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Question of the Week

Cardinal Francis George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago and USCCB President, announced to the body of bishops that the USCCB has received the final text of the Roman Missal. Several modifications have been made in the Order of Mass since its original approval in 2008, some of which may affect musical settings of the Order of Mass and other catechetical resources already in print:
 –the words of absolution in the Penitential Act have been modified (so that the text of the current Sacramentary is maintained);
–the addition of “I believe” at three points in the Profession of faith;
–several slight modifications to the texts of the Eucharistic Prayers;
–the final doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer has been slightly altered.

For more information, please visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website at http://www.nccbuscc.org/romanmissal/

During the Mass, should we be bowing after the Gospel is read and the readings are placed back on the stand, and should we be bowing when the Eucharist reenters the tabernacle?

Whether a priest or deacon proclaims the Gospel, he kisses the book at the conclusion of the reading. This is not a bow but a kiss. The people in the congregation are obviously not able to do this. The deacon or priest bows when the Book of the Gospels has been placed on its “throne.” The rubrics do not require a bow at this time but it is customary. The priest normally bows with the deacon when it is a deacon who is placing the book in its place. If people in the congregation wish to follow suit, they may do so but it is not a formal part of the ritual for Mass. 

It is a part of the ritual for the priest or deacon to bow toward the tabernacle after the consecrated hosts have been placed in it. Again, the ritual does not say that the people must do this also, since they would normally be kneeling at that time. It is worth noting that the General Instruction on the Mass states clearly that no minister is to genuflect to the tabernacle during the celebration of the Mass itself. A genuflection toward the tabernacle is appropriate before Mass begins and after it is ended but never during the celebration of Mass. The celebration of the Eucharist always takes priority over the reservation of the Eucharist.

Have a question for the priest or deacon? Submit it and you might see it as a future “question of the week!”