Weekly Notes - 09/24/2017

Have you heard the words “full and active participation in liturgical celebrations”?  These are words from the document “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” which was promulgated on December 4, 1963 by Pope Paul VI.    This past week Pope Francis used some very similar words “fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations.”

If this expected of us, how do we do this?  Full is, of course, total which means our total self, our whole being and body.  Active is the not passive which would be like an observer, but fully participating with words, singing and actions. How many of us really do that?  I believe one of the reservations which some of us have is that we have been taught to be reverent in church; that we should not talk in church and our behavior should be modified.  Thus, we have a reluctance to really participate actively.  

Last weekend I had the 4:30 p.m. Saturday and the 11 a.m. Sunday Masses.  I really paid attention to the participation at Mass with the responses and the singing.  I can see from my vantage point that not every person moves their lips for the responses and the singing.  But with my ears, I could hear that there were more people singing and responding to the prayers.  I commend you on your responses and singing.  In an ideal world we would love for everyone to participate fully and actively, but we do not live in such a world.

Thanks for all you do!!

Fr. Joe Wormek