Bulletins

April 10, 2016

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On Wednesdays and First Saturdays, on Holy Thursday and on Corpus Christ, we gather at the altar to adore Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament. When the priest or deacon leads prayers at Exposition and Benediction he is kneeling in front of the altar.

Try to imagine for a moment how it would look and how you would feel if the priest or deacon were to kneel behind the altar at Exposition and Benediction. When I try to image that it seems awkward.

When the priest or deacon is facing the same direction as most of the congregation, is it not clearly symbolic of his leading the Christian people toward God?

Cardinal Ratzinger would agree. In his book Spirit of the Liturgy (published in 200 by Ignatius Press) there is a chapter entitled “The Altar and the Direction of Liturgical Prayer”. In it he says:

after the Council (which says nothing about “turning to the people”) new altars were set up everywhere, and today celebration versus populum really does look like the characteristic fruit of Vatican II's liturgical renewal. In fact it is the most conspicuous consequence of a re-ordering that not only signifies a new external arrangement of the places dedicated to the Liturgy, but also brings with it a new idea of the essence of the Liturgy.

Needless to say, he considers the “new idea” to be mistaken. Instead of conceding these changes as permanent he insists:

A common turning to the East during the Eucharistic Prayer remains essential. This is not a case of accidentals, but of essentials. Looking at the priest has no importance. What matters is looking together at the Lord. It is not now a question of dialogue, but of common worship, of setting off towards the One who is to come.

At the same time he suggests (back in the year 2000) that this takes time, admitting that “nothing is more harmful to the Liturgy than constant changes, even if it seems to be for the sake of genuine renewal.” His initial suggestion for immediate implementation was the placement of a significant cross in the middle of the altar to serve as a reference point.

The next modest correction that can be taken without any further rebuilding would be for the priest and deacon to stand at the front of the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer, similar to how they lead prayers at Adoration. This is what St. John has been doing on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday for many years. I would like to know your thoughts about our doing that more of the time.

God bless you!

Fr. Christopher J. Pollard
[email protected]