IMPLEMENTING THE THIRD EDITION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW ORLEANS, USA

Rev. Deogratias O. Ekisa S.T.D

Professor of Liturgy and Sacramental Theology

Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans Louisiana, USA

February 2, 2020

INTRODUCTION: “And with your spirit.”

American Catholics who went to the Mass on the first Sunday of Advent in 2011 were in for a surprise.  This was the day when the Church in the USA was beginning to use the new translation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. And so they would hear and respond with new Mass parts.  For example, when the priest greeted them with "The Lord be with you," they would now respond and "And with your Spirit," rather than the previous "And also with you."

Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of earlier transitions in liturgical texts, particularly the momentous change to the vernacular in the 1970s, many dioceses in the USA took great pains to prepare their people for the reception of the new translation of the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal into English.  In this essay, I will describe the work done by the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana.

RESOURCES: Literature and audio-visual materials

Some of this preparation took place by way of sharing literature and audio-visual materials which were sent to clergy and to the various lay ministers.  For example, an inter-active DVD entitled Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ, produced by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), contained a wealth of detailed information on the reasons for the new translation, the principles that guided the work and commentary by those who serve on the commission.  It also offered background reading for priests and ministers including materials that could be reprinted for parishioners e.g. in Sunday bulletins.  Another useful resource was a book, Parish Guide to Implementing the Roman Missal Third Edition, that provided parish priests with a well-thought out and practical process that included a time-line with suggestions on how to implement the transition to the new Missal.  There were several other resources provided by liturgists and theologians to guide parishes in making a smooth transition.

WORKSHOPS: A lesson in lex orandi lex credendi

Another key element of the preparation for the new Missal were workshops and conferences.  The Archdiocesan Office of Worship set up diocesan-wide conferences for the various categories of the faithful, priests, deacons and the various lay-ministers addressing their specific roles.  These workshops were conducted by experts in the field of liturgy.  For example, the sessions for the priests were conducted by the then Executive Director of the USCCB Committee for Divine Worship, himself a graduate of the San't Anselmo Faculty of Liturgy in Rome.  The workshops for the deacons and lay ministers were conducted by the officials of the Archdiocesan Office of Worship, who are trained liturgists themselves.  While the priests had just one workshop offered to them, to accommodate the busy work and family schedules of the deacons and lay ministers, workshops were offered on different dates to make it easier for them to attend.

It is remarkable that the content of these workshops was not just the textual and rubrical changes to the Roman Missal.  The workshops used this opportunity to review Catholic liturgical theology as well as the theology of the Eucharist and Mass.  By providing the theological and philosophical foundations to the new Roman Missal, the workshops showed that the changes and indeed the whole Mass is an application of the ancient adage of lex orandi lex credendi.  Following the renewed focus on the sign value of the liturgy according to the Second Vatican Council, the workshops attempted to show the consistency between the rites and texts and what we believe about the Eucharist.

SPECIAL INITIATIVE BEFORE: Anticipating the musical settings

There are two more initiatives carried out by the Archdiocese of New Orleans Office of Worship that I thought were particularly insightful and helpful.

The first initiative had to do with music.  At their request, permission was granted by the USCCB for an anticipated use of the new Mass settings starting in September, three months before the official start date of the New Missal on the First Sunday of Advent.  The reason for this request was to get the parishioners gradually introduced to these new Mass parts, especially as set to music.  In addition, with the cooperation of the parish music ministers, one particular music setting, the Mass of Renewal was agreed upon and all parishes used that for the first year, so that the whole diocese would have a common repertoire when the faithful came together for diocesan celebrations.  A few additional settings were also recommended for particular groups such as schools and youth, and for later use.  This initiative was so successful that whenever I celebrated Mass in various parishes I could very easily introduce the various commons because they were familiar to all in the whole diocese.

