Liturgy: 2002 Missale Romanum online

CLERUS.org has the 2002 Missale Romanum online. In Latin. It's a little difficult to decipher (and I'm not referring to the Latin, I'm referring to the format of the web site) but it's there. Maybe this will keep me from buying the actual book.

Liturgy: 2002 Missale Romanum Study Edition

Sigh. It's times like this when I wish I were a seminarian...

Midwest Theological Forum has a "Study Edition" of the 2002 Missale Romanum (yes, that's the official Latin version) for $150. That's a bit much for me to spend on a book right now (the chapel-sized 1985 English Roman Missal -- a.k.a. Sacramentary -- cost $55), given some of the expenses I've accrued in the past month (a trip to the Metropolitan Opera this Friday with my wife, and a trip next Saturday to Philly with my wife to hear/see Carmina Burana). But perhaps later this year I'll suck it up and purchase it. It'd help me grok Latin, since I don't have a Latin Breviary, and I've got a book which teaches Latin for reading the Missal and Breviary!

Meme: Sentences 6-8 of page 123 of the nearest book

Adoro te devote tagged me, because I pray for priests. (I always knew praying for priests would be a burden!)

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

Here is my contribution. The book is (surprise, surprise) the current English translation of the Roman Missal (a.k.a. the Sacramentary). Page 123 has the prayers over the palm branches, from Sunday of Holy Week (Passion or Palm Sunday) for the "First Form: The Procession". By my estimation, sentences 6 through 8 are:

Lord,
increase the faith of your people
and listen to our prayers.
Today we honor Christ our triumphant King
by carrying these branches.
May we honor you ever day
by living always in him,
for he is Lord for ever and ever.

Yes, it's the alternative prayer over the palm branches. If I may editorialize for a moment before feebly tagging five people... compare that prayer over the palms with the first option:

Almighty God,
we pray you
bless + these branches
and make them holy.
Today we joyfully acclaim Jesus our Messiah and King.
May we reach one day the happiness of the new and everlasting Jerusalem
by faithfully following him
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Note that the alternative doesn't ask for the branches to be blessed (though they are sprinkled with holy water afterwards, regardless of the prayer used). Note that the alternative doesn't name Jesus as Christ. Note that the alternative is focused a bit more on us (our faith, our prayers). Note that the alternative makes no connection to the heavenly Jerusalem in juxtaposition to the worldly Jerusalem, the entrance into which we are celebrating.

Does anyone have the Latin Roman Missal for the Ordinary Form of Mass? I'd really like to know what the prayer over the branches (in Latin) is.

I like the first prayer better.

I tag the first five bloggers who read this blog and are courageous enough to admit they've been tagged. You know who you are. (Because I don't.)

Liturgy: The Penitential Rite and the Kyrie

The Penitential Rite is an important part of the Mass; the only time it can be omitted is when it is replaced by the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling Holy Water, or if Mass was preceded by part of the Liturgy of the Hours (see the GILH, nn. 94-96). The Kyrie is separate from the Penitential Rite. The rubrics for the Penitential Rite are:

After the introduction to the day's Mass, the priest invites the people to recell their sins and to repent of them in silence. He may use these or similar words:

A. As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of Christ's love, let us acknowledge our failures and ask the Lord for pardon and strength.

B. Coming together as God's family, with confidence let us ask theFather's forgiveness, for he is full of gentleness and compassion.

C. My brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.

A pause for silent reflection follows.

After the silence, one of the following three forms is chosen:

A.
All say: I confess to almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault
They strike their breast:
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin,
all the angels and saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.

The priest says the absolution:
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
The people answer:
Amen.

B.
The priest says:
Lord, we have sinned against you:
Lord, have mercy.
The people answer:
Lord, have mercy.
Priest:
Lord, show us your mercy and love.
People:
And grant us your salvation.

The priest says the absolution:
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
The people answer:
Amen.

