Dear Liturgical Lil,
You’ve been talking about the beach lately, and about what is appropriate and inappropriate attire at Mass. Personally, I like going to Mass on Sundays, but by the time I get out the parking lot, most of the early morning sun has passed. So what’s a mother to do when you have a Tubular Timmy and a Tube-top Tammy?
Signed,
Timmy and Tammy’s Mom
Dear T&T’s Mom,
One solution is to come to the 7pm Mass on Sunday evenings, which started this past weekend. You can hit the beach early in the morning, spend the day in the surf and sand, get cleaned up late afternoon, dress appropriately, and join us at the 7pm Mass. We’re experimenting with the Sunday 7pm Mass this summer, so come and join us and give us your feedback.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I just wanted to let you know that you did a GREAT job telling my brother “Tubular Timmy” that wearing his bathing suit to Mass wasn’t going to cut it. Myself? I plan to wear a sheer cover-up over my new tankini – that should be ok, right?
Signed,
Tube-Top Tammy
Dear Tammy,
I’m guessing you didn’t discuss your attire with your mom, today? Wearing a cover-up over a bathing suit isn’t appropriate, just as it was not appropriate for your brother to show up in his swim trunks. What you wear to church is entirely different than what you wear on the beach. The focus at Mass is on the community and communion we share with the Lord and with other parishioners, not on you and how you look in your tankini!!
Might I suggest a summer shift, a pair of shorts with a top, or even a pair of cotton pants with a modest blouse for a young lady like you?
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I’m going to the beach with friends later today; the waves are really radical today, so I’m going to run down after Mass. Mom says I can’t wear my surfing board shorts and tank top to Mass – I’m just saving some time from having to change. What do you think?
Signed,
Tubular Timmy
Dear Timmy,
I hope you get some good breaks today on your surfboard, but yes, I have to agree with your mom. Sure, we are a “shore community” parish, and in the summer time, we do see a lot of people in dress shorts, and lighter shirts, but we are here to worship reverently and respectfully – how we come dressed and prepared for our liturgical celebrations is part of our respectfulness to God and to our fellow parishioners. When I was growing up, there was a term, “wearing your Sunday best” which set a pretty high standard for what I would wear to Mass. Come to Mass in your nice Bermuda shorts and then take the extra 5 minutes to change into your board-shorts and hit the waves! Kowabunga!!
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Today, while at Mass, I realized it takes a lot of people to pull off a Mass - Greeters, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers to name a few. I sometimes think that I might like to participate, to contribute, but I don’t think I’m qualified. What do you think, Lil?
Signed,
Liturgy-liking LuLu
Dear LuLu,
A very wise friend once said to me, “Lil - God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” If within you, you feel moved to be Eucharistic Minister, or a Christopher, or maybe be a Catechist of the Children’s Liturgy of the Word or participate in one of the Liturgical Ministries, call the church office or send an email to me. Go up and talk to one of the individuals, they will tell you how fulfilling it is. Think about it, almost everyone of these people were “not qualified,” but God lovingly asked them to be instruments of His love through the Liturgical ministries. If you want more information, a member of the Liturgy team would be happy to talk to you about the ministries.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Why is the church decorated red and the vestments red on Pentecost?
Signed,
Rosie Red
Dear Rosie,
On Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the event of the Holy Spirit being sent to the disciples of Jesus Christ, the instilling of the greatest of gifts of God in the believers of Jesus. Throughout the 50 days of Easter, Christ had been preparing his followers. The red symbolizes the fire of the Holy Spirit, and we are encouraged to wear red to remember that the Holy Spirit continues in our lives every day providing us with the grace and gifts of God.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
When is Ascension Thursday? I heard that is actually celebrated on a Sunday now – is this true?
Signed,
Pondering Pete
Dear Pondering,
Ascension Thursday indeed is on a Thursday, May 13th, which is 40 days after the first Sunday of Easter. It is the time when Jesus Christ is lifted to Heaven, as we attest every Sunday in our creed, “He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” Christ’s resurrection and his ascension are the basis of our faith as Catholic Christians.
As with some other Holy Days of Obligation, the Ascension will be celebrated on the Sunday immediately after the thirteenth of May, i.e., the weekend of May 15 and May 16 in most dioceses.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I saw on the Holy Week calendar in last week’s bulletin about a Chrism Mass – what exactly is that liturgical service all about?
