DIOCESE OF OAKLAND Office f Wrship RESOURCES FOR Lent 2017 I. the Liturgical DAYS DURING LENT The annual bservance f Lent is the special seasn fr the ascent t the hly muntain f Easter. Thrugh its twfld theme f repentance and preparatin fr Baptism, the seasn f Lent dispses bth the catechumens and the faithful t celebrate the Pascal Mystery. (Ceremnial f Bishps, 249) Ash Wednesday - March 1, 2017 On the Wednesday befre the First Sunday f Lent the faithful, by receiving the ashes, enter upn the seasn appinted fr spiritual purificatin. This sign f penance, biblical in rigin (See 2 Sam 13:19; Esther 4:1; Jb 42:6; 1 Mac 3:47, 4:39; Lam 2:10) and preserved amng the custms f the Church until ur wn day, expresses the human cnditin as affected by sin. In this sign we utwardly prfess ur guilt befre Gd and thereby, prmpted by the hpe that the Lrd is kind and cmpassinate, patient and abunding in mercy, express ur desire fr inward cnversin. This sign is als the beginning f the jurney f cnversin that will reach its gal in the celebratin f the recnciliatin during the days leading t Easter. (Ceremnial f Bishps, 253) - The Penitential Act is mitted, and the Distributin f Ashes takes its place. - The Ashes shuld be blessed and distributed after the hmily. - The Mass is prper. Preface III r IV f Lent t be used. - In case f pastral need, the blessing and distributin f the Ashes can als take place during a celebratin f the Wrd f Gd (Liturgy f the Wrd). - Ashes t g Express Ashes Drive-thrugh Ashes and ther practices that might increase a sense f superstitin r abuse are t be avided. 1 P age
First Sunday f Lent - March 5, 2017 The Rite f Electin is usually celebrated n this day. Bishp Barber will celebrate the Rite f Electin at the Cathedral f Christ the Light as fllws: Saturday, March 4 at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 5 at 4 p.m. and at 7 p.m. The crdinatin f the Rite f Electin is dne by the Department f Faith Frmatin & Evangelizatin, and parish attendance is by RSVP nly. Please cntact Mr. Steven Lewis (slewis@akdicese.rg) if yu have any questins. Secnd Sunday f Lent March 12, 2017 In light f the Gspel reading which speaks f Abraham as ur father in faith, the Presider may wish t use Eucharistic Prayer I which eches this theme. Anniversary f the Electin f Ppe Francis Mnday, March 13, 2017 On this day, with permissin f the Dicesan Bishp, the Mass fr the Ppe, n. 2: Especially n the Anniversary f the Electin might be celebrated. In the Dicese f Oakland, Bishp Barber has granted permissin t all priests t celebrate this Mass. The prper prayers may be used alng with the readings f the day. Third Sunday f Lent March 19, 2017 Prper Mass f the day r frm the Ritual Masses: The Scrutinies. On this Sunday is celebrated the first scrutiny in preparatin f the Baptism f the catechumens (unbaptized) wh are t be admitted t the Sacraments f Christian Initiatin at the Easter Vigil. The first presentatin f the elect is that f the Creed, made during the week fllwing the first scrutiny (RCIA, 157-163). Saint Jseph, Spuse f the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mnday, March 20, 2017 Slemnity f Saint Jseph, Patrn f the Universal Church, f wrkers, intercessr fr a happy death. The feast is mved t Mnday this year, since the 19th falls n Sunday. Prper Mass f the Day (including prper Preface: The missin f Saint Jseph ). The Glria and Creed are sung/said. Gspel acclamatin as during the Lenten seasn. Vestments are white. It is the custm in sme places t bless bread, pastries and ther fd and t give a large prtin t the pr. Fr the Order f Blessing f St. Jseph s table, see Bk f Blessings, ns. 1679-1700. Als Cathlic Husehld Bk f Blessings and Prayers # 104-141. The Apstlic Exhrtatin Redemptris Custs f Ppe Saint Jhn Paul II is a beautiful resurce fr meditatin and preaching n this feast: http://www.vatican.va/hly_father/ jhn_paul_ii/apst_exhrtati ns/ dcuments/hf_jpii_exh_15081989_redemptriscusts_en.html Als, Ppe Francis speech during His Apstlic Visit t the Philippines includes sme beautiful paragraphs abut Saint Jseph (including a reference t his persnal devtin t him): http://w2.vatican.va/cntent/francesc/ en/speeches/2015/janu ary/dcuments/ papa-francesc_20150116_srilankafilippine-incntr-famiglie.html 2 Page
