Mass employs postures, gestures, movement, and more in its dialogue between God and His children
By Father Randy Stice
The liturgy has its own language. Pope Benedict XVI described “the various kinds of language that the liturgy employs: words and music, gestures and silence, movement, the liturgical colors of the vestments. By its very nature, the liturgy operates on different levels of communication which enable it to engage the whole human person.”1
In other words, it is a language that uses different “languages,” different kinds of liturgical signs. For this reason, it requires a catechesis that makes us “more sensitive to the language of signs and gestures which, together with the word, make up the rite.”2 This month, I would like to offer an introduction to this liturgical language and then illustrate it with a liturgical rite from the Mass.
One language the liturgy employs is the language of postures, gestures, and movement. Standing is a sign of respect and honor. It is also a sign that we have risen with Christ and that we are united to his victory. It is also an expression of readiness to hear and act. Bowing is a sign of honor and reverence. Kissing the altar and the Book of the Gospels, both symbols of Christ, is a sign of veneration. Moving from chair to altar or ambo indicates the different parts of the Mass and expresses more effectively “the presence of the Lord in word and sacrament.”3 The sign of the cross is the mark of those zealous for the glory of God and a sign of the power of God displayed in the cross of Christ. It is also a great preservative and weapon against the enemy.
The liturgy also employs the language of objects blessed for use in the liturgy. Candles are signs of reverence and festivity and of the presence of Christ who is the light of the world. They are also a reminder of our baptism by which the Father has granted us a “share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light” (Colossians 1:12). Incense signifies the prayer and the gifts of the assembly rising up to God. It is also a sign of the dignity of ordained ministers, the priesthood of the baptized, and sacred objects. Finally, it conveys reverence for Christ and the transcendent otherness of God present in the midst of His people, enriching the solemnity and mystery of the liturgy. The Book of the Gospels is a sign of Christ, the Word of God. From the early centuries of the Church it has been accorded special honor: richly decorated manuscripts and ivory, silver, or gold bindings.
The Mass is a dialogue between the Father and His children in Christ and in the Holy Spirit. The words proclaimed and the dialogues between the ordained ministers and the people have a special importance, such as the greeting, the Kyrie, the memorial acclamation, and the Lamb of God.
The Eucharist is woven of these different liturgical languages. A good example of how these liturgical signs are woven together is the reading of the Gospel, which is “the high point of the liturgy of the Word,”4 for “Christ, present in His word, proclaims the Gospel.”5 Below is the complete rite including all of the liturgical elements. It assumes that the Book of the Gospels is part of the entrance procession and is placed on the altar at the beginning of Mass. As you read, note the different liturgical languages, what they express, and why they are part of the reading of the Gospel.
The reading of the Gospel begins following the second reading. The deacon goes to the celebrant and says, “Your blessing, Father.” He bows as the priest pronounces the blessing, “May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips, that you may proclaim His Gospel worthily and well,” concluding with the Trinitarian formula and the sign of the cross. The celebrant and the people stand, and the Gospel acclamation is sung. The deacon goes to the altar, bows, and takes the Book of the Gospels. He carries it in procession, led by the thurifer (the one who carries the incense) and two candle bearers. When they reach the ambo, the candle bearers stand on each side and the thurifer stands by the deacon.
The deacon turns to the Gospel of the day, and says, “The Lord be with you,” and the people reply, “And with your spirit.” The deacon then says, “A reading from the holy Gospel according to N,” while making the sign of the cross first on the text, then on his forehead, lips, and chest. The people do the same and reply, “Glory to you, O Lord.” He then bows to the Book of the Gospels, incenses it, bows again, and gives the incense to the thurifer. He then proclaims the Gospel. At the conclusion he says, “The Gospel of the Lord,” and the people reply, “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.” The deacon kisses the book and says quietly, “Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.”
Two observations. First, note that in the dialogue between the deacon and the people before and after the reading, the deacon addresses the people, but their reply is addressed to Christ. Second, there are no “official” words that accompany the triple sign of the cross on the forehead, lips, and chest. The general meaning seems to be that we will embrace the Gospel with our whole being—mind, heart, and lips.
A few questions for reflection. The Catechism speaks of a “harmony of signs (song, music, words, and actions).”6 How is the reading of the Gospel an example of the harmony of signs? What are different signs that signify Christ, that He is present and speaking to us today? What signs express our response?
“The Eucharist unfolds in a dynamic context of signs containing a rich and luminous message,” wrote St. John Paul II. Understanding the liturgical signs leads us into the mystery of the Eucharist. “When minds are enlightened and hearts are enkindled, signs begin to ‘speak’…Through these signs the mystery in some way opens up before the eyes of the believer.”7
1 The Sacrament of Charity, 40
2 Ibid, 64
3 Introduction to the Order of Mass (USCCB, 2003), 54
4 Lectionary for Mass, 13
5 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 29
6 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1158
7 Stay with Us Lord, 14
Father Randy Stice is director of the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@dioknox.org.