FREE ESSAY ON THE LITURGY DOCUMENTS SUMMARY AND REFLECTION

THE LITURGY DOCUMENTS SUMMARY AND REFLECTION

The Liturgy Documents Summary and Reflection
While reading the Liturgy Documents I found out many things about the Mass that I did not
know, among them: the rules that one has to follow at mass, the right way to say certain
prayers or do certain actions during the liturgy, and the ministries involved in the
celebration of the liturgy of the word and their role. A summary of the Liturgy Documents
discloses much interesting information and provokes thoughtful reflection on its
contents.
The elements that comprise the Liturgy of the word are the readings from scripture and
the chants between the readings, the homily, profession of faith and the general
intercessions or prayers of the faithful (P. 130). The first reading is from the Old
Testament and during the Easter season from Acts. The chant comes from the Psalms. The
second reading comes from the New Testament or an Epistle and the Gospel from the one of
the four Gospels. None of these biblical readings or Psalms can be omitted, shortened, or
replaced by nonbiblical readings. For it is through the readings that God is speaking to
his people today. One of the rules says that you can only proclaim the word of God from
the lectern and no other place. The Liturgy Documents puts a special emphasis on the
importance of the Gospel and how the presider should give special attention to the
Gospel. There are different ways to satisfy this rule. For example, the Deacon or reader
should carry the book of the Gospels during the entrance procession; then after the
second reading the deacon or priest should take the book from 
the altar and carry it reverently to the lectern. When the deacon is about to read the
Gospel, he should first bow in front of the one presiding, asking to receive his
blessing. Finally when he finishes reading the Gospel he should kiss the book. 
The Liturgy Documents tells us that the homily "sets forth the mysteries of faith and the
standards of the Christian life"(P.133) and "that it must always lead the community of
the faithful to celebrate the Eucharist wholeheartedly"(P.133). The homily may not be
omitted without a serious reason. The announcements should be omitted from the homily and
given after the communion prayer. After the homily, the prayers of the faithful are read.
According to the Liturgy Documents during the prayers of the faithful, the priest is the
only one who has the authority to make the intercessions for all.
As I reflect about the importance of each and every one of the actions taken during the
liturgy of the word and during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, it is interesting
how the church puts the readings in an order of importance; first the Old Testament, then
a Psalm, a reading from the New Testament, and finally the Gospel. The importance that
the church gives to these readings is made clear by the rule that says that you can not
omit the reading or replace it. I really like the fact that the church emphasizes the
importance of the Gospel with all the little ritual details. The actions that are
performed before, during and after the homily show respect, value, and dignity for the
Word of God. It is God himself using the readers as instruments to transmit His holy
message.
According to what I understood from the Liturgy Documents I discovered that the purpose
of the homily is to prepare the congregation to receive the Almighty Son of 
God in a tangible form. It is the presider that breaks open the word of God. 
I believe that the reason other people are not allowed to preach during the homilies is
because the church wants to make sure that people's hearts are touched to acknowledge the
greatness of what they are about to receive, not a piece of bread and a drink of wine,
but the body and blood of He who gave his life to save us, Jesus Christ.
How interesting the Liturgy on the word really is! What precision goes into its very
format! Really, everything is spelled out, so that the people of God can have an edifying
experience. The Liturgy Documents certainly contain the total experience of joyful
praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and petition to the Lord.
It is a shame that not all clergy follow the dictates of these writings. It saddens and
upsets me when Priests sometimes are not infused with the Holy Spirit yet; they expect
their congregation to be infused. Another thing that bothers me is when Priests makes
certain changes in the Liturgy. For example: I knew a priest who wrote all the prayers
and then used them during the mass. Once a Priest asked a member of the congregation who
was sitting on the corner of the first pew to move to a different pew. The man got up and
moved, then the Priest stood on the pew and gave his homily from that spot. The efficacy
of the Gospel is taken away from, when Priests vary from the Importance of the liturgy
that surrounds the Gospel, the very word of Christ. In essence this work has opened up in
my mind some of the things that are not Liturgically sound, but also those things that
are.
Bibliography
The Liturgy Documents Vol. I