The Annunciatin f the Lrd Wednesday, Slemnity - Saturday, March 25 Prper Mass f the Day (including prper Preface: The Mystery f the Incarnatin ) The Glria and Creed are sung/said. Gspel acclamatin as during the Lent Seasn, Remember, the regular Saturday evening "anticipated" Mass shuld be the Mass fr the 4th Sunday f Lent, NOT the Annunciatin. Furth Sunday f Lent March 26, 2017 Laetare Sunday In this Mass, the clr vilet r rse is used. Instrumental music is permitted, and the altar may be decrated with flwers. (Rman Missal, intrductin t the Furth Sunday f Lent) On this day is celebrated the secnd scrutiny in preparatin fr the Baptism f the catechumens wh are t be admitted t the Sacraments f Christian Initiatin at the Easter Vigil. Prper Mass f the day, r frm the Ritual Masses: The Scrutinies Fifth Sunday f Lent April 2, 2017 In the Dicese f the United States, the practice f cvering crsses and images thrughut the church frm this Sunday may be bserved. Crsses remain cvered until the end f the celebratin f the Lrd s Passin n Gd Friday, but images remain cvered until the beginning f the Easter Vigil. (Rman Missal, intrductin t the Fifth Sunday f Lent) On this day is celebrated the third scrutiny in preparatin fr the Baptism f the catechumens wh are t be admitted t the Sacraments f Christian Initiatin at the Easter Vigil. Prper Mass f the day, r frm the Ritual Masses: The Scrutinies. 3 P age
Chrism Mass Thursday, April 6, 2017 This Mass, which the Bishp cncelebrates with his presbyterate, shuld be, as it were, a manifestatin f the Priest s cmmunin with their Bishp. The Blessing f the Oil f the Sick and the Oil f Catechumens and the cnsecratin f the Chrism are carried ut by the Bishp n this day. Bishp Barber will celebrate the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral f Christ the Light at 6:30 p.m. Representatives frm every parish bring their ils t the Cathedral t be blessed, and the Priests f the Dicese will renew their priestly cmmitments t the Bishp during Mass. Als, seminarians frm the dicese will be accepted as candidates t Hly Orders. Thse invlved in the RCIA prcess: catechumens, candidates, spnsrs, family, and catechists are especially encuraged t attend the Chrism Mass, and there will be a special RCIA Dismissal. Palm Sunday f the Passin f the Lrd - April 9, 2017 On Passin Sunday the Church enters upn the mystery f its crucified, buried, and risen Lrd, wh, by his entrance int Jerusalem, gave a glimpse f his wn majesty. Christians carry branches as a sign f the ryal triumph that Christ wn by his acceptance r the crss. Since Saint Paul says: Prvided we suffer with him in rder that we may als be glrified in him (Rm 8:17), the link between these tw aspects f the Paschal mystery shuld stand ut clearly in the liturgical celebratin and catechesis f Palm Sunday. (Ceremnial f Bishps, 263) Three frms are ffered fr the beginning f Mass tday: Prcessin, Slemn Entrance, and simple Entrance. Masses beginning with Prcessin r Slemn Entrance mit the Penitential Act. The Passin prclaimed n this day is essential t the liturgy and cannt be mitted. The narrative f the Lrd s Passin is read withut candles and withut incense, with n greeting ( The Lrd be with yu is nt said) r signing f the bk. It is read by a Deacn r, if there is n Deacn, by a Priest. It might als be prclaimed using several ministers. Lay persns are allwed t d any f the parts, but the part f ur Lrd, if pssible, shuld be reserved t a priest. Deacns, but nt thers, ask fr the blessing f the Priest befre reading the Passin, as at ther times befre the Gspel. The Prclamatin f the Passin f the Lrd during Mass is nt t be changed fr a play r ther type f theatrical representatin, which are mre fitting befre r after Mass. 4 P age
II. Lenten Practices Ash Wednesday, March 1, marks the beginning f Lent, which is a pwerful seasn, a turning pint that can fster change and cnversin in each f us. We all need t imprve, t change fr the better. Lent helps us and thus we leave behind ld habits and the lazy addictin t the evil that deceives and ensnares us. During the seasn f Lent, the Church issues tw imprtant invitatins: t have a greater awareness f the redemptive wrk f Christ; and t live ut ne s Baptism with deeper cmmitment. (Ppe Francis, General Audience. March 5, 2014) Mrever, the Lenten seasn is a special pprtunity t grw spiritually thrugh ther penitential practices, especially thse f self-denial, almsgiving, and thrugh wrk f kindness and cmpassin. The fllwing regulatins regarding fasting and abstinence are bserved in the United States: Cathlics ages 14 and ver are t abstain frm meat n Ash Wednesday, Gd Friday and all Fridays f Lent. Individuals between 18 and 59 are als bliged t fast eat ne full meal n Ash Wednesday and Gd Friday. Eating tw smaller meals is permitted if necessary t maintain strength, but eating between meals shuld be avided. These bligatins, hwever, d nt apply t thse whse health r ability t wrk wuld be seriusly affected. III. Varia Lent Envirnment During Lent the altar is nt t be decrated with flwers. The Furth Sunday f Lent (Laetare