Why does the Bishop preach his homily sitting down?

"Is Bishop McGrath feeling okay?" "Why doesn't he stand up to do his homily?" "Maybe he's just tired."

I hear those comments often after a big diocesan liturgy like the Chrism Mass. Here and at other more solemn liturgies, the Bishop will usually give his homily sitting down. But don't worry. He's not tired, and he's doing just fine.

The reason a Bishop preaches while seated is because of the chair. It's not because it's a particularly comfy chair (some Bishops' chairs look downright hard and uncomfortable!). The chair of a Bishop at his cathedral is a special symbol of the Bishop. This chair, the "cathedra," is what gives the cathedral its name. A cathedral is the place where the cathedra is permanently located.

Cathedra means "chair" in Latin and "seat" in Greek (kathedra). You can spot the cathedra because it usually has the coat of arms of the diocese and the Bishop near it. Only the Bishop is allowed to sit in the cathedra because this chair is the sign of the Bishop's office and the unity among all the parishes in the diocese. If the Bishop is not present and another priest presides at Mass in the cathedral, he must sit in a different chair.

From the cathedra (or in Latin, "ex cathedra"), the Bishop exercises the three primary responsibilities of his office: "The office of Bishop as teacher, sanctifier, and pastor of his Church shines forth most clearly in a liturgy that he celebrates with his people" (Ceremonial of Bishops, 11).

This doesn't mean that the Bishop can't teach, bless, and lead from anywhere else. But the cathedra is a primary symbol of his office and of his responsibility to the diocese. From the cathedra, the Bishop teaches, presides at prayer, and stands as the leader of all the faithful in the diocese. And because the liturgy is the source and summit of the Church's activity and power, the people of the diocese gathered around their Bishop at his chair is a powerful sign of the presence of Christ.

The Bishop at his chair is also a sign of the Church's unity because the Bishop is our connection to all the other dioceses around the world and to the first among Bishops, the Pope. The Pope is the Bishop of the Diocese of Rome, and he too has a cathedra in a church called the Cathedral Basilica of Saint John Lateran.

When the Bishop is seated at the cathedra, especially when he is preaching, he is fully exercising his office, especially the role of teaching:

The Bishop as herald of the faith leads new followers to Christ. As their authentic teacher, that is, one invested with the authority of Christ, he proclaims to the people entrusted to him the truths of faith they are to believe and to live by. Under the light of the Holy Spirit the Bishop explains the teachings of faith, bringing forth from the treasurehouse of revelation new things and old. He works to make faith yield its harvest and, like the good shepherd, he is vigilant in protecting his people from the threat of error. (Ceremonial of Bishops, 15

The Ceremonial (the Church's guidebook for any liturgical celebration with a Bishop) then states that "the office of preaching is proper to the Bishop, so that other ordained ministers fulfill this office only in his name," and "[u]nless he decides that some other way is preferable, the Bishop should preach while seated at the chair, wearing the miter and holding the pastoral staff" (17).

The Bishop, and through him all the priests and deacons of a diocese, are special signs of Christ. So when we look at the Bishop at his chair, we see Christ who is our Teacher, High Priest, and Good Shepherd.

Take a virtual pilgrimmage of the cathedrals in California at this very interesting and beautiful site.

Do we have to use Year A readings for the RCIA scrutinies?

This article originally appeared on TeamRCIA.com, March 3, 2009.

“Why can’t we use Year B readings this year for the Scrutinies?”

“The assembly is missing out on hearing the readings for Year C. How come we always have to do Year A at the Scrutinies?”

“We’ve written new scrutiny rites for the Year B readings. Can we use those?”

I hear those questions every year we aren’t in the Year A cycle of the Lectionary. (Recall that the readings we hear every Sunday are structured on a three-year rotation. In Year A we hear primarily from Matthew’s Gospel; in Year B, from Mark; and in Year C, from Luke. John's Gospel is interspersed throughout each year.)

