Q: A colleague has told me that if someone reads the Responsorial Psalm, then the Alleluia/Gospel Acclamation must be recited and not sung as well, and that this rule is in the rubrics. This frequently happens in weddings and funerals, where a family member that does not sing proclaims the Psalm verbally, but then there is a cantor for the rest of the Mass.

My question: is this a current rubric/rule, one from the past, or just preference/practice of my colleague? If it is in writing one way or the other, could you please point me to where I may find it?

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A: I know of no rubric requiring the gospel acclamation to be recited when the psalm is recited. If your colleague can supply a citation, I’d love to see it.

On p. 71 of my book Let Us Pray, I point out that the gospel acclamation may be omitted when there’s only one reading before the gospel and the psalm has been recited, but it says nothing about reciting it. In fact, the Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass states more demandingly that the verse before the gospel “must be sung” (23).

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Q: Paul, One of my biggest frustrations is that people like to sit in the back half of the church even though there are plenty of spaces available in the front. In various parishes, we’ve tried different strategies. In one church we left the back half of the church lights off, but people still would sit in the last pew in the dark. My current parish doesn’t offer this option as we have a Rube Goldberg style of wiring. But we can keep some of the lights in the back half of the church off.  I believe if we roped off the back pews as someone suggested from parish council, the people would just throw the rope aside and sit there anyway. 

Despite an occasional invitation once or twice a year, including making a comparison with the last supper where the disciples were gathered around the table, I haven’t had much success.

Do you have any ideas of what might work? This is an issue both for daily Mass as well as Sunday Eucharist. 

Thanks for being a key resource on matters liturgical  

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A: This is part of a bigger issue. Like you, I lament the practice. Some people even arrive early to get the back pews. Yet I also know when I visit another church for Mass, I do not always choose a place in front. I have to make it a conscious choice. I suspect it’s something cultural we face more in the US. Roping off pews just makes people angry and doesn’t build communion. Shutting off lights may encourage more people to sit in the dark if they already prefer anonymity. It’s better to appeal to the heart of these good people who are including Mass in their routine.

The bigger issue is full, conscious, active participation in general. Many congregations do not sing well. Many members let electronic devices distract them. Many sit so far away from others that they can exchange peace only by waving rather than touching. Some sit by the tabernacle so they can focus on the reserved sacrament rather than the sacrifice of the Mass. Some pray the rosary during the eucharistic prayer when the missal expects them to pay full attention to its words. Even musicians and servers can be found visiting with one another during Mass instead of giving full attention to every moment. Many people leave church after or during communion. We won’t fix one part of this without addressing the whole package.

I’m sure the US Bishops have a pulse on what Catholics need, but I’d like a new eucharistic revival that would focus on participation rather than adoration.

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Q: Greetings in Christ, Father Turner.

We are studying the Eucharistic prayers at our church led by our Pastor and he asked me to see if anything is written as to why the pronoun ‘they’ is used in this instance rather than the usual inclusive ‘we’ (thus including the celebrant) as used elsewhere.  I could think of no one better to ask than yourself as I always read your blog and learn from it and have numerous books you have written. 

Is it possibly an error or can you explain the understanding for the need for the use of “they”?  (It might be 7 in the Roman Missal)

“Look kindly, most compassionate Father,
on those you unite to yourself
by the Sacrifice of your Son,
and grant that, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
as they partake of this one Bread and one Chalice,
they may be gathered into one Body in Christ,
who heals every division.”

Thank you for your time and blessings,

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A: The missal uses the 3rd person plural in many places where the previous translation chose the 1st person plural. In this case, however, even the previous English kept the 3rd person.

The use of 3rd person more than 1st is a trait of Latin, which often implies the 1st in its use of the 3rd. More importantly, though, passages such as this are meant to be more universal than particular in scope. The Father unites everyone to himself by the Sacrifice of his Son—not just those who happen to be listening to the priest at Mass at this time. The concluding clause similarly does not just refer to those present, but to all who partake of his Body and Blood, that they (not just we) may be healed of every division.

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Q: You posted in https://paulturner.org/readings-on-a-weekday-feast/on 29 August 2018: “You use all three readings on a weekday feast of the Lord if you live in the United States of America.” The feasts of the Lord are The Baptism of the Lord, The Presentation of the Lord (2 February), The Transfiguration of the Lord (6 August), and The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14 September). 

I see contrary instructions, to use two readings on a weekday feast of the Lord, in the Universalis app, Ordo 2026 for Australia and New Zealand, and the website of the UK Liturgy Office (at https://liturgyoffice.org/News/page/4/ ).

Does it remain the case that there should be the three readings on a weekday, as given in Ordo lectionum Missae, editio typica altera, 1981?