SPECIAL INITIATIVE AFTER: A Year of Renewal: Offering a Worthy Sacrifice of Praise

A second initiative was that Archbishop Gregory Aymond designated the first year of implementation of the new Missal (November 2011 – November 2012) as a special year on the Mass with the theme, "A Year of Renewal: Offering a Worthy Sacrifice of Praise."  During this year, various activities and celebrations with a focus on the Eucharist were carried out, including Eucharistic adoration.  Concerted efforts were also made to teach the faithful more about the Mass.  Each parish carried out a four-part program of study and discussion entitled "The Mass Explained".  This program was based on a booklet of the same title authored by Monsignor James P. Moroney, Executive Secretary at Vox Clara Committee.  This successful program gave small groups of parishioners in parishes an opportunity to explore topics such as the history of the Mass, full conscious and active participation, the role of the priest, deacon and lay person at Mass, the meaning of the various signs, symbols and actions at Mass and the spiritual effect of the Mass on the faithful.

CONCLUSION: Participation through understanding

Looking back eight years now, it is very clear that the efforts and resources that were used to prepare the faithful of the diocese for the changes were well spent and have borne much fruit.  Not only was the transition smooth, but also there is now a greater understanding and appreciation of what the Mass is, bringing to fruition in some way the wish of the Council Fathers who earnestly desired that the faithful "through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration" (SC 48).

 

Homily Ordinary 25A: No condition is permanent – not even the condition of sin

Homily for 26^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2020

Ezekiel 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32

Introduction

During the last few Sundays, the readings, especially the gospels, have challenged us to recognize God’s generosity and mercy towards us.

·        Three Sundays ago, we heard Jesus provide the Church with a four-step process for helping a sinner turn from sin to righteousness; and he concluded with this assurance: “Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.”

·        Then two Sundays ago, we heard him explain how generous this process was to be, not the miserly seven times that Peter suggested, but seventy-seven times, because that is how merciful God is.  Otherwise God will not grant us mercy, “unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

·        And then last week, with the parable of the generous Master of the Vineyard, Jesus showed that God is not only just, but also generous, freely giving even to those who come last more than they deserve.

Today’s gospel turns this theme of God’s generosity and mercy on its head, throwing the ball into our court, and focusing on how ready we are to receive it.

Scripture and Theology

Put simply the readings are telling us that “No condition is permanent,” neither the condition of sin nor the condition of righteousness.

When instructed by his father to go and work in the vineyard, the first son said “No,” but later thought better about the matter and did as his father asked.  This son represents sinners, that is, the tax-collectors and prostitutes, who had said “No,” to God when they refused to believe in his promises, when they refused to worship him and most of all when they refused to follow his commandments and instead chose to live in sin.  But now after hearing John the Baptist and Jesus preach, they had turned from the evil ways and towards the Lord.  Throughout the gospels we hear of many tax-collectors like Matthew and Zacchaeus and some sinful women too, who like this son, turn to the Lord and leave behind their old lives of sin.  For no condition is permanent.

The second son, said “Yes” to the father but did nothing about it; he represents the religious leaders of the time.  The Chief Priests and elders of the Jewish people thought that since they had believed in God’s promises, worshipped him and they followed the letter of the Law, they were just fine.  But in truth they had become complacent in their righteousness and at the same time they were cynical about conversion of sinners denying that it was at all possible to change. When Jesus came, instead of continuing to say “Yes” to the God of Jesus, who is the same God whom they had believed, worshipped and obeyed, now they said “No,” like the second son; they rejected the Way of God’s son, who had preached: “Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Centuries earlier, during the time of the Prophet Ezekiel, the people had complained that the Lord’s ways, of forgiving people who changed from bad to good, were unfair.  But the Lord said: “Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?”  The Lord punishes those who turn “away from virtue to commit iniquity.”   But the Lord forgives and preserves the life of the person who “turns from the wickedness he has committed, he does what is right and just.” 

Christian Life

This message is just as relevant for us today as it was for the people of Ezekiel’s time and those of Jesus’s time.  Put simply, the message is “no condition is permanent”; change is possible.  And change can go one of two ways: conversion from sin to virtue, or the complacency that leads from virtue to sin.

