General Instruction of the Roman Missal 3
| Hierarchical nature of the liturgy The hierarchical nature of the celebration of the Mass is to be understood as a hierarchy of service or ministry. The purpose of this hierarchy of service is to aid the people in their worship of God. It is a sign that we are an ordered community formed by the Spirit for this worship. All of this happens under the pastoral guidance of the presider (bishop or priest) who serves the people and the Church by leading the community in prayer. Each minister, through their service to the community in the liturgy, acts to promote the worship of God by the whole congregation. For example, the reader proclaims God’s word to the assembled people of God that they may reflect and be nourished by that word. And, through that reflection, be more fully prepared to celebrate the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Thus, each minister has a particular role to play within the celebration. This role then defines both the purpose of their ministry and the duties and functions, which each minister performs in the celebration. Therefore, no minister should take on the roles of any other minister within a particular celebration for it can diminish the hierarchical nature of the liturgy.
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Sacrificial nature of the liturgy Understanding that the Mass is a sacrifice is a theological truth that the Church has taught in memoria. This was most clearly articulated by the teaching of the Council of Trent, the Second Vatican Council and theology of the Mass presented in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. As we celebrate the Mass, we partake of the one sacrifice of Christ, which is a participation in his death, resurrection, ascension and the pouring forth of the Spirit. Our sharing in this sacrifice comes through the gifts that are presented of bread and wine and our prayer of praise. For as the first Eucharistic Prayer says, “we ask you to accept and bless these gifts we offer you in sacrifice” and “we offer you this sacrifice of praise.” In the Eucharistic Prayer, we offer our words of praise which united with the words of Christ form the great prayer of thanksgiving. Through this prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit, we offer back to the Father the gift He has given us, Christ, through the bread and wine, transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. In this we participate in the one sacrifice of Christ. This participation finds its completion when the community receives the Body and Blood of Christ. That is why it is so important that the community receive communion from the celebration in which they participate and that hosts reserved in the tabernacle not be used. The theology of sacrifice is truly at the heart and soul of the celebration and always has been. It is not a new theological insight; rather, it is a theological point that the GIRM has more strongly emphasized. As such, it is a point that may not, in itself, be reflected in the particular changes that will happen in the celebration. But it is a point that has been in some ways more strongly emphasized within the new General Instruction. Thus, at this point, it is an insight that needs to be reflected upon as we anticipate the changes that will occur. Therefore, where the other two points will be seen more clearly in the outward changes that happen, the importance of this theological insight must not be understated. |
