. 846). It is worth noting that the Latin word used for priest is "sacerdos," which, while translated "priest," loses something in that translation; the word encompasses both kinds of priests, i.e., bishops and priests or presbyters.
"The priest must remember that he is the servant of the sacred Liturgy." This is sound advice for all members of the assembly. The Mass belongs to the whole church not just this assembly or this bishop or that priest or deacon or musician or parishioner.
Our present Missal provides the necessary order for the celebration of the Mass, but it includes an incredible number of options for prayers, readings, antiphons, psalms, sacred music, etc., throughout.
One of the things that we must recall is that the pronouns of the Mass are the first-person plural (we, us, ours), not the first-person singular (I, me, mine). We people of the United States have a reputation, like it or not, for rugged individualism that, in great part, contributes to getting things done, making advances on many fronts, and creating an unheard-of standard of living. Yet, it also creates a silo mentality, as it is sometimes called, which can lead to isolation from others and sometimes neglecting to see the needs of others. The Mass really leads us to see things from a wider perspective, perhaps through the eyes, ears, or experiences of others.
These general reflections will help frame our pilgrimage through the Mass. As we start out, things will become more specific, but keeping these few principles will help see who we are at our Sunday Mass; how we celebrate it, as it leads us to our final destiny -- the Eternal Banquet of our Lord.