There are far too many people today, who think that God could never forgive their sin.  How often do I hear people say, “Father, what I did was too terrible – an abortion or a promiscuous past, racism or an addiction – there is no way God can forgive that,” they say!  And they give up; they don’t believe Jesus who says that God is merciful and challenges them to be like the first son who converts.

Nelson Mandela was universally acknowledged as a man of peace and reconciliation!  But do you know that in his younger days he was a man of violence and would be called a terrorist today?  But like the first son, later he was to become a great ambassador of peace and reconciliation among races.

You may also have read a few years ago about a Catholic priest in Virginia, who as a young man was a leader of the Ku Klux Klan.  But after the Lord touched him, 40 years ago, he turned from his racist ways and even became a priest.  He turned his initial “No” to a “Yes” of service to all God’s people.

We too must believe that change from evil to good, from sin to virtue, from the wrong to the right path is possible.  Each of us needs to ask himself or herself:

1.    Do I live in despair for myself and in cynicism for others who are imperfect or do I live in hope, hope that change in Jesus is possible?

2.    Do I easily give up on myself and others, letting sin and addictions keep me down or do I harbour the hope that conversion to the Lord is possible?

3.    Do I concrete take steps to bring about change in my life and do I take steps to help others turn their lives to the Lord?

On the other hand, like the second son, we can just as easily fall into the same complacency of thinking that our original “Yes” to the Lord will carry us all the way to heaven.  Our “Yes” at Baptism, confirmation, matrimony and other occasions was only the beginning of our commitment.  We must continue saying, “Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes Lord” every day of our lives.  We must say this “Yes” by continuing to believe in his teaching, by continuing to worship him and by continuing to live according to his commandments, every day of our lives.

I recall a story I heard told by the best man at a wedding a few years ago. He advised the newly married couple to compare their love for each other to one million dollars.  But rather than give it to each other in one big check of one million dollars, he advised them to go the bank and get one-dollar bills and give them out to each other one day at a time.  In this way, they would be saying "Yes, I love you" not just once, but every day of their lives.  Our Yeses to the Lord, also need to be both in word and action, every day of our lives.

Conclusion

Yes, leopards cannot change their spots because those spots are genetic.  But human beings can change from sin to virtue, evil to good, wrong to right, because the Lord helps us with the grace, we need to do that.  The Lord left us the sacrament of Penance as a means to make that change concrete. And Isaiah assures us: “Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they may become white as wool” (Is. 1:18).

And so, both the first son and the second son are imperfect sons: one imperfect in word and the other imperfect in action.  And we are at one time or other both sons.  But there is a third son, who is perfect in both word and deed.  It is the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, who not only said “Yes, I will become man,” but also actually went to the Cross and died for our sins.  This son, the Lord rewarded by raising him up on the third day.  As St. Paul assures us, if we follow Jesus’s example, we shall also receive his same reward and destiny, , his resurrection.  After a lifetime of imperfect Yeses, at that time our “Yes” will be definitive and permanent. And we shall see God as he is, and we shall be with him for ever and ever. Let that be our hope for ourselves and for others.

Homily Ordinary 23A: I am my brother's keeper

 Homily for 23^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2020

Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10 · Matthew 18:15-20

Introduction

In the book of Genesis, when God asks Cain where his brother Abel is, Cain denies knowing saying: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  Today many people say the same thing, especially when it comes to correcting each other.

And so many people will misquote Jesus and say, "Stop judging, that you may not be judged" (Mt. 7:1).  By this phrase they mean, "you believe what you want and I believe what I want, it is not my place to correct you."  Even worse, people whose responsibility it is to teach like teachers to students, parents to children, priests to parishioners, abdicate their duty and say “who am I to correct others.”

Fortunately, today's readings teach us that we are our brother’s keeper, we are our sister’s keeper.  We must make appropriate judgement and we must correct others where sin is involved.

Scripture and Theology and Christian Life

In the first reading the Lord clearly tells Ezekiel: “You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.”

·        And then God goes on to tell Ezekiel, that if he does not speak to the wicked man about his wicked ways, he, Ezekiel will share the same punishment as the wicked man himself, for failing to warn him.

