The Liturgy Course

On special family days you bring out the best stuff - decorations, place settings and clothes that don't get used on other days of the year. We keep some treasures hidden away and bring them out for only the most important occasions.

The Easter Vigil is the most important Mass of the year. In the complete ranking of all Catholic Church celebrations, the Triduum occupies the top spot. The Triduum, which begins with Holy Thursday's Mass of the Lord's Supper, concludes with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday.

Holy Saturday is the day before Easter Sunday. On this day, the Church recalls the period between the burial and the Resurrection of Jesus.

One of the most impressive parts of the Good Friday Liturgy is when the faithful come forward to show their respect for the Cross of Christ.

On Good Friday, should the liturgy feature the use of a Cross or a Crucifix? In practice, either one is acceptable. Although, the long tradition at St. Peter's Basilica is to use a Crucifix, the official rubrics of Good Friday simply use the word Cross.

The Church solemnly observes Good Friday with a special liturgy called the Celebration of the Lord's Passion. It should take place at 3 pm, but another time may be chosen.

"No shirt, no shoes, no service." Restaurants often display this sign to show who's not welcome at their table. A sign at the Last Supper could have read, "No shirt, no shoes = service."

The Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday ends the season of Lent and begins the Triduum, the sacred three days when we commemorate the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

The Assembly is the entire community gathered for worship. The word designates all ministers and all the people.

An Acolyte is a minister whom a Bishop institutes for service at the Mass. All acolytes are male.

The Bishop is the father of the diocese, and his primary activity is celebrating Mass at the cathedral.

In the absence of a priest (and a deacon), communities of the faithful still gather on a Sunday for prayer.

Before the Mass begins, someone has to prepare for it. The sacristan "diligently arranges the liturgical books, the vestments, and other things that are necessary for the celebration of Mass" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 105a).

At Mass, the reader proclaims the assigned Scriptures that precede the Gospel. A person does not need to be ordained deacon or priest to serve as a reader at Mass.

The Priest is the minister who offers the sacrifice of the Mass in the person of Christ (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 93).

A Master of Ceremonies is a minister in the sanctuary who assists the flow of a liturgy. The role is especially appropriate for Masses with a Bishop.

A homily is a sermon preached by a deacon or a priest, but there are occasions when a lay person preaches. Most commonly, these are celebrations outside of Mass.

As you enter a Catholic church building, you say hello to those arriving with you. Your parish may have someone at the door to add to this friendly encounter. That person is the greeter.

When the number of priests and deacons is insufficient for the orderly and time distribution of Communion for a large number of worshipers, instituted acolytes and laypeople may assist as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.

When Deacons first appeared in our sanctuaries in the late 1960s, it seemed like another new-fangled idea. Actually, it's a rather old-fangled idea that originated only a few years after Jesus died.

As the number of priests decline, their appearance in groups becomes eventful. When priests participate in a Mass in which they do not preside, they may concelebrate.

The choir fosters the active participation of the faithful by means of the signing (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 103). The choir may sing alone or in alteration with the faithful.

The cantor leads and sustains the singing of the assembly. The cantor may also sing solos or alternate with everyone else.

The Liturgy can be understood from a variety of different perspectives. We will look at it through the eyes of religion, that is, the making present of the word, symbol and sacrament of the pascal mystery of Christ so that through its celebration we may deepen our bond with Christ and ultimately achieve our salvation.