Fr. Z's Blog | Formerly entitled: "What Does The Prayer Really Say?" – Clear, straight commentary on Catholic issues, liturgy and life by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf o{]:¬)

QUAERITUR: Can a layperson repose the Blessed Sacrament?

Posted on 28 May 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

12_03_15_Exposition From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Our priest has asked the two laypersons who attend the last hour of Adoration if they would be willing to repose the Blessed Sacrament if he cannot be present to do so. I am one of those persons and do not believe I’m qualified to do this. In fact, I’m concerned about profanation of the Eucharist. Should I decline the request or acquiesce?

I can’t answer that for you. As a priest, I am not a fan of this practice. However, I can imagine a few situations in which it could be tolerated.

That said, we can consider the legislation. There is a document called Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass (par. 82-100) that covers this situation. This document provides that laypersons may under certain conditions – expose – and hence repose – the Blessed Sacrament in the absence of a bishop, a priest or a deacon.

The ordinary minister for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is a bishop, a priest or a deacon. They are also the only ones permitted to give Benediction (Blessing) of the Blessed Sacrament.

However, in the absence of a bishop, a priest or a deacon (or I suppose if the cleric present is physically unable to do so – “lawfully impeded”) the following lay people are permitted publicly to expose publicly expose and publicly to repose the Blessed Sacrament:

an installed Acolyte
an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
a member of a religious community or of a pious association of laymen or laywomen dedicated to Eucharistic adoration who has been appointed by the local Ordinary

These people may open the tabernacle and put a ciborium on an altar or put the lunette with a Host in a monstrance. They may then, consequently, repose the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle.

So, if you are going to be involved in this, meet with the pastor of the parish where this chapel is or contact the local bishop (who will probably refer you back to the parish priest).

You cannot be an Acolyte, for only men are admitted to that ministry, but you could be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

Becoming an EMHC has a process. The pastor will know what it is.

And never… never… just assume that you can do this without checking with the pastor, just to be clear and sure.

It is not right for just anyone to do this.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box | Tagged Exposition, Reposition
13 Comments

Your Sunday Sermon Notes

Posted on 28 May 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Was there a good point made during the sermon you heard for your Mass of Sunday obligation?

Let us know what it was!

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
3 Comments

Card. Müller on deaconettes: “No. Not possible.” – on liturgy: “crisis”

Posted on 27 May 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Raymond Arroyo of EWTN has a wide ranging interview with His Eminence Gerhard Ludwig Card. Müller, Prefect of the CDF.

One thing that caught my attention is his clear refutation and denial of the possibility of the ordination of deaconesses (aka deaconettes).

About the notion that, in the ancient Church, women had Holy Orders…

ARROYO: And what is your opinion? Did they have Holy Orders, or no?

MÜLLER: No. Not possible.

He also confirmed that Pope denied the possibility of deaconettes.

The part about deaconettes starts at about 14:00.

Also, Arroyo asks if he shares Card. Sarah’s views about a crisis in our liturgical worship. Card. Müller thinks there is a crisis. He doesn’t think that it is the fault of the Second Vatican Council. He stressed the mystery of God.

Posted in Deaconettes | Tagged Card. Müller, deaconesses, deaconettes
25 Comments

VIDEO: Pontifical Mass in Germany

Posted on 27 May 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Masses Pontifical in the traditional form of the Roman Rite must be multiplied.

To that end, here is a beautiful video of a Pontifical Mass celebrated in Germany by the Secretary of my old digs the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei“, Archbishop Guido Pozzo.

The video is well done. The editor captured many of the significant points of movement that distinguish the Pontifical Mass at the Throne. It seems to be a Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin.

We should make this a little more visible. There were 176 views when I posted this.

Here in Madison, on Wednesday 31 May, we will have a Pontifical Mass at the Throne with His Excellency Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino, the Extraordinary Ordinary.

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM | Tagged Bp. Guido Pozzo, Pontifical Mass
7 Comments

THEY’RE HERE! White Pontifical Mass Vestments

Posted on 26 May 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

They’re here.

The long-awaited White Pontifical set has arrived!

I invited the chancellor to help with the unboxing.

The humeral veil reveals itself. The light on this fabric is precisely what I had hoped for.