Sunday), slemnities (Saint Jseph The Annunciatin f the Lrd) are exceptins t this rule. In the Diceses f the United States, the practice f cvering crsses and images thrughut the church frm the FIFTH Sunday f Lent may be bserved. (Rman Missal, intrductin t the Fifth Sunday f Lent) Crsses and images are nt cvered at the beginning f Lent r as part f a seasnal envirnment. Ntice that the practice is ptinal (the practice "may be bserved" nt "is t be bserved"). IF cvered at the 5 th Sunday, Crsses remain cvered until the end f the Celebratin f the Lrd's Passin n Gd Friday, but images remain cvered until the beginning f the Easter Vigil. If it is nt bserved, in a particular parish, frm the Fifth Sunday f Lent, there is additinal encuragement t remve r veil crsses after the Mass f the Lrd's Supper n Hly Thursday. The rubrics in the Rman Missal fr Hly Thursday state: At an apprpriate time, the altar is stripped and, if pssible, the crsses are remved frm the church. It is expedient that any crsses which remain in the church be veiled. 5 P age
The Cngregatin fr Divine Wrship has stated that the remving f Hly Water frm the fnts during the seasn f Lent is nt permitted, in particular: The liturgical legislatin in frce des nt fresee this innvatin, which in additin t being "praeter legem" [i.e., "apart frm the law"] is cntrary t a balanced understanding f the seasn f Lent, which thugh truly being a seasn f penance, is als a seasn rich in the symblism f water and baptism, cnstantly evked in liturgical texts. The encuragement f the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently f the sacraments is t be understd t apply als t the seasn f Lent. The "fast" and "abstinence" which the faithful embrace in this seasn des nt extend t abstaining frm the sacraments r sacramentals f the Church. The practice f the Church has been t empty the Hly Water fnts n the days f the Sacred Triduum in preparatin f the blessing f the water at the Easter Vigil, and it crrespnds t thse days n which the Eucharist is nt celebrated (i.e., Gd Friday and Hly Saturday). S the prper practice is t empty the Hly water fnts and the baptismal fnt AFTER the Mass f the Lrd s Supper (Hly Thursday) and have them filled at sme pint after the Blessing f the Water during the Easter Vigil. Als, the practice f filling the hly water fnts with sand during Lent has n Scriptural r Liturgical traditin and shuld nt be dne. The Dispsal f the Hly Oils The pastr is t btain the sacred ils frm his wn bishp and keep them carefully in a fitting place (Cann 847). Each year when the bishp blesses the ils and cnsecrate the chrism, the pastr shuld see that the ld ils are prperly dispsed f by burning and that they are replaced by the newly blessed ils. (Bk f Blessings, 1127). If fr any reasn the hly ils cannt be burned, anther acceptable practice is t bury them in sacred grund. The Celebratin f the Sacraments and their Rites during Lent Sacraments f Christian Initiatin Since the seasn f Lent, in its wn identity pints twards the celebratin f the Sacraments f Christian Initiatin during the Easter Vigil, it seems t be mre fitting t celebrate them n Easter and during the Easter Seasn. Hwever, ne cannt deny these sacraments t the faithful if they are prperly dispsed. Cmmunin fr the Sick and Viaticum Cmmunin may be brught t the sick n all days except Hly Saturday. That day, cmmunin may be given nly as viaticum. Cmmunin services utside f the liturgy are nt held n Hly Thursday, Gd Friday r Hly Saturday. Accrding t the Church s ancient traditin, the sacraments are nt celebrated n Gd Friday r Hly Saturday. 6 Page
Funerals during the seasn f Lent and the Easter Triduum The Lenten seasn shuld be reflected in the chice f music and scripture. Als, it may als reflect a change in the clr f vesture and emply the ptin t use purple (see Order f Christian Funerals, 39) On Hly Thursday, Gd Friday, and Hly Saturday, a funeral Mass may nt be celebrated. On these days the bdy f the deceased may be brught int the church fr a Funeral Liturgy utside Mass, using the Order f Christians Funerals, part I chapter 4. A Mass fr the deceased shuld be ffered as sn as pssible as is cnvenient after Easter Sunday (Order f Christian Funerals, 107-203). Marriages during the Seasn f Lent and the Triduum Marriages during the seasn f Lent are nt t be encuraged. Hwever, ne cannt deny the Sacraments t the faithful if they are prperly dispsed. If a marriage des take place during the Lenten seasn, there shuld be a marked mderatin in the festivity, and the parish envirnment shuld nt be altered frm that f Lent. The celebratin f marriage (and the cnvalidatin f marriage) is nt permitted during the Easter Triduum. 7 P age