The Table of the Word
We are certainly in difficult times. The liturgical celebrations within the parishes in Singapore were supposed to have resumed last weekend, but due to the worsening of the COVID-19 situation, it was not meant to be. Even with the precautionary measures in place, with thermal scanners at the doors of our Churches, the situation is still not stable enough to allow us to resume the celebration of the Mystery of Christ within the Parishes. Many parishes even had to put all large gatherings on hold as well. Alas, we are still waiting with hopeful longing for the day when we'll once again, as a Eucharistic community, be fed with our spiritual food from the table of the Eucharist.
However, the good news is that there's still a table from which we can be fed and nourished spiritually, especially as we celebrate the Mass at home with our families. This table is the table of the Word of God, which is just as important as the table of the Eucharist. At Mass, this table is known as the Ambo.
In the General Instructions of the Roman Missal, it states:
29. When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel.
Therefore, the readings from the Word of God are to be listened to reverently by everyone, for they are an element of the greatest importance in the Liturgy. Although in the readings from Sacred Scripture the Word of God is addressed to all people of whatever era and is understandable to them, a fuller understanding and a greater efficaciousness of the word is nevertheless fostered by a living commentary on the word, that is, by the Homily, as part of the liturgical action. [42]
For those of us who study the different liturgical rites of the Church, whether it's the Sunday Eucharistic Celebration, the Ordination of a Priest, or even a Marriage Service (that is a Wedding with or without a Mass), we'd notice that it always begins with the proclamation of the Word of God. The Liturgy of the Word always comes before the Liturgy of the Eucharist. God himself first speaks to us through his word. Christ himself addresses us in the Gospel and breaks the word for us in the Homily, and from there, we offer our human response. It is God himself who gives us the bread of the word, before giving us the bread of the Eucharist. Christ is truly present in the Word, as well as in the Eucharist. The Priest does not just act In Persona Christi, or in the person of Christ during the Eucharistic Prayer. He also does so with the Liturgy of the Word.
And it's for this reason that we give great reverence to the Word of God, the fact that God is truly present in his Word. In fact, we give just as much reverence to the Word of God as we do to the Eucharist. The Book of the Gospels is carried high in the air as the Priest processes in at the start of Mass, where he collects the prayers of the people of God. After proclaiming the Gospel, the priest or deacon venerates the Book of the Gospels. The Book of the Gospels is also incensed whenever incense is used at Mass. When there is a Deacon at Mass, the Deacon obtains a blessing from the Priest before proclaiming the Gospel at the Ambo.
For this reason, as well, the Ambo, the place where the Word of God is proclaimed, should be treated with utmost reverence. It is a sacred furniture where God himself speaks to the gathered assembly, the family that he has summoned before himself. The Ambo should not be a place where parish announcements are made, where thank-you speeches or eulogies are delivered, or where performances of a secular nature are given. In fact, many of these things should not even have a place within any Liturgy, if it takes away our attention from the Mystery of Christ that is being celebrated. I'm quite sure that this will also unruffle the feathers of many, but like I've said in many of my Liturgical Musings, it really is not about us. We give reverence to God where it is due, and we allow him to speak to us and nourish us in whatever way he sees fit for us.
Most, if not all of us, still long for that day where we can once again, gather as a family of God to receive the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist once again. And as much as we should be eager to receive the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we don't gather just to receive him in the Eucharist. We gather to receive him from the table of the Word as well. We gather to allow God himself to speak to us through the sacred scriptures, and from there, we offer our human response, the great sacrifice of thanksgiving.
During this difficult time, where we are, for lack of a better word, deprived of receiving the Lord sacramentally, let us take heart in the knowledge that he still feeds us spiritually from his table of the Word. Let us make room in our hearts to receive the Word from God himself, who is the Word, and challenge ourselves to live his word in our lives.
In the beginning, was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
However, the good news is that there's still a table from which we can be fed and nourished spiritually, especially as we celebrate the Mass at home with our families. This table is the table of the Word of God, which is just as important as the table of the Eucharist. At Mass, this table is known as the Ambo.
In the General Instructions of the Roman Missal, it states:
29. When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel.
Therefore, the readings from the Word of God are to be listened to reverently by everyone, for they are an element of the greatest importance in the Liturgy. Although in the readings from Sacred Scripture the Word of God is addressed to all people of whatever era and is understandable to them, a fuller understanding and a greater efficaciousness of the word is nevertheless fostered by a living commentary on the word, that is, by the Homily, as part of the liturgical action. [42]
For those of us who study the different liturgical rites of the Church, whether it's the Sunday Eucharistic Celebration, the Ordination of a Priest, or even a Marriage Service (that is a Wedding with or without a Mass), we'd notice that it always begins with the proclamation of the Word of God. The Liturgy of the Word always comes before the Liturgy of the Eucharist. God himself first speaks to us through his word. Christ himself addresses us in the Gospel and breaks the word for us in the Homily, and from there, we offer our human response. It is God himself who gives us the bread of the word, before giving us the bread of the Eucharist. Christ is truly present in the Word, as well as in the Eucharist. The Priest does not just act In Persona Christi, or in the person of Christ during the Eucharistic Prayer. He also does so with the Liturgy of the Word.
And it's for this reason that we give great reverence to the Word of God, the fact that God is truly present in his Word. In fact, we give just as much reverence to the Word of God as we do to the Eucharist. The Book of the Gospels is carried high in the air as the Priest processes in at the start of Mass, where he collects the prayers of the people of God. After proclaiming the Gospel, the priest or deacon venerates the Book of the Gospels. The Book of the Gospels is also incensed whenever incense is used at Mass. When there is a Deacon at Mass, the Deacon obtains a blessing from the Priest before proclaiming the Gospel at the Ambo.
For this reason, as well, the Ambo, the place where the Word of God is proclaimed, should be treated with utmost reverence. It is a sacred furniture where God himself speaks to the gathered assembly, the family that he has summoned before himself. The Ambo should not be a place where parish announcements are made, where thank-you speeches or eulogies are delivered, or where performances of a secular nature are given. In fact, many of these things should not even have a place within any Liturgy, if it takes away our attention from the Mystery of Christ that is being celebrated. I'm quite sure that this will also unruffle the feathers of many, but like I've said in many of my Liturgical Musings, it really is not about us. We give reverence to God where it is due, and we allow him to speak to us and nourish us in whatever way he sees fit for us.
Most, if not all of us, still long for that day where we can once again, gather as a family of God to receive the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist once again. And as much as we should be eager to receive the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we don't gather just to receive him in the Eucharist. We gather to receive him from the table of the Word as well. We gather to allow God himself to speak to us through the sacred scriptures, and from there, we offer our human response, the great sacrifice of thanksgiving.
During this difficult time, where we are, for lack of a better word, deprived of receiving the Lord sacramentally, let us take heart in the knowledge that he still feeds us spiritually from his table of the Word. Let us make room in our hearts to receive the Word from God himself, who is the Word, and challenge ourselves to live his word in our lives.
In the beginning, was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
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