I can understand why some people have these questions. We’ve come a long way since before Vatican II when the amount of Scripture people heard at Mass over the course of a year was very limited (1% of the Old Testament and 17% of the New Testament) compared to today (14% of the Old Testament and 71% of the New Testament). When the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 51, of Vatican II said that “[t]he treasures of the bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s word,” the Church took it seriously, and the faithful have come to value more and more a fuller proclamation of the Word in the midst of the assembly.

Yet I think we still have a way to go when it comes to trusting the rites of initiation within the Sunday gathering of the assembly. The best way we can help the assembly to grow in appreciation of these rites of initiation is to do the rites well and fully, consistently year after year.

What does the Rite say?
So, taking a look at the rubrics for the Scrutiny Rites, we read:

The scrutinies should take place within the ritual Masses “Christian Initiation: The Scrutinies,” which are celebrated on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent; the readings with their chants are those given for those Sundays in the Lectionary for Mass, Year A….In every case the ritual Masses “Christian Initiation: The Scrutinies” are celebrated and in this sequence: for the first scrutiny the Mass with the gospel of the Samaritan woman; for the second, the Mass with the gospel of the man born blind; for the third, the Mass with the gospel of Lazarus. (146)

Seems clear, yes? Yet perhaps still not compelling enough a reason for those who ask our opening questions. So let’s look at some reasons that may be more convincing.

What does history say?
In the oldest known Book of Gospels, called the Würzberg Evangelary (c. 645), the three passages from John’s Gospel listed in RCIA, 146, are included in the readings for Lent. This Evangelary scheduled John’s Gospel to be read semi-continuously during the last few weeks of Lent. However the stories of the man born blind and the raising of Lazarus were listed out of order, suggesting that they were used for specific rites. By the ninth century and possibly as early as the late seventh century, we have evidence that these three Gospel readings were moved to specific Sundays of Lent in both the Roman rite and the Ambrosian rite, again suggesting that they were used for particular lenten rites. We can trust that for the Church, these Johannine stories have had significant prominence in the preparation for Easter. Let’s examine why this is and why over the years these readings have been associated with the preparation of the elect.

What do the readings say?
Just as the scrutinies themselves are meant to be a series of rites spanning over an extended period of time, so too are these three Gospel readings meant to be “digested” little by little with time in between each set of readings. This is because the readings in their assigned sequence reflect the very purpose of the Scrutiny Rites. That is, little by little, these readings with their prescribed rites uncover what is weak and sinful and strengthen what is good and upright in the elect. Through them, “the elect are instructed gradually about the mystery of sin, from which the whole world and every person longs to be delivered...” (RCIA, 143).

In the story of the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman hears Jesus then goes and tells the villagers what she has heard, causing them to seek him out for themselves. The reading ends with the villagers saying to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world” (John 4:42). Was this not the starting point of every elect? They heard a word, a word that they discovered over time to be Christ. Upon discovering who was speaking to them, they no longer believed because of hearsay, obligation, or pressure, but because they heard Christ’s voice for themselves.

In the story of the man born blind, the man healed of his blindness gradually grows to see as Christ sees. He regains his sight right at the start of the story. But only because of the interrogation he receives from his neighbors and the Pharisees and his struggle to respond to them faithfully, does he little by little begin to see the identity of who it was who healed him. By the end of the story, the one who healed him was no longer to him just “the man called Jesus” (John 9:11) or simply “a prophet” (John 9:17) or “from God” (John 9:33). He was “Lord” (John 9:38) in whom he believed. For the elect this progression may be familiar. At the start of their catechumenate, their eyes are signed “that [they] may see the glory of God” (Rite of Acceptance, RCIA 56). Through their catechesis over the years and their experience with the community of believers they grow in understanding of what they see—who the man Jesus was, the prophetic words he spoke, his unique relationship with the Father, and finally his true identity as Lord.