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Q: Our local Knights council has asked about purchasing a funeral pall to be employed for funerals of council members at the sponsoring parishes. I have no objection to this, but I know they will want to strongly, maybe most strongly, feature the Knights of Columbus shield logo on this pall.  The K of C shield is an excellent symbol of fraternity and even parochial investment, in our respective cases, but it is not what I would call a liturgical symbol.  I am of a mind to approve their request but wanted to ask your opinion about it. If you are inclined against it, would your objections be mollified if the K of C symbol were but a minor decorative feature? 

Many thanks for your expertise and willingness to advise,

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A: The pall is a reminder of the baptismal garment, and it shows the equality of all baptized Christians—prince and pauper, pope and priest. The bible has several examples showing that white garments are the uniform of heaven. Here’s a previous post:  https://paulturner.org/pall-of-the-casket/.

I don’t know a rule against it, but personally, I think it’s not a good idea to distinguish deceased K of C members from others who are baptized. If you’re leaning toward it, a minor decorative feature would be less disturbing of the symbol of the pall.

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Q: A local catechumen is returning to their home state to care for an ailing parent. She intends to return here for at least 1 Scrutiny and the Easter Vigil. But she will not be around for the Rite of Election at all (including the week before/after, so a parish celebration is not an option).

I reviewed a number of options with the OCIA coordinator, such as moving initiation off of the Vigil and timing the other rites accordingly. But, if she wants to still celebrate initiation at the Vigil, (1) may she partake in the Rite of Election in the other diocese or (2) may the bishop here dispense her from celebrating the rite?

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A: God bless her for exercising Christian charity right within the family.

Best would be for you to contact the bishop’s office in that diocese to see if she could participate in the Rite of Election there. Alternatively, your bishop could delegate her pastor or deacon to preside for a Rite of Election in the parish at a convenient time. The bishop may dispense from one or two scrutinies, or she could ask to be included in the scrutinies at a parish in the other diocese.

Short of that, I imagine the bishop could dispense her from the Rite of Election, though I don’t see provision for that. It’d be much preferable to have it done in some way.

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Q: Thank you for being such a wonderful resource of liturgical wisdom!

We have at our church several old (out of date) lectionaries and a book of the Gospels that is badly worn. What is the proper way to dispose of them?

It seems a little harsh to put them in the trash or recycle them.

Thank you!

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A: Here’s a previous post: https://paulturner.org/disposal-of-religious-books/

What matters most is what’s in your heart.

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Q: Ceremonial of Bishops n. 99 has the bishop giving a kiss of peace, with the word “osculum”. 

Then n. 100 has a similar way, “simili modo”  for concelebrants, deacons, ministers etc.

Then: “101 The faithful also exchange a sign of  peace in a manner approved by the conference of bishops.”

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A: The same Latin words occurs in the Ordination of a Priest 106 and 136, as I’ve noted in Present for God’s Call. 

In practice, I see it exercised as an embrace.

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Q: There’s a video that shows a priest carrying a monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament in it through the halls of a Catholic school, going from class to class, and giving benediction in each classroom he visits.

Is such a procession with multiple benedictions an abuse of the Eucharist and a distortion of the practice of Eucharistic processions?

It seems to me to encourage a type of magical thinking about the Eucharist and the “power” that allegedly comes from merely being in its presence.

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A: It’s unusual, but it’s actually not far off a provision in Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery outside Mass. No. 104 allows for outdoor eucharistic processions to include multiple stations where the eucharistic blessing is given. But no. 101 says that the diocesan bishop is “to judge concerning its appropriateness.” 

I’ve written a commentary on the entire ritual book: Eucharistic Reservation.

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I thought i would send a couple of thoughts on recessional hymns.

The Jesuit liturgist Andrew Cameron Mowat once suggested that we should see the recessional hymn as an extension of the Thanks be to God.

When asked a question about by a parish musician and needing to provide a written answer… I offered GIRM 186 ‘…and withdraws in a manner similar to the Entrance Procession.’ It seems unclear to me whether this just means how the celebrant and ministers leave the sanctuary and which order they do so, or that also  as singing accompanies the Entrance Procession so it should also accompany the Recession… (I know the gap here is that the Entrance Procession in accompanied by the Introit.)

I think it is worth noting that as far as I am aware it is peculiarly Catholic practice. My experience is that other denominations process out to music not singing. Which suggests the interesting question where did the practice come from.

Finally, Marian hymns at the end. I have come across this practice in UK. We briefly had a young chaplain who ended every Mass with a Marian hymn. Part of his rationale was that it was ‘outside Mass’ so not part of any norms for the Eucharist. He also had the practice of a list of 20 or so hymns which the musicians used in strict rotation – so Mass would be 1, 2, 3 + Marian hymn, then 4, 5, 6 etc.

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I  appreciate the extra insight from the UK. Amazing how customs evolve—some similar and some different around the world.

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