Faith

Pixabay.com image

Formed in Christ

Friday, July 18, 2025Faith

Submit a Letter to the Editor

... only when I started to frame the pilgrimage, did I really appreciate how much the actual celebration relies on so much behind the scenes, or unseen, but necessary participation of so many people.

Father Robert M.
O'Grady

As hinted in the last column before our annual summer hiatus, we begin a series about the Mass. As of this column, I have determined that the whole series will likely take us through the last issue of this year, or two dozen columns.
The series is based on a Sunday Mass in Ordinary Time at a parish. So, some of it may apply to daily Masses or other liturgies; unless it helps illustrate a point, this will not be about weddings or funerals at Mass.
So you'll know what you're in for on this "pilgrimage through the Mass," a quick survey of the plan for the pilgrimage is important.
For the first several weeks, we'll be looking at the preparations made before we arrive at Mass. These will include what we do at home to get ready for Mass, but mostly what is being done by your pastor, his staff and the folks who have specific ministries of liturgical service, and by your fellow parishioners.
During the plans for these columns, I was somewhat aware of all that goes into preparing for Sunday Mass, but only when I started to frame the pilgrimage, did I really appreciate how much the actual celebration relies on so much behind the scenes, or unseen, but necessary participation of so many people. This is true even when we celebrate the Mass week after week.

One thing that also jumped out was that it is the pastor of your parish who bears the sacred responsibility for all the celebrations of the liturgy in his parish or parishes. Even if he is not the principal celebrant of a Mass, he is still responsible for what is celebrated at every Mass "on his watch."
Another was the number of folks needed for the various ministries for each Mass; the care needed for the selection, again by the pastor, and mostly, the importance of the training and outgoing support they need before and during their service.
The place where the Mass is celebrated, your parish church, is also important. Think of all the concerns -- accessibility, both getting to and on the inside of the church, comfort (we think air conditioning at this time of the year but also heating in the winter), the acoustics, sound system, and the place for musicians and their instruments, as well as the cleanliness befitting the house of God. And that's just inside.
What about outside? There's the landscaping of the grounds, the adequacy of the parking, the condition of the parking area, the care and management of outdoor devotional sites, the flagpoles, the external gathering space. I bet pastors reading this are saying "Yes, and don't forget ... ."
There are four parts of the Mass or principal pilgrimage stations -- all of which are important for our full, active, and conscious participation.
The Introductory Rites will require two columns.
The Liturgy of the Word will take up at least five columns. This is not a surprise, I hope, since the Second Vatican Council asked that the Word of God be more widely available to us at each Mass. The Lectionary for Mass is a testimony to the massive undertaking and successful expansion of Sacred Scripture in our liturgies, especially the Mass.
Another column or two will be about those sacraments or sacramentals that you may or may not see celebrated within a parish Mass.
Then, seven or eight columns will attempt to cover the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Again, this is not surprising because this is the high point of the Mass and there are many options available for us as regards collections and options of prefaces, of Eucharistic Prayers, and of music during this part of the Mass.
The final columns will be about the Concluding Rites and the Dismissal.
Often, columns or articles about the Mass give rise to questions, observations, or suggestions. If an article sparks such for you, please don't hesitate to send it along.
Sometimes, folks tell me they have seen this or that happen at a Mass; usually, they refrain from giving the name of the place, especially if they sense it might be unusual, or something they have never seen before. The columns may be able to answer some of those inquiries, or I could, if the writer prefers, give an answer directly, doing the best I am able.
At the end of each column, I'll try to include something more, that is, a resource or two you can retrieve online if you want to explore some aspect of the Mass in greater depth.
The best way to ask questions (remember there are no stupid questions), to make observations, or even to propose an opinion, is to write to me at rmogrady@PilotCatholicNews.com.