Lastly, in the story of the raising of Lazarus, we come to the final days before the elect must stand before the font and profess their faith. In this reading, the miracle happens at the end of the story, but faith is already expressed long before the miracle takes place. Martha makes her profession of faith in Jesus the Messiah even as her brother is lying dead in the tomb. She needed no words and no miraculous deeds to believe in him; she only needed to believe. Period.

In this final story, we see what those who have been entrusted to continue Jesus' work have hopefully been doing in order to prepare the elect to make their profession of faith. They have been preparing them, like Jesus prepared Martha and Mary, to understand the paschal mystery they would witness in the resurrection—that out of death comes new life in Christ. Only after Lazarus is revived and Jesus is raised from the dead will Martha truly understand the words of faith she professed. It is her belief in and love for Jesus that allow her to be ready for whatever he will do despite her human logic that death is death, for “Martha believes not in what she understands but in the one who has the words of eternal life” (Sandra Schneiders, Written That You May Believe, Crossroad Publishing Company, p. 158).

When the three scrutiny readings are examined in this way, we begin to understand what the RCIA means when it says that Lent “is intended as well to enlighten the minds and hearts of the elect with a deeper knowledge of Christ the Savior” (139). The Gospels assigned to the scrutinies are there to ask the elect:

• Could he possibly be the Messiah?
• Do you believe in the Son of Man?
• Do you believe this?

The things that keep the elect from saying “yes!” are the things that must be scrutinized and exorcized, for in a few short weeks, they must respond “yes, I believe” as they stand at the edge of death at the font. The place where the elect learn to answer “yes!” is in the parish community. The assignment and order of the scrutiny Gospels from John reflect the community's progressive and communal catechesis for the elect in order that they may hear and believe (Samaritan woman), see and believe (man born blind), and finally believe without proof (Martha and Lazarus).

Why B and C don't work
Though well-intentioned and creative, when we create new scrutiny texts to match the readings from Year B or C, we have severed ourselves and our elect from the rich history and wisdom of the Church who over the centuries have understood the unique power of the three Johannine Gospel readings. Some will argue that the Year B readings are particularly apt for those preparing for baptism because each Sunday reading includes reference to some symbol from the baptismal rite: water in Noah and the flood; white garments in the Transfiguration; resurrection of the destroyed temple; Jesus teaching Nicodemus about the light; and death of the grain of wheat. Although this may be true, these readings cannot compare to the dramatic power of the three assigned Scrutiny readings. Furthermore, as RCIA 143 noted, Lent is a time for the elect to gradually learn about sin; the period after their baptism is the time for them to reflect on the baptismal symbols and their experience of initiation through mystagogical catechesis.

When we worry that the faithful are missing out on the readings of Year B or C on the Sundays of the scrutinies, we are forgetting that the faithful’s role in these rites is to pray fervently for the elect. All their focus should be upon the elect for it is in them that God is working most clearly. It is in the elect that the Word of Christ is evangelizing whole communities; it is in them that the world is beginning to see Christ present on earth; it is in them that we will witness new life spring forth from death. These elect will be elect only once in their lives. This will be the only time they will ever hear these three Gospel readings from John as elect, surrounded by the prayers of the community and overshadowed by the power of the Spirit. We, the baptized, have a responsibility to them at these critical moments of their lenten preparation to use the best our Church tradition has to offer. The best will be the assigned Year A readings.

Perhaps as preparation for taking on our assigned role in these Scrutiny Rites, we, the already-baptized, might read the assigned readings for Year B or Year C during the weeks leading up to the Scrutiny Rites, that these readings might open our ears, eyes, and hearts to hear the Year A readings anew with strengthened faith in Christ already at work in the elect.

What time can the Easter Vigil begin in 2009?

As you know, the Easter Vigil must begin in darkness. Click here for more information on why.

