NewMassNorms

New Mass Norms

In August 2008,Bishop Burbidge published his General Norms for Celebration of the Sacred Liturgy of the Mass in the Forma Ordinaria. The following notes how our entire worshipping assembly at St. Raphael is to conform to these norms:

Preparation for Mass

1. Sacred silence prior to the beginning of a Sacred Liturgy reflects and encourages the right disposition for the celebration. Therefore, all are invited to maintain sacred silence in the area around the baptismal font and the nave of the church once they have entered these areas before the start of Mass.

2. The faithful are encouraged to dress appropriately for the Sacred Liturgy as befits their participation in the most important hour of the day which the Lord has made. (See Psalm 118:24a)

Introductory Rites

3. The assembly is to stand when the bell is rung for the start of Mass.

4. The assembly is not to make the sign of the cross as the principal celebrant concludes the Penitential Rite, lest we confuse this prayer with the sacramental absolution the priest gives in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Liturgy of the Word

5. All are invited to take advantage of the short periods of silence that immediately follow the first two readings and the homily to reflect and pray over what they have heard proclaimed.

6. During the recitation of the Creed, the priest and the people are to bow at the words: “by the power of the Holy Spirit ... and became man” as a sign of reverence to the wonder of the Incarnation.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

7. After the priest washes his hands, the assembly is to stand as he begins with the invitation, “Pray Brethren”

8. The gesture of holding hands as the Our Father is prayed is not encouraged, for the reception of Holy Communion is the sign and bond of unity of the Church at prayer.

9. The Sign of Peace should be given to those nearby and done in a dignified manner.

10.The assembly is to kneel following the conclusion of the Lamb of God as a sign of humility before the Presence of Christ, the Lamb of God, Who is about to be received by the faithful in Holy Communion.

11.Those who come forward in the communion procession and who do not wish to receive Holy Communion are to signal such by crossing their arms across their chest when they are face to face with the minister. This will also be a signal that they desire to be prayed over by the priest, deacon or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.

12.Immediately before receiving the Precious Body or the Precious Blood of the Lord, the communicant is to make a bow of the head.

13.To receive Communion in the hand, one hand can be placed beneath the other in order to take every precaution that nothing is lost.

14.Receiving Communion by intinction is an option that the Church offers us; that is to say intinction by a minister, but never self-intinction. This mode for the reception of Communion would require that the communicant hold a communion plate under their chin to receive the intincted Host on their tongue, and that the minister with Host first proceed to a minister with the Cup to perform the intinction. We have judged that this procedure would inappropriately consume too much of our time for Communion, and for this reason we will at present not offer it.

15.Following the reception of Holy Communion, individual communicants return to their place in the assembly and remain standing to express that they are participating in a communal act of thanksgiving for the gift of the Holy Eucharist. This uniformity of posture, however, does not prohibit individual communicants from choosing to kneel or sit.

16.Once all have received Holy Communion, the assembly may kneel or sit to make their private act of thanksgiving.

11/21/08