C.
The priest (or other suitable minister) makes the following or other invocations:
[Note: Eight texts are provided in the Sacramentary. Text i is shown below.]

Priest:
You were sent to heal the contrite:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Lord, have mercy.

Priest:
You came to call sinners:
Christ, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.

Priest:
You plead for us at the right hand of the Father:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Lord, have mercy.

The priest says the absolution:
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
The people answer:
Amen.

That is the Penitential Rite. Then the Sacramentary describes the Kyrie:

The invocations, Lord, have mercy, follow, unless they have already been used in one of the forms of the act of penance.

V. Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.
V. Christ, have mercy. R. Christ, have mercy.
V. Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.

OR:

V. Kýrie, eléison. R. Kýrie, eléison.
V. Chríste, eléison. R. Chríste, eléison.
V. Kýrie, eléison. R. Kýrie, eléison.

My impression is that only Form C of the Penitential Rite contains the Kyrie; thus, it is required after Form A (the Confiteor) and Form B. Seeing as how the Pope had the Kyrie invoked by the choir after Form B [in the Mass of the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God], I would guess I am correct in that regard. Furthermore, to use multiple forms of the Penitential Rite (such as Form A followed by Form C) is incorrect; the Confiteor (Form A) must be followed by the Kyrie, not by Form C of the Penitential Rite.

I find it bizarre that the Sacramentary does not just come right out and say "The Kyrie follows unless Form C of the Penitential Rite was used." Instead, it says it in a roundabout way: "... unless they have already been used." Which form(s) of the Penitential Rite use the "Lord, have mercy", "Christ, have mercy", "Lord, have mercy" invocations? My understanding is that only Form C uses them. Form B, although it uses "Lord, have mercy", does not use the other invocations. Form C contains the Kyrie, the other two do not.

Liturgy: Solemn Blessings should be chanted

Have you ever been at a Mass which ended with a Solemn Blessing? This is when the deacon or (in his absence) the priest says: "Bow your heads and pray for God's blessing." The priest then says a blessing with multiple parts, and the congregation responds "Amen" after each.

Of course... the congregation has their heads bowed, so they're looking at their folded hands, the back of the pew in front of them, or the floor. This means, even if the priest or deacon makes some sort of gesture signaling their response, they won't see it. Often people don't know when the phrase the priest is saying has ended. How can we resolve this?

Chant the Solemn Blessing. This is my request.

If you're a priest reading this blog, and you plan on using a Solemn Blessing (since the Sacramentary provides such blessings for Advent, Christmas, the New Year, the Epiphany, the Passion, the Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday, Paschaltide, the Ascension, and numerous other occasions), please, please consider chanting it. (If you're not a priest, please suggest this to your priests, or at least to your pastor. Refer them to this post.)

How can you do this, you ask? Well, the Sacramentary, in Appendix III - Music for the Order of Mass, on pages 1045-1047, provides two models for chanting the Solemn Blessing. For each of these two models it provides an example using the Solemn Blessing for Advent. Spend some time with it. If you use the same setting (A or B), your congregation simply needs to know the tunes for "And also with you" and "Amen", which are very simple.

I might provide audio clips, if the Spirit moves me.

Prayer: Thanksgiving after Mass

Here are some prayers of preparation for Mass, from Appendix I of the Sacramentary (pp. 1010-1014).

Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
Lord, Father all-powerful and ever-living God,
I thank you,
for even though I am a sinner, your unprofitable servant,
not because of my worth but in the kindness of your mercy,
you have fed me
with the precious body and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that this communion
may not bring me condemnation and punishment
but forgiveness and salvation.
May it be a helmet of faith
and a shield of good will.
May it purify me from evil ways
and put an end to my evil passions.
May it bring me charity and patience,
humility and obedience,
and growth in the power to do good.
May it be my strong defense
against all my enemies, visible and invisible,
and the perfect calming of all my evil impulses,
bodily and spiritual.
May it unite me more closely to you,
the one true God,
and lead me safely through death
to everlasting happiness with you.
And I pray that you will lead me, a sinner,
to the banquet where you,
with your Son and Holy Spirit,
are true and perfect light,
total fulfillment,
everlasting joy,
gladness without end,
and perfect happiness to your saints.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to our Redeemer (Anima Christi)
Soul of Christ, make me holy.
Body of Christ, be my salvation.
Blood of Christ, let me drink your wine.
Water flowing from the side of Christ, wash me clean.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
Kind Jesus, hear my prayer;
hide me within your wounds and keep me close to you.
Defend me from the evil enemy.
Call me at my death
to the fellowship of your saints,
that I may sing your praise with them
through all eternity. Amen.