Based on sunset information from the U.S. Naval Observatory, Easter Vigil this year (April 11, 2009) in the Diocese of San José cannot begin any earlier than 8:00 p.m.

From the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department, the following information is provided for San Jose, Santa Clara County, California (longitude W121.9, latitude N37.3):

Saturday
11 April 2009, Pacific Daylight Time

• Sunset 7:39 p.m.
• End civil twilight 8:06 p.m.

If sunset is at 7:39p, why can't we begin Easter Vigil 2009 at 7:39p?

Because there is a big technical different between "sunset" and "civil twilight." The technical definition of "sunset" is when the upper edge of the sun hits the horizon. At this point (7:39p) there's still some daylight in the sky. But what we're looking for is complete darkness.

Civil twilight in the evening is technically when the center of the sun is geometrically 6 degrees below the horizon. At this time (8:06p) there's still enough light to see the horizon, but it's dark enough to see the brightest of stars in the sky. Complete darkness, however, begins sometime after the end of evening civil twilight.

So 8:00p is the earliest time we can begin the Easter Vigil in 8:00p. If you really want to start in complete darkness, wait until 8:10p.

For more information: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/RST_defs.php#top

Managing Low Gluten Hosts at Mass

Todd Flowerday, who writes at Catholic Sensibility, has a regular feature called The Armchair Liturgist. Think of it as Monday-morning quarterbacking for Catholic geeks like you and me.

In this installment, he asks the question of how you handle giving Communion to those with wheat allergies who need low- or no-gluten hosts.

Here's a past article on the US Bishop's FAQ on Celiac Sprue Disease.

Click here to participate in the conversation at Todd's blog and to read the wisdom of his readers who have figured out how to make the Eucharistic table more hospitable to our brothers and sisters with this special need.

The Liturgy Files: Why are some holy days moved to Sunday and others remain on their proper date?

Part of my job is to answer email. Some of these emails are simple Q&A. In these Liturgy Files, I'll share some of the most helpful Q&As.


Q: Why do we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption on the actual weekday (August 15), instead of transferring the celebration to the following Saturday/Sunday celebration like we do for the Ascension? What are the parameters for other times when we do transfer a feast day celebration from weekday to Saturday/Sunday celebration?

A: The pertinent current legislation in the United States is as follows (warning: this is more information than you will ever want to know about this):


From the Code of Canon Law, Canon 1246

§1: Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church. Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension and the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary Mother of God and her Immaculate Conception and Assumption, Saint Joseph, the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and finally, All Saints.

§2: However, the conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See.

The United States Bishops’ Conference has taken three actions regarding this canon:

Action 1

In accord with canon 1246, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops decrees that the holy days of obligation to be observed in the United States are:

• the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;


• the Solemnity of the Ascension;


• the Solemnity of the Assumption;


• the Solemnity of All Saints;


• the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;


• the Solemnity of Christmas.


• The Solemnity of the Epiphany shall be transferred to the first Sunday following January 1;


• the Solemnity of Corpus Christi shall be observed on the second Sunday following Pentecost.

Approved: November 1983
Promulgated: March 1984


Action 2

On December 13, 1991 the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of American made the following general decree concerning holy days of obligation for Latin rite Catholics:

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:

• January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God


• Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension


• August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary


• November 1, the solemnity of All Saints


• December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception


• December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ


• Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

Approved: July 1992
Promulgated: January 1993

Action 3

In accord with the provisions of canon 1246 §2 of the Code of Canon Law, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States decrees that the Ecclesiastical Provinces of the United States may transfer the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter to the Seventh Sunday of Easter according to the following procedure.

The decision of each Ecclesiastical Province to transfer the Solemnity of the Ascension is to be made by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the bishops of the respective Ecclesiastical Province. The decision of the Ecclesiastical Province should be communicated to the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and to the President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Approved: July 1999
Promulgated: September 1999

The Liturgy Files: In the Rite of Reception, do you confirm a Lutheran confirmed in the Lutheran Church?

