CNA—Pope Francis announced on November 20 that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, will be canonized during two major jubilee celebrations dedicated to young people.
The surprise announcement came at the conclusion of the pope’s weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square as Francis celebrated World Children’s Day.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni later confirmed that Acutis’s canonization will occur during the Church’s Jubilee of Teenagers taking place April 25–27, 2025, and Frassati’s canonization will take place during the Jubilee of Youth, July 28–August 3, 2025.
According to the Diocese of Assisi, Acutis’s canonization Mass is expected to take place on Sunday, April 27, at 10:30 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square.
Both soon-to-be saints are beloved by many Catholic young people for their enthusiastic pursuit of holiness. The two canonizations are expected to bring many young people to the Eternal City in 2025 for the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Hope.
Acutis, an Italian computer-coding teenager who died of cancer in 2006, is known for his great devotion to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Born in 1991, Acutis is the first millennial to be beatified by the
“Let us go to the House of the Lord”: Mary and the Temple
By Father Justin Kizewski
Irejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’” (Psalm 122:1). This psalm of ascent marks not only the arrival of Jews to Jerusalem as they would head up Mount Zion toward the Temple, but it also marks a feast of our Lady as the first psalm from second vespers in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The connection between the Temple and our Lady is intentional. Mary is associated with Zion, the city of God, and Zion with the Temple. When the Angel Gabriel declares, “The Lord is with you,” Joseph Ratzinger observes how the words contain a double promise to Mary as the daughter Zion, the personification of Israel: “God will come to save, and he will come to dwell in her. The angel’s dialogue with Mary reprises this promise and in so doing makes it concrete in two ways. What in the prophecy is said to daughter Zion is now directed to Mary: She is identified with daughter Zion, she is daughter Zion in person.”1 God’s dwelling was in the womb of Israel, in the Ark of the Covenant, in the Temple. “This dwelling ‘in the womb’ of Israel now becomes quite literally real in the Virgin of Nazareth.”2
What more can be said about Our Lady and the Tem-
AB/WIKIART. THE VISIT OF THE ANGEL TO ZECHARIAH, BY LUIS PARET Y ALCAZAR
When Zechariah takes up his priestly duty and goes into the Temple to burn incense, one might expect that moment to be the definitive revelation. But it is not. It is a promise of, and reference to, something greater and more unexpected. Rather, it is the young virgin of Nazareth who will bear the weight of the definitive revelation and whose cooperation will be sought to bring about God’s fulfilling habitation with his people.
Mary Contemplated
ple? To begin, it will be good to affirm what Uwe Michael Lang observes about the Lord’s relationship with the Temple: “Jesus had a complex relationship with the Jerusalem Temple: like any faithful Jew, he participated in Temple worship, but he also criticized its priestly establishment for systemic corruption and contamination of the sacred space.”3 This critical attitude spills over into the relationship between the Christian liturgy and Temple worship. Avoiding a photocopy-like continuity between the Temple of Jerusalem and sacrifice in early Christianity, Lang reiterates that “Jesus’ own relationship to the Jerusalem Temple was complex, and it combined reverences for its rituals with a critique of its present condition.”4 He goes on to point out how in examples like Qumran “a highly critical attitude towards the current state of the Jerusalem Temple and its priesthood went hand in hand with an imitatio templi, [. . .] ‘the effort of channeling the sanctity that pertains to the Temple (and its sacrificial cult) to other forms of worship.’” 5 Should we be surprised when this complex relationship is played out in God’s revelation and in the life of Mary?
“God’s dwelling was in the womb of Israel, in the Ark of the Covenant, in the Temple. ‘This dwelling “in the womb” of Israel now becomes quite literally real in the Virgin of Nazareth.’”
Beginnings
Even in the opening chapters of the Lucan Gospel, there are both affirmations and implicit criticisms of the Jerusalem Temple. When Zechariah takes up his priestly duty and goes into the Temple to burn incense, one might expect that moment to be the definitive revelation of God’s fulfillment of his promises. But it is not. It is a promise of, and reference to, something greater and more unexpected. Zechariah’s son will “make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:17). When it comes to what this child will be (cf. Luke 1:66), or any specification of the one who is to come, the priest can only remain silent. Rather, it is the young virgin of Nazareth who will bear the weight of the definitive revelation and whose cooperation will be sought to bring about God’s fulfilling habitation with his people.6 She with whom the Lord dwells is overshadowed by the Shekhinah and bears Christ to the world.
In the Temple’s Shadow
The apocryphal Protoevangelium of James offers us some thoughts on Mary’s childhood. This source provides us with one of the first accounts of the names of Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne. The account has Anne lamenting her lack of children, crying out, “Because I have become a curse in the presence of the sons of Israel, and I have been reproached, and they have driven me in derision out of the temple of the Lord.”7 The Lord’s answer comes as a response to Anne’s cry of being
Father Justin Kizewski provides a template for understanding the complex relationship between the Old Testament Temple and Mary as the Temple of the paschal Lamb who is Christ.…........................................................1
Post-Christmas Presence
The Yule Log no longer burns, the Christmas Tree no longer glows, but another light presents itself as a gift for the nations—so says seventh-century Bishop of Jerusalem, St. Sophronius.…...................................................3
Hour Lord
How much eternity can we fit into 3,600 seconds? Father Connor Danstrom can count on one hand a host of ways to make your next Holy Hour count during a visit before the Eucharist….................................................6
A Martial Plan
The powerful rituals that commemorate pa-
triotic sacrifice at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, writes Norbertine Father Joseph Herman Johanneck, also provide vital insights into the sacrifice of the liturgy…....................7
Watch Your Body Language
In this reprint, the late Helen Hull Hitchcock examines liturgical gestures as our authentic (and silent) grammar of assent—and ascent—to the eternal Word made flesh on the altar……............................................................9
Speaking of Silence…
In reviewing The Hidden Power of Silence in the Mass, Father Donald Anstoetter shows how its author, Benedictine Father Boniface Hicks, develops a theology of liturgical silence…...........................................................12 News & Views..................................................1
Continued from NEWS & VIEWS
Catholic Church. Shortly after his first Communion at the age of 7, Acutis told his mother: “To always be united to Jesus: This is my life plan.”
To accomplish this, Acutis sought to attend daily Mass as often as he could at the parish church across the street from his elementary school in Milan.
Acutis called the Eucharist “my highway to heaven,” and he did all in his power to make this presence known. His witness inspired his own parents to return to practicing the Catholic faith and his Hindu au pair to convert and be baptized.
Acutis was a tech-savvy kid who loved computers, animals, and video games. His spiritual director has recalled that Acutis was convinced that the evidence of Eucharistic miracles could be persuasive in helping people to realize that Jesus is present at every Mass.
Over the course of two and a half years, Acutis worked with his family to put together an exhibition on Eucharistic miracles that premiered in 2005 during the Year of the Eucharist proclaimed by Pope John Paul II and has since gone on to be displayed at thousands of parishes on five continents.
He is remembered for saying: “People who place themselves before the sun get a tan; people who place themselves before the Eucharist become saints.”
Acutis died at the age of 15 in 2006, shortly after being diagnosed with leukemia. Before he died, Acutis told his mother: “I offer all of my suffering to the Lord for the pope and for the Church in order not to go to purgatory but to go straight to heaven.”
Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is also beloved by many today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches “to the heights.”
The young man from the northern Italian city of Turin was an avid mountaineer and Third Order Dominican known for his charitable outreach.
Born on Holy Saturday, April 6, 1901, Frassati was the son of the founder and director of the Italian newspaper La Stampa
At the age of 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to taking care of the poor, the homeless, and the sick as well as demobilized servicemen returning from World War I.
Frassati was also involved in the Apostleship of Prayer and Catholic Action. He obtained permission to receive daily Communion.
Revised Papal Funeral Rites Issued
By Andrea Gagliarducci
NCR—Pope Francis, who turned 88 on December 17, now knows exactly what his eventual funeral will be like.
The specific details are laid out in the second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, which was produced by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff and released to the public on November 19.
Pope Francis, who approved the revised rites in April, received the first copy of the printed volume on November 4, according to Vatican News.
The revisions reflect Francis’ desire to simplify the rites and, in some instances, to dispense with centuriesold traditions whose ancient roots had become difficult even for Vatican experts to decipher.
But while certain details have changed, the substance of the papal funeral has not: It remains a public event marked by the kind of attention and distinctive protocols one would expect to honor an important world leader.
This is still the case, even though Francis wanted to ensure that “the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and a disciple of Christ, and not of a powerful person of this world,” as Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of pontifical ceremonies, has explained.
So what has changed?
For one thing, the certification of the Pope’s death no longer takes place in the room where he dies but in his private chapel. Prior to this certification, the camerlengo, the prelate who runs the Vatican between the death or resignation of a pontiff and the election of his successor, calls the pope by his baptismal name three times, confirming there is no response. The baptismal name is used, rather than the papal name, since the deceased pope’s papal identity and function ceases upon his death.
Another change is that the pope’s body is immediately placed inside an open coffin, rather than an elevated bier, the so-called Canaletto (“death bed”), as happened with John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Also, the revised rites eliminate the use of three coffins—one of cypress, one of lead, and one of oak. Instead, the body is placed in a simple wooden coffin with a zinc lining and transferred immediately to St. Peter’s Basilica, without pass-
NEWS & VIEWS
ing through the Apostolic Palace for another exposition, as was done previously.
The division into “three stations remains, that is, the three stages of the deceased Pope’s journey: first in the house of the deceased, then in the basilica, and finally in the place of burial.”
The third stage marks another major revision: The Pope can be buried outside the Vatican if he so chooses. Francis, as we know, has already done so: He will be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, together with five other popes who chose that basilica as their final resting place.
There is also talk of a thorough revision of the new Ordo regarding the harmonized texts and translations. The Ordo also updates the Litany of Saints. These are sung during the funeral rites during the translation to St. Peter’s Basilica and during the traditional supplication of the Church of Rome.
The tradition of the novemdiales remains—the nine days of Masses of suffrage for the late pope, though in revised form, with prayers from the Roman Missal included and readings omitted.