Prayer of Self-Dedication to Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ,
take all my freedom,
my memory, my understanding, and my will.
All that I have and cherish
you have given me.
I surrender it all to be guided by your will.
Your grace and your love
are wealth enough for me.
Give me these, Lord Jesus,
and I ask for nothing more.

Prayer to Jesus Christ Crucified
My good and dear Jesus,
I kneel before you,
asking you most earnestly
to engrave upon my heart
a deep and lively faith, hope and charity,
with true repentance for my sins,
and a firm resolve to make amends.
As I reflect upon your five wounds,
and dwell upon them with deep compassion and grief,
I recall, good Jesus, the words the prophet David spoke
long ago concerning yourself:
they have pierced my hands and feet,
they have counted all my bones.

The Universal Prayer (Attributed to Pope Clement XI)
Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.
I worship you as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
and call on you as my loving protector.
Guide me by your wisdom,
correct me with your justice,
comfort me with your mercy,
protect me with your power.
I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
my words: to have you for their theme;
my actions: to reflect my love for you;
my sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.
I want to do what you ask of me:
in the way you ask,
for as long as you ask,
because you ask it.
Lord, enlighten my understanding,
strengthen my will,
purify my heart,
and make me holy.
Help me to repent of my past sins
and to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
and to grow stronger as a Christian.
Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
and see myself as I really am:
a pilgrim in this world,
a Christian called to respect and love
all whose lives I touch,
those in authority over me
or those under my authority,
my friends and my enemies.
Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
greed by generosity,
apathy by fervor.
Help me to forget myself
and reach out toward others.
Make me prudent in planning,
courageous in taking risks.
Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.
Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer,
temperate in food and drink,
diligent in my work,
Let my conscience be clear,
my conduct without fault,
my speech blameless,
my life well-ordered.
Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.
Let me cherish your love for me,
keep your law,
and come at last to your salvation.
Teach me to realize that this world is passing,
that my true future is the happiness of heaven,
that life on earth is short,
and the life to come eternal.
Help me to prepare for death,
with a proper fear of judgment,
but a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death
to the endless joy of heaven.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary
Mary, holy virgin mother,
I have received your Son, Jesus Christ.
With love you became his mother,
gave birth to him, nursed him,
and helped him grow to manhood.
With love I return him to you,
to hold once more,
to love with all your heart,
and to offer to the Holy Trinity
as our supreme act of worship
for your honor and for the good
of all your pilgrim brothers and sisters.
Mother, ask God to forgive my sins
and to help me serve him more faithfully.
Keep me true to Christ until death,
and let me come to praise him with you
for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer: Preparation for Mass

Here are some prayers of preparation for Mass, from Appendix I of the Sacramentary (pp. 1006-1009).