Part of my job is to answer email. Some of these emails are simple Q&A. In these Liturgy Files, I'll share some of the most helpful Q&As.


Q: We have a candidate preparing to celebrate the Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. This person was baptized and confirmed as a Lutheran. Do we recognize Lutheran Confirmations as valid sacraments? Or do we confirm him at the Easter Vigil?

A: From John Huels’ book, The Catechumenate and the Law: A Pastoral and Canonical Commentary for the Church in the United States, Liturgy Training Publications, 1994, p 24:

Confirmation is valid only in those churches that have the valid sacrament of holy orders. Besides the separated Eastern churches, this would include the Old Catholic, Old Roman Catholic, and Polish National Churches. The Protestant denominations are not recognized as having valid orders, so persons baptized in those ecclesial communities should be confirmed during the rite of reception into full communion.

However, the other question you could also ask is: Should you celebrate the rite of reception at the Easter Vigil? Some points to ponder:

Anything that would equate candidates for reception with those who are catechumens is to be absolutely avoided. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 477)

The commentary on The Code of Canon Law, commenting on canon 206 regarding catechumens, makes these distinctions between candidates and catechumens:

• "[B]aptized non-Catholics who seek full communion with the Catholic Church are not catechumens or 'converts,' although they are moved by the Spirit and have an explicit will to join the Church."
• "They are not, however, to be exorcised or to receive other elements of the liturgical rites involved in baptism, since they are already baptized."
• "No greater burdens are to be imposed on them than are necessary for them to come into full communion."

Back to the initiation documents...

Those who have already been baptized in another Church or ecclesial community should not be treated as catechumens or so designated. Their doctrinal and spiritual preparation for reception into full Catholic communion should be determined according to the individual case, that is, it should depend on the extent to which the baptized person has led a Christian life within a community of faith and been appropriately catechized to deepen his or her inner adherence to the Church ("National Statutes for the Catechumenate," 30)

This means that a baptized Christian who wants to become Catholic and has been faithfully participating in a Christian community (not necessarily a Catholic community), who lives a Christian (not necessarily Catholic) lifestyle, and who has been catechized in order to deepen his or her resolve to live as a Christian disciple in the Catholic Church is ready to celebrate the Rite of Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church.

When could reception take place then?

The reception of candidates into the communion of the Catholic Church should ordinarily take place at the Sunday Eucharist of the parish community, in such a way that it is understood that they are indeed Christian believers who have already shared in the sacramental life of the Church and are now welcomed into the Catholic eucharistic community upon their profession of faith and confirmation, if they have not been confirmed, before receiving the eucharist. ("National Statutes for the Catechumenate," 32)

Further...

It is preferable that reception into full communion not take place at the Easter Vigil lest there be any confusion of such baptized Christians with the candidates for baptism, possible misunderstanding of or even reflection upon the sacrament of baptism celebrated in another Church or ecclesial community, or any perceived triumphalism in the liturgical welcome into the Catholic eucharistic community. ("National Statutes for the Catechumenate," 33)

In other words, if a baptized Christian is faithfully participating in the Sunday assembly of the Catholic Church, is living a Christian lifestyle, and is adhering to the Catholic teaching, they may be received into full communion as soon as possible—even at the next possible Sunday celebration. They need not wait until the Easter Vigil to be received.

For more information on the RCIA and the catechumenate, check out TeamRCIA.com.

The Liturgy Files: Is January 1, 2008, a holy day of obligation?

Part of my job is to answer email. Some of these emails are simple Q&A. In these Liturgy Files, I'll share some of the most helpful Q&As.


Q: Is January 1, 2008, a holy day of obligation? Has our Bishop dispensed the obligation to participate in Mass?

