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Jan 12, 2024 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella
A: Conscientious pastors regularly look for the best ways to form their liturgical assemblies. Bulletin inserts are employed, pamphlets and other reading (like Adoremus Bulletin!) are made available in the church, and even classes or parish missions focus on liturgical formation. And as helpful as these and similar means may be, instruction and explanation as the Mass actually unfolds may be more beneficial.
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Jan 12, 2024 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella
A: The Roman Missal explains that “[i]n the Sacred Triduum, the Church solemnly celebrates the greatest mysteries of our redemption, keeping by means of special celebrations the memorial of her Lord, crucified, buried, and risen.” The liturgies of the Sacred Triduum consist of the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night.
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Jan 12, 2024 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella
A:The beginning of the Easter Vigil is governed not by a clock, but by the sacramentality of light and darkness. It is the contrast of the new fire against the backdrop of “nightfall” that the signs of darkness and light become meaningful. Indeed, as the priest lights the Paschal Candle on that most holy night, he invokes these signs: “May the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds” (see 1 Peter 2:9).
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Jan 12, 2024 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella
A: Within Mass, the rite for the blessing and distribution of ashes is specific to a liturgical day: “In the course of today’s Mass ashes are blessed and distributed” (Roman Missal). The rite outside Mass is also linked to Ash Wednesday as the beginning of Lent and the Church’s entering into a public fast that particularly characterizes the first day of Lent.
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Nov 16, 2023 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella
A: The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) permits the distribution of Holy Communion by intinction and describes how this distribution takes place: “If Communion from the chalice is carried out by intinction, each communicant, holding a Communion-plate under the mouth, approaches the Priest [sacerdotem] who holds a vessel with the sacred particles, with a minister standing at his side and holding the chalice.
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Nov 16, 2023 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella
A: Each national bishops’ conference may publish norms on the distribution of communion under both forms (see General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), 283); in the United States, these directives bear the lengthy title “Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America” (“Norms” hereafter).
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Nov 16, 2023 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella
A: The Sunday obligation is articulated in Canon 1246 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law where we read that “Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation.” Canon 1247 specifies an essential way that this day of obligation must be observed: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.” This obligation is not, however, understood in an...
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Sep 11, 2023 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella
A: After Sunday, the “primordial holy day of obligation” (Canon 1247), the Code of Canon Law lists 10 Holy Days of Obligation: “the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints. Some of these may be suppressed by the local bishops’ conference (such as Sts.
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Sep 11, 2023 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella |Joseph Tuttle
A. The Code of Canon Law (CIC) specifies that the “eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in a sacred place unless in a particular case necessity requires otherwise; in such a case the celebration must be done in a decent place” (932.1). At a certain level, this is a canonical requirement, pure and simple. Such “sacred places” are defined by the CIC as churches (Can. 1214), oratories (Can. 1223), private chapels (Can. 1226), and Catholic cemeteries. Pretty straightforward.
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Sep 11, 2023 | 
adoremus.org | Alan Guanella
A: It is a corporal work of mercy to visit the sick and many priests spend a significant amount of time visiting nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other care homes. While there, priests often celebrate Mass for the community. Questions arise as to what Mass to celebrate with the community since they often are unable to attend Sunday Mass and since the priest is only able to visit during the week. Should the priest use the daily Mass orations and Lectionary readings?
