The dignity of the celebration of the Mass

Submitted on May 19, 2005

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke

Introduction In Chapter 5 of his encyclical letter "Ecclesia de Eucharistia (On the Eucharist in Its Relationship to the Church)," our late and most beloved Pope John Paul II took up the question of the dignity with which the Holy Mass must necessarily be celebrated.In presenting the model of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Pope John Paul II points to the account of the Lord’s Supper, found in the Gospels and in St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20; John 13:1-17; and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34).Pondering the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, when our Lord Jesus Christ handed over His life to us sacramentally on the eve of handing over His life for us on the Cross, we discover the heart of Sacred Liturgy. Our Lord’s celebration of the Last Supper or First Eucharist was marked by both simplicity and solemnity.The disposition of Christ at the First Eucharist is the foundation and model for all the liturgical rites, especially the Rite of the Mass, which have developed in the Church over the centuries. Christ commanded the Apostles to renew His Last Supper for the disciples, in every time and place, until the day of His Final Coming. He told them, in simple and direct language: "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19; and 1 Corinthians 11:24).By these words, He consecrated the Apostles as priests for the offering of the Eucharistic Sacrifice.These words uncover the reason for the existence of the ordained priesthood, the Holy Eucharist, which, without the ordained ministry of the priest, cannot be celebrated.In a certain sense, the whole history of the Church may be described as the story of the obedience of the Apostles and their successors to our Lord’s commission to them at the Last Supper (no. 47a). Anointing at Bethany The attitude and disposition of Christ at the Last Supper is best understood by recalling the account of the Anointing at Bethany.At Bethany, shortly before His Passion and Death, Mary, the sister of Lazarus whom Christ had raised from the dead, anointed Jesus with a most precious oil.Some disciples, most notably the Apostle Judas Iscariot, who betrayed our Lord, objected strongly to Mary’s gesture of great reverence and love.Judas Iscariot and others saw it as a waste of resources which could have been used to provide for the poor. Our Lord responds to their reaction in what may be, for some, a surprising manner. He teaches them that the anointing by Mary is an act of profound reverence for His body, the instrument by which He was to carry out our redemption. He, in no way, calls into question the responsibility to provide for the poor but indicates what is prior to our care for the poor and inspires it most fully and consistently, namely, our love of Him and our devotion toward Him. Mary’s act of generous respect and love is imitated by us in the care which we take to have only the most fitting place for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, and to use the best furnishings, vestments, linens and vessels for the Eucharistic Sacrifice.The Holy Father reminds us of our Lord’s command to the disciples to prepare the Upper Room for the Last Supper.The Church’s special care for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist reflects her faith in what takes place at the Mass; it reflects her deep reverence for our Lord Who is both our Priest and Victim in the Eucharistic Sacrifice (no. 47b). St. Francis of Assisi St. Francis of Assisi is a model of the consistent regard for the worthy celebration of the Mass and other sacraments.In his instructions, while requiring the strictest simplicity of life for himself and his friars, he urged that nothing should be spared in what is employed for the House of God and for the celebration of the Holy Mass and other Sacraments.In his Letter to All Clerics, St. Francis wrote: "Those who are in charge of these sacred mysteries, and especially those who are careless about their task, should realize that the chalices, corporals and altar linens where the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ are offered in sacrifice should be completely suitable.And besides, many clerics reserve the Blessed Sacrament in unsuitable places, or carry It about irreverently, or receive It unworthily, or give It to all-comers without distinction.God’s holy name, too, and his written words are sometimes trodden underfoot, because the sensual man does not perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:14); (The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi, translated by Benen Fahy, OFM, Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1964, p. 101). The clear concern of St. Francis for the sacred places and the various elements of the Eucharistic Sacrifice was inspired by his firm faith that it is Christ Himself who acts through the sacraments and, in a pre-eminent way, in the Eucharistic Sacrifice.The truth which St. Francis expresses has been honored in a long and rich tradition of sacred art and architecture, also in the making of sacred linens, vestments