Liturgical
Committee
It would be much appreciated if someone could explain to me in simple terms, the exact purpose of a Liturgical Committee. As many of you know, our church has just started one of these aberrations, designed, as far as I can see, to waste time and accomplish nothing of real importance.
After each committee meeting, my hubby and I are riled up and determined to quit. Finally Harold said, “Listen, if we keep going because we think we’re going to make any changes, we’ll be driven insane. How about we go just to yank some chains?” Now that sort of pot stirring is right up my Italian alley.
Last night was to be our third meeting. We dragged our tired bodies up to church and not one other committee member bothered to show up or even phone in an excuse. You think there may be a message here?
The whole concept has made me excruciatingly uncomfortable from the get go. And I think I’ve figured out why. I am the laity. Everyone else on the committee is the laity. It is not our job to instruct or recommend how the liturgy is to be conducted. I have spent hundreds of hours studying every document relating to liturgy, plus dabbled a bit in Canon Law, to be competent enough to do something I’m not supposed to do.
It would be much appreciated if someone could explain to me in simple terms, the exact purpose of a Liturgical Committee. As many of you know, our church has just started one of these aberrations, designed, as far as I can see, to waste time and accomplish nothing of real importance.
After each committee meeting, my hubby and I are riled up and determined to quit. Finally Harold said, “Listen, if we keep going because we think we’re going to make any changes, we’ll be driven insane. How about we go just to yank some chains?” Now that sort of pot stirring is right up my Italian alley.
Last night was to be our third meeting. We dragged our tired bodies up to church and not one other committee member bothered to show up or even phone in an excuse. You think there may be a message here?
The whole concept has made me excruciatingly uncomfortable from the get go. And I think I’ve figured out why. I am the laity. Everyone else on the committee is the laity. It is not our job to instruct or recommend how the liturgy is to be conducted. I have spent hundreds of hours studying every document relating to liturgy, plus dabbled a bit in Canon Law, to be competent enough to do something I’m not supposed to do.
Except for the one mad moment when I rebuked Bishop Wuerl for allowing the less than stellar Papal Mass in Washington, DC., I have always refrained from criticizing priests and bishops, and I don’t plan on starting now. I just want them to do their jobs and allow me to be the laity. Fair enough?
12 comments:
I have a black thumb. I don't know about humility, but the condtion does foster jealousy.
I love the picturesque photos of your property.
Well, as I understand it, the purpose of a Liturgical Committee is to "strengthen the liturgical life" of the parish by making recommendations that enhance, sustain, and maintain the Catholic worship experience. You make sure that all things are compliant with the GIRM, or with presently observed canon. You DON’T make changes to the rules, you just assist in making sure that all aspects of activities involving the parish are consistent with the liturgy. That's the short answer.
Tom - The GIRM does not require a rocket scientist. To quote our "friend", Say the Black, Do the Red.
And here is a long answer:
Adrienne, I hate to say it, but you made the liturgy sound like the parish is conducting a magic spell, presided over by some sort of a magician. And I'm sure you don't mean that at all.
Certainly the magisterium provides us with dicta that set limits on what we are to do. But these limits are amazingly broad.
We've all been taught that the church in its totality is the Body of Christ -- made up of countless members, each different. Each parish is a microcosm of that Boby. At each mass all present -- clergy and laity alike -- are to contribute as our gifts direct. That does not permit any of us to sit back passively, offloading the entire job of implementing the celebration on some poor priest (yes, priests have a hard job).
On the contrary, all present are responsible for creating the most respectful and joyous celebration possible in our little corner.
Do I make sense?
Irene - I understand exactly what you mean. The liturgy belongs to the church and to God and it is not up to us to tinker too much with what goes on within its borders.
What too many folks have defined as broad has led to many abuses. In the end it is the priest who makes the final decisions as to what he perceives as the correct thing to do.
Certainly the folks involved in music, ushering, EMHC's, gift bearers, etc, have a job and should do it properly. The laity in the pews are to join with the priest in the sacrifice being offered.
When a group of folks who have never even read the GIRM start telling a priest what they would "like", you run into big problems.
Here's my list for liturgy.
1. Follow the GIRM by trying to do the first option offered and not always looking for the "wiggle room." I'm willing to do what ever is necessary to help the priest implement all that is called for.
LOL!
The photo is perfect.
I've known Liturgical Committees that were nothing but fighting. I've also known others that did nothing but undermine and boss the pastor.
IMHO, the only Liturgical Committee any parish needs is the GIRM and a priest who will use it.
Sometimes we lose sight of our job as the body/hands of Christ
Yesterday we sang "All are welcome" at mass. (I know some people think this is a horrendous travesty, but that is not the issue here.)
At supper afterwards, our priest pointed out an identifiable group of real life neighborhood sinners who were not welcomed at mass.
It provoked quite a discussion of how the parish could evangelize and minister to this group (and no, we didn't come up with an answer yet).
My point: this is what our job is, both laity and clergy. It is not focusing our energies on whether every word in the liturgy is exactly "correct", or whether someone forgot to genuflect at the designated place. To use a trite cliche, "what would Jesus do?"
The point of being on a liturgy committee would be to say "hell no" if people wanted to do really stupid stuff. They'd say: "We want liturgical dance" and you say "over your dead body."
Sorry.
Latin has it's place in the mass.
But so does the vernacular, sign language, statues and icons, architecture...
...and even liturgical dance (if done well).
The mass is high drama -- the highest. And it deserves the best we have to give, on all levels, to raise it up as high as we can.
Irene - Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinions of what is proper for Mass. But opinions are just that - opinions.
There are specific rubrics that must be followed and there are good reasons Holy Mother Church has made those designations.
The liturgy does not belong to us, it belongs to God and is not ours to tinker with.
The Liturgy is God's not ours to mess with.
Liturgical Dance has no place in the Roman Rite (paraphrasing Cardinal Arinze and any other relavent Church documents)
The GIRM isn't a suggestion, it's rule, follow it strictly
Right on, Joe!!
Post a Comment