Signed,
Questioning Christy
Dear Questioning,
The Chrism Mass is a very special Mass held during Holy Week at which time two very significant events take place - first, priests throughout the diocese gather at the Cathedral to participate in a rededication of themselves to the Church in the presence of Bishop Smith, and second, the three oils that will be used throughout the coming year - Oil of the Infirmed, Oil of the Catechumens, and Sacred Chrism - are blessed and distributed. Each priest returns to his parish with his oils which will be presented to the congregation on Holy Thursday. In the past, the Chrism Mass took place on Holy Thursday, a very symbolic celebration of the Mass where the priests are sent out as disciples, much like Christ did with his apostles at the Last Supper.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
When does the Triduum begin and end?
Signed,
Three-day Dina
Dear Dina,
The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday. It is the period of time that we celebrate the passion, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. The literal translation of Triduum is “three days” as counted from evenings, i.e., Thursday evening to Friday evening, Friday evening to Saturday evening, and Saturday evening to Easter Sunday Evening.
Signed,
Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I’ve been a parishioner of St. Anselm parish for many years, but for the life of me, I don’t even know the date of his Feast Day, let alone what he did. Can you shed some light on St. Anselm for me?
Signed,
Feasting for Facts
Dear Facts,
St. Anselm’s Feast day is April 21st and this year, that happens to be the day on which our candidates for confirmation will actually be confirmed (at 2pm and 4pm). Anselm lived from 1033 to 1106, and has been respected for his works in the areas of social justice and of writing books explaining the deepest of mysteries of our Catholic faith. Like many saints, Anselm’s road was not an easy one – exiled twice by kings of England, but these acts did not thwart him in his teachings. Not only a saint, he was also appointed as Doctor of the Church by the Pope, a title given to only the greatest of teachers of our Faith. Enjoy celebrating his Feast Day!
Signed,
Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I was curious about the Indoor Environment for Lent – I’m not sure I understand the draping of the purple cloth covering the baptismal font and the empty urns around it. I know that purple is for penance but why over the font?
Signed,
Penitent Pete
Dear Penitent,
You are on the right track! Purple is the sign of penance, which characterizes the season of Lent. The baptismal font during Lent is dry and barren; the urns surrounding it are empty; even the foliage is dried out, all symbols of the “dryness” we feel in our hearts as we reflect during this time upon Jesus’ sacrifice of crucifixion and death. The baptismal font is covered with the purple sheer, much like a casket is covered with a pall which itself is symbol of our baptism and ultimately, the triumph over death by Christ’s resurrection. Through our Lenten penance, we are anticipating the Easter Vigil, at which time, fresh new water is blessed for the Baptismal Font and we renew our own baptismal vows, refreshing our hearts and spirits as we then celebrate the Resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Ok… So the Lenten season is here; I have to confess I’m tired of giving up chocolate for the season – I just think I could be doing so much more during this time – you have some ideas for me Lil?
Signed,
Chocoholic Charlie
Dear Charlie,
Lent is a very special time in our faith as Catholics; a time of reflection, penitence, and sacrifice. Traditional Lenten practices include various combinations of Fasting, Praying, and Almsgiving (think acts of charity). More and more, during our reflective time, we are called to do more – rather than giving something up, we do something “in addition” – like works of charity or piety. Some ideas to consider -- attending daily Mass; participating in the Stations of the Cross; volunteering an hour or two at a shelter each Saturday. There is nothing wrong with making sacrifices, but maybe during some reflective prayer, the Spirit will guide you to other activities, too.
FYI -- Stations of the Cross will be observed each Friday evening of Lent at 7:30pm, and after 9am Friday morning Mass.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Oh my goodness!! This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday - I can’t believe it is so early this year! By the way, who calculates when Ash Wednesday will be?
Signed,
Ashley
Dear Ashley,
Ash Wednesday is calculated to be 40 days before Easter, which begs the question, "How is Easter calculated?" In the Western Apostolic Churches, Easter is calculated to be the "first Sunday after the Paschal full moon that falls on or after March 21st." Another way to figure the date of Easter: 1) Determine the first full moon following the Spring Equinox (March 21st), 2) Assign the Sunday following this particular full moon as Easter. Once Easter is calculated, count back 40 days (excluding Sundays) and one can determine Ash Wednesday.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I thought that St. Anselm is a Catholic Church, but it doesn’t look like any of the typical churches of any religion with which I am familiar. Your thoughts?
Signed,
Confused about the church
Dear Confused,
I must understand what you mean by church. Is “Church” to you the building where everyone gathers? Is that what you mean by typical, i.e., a “typical building?” Then what about those who gather in someone’s house, a school auditorium or even in an open field as in the poor villages or when St. Anselm’s bonfire mass? Do you believe these individuals are not at church?