·        But if Ezekiel warns the wicked man and the wicked man refuses to convert, Ezekiel will be absolved of the wicked man’s guilt; only the wicked man in this case will be punished for his wickedness.

The Lord is very clear here, that Ezekiel as a prophet, is responsible for helping others to turn away from sin.  He cannot shun his responsibility with the excuse of "I might hurt their feelings," or "they are entitled to their opinions."  Ezekiel is a prophet and must fulfil his prophetic duty of warning others who go astray.

In the gospel Jesus also entrusts members of the Church with that same responsibility of correcting the sinner.  But he goes further, by telling us how to correct each other, giving four steps for gradually bringing the sinner back.

The first step is “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”  This is fraternal correction that happens one-on-one, unlike what often happens in our society today, where when we see something wrong, we tell everybody else, except the person who needs to hear it.

·        Jesus, instead is asking that, for example, you might pull a friend aside and warn him about his vulgar language.  Or a parent might ask her teenage daughter to dress more modestly before going out.  Or a teacher might admonish a student for disrupting the class.

·        The purpose of this correction is not to lord it over others, but to help them realize their sin, by speaking truth to them with love.  And in this way, there is great hope that the sinner will change his or her behaviour and return to the right path.  This is the hope that Jesus expresses when he says: “If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.”

Unfortunately, some sinners will not accept this personal fraternal correction.  That is where the second step comes in.  “If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’”  There is strength in numbers.

·        In our everyday lives, we can think of this step as calling for backup.  Today friends might carry out an intervention to help a friend suffering from an addiction.  Or mom and dad might team up and have a "Come to Jesus" meeting with their child.  Or a teacher might summon the services of another teacher or school counsellor in dealing with an errant student.

·        The backup of more people is needed for two main reasons.  First of all, in the Jewish legal system and probably in ours today, the witness of two or more was required to sustain a case in court.  But a second and more important reason is that two or more members of the community might help the sinner see his bad ways more easily than one person.  One or two more people bring a wider perspective and show the gravity of the situation.  Hopefully because of this, the person realizes the error of their ways and returns to the path of righteousness.

If the person refuses to listen to the small group, Jesus provides a third step, saying “Tell the Church.”  This step involves bringing in the wider Christian community, especially the Church leaders.

·        In our language today, we might call this step “Bringing in the big guns.”  Among friends this might mean bringing in an influential outsider such as the priest.  For parents, the grandparents or someone with the role of matriarch or patriarch of the family might be asked to intervene.  And for teachers, this step might mean summoning mom and dad for a crisis meeting in the principal's office.

·        Like the previous two steps, this one is needed because our sins affect the community; our sins give a bad example to others in the community, especially to the young; our sins make the community weaker; our sins often hurt others in the community.  And so if the first two steps, have failed to take care of the problem, the whole community, especially the church leaders, need to get involved.   That is why sometimes our bishops have to remind politicians of their errant ways. They often do this privately at first, but when the person refuses to change, they are forced to do so publicly.

Unfortunately, some people will persist in their sin and will never accept the advice of one person, a small group of people or people in authority.  And for them Jesus prescribes the fourth and last measure: “If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”  Treating such a person like a gentile or tax-collector means treating them as outsiders or expelling them from the community. 

·        For us today this is what we call the nuclear option, such as cutting ties with a friend or not inviting them to Thanksgiving dinner, parents cutting off a child, for a school expelling a student, for the Church, excommunication.

·        As drastic as this last step of expelling the sinner might seem, it is not done out of bad will, but with the intention of helping the sinner realize how serious his sin affects the community.  The purpose of this step is that once the sinner is cast out in the cold, he or she might change their ways and seek readmission. The expulsion is medicinal than penal. 

Conclusion

And so, my friends, while individualism and privacy might be values for society, they are not Christian virtues.  Christians take care of each other, not just by feeding them or giving them water, but also by correcting their sins.  We are on this journey of salvation together.  That is why we must cover each other’s back, not by covering up their errors, but by bringing them to their attention so that they might change. We are called to be our brother's keeper, our sister's keeper.