It is the custom to celebrate 100 Masses to mourn the deceased pontiff. This is because the more significant the responsibility to which one is called, the greater the possibility of error and sin and, therefore, the more necessary the suffrages and prayers are. It is not known whether this tradition will be abolished, but it is not necessarily part of the Ordo
Friday Meat-Abstinance Reconsidered
By Matthew McDonald
NCR—A suggestion by an Eastern Rite bishop that Catholics in the United States once again give up eating meat on Fridays throughout the year has drawn interest from more than a dozen bishops in the country.
Several bishops told the Register they hope the U.S. bishops discuss the idea at their next gathering in June 2025.
But an early canvas suggests a renewed practice, if it occurs, might look different from the Church’s previous rule, which forbade Catholics from eating meat on almost all Fridays of the year under pain of mortal sin. Several bishops told the Register they don’t want to go that route.
“A voluntary return to an act of penance, for instance meatless Fridays, would be an opportunity for Catholics not only to demonstrate their shared commitment to care for God’s creation, but also reorient themselves to a spirit of self-sacrifice in gratitude for Jesus making the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross that first Good Friday,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, told the Register by email through a spokesman.
He said he’s grateful for the suggestion and hopes “that it becomes widespread in its acceptance.”
The Register contacted representatives for more than 170 Latin Rite bishops who lead dioceses in the United States and several Eastern Rite bishops in the country.
Most didn’t respond; 41 declined comment.
But of those bishops who offered a reaction, 13 either said they support it or are open to the idea.
“It seems to me that a little more sacrifice and penance couldn’t hurt, because of the demands of the world today,” Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, NE, told the Register. “I think we need more opportunities for sacrifice, not less.”
Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak, who leads the Archeparchy of Philadelphia Ukrainian Catholic Church, floated the idea as one of what he called “conversation starters” near the end of a 10-minute talk on November 13, during the last day of the fall meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore, of which he is a member.
His first proposal offered ways for Catholic laypeople to keep the Sabbath in addition to attending Mass.
“A second suggestion,” Archbishop Gudziak said, looking up from his text and pausing, as if to prepare
the way for what came next, “we could renew the tradition of Friday abstinence from meat.”
He noted that the Catholic bishops of England and Wales reinstated the Friday fast from meat there in 2011—27 years after they lifted it in 1984.
Catholics have practiced penance on Fridays since the early days of the Church, in remembrance of the suffering and death of Jesus on Good Friday.
Abstaining from meat on Friday was a long-standing practice during former centuries, one of many days of fasting (meaning not eating) and abstaining (meaning not eating certain foods).
The 1917 Code of Canon Law was the first to give the Friday rule a “juridic definition,” said David Long, an adjunct assistant professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America and dean of the university’s School of Professional Studies.
“The law of abstinence prohibits meat and soups made of meat but not of eggs, milk, and other condiments, even if taken from animals,” Canon 1250 said. Another provision, Canon 1252, limited the rule to Friday.
In February 1966, Pope Paul VI allowed national bishops’ conferences “to replace the observance of fast and abstinence with exercises of prayer and works of charity” in an apostolic constitution called Paenitemini, while keeping the no-meat rule for Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Fridays during Lent.
In November of that same year—58 years ago—the U.S. bishops’ conference lifted the requirement that Catholics in this country not eat meat on Fridays, except during Lent and on Good Friday. At the time, the bishops said they hoped Catholics “will ordinarily continue to abstain from meat by choice as formerly we did in obedience to Church law.”
The Holy See’s 1983 Code of Canon Law confirmed the U.S. bishops’ action.
“This is the current situation with respect to canon law: Abstinence is mandatory for the Fridays of Lent and encouraged for all other Fridays, but if people substitute other acts of charity or piety on Fridays for abstinence, they are not doing something sinful when they consume their favorite hamburger or pork chop,” Long told the Register, referring to all Fridays of the year that don’t fall on a feast day. “It is only when they do nothing in place of abstinence that they are running contrary to canon law.”
That last part is news to most Catholics.
Bishop Donald Hying, who leads the Diocese of Madison, WI, notes that what most Catholics heard back in the 1960s was that they didn’t have to avoid meat on Fridays anymore. Now, most Catholics aren’t even aware there ever was such a rule, or that they’re supposed to do something else on Fridays in its stead.
He said having “a Friday penitential practice” as a “common expectation” among Catholics would be helpful to their spiritual lives.
“I think it’d be a way of reminding people of Friday as a day to honor the passion of the Lord,” Bishop Hying told the Register.
It would also help with affirming Catholic identity, he said.
“It was one of those defining Catholic things,” Bishop Hying said. “You do need things that define you as a group: ‘This is Catholic; this is what we do.’”
Mexican Bishops: There Is No ‘Mayan Rite’
By Diego López Colín
CNA—Mexico’s bishops have issued a statement clarifying that there is no such thing as an approved “Mayan rite” of the Mass and that the Vatican has only authorized specific liturgical adaptations for Indigenous communities in Chiapas state in southern Mexico.
In a statement issued November 24, the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym) provided several details about the recent adaptations to
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Light a Fire beneath Liturgical Renewal
By Christopher Carstens, Editor
Now that Christmas is behind us, our attention turns toward Easter. Unlike the date of Christmas, the date of Easter fluctuates. Since the time of the Council of Nicaea in 325 (happy 1,700th anniversary, by the way!), the date of Easter has been assigned to the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. This formula allows for a wide range of possible Easter dates—as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.
I knew that Easter was late in 2025 but could not recall exactly when it was. So, letting Google do Nicaea’s computations for me, I looked it up on my smartphone. But when the results popped up, it wasn’t the date that first caught my eye, but the silly, saccharine images of pastel eggs and bunnies.
And why not? Having just come out of the Christmas season (or, more accurately, having been through the post-Halloween/pre-Christmas period), our senses were bombarded from every other lawn with blow-up versions Buddy the Elf, flailing/waving/dancing air Santas, and larger-than-life-sized Grinches. It is as if the secular culture erases Christmas and Easter by coopting and degrading them, turning them into banal mockeries.
So, we keep trying to “keep Christ in Christmas” and focusing on Christ’s cross as the center of all history—as we must. But there’s another, more immediate liturgical celebration in the life of our Lord that risks being overshadowed by the secular world: the Feast of the Presentation.
Who, after all, is the most talked about figure of February 2nd? Is it the infant Christ or Punxsutawney Phil? Still, their shared celebrity on this day is not unrelated, as both are directing our attention to the victorious light about to dawn.
In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice (December 21, 22, or 23) marks the shortest day of the year, while the spring equinox sees the sun’s daylight conquer
night’s darkness. The middle of this 90-day span lands around February 2, a midway point between the small flash of a new creation’s fiat lux at Christ’s birth and the eventual overcoming of the darkness that surrounds us at his Passion.
We have a brilliant opportunity in 2025 to showcase this “light of revelation to the Gentiles” (as Simeon says when our Lord appeared in the Temple), since February 2 this year will fall on a Sunday.
It is true that most celebrations ranking as feasts don’t overshadow a Sunday—but “feasts of the Lord” do this very thing. Thus, the feast of St. Lawrence on Sunday, August 10, 2025, will give way to the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, but the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord will take precedence over the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time. This fact leaves all liturgy-loving Catholics (whether cleric or lay) with a question: how will the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord look in your parish this year?
For many parishes—indeed, most parishes—Mass will begin as usual: the people gathered in the nave, the ministers processing alone to the sanctuary to the hymn “Christ is the World’s Light” (or similar), and the Sign of the Cross at the chair. But the Roman Missal, the Church, and a substantial, authentic liturgy envision something else.
Ideally, “a gathering takes place at a smaller church or other suitable place other than inside the church to which the procession will go. The faithful hold in their hands unlighted candles” (first rubric for February 2 from the Roman Missal). As the ministers approach, the faithful light their candles and sing: “Behold, our Lord will come with power, to enlighten the eyes of his servants, alleluia” from the prophet Isaiah (34:4-5). Then all make the sign of the cross, followed by the priest’s greeting, introduction, and blessing and sprinkling of the candles. After the thurible is filled with incense, the priest or deacon invites all to “go in peace to meet the Lord.” And while all follow the priest into the church,
the faithful sing the words of holy Simeon upon meeting Christ: “A light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.” And only when the priest arrives at the chair is the Gloria sung and Mass continues as usual.
Most Catholics will never participate in such a procession, either because February 2 falls during the week—or because the celebration of the grand entrance of “Christ entering the Temple” for the first time is omitted.
To be sure, today’s priests and parishes measure the Missal’s ideal entrance against other factors: the multiplication of Masses and locations that a priest must serve, the limited musical and ministerial resources available in many parishes, and an all-too-common disdain for anything that might lengthen the usual Sunday liturgical experience. But at the same time, priests and parishes must make the Missal the norm and make the mens ecclesiae their own. Recent popes have encouraged this very thing.
On the 25th anniversary of Sacrosanctum Concilium, for example, Pope John Paul II suggested that one of the reasons that the revised rites have met with such resistance is that “the transition from simply being present, very often in a rather passive and silent way, to a fuller and more active participation has been for some people too demanding” (Vicesimus Quintus Annus, 11). Pope Benedict XVI claimed that the riches of the reformed rites “are yet to be fully explored” (Sacramentum Caritatis, 3; see also 40). Similarly, Pope Francis has called all in the Church to “faithful reception [of the revised rites], practical obedience, [and] wise implementation in celebrations…by overcoming unfounded and superficial readings, a partial reception, and practices that disfigure it” (2017 address to Participants in the 68th National Liturgical Week).
Christ is coming; his light is dawning. May our liturgies light a fire as the Magisterium desires, as the Roman Missal prescribes, and as the faithful require.
Let Us Receive the Light Whose Brilliance Is Eternal
By Saint Sophronius
In honor of the divine mystery that we celebrate today, let us all hasten to meet Christ. Everyone should be eager to join the procession and to carry a light. Our lighted candles are a sign of the divine splendor of the one who comes to expel the dark shadows of evil and to make the whole universe radiant with the brilliance of his eternal light. Our candles also show how bright our souls should be when we go to meet Christ. The Mother of God, the most pure Virgin, carried the true light in her arms and brought him to those who lay in darkness. We too should carry a light for all to see and reflect the radiance of the true light as we hasten to meet him.