Church is not defined by the building or the place where one gathers; rather the people who gather together create the Church. It is this community’s interaction, the feelings and the oneness that is generated from the congregation that create the Church. Christ many times held Church on the mountain side when preached to the crowds. So, the next time you are surrounded by people and feel good and the presence of God, you are at Church.
Please notice the difference in the writing of Church/church, when are in a church, you are in the building. When you are with the people and congregation, you are the Church.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Wow, was I surprised when I came back to Church after the Christmas season….everything looked so different! Even the altar looked different. I’m just curious about why the environment changes so drastically after Christmas.
Signed,
Miss Chris
Dear Miss Chris,
After the Christmas season, we begin what is known as Ordinary Time. This period begins on the Monday after the Sunday following January 6 and continues until Ash Wednesday. This time is called “ordinary” because it is, well, ordinary. That is, it is not part of any special liturgical season, although there might be some feast and holy days during this time. You might have noticed that white altar cloths for the Christmas season were replaced with green altar cloths and banners, and we’ve gone back to simple green plants flanking the altar. This is because the liturgical color of Ordinary Time is green, symbolizing life and hope. The color green also reminds us that Spring is on its way. Thank you for your question, Miss Chris.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I noticed that during Advent the worship area was filled with different shades of violet, purple, and blue, which I remember from the Advent wreath candles of my childhood. I was a bit surprised to see that for Christmas the altar did not have a red altar cloth. I always thought that red was a traditional color for Christmas. Why did the altar have a white altar cloth?
Signed,
Love-My-Red
Dear Love-My-Red,
While the color red might be our cultural idea of a traditional color for Christmas, the liturgical color of the season of Christmas is white, symbolizing purity and joy. Thus, the altar was covered with a white cloth, as was the Nativity area. You might have noticed that Father Gene’s vestments were white during the Christmas season as well. To recognize our cultural feelings about the color red for Christmas, our indoor decorating team introduces red into the environment with poinsettia plants and red bows on the wreaths and evergreen sprays. We hope those touches of red quenched your desire for red at Christmas. Thanks for your question, Love.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I'm confused -- I recently got my Catholic Calendar and saw that the New Year doesn't start on January 1, 2010, but rather it started on November 29, 2009 -- what gives?
Signed,
Calendar Confusion
Dear Confused,
It's all right to be a bit confused -- the Liturgical calendar actually starts on the first Sunday of Advent, which was on November 29, 2009, and not on the traditional January 1st time frame. Just so you are aware, the Liturgical Calendar is really broken up into 3 distinct "seasons" -- Christmas with its time of preparation beginning with Advent, Easter, with its time of preparation of Lent, and "Ordinary Time" which is the intervening time between Christmas and Lent, and between Easter and the following year's Advent. Just a reminder, Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is not too far off -- it's February 17th!!
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I’ve noticed that the interior of our worship area has been decorated so beautifully and tastefully for Advent. Is there a way I can help for Christmas?
Signed,
Helping Hands
Dear Helping,
We are always looking for people to help in our Indoor Environment, especially around the holidays. This Sunday, December 20th, we’ll be decorating the church for Christmas after the 11 am Mass, so feel free to come and put your helping hands to work. If you find you enjoy decorating the worship area, leave a note for Kayde and she will get in touch with Deb, our lead person on the Indoor Environment.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Quick question for you, Lil: What is the proper response when receiving communion?
Signed,
Thanking Theodore
Dear Thanking,
Quick answer for you Theodore: AMEN. It's very simple we receive communion and say "Amen" in response to either phrase - "The Body of Christ" or "The Blood of Christ".
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Thanks so much for all your clarifications about receiving the Eucharist - I just have one last question: My niece, DeeDee, asked me, "Is it ok for me to dip my host into the chalice?" She's concerned about the germs on the chalice so she thought she could receive Communion in this manner.
Signed,
Dipping DeeDee's Aunt Hanna
Dear Dippin' DeeDee's Aunt,
Self-Intinction, which is the act of dipping the consecrated host into the consecrated wine by a person is NOT allowed, and should never be done by a communicant. A priest has the option to perform intinction, which is dipping the host into the wine and giving it to another, but it is rarely used - it is too easy to drip the Precious Blood of Christ, and it is too easy for the Precious Body of Christ to dissolve in the blood if it became too saturated. As my own aunt, Penitent Peggy, once told me, "Jesus told us to 'Take and drink' and not 'Take and Dunk.'"
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Thanks for answering my first questions about how to receive Communion. I think it also helps me understand another concept - receiving a portion of a consecrated host. Even though I might receive a half of the Host, I've received Christ, right?
