Liturgical worship is not meant to be a passive event to be watched from the benches, it is the very life of the Church at prayer. Our participation at Holy Mass or any sacramental celebration demands a physical and spiritual engagement with the rites, songs, signs and liturgical moments. The Magisterium, though the Second Vatican Council and particularly through the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium II teaches that through our Baptism we are all called to a full, conscious, and active participation. To achieve this, all the efforts of priests and liturgical leaders are always aiming to find ways to encourage such participation in liturgies “for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit”, according to Sacrosanctum Concilium. That is why liturgical resources, like hymnals and missals, play a crucial role to help ministers foster such participation in any language.
Connecting the heart to the altar
Well-prepared and sound liturgical resources are not distractions; they are meant to serve as bridges that support the work of ministers trying to communicate effectively the Word of God and to encourage to actively pray together. When the faithful hold a worship resource that allows them to understand the readings, respond to the antiphons, and join in congregational song, the liturgy is transformed. These resources help to:
- Focus attention:Good liturgical resources, like hymnals and missals prevent distractions and center the mind on the mystery being celebrated, encouraging participation in unison.
- Foster unity:By singing and responding with one voice, the community makes the Mystical Body of Christ visible. Bilingual missals and hymnals promote this unity by providing language adaptations in a way that bring close words and a culture.
- Deepen understanding:Brief explanations or precise translations help theology transform into living prayer, allowing the faithful to reinforce the words of the minister to reflect on them.
The challenge of active participation in a multicultural liturgies
To reflect the profound richness of Catholic faith our emergent Church today needs embracing language and culture diversity. Most of our communities and parishes in the US have been blessed by the vibrant present of communities that bring their culture and language to enrich our catholic landscape. In many Spanish and English-speaking communities in particular, faith is lived with beautiful yet distinct cultural expressions, many times distinctive by the uniqueness of language. Liturgical resources that integrate both languages or respect the richness of each linguistic tradition ensure that no one feels like a stranger in the parish. Sacred music, traditional devotions, and community prayers edited with pastoral care allow all the hearts in the parish family to meet in a single Amen, regardless of their language.
A living Liturgy
For parishes, investing time, effort, and creativity in selecting liturgical resources that can be effective to promote active participation means caring for the parish family and its needs. When the faithful actively take part, sacramental grace bears more abundant fruit and prepare us to go into the world and evangelize our spaces. Here we have the example of Our Lady of Lourdes, an emergent parish in the Henrico area, in Richmond, Virginia. The parish, which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary, host highly active ministries in the parish and school, including a vibrant Hispanic liturgical music ministry. Through the testimony of the pastor, Fr. Jonathan Goertz, Music Directors Katie and Eddy, we invite you to discover more about how our liturgical resources help them to effectively serve the needs of their parish, respecting languages and cultures and preserving the richness of the liturgy. See in action how our popular resources <Flor y Canto, cuarta edición>, with more than 750 songs representing a wide variety of countries of origin and a very unique repertoire ranging from sound, liturgically approved songs, to all-time beloved songs; and <Breaking Bread>, the popular hymn which includes liturgically beautiful mass settings, more than 800 songs from traditional and contemporary composers. See in action how these resources are serving the needs of the community and providing the ministers with resources especially designed to help them. We at OCP hope we can find more opportunities to celebrate with you the importance of using liturgical resources that help you promote the participation in your parish.