Today’s Question: Thanking Liturgical Ministers<\/strong><\/p>\nGratitude, toward God and others, is a basic Christian stance. It is appropriate to thank those who offer their gifts and talents to common worship. But how to do so??<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure that an announcement during worship is the way to do it. A round of applause for everyone who helped out puts the focus in the wrong place, and doesn\u2019t quite fit the spirit of the liturgy.<\/p>\n
Pope Emeritus Benedict once wrote, \u201cWherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment.\u201d That\u2019s over-stated, and even a bit cranky. I\u2019m pretty sure that celebrants who invite applause are good-hearted people with good intentions. The \u201cessence of the liturgy\u201d hasn\u2019t necessarily \u201ctotally disappeared\u201d when gratitude is expressed, and the service contributed could well have made for reverent worship (at least up until the applause), not necessarily religious entertainment. If there is a problem with applause in the liturgy, this isn\u2019t quite it.<\/p>\n
Whenever I\u2019ve been very involved in a liturgy \u2013 as planner or choir director or organist \u2013 I feel quite uneasy when a round of applause is given for me and the others. I didn\u2019t do my ministry, I\u2019d like to think, for the applause of others. It would be too simple to say that I \u201cdid it for God,\u201d because I also did it for the community, and it\u2019s never good theology to pit God against humans. But I did it for the sake of reverent and worthy worship, and the applause disrupts that. And I certainly didn\u2019t do it for the celebrant, so why is he the one thanking me? Similarly, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s ever appropriate for a celebrant to thank the people for their attendance. They didn\u2019t come on his account, one would hope, and it\u2019s not his<\/em> liturgy anyway, so why is he thanking them for worshiping God?<\/p>\nI suppose before the final blessing the celebrant could offer, on behalf of everyone, a brief appreciation for everyone involved, without singling any one or any group, and ending with a phrase precluding applause leading into the blessing: \u201c\u2026and everyone who has contributed to our worship of God. Let us ask now for God\u2019s blessing. The Lord be with you\u2026\u201d Or, better yet, this all could be omitted and the worship leaflet could offer thanks for all those (listed thoroughly and accurately) who contributed to the community\u2019s worship.<\/p>\n
What do you think?<\/p>\n
Moderator\u2019s note: \u201cNon solum\u201d is a feature at <\/em>Pray Tell for our readership community to discuss practical liturgical issues. The title comes from article 11 of the Vatican II liturgy constitution <\/em>Sacrosanctum Concilium: \u201cTherefore there is to be vigilance among holy pastors that in liturgical action not only<\/strong> are laws for valid and licit celebration to be observed, but that the faithful should participate knowingly, actively, and fruitfully.\u201d (Ideo sacris pastoribus advigilandum est ut in actione liturgica non solum<\/strong> observentur leges ad validam et licitam celebrationem, sed ut fideles scienter, actuose et fructuose eandem participent.) May the series contribute to good liturgical practice \u2013 not only<\/strong> following the law, but especially grasping the spirit of the liturgy!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gratitude, toward God and others, is a basic Christian stance. It is appropriate to thank those who offer their gifts and talents to common worship. But how to do so??<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[3813,285],"tags":[2560],"class_list":["post-22697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-non-solum","category-pastoral-theology","tag-non-solum"],"yoast_head":"\n
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