Signed,
Halving Hanna
Dear Hanna,
You are right on the money!! We believe that the consecrated Host is the body of Christ; therefore, any portion of the Host is still the body of Christ. This fact is part of the beautiful mystery of Christ and His real presence in the form of the consecrated Host. From a very practical perspective, when a person has difficulties swallowing a full host, he/she may be given a quarter or even an eighth of a host. If a Mass is well attended, sometimes a priest may be required to divide Hosts to insure everyone may receive.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
As a child, I was taught to bless myself with holy water before entering the worship area, but I never knew “why?” Can you help me out here?
Signed,
Wondering Walter
Wonder know more Walter; the ritual drop of holy water, serves two purposes. The first is a symbolic purification rite, a method of washing away secular concerns and thoughts as we enter the worship area. The second is a reminder of our baptismal commitment - dipping the tips of our fingers into the water, touching our forehead, we are reminding of how we entered our Christian lives.*
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
* excerpt from “Our Sunday Visitor - Catholic Etiquette: Mass” available at the church entrances
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I meant to fill out my Time & Talent form in September and I would really like to be a member of the Hospitality Ministry. I guess I'll have to wait until next year to sign up, right?
Signed,
Talented, but Tardy
Dear Talented,
You can sign up today or any day during the year! Each of us is called to be stewards and when we discern that we have a particular talent and we can commit to the time required to share the talent, a beautiful moment is given to us. Each of us is blessed with unique gifts and recognizing that these are to be shared can happen at any time of the year. Contact Kayde in our parish office, and she'll pass your information on to the proper lead of team in which you are interested.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
My father has a long term illness and he is unable to come to Mass anymore. He wants to be able to receive Communion, but we don't know to arrange for this?
Signed,
Concerned Communicant
Dear Concerned,
There is a group of individuals – the Christophers – who visit parishioners who are ill, homebound, or in nursing homes, each Sunday after the 9 o'clock Mass. The Christophers (literally "Bearers of Christ") are responsible for sharing not only the Body of Christ with those they visit, but are also sharing the Gospel of the day, prayers, intercessions, and of course a compassionate heart. To be visited, all you will need to do is call the parish secretary, Kayde and she will add your loved one on the visit list.
Your father is in my prayers, Concerned.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Am I allowed to bless someone? I'm not a priest or a deacon, but sometimes I feel that a person could use a blessing, but I don't want to do anything improper.
Signed,
Becky the Blesser
Dear Becky,
A lay person can indeed bless others. When we bless another person, it is a way for those baptized in Christ to be a "blessing" to others and share Christ's love, which is the greatest Commandment. Some examples of blessings we can bestow onto others are: parents blessing their children before bed, blessing a newborn baby, a newly married couple, a new house or Catechumens as they enter their new found faith.
So feel free to bless one another. It is truly a "blessing" to do so and it is a great way for us to share Christ's love with one another. Did I mention, it also makes one feel great in spirit and mind.
Sincerely,
Liturgical Lil
Dear Liturgical Lil,
I noticed recently that when the lectors completed their readings, they were pausing after proclaiming "The Word of the Lord." Did they forget their lines or something?
Signed,
Puzzled Peter
Dear Puzzled,
That 10-15 second pause that you have seen after the readings and after the cantor's psalm is intentional and it is a relatively new practice at St. Anselm. The pause is a time for our own personal reflections of the Good Word we just heard proclaimed. It gives each and everyone of us some time to think about the reading and to integrate it into our lives and our beliefs. So, no, the lectors haven't forgotten anything.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil
P.S. Peter have you ever thought of being a Lector? You can sign up anytime of the year.
Dear Liturgical Lil,
Try as I may, I am habitually late for the beginning of Mass. The other day, at the 5:30, I got there during the first reading and I thought I could grab a seat quickly. The Minister of Hospitality stopped me. Why did she do that?
Signed,
Over-sleeping Ollie
Dear Ollie,
Ministers of Hospitality are trained to sit latecomers at very specific times to minimize disruptions and distractions, while maintaining the reverence of the moment. The appropriate time for someone to be seated, once Mass has started, is at the completion of prayers and completion of a reading. Entering at any other time can be disrespectful not only to those around you in the worship area, but in particular of God. That being said, you can be assured that the Minister of Hospitality will ask you to wait until the given reading or prayer is completed.
Signed,
Liturgical Lil.
P.S. May I be so bold to suggest a new alarm clock, Ollie. We know you have an angelic singing voice and would love to hear it in the Entrance song.