The Sunday "obligation"

One of the precepts of the Catholic Church (i.e., rules that Catholics are to follow), is to attend Mass on Sunday. In most cases in this country, this is not a problem — there are Catholic Churches that are reasonably accessible to most Catholics, even if it means driving a little bit. 

       However, it is important to note that no precept of the Church binds a person if it involves a significant hardship or it would put the person or others at risk. A good example is a person who is ill, especially if they have an infectious disease. By attending Mass, they could infect dozens — if not hundreds — of other people. 

       With winter approaching and some time left in hurricane season, it is also important to note that one need not put oneself at risk. If the roads or sidewalks are slippery, the temperature is well below zero such that frostbite is a serious risk, or if power lines are down and it is just very risky to be traveling to church, there is no obligation to go.

       Nonetheless, one is still to "keep holy the Lord's day." If one is unable to go to church on Sunday, it is still expected that one will set aside some time in prayer and worship, preferably with a group of others. The scriptures of the day may be read, intercessions may be offered, and either formal prayers or spontaneous prayer should be said. 

Gestures of reverence in a Catholic Church

When entering a Catholic Church, it should be obvious where the tabernacle containing the reserved Blessed Sacrament is (look for a burning lamp). It is a good idea to look for that right away, because that will determine how one should behave in all parts of the church. 

When in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament 

Upon entering or leaving the place where the tabernacle is, one should genuflect toward the tabernacle. Genuflecting is done by touching the right knee to the floor briefly and then standing back up. The short prayer that is usually said silently when genuflecting is, "Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, I adore you." 

       Also, when in the place where the tabernacle is, it is customary to be silent. The reason for this is that one of the secondary purposes for reserving the Blessed Sacrament is for the faithful to have the opportunity for prayer and adoration in proximity to the Real Presence. Many churches in Europe (especially in Italy) post large signs for the tourists to indicate that they are entering the Chapel of Reservation and they are to be quiet. 

Elsewhere in the worship space

Outside of the Chapel of Reservation, the most prominent feature in the worship space should be the altar — it should be in the center of the sanctuary. The liturgical norms of the Catholic Church specify that a profound bow (i.e., a deep bend at the waist) is the appropriate sign of reverence for the altar. A person must bow (1) when entering or leaving the sanctuary and (2) when passing in front of the altar. It is also customary to bow to the altar when entering and leaving one's pew at the beginning and end of the Mass. 

If the tabernacle is on or near the main altar

In some older churches, the tabernacle is on an altar behind the main altar or in a niche in the wall of the sanctuary. What's the appropriate reverence in this situation? The liturgical books specify that one is to genuflect when entering and leaving the pews, when entering or leaving the sanctuary, or crossing in front of the tabernacle.

       The exception is during the Mass: no one is to genuflect once Mass has begun, except for the presider who is to make three genuflections during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Therefore, for most people, they need only genuflect when entering their pew before Mass and leaving their pew at the end of Mass. Not even the lectors who read the First or Second Reading — they are to bow to the altar as they enter and leave the sanctuary.

       Some may ask: isn't this disrespectful of the Blessed Sacrament? The answer is, "No, it is not." The reason it is not is because the celebration of the Eucharist is in progress, and if it weren't for the Eucharist (the Mass), we would have no Blessed Sacrament to begin with. The Church wants us to realize that our active celebration of the Eucharist should be the summit of our lives as Catholics, and the font from which all of our faith comes forth. Once the Eucharistic action is complete, then the Blessed Sacrament that remains is most definitely worthy of our adoration.