and vessels. In "The Testament of St. Francis," we read: "Above everything else, I want this most holy Sacrament to be honored and venerated and reserved in places which are richly ornamented.Whenever I find his most holy name or writings containing his words in an improper place, I make a point of picking them up, and I ask that they be picked up and put aside in a suitable place" (The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi, p. 67). We, too, should spare nothing possible in showing our respect for the sacraments, the divinely inspired Word of God in the Holy Scriptures, and the place and the manner of the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy. Liturgical faith of our ancestors In reading the history of parishes in the archdiocese which are celebrating the 100th, 125th and 150th anniversary of their foundation, I am struck by the great sacrifices made by the faithful, most of them immigrants with very few means, to have, as soon as possible, a worthy parish church and worthy materials for the decoration of the Church and the celebration of the Eucharist and the other sacraments.It was not at all uncommon for a farmer to mortgage his farm in order to make a generous pledge toward the building of a fitting parish church or the provision of fitting sacred vessels and vestments.We marvel today at the extraordinary beauty of many of the churches which our ancestors constructed and decorated and furnished with the finest sacred art.Those who have gone before us in the archdiocese certainly had the faith of Mary at Bethany.The beautiful art and architecture which has been associated with our churches and their altars of sacrifice and other furnishings down the centuries inspires us to reflect upon the great mystery of the Eucharist, the Mystery of Faith. Sacred banquet The Holy Father rightly asks: "Could there ever be an adequate means of expressing the acceptance of that self-gift which the divine Bridegroom continually makes to his Bride, the Church, by bringing the Sacrifice offered once and for all on the Cross to successive generations of believers and thus becoming nourishment for all the faithful?" (no. 48).The Eucharist is indeed a banquet at which Christ feeds us with the incomparable Food which is His true Body and Blood.Recognition of the heavenly Food of the Holy Eucharist halts any tendency to a familiarity which would fail to recognize, respect and adore the true Body and Blood of Christ. The Holy Eucharist is not adequately described as a banquet or meal, for it is a sacrificial banquet, a sacred banquet in which we partake of the holiness of God Himself.Pope John Paul II reminds us that the Sacred Host which we receive is truly the Bread of Angels, the Body of Christ, and, therefore, Holy Communion cannot be approached except with a profound sense of humility, the sense of our own unworthiness because of our sins. During the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, I made a pastoral visitation to all of the Newman university apostolates in the Diocese of La Crosse.Usually, the visit consisted of praying the Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, a meal and a time for discussion.At one visit, a student leader, who clearly was most interested in the faith and its practice, asked me the meaning of the prayer we say before Holy Communion, when the priest holds up the Sacred Host, saying: "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."He stated that the prayer, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you," made no sense to him because, according to his mind, we are worthy to receive Holy Communion.His question made me recognize more than ever the serious need of a thorough catechesis regarding the reality of the Holy Eucharist and our relationship to our Eucharistic Lord. When we pray at Mass and, most especially, when we come forward to receive Holy Communion, there is at once a sense of God’s great intimacy with us, inviting us to participate in the mystery of His Son’s Suffering, Dying and Rising from the Dead, and a sense of our unworthiness and of great awe before the presence of God Himself.That is the reason why our churches are not built as multi-purpose centers, meeting halls or banquet facilities.It is also the reason why we should be very attentive to the manner of our dress and our comportment in church, especially during the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice and Banquet. Liturgical law The outward aspects of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist express our interior disposition, in imitation of Mary at Bethany.For that reason, the Church has developed liturgical laws which both safeguard and promote the fitting disposition or devotion before the greatest treasure of our Catholic faith and practice, the Holy Eucharist.The Church’s liturgical norms, developed over the centuries of her life, safeguard the fitting celebration of the Holy Eucharist.The development of liturgical norms has been accompanied by a parallel development of sacred art, architecture and music to express and strengthen faith in the Holy Eucharist. Pope John Paul II evokes the rich history of sacred architecture, beginning with the churches in the home. The