Changes help express wonder, awe

By Bishop Robert Banks

	Bishop Robert J. Banks

By now, most of you have heard or read that there will be some changes in the way we take part in the Mass, beginning on the First Sunday of Advent. There will be no changes like the ones that took place 40 years ago, when we moved from Latin to English, and lay people - besides altar boys - began to show up in the sanctuary. Those were real changes! And I think almost all of us who went through those changes would say that we are glad those changes took place.

The changes coming this Advent are small change, so to speak, in comparison. It is my hope, and the Church's intention, that even these small changes will help us to appreciate even more the great gift that we Catholics have in the Mass.

Related articles ... Six-part series on the General Instruction of the Roman Missal: • Part six (Nov. 21 issue) --   Go in peace to love and serve the Lord • Part five (Nov. 14 issue) --   'Do This in Remembrance of Me' • Part four (Nov. 7 issue) --   The Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving • Part three (Oct. 31 issue) --   The Altar, the Cross and the Book • Part two (Oct. 24 issue) --   Why make any revisions in the Mass? • Part one (Oct. 17 issue) --   How to enrich our experience of Mass Other related articles: November 21, 2003 issue: • Foundations of Faith --     Why we kneel, bow and pray as one at Mass November 14, 2003 issue: • Foundations of Faith --     Ministers help us receive Holy Communion often October 17, 2003 issue: • Compass Editorial --     Focusing on Instruction August 22, 2003 issue: • Bishop Banks' Corner --     The church's source of energy August 8, 2003 issue: • Bishop Banks' Corner --     Current Mass links us to Apostles

Before describing the changes that are supposed to take place in a couple of weeks, I would like to describe two changes, or better, developments that I would like to see.

What really happens

The first development is an even deeper, more alive appreciation of what takes place at Mass. Rather than getting mixed up in wondering whether we like or don't like the new changes, let's become more in awe of what happens when we go to Mass.

When we Catholics enter church on Sunday for Mass, we are about to do what believers in Jesus Christ have gathered to do since the Apostles. Like those believers, we gather to do what Jesus asked be done in his memory: to eat and drink the bread and wine which by the power of the Holy have become his Body and Blood.

Each moment of the Mass is filled with the presence of Christ. Even the fact of our gathering together is the work of the Christ-sent Spirit.

• We listen to Jesus speak to us in the Gospel.

• We profess our faith in Jesus in the Creed.

• We offer gifts of bread, wine and money as signs that we want to offer and live our whole life for Jesus.

• We pray the Our Father as Jesus taught us.

• And we leave the Church, nourished by Jesus, filled with his Spirit, strengthened once again to follow in his footsteps.

These last points don't begin to capture the wonder of what happens at every Mass. Maybe each of us has to pray again for that gift of the Spirit which the Church prayed for at our Confirmation: "Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence."

Right intentions

One reason for the new changes is to encourage that "spirit of wonder and awe." Now I do not think that any bodily action, whether it be a bow of the head, a genuflection, kneeling or standing automatically guarantees that "spirit of wonder and awe." But, with the right intention, bodily actions can be ways in which we do express "wonder and awe" or reverence.

My hope, then, is that any new bodily action will be the occasion for our becoming more aware of God's presence in what we are doing.

Need for charity

The second development that I am hoping for is that Christian understanding and charity will characterize the way we deal with these changes. It is inevitable that there will be differences of opinions about some of the changes. It is also very probable that the required changes will not be implemented in the same way or at the same time in our various parishes. So we need the patience that comes from Christian understanding and charity.

An important rationale for the new changes is that our worshipping together with the same postures will manifest and encourage our being of one mind and one heart as a Christian community. Even if it takes a while for us to get to the same postures throughout the diocese, we can display immediately the one mind and one heart that is essential.

Now for some of the changes in posture which might take place in your parish.

Kneeling

The most obvious change in some parishes will be kneeling from the "Holy,holy,holy" to the Great Amen just before the Our Father. In many parishes, this will not be a change, since it has always been the practice. In some of our parishes, it would be difficult to implement the change immediately, since the churches have no kneelers. Once the parishes have installed kneelers, then kneeling will become the expected posture.

I don't think it helps to argue about which is the better posture: kneeling or standing. Kneeling is a good posture for prayer; you will find it in the Scriptures. Standing is also found in the Scriptures as a posture for prayer. It has been decided that in this country we should maintain the traditional posture of kneeling for that part of the Mass.

Bows

A change that will be new for almost everyone is the bow of the head before receiving Communion. It is one more way of showing our faith and devotion as we receive our Eucharistic Lord. I emphasize the more because I think receiving Communion in the hand is a very faith-filled and reverent way to receive the Body of the Lord.

We have agreed that the bow of the head should be made as the person before us is receiving Communion. That allows for a less rushed, more intentional bow of the head.

The change that might cause the most confusion comes when the celebrant, after the presentation of the gifts (what we used to call the Offertory), invites the congregation to pray "that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father." The congregation used to remain seated as it said its prayer. Now the congregation is invited to stand while it prays, "May the Lord accept this sacrifice at your hands ..."

We are encouraging the priests to make a gesture that reminds the congregation to stand at that point.

Another change is really not a change. It comes during the recitation of the Creed at every Sunday Mass. At the words, "by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man," each person is to make a bow from the hips.

This bow has been a requirement for years, but I have to confess that most bishops, priests and people did not know about it. Now we do. I like it because it calls our attention to the important roles of Mary and the Holy Spirit.

May both help us, as the Church of Green Bay, to use these changes as a way to increase our love for the Mass.