The light has come and has shone upon a world enveloped in shadows; the Dayspring from on high has visited us and given light to those who lived in darkness. This, then, is our feast, and we join in procession with lighted candles to reveal the light that has shone upon us and the glory that is yet to come to us through him. So let us hasten all together to meet our God.
The true light has come, the light that enlightens every man who is born into this world. Let all of us, my brethren, be enlightened and made radiant by this light. Let all of us share in its splendor, and be so filled with it that no one remains in the darkness. Let us be shining ourselves as we go together to meet and to receive with the aged Simeon the light whose brilliance is eternal. Rejoicing with Simeon, let us sing a hymn of thanksgiving to God, the Father of the light, who sent the true light to dispel the darkness and to give us all a share in his splendor.
Through Simeon’s eyes we too have seen the salvation of God which he prepared for all the nations and revealed as the glory of the new Israel, which is ourselves. As Simeon was released from the bonds of this life when he had seen Christ, so we too were at once freed from our old state of sinfulness.
By faith we too embraced Christ, the salvation of God the Father, as he came to us from Bethlehem. Gentiles before, we have now become the people of God. Our eyes have seen God incarnate, and because we have seen him present among us and have mentally received him
into our arms, we are called the new Israel. Never shall we forget this presence; every year we keep a feast in his honor.
The above excerpt comes from a homily by St. Sophronius (560-638), bishop of Jerusalem, and is read during the Office of Readings on the Feast of the Presentation.
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in 2025 will take precedence over the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time. This fact leaves all liturgy-loving Catholics (whether cleric or lay) with a question: how will the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord look in your parish this year?
estranged from the Temple precincts. The answer instructs Joachim to sacrifice ten she-lambs without spot or blemish for the Lord. Joachim took his offerings to the priest in the Temple. Joachim concludes, “Now I know that the Lord has been gracious unto me, and has remitted all my sins. And he went down from the temple of the Lord justified, and departed from his own house. And her months were fulfilled, and in the ninth month Anne brought forth. And she said to the midwife: What have I brought forth? And she said: A girl. And said Anne: My soul has been magnified this day. And she laid her down. And the days having been fulfilled, Anne was purified, and gave the breast to the child, and called her Mary.”8
The Protoevangelium describes how the child Mary set up a sanctuary in her bedroom, and later how her parents fulfill a vow they had made to commit her to Temple service. They take Mary to the Temple when she was three years old, and she remains there until she is betrothed to Joseph.9
St. Alphonsus Liguori describes Mary’s activity growing up in the Temple with the added note that it was due to her own prompting. He notes how at the age of three, Mary “entreated her parents that she might be placed in the temple according to the promise which they had made.”10 St. Alphonsus characterizes Mary’s life upon entering life in the Temple, “Henceforth the life of Mary in the temple was but one continual exercise of love, and the offering of her whole self to her Lord…. Thus, Mary, a young virgin in the temple, did nothing but pray. And seeing the human race lost and hateful to God she especially prayed for the coming of the Messias, desiring then to be the servant of that happy Virgin who was to be the mother of God”11 always in correspondence with divine grace.
The visions of Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich suggest that in her service to the Temple, Mary would be trained to attend to the priests’ robes, namely, in washing out the blood from them.12 The vision has a young Mary being warned by the priests that her hands would also get bloody. Mary responds, “at once without hesitation that she would gladly undertake this work if she were considered worthy.”13 One cannot help but notice the extreme fittingness that she who would provide for the Body of the Lord, who would in fact supply the body from her own flesh, would have been trained to attend to the blood of the garments of the high priest. Her Son, the true High Priest, who would say, “Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body thou prepared for me” (Hebrews 10:5). Her willingness
to cooperate in the blood that washes began evidently from very early on.
“A Virgin Will Conceive”
Avenues of interpretation of Isaiah 7:14 open up if we consider older scholarship suggesting official cultic service to the Temple rendered by virgins under the title ‘almah 14 This interpretation occasions further insight into the complex relationship between Our Lady and the Temple.
Cyrus Gordon finds connections between ‘almah and Virgin in a text in Ugarit from 1400 BC, thus predating Moses and Isaiah.15 Gordon mentions the term and its connotation to a kind of divine maternity. Beatrice Brooks notes ‘almah among other functionaries in fertility cults and sees a comparison between the Babylonian entu, a “virgin high priestess who presided in the special chamber of the god…, of high social rank… who functioned as wife of the god in connection with the celebration of the divine marriage” with the cultic notions of ‘almah 16 Whatever connection there may be might simply draw attention to the ways that God surprises, or even combats, the expectations for a divine mother, by preparing for a mother of a Divine Son.17 Brooks names the formal function of ‘almah and draws attention to Isaiah 7:14 and to apocryphal works like the Protoevangelium of James to note how the cultic role of the virgins comprised of singing and dancing at religious festivals and the duty to dance in the vineyards on the Day of Atonement.18
If ‘almah has these cultic overtones as a virgin functionary in the Temple, then stories told about Simeon become even more fascinating.19 There are stories beginning in the 10th century AD which tell that Simeon was one of the translators of the 3rd-century-BC Septuagint.20 One strand of the Eastern accounts is that Simeon held doubts in his heart about the prophetic nature of the words of the translation produced by him and the other members of The Seventy who translated. Every time a word came to him with prophetic intent, he doubted. The Lord’s response was to allow Simeon to see it fulfilled. In this case, Simeon would see fulfilled in a virgin that he had originally known in virtue of her Temple service. Whether or not the stories are true, they express an intuition that the Nunc dimittis draws a deeper sigh of relief from more years than is typically imagined and references works of the Lord that have been a long time in coming to fruition.
Visits to the Temple
The complexities in our Lady’s relationship with the Temple continue in the episodes of her adult life, episodes which simultaneously get described as joys and sorrows. The episodes of the presentation and the finding in the Temple comprise the occasion for both joyful mysteries and events counted among her sorrows. The joys are the inverse side of the sorrows. The joy is the presentation; the sorrow is the prophecy of Simeon. The joy is the finding in the Temple, the necessity for which is occasioned by the sorrow of his being lost.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux begins his first sermon on the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the line, “Today the Virgin Mother leads the Lord of the temple into the Temple of the Lord.”21 Psalm 48:9 prompts his reflections: “We have thought on your mercy, O God, in the midst of your temple.” He contrasts this procession into the Temple area with the Lord’s last. In the first, he is carried by Our Lady; in the second, he is carried by an ass. Bernard encourages his hearers to take up Christ and let him inhabit one’s heart, for this is his temple. He also observes
that, as the body grows, so grows Christ’s mercies. The Temple thus prompts reflections on mercy.
Our Lady’s visits to the Temple each imply a kind of death. When she hears Simeon’s prophecy that a sword will pierce her heart, this indicates the kind of end she would see. Pope St. John Paul II calls this the “second annunciation.” He observes, “Simeon’s words seem like a second Annunciation to Mary, for they tell her of the actual historical situation in which the Son is to accomplish his mission, namely, in misunderstanding
“The complexities in our Lady’s relationship with the Temple continue in the episodes of her adult life, episodes which simultaneously get described as both joys and sorrows.”
and sorrow.”22 Drawing out the complex sentiments our Lady likely experiences, John Paul continues: “While this announcement on the one hand confirms her faith it also reveals to her that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering, at the side of the suffering Savior, and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful.”23
Pope Benedict XVI also reflects on this sacrificial act of our Lady: “The first person associated with Christ on the path of obedience, of proven faith and of sorrow shared is his mother Mary. The gospel text reveals this in the act of offering her Son: an unconditional sacrifice engaging her in her own person. Mary is Mother of him who is ‘the glory of his people Israel’ and ‘a light of revelation for the nations,’ but also of him who is ‘a sign of contradiction’ as well (cf. Luke 2:32, 34). And she, too, in her immaculate soul, must be pierced by the sword of sorrow, thus showing how her role in the history of salvation is not finished with the mystery of the Incarnation, but is consummated in the loving and sorrowful sharing in the death and Resurrection of her Son. Carrying her Son to Jerusalem, the Virgin Mother offers him to God as the true Lamb who takes away the sins of the world; she hands him to Simeon and Anna as an annunciation of redemption; she presents him to all as light for a secure journey on the path of truth and love.”24
Pope Benedict, like Bernard, notices how our Lady’s first carrying the Lord will be consummated by a following up of the same path in his passion. It is fitting that the complex nature of Simeon’s prophecy draws Our Lady more deeply into communion with the Lord, even unto death, “The sword which pierces the soul of Mary indicates, then, the mortal suffering which strikes the depths of Mary’s soul, a terrible sorrow, like that provoked by a sword which wounds as it passes, which Mary herself must bear.”25
St. Bernard offers the occasion for one final comment on our Lady and the mystery of the Presentation. In her purification, she is obedient to rites that she
“In her purification, she is obedient to rites that she does not need. In this, even in his early life, she follows the example of her Son.”
does not need. In this, even in his early life, she follows the example of her Son.26
The loss and finding in the Temple are a foreshadowing of the Paschal Mystery. The occasion is upon the conclusion of Passover. Jesus is lost to Mary (and Joseph) for three days. He would be returned to them after three days, thus anticipating the Resurrection. However, Mary reveals the kind of suffering she would undergo at Calvary with her words upon finding Jesus: “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously” (Luke 2:48). “This occasions the dialogue between Mary and Jesus: the Mother manifests her profound sorrow, the anguish of herself and of Joseph when they became aware of his absence. Jesus on his part replied with his true identity as Son, not of Joseph, but of God the Father, in whose house, the Temple, he found himself.”27 I would not want to read into this episode something akin to the Lord’s own self-discovery, but, rather, to draw attention to both a beauty and a pain regarding Our Lady and the Temple. This episode reminds her that her Son is also the Son of the One whose Temple it is. It also draws attention to the purpose of his coming. The One who is God has come to die. The separation from her implicated in his mission and his death
The visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich suggest that in her service to the Temple, Mary would be trained to attend to the priests’ robes, namely, in washing out the blood from them.
affirms his divinity and humanity and painfully suggests to her the need to let him go. Pope John Paul reflects on the faith this episode demanded.28 He notes, “through this faith Mary is perfectly united with Christ in his selfemptying.”29
The Paschal Mystery
The pinnacle of joy and sorrow is naturally Our Lord’s Passion and death, which are also the definitive destruction of and occasion for rebuilding the Lord’s Temple: “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). It is interesting that the one who “ponders all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:19) would have episodes of such conflicting sentiments concerning the Temple and the events that took place there upon which to ruminate. Could it be that these events and this complex relationship provide the contextual intelligibility needed to accompany her Son in his Passion and crucifixion? How can her “yes” lead her to this? How can she, in some way, join his will in submitting to such evil? How, with that “yes,” can she grieve the loss of her Son? The complexities with which she has grown up have prepared her to walk this counter-intuitive path. She has been prepared to live and cooperate in this strange “both-and” of his death for the life of the world. In so many ways, she has been prepared to bring her “yes” to its fulfillment.
