GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL
Short articles (“snippets”) regarding revisions to the GIRM emailed to
parishes and schools on a weekly basis in May, June & July 2009
Receiving Communion (Part 1) .............................................................................2
Receiving Communion (Part 2) .............................................................................2
The role of the Assembly in the Eucharistic Prayer ..........................................2
The Readings at Sunday Mass (Part 1) .................................................................3
The Readings at Sunday Mass (Part 2) .................................................................3
Music at Mass (Part 1) ............................................................................................4
Music at Mass (Part 2) ............................................................................................4
Processions ...............................................................................................................5
The Mystagogy Period ...........................................................................................5
Sacred Silence...........................................................................................................6
Communion from the Tabernacle .........................................................................6
The Fraction Rite .....................................................................................................7
The Sacred Vessels of the Liturgy .........................................................................7
The Preparation of the Gifts...................................................................................8
The Sending Forth Rites .........................................................................................8
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Receiving Communion (Part 1)
The 2006 edition of the GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL asks that any
extraordinary ministers of Communion “should not approach the altar before the priest has
received Communion…” (GIRM #162) This means that after sharing the sign of peace, the
ministers approach the foot of the sanctuary. Once the priest has consumed both the
Body and Blood of Christ they step onto the sanctuary to receive Holy Communion.
All the faithful (including extraordinary ministers) are reminded that they “are not
permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and still less, to hand
them from one to another.” (GIRM #160) In other words, Communion under both kinds is
always to be received as God’s gift to us. We are not permitted to ‘help ourselves’.
“When approaching to receive Holy Communion, the faithful bow in reverence of the Mystery that
they are to receive.” (GIRM #160)
“In Australia, standing is the most common posture for receiving Holy Communion because it
facilitates Communion in the hand and Communion from the chalice. This manner of reception “is
recommended to be followed by all, so that Communion may truly be a sign of union between those
who share in the same table of the Lord.” (GIRM #160)
Receiving Communion (Part 2)
As stated in earlier editions of the GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL, the
Communion chant or song is to begin “while the priest is receiving the Sacrament of
Communion.” Since this means that any musicians will need to be given Communion at
the end, the latest Instruction states that “care should be taken that singers too, can receive
Communion with ease.” (GIRM #86) This means allocating ministers to give Communion
to the choir and musicians after the rest of the assembly has received it.
Receiving the Blood of Christ by self-intinction (i.e. dipping one’s host in the chalice) is
not permitted. Given the involved instructions in article 287 for when intinction is
permitted, (a communion plate held by the communicant, and an extra minister of the
cup standing next to the priest who dips the host in the chalice, then places the host on
the tongue of the communicant), our archdiocese will phase out Communion of the cup
by intinction in any form, by Pentecost Sunday 2009.
Anything left over from the chalice is to be consumed by ministers immediately after
Communion. They are “to leave the vessels suitably covered on a corporal either at the altar or
credence table and to purify them immediately after Mass following the dismissal of the people.”
(GIRM #163)
Finally, “when the Prayer after Communion is concluded, brief announcements to the people
may be made if they are needed.” (GIRM #166)
The role of the Assembly in the Eucharistic Prayer
The Eucharistic Prayer is the prayer of the whole assembly. The ordained priest is its
‘mouthpiece’ but it is a prayer in which we are all called to participate. This is clear from
the dialogue before the Preface: “The Lord be with you.” “And also with you.” “Lift up your
hearts.” “We lift them up to the Lord” etc.
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St. John Chrysostom said “It is not the priest alone who gives thanks but the whole people.
Actually it is after they have agreed that it is right and just, that the priest begins the great
Thanksgiving.”
The GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL states “The priest invites the people to lift up
their hearts to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving; he unites the congregation with himself in the
Prayer that he addresses in the name of the entire community, to God the Father through Jesus
Christ in the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the meaning of the Prayer is that the entire congregation of
the faithful should join itself with Christ in confessing the great deeds of God and in the offering of
sacrifice. The Eucharistic Prayer demands that all listen to it with reverence and in silence.” (GIRM
#78)
Apropos of this last statement, article 236 states that the doxology (“Through him, with
him and in him…”) “is spoken (sung) by the principal priest celebrant… but not by the faithful.”
Our part is to give our assent with a resounding “AMEN!” This should of course be sung
every Sunday, along with the Holy, Holy, and the Memorial Acclamation.
The Readings at Sunday Mass (Part 1)
A significant emphasis of the new GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL is that the
proper celebration of Mass calls for a wide variety of ministers. This is particularly clear
in the Liturgy of the Word, where lector, cantor, deacon, priest and people all have their
own roles to play.