As we make our journey to heaven, we need to save, not just ourselves, but others as well. We must arrive at God’s door together, presenting ourselves together.  We must not enter the Good Lord’s house, only some of us without the others.  We need to return to the house of our Father, all of us together.  What will he say to us, if we arrive there without our brothers and sisters?  What shall we say to God if we arrive there without our brothers and sisters?

Homilia Ordinario 23A: ¿Soy yo acaso el guardián de mi hermano?

 Homilía del XXIII Domingo del Tiempo Ord. Año A 2020

Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10 · Matthew 18:15-20

Introducción

En el libro de Génesis, cuando Dios le pregunta a Caín dónde está su hermano Abel, Caín niega saberlo diciendo: "¿Soy yo acaso el guardián de mi hermano?"

Hoy mucha gente dice lo mismo, sobre todo cuando se trata de corregirse. Ellos citarán mal a Jesús y dirán: "Deja de juzgar, para que no seas juzgado" (Mt. 7: 1).  Con esto quieren decir, "tú crees lo que quieres y yo creo lo que quiero, no es mi lugar corregirte". Peor aún, las personas cuya responsabilidad es enseñar, como maestros a estudiantes, padres a niños, sacerdotes a feligreses, tal vez abdican de su deber y dicen “quién soy yo para corregir a los demás”?

Afortunadamente, las lecturas de hoy nos enseñan que somos los guardianes de nuestro hermano, de nuestra hermana. Debemos hacer juicios apropiados y debemos corregir a otros.

Escritura y teología y vida cristiana

En la primera lectura, el Señor le dice claramente a Ezequiel: “A ti, hijo de hombre, te he constituido centinela para la casa de Israel.  Cuando escuches una palabra de mi boca, tú se la comunicarás de mi parte.”

·        Y luego Dios continúa diciéndole a Ezequiel, que si no le habla al malvado acerca de sus malos caminos, él, Ezequiel, recibirá el mismo castigo que el malvado mismo, por no advertirle.

·        Pero si Ezequiel advierte al malvado y él se niega a convertirse, Ezequiel será absuelto de la culpa del malvado; sólo el malvado en este caso será castigado.

El Señor es muy claro aquí, que Ezequiel como profeta, es responsable de ayudar a otros a alejarse del pecado. No puede eludir su responsabilidad con la excusa de "podría herir sus sentimientos" o "él tiene derecho a su opinion." Ezequiel es un profeta y debe cumplir con su deber profético de advertir a otros.

En el evangelio, Jesús también confía a los miembros de la Iglesia la misma responsabilidad de corregir al pecador. Pero él va más allá, mostrandonos cómo corregirnos unos a otros, dando cuatro pasos para convertir al pecador gradualmente.

El primer paso es “Si tu hermano comete un pecado, ve y amonéstalo a solas.“ Esta es una corrección fraternal que ocurre uno a uno, a diferencia de lo que sucede a menudo en nuestra sociedad, donde cuando vemos algo mal, se lo decimos a todos los demás, excepto a la persona que necesita escucharlo.

·        Jesús, en cambio, está pidiendo que, por ejemplo, usted pueda llevar un amigo a un lado y advertirle sobre su lenguaje vulgar. O un padre podría pedirle a su hija adolescente que se vista más modestamente antes de salir. O un maestro puede amonestar a un estudiante malo privatamente.

·        El propósito de esta corrección no es dominar a otros, sino ayudarlos a darse cuenta de su pecado, hablándoles la verdad con amor. Y de esta manera, hay una gran esperanza de que el pecador cambie su comportamiento y regrese al camino correcto. Esta es la esperanza que Jesús expresa cuando dice: "Si te escucha, habrás salvado a tu hermano."

Desafortunadamente, algunos pecadores no aceptarán esta corrección fraterna personal. Ahí es donde entra el segundo paso. "Si no te hace caso, hazte acompañar de una o dos personas, para que todo lo que se diga conste por boca de dos o tres testigos."