“Mary has been prepared to live and cooperate in this strange ‘both-and’ of his death for the life of the world.”
Mary would have known about the corruption of the Temple worship, but she offered her life in service of that worship all the same. Indeed, we saw St. Alphonsus above note that she was deeply attuned to the need for a savior that she prayed to serve the one who would give birth to him without presuming that she was that one. She was the Temple Virgin who would conceive. She was to be the Mother of God.
She is the city who models the Church, whose Temple is the Lamb; she had provided the Temple; she is the Ark. He is the real presence whose body came from her and whose blood he was. In her pieta, she now receives his corpus and tends to the blood using all the skills with which providence had supplied her. Her complex relationship with the Temple prepared her to serve him well and cooperate with his saving plan.
Father Justin Kizewski, MS, MA, PhL, STD, ordained in 2008, is a priest from the Diocese of La Crosse, WI. He is Coordinator of Intellectual Formation at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee and adjunct professor of theology at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Detroit. Previously he was a pastor of two parishes in Chippewa Falls, WI. His graduate studies were done in health care bioethics, philosophy, and theology. He has previously taught for Christendom College, Saint Paul Seminary, and the Gregorian University.
1. Joseph Ratzinger, Mary: The Church at the Source, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997, 65.
3.
From Early Christian Origins to Tridentine Reform, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022, 39.
4. Lang, The Roman Mass, 44.
the Ordinary of the Mass approved by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
On November 8, the Vatican granted the “recognitio” endorsing the “adaptations to the Ordinary of the Mass in Spanish” for the Tseltal, Tsotsil, Ch’ol, Tojolabal, and Zoque ethnic groups of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas, located in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
According to the CEM statement, “no ‘Mayan rite,’” “Mayan altar,” “prayers to cardinal points,” or “transfer of the liturgical presidency to laypersons” have been approved.
The bishops further clarified that “ritual dances during the celebration” were not approved by the dicastery but rather “rhythmic swaying of the body” performed by Indigenous communities as a legitimate cultural expression.
The CEM stressed that these adaptations “do not constitute a new rite or a substantial modification of the structure of the Mass of the Roman Missal” and are applicable exclusively to the Indigenous peoples indicated and not to other communities of the faithful.
5. Lang, The Roman Mass, 44.
6. This critique gets lived out in the life of John the Baptist who takes up his ministry in the desert rather than the temple.
7. Protoevangelium of James, 3. See https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0847.htm (accessed November 6, 2024).
8. Protoevangelium of James, 5.
9. The Protoevangelium presents a picture of an aged Joseph with children from a previous marriage. This is an opportunity to point out that the Protoevanglium while it can serve as a help and certainly a source of interest, is not inspired. There is also a strong testimony from many witnesses to a younger more vibrant Joseph.
10. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (London: Catholic Way Publishing, 2013), 636.
11. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary, 637.
12. Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Charlotte, SC: TAN Books, 2013), 91-92.
13. Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 92.
14. I am indebted to Casey Cooney, seminarian for the Diocese of Madison, for these references and insights.
15. Cyrus H. Gordon, “‘Almah in Isaiah 7:14,” Journal of Bible and Religion, April 1953: 106.
16. Beatrice A. Brooks, “Fertility Cult Functionaries in the Old Testament,” Journal of Biblical Literature, 60:3 (September 1941): 232.
17. Joseph Ratzinger suggests that through the economy of salvation, God fights against the perversions of truth and temptations to idolatry in fertility cults. See Daughter Zion: Meditations on the Church’s Marian Belief (San Francisco, CA:
the ministry of the “principal,” a person recognized in his or her community who acts as a monitor at specific moments of prayer.
According to the CEM, the principal “invites the assembly to pray aloud at certain moments of the celebration,” always at the invitation of the priest presiding at the Mass and without assuming “at any time the liturgical presidency.”
Another approved modification is the “prayer of the assembly moderated by the principal,” which is performed at three points: “at the beginning of the Mass, after the greeting,” “during the prayer of the faithful,” and “in thanksgiving after Communion.”
In the latter, the prayer can be performed with body movements accompanied by music, which, according to the statement, “is not a ritual dance but rhythmic swaying of the body.”
The “ministry of incense” was also authorized, which allows laypeople designated by the diocesan bishop to incorporate “the traditional use of incense proper to the communities.”
Press, 1983), 13-15.
18. This same connotation of ‘almah is given in an article by John Steinmueller which cites A Textbook of North Semitic Inscriptions (Oxford 1903), “virgins who sang and danced in temple rites; cf. Ps. 68:26; Ps.46; 1 Chron. 15:20.” Steinmueller defends Jerome’s assertion that the Punic language has a word similar to the Hebrew also signifying “virgin.”
19. I am indebted to Deacon Aaron Siehr, Archdiocese of Milwaukee, for this reference and insight.
20. E. van Staaldullne-Sulman, “Simeon the Just, the Septuagint and Targum Jonathan,” in D. Shepherd, J. Joosten, & M.N. van der Meer (eds.), Septuagint, Targum and Beyond: Comparing Aramaic and Greek Versions from Jewish Antiquity, 318-19.
21. Bernard of Clairvaux, In Purificatione B. Mariae, Sermo I (PL 183:365).
22. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, par.16.
23. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, par.16.
24. Benedict XVI, Homily for the Day of Consecrated Life, February 2, 2006. Quoted in Mariology: A Guide for Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Consecrated Persons, ed. Mark Miravalle (Goleta, CA: Seat of Wisdom Books, Queenship Publishing, 2007), 99.
25. Fr. Settimio M. Manelli, “The Virgin Mary in the New Testament” in Mariology, 102.
26. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo III (PL 183: 370).
27. Fr. Settimio Manelli, “The Virgin Mary in the New Testament” in Mariology 104.
28. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, par.17.
29. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, par.18.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Continued from NEWS & VIEWS, page 2
Among the authorizations granted by the Vatican is
According to the statement, these adaptations are the result of “a careful process of diocesan discernment,” which was studied and approved by the Mexican Epis-
copal Conference (CEM), guaranteeing “respect for both the nature of the liturgy and legitimate cultural expressions.”
The implementation of these adaptations, the bishops stated, will be optional and “will be carried out gradually” and with “pastoral monitoring of its application.” To this end, “the necessary training will be provided to priests and pastoral workers.”
The bishops concluded their statement by reiterating their “commitment to the authentic inculturation of the liturgy, always in communion with the universal Church and under the guidance of the magisterium.”
Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, who led the Mexican bishops’ efforts to promote these adaptations, said in a message shared with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that “this is very significant,” since it is the second time in history after the Second Vatican Council in which liturgical adaptations were approved; the other was for the Diocese of Zaire in Africa.
2. Ratzinger, Mary: The Church at the Source, 65.
Uwe Michael Lang, The Roman Mass:
St. Bernard of Clairvaux contrasts the infant Christ’s procession into the Temple area with the Lord’s last. In the first, he is carried by Our Lady; in the second, he is carried by an ass.
Ignatius
The Eucharistic Five-Step: What to Do During Your Eucharistic Holy Hour
By Father Connor Danstrom
If you’ve spent time in Catholic circles for long enough you’ve probably heard of “making a holy hour.” Modern spiritual giants like St. Theresa of Calcutta and Venerable Fulton Sheen both considered the daily practice of spending an hour in silence before
“Maybe you have tried making a holy hour before, or you are interested in making the practice a part of your spiritual regimen, but you have the burning question, ‘But what do I actually do there for an hour?’”
the Blessed Sacrament the sine qua non of their apostolic work. Maybe you have tried making a holy hour before, or you are interested in making the practice a part of your spiritual regimen, but you have the burning question, “But what do I actually do there for an hour?” You are not alone.
Here are five basic “to do’s” for those who are beginning the practice of the Eucharistic holy hour, or for those who feel stuck and want to go deeper in their prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
1. Show Up
This is the simplest but often the hardest step for those starting to make a holy hour. There are so many things competing for our time and attention, it can feel almost impossible to stop what we are doing, turn off our phones, and go spend an hour in silence before the Lord. But we must do this consistently if we are serious about learning to pray.
If nothing seems to be happening during your holy hours, try not to get discouraged. Be patient with yourself and with the Lord. Like the apostles who walked with Jesus every day for three years, but only slowly became aware of who he really was, it may take time for your heart to truly awaken to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Show up, and you will see.
2. Don’t Run Away
This second step can be almost as hard as the first. If you’ve ever tried to pray in silence for any length of time, especially when nothing seems to be happening, you almost certainly have had the temptation to cut and run.
in you. Christian prayer, which is the conscious cultivation of a more intimate communion with God, is possible only because God is already close to us, and he is actively inviting us at every moment to commune with him.
A good way to start your holy hour is to make an act of faith in this truth. St. Ignatius again has advice for us here. He suggests taking the space of an Our Father (about 30 seconds) to contemplate how God looks upon you. A spiritual director once put it to me this way: “If you opened the door to a room with no light on, you wouldn’t just start shouting things into the darkness. You’d first turn on the light to make sure someone was in there.”
Don’t get discouraged if this practice does not always conjure a felt experience of God’s closeness. What God chooses to do in your soul is not in your control. If distractions and worldly anxieties crowd out the awareness of God’s presence in your heart, ask him to help you. Someone who asks God for help, regardless of how he feels, is making an act of faith, and that is what is important here.
of what is happening inside of you, God is pleased. Second, these thoughts, feelings, and desires are exactly what you should be bringing to the Lord. Imagine you decided to spend an hour with your closest friend, and instead of talking about what was really occupying your heart and mind, you distractedly tried to guess at what he or she wanted to talk about instead. God is the friend of your soul, and he has gone to great lengths to prove his love for you. Instead of spending mental energy trying to purify your heart of distraction in order to talk to God, simply acknowledge what is going on within you and relate it to him like you would to a close friend.