Prayer of St. Ambrose
Lord Jesus Christ,
I approach your banquet table
in fear and trembling,
for I am a sinner,
and dare not rely on my own worth
but only on your goodness and mercy.
I am defiled by many sins
in body and soul,
and by my unguarded thoughts and words.
Gracious God of majesty and awe,
I seek your protection,
I look for your healing;
Poor troubled sinner that I am,
I appeal to you, the fountain of all mercy.
I cannot bear your judgment,
but I trust in your salvation.
Lord, I show my wounds to you.
I know my sins are many and great,
and they fill me with fear,
but I hope in your mercies,
for they cannot be numbered.
Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, God and man,
crucified for mankind,
look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer,
for I trust in you.
Have mercy on me,
full of sorrow and sin,
for the depth of your compassion never ends.
Praise to you, saving sacrifice,
offered on the wood of the cross for me
and for all mankind.
Praise to the noble and precious blood,
flowing from the wounds of my crucified
Lord Jesus Christ
and washing away the sins of the whole world.
Remember, Lord, your creature,
whom you have redeemed with your blood.
I repent my sins,
and I long to put right what I have done.
Merciful Father, take away
all my offenses and sins;
purify me in body and soul,
and make me worthy to taste the holy of holies.
May your body and blood,
which I intend to receive,
although I am unworthy,
be for me the remission of my sins,
the washing away of my guilt,
the end of my evil thoughts,
and the rebirth of my better instincts.
May it incite me to do the works pleasing to you
and profitable to my health in body and soul,
and be a firm defense
against the wiles of my enemies. Amen.

Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
Almighty and ever-living God,
I approach the sacrament of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I come sick to the Doctor of Life,
unclean to the Fountain of Mercy,
blind to the Radiance of Eternal Light,
and poor and needy to the Lord of Heaven and Earth.
Lord, in your great generosity,
heal my sickness, wash away my defilement,
enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty,
and clothe my nakedness.
May I receive the bread of angels,
the King of kings and the Lord of lords,
with humble reverence,
with the purity and faith,
the repentance and love,
and the determined purpose
that will help to bring me salvation.
May I receive the Lord’s body and blood,
and its reality and power.
Kind God,
may I receive the Body of your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
born from the womb of the Virgin Mary,
and so be received into His Mystical Body
and numbered among his members.
Loving Father,
as on my earthly pilgrimage
I now receive your beloved Son
under the veil of a sacrament,
may I one day see Him face to face in glory,
who lives and reigns with you forever. Amen.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary
Mother of mercy and love,
blessed Virgin Mary,
I am a poor and unworthy sinner,
and I turn to you in confidence and love.
You stood by your Son
as he hung dying on the cross.
Stand also by me, a poor sinner,
and by all the priests
who are offering Mass today
here and throughout the entire Church.
Help us to offer a perfect and acceptable sacrifice
in the sight of the holy and undivided Trinity,
our most high God. Amen.

Statement of Intention (for Priests)
My purpose is to celebrate Mass
and to make present the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to the rite of the holy Roman Church
to the praise of our all-powerful God
and all his assembly in the glory of heaven,
for my good
and the good of all his pilgrim Church on earth,
and for all who have asked me to pray for them
in general and in particular,
and for the good of the holy Roman Church.
May the almighty and merciful Lord
grant us joy and peace,
amendment of life,
room for true repentance,
the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit,
and perseverance in good works. Amen.

LAMP: Liturgical Abuse Mending Package

And Judas said, "Gird yourselves and be valiant. Be ready early in the morning to fight with these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. It is better for us to die in battle than to see the misfortunes of our nation and of the sanctuary." (1 Macc 3:58-59)

When did Judas say that, you ask? Different Judas. This is Judas Maccabeus. And he spoke important words to the Jews of his time, and they still ring true today.

"In order that a remedy may be applied to such abuses, 'there is a pressing need for the biblical and liturgical formation of the people of God, both pastors and faithful', so that the Church’s faith and discipline concerning the sacred Liturgy may be accurately presented and understood." (Redemptionis Sacramentum, n. 170) For this reason, I am assembling LAMP, the "Liturgical Abuse Mending Package". It is a group of documents that will assist you in identifying and correcting liturgical abuses at Mass. The documents are listed in order of necessity. MS Word documents are from my blog's Vox Ecclesiae page unless otherwise noted.

1. Sacramentary - This is the book that contains the Ordinary, Propers, and rubrics for the Mass. It is indispensable! I bought a chapel-sized Sacramentary for $55.
   
