september 2010 issue thoughts on catechesis what about me? JoAnn Paradise Going Deeper why worship? Johan van Parys, Ph.D. Exploring the Revised Roman Missal beginnings Maureen A. Kelly for leaders SUGGESTED AGE-APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES Anne Malone and Mariette Martineau call to faith
thoughts on catechesis Welcome to Todays Leader! For many of us, the beginning of September marks the start of a new year of catechetical programs. To support and affirm your work throughout the next year Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division will once again offer Todays Leader monthly newsletter. In response to the implementation of the new Roman Missal in Advent of 2011, the focus of this years reflections will be the Mass. Since the implementation is a year away, this allows for solid preparation for the changes in the text as well as an opportunity for catechesis on the Liturgy itself. Our newsletter is designed to help you provide that catechesis for every age and stage of development in your parish. Make sure you look through the entire newsletter. The newsletter begins with an introductory article accompanied by questions for reflection. The next piece, Going Deeper, is an article with reflection questions for the adults in your parish who need or want more on the topic. The third article will explore the development of the Roman Missal and aspects of the changes in the new Roman Missal. Finally there are age appropriate suggestions to enrich the learners understanding of worship and particular parts of the Mass. At Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division, we are committed to our partnership with you in forming the hearts and minds of your parish community. May God bless this new beginning with grace upon grace as we seek to open ourselves more fully to what He intends for us life everlasting!
thoughts on catechesis What About ME? by Jo Ann Paradise If I go to one more party and hear someone say, I dont go to Mass anymore. I dont get anything out of it, I think I will just melt into a pool of despair and frustration. While it is the responsibility of each parish to provide worship experiences for the community that invite people into full consciousness of Gods offer of life, many people are confused about the very purpose of our gathering. The I dont get anything out of Mass folks remind me of my niece whose constant refrain as a child was, What about ME? As Catholics we do not attend Mass for personal enrichment. Rita Ferrone says, The highpoint of our life of faith is the Liturgy understood as graced participation in the worship of God, by those who have been won for him in Christ. (Liturgy, p. 26) In other words, we gather first and foremost to give glory to God. We can do that because, the faithful are joined to Christ in the great work of glorifying God and sanctifying humanity through the Liturgy (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, par. 7). The disposition of a Catholic community gathered at Mass must be rooted in a deep sense of the need to give glory to God. Is that the experience you have in the life of your parish? For many Catholics, it is not. How do we help those who still live under the yoke of obligation those who come because they are afraid of the punishment they believe will be exacted if they are not physically present? Perhaps the bigger issue lies with those of us who attend Mass occasionally on BIG occasions, weddings, funerals, holidays and First Communions. There must be something missing if every baptized Catholic does not feel the need to be present as the community gathers on Sunday to give glory to God. Why is this so? It might help to understand the root of praise. Giving praise comes from a heart that is overflowing with gratitude. In one of the hymns that we often sing at Mass we say, How can I keep from singing? When our minds and hearts are conscious of the gift of our lives and the beauty that surrounds us, when we are aware of the love that enfolds us in friends and family, when we imagine a life eternal because of the sacrifice of God in Christ, how can we keep from shouting Gods glory? God does not need to hear our praise, we need to proclaim it.
thoughts on catechesis That kind of gratitude comes from an intentional decision to pay attention to our lives. It requires time and reflection, realities that are not readily available to us in our world. Perhaps the secularization of our culture is not rooted in people turning away from God, but rather from an unconscious surrender to be consumed by the things of this world. As we seek in the year ahead to renew our understanding of the Eucharist in the life of our Catholic community, we can begin by reflecting on the original Greek meaning of Eucharist which is thanksgiving. The question that arises from a grateful heart is not, What about ME? but rather the conviction, Its all about HIM. Reflection Questions: 1. In what ways do I stay conscious of the gifts God has so freely given me? 2. How would I encourage the people in my family or parish to develop an attitude of thanksgiving? 3. Can you imagine some ways your parish might emphasize the Gloria at Mass so that people are being called to attend to the fact that this part of the Mass is an act of praise that comes from a grateful people?