Proclamation of the Readings belongs to the lector (reader) and proclamation of the
Gospel to the deacon or priest other than the presiding celebrant. Only if there is no
deacon or other priest present does the presider proclaim the Gospel (GIRM #59).
Interestingly, the GENERAL INSTRUCTION notes that if another suitable lector is not present,
then the priest celebrant should also proclaim the other readings. This indicates the
importance placed on adequate preparation: no one should proclaim the Readings who
has not thoroughly prepared them!
Most of our parishes do not have instituted lectors, but rather laypersons who generously
give of their time and talent and have been commissioned to proclaim the Scripture
readings. Article 101 of the GENERAL INSTRUCTION notes that they should be truly suited to
perform this function and be carefully prepared, so that, by listening to the readings from
the sacred texts, the faithful may develop in their hearts a warm and living love for Sacred
Scripture.
The Readings at Sunday Mass (Part 2)
Good proclamation of the readings during the Liturgy of the Word is essential, because,
when the Sacred Scriptures are read in Church, God speaks to us, and Christ is truly
present. Therefore, we are called to listen with reverence to the readings of God’s word
(GIRM #29). The homily too, as an integral part of Sunday Mass connecting the Word of
God to our everyday lives, should be listened to attentively.
Active listening is only one of the ways in which we participate in the Liturgy of the
Word. There is also the acclamation at the end of each reading, the antiphon of the
Psalm, the Gospel acclamation (Alleluia and verse), the dialogue between the priest and
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the people that precedes the Gospel and the silences which follow the first and second
Readings and the Homily. Each of these is an outward sign of the communal nature of
the celebration and fosters unity among all present. (GIRM #34).
The ambo (lectern) is the place for proclamation of the readings, and should be kept for
this purpose alone (GIRM #58). The cantor who leads the people in song or the person
who reads necessary announcements at the end of Mass does so from another place.
Music at Mass (Part 1)
The fact that there are over 30 paragraphs in the new GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN
MISSAL that deal with music in the liturgy gives some indication of its importance.
Articles 40 and 115 stress that singing by the ministers and the people should be part of
every Sunday Mass. It may come as a surprise that hymns are not the top priority. This
belongs to the dialogues between the priest and people (e.g. “The Lord be with you” –
“And with your spirit”.) Next come the acclamations and responses, like the Holy, holy,
the Acclamation of Faith and the Great Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, the Gospel
Acclamation, and the antiphon of the Responsorial Psalm. The Lord have mercy and the
Lamb of God are litanies which are best sung, as is the Gloria, which is a hymn of praise
While Gregorian chants holds pride of place in the Roman liturgy, other types of sacred
music are in no way excluded, provided that they correspond to the spirit of the
liturgical action and foster the participation of all the faithful (GIRM #41). The presider,
the choir, the cantor, the psalmist and the people all have a role to play.
Music at Mass (Part 2)
Clearly, the choir, the cantor and the organist are vital to good liturgical music. The
choir should be positioned so that it is seen to be part of the gathered community, albeit
fulfilling a specific role. (GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL #312). It carries out
those parts proper to it and fosters the active participation of the faithful through the
singing (GIRM #103). A cantor or choir director leads and sustains the people’s singing,
but if there is no choir, the cantor leads the different chants, with the people taking part
(GIRM #104). The psalmists sings the Psalm or canticle that comes between the
Readings. Even if the verses of the psalm are not sung, at least the antiphon should be
sung.
As well as knowing how to sing the most important parts of the Mass, the people should
know how to sing at least some of these parts in Latin, so that when people from
different countries come together they can all sing the Mass (GIRM #41).
The organ and any other instruments should be placed so that they can support the
singing of both the choir and the congregation and be heard with ease by everyone if
they are played solo (GIRM #313).
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Processions
The function of a liturgical procession is to unite a group of individuals into a single
body. Processions are essentially a movement from one place to another, reflecting the
movement of the liturgy itself, and reminding us that the Church is forever ‘in
procession’ to the heavenly Jerusalem.
There are five processions in the course of the Mass:
 the entrance procession moves the ministers from the door to the centre of the
assembly;
 the Gospel procession moves the book from the altar to the ambo (lectern);
 the Procession of the Gifts brings the bread and wine to the altar;
 the Communion procession moves us from our places to the table of the Lord;
 the final procession takes us from this liturgy back to the world.
While each procession includes the whole assembly ‘in spirit’, it is only the Communion
procession in which everyone actually takes part. As the Body of Christ we move to the
table of the Lord where we share the one loaf and drink from the one cup, united as one
body with Christ and each other.