A: January 1 is the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and is one of the holy days of obligation observed in the United States. (Click here for the entire list of holy days of obligation for the US.) By law, all Catholics are obligated to participate in Mass on these days. However, the Bishop of each diocese, whenever he judges that it contributes to their spiritual good, may dispense the faithful of his diocese from the obligation to participate in Mass for a particular holy day.

Bishop McGrath has dispensed the Diocese of San José from the obligation to participate in Mass on January 1, 2008. This dispensation, however, does not remove the rank of solemnity from the day, and the faithful are still encouraged to participate in Mass if they are able or to observe the holy day in other forms of prayer or pious works.

Parishes are expected to provide at least one Mass in observance of the holy day, either at an anticipated Mass on the evening of December 31, 2007, or during the day on January 1, 2008.

The Liturgy Files: Can you put fish in the font?

Part of my job is to answer email (I receive and send at least 50 emails a day....sheesh!). Some of these emails are simple Q&A. In these Liturgy Files, I'll share some of the most helpful Q&As.

Today's note is actually an email the United States Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy (BCL) received in their inbox. I will have to file this in the "Don't Do This!" section of the Liturgy Files. Hat tip to Fr. Chris at Santa Teresa.

Q: Our church was recently renovated. Our pastor has made certain changes, among them, fish have been placed in the water of the baptismal font. Is it appropriate? I have never seen this in any other parish.

A: Click here to read the BCL's answer.

The Liturgy Files: How do you handle December 8 this year?

Part of my job is to answer email (I receive and send at least 50 emails a day....sheesh!). Some of these emails are simple Q&A. In these Liturgy Files, I'll share some of the most helpful Q&As.

Q: This year, December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, falls on a Saturday. Is it still a holy day of obligation? What do you celebrate on Saturday night: Immaculate Conception or the Second Sunday of Advent? Can you satisfy the holy day obligation and the Sunday obligation in one Mass?

A: The obligation to attend Mass on December 8 remains even if it falls on a Saturday. Here is a list of holy days of obligation in the United States and their exceptions. Therefore, December 8, 2007 is still a holy day of obligation even though it falls on Saturday this year.

In liturgical time-keeping, days tend to begin with sunset the day before and end at sunset the day of. Technically, they begin after Evening Prayer the night before and end with Evening Prayer the day of. Sundays and solemnities will include the Evening Prayer the night before as part of the solemnity.

• On the evening of Friday, December 7, 2007, one may celebrate an anticipated Mass for Immaculate Conception which would satisfy the obligation for Immaculate Conception.
• During the day on Saturday, December 8, 2007, the Masses would be for Immaculate Conception, and anyone participating in these Masses satisfies the obligation for Immaculate Conception.
• The evening Mass on Saturday, December 8, 2007, is the anticpated Mass for the Second Sunday of Advent. This evening Mass satisfies the Sunday obligation or the Immaculate Conception obligation, but not both.

To satisfy both the holy day obligation and the Sunday Mass obligation, one must participate in two Masses--one between Friday evening and Saturday evening, and one between Saturday evening and Sunday evening, regardless of the readings or prayers used at either Mass. It's not the readings or prayers that fulfill the obligation but the time of day. I know, it's wacky, but true.

Got a different answer? Share it by clicking the Comments link below.

The Liturgy Files: When to do Announcements

Part of my job is to answer email (I receive and send at least 50 emails a day....sheesh!). Some of these emails are simple Q&A. In these Liturgy Files, I'll share some of the most helpful Q&As.

Q: During Mass, when is the most appropriate time to give announcements?

A: The most appropriate time for announcements during the Mass would be after the Prayer After Communion and before the final blessing of the Mass. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, #90 indicates that the Concluding Rites of the Mass include brief announcements if necessary.

Announcements may also be given before Mass begins, that is, before the opening song. Some places make brief announcements before the Preparation of Gifts, but I find that this is not appropriate. Whenever announcements are made, they should always be brief. They never work no matter when in the Mass if they are too long or too many.

Got a different answer? Share it by clicking the Comments link below.