Why dipping the host is wrong

With the flu season upon us, I have noticed an increasing number of people in the Communion Procession who are wanting to dip the consecrated bread into the consecrated wine, rather than drinking from the cup. The Catholic Church has stated repeatedly that it is sacrilegious (and therefore not permitted) for a deacon or a lay person to do this. Why? After all, didn't we used to do this in the '70s?
       A brief liturgical history: Prior to some point in the 1970s, having lay people receive the Blood of Christ was all but outlawed, for fear of spilling the Precious Blood of Christ. Then, the Vatican loosened the rules on this, and many US bishops felt that it would be beneficial for all to receive both the Body and the Blood of Christ. At the time, Holy Communion was distributed by priests on the tongue in most locations. So, special "intinction sets" were made that were essentially an open ciborium with a small cup in the center. The priest would take a host, dip it in the cup, and place it on the communicant's tongue, saying "The Body and Blood of Christ." Meanwhile, an altar server would hold a paten under the communicant's chin in order to catch any drops or spills. (Further history: this practice of "intinction" grew out of an older practice at Masses with a large number of concelebrating priests. In order for all the priests to speedily receive Holy Communion, priests would dip their hosts into the chalice on the altar.)
       The next development was three-fold: lay people were permitted to distribute Holy Communion as "extraordinary ministers"*; people were permitted to receive the Body of Christ in the hand; and people were permitted to drink the Blood of Christ from a chalice or communion cup. The practice of the communion minister dipping the host and placing it on the tongue of the communicant more or less went away at that point.
       In recent years, however, it has resurfaced, except this time instead of the priest doing the dipping, the communicant themselves are doing the dipping. The exact reason for this is unclear, but it seems to be due in part to a fear of transmitting germs. But the General Instruction of the Roman Missal 2002 only permits intinction by priests, not by communicants, and other more recent Vatican documents make it clear that "self-intinction" is not permitted. 
       The theological value being upheld is that no one except a priest-celebrant is permitted to "take" Holy Communion: it is to be administered (offered by a minister) and received. Dipping a host is considered "taking" and not receiving.†
       A secondary concern is that there is an increase risk of spilling the Body or Blood of Christ if a drop of consecrated wine drips off the soaked host, or if the host itself disintegrates after being soaked with consecrated wine and falls to the floor.
       Another practical/pastoral concern is the rise of Celiac-Sprue disease. An increasing number of communicants have Celiac-Sprue, which means that they must not consume any gluten, which is present in wheat. In most cases, this means they can only receive Holy Communion by drinking of the Blood of Christ. A host dipped into a cup of consecrated wine will leave some amount of gluten dissolved in the consecrated wine, thus preventing someone who is gluten-intolerant from receiving Holy Communion at all.
       Thus, if one is concerned at all about transmitting or being contaminated with flu viruses, bacteria, germs, etc. through receiving the Blood of Christ, s/he should then not receive from the cup, rather than dipping their host into the cup.
       By the way, anyone interested in the Catholic Church's response to H1N1 or other influenza should check out the US bishops' web page on the subject, which can be found at www.usccb.org/liturgy/swineflu.shtml.
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*The ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are the ordained ministers of the Church: bishops, priests, and deacons.
†One dear parish leader often says, "Jesus said, 'Take and eat' and 'Take and drink'; he didn't say 'Take and dip!'"

Being "properly disposed" and divorce

The Church teaches that those who wish to receive Holy Communion must be "properly disposed." There are three explicit requirements and two implicit ones. The explicit requirements are:

1. The person must not be aware of having committed any serious sin.
2. The person must have fasted at least one hour prior to receiving Holy Communion.
3. The person must not have received Holy Communion more than once previously on the same day.

The implicit requirements are:

1. The person must be a Roman Catholic.
   
2. The person must have been a full, conscious, and active participant during the Mass at which they wish to receive Holy Communion.

So why is there often a lot of hoopla about divorced Catholics not being able to receive Holy Communion? There is some basis for this, but there is also a lot of misunderstanding about it.

       People who are living in a civil marriage that is not also a sacramental marriage run afoul of the first explicit requirement: they are deemed to be living in a state of serious sin, and that sin is unchastity — they are living in a (presumably) sexual union with someone who the Church doesn't recognize as their sacramentally-married spouse. 

       This commonly applies to divorced Catholics who remarried outside of the Church. Note that it also applies even to Catholics in their first marriage if their marriage did not take place in the Church. It does not apply, however, to divorced Catholics who have not remarried, and it does not apply to Catholics who have had prior marriages annulled and had their current marriage brought into the Church.

       The short-run solution to this is to sacramentally confess one's sinfulness prior to receiving Holy Communion. However, the long-run solution (which most confessors will encourage) is to bring one's marriage into the Church.

The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, part 8 (Suicide)

To wrap up this series on Catholic funerals, a word about suicide. 
       Obviously, the taking of a life is evil, whether it is of another person or of oneself. However, for an evil action to be a grave sin requires more than just that. According to The Catechism of the Catholic Church, "for a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be present: grave matter, full knowledge of the evil of the act, and full consent of the will." Only the person who commits an evil act can assess whether all three are present, and in suicide, that person is no longer able to make that assessment and seek reconciliation. Therefore, the Catechism offers this pastoral insight: "Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide. We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives" [emphasis added].
       Thus, a person who committed suicide is not barred from receiving a Catholic funeral.

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Note: The widely respected theologian and author Rev. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI writes frequently about suicide, and his insights are worth examining on this subject. His latest writing on this subject is dated August 16, 2009 and can be found here. Other articles from past years can be found in his archive.

The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, part 7 (Rite of Committal)

The final movement of the Catholic funeral is the Rite of Committal. This takes place at the site of the final resting place of the deceased. The Committal has the following parts:

• Invitation. The presider invites all to pray for the deceased and the mourners.
  
