Does your parish ...
seek to grow people in the art of worship and liturgy?
The celebration of the Sunday Eucharist has always held a place of supreme importance in the life of the Church. Because of this, in the Vibrant Parish model, worship forms the very heart of a vibrant and flourishing faith community.
Not only is the liturgy an act of public worship, one that has been handed down through the ages and cared for by the Church, but it is also a source of deep spiritual nourishment. It is a font of grace and what sustains us on our pilgrim journey.
The very word parish derives from a word meaning sojourner. We are sojourners, travellers on the road, and like the Old Testament Israelites who were given bread from heaven in the desert, Christ has given us ‘the true bread from heaven’ (Jn 6:32), his own presence in the Eucharist—real, substantial, and life-giving.
Carefully tending to the celebration of the Eucharist will form a crucial part of our journey towards renewal, so that, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, everyone can have their eyes opened and their hearts lifted in worship.
There are three areas commonly cited as areas for growth during the Sunday celebration.
Hymns. At the heart of worship is thanksgiving, the praising of God for who he is and what he has done for us. The word ‘eucharist’ means ‘thanksgiving’; it is worship offered by Christ to the Father on our behalf, and in which we are invited to share. Understanding this may help how you approach liturgical music in your own parish context.
Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, reaffirmed that sacred music was ‘greater even than any other art’ and ‘a treasure of inestimable value’ precisely because it served and enhanced liturgical worship (§112). Although the primary purpose of sacred music is the glorification of God, music also serves ‘the sanctification of the faithful,’ and is meant to facilitate their full, conscious, and active participation in the Eucharist (§112). In other words, we should always be thinking about what will lift people’s hearts towards God in heartfelt praise.
Homilies. Homilies are a genuine ‘art’, and one that needs to be cultivated (Verbum Domini §60). However, there can often be a lot of pressure on clergy delivering a homily, especially because they are being asked to balance a lot of different things. Excellent homiletics is a life-long quest, but there are things priests can do to cultivate this artform.
Hospitality. The Church has a rich tradition of hospitality, growing from Christ’s own words: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ (Mt 25:35). In welcoming the stranger we welcome, in some mysterious way, Christ himself. The purpose of hospitality is to ensure that nobody is left feeling like a stranger, that people who are searching can find their rest and sanctuary among the ‘community of communities’ and ‘family of families’ that is the parish (EG §28). Hospitality should not just be the work of a specific team, as important as that team is. What would our parishes look like if every member saw themselves as hosts rather than guests?