developments in design of churches and of their altars and tabernacles is not merely a reflection of the great art of the various periods of the Church’s history but, most of all, an expression of the profound faith in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist.The examples of original art and quality craftsmanship in the building of churches, and especially of their altars and tabernacles, from the very first days of the Church, tells a wonderful story of faith in the Holy Eucharist.In visiting beautiful churches, one notes how the various furnishings have been beautifully designed and crafted.Special attention was fittingly given to the confection of beautiful vestments for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and of fine linens on which to place the sacred species or with which to cleanse the sacred vessels, and to the production of beautiful vessels to contain the Body and Blood of Christ. In the same way, sacred music has developed down the Christian centuries to help lift the minds and hearts of the faithful to contemplate the great mystery of faith, which is the Holy Eucharist.Gregorian Chant is, of course, the greatest jewel in the body of music written specifically for the celebration of the Holy Mass.As is the case with sacred art, there is a rich history of beautiful music written for the Eucharistic Sacrifice (no. 49). Pope John Paul II refers to a certain competition in sacred art and architecture between the East and the West.He reminds us especially of the strong sense of the mystery of faith expressed in the sacred art of the East.As he states, it is a call for all of us to make certain the Church is, above all else, "a profoundly Eucharistic Church" (no. 50). Inculturation Our late Holy Father also reflected upon the legitimate desire of the Church in new places to employ the "forms, styles and sensibilities of different cultures" in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, so that it can truly be spiritual food for all peoples (no. 51a).The proper term for the rooting of the Catholic faith and practice in a particular culture is inculturation.Clearly, it is a delicate process because there may be elements of the local culture which need purification and transformation before they can fittingly receive and serve the Eucharistic mystery. Inculturation must always be secondary to respect for the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, lest the greatest treasure of our faith be obscured or, even worse, betrayed.Any experimentation in inculturation must be reviewed by Church authority with the involvement of the Apostolic See "because the Sacred Liturgy expresses and celebrates the one faith professed by all and, being the heritage of the whole Church, cannot be determined by local Churches in isolation from the universal Church" (no. 51b). Responsibility of priests Priests act in the person of Christ at the Holy Eucharist and, therefore, bear an especially weighty responsibility for the worthy celebration of the Mass.They are "to provide a witness to and a service of communion not only for the community taking part in the celebration, but also for the universal Church which is part of every Eucharist" (no. 52a). Pope John Paul II writes very frankly about abuses which have entered into the celebration of the Holy Eucharist because of "a misguided sense of creativity and adaptation" (no. 52).He begs that the liturgical law pertaining to the celebration of the Holy Mass be faithfully observed.He reminds us that the Sacred Liturgy is never the private possession of the priest or the community, and speaks of the deep suffering caused to the faithful by abuses introduced into the celebration of the Mass.Our observance of liturgical law is a fundamental expression of love of Christ and of the Church. Conclusion Because of the importance of the fitting and dignified celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Pope John Paul II, at the conclusion of Chapter 5, announced the preparation of a special document "to bring out more clearly this deeper meaning of liturgical norms" (no. 52b).On March 19, 2004, Pope John Paul II approved the document in question, prepared by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and entitled "Instruction on Certain Matters To Be Observed or To Be Avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist (Redemptionis Sacramentum)." The document was published on the following March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.As we continue our observance of the Year of the Eucharist, I will also be writing reflections on "Redemptionis Sacramentum." I conclude with the words with which Pope John Paul II concluded Chapter 5 of "Ecclesia de Eucharistia": "No one is permitted to undervalue the mystery entrusted to our hands: it is too great for anyone to feel free to treat it lightly and with disregard for its sacredness and its universality" (no. 52). May the special graces of the Year of the Eucharist lead us to an ever greater appreciation of the great mystery of the Eucharist, the Mystery of Faith, and to the expression of reverence for the Holy Eucharist by our care to celebrate the Holy Mass with the greatest care for its incomparable dignity.