• Scripture Verse. The presider reads a short sentence from the New Testament (there are four options in the Rite).
• Prayer over the Place of Committal. There are three options for this: (a) if the place of committal is to be blessed (such as a public cemetery plot); (b) if the place has been blessed already (such as a Catholic cemetery plot); or (3) if the body will be physically committed at a later time.
  
• Committal. The presider then says the Prayer of Committal (there are a number of options). Immediately following this, the remains are physically committed — the coffin is placed in the ground, the urn is placed in the columbarium, the capsule is placed in the ocean, etc. This is an important and very powerful step! The entire committal hinges on this moment. It firmly roots the entire Rite of Committal in the present: the deceased is now gone.*
• Intercessions. The prayers of intercession have two parts — a set for the deceased and a set for those who mourn. Both should be there for the Committal to have the power to heal.
• The Lord's Prayer. 
• Concluding Prayer. Again, there are a number of options that the presider may choose from to best fit the circumstances.
• Prayer over the People. The presider asks God to hear the cries of the mourners, then leads those gathered in the customary prayers for the dead ("Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord..."), and blesses and dismisses those who have gathered. After dismissal, the people gathered may show some sign or gesture of leave-taking, such as throwing flowers or a handful of dirt on top of the coffin.
  

      So concludes the Catholic Funeral.
      To summarize: the Vigil is about the past (the deceased's life); the Funeral Mass is about the hope for the future (the resurrection of the dead); and the Committal is about the present (the deceased is gone and we are faced with loss). Taken together, they address the human and spiritual needs that we all have when faced with the loss of a loved one.

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*I can't overstate the importance of having the mourners watch as the coffin is lowered into the ground, or the remains committed to their spot and the spot sealed over. To be sure, it is gut-wrenching to witness it: I have assisted at two Committals involving young children, and the grief of the parents was almost unbearable. But it was a very holy moment when the winches and the wailing stopped, and all of those gathered joined in the Intercessions that followed. On the flip-side, it has been my experience, families who are unwilling to have the physical committal happen as a sacramental moment have something that is keeping them from addressing some unfinished business, either among themselves or between them and the deceased.True peace can only come about when we come face-to-face with reality, we allow ourselves to forgive and be forgiven, and we embrace the surety of the future resurrection.

The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, part 6 (Funeral Mass)

As mentioned in the previous post on the Introductory Rites of the Funeral Mass, there are many options for the prayers of the Funeral Mass. When it comes to the Liturgy of the Word, the same is true — there are many options. The presider (or family) may choose from seven Old Testament readings, ten Responsorial Psalms, nineteen passages from the New Testament letters, eleven Alleluia verses, and nineteen Gospels.* Thus, there is a rich treasure-trove of material from which the Bible can cast light on the life of the deceased.
       Sometimes, the great variety can be overwhelming for the surviving family members to deal with, especially if there is little time to prepare for the Mass. It is always an option for families in this circumstance to ask the presider to pick the most appropriate readings. Also, it is highly recommended that all Catholics plan ahead and choose the readings they would like to use at their own funerals, and make sure that these wishes are known to family members, the chosen funeral director, or the pastor.
       The Mass proceeds as usual, until after the Prayer After Communion. At this point the Rite permits a member or friend of the family to speak in remembrance of the deceased. Note that this should not duplicate the opportunity that was available in the Vigil for many people to tell their stories. It specifically allows for only one such remembrance. I like the way it is done in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where the policy is that this moment in the Funeral Mass should recall the deceased's life of faith — their birth, initiation in the Church, marriage, ordination, ministry, etc.
       Following the remembrance is the Final Commendation. In this part, the presider first invites all to pray for the deceased. After a time of silent prayer, the Song of Farewell is sung while the presider incenses the coffin. If nothing else is sung during the entire liturgy, this part should be sung.† The words are beautiful in expressing our hope for the soul of the deceased: "Saints of God, come to his/her aid! Hasten to meet him/her, angels of the Lord! ... May Christ, who called you, take you to himself; may angels lead you to the bosom of Abraham..."
       The priest then says the Prayer of Commendation, in which we commend the soul of the deceased into God's care, ask for forgiveness for his/her sins, and (in some versions of the Prayer) ask for comfort for "us who remain."
       Finally, the deacon concludes the liturgy with the words, "In peace let us take our brother/sister to his/her place of rest." A procession then forms, leading out of the church.

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*For children who died before Baptism, the Rite has two Old Testament readings, one Responsorial Psalm, two Alleluia verses, and three Gospels. 
†Dennis C. Smolarski, SJ has composed a simple version set to a familiar hymn tune which can be sung unaccompanied, if need be. It is routinely published in OCP missalettes.