2. General Instruction of the Roman Missal (HTML) - The Sacramentary has its own copy of the GIRM inside, but it will be an older edition (unless you have the 2002 Sacramentary, in which case you are truly blessed). Get the most up-to-date edition from March of 2002. EWTN has the original Latin version online, since in most countries, the GIRM is not only translated but also amended with the particular customs and practices of the country.
   
3. Redemptionis Sacramentum (MS Word) (HTML) - This is the 2004 Instruction from the Congregatio de Cultu Divino et Disciplina Sacramentorum "On Certain Matters to be Observed or Avoided Regarding the Most Holy Eucharist". It is not exhaustive, but it covers a lot of ground. You can find this in on this blog as well.
4. Ecclesia de mysterio (MS Word) (HTML) - This is an Instruction from 1997, co-authored by six Congregations and two Pontifical Councils, which lays out guidelines for the collaboration of non-ordained faithful with the ministerial priesthood. This document sets forth, among other things, the term "Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion", which is the official and proper name for those laypersons who are entrusted with the duty of assisting the Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, during the distribution of Communion.
5. Norms for the Distribution of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds (MS Word) (HTML) - This is a USCCB document from 2001 (and subsequently updated in regard to the purification of the sacred vessels) which explains the norms and procedures for administering Communion to the faithful under both species of bread and wine. It makes copious references to the Sacramentary and GIRM, so it's really a summary document (but a rather thorough one).
   
6. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Mass (HTML) - This is a USCCB document that briefly summarizes the responsibilities and limitations of EMHCs. It is a condensed version of the NDHC document listed above.
7. Sacrosanctum Concilium (MS Word) (HTML) - This is the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy from the Second Vatican Council. Read it yourself! See what the Council actually wrote on the need for liturgical reform.
8. Sacerdotium ministeriale (MS Word) - This is a Curial Letter (sent to Bishops) from 1983, authored by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (whose prefect at the time was none other than Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger). It is a brief letter about the importance and necessity of the ministerial priesthood. It describes a few erroneous opinions about the priesthood and the Eucharist, and then explains the Church's traditional teaching on the matter, and exhorts the bishops to root out false teaching in their dioceses. Its primary use for LAMP is for the reinforcement of true teaching regarding the priesthood.
   
9. Memoriale Domini and En réponse à la demande (MS Word) (HTML 1, 2) - These two documents, from the Congregation for Divine Worship from 1969, outline the granting of permission (by indult) for the reception of Communion in the hand by laity. The first document explains the traditional practice of receiving on the tongue, and reminds that it will remain the universal norm; it then goes on to explain the polling results from the Bishops on the question of receiving in the hand, and finally what Pope Paul VI decided to do about the situation. The second document is the first form of the "norms" for receiving in the hand. Note that n. 4 of En réponse suggests the possibility of "allowing the faithful themselves to take the host from the ciborium or paten", a practice which has since been reprobated and forbidden.
10. Immensae Caritatis (MS Word) (HTML) - This Instruction from the Sacred Congregation of the Sacraments from 1973 permitted for the first time "Special Ministers of the Eucharist" (in Part 1). It explains why they were permitted, for what purpose, and who should be admitted to such service; note that it does not mention "active participation" as a reason. Parts 2 and 3 are of less interest to LAMP. Part 4 is entitled "Devotion and Reverence Toward the Eucharist in the Case of Communion in the Hand"; it is a reminder of the catechesis that must accompany this permission, and that the practice must be done with extreme caution.
    

So "gird yourselves and be valiant"! Equip yourselves with knowledge of the liturgy and help inform your priests (and bishops). Be charitable but firm. Do not stand idly by as the sanctuary of the Lord is profaned by abuses. Light the way for yourself and others with this LAMP.

As I discover more and more helpful resources, I will add them to this list. I am considering books such as Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite and Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year, but I'll only know for sure once I've read them through. Please suggest resources that I've missed!