5. Listen for God
Now that you are talking honestly with God, now is the time to listen to what he has to say to you. Unless you are one of the Church’s rare mystics, you will not normally hear God speaking audibly in your ear. The normal way God reveals his heart to us is through our own human faculties—our memory, imagination, affections, etc. Here it helps to remain as open and docile as possible. Does a scripture passage come to mind? Search it out and read it. Does an image or a memory come to mind? Dwell with it and see how it rests on your heart.
St. Ignatius of Loyola advises us to emphatically resist the temptation to end our prayer early. If your prayer feels boring or distracted, rather than ending your prayer time early, his advice is to stay one extra minute instead. This act of defiance in the face of temptation is a simple but powerful act of faith, and a statement we make to our hearts that God is real, whether we feel him there or not. Many times it is that final, extra minute in prayer that is the most fruitful and full of grace.
3. Acknowledge God’s Presence
This may seem obvious, but we must believe in God’s presence in order to pray. It is surprisingly easy to forget this fact and act as if prayer is something we can do on our own. Even during Eucharistic adoration it is possible to forget how close the Lord is to us. A friend of mine jokes that instead of praying to God, he often catches himself praying to the “anti-trinity”: me talking to myself about me
We believe that God is real, and that he is everywhere. As baptized Christians, we already belong to God and have a deep relationship with him at the level of our being. This is true whether we “feel close” to God or not. Not only are you close God, you are in God, and God is
4. Acknowledge Your Distractions and Share Them with God
Speaking of distractions, the most common question people ask about holy hours is this: “How do I get rid of all these distractions?”
“Often during this step we have the thought, ‘Am I just making this up? How do I know this is God and not just my imagination?’”
First, just because your mind is racing, or there is an annoying song on repeat in your head, or you feel tired or hungry or angry or homesick, or you keep comparing yourself to the other people in the chapel, or you can’t stop rehashing an argument you had with your spouse: that doesn’t mean you can’t be praying at the same time. Just by showing up and not running away, you are choosing to make time for God, and regardless
Often during this step we have the thought, “Am I just making this up? How do I know this is God and not just my imagination?” Try not to get into an internal argument about this, lest you fall into the “anti-trinity” exercise from step three. Instead, repeat step four, relating to God as honestly as you can about what is going on in your heart. Say something like, “Jesus, I don’t know how to tell the difference between your voice and my own imagination. Please help me.” Then sit back and listen again. If your entire holy hour is a back and forth with Jesus asking him to help you discern his voice in your heart, what a wonderful use of your prayer time!
Step by Step to God
There you have it. If you’ve followed these steps, you are praying. I encourage you to revisit these steps periodically, especially when you feel stuck in your prayer. If nothing seems to be happening in your holy hour, acknowledge your boredom, your sadness, your emptiness, and simply relate it to God. You could tell him something like “I miss you, Jesus. Please help me feel your closeness.” Then listen for his voice. Rinse and repeat. If you spend time like this in prayer consistently, I promise that you will grow. Your hunger for spiritual things will increase, and your attachment to sin will wane. You will receive fresh insights and more confidence in your decision-making. But above all, and this is important to remember, you will grow in closer communion with God. That is always the purpose of prayer, and even if you receive no other grace from your prayer time, you can always grow in intimacy with him by these simple steps. Now that’s enough listening to me—go spend some time with the Lord!
Father Connor Danstrom is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and currently serves on the faculty of Mundelein Seminary-University of St. Mary of the Lake, IL.
Just because your mind is racing, or there is an annoying song on repeat in your head, or you feel tired or hungry or angry or homesick, or you keep comparing yourself to the other people in the chapel, or you can’t stop rehashing an argument you had with your spouse: that doesn’t mean you can’t be praying at the same time.
The Changing of the Guard and the Sacred Liturgy
AB/RAWPIXEL
What makes the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier so moving and memorable is the ritual according to which it is carried out. This ritual is performed with great reverence, respect, and diligence. The three soldiers who are involved are impeccably outfitted in dress uniform, which they maintain in perfect condition. Every movement and action—walking, turning around, inspecting, and offering the rifle for inspection, stopping at and saluting the tomb as they pass before it—is carefully choreographed and executed with great care and precision. Nothing is casual or sloppy. Every element of the ritual comes together to form a whole that is dignified and impressive. And no words are spoken once the ceremony begins.
By Father Herman Joseph Johanneck, O. Praem.
As a junior in high school, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. I visited many fascinating sites such as the U.S. Capital Building, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the White House (this was before 9/11), among many others.
One of the most memorable experiences, one that still impresses me almost 25 years later, is the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. This is truly something to behold.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honors all missing or unidentified service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Since 1937, soldiers have kept guard at the tomb 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, no matter what the conditions.
The manner in which the sentinel on duty keeps watch is strictly regimented. The soldier paces back and forth before the tomb taking 21 steps in each direction before turning around at the end of each pass. All of this takes place in a highly formalized way, which in itself is impressive.
However, most impressive is the Changing of the Guard. This is more than a pragmatic activity. It is part of the honoring of the tomb and all that the tomb represents. Thus, this routine event takes place in a highly ritualized and choreographed manner that involves not only the relieving and retiring sentinels but also the relief commander who carries out a detailed white-glove inspection of the incoming sentinel’s rifle.
Attention! …to Detail
What makes this ceremony so moving and memorable is the ritual according to which it is carried out. This ritual is performed with great reverence, respect, and diligence. The three soldiers who are involved are impeccably outfitted in dress uniform, which they maintain in perfect condition. Every movement and action— walking, turning around, inspecting, and offering the rifle for inspection, stopping at and saluting the tomb as they pass before it—is carefully choreographed and executed with great care and precision. Nothing is casual or sloppy. Every element of the ritual comes together to form a whole that is dignified and impressive. No words are spoken once the ceremony begins. Only a short introduction is given, mostly to call for silence on the part of the observers and to ask them to
remain standing, both out of respect. This near absence of speaking means that no explanations of the elements of the ritual are offered. Therefore, unless observers are already familiar with the ceremony, or have done some research in advance, they will not know the exact meaning of the movements and gestures that make it up.
While it is likely the case that the vast majority of people who visit Arlington National Cemetery for the Changing of the Guard have at least some basic notion of what the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is and what this ceremony is about, it is also true that a great deal is communicated by the ritual itself even if not every detail is understood. At the very least, the fact that this ceremony honors the tomb and those buried there, or represented by it, for an important, even sacred, reason, cannot be lost on most observers.
Dignified and carefully executed ritual has this power to communicate even in the absence of explanations. In fact, ritual can speak on levels deeper than words. Through its union and coordination of only a few words, gestures, actions, and symbols, it has the power to engage more of the human person than words alone and to leave a deeper and more lasting impact. Think of other military rituals, for example, such as the folding of the American flag or military honors at the burials of veterans with the 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps on a bugle or trumpet. Without knowing what all of these rituals mean or the history behind them (which can always be researched and learned) they have the power to speak to us, and to command our respect.
While words and explanations have their place, if they are too many or improperly placed, they can great-
“Dignified and carefully executed ritual has this power to communicate even in the absence of explanations.”
ly diminish the communicative power of a ritual while at the same time adding little, if any, of this power in comparison. As ritual, this also applies to the Church’s sacred liturgy. There is often a temptation in the Church to fill her rituals, her liturgy, with explanations so as to make these more “comprehensible” and “accessible” to the faithful. But this attitude neglects the reality that
ritual communicates in its own manner on a deeper level and can have a more lasting impact on those who experience it than explanations or explicit teaching alone. The deepest and most profound truths cannot be comprehended by the intellect alone and are best revealed through ritual, which also has the capacity to speak to the heart. As Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) explains, “Liturgy addresses the human being in all his depth, which goes far beyond our everyday awareness; there are things we only understand with our heart; the mind can gradually grow in understanding the more we allow our heart to illuminate it.”1
Modern Man—Moving Target
Additionally, it is commonly believed that simplifying rituals or “updating” them to better fit the sensibilities of modern man is necessary for making them more comprehensible and relevant. Father Aidan Nichols
“The deepest and most profound truths cannot be comprehended by the intellect alone and are best revealed through ritual.”
explains that during and after the time of the Second Vatican Council, the reigning theories of ritual argued for the greater effectiveness of simpler rather than more complex rituals and, therefore, liturgies. However, Nichols explains that since that time there have been major shifts in attitudes towards ritual in the sociology and anthropology of religion. He explains that after the close of the Council, “new schools of thought began to emphasize meaning, not explanation, the nonrational as well as the rational, and ritual’s transformative power: all of which led to a new respect for the formal, ceremonious ordering of rite….”2 Nichols further describes: “To the sociologist, it is by no means self-evident that brief, clear rites have greater transformative potential than complex, abundant, lavish, rich, long rites, furnished with elaborate ceremonial.”3
What if the U.S. Army decided to simplify the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard and to do away with some of the “fussiness” in order to make it simpler and, therefore, more comprehensible and accessible? The sentinels could wear a more casual uniform
to make them more comfortable and spend less time maintaining their dress uniform. They could relax the way the sentinels pace and turn around. They could simplify the inspection of the rifle or eliminate it altogether as something unnecessary to what is essentially a shift change. They could reduce the watch to more “reasonable” hours and allow the sentinels to pause and take shelter during inclement weather. They could add a commentator to give explanations of what would be left of the ritual after such “pruning” of it or have the sentinels themselves explain what they are doing.
“The meaning of ritual surpasses the sum of the explanation of its parts.”
All of these are possibilities, but a great deal would be lost. Perhaps every element of the ceremony would be comprehended, but the meaning of the ritual—namely the profound significance and worth of the ultimate sacrifice offered by the soldiers represented by the monument—and the reverence invoked would be greatly diminished. Visitors to the tomb might be able to explain what the tomb and ceremony (if it could even be called that anymore) represent, but they would likely be little touched or moved by it. Probably, the number of visitors to the tomb would greatly decrease, the ceremony no longer being interesting enough for most visitors to the nation’s capital to go out of their way to witness it.