One of the 3 dalmatics which arrived today. Still to arrive, a couple more “plus size” dalmatics. Then there will be others for ordinations.

Note, the diocesan coat of arms is embroidered directly into the fabric.

Two of the copes. Eventually there will be a total of 7. I asked for one of them to have the extra-band of braid, to distinguish the celebrant from assistants, or bishop from the assistant priest. Note the coat of arms on the lower corners.

The bishop’s chasuble with his arms. We also received one chasuble with the diocesan coat of arms, the first of several. Also, there will be one with my own.

There are two tunics (which have only one bar on the back). In addition, there is an antpendium, gremial, all the necessary parts with the chasubles, two additional pontifical dalmatics, a spare pair of gloves.

We have been waiting for these for a long time.

I am so grateful to the donors for this project!

And don’t forget the new fundraiser! Our new campaign to help with the Blue and also to order “folded chasubles” for the Violet set.

>>HERE<<

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, Just Too Cool, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged Pontifical vestments
9 Comments

WDTPRS – 7th Sunday of Easter: Ascended but still present

Posted on 26 May 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I won’t acknowledge Ascension Thursday Sunday. Yesterday was the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord and Sunday is, in the Ordinary Form, the 7th Sunday of Easter.

Let’s look at the Collect for the 7th Sunday of Easter.

Supplicationibus nostris, Domine, adesto propitius,
ut, sicut humani generis Salvatorem
tecum in tua credimus maiestate,
ita eum usque ad consummationem saeculi manere nobiscum,
sicut ipse promisit, sentiamus.

There is a spiffy parallelism here in sicut… tecum and ita… nobiscum.

There seems to be here a reference to Matthew 28:20:

“Et ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus, usque ad consummationem saeculi”

RSV: “I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
DR: “I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”

Adsum is the verb that gives us adesto, which is the “future” imperative (because imperative has to be future). Adsum means to “be present” in both the physical and the moral sense. Thus, it means also “to be present with one’s aid or support; to stand by, to assist, aid, help, protect, defend, sustain.” And also, “to be present in mind, with attention, interest, sympathy; also, with courage; to give attention to something, to give heed, observe, attend to; also, to be fearless, be of good courage.” In the Rite of Ordination, and today is my anniversary, when men are called to receive Holy Orders, their names are pronounced (which is the formal moment of a “calling” – vocatio) and they respond, Adsum! Believe me when I say that that “Adsum!” which candidates for Orders proclaim means all of the above!

Maiestas has an interesting entry in the Lewis & Short Dictionary. This word fundamentally means, “greatness, grandeur, dignity, majesty.” In conjunction with other words it reveals something more. For example, maiestas means the “sovereignty of the Roman people” in classical Latin. Thus, we have the term for high treason: laedere maiestatem. In English we use the same phrase: “lese majesty” also in the French form “lèse majesté”.

Consummatio is technically “a casting up or reckoning together, a summing up, a summary view” as well as a “finishing, completing, accomplishing.” Think of doing a “summation” or doing your “sums”. Or being a “consummate pianist” to indicate a pianist who in his skills and artistry is “complete.”

LITERAL TRANSLATION:
Graciously give attention to our supplications, O Lord,
so that, just as we believe the Savior of human kind
is, in your majesty, with you,
we thus may sense him, just as he promised, to be remaining with us
all the way unto the consummation of the world.

OBSOLETE ICEL (1973):
Father,
help us keep in mind that Christ our Savior
lives with you in glory
and promised to remain with us until the end of time.

CURRENT ICEL (2011):
Graciously hear our supplications, O Lord,
so that we, who believe that the Saviour of the human race
is with you in your glory,
may experience, as he promised,
until the end of the world,
his abiding presence among us.

In the Person of the Risen Lord, the God/man, our humanity is at this very moment present at the right hand of God the Father.

When Christ ascended to the Father, our humanity ascended with Him. We are already there, but still not yet there. We must wait for the world’s consummation and final reckoning to join Them in our final state of endless contemplation of the Triune God.

Christ is still present to us. He is with us in the Holy Eucharist, in the Words of Scripture, in the person of the priest, in the gathering of the baptized.

Christ is with us, still teaching and governing and sanctifying us in Holy Church of which He is the Head. Through and in Him we are the Body, the members, the Church.