The new GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL includes only a few changes:
 On reaching the altar, the priest and ministers make a profound bow (GIRM #122).
 When the bread and wine are brought forward, they are taken by the priest or
deacon who places them on the altar (GIRM #73).
 Money from the Collection may be brought forward in the Procession of Gifts,
but is placed “in a suitable place, away from the Eucharistic table” (GIRM #73).
 When approaching to receive Communion, the faithful bow in reverence of the
Mystery they are to receive (GIRM #160).
While the Entrance procession, Presentation of Gifts and Communion procession each
have their own proper chant, it is also possible to replace these chants with a liturgical
song approved by the Conference of Bishops (see GIRM #48, 74, 87).
The Mystagogy Period
Across the Archdiocese the number of new Catholics baptised, and received, at Easter,
and now called neophytes, was approximately 130. These people now enter the fourth
stage of their journey called “Mystagogy” which means reflection on the mystery. This
is the time for the parish community and the neophytes together to grow in deepening
their grasp of the paschal mystery and in making it part of their lives through
meditation on the Gospel, sharing in the Eucharist, and doing the works of charity. The
Rites manual now says that the neophytes should experience a full and joyful welcome
into the community and enter into closer ties with other faithful. The faithful in turn
should derive from it a renewal of inspiration and outlook.
Let us get to know our neophytes and invite them to participate in the life of the parish,
so that they feel they have our full acceptance and know they can participate in many
areas of parish life. The neophytes continue to meet regularly with the RCIA team until
Pentecost for further post-baptismal catechesis. By then they should feel very much part
of our family of faith. Our prayer partners continue to pray throughout the period of the
Mystagogy.
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Sacred Silence
As a result of the newly revised GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL, there are
some changes relating to Sacred Silence that apply to all of us.
A new paragraph on silence is as follows:
Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. Its
purpose, however, depends on the time it occurs in each part of the celebration. Thus within the
Act of Penitence and again after the invitation to pray, all recollect themselves; but at the
conclusion of a reading or the homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after
Communion, they praise and pray to God in their hearts. Even before the celebration itself, it is
commendable that silence [to] be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and
in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout
and fitting manner. (GIRM #45)
Hence this directive asks us to think first of what we are gathering; this applies
especially as the ministers gather at the entrance of the Church preparing to lead the
congregation; when we enter the penitential rite; when we are invited by the priest to
pray at the Opening Prayer; when we listen to God’s Word with silences after the first
and second readings and after the Homily; and yes, we can have a hymn of
thanksgiving but silence might also be a way of entering into the mystery of holy
communion.
Note: A phenomenon for some of us is that we leave Mass immediately after we have
received. Some do not even return to their place after Communion. We might use this
time of implementation of these directives for reflective silence and wait for the
Concluding Rites as we are Blessed and Sent Forth from the Mass.
It is a matter of deeply appreciating what we are experiencing; Mass is not ‘about’ God;
it is an experience ‘of’ God who comes to dwell in us in Word and Sacrament.
Communion from the Tabernacle
It is most desirable that the faithful, just as the priest himself is bound to do, receive the Lord’s
Body from hosts consecrated at the same Mass and that, in the instances when it is permitted,
they partake of the chalice (cf. # 283), so that even by means of the signs Communion will stand
out more clearly as a participation in the sacrifice actually being celebrated. (GIRM #85)
The word ‘sacrifice’ is a difficult one for us to grasp as we seek to understand the
Eucharist. The Procession of bringing of the Gifts and the Procession to Communion are
linked. Bringing the gifts of bread and wine is about us bringing our lives to the altar to
be offered with Christ. We place our lives and work of this week on the altar with this
bread and wine and God blesses these elements and transforms them into the Body and
Blood of Christ and gives them back to us on this day in the holy exchange of gifts.
It is not just a matter of ‘receiving’ Communion. It is a matter of ‘participating’ in
Christ’s sacrifice – of each of us being bread broken, cup poured out as we witness to
and make really present the on-going, one sacrifice of Christ for the life of the world.
To be fed with the Body of Christ from the tabernacle and not from what was consecrated
at the Mass being celebrated breaks the connection between sacrifice and communion.
Communion from the Tabernacle is to link those unable to be with us at Mass to this
sacrifice this week.
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The Fraction Rite
After the Sign of Peace at Mass the priest takes the Body of Christ and breaks it into
pieces and places a small piece of bread, which in early times was from the Pope’s Mass
to indicate unity, into the chalice containing the blood of Christ. During this action we
sing the ‘Lamb of God’. The wine has already been poured in the chalices during the
Preparation of the Gifts.