Clear and Present Meaning
In an article he recently wrote for this publication regarding the evangelistic power of the liturgy, Dr. James Pauley included a very enlightening quotation from Benedictine Father Aidan Kavanaugh about the way in which ritual, specifically liturgical ritual, communicates (or teaches, as stated in the quotation). Kavanaugh writes, “[A]lthough the liturgy does indeed ‘teach,’ it teaches as any other ritual does—experientially, nondiscursively, richly, ambiguously, elementally. In which case it is better left alone to go its repetitious, archaic way so long as the symbols that make up its vocabulary are respected and left to voice their own robust chords of color, food and drink, movement…touch and smell, life and death, sound and rhythmic repetition. Symbols such as these, and the ritual language they go to make
up, are imprecise, communicating not by removing ambiguity but by flooding the senses with it. Much meaning is drawn together into foci that are so complex they do not permit exhaustive verbal definitions concerning what any one focal point means. What, for example, do gold rings on the hands of a couple married 50 years ‘mean’?” 4
The meaning of ritual surpasses the sum of the explanation of its parts, which on their own often elude full explanation. And yet the fabric of their interaction forms a rich and meaningful whole.
This fabric that is ritual also has the power not only to communicate facts to the intellect, but also to communicate truth to and touch the whole person on every level: mind, will, and heart. Because of this, rituals can speak to a wider audience and have a greater impact. Pope Pius XI understood this when he published the encyclical letter Quas Primas by which he promulgated the Feast of Christ the King in response to the challenge to Christ’s kingship from atheistic and secularistic regimes. He wrote, “That these blessings may be abundant and lasting in Christian society, it is necessary that the kingship of our Savior should be as widely as possible recognized and understood, and to that end nothing would serve better than the institution of a special feast in honor of the Kingship of Christ. For people are instructed in the truths of faith and brought to appreciate the inner joys of religion far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful; feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year— in fact, forever. The Church’s teaching affects the mind primarily; her feasts affect both mind and heart and have a salutary effect upon the whole of man’s nature. Man is composed of body and soul, and he needs these external festivities so that the sacred rites, in all their beauty and variety, may stimulate him to drink more deeply of the fountain of God’s teaching, that he may make it a part of himself, and use it with profit for his spiritual life.”5
Ritual has the power to communicate, to teach, to form, to bring reassurance and peace, to heal, to touch, and to move deeply. Ritual respects and even flows from our nature as the composite of body and soul, as embodied souls. It affects mind, will, and emotions.
Honor the Rites
I have heard it stated more than once by people of various backgrounds that when they attended a Catholic funeral which included military honors at the burial following the Funeral Mass, the military honors were the part they found the most memorable and moving. There is something more than sentimentality in this: there is a perception of the deep reality of the honor due to one who served our country in the armed forces and the truth that our nation is something worth fighting and sacrificing one’s life for. All of this, at least on some
“Ritual respects and even flows from our nature as the composite of body and soul, as embodied souls. It affects mind, will, and emotions.”
level, is perceived without any words of explanation. It might be interesting to ask why the funeral Mass itself is often not what has the most lasting impact. Perhaps it is because, unlike with military rituals such as the Changing of the Guard, we do not allow liturgical ritual to do its job and speak for itself.
Father Herman Joseph Johanneck, O. Praem. was ordained a priest for the Diocese of New Ulm, MN, in June 2012. He earned an STL from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome with a specialization in liturgical theology. In the diocese he served in various parish assignments and as director of the diocesan worship office for six years. After ten years as a diocesan priest, Father Herman Joseph entered discernment and formation with the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange, CA, in 2022. He has offered many presentations on the sacred liturgy and on liturgical music in parishes and on the diocesan level.
1. Ratzinger, Joseph. The Feast of Faith. Trans. Graham Harrison. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006, p. 151.
2. Nichols, Aidan. Looking at the Liturgy: A Critical View of Its Contemporary Form. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996, p. 57.
3. Nichols, p. 59.
4. Kavanaugh, Aidan, OSB, “Teaching Through the Liturgy,” Notre Dame Journal of Education 5, no. 1 (Spring 1974), 40-41.
5. Pius XI, Quas Primas, 21.
Gestures of Worship: Relearning Our Ritual Language
By Helen Hull Hitchcock
When our daughter Alexandra was a toddler, we attended the Methodist church with my parents one Sunday morning. She preceded us down the aisle and genuflected deeply and crossed herself before entering the pew, as she did every Sunday at church—eliciting amused smiles from the grownups. (Later her father quipped that she was reverencing the “Real Absence.”) But, of course, it had never occurred to her not to genuflect before entering the pew. It was a habit she learned early, even if she did not understand the reason for her gesture of reverence.
On another occasion, a cousin was visiting us with her two little girls, and we were all kneeling in our pew before Mass began, praying the Rosary. The two-yearold knelt with us, and suddenly began to cry. I had a hunch what was the matter—so I handed her a Rosary. She was instantly calm, and began to finger the beads, her head bowed reverently. Though she was far too young to know what the Rosary was, or the reason we were kneeling in prayer before Mass, she did understand that it was important, and she wanted to be a part of it.
These tiny children did not and could not understand fully the symbolism of what they did, of course. Nevertheless, their desire to express reverence as they had seen others do was beyond question. If inchoate, their acts of worship were no less powerfully expressive. […]
One of the mistakes in implementing the liturgical changes following the Second Vatican Council was
Continued from BOOK REVIEW, page 12
The variety of voices Hicks introduces into the conversation about silence makes each chapter fresh and broadly accessible. That variety, however, can leave the book feeling a little uneven at times—for example, as it moves from a discussion of suffering to an extended reflection on cultivating flowers for the altar. A few of those voices are introduced without a lot of explanation, thus potentially distracting from those which are more
downplaying, often eliminating, traditional gestures of Catholic ritual—physical actions that express our faith. Exactly why this happened is not easy to explain, but one reason was a kind of super-rational approach to worship that prevailed in the years following the Council. Some thought that such ritual gestures as kneeling, genuflecting, bowing, making the sign of the cross, and striking the breast were mindless habits without real meaning, empty gestures possibly tainted with superstition. Many liturgists (and priests and catechists) stressed understanding the “why” of everything we do in worship—which is a good idea in itself, but when overemphasized it can (and often did) lead to rejecting anything one does not completely understand: if I don’t get it, I won’t do it. According to this view, the rational always trumps the ritual.
A misguided view of “updating” Catholic worship also led to the elimination of these distinctive symbolic actions, which were no longer seen as an integration of body and soul in authentic worship. Lost in all this was the idea that these bodily actions express both a personal and communal response to the Mystery of Faith and to the sacramental world the liturgy represents—and that these actions are a means of uniting all believers with the sacramental life of the Church. Instead, they were thought to be prompted only by subjective piety and an overly sentimental sense of devotion. Many liturgists had come to regard these ritual gestures as liturgical debris accumulated over the centuries—debris that obscured the pure form of Christian worship and that needed to be removed. The result gives a new meaning
fully integrated.
While this book may prove a bit daunting for the novice of the spiritual and liturgical life, it will greatly aid those with an established prayer life to renew and deepen their liturgical participation. It will also benefit priests and seminarians, challenging them to revitalize their celebration of the Mass with a greater appreciation of the role of silence.
to “ritual cleansing.”
Another contributing factor was that before the Council some gestures—such as striking the breast during the Confiteor (mea culpa—“through my fault”) or at the Domine non sum dignus (“Lord, I am not worthy”) just before Communion—were not made by the congregation. These prayers were said inaudibly by clergy and altar servers only, and only they made these gestures. After the Council, when the vernacular translation changed these prayers and eliminated the triple repetitions, the accompanying gestures were simply discontinued, even those explicitly indicated in the rubrics. Thus, lacking the example of the priests and servers, the people in the congregation never took up this practice.
The origin of most of these symbolic gestures that are integral to Catholic worship—a wordless liturgical language—is, in many cases, lost in history. A basic vocabulary would include genuflecting toward the altar and tabernacle, bowing the head at the name of Jesus and when the names of the Trinity are pronounced (the Doxology, or “Glory be…”), along with bowing toward the crucifix, striking the breast and making the sign of the cross. They do have meaning and significance as powerful signs of worship even if the way this happens is only dimly understood.
The above excerpt appeared in the February 2010 Adoremus Bulletin. Helen Hull Hitchcock (1939-2014) was one of the first editors of the Adoremus Bulletin, which she co-founded.
Father Donald Anstoetter is a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. He serves as the Director of Worship, Assistant Professor of Sacramental-Liturgical Theology, and Propaedeutic Formator at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. He holds a doctorate in sacred theology (S.T.D.) from the Liturgical Institute–University of Saint Mary of the Lake, IL.
One of the mistakes in implementing the liturgical changes following the Second Vatican Council was downplaying, often eliminating, traditional gestures of Catholic ritual—physical actions that express our faith. Lost in all this was the idea that these bodily actions express both a personal and communal response to the Mystery of Faith and to the sacramental world the liturgy represents.
Adoremus:
Society
for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy in conjunction with The Avila Institute: School of Spiritual Formation present
Mystery and Mission in the Sacred Liturgy: Four Courses on Liturgical and Sacramental Foundations
Adoremus joins the Avila Institute in offering “Mystery and Mission in the Sacred Liturgy,” a series of four introductory courses on liturgical prayer and the sacraments, and taught by Adoremus Editor, Christopher Carstens. Adoremus readers will receive a 25% discount and can take the course for $150. Anyone interested in participating should apply at the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation (see avila-institute.org/mystery-and-mission-in-the-sacred-liturgy) and enter the discount code ADOREMUS to waive the application fee. Once a participant has been accepted for the course, a representative from the Avila Institute will follow up by assisting in enrollment, which includes process-
Course 1: Exploring the Source and Summit (the Eucharist)
January 9, 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13
In this course we will explore the life-changing encounter that we are invited to have with Christ in the Eucharist and how we can deepen our devotion to the Lord and his profound self-gift in the liturgy. We will seek to “rediscover the unity of liturgy and life in Christ” (Jean Corbon) and will engage in a prayerful reflection on the truths and gifts given by God to the Church in this Sacrament. The scriptural and historical development of the Sacrament of the Eucharist will be explored in such a way as to orient us to a deeper and mystagogical encounter with the Eucharistic Christ in prayer and adoration.