·        En nuestra vida cotidiana, podemos pensar en este paso como una solicitud de respaldo. Hoy los amigos pueden realizar una intervención para ayudar a un amigo que sufre una adicción. O la mamá y el papá podrían unirse a confrontar su hijo. O un maestro podría solicitar la ayuda de otro maestro o consejero escolar para tratar con un estudiante errante.

·        Se necesita el respaldo de más personas por dos razones principales. Primero, en el sistema legal judío y probablemente en el nuestro hoy, se requería el testimonio de dos o más personas para sostener un caso en la corte. Pero una segunda y más importante razón es que dos o más miembros de la comunidad pueden ayudar al pecador a ver sus malos caminos más fácilmente que una persona. Una o dos personas más aportan una perspectiva más amplia y muestran la gravedad de la situación. Con suerte, debido a esto, la persona se da cuenta del sus pecados y regresa al camino de la justicia.

Si la persona se niega a escuchar al grupo pequeño, Jesús da un tercer paso, diciendo "díselo a la comunidad." Este paso implica atraer a la comunidad cristiana en general, especialmente a los líderes de la Iglesia.

·        Entre amigos, esto podría significar traer a un forastero influyente como el sacerdote. En el caso de los padres, se podría pedir la intervención de los abuelos o de alguien con el prestigio de matriarca o patriarca de la familia. Y para los maestros, este paso podría significar convocar a mamá y papá a una reunión de crisis en la oficina del director.

·        Como los dos pasos anteriores, este es necesario porque nuestros pecados afectan a la comunidad; nuestros pecados dan un mal ejemplo a los demás en la comunidad, especialmente a los jóvenes; nuestros pecados debilitan a la comunidad; nuestros pecados a menudo lastiman a otros en la comunidad. Entonces, si los dos primeros pasos no lograron resolver el problema, toda la comunidad, especialmente los líderes de la iglesia, deben involucrarse. Es por eso que a veces nuestros obispos tienen que recordarles a los políticos sus caminos errantes.

Desafortunadamente, algunas personas persistirán en su pecado y nunca aceptarán el consejo de una persona, un pequeño grupo o la comunidad. Y para ellos Jesús prescribe el cuarto y último paso: "si ni a la comunidad le hace caso, apártate de él como de un pagano o de un publicano." Tratar a tal persona como un pagano o un publicano significa expulsarlos de la comunidad.

·        Para nosotros hoy esto es lo que llamamos la opción nuclear, como cortar lazos con un amigo o un hijo, o una escuela que expulse a un alumno, o para la iglesia hacer la excomunión a una persona.

·        Por más drástico que parezca este último paso de expulsar al pecador, no se hace por mala voluntad, sino con la intención de ayudar al pecador a darse cuenta de la gravedad de su pecado que afecta a la comunidad. El propósito de este paso es que una vez que el pecador es expulsado al frío, él puede cambiar de conducta y buscar readmisión. La expulsión es medicinal que penal.

Conclusión

Entonces, hermanos si bien el individualismo son valores para la sociedad, no son valores cristianos. Los cristianos se cuidan unos a otros, no solo dándolos comida y agua, sino también corrigiendo sus pecados. Estamos juntos en este viaje de salvación. Es por eso que debemos corregir unos a otros, no encubriendo sus errores, sino advirtiéndolos para que puedan cambiar.

Al hacer nuestro viaje al cielo, necesitamos salvarnos, no solo a nosotros mismos, sino también a los demás. Debemos llegar juntos a la puerta de Dios, presentándonos juntos. No debemos entrar en la casa del Padre, sin los demás. ¿Qué nos dirá si llegamos allí sin nuestros hermanos y hermanas? ¿Qué le diremos a Dios si llegamos allí sin nuestros hermanos y hermanas?  No podemos decir como Caín: “¿Soy yo acaso el guardián de mi hermano?”  Porque estamos el guardián de nuestro hermano, de nuestra hermana.