Christ’s gesture of breaking bread at the Last Supper, which gave the entire Eucharistic Action
its name in apostolic times, signifies that the many faithful are made one body... (1 Cor 10:17)
(GIRM #83)
The basic invitation of the Mass is to unity. Communion is the sign of Catholic unity –
Communion with God and one another. Tensions within the church and with other
Christians call us to drive towards a real unity of all Christians, a unity Christ prayed for
at the Last Supper. (Jn 17:20-23)
The same paragraph in the GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL also reminds us
that the commingling of the body and blood of Christ is a sign of resurrected life: The
priest breaks the Bread and puts a piece of the host into the chalice to signify the unity of the Body
and Blood of the Lord in the work of salvation, namely, of the living and glorious Body of Jesus
Christ.
So this gesture speaks of our partaking in something eternal, the promise of eternal life
to all who partake; death is defeated by the one ‘who takes away the sins of the world’
and who hears our song ‘have mercy on us’ and ‘grant us peace’.
The Sacred Vessels of the Liturgy
In speaking about the sacred vessels used in the celebration of Mass, the new GENERAL
INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL notes that they are to be made from precious metal or
other solid materials “precious to the region”, which do not break or deteriorate easily
and are non-absorbent (GIRM #328-220).
With Swine Flu upon us we are well aware of why non absorbent vessels are called for!
Communion from the Cup was reintroduced by the Second Vatican Council. Because of
the health concerns raised, the Church has examined the issue carefully and suggests
that the healthiest way to receive the Blood of Christ is to have the chalice made from
precious metal and not from glass or pottery. Thus we have a three-fold guarantee that
we are able to receive Communion from the chalice free from fear: the non-porous metal
precludes the gathering of germs; the chalice is wiped on both sides of the rim by the
minister of the cup and rotated for each communicant; and our own immune system of
saliva and the wine itself protect us from any germs.
Yet some would say that part of the very symbol of receiving from the chalice is to dare
to be ‘in touch’ with the vulnerability of our human togetherness, just as Jesus touched
the sick in his time. On the other hand there is, however, the virtue of prudence! If
anyone is worried about participation from the chalice it is best to follow the tradition of
receiving the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated bread alone.
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The Preparation of the Gifts
(GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL #73-76)
We often forget how meaningful some actions in the Mass are, like processing the gifts
of Bread and Wine to the altar with our contributions for the church’s mission.
What is the meaning of this action?
It is the action of bringing the whole of creation to be blessed. Bread and Wine are fruits
of earth, sun, water, air and our creativity. They speak of an interdependence of all
things including us. All humanity and indeed the whole universe is conceived as being
in some way associated with this movement of coming to God.
It is an action that speaks of the eternal value of material creation including our bodies.
We can reverence such an action with song, with incensing of the gifts and ourselves.
(GIRM #74, 75).
It refers us constantly to Christian newness; as Jerry Austin OP says,’ we plonk our lives
on the altar with the gifts’ and we bring the mission of our assembly to be blessed.
Theologian John Zizioulis says this action gives us the capacity to bring about an act of
communion of all creation with God. In this we are responsible for the survival of
nature. We are “priests of Creation” as we participate in a holy exchange of gifts. Our
gifts are taken, blessed and given back to us as the presence of the One who is the “first
born of all creation”.
What energy we have for mission!
The Sending Forth Rites
(GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL #89 - 90)
If I was playing a game and left the field five minutes before it ended it would seem
strange.
Certain things happen towards the end of Mass. Some people receive Communion then
they walk straight out; some leave after the Prayer after Communion; some leave during
the notices; some leave as the final hymn starts.
OK – sometimes we have obligations elsewhere but...
What is the meaning of the Thanks after Communion, the Blessing and Sending Forth?
Mass calls us to faith action. After Communion we enter into this great moment of
pondering the mystery together with silence or a hymn; we listen to the action of this
assembly in notices, we are blessed by God and sent to act upon who we are, Christ in
the modern world.
Christ and the church have a mission worthy of our lives on which to send us. That
mission is to make our world as God wants it.
Mass invites us not just to ‘receive’ Christ in Word, Sacrament, Assembly but to
participate in his Mission.
The liturgy is not for us to ‘receive’ from God for ourselves; it is to make us church, a
community of faith committed to the mission of our church. The liturgy celebrates and
promotes this mission. Our liturgy is called “the Mass,” which can be translated as “the
sending forth.” How about we stay until we are ‘sent’?
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