The Roman Missal is used at the Chair (held by a server) and at the Altar.
The Universal Prayers or any special texts that are prayed should be placed in a worthy and specially prepared folder that is only used for prayer. Cantors could also have appropriate folders if music books are not used. The Archbishop normally uses his own prayer folder.
Drafts of booklets are to be provided to the Office of Liturgy before printing for review. Readings and longer prayers prayed by the Archbishop are not included. Appropriate copyright acknowledgements are to be given. Please see guidelines for Preparing Worship Booklets (published by the Liturgical Commission) for more details.
Microphones
A hands free microphone is required. If a lapel microphone is unavailable, a microphone on a stand is to be used.
Office of Liturgy and Preparation Material
Contact with the Office of Liturgy is helpful at the beginning of the preparation process. Before the booklet is compiled the completed Liturgy Preparation Sheet, Universal Prayers and copies readings – where the readings are not of the day - are to be sent directly to the Office of Liturgy no less than 14 days before the liturgy. Relevant, background material that may assist for homily preparation etc may also be sent at this time.
A draft of the worship booklet should be forwarded to the office as soon as practical before printing. The Director will then confer with those responsible for printing the booklet if amendments are necessary. Two copies of the printed booklet should be forward to the Office of Liturgy a few days before the celebration.
Office of Liturgy:
Postal:GPO Box 62
Hobart Tas 7001
Contact: 03 6208 6034
Email:
PREPARING FOR WORSHIP
Office of the Archbishop
Archdiocese of Hobart
February 2014
Preparing Liturgy: a sacred trust
Those entrusted with preparing the rites for the people of God undertake an important service. The task is not to invent, devise or create the liturgy, for we already have the ‘blueprint’; the Church’s ritual. Understanding the rites is fundamental to good liturgical preparation.
The Liturgical Year and Adaptations
The Ordo is an essential reference when preparing the Mass.The readings of the day are to be preferred and care needs to be exercised regarding the inclusion of the Gloria and the Creed (please see Ordo). Gospel Acclamations and hymns do not contain ‘alleluia’ during Lent. For Masses with young children please consult the Directory for Masses with Childrenbefore making appropriate adaptations.
The season of the Liturgical Year is a primary consideration for those preparing the rites (graduations, for instance, are often in Advent). Feasts and Solemnities are celebrated on the appointed days in the Liturgical Calendar. For Saint’s memorials, the readings of the weekday are to be preferred but the prayers of the Mass (Roman Missal) are taken from the Mass of the saint. If appropriate, readings may be selected from the Mass of the Saint or the Common of the Saint (indicated in the Lectionary). If the prayers are incomplete, others may be chosen from the Common of the Saint in the Roman Missal.
Ceremonies of commissioning, award presentations or blessings which are added to a Mass may be too long and distort the integrity of the liturgical celebration. Options such as creatively celebrating a Liturgy of the Word and a Commissioning (or Blessing etc), require exploration.
Noble Simplicity, Symbols and Participation
Symbols and the symbolic actions draw us into the liturgical actioninsuch a way that we are transformed more perfectly into living icons of the Body of Christ.Our engagement with the rich fare of liturgical symbols during any celebrationcautions us to be careful about using unworthy objects or secondary symbols.
Live music and worthy sacred furnishings, vestments and vessels ennoble the liturgy. If the Mass is celebrated in a place other than a Church, the scale and dignity of these elements becomes more significant. Care should be taken that large celebrations do not become theatrical events but be arranged to transform those present into a gathered faith community.
Music
Music is a significant part of any liturgical gathering. Preference is to be given to singing the Mass (e.g. Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, Eucharistic Prayer Acclamations and the Lamb of God). The settings should be well known by most present at the gathering so that all can participate. Choose music that is appropriate for the rites (see the Liturgical Commission’s guidelinesMusic and the Mass) and if the celebration is not in a parish setting try to draw on elements of the parish repertoire.
Liturgical Ministers
Acolytes. Readers, servers, musicians and ushers etc perform their assigned roles in the service of the gathered community and require appropriate preparation and formation to perform their ministry.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
In a concelebrated mass, lay ministers are not required if there are sufficient concelebrating priests. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion require appropriate training before undertaking this role. Lay ministers are to use the whole purifier when wiping the chalice after each communicant.
Care should be exercised when estimating numbers for communion and appropriate arrangements for any remaining consecrated hosts need to be considered prior to the liturgy.
Universal Prayer
Universal Prayers are prayers for people in need, prayed by the faithful in and through Christ and are directed to the Father. They include an invitation by the presiding minister to the assembly to pray, a series of intentions for universal and local needs (in a consistent style) and the presiding minister’s concluding prayer addressed to God. They are not prayers of thanksgiving. Please see the Liturgical Commission’s Guidelines on Universal Prayer for more information.
Ritual Books and Booklets
Ritual Books, not plastic folders, are to be used by the Archbishop and other ministers in all liturgical gatherings. The Lectionary (and Book of the Gospels, if available) is to be used for readings. The Children’s Lectionary is to be used if the readings are taken from this ritual book.