Going Deeper Why Worship? by Johan van Parys, Ph.D. Many of us have been asked why the Church makes people go to Mass every Sunday even if we get nothing out of it. As a child, I asked this very question of my parents. Growing up in Belgium in the 60s, the answer I received was we go because we have to. So, we all went mostly because we all felt we had to. It is quite amazing how many Catholics, even today, see their participation in Sunday Mass as an obligation imposed on them by the Church, rather than as an opportunity for spiritual growth. Although early Christians also understood Sunday worship as an obligation, their way of looking at it was very different. Their sense of obligation did not originate from a law imposed on them from the outside rather it flowed from their experience of the Paschal Mystery and from their understanding of the Body of Christ. First, the Paschal Mystery: since Jesus willingly suffered and died for our salvation, should we not willingly participate in the celebration of that Mystery on Sunday? The Eucharist indeed is our great thanksgiving for the magnificent gifts of creation and Salvation. While grateful for these gifts, the Eucharist also gives us the opportunity to pray for our needs today and for the needs of the entire world. Second, the Body of Christ: since the community of Christians constitutes the Body of Christ at worship, and since the Body of Christ is experienced as incomplete when members are absent from Sunday Liturgy, how then can we stay away on Sunday? The Churchs rule that requires all members to worship on Sunday has its origin in these two principles: gratitude for the gift of the Paschal Mystery, and the completeness of the Body of Christ. With regard to the second part of the question which pertains to getting something out of the Liturgy, suffice it to say that whether we realize this or not, the Liturgy is essential to our life as Catholic Christians. We simply cannot be Catholic without the Liturgy. Why? Because, it is through the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) that we become part of the Body of Christ, the Church. Through the Sacraments at the Service of Communion, (Holy Orders and
Going Deeper Holy Matrimony) we commit ourselves to the greater glory of God and the well-being of the community as married couples or as ordained ministers. In the Sacraments of Healing, (Reconciliation and Sacrament of the Sick) we find both physical and spiritual healing as we try to live our lives according to the Gospel. And while we are on this earthly journey, the Sunday Eucharist provides us with the spiritual nourishment we require. These indeed are good reasons to go to Mass on Sunday! Reflection Questions: 1. Do you see Sunday Mass attendance as an obligation or an opportunity? 2. What is your response to the statement the Body of Christ is experienced as incomplete when members are absent from Sunday Liturgy? 3. Finish this statement in 20 words or less. I go to Mass because.
Exploring the Revised Roman Missal Beginnings by Maureen A. Kelly The Roman Missal is the ritual text which contains prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Mass. During the Jubilee Year 2000 Pope John Paul II announced that there would be a revised edition of the Missal which would include prayers for the observances of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Votive Masses and Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions, and some updated and revised rubrics (instructions) for the celebration of the Mass. The English translation of the Roman Missal also includes updated translations of existing prayers, including some of the well known responses and acclamations of the people. Recently the third edition of the Missal was approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. It will begin to be used in the United States on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011. In the upcoming months we will deal with the changes that will most affect the assembly. For this first issue lets take a look at how the Roman Missal came to be. The changes that we will experience next year will not be the first time the ritual text has changed. Change has occurred at various times throughout the history of the Church as the Liturgy developed and was adapted to particular circumstances to meet the needs of the Church. In the earliest centuries of the Church, before the invention of the printing press, there were no books of prayers or texts for the celebration of Mass as we know them today. Collections of prayers developed gradually in particular parish or diocesan communities and monasteries. As the Church grew many of these collections were organized into sacramentaries which contained some, but not all, of the prayers of the Mass. The earliest of these sacramentaries was developed in the latter part of the fifth century. Other early manuscripts described the celebration of the Mass with the Pope in Rome. These Liturgical manuscripts were passed from one community to another during the Middle Ages. The first true liturgical books which could be called missals were found in monasteries beginning around the 12th and 13th centuries. A missale contained not only the prayers but also the biblical readings, the chants, and the rubrics for the celebration of Mass. The first book bearing the name Missale Romanum appeared in 1474, not long after the invention of the printing press (1440). But
Exploring the Revised Roman Missal it was not until after the Council of Trent that Pope Pius V, in 1570, promulgated an edition of the Missale Romanum that was to be used throughout the Latin Church. This was the first official effort to have some uniformity in the celebration of the Mass. Since that time, to accommodate the ongoing evolution and development of the Liturgy, new editions of the Missale Romanum were promulgated by Popes for use in the Church: 1604 Pope Clement VIII 1634 Pope Urban VIII 1884 Pope Leo XIII 1920 Pope Benedict XV 1962 Pope John XXIII 1970 Pope Paul VI 1975 Pope Paul VI 2002 Pope John Paul II