Session 1: Natural, Human, and Old Testament Foundations of the Eucharist
Session 2: Old Testament Types of the Eucharist
Session 3: The Development of Eucharistic Theology and its Celebration through the Ages
Session 4: Praying the Eucharist: Introductory Rites
Session 5: Praying the Eucharist: The Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist
Session 6: Praying the Eucharist: Holy Communion and the Dismissal into the World
Course 2: Introduction to the Sacred Liturgy
March 6, 13, 20, 27, April; 3, 10
This introductory course follows the lead of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and considers how the Church celebrates the Christian Mystery—the plan of God to restore all things in Christ. Christ’s Paschal Mystery—his suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension—carried out in the flesh during his earthly life continues today in the Church’s sacred liturgy. After seeing how the Trinity works in the liturgy, we will explore how its work is made present today through sacramental signs (such as objects, actions, language, music, etc.). It is by these signs that men and women of every age come face to face in a most powerful way with Jesus.
• Session 1: A Work of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
• Session 2: Rites and Ritual Traditions
• Session 3: Signs, Symbols, and Sacred Language
• Session 4: Time; Ministers and Assembly
• Session 5: Liturgical Music
• Session 6: Sacred Art and Architecture
Course 3: Introduction to the Sacraments
June 26, July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
This course introduces participants to the Church’s sacramental economy, which is a most privileged and tangible means to enter the heart of the Most Holy Trinity. After an introductory session defines “sacrament” and looks at their number, institution, celebration, participants, and effects, we will consider baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist (sacraments of initiation); penance and anointing of the sick (sacraments of healing); and holy orders and matrimony (sacraments at the service of communion).
• Session 1: Introduction to “Sacrament”
• Session 2: Baptism and Confirmation
• Session 3: Eucharist
• Session 4: Penance and Anointing
• Session 5: Holy Orders and Matrimony
• Session 6: The Sacramental Life
Course 4: Sacramentals, The Liturgy of the Hours, and Devotions
September 4, 11, 18, October 2, 9, 16
While the celebration of the seven sacraments forms the heart of our liturgical relationship with God, the sacramentals (blessings, consecrations, and exorcisms) extend the grace of the sacraments into many other aspects of Christian life. The Liturgy of the Hours likewise radiates the grace of the daily Eucharist through the hours of the day. Expanding further, devotional and private prayer continue to sanctify the moments of life and are an essential part of a mature, Catholic spirituality.
• Session 1: Sacramentals
• Session 2: Blessings, Consecrations, and Exorcisms
• Session 3: The Liturgy of the Hours (theology)
• Session 4: The Liturgy of the Hours (practicum)
• Session 5: Devotions
• Session 6: Private Prayer
Editor’s note: The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is on February 2. This year, it will fall on a Sunday. On this day, Mass begins with the blessing of candles and a procession or solemn entrance.
Q : What is the correct name for the feast day on February 2?
A: Over the centuries, the feast celebrated on February 2 has had many names. Since the fourth century, the East has called this the feast of Hypapante or the Feast of the Holy Meeting of Christ with Simeon and Anna. A similar feast, “forty days after epiphany,” is also recorded in the writing of the pilgrim Egeria, who visited Jerusalem around 380 A.D. A feast akin to this has been celebrated in Rome since at least the fifth century. In the West, the feast was called The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and when the practice of blessing candles was added to this feast, it was called Candlemas. Today, on the General Roman Calendar, the feast is called the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, emphasizing the centrality of Christ in this event.
Q : Is this a Marian Feast or a Feast of the Lord?
A: Liturgists are fond of distinguishing between Feasts of Saints and Feasts of the Lord. This is a practical distinction as Feasts of the Lord have precedence over the Sundays in Ordinary Time in the Table of Liturgical Days According to Their Order of Precedence, whereas Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary are ranked below the Sundays of Ordinary Time on this table. Thus, if this feast—which for a time was called the Feast of the Purification of Mary— were a Marian feast day, it would not be celebrated on Sunday. Rather, without detracting from Sunday— which is “the nucleus and foundation of the yearly liturgical cycle by which the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ” (Ceremonial of Bishops, no. 228)— a Feast of the Lord has precedence over the normal celebration of Sunday. Other “feasts of the Lord”—such as The Feast of the Triumph of the Cross and The Transfiguration of the Lord—are similarly observed Despite the appellation of the feast to Simeon, Anna, and Mary, the celebrated event is centered on Christ. The meeting of Anna and Simeon occurred at the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary would have occurred forty days after she gave birth (under the Mosaic Law, a woman was ritually “unclean” for 40 days after birth). This “purification” would have been simultaneous with the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. As the Roman Martyrology rightly says, “Indeed, outwardly fulfilling the Mosaic Law, in truth, however, coming to meet his own people—who believe and rejoice—as the Light for the revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of His people Israel” (“February 2,” Roman Martyrology, [translation mine]).
Q : Why are candles blessed?
A: The connection between the presentation of the Lord and candles is found in the canticle of Simeon—Simeon’s response to the presentation of the Lord: “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).
The light of the candles blessed in this liturgy is a liturgical symbol of Christ’s revelation of the Father to the nations. Christ is the light of the world (see John 1:3-5 and John 8:12), and in the liturgy this light is seen. Liturgical symbols are not signs of absent realities. Because the light of these candles is a symbol of Christ: Christ—the light of the world—is present through the light of these candles.
Q : Why is there a procession?
A: Pope Sergius first established this procession in response to the pagan festival of Juno Februata, which included a candle procession of Ceres, searching for Proserpine. This procession stood in op-
RITE QUESTIONS
position to the pagan festivities, witnessing that Christ is the true light of the world. For this reason, the liturgy begins in a suitable place that is not inside the church and processes through the city. When the candles have been lit (symbolizing Christ), the people of God carry these lights through the city, revealing the light of Christ in profane space.
In every liturgy the faithful journey as pilgrims toward the holy city of Jerusalem (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, no 8.), and in this liturgy that pilgrimage is made visible to all the nations. During this procession in which the faithful reveal Christ to the nations through symbols, they fittingly sing the antiphon, “a light of the revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.” This liturgical procession is, par excellence, the Church’s ritual witness of Christ to the world.
Q : Is the blessing of candles and the procession required at every Mass?
A: Yes. In the Proper of Saints, this Mass is prescribed to begin with the “First Form: Procession” or the “Second Form: Solemn Entrance.” This closely resembles the Mass for Palm Sunday, where there are three options for the beginning of Mass: the “First Form: Procession,” the “Second Form: Solemn Entrance,” and the “Third Form: Simple Entrance.”
However, there is no simple entrance for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord; either the procession or the solemn entrance must be used.
Q : Which candles should be blessed?
A: The rubrics for this Mass specify that the faithful should hold unlit candles when the priest arrives and light them as the antiphon is chanted. After the introductory rite, the priest blesses candles and sprinkles them with holy water. Is the priest sprinkling the candles that were just lit? Or is he sprinkling other candles? The rubrics do not clearly specify. Liturgists have written various answers to this question. In Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year, Bishop Peter Elliott suggests that the candles to be used in church for the next year should be placed on a table and covered with a white veil (Elliott, no. 72); he also notes that the priest should sprinkle both the lighted candles and the candles on the table (Elliott, no. 75). Similarly, Msgr. Marc Caron says that candles for the priest and the ministers should be placed on a tray, and a white veil should be placed over them (Caron, Ceremonies for Priests, 159).
It is clear that the candles to be used during the procession should be blessed. Additionally, the Roman Ritual specifies that candles blessed on February 2 should be used to bless throats on February 3 (see Book of Blessings, no. 1627). The Roman Missal says that candles are to be blessed, and the Roman Ritual says that some of these candles are to be used the next day. Because neither source specifies whether candles intended for other later liturgies or devotional use are also to be blessed, it is permissible to set these extra candles out for the blessing. However, there is no hint in the current rubrics that the candles should be veiled. The indication to use their veil in the writings of other modern liturgists must be held as a pious custom.
Q : What should be done with the candles after Mass?
A: The faithful who brought their own candles for devotional use should take them home after the liturgy. Those who did not bring their own candles are encouraged to take home the candles distributed before Mass. As the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy states, “The feast of 2 February still retains a popular character…. The candles kept by the faithful in their homes should be seen as a sign of Christ ‘the light of the world’ and an expression of faith” (no. 123).
Q : Where are the ritual guidelines for celebrating The Blessing of Candles and Procession?
A: The rubrics for this liturgy can be found with the orations in the Proper of Saints in the Roman Missal.
When the procession is to occur, the liturgy should start at a nearby chapel or a suitable place outside of the church. The priest may vest in a white cope. A choir or schola should be prepared to sing the opening antiphon. The liturgy will begin with the sign of the cross and the normal greeting. An introduction by either the priest or a deacon will follow this. After this, the priest blesses and sprinkles the candles, and following the announcement, a procession will begin toward the church, and the choir will chant the antiphon for the procession. When the procession arrives at the church, the choir will sing the entrance antiphon. Arriving at the altar, the priest will reverence it and incense it. He will then go to the chair and switch his cope for a chasuble. Mass will continue as normal with the Gloria and Collect.
When it is not possible for a procession to occur, a solemn entrance will take place. In this case, the faithful will assemble in church holding unlit candles. The priest will wear a chasuble. With the ministers and a representative group of the faithful, the priest will stand outside the church door or right inside the church. The same antiphon, greeting, address, blessing, sprinkling, procession, processional antiphon, entrance antiphon, etc. should be observed.
Q : Is it a coincidence that candles are blessed on February 2nd and throats are blessed with candles on February 3rd?
A: The tradition of holding two candles against the throat during the blessing of throats on the optional memorial of St. Blaise developed because his feast falls the day after Candlemas. The Roman Ritual still prescribes that the candles, which are joined in the shape of a cross and touched to the throat of the person being blessed, should be “two candles blessed on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2)” (Book of Blessings, no. 1627).
Q : Is February 2nd the Last Day of the Liturgical Christmas Season?
