As has been mentioned, the old parish bulletin, The Link, will be phased out by the end of August, replaced with the new look parish bulletin. The front page of the bulletin is devoted to liturgy, where you are given the mass readings for the week and the psalm response for the Sunday. The new format necessitates some changes to how the Liturgy of the Word is celebrated, honouring the call and response nature of the psalm and alleluia.
You may also have noticed that the bulletin does not have the entrance, communion, or recessional antiphons. This is because they are never used when the mass has music, as the music replaces them. When there is no music, it may be said either by the presider or by the congregation or adapted by the presider in a brief introduction to the liturgy.
The method of saying the psalm will be that already used at the weekday masses. The proclaimer will say: “The response to the psalm is” and then gives the response which the congregation will repeat after each verse. You will know that it is your turn to respond when the proclaimer stops and looks up at you expectantly. When the proclaimer and the congregation read everything together the psalm loses its dialogical nature. Instead of being a liturgical conversation or dialogue it becomes a monologue.
The same is true for the gospel acclamation. The proclaimer or someone in the music ministry team will lead the congregation in singing the alleluia, and then the proclaimer alone reads the alleluia verse before the alleluia is sung again. The format is meant to take the form of a dialogue. The alleluia is normally sung, and the liturgists say that if it cannot be sung it should be omitted.
You will also notice that the new bulletin has a roster for readers and for extra-ordinary ministers of holy communion. We would like as many people as possible to become involved in and committed to a liturgical ministry. This spreads the load, promotes participation and involvement in the liturgy and provides some variety to the congregation. From Sunday 1 September we will also be distributing the Blood of Christ at each Sunday mass. The congregation will come down the aisle in two lines, receive the Body of Christ from me, and then move from me to one of the ministers on either side of me to receive the Blood of Christ. Receiving the Blood of Christ is not obligatory, but if you choose to do so you must take the chalice and drink from it. Intinction or dipping the Body into the Blood yourself is forbidden by the law of the Church.
Let me mention a few thoughts and preferences while speaking about receiving the body of Christ. For hygiene reasons my strong preference is that people receive the Body of Christ in the hand. If I had a Rand for every time someone has licked my finger while receiving, I would be a wealthy man. Receiving in the hand is healthier for you, me, and everyone else in the line after you. For some reason people believe that it is holier or more reverent to receive on the tongue as they are not worthy to touch the body. I believe the tongue is the most sinful part of the body, it does even more harm to others than the hands. Receive on the hands, it’s holier and healthier.
Likewise with kneeling to receive. It slows down the distribution of holy communion and occasionally cause people behind them to trip over their feet. It is a personal piety that is not required by the Church, and simply draws attention to oneself. And that is not the purpose behind receiving Holy Communion.