for leaders Practical Activities for Catechists PRIMARY Welcome the children into a sharing circle. Relate what you have noticed during your time together. Compliment each child on a special quality such as: good manners, a wonderful singing voice, enthusiasm. Point out that these qualities are gifts from God. Invite the children to talk about how they can use their gifts to praise God in prayer at home, in class, and in church. Close by leading the children in a prayer of thanks for these gifts. Tell the children that to worship God means to honor God. Brainstorm with them the different ways that they honor God by: praying, singing, dancing. On a large sheet of poster board, write This is how we worship God. Invite the children to add sketches on the poster board of themselves (and perhaps family members) worshiping God. Post the class artwork in a prominent place during your prayer session. INTERMEDIATE Write the word Worship on the board. Tell the children that this word comes from an Anglo- Saxon word for worthiness or honor. Challenge the young people to add synonyms for worship or honor to the board. As a group, make a collage of words and images that show people honoring God by praying in groups or alone. Suggest that the children keep a list of ways that they worship and share them during future class. Gather the children into a circle. Discuss how they keep up relationships with distant family members: through letters, photographs, telephone calls. Relate these family relationships to their relationship with God, the Father of all creation. Elicit ideas about parallel ways we strengthen our relationship with God. Point out that when we have a strong relationship with God, we want to worship him. Invite the children to show the poses that they assume when they worship. Encourage them to experiment with prayerful poses during class prayer. JUNIOR HIGH Have young people imagine that their 13 th birthday party came and went and no one noticed, not even their parents or their best friends. How would they feel about that? Gather some responses in the large group. Then ask them to think about and share in pairs why they think life moments need
for leaders to be marked or celebrated somehow. Then challenge them to think about Sunday worship. Discuss why it is important to gather in worship every week and remember all the gifts we have received from God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Emphasize that we need worship because it brings out the best in us; it reminds us of who we are and whats most important in our lives. Worship may not be a common word for young people. Define it for them (see definition below), then invite them to create a mental map in the following manner: Cut out strips and circles from cardstock. Write worship on a circle of cardboard and place it on the middle of the mat (floor) or bulletin board. Each student gives a main idea about the topic, and goes away and draws or writes this idea (for example, community) on another circle of cardboard. Each student also writes several words (for example, everyone is invited, we celebrate each others lives) about their main idea on separate slips of cardboard. As students finish, the mental map is assembled on the mat/floor/bulletin board with connections being made with the strips of cardboard. Worship defined: A response of veneration (adoration, praise) in the face of the recognized presence of God. Christian worship has a twofold thrust or direction: at once it is oriented towards communion with God, and it works to sanctify (make holy) the individual worshipper as well as the whole community that worships. It should have the effect, then, of developing union with others, koinonia, for the glory of God from whom it begins and towards whom it moves. 1 HIGH SCHOOL First, provide young people with the following definition of worship:
for leaders A response of veneration (adoration, praise) in the face of the recognized presence of God. Christian worship has a twofold thrust or direction: at once it is oriented towards communion with God, and it works to sanctify (make holy) the individual worshiper as well as the whole community that worships. It should have the effect, then, of developing union with others, koinonia, for the glory of God from whom it begins and towards whom it moves. 1 1 Fink, P. E. 2000, c1990. The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship. A Michael Glazier book. (electronic ed.). Liturgical Press: Collegeville, MN Then challenge them to write the definition in contemporary language, using either the six word challenge (only six words can be used) or prose that can be rapped. For example, holy are we, when we adore the Three, changed are we, by the Three, sing and pray, every day, worship our God, in all that we say. Invite young people to name what they think are important elements for a secular celebration, for example, a 16 th birthday celebration. Then have them name what they think is needed for an effective worship celebration. Examine the list with the students to see which are the same, and which are different. Challenge them to see which gifts they themselves need to be bringing to the parish worship celebrations to help them and the community better celebrate. Invite your pastor to join you for this activity, in case the students raise issues of the parishs worship experience that you feel unable to address. Or, simply write up any questions or concerns that might surface and invite the pastor or Liturgy director to visit the class with some responses at a later time FAMILY Encourage families to make a worship space. Distribute materials for a banner (fabric, dowel) and suggest Scripture quotations, such as Matthew 18:20. Have each family make a banner and display it in the worship space. Challenge families to schedule family worship time at least twice a week. Suggest that family members write prayers for their personal intentions to share during family prayer time Make families a part of weekend Masses. Ask families to sign up to carry the gifts during weekend liturgies. This could be done in conjunction with family celebrations of Baptisms, birthdays, or anniversaries. Other families may enjoy contributing family musical talents or helping to plan special liturgies.
Call To Faith One of the most important things that Call to Faith does throughout grades K-8 is to help children and young people relate to God as a gracious Giver of Gifts, especially his Son, Jesus. It also helps them to develop a sense of gratitude and prayer which are central to worship. Catechists will notice that Call to Faith incorporates different types of activities to help children and young people understand the Mass and the liturgical year, For example, in the Primary grades, activities will incorporate art, music, and drama. Tips are also given to empower young people to make both prayer and social action a real part of their daily life. Each of those components is important to help them understand the relationship between Liturgy and life.