A: “Christmas Time runs from First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of the Nativity of the Lord up to and including the Sunday after Epiphany or after January 6th” (Universal Norms on the Liturgical Calendar and the General Roman Calendar, no. 33). According to the current norms, Christmas Time will end on Sunday, January 12 this year.
—Answered by Jacob Zepp Diocese of La Crosse
MEMORIAL FOR Helen Hull Hitchcock
from Barbara Manson
Helen Hull Hitchcock from Kathleen and Tom Reeves
Bernard M. Johnson from Family
Leonard Sigurdson from Sylvia Sigurdson TO HONOR
Don and Katherine Ricketts - Wedding Anniversary from John and Gretchen Reese IN THANKSGIVING
Fick Family - Thriving family business
from Dad and Mom Bruce
New Book Explores the Sound Theology of Liturgical Silence
The Hidden Power of Silence in the Mass: A Guide for Encountering Christ in the Liturgy by Boniface Hicks. Bedford, NH: Sophia Press, 2024. 240 pp. ISBN: 9798889111085. $16.67 Paperback.
By Father Donald Anstoetter
In The Hidden Power of Silence in the Mass: A Guide for Encountering Christ in the Liturgy, Benedictine Father Boniface Hicks develops a spirituality of liturgical silence. The book, in fact, could be described as a mystagogy of silence in the Mass.
Hicks’s timely work prescribes a remedy for the frenetic pace and stunted interiority characteristic of contemporary American culture. He shows how a rediscovery of the importance of liturgical silence can renew the actuosa participatio of the faithful and the ars celebrandi of the priest.
Pattern of Silence
While silence is only one liturgical sign among many, Hicks argues for its privileged importance for shaping the liturgical experience. Moments of exterior silence are directed towards a personal, interior silence. Silence complements the words and gestures of the Mass, creating space for the faithful to attune to those signs and encounter God. Hicks explains, “The better we understand the rationale behind these ritual gestures of liturgical silence, the better we will be able to correspond with them and so be transformed by the Word in our liturgical worship” (6).
Liturgical silence, for Hicks, is no monolithic reality. He takes the General Instruction of the Roman Missal as his point of departure: “Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. Its nature, however, depends on the moment it occurs in the different parts of the celebration” (45). Hicks identifies five types of silence, which build upon each other. Quoted directly from his book, these different silences are as follows:
• ascetical silence, a preparation, making room to receive
• mystical silence, an encounter that happens through listening
• sacrificial silence, the self-gift that forms the response to the encounter
• contemplative silence, adoration and communion
• eternal silence, a timeless savoring of the communion. (4)
Hicks sees this fivefold pattern of silence repeated throughout salvation history and in the Mass. He uses the same pattern to structure his book: “Prior to Mass and the Introductory Rites, the participant is encouraged to foster an ascetical silence to prepare space for encountering the Word (chapter 2). Then, in a mystical silence, the participant encounters the voice of God in the Liturgy of the Word (chapter 3). This invites a response of self-offering in a sacrificial silence (chapter 4). Following the self-offering, the Word becomes incarnate in the participant and really present on the altar and is adored and received in contemplative silence (chapter 5). Finally, the participant remains in a timeless or eternal silence to savor the divine presence (chapter 6)” (6).
Multi-disciplinary Approach
Hicks takes a somewhat unconventional approach to the treatment of liturgical silence. In his exploration of the silent elements of the Mass, he draws into conversation various—often surprising—sources. He stays close to the liturgical texts and rubrics, but then he brings in insights from the Fathers of the Church, recent magisterial documents, and the writings of popes, saints, theologians, psychologists, educators, literary authors—and even a gardener! He also includes insights from his personal prayer.
Hicks focuses primarily on the Mass—in particular, the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Nevertheless, he also culls insights from other liturgies of both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms, and from some of the Eastern Churches. He concludes each chapter with lessons drawn from the Blessed Mother—whom he calls “the supreme model of silence” (7)—and from St. Benedict.
While the book contains much information about the liturgy, Hicks’s primary aim is practical: guiding the reader to a deeper encounter with Jesus in the liturgy. In each chapter, he provides concrete recommendations for engaging liturgical silence more deeply. He also includes reflection questions to encourage fuller engagement with the material.
Culture, Prayer, and Silence
Before beginning his sequential tour of the Mass, Hicks discusses the modern attitude towards silence. He writes, “Silence can make us feel out of control, as we may face our uncontrollable restlessness or our guilty consciences when we enter into silence. Entering into silence can feel like a stripping away of comforts in a way that confronts us with reality” (11). He suggests that individuals often defend against the vulnerability of silence through “our flurry of words and frenetic activity” (13).
The liturgy is meant to enable an encounter with reality that is not scary, but healing. Hicks writes, “The silence that is prescribed in the liturgy should be viewed in this positive way as creating places of hiddenness that make us secure enough to be vulnerable, like little children, and open to the loving embrace that our Father extends to us” (15).
Hicks quotes various liturgical documents, rubrics, and popes to show how liturgical silence is an integral part of active participation. For example, he quotes from a 1988 address John Paul II delivered to US bishops: “Yet active participation does not preclude the active passivity of silence, stillness and listening: indeed, it demands it.” More recently, he enlists Pope Francis’s thoughts on silence: “Among the ritual acts that belong to the whole assembly, silence occupies a place of absolute importance” (Desiderio Desideravi, 52).
Throughout the book, Hicks looks to the rubrics and prayers prescribed for the priest to shed light on the participation of the faithful in the corresponding parts of Mass. His description of the secret prayers of the priest is emblematic of his overall approach: “Both priest and laypeople benefit from some mystagogical reflection on these prayers—first, reflection on the importance of reciting prescribed yet unheard prayers and then specific reflections on the words, gestures, and context of the Mass for each of the prayers” (25).
Making Space for Mystery
Hicks describes the ascetical silence that precedes and prepares for the celebration of the Mass. It entails an emptying in order to make room. He explains, “We can call this initial silence of preparation an ascetical silence, in which we set aside other things—certainly we should set aside bad things but even good things as well—in order to make space for the mysteries we are about to receive” (38). Hicks offers practical recommendations for reducing distractions, and he presents several images for helping to calm the mind, make room for God, and foster vulnerability for worship. He draws on both his rich monastic tradition and on a contemporary work like James Clear’s popular self-help book Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones to illustrate the path to developing a habit—and even a culture—of silence.
Hicks’s third chapter on mystical silence is his most synthetic and ambitious. A closer look at this chapter will illustrate his creative and resourceful approach to liturgical silence.
Hicks describes the Liturgy of the Word as a time for “the silence of listening” (62) that leads to encounter with the living Word of God. He discusses the differ-
ences between the use of Scripture in the Liturgy of the Word of the Ordinary Form and in the Mass of the Catechumens of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. He shows how wonder and awe, as described by Sofia Cavalletti (the developer of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd), open the soul to mystery and help it linger upon the Word of God. In his discussion of wonder, Hicks draws in the writings of psychologist Conrad Baars, the lives of St. Anthony of the Desert and St. Francis of Assisi, and interventions of both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
Hicks next reflects on the priest’s silent prayers during the Liturgy of the Word as “an indication of the texture of the silence the liturgy provides for us to enter into” and as “a guide for the entire congregation on how to pray in the silence” (77). He introduces the practice of lectio divina alongside insights from the liturgical historian Father Josef Jungmann and John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. Finally, Hicks meditates on the relationship between silence and suffering and what it means to suffer the silence of God. He writes, “What is God doing in this silence? Although we do not know the details, we can be sure that it is always creative, always bringing forth something new, deeper, more loving. Sometimes it is drawing out some poison of abandonment from our hearts or pressing into our fears of finitude” (87).
By wrangling this seemingly disparate group of sources, Hicks depicts an attractive and challenging ideal of what participation in the Liturgy of the Word can look like.
Sacrificial Silence
Meditation on the Word of God calls for a response: “a silent self-offering” (99). Hicks proposes the priest’s preparation of the altar as “a template for the self-offering of the faithful that is meant to take place together with his actions at the altar” (101). He examines in turn the silent witness of candles and cut flowers, the unveiling of the chalice, the mingling of water and wine, the burning of incense, the secret prayers of the priest, the washing of hands, and, finally, the Eucharistic Prayer.
He continues to approach each element in surprising and inventive ways. For example, he describes the process of making incense, which involves repeatedly wounding certain types of trees and harvesting the resulting sap. The incense—representing the wounds of the faithful—is transformed when heaped onto burning charcoal—which represents God’s consuming love. Hicks writes, “The transformation of our wounds into worship is at the heart of the Mass and is captured in a beautiful ritual symbol in the silent gesture of offering incense” (117).
In the fifth chapter, Hicks reflects on the words and gestures of the Communion Rite. At the consecration, the priest elevates the Host and the Chalice, and the faithful are confronted with the Real Presence of God— the “mysterium tremendum et fascinans” (138). In the faithful’s encounter with their Eucharistic Lord, Hicks writes, “We are terrified by Someone powerful beyond our imaginings and yet also fascinated by Someone who loves us beyond our hopes” (139). From adoration, the faithful move to intimate communion in the reception of the Blessed Sacrament. Hicks presents the priest’s silent prayers of the Communion Rite as a model for the faithful’s reception of Communion and accompanying “silence of transcendence” (158).
Finally, Hicks reflects on silence during the purification of vessels, concluding rites, and prayer of thanksgiving after Mass. After receiving Holy Communion, the faithful have the opportunity to savor their intimate union with Jesus. Hicks writes, “We are not only enjoying His presence in Holy Communion, but in the sacred silence we are also letting Him enjoy our presence and the home He has made in our hearts. We allow for silence in order to let Him love us, simply for who we are” (175). Hicks points to Mary as the model for how to guard and treasure the encounter with Jesus in the silence after Communion.
A Martialed Mystagogy
In The Hidden Power of Silence in the Mass, Hicks beautifully martials liturgical, theological, spiritual, and human insights to present a mystagogy of liturgical silence. He couples these insights with practical recommendations for growing in the habit of silence and developing a spirituality of liturgical silence. The very format of the book—with its personal insights, practical recommendations, and reflection questions—invites the reader to the type of engaged participation Hicks hopes to foster in the liturgy.