In that time after the world and everything and everyone has been put in the balance, and everything has been submitted by Christ to the Father so that God may be all in all, Christ the Head and Christ the Body will be, as St. Augustine might put it, Christus Totus: Christ Whole and Entire.

Posted in EASTER, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, WDTPRS | Tagged Sunday after Ascension
2 Comments

Catholic Herald on recent SSPX developments

Posted on 26 May 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The editorial at the beginning of this week’s print edition of the Catholic Herald, the UK’s best Catholic weekly.

Posted in SSPX, The future and our choices | Tagged Catholic Herald, SSPX
29 Comments

26 May – St. Philip Neri: Hearts on fire!

Posted on 26 May 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today is the feast of the great co-patron of Rome with St. Peter: St. Philip Neri.

From a couple weeks ago.

The tomb of the saint in the Chiesa Nuova.

Here is his…

COLLECT:

Deus, qui fideles tibi servos
sanctitatis gloria sublimare non desistis,
concede propitius,
ut illo nos igne Spiritus Sanctus inflammet,
quo beati Philippi cor mirabiliter penetravit.

Sublimo, according to the thorough Lewis & Short Dictionary, is “to lift up on high, to raise, elevate”. Penetro is, in the first place, “to put, place, or set any thing into any thing”. You might use this verb to describe a person putting his foot inside a house. It can also mean “to betake one’s self” or “go” in some direction. For example, one way to say “to take flight” as in “run away” is se in fugam penetrat. After that, it is “to pierce into any thing; to enter, penetrate any thing”. In a related sense, penetralia are the interior of a place, or the secret places, even a sanctuary or chapel.

LITERAL TRANSLATION:
O God, who by the glory of sanctity
do not cease not to raise on high
servants faithful to You,
propitiously grant,
that the Holy Spirit inflame us with that same fire
with which He wondrously entered into Saint Philip’s heart.

We could say “pierced” instead of “entered”, but with fire I think that is the wrong image.

Where St Philip said Mass:

And here is the relic of the praecordium of St. Philip Neri in the chapel in the Oratory in Rome where the saint said Mass. The praecordium is not the heart itself, but it is close! I said Mass there many times… until recently… especially on my anniversary of ordination (today, in 1991). The Oratorians have become rather stingy.

CURRENT ICEL (2012):
O God, who never cease to bestow the glory of holiness
on the faithful servants you raise up for yourself,
graciously grant
that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us that fire
with which he wonderfully filled
the heart of Saint Philip Neri.

I don’t like that “filled” for penetravit, but you can see how they chose it.

This is my relic of St. Philip.

Last year was my 25th. HERE

And… just for fun… my 1st Mass vestment…

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged anniversary of ordination, St. Philip Neri
13 Comments

MADISON 31 MAY – Pontifical Mass at the Throne – Feast of the Queenship of Mary

Posted on 25 May 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

On 31 May, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, we will have a wonderful Pontifical Mass at the Throne at 6 PM at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Monona, WI. The Extraordinary Form Mass is organized by the TMSM with Bp. Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison.

We will be using the new Pontifical Set in White, which, at the time of this writing, has just departed the DHL hub in ~~Leipzig, Germany~~. [26 May] in ~~Chicago~~ in ~~Milwaukee~~ and now out for delivery!

I stopped at the church today to scope it out. There won’t be any problems for logistics, that’s for sure. The sanctuary is large, the accouterments more than sufficient.

Check this out. There are even shoes for the servers.

And we have not one, not two, but three choices amonst the scruple spoons.

And I have rarely seen a sacristy the size of this one. It’s crazy big.

This is what the place looked like in the 1960’s, and still looks like now:

This was clearly a Solemn Mass celebrated in the presence of the Bishop, Most. Rev. William O’Connor.

The church is a real trip, virtually untouched since its completion and dedication in May 1961. There was once an intention that the church become the national shrine of the Green Scapular.

They still have the same canopy, the great chairs and candle-sticks, all of which would look great in the Jetson’s family home! If only we had a Missa Jetsoniensis for 4 voices, or maybe an introduction in place of Ecce Sacerdos for the entrance of the bishop in Cappa Magna… “Meet the Bishop!” No, on second thought, the version with lyrics would be the Novus Ordo version, from the 80s.