This first photo was taken before Mass, around 10:45pm. The normally green backdrop behind the Crucifix is now red. The Church beautifully decorated all to give glory to God on the birth of our Savior!
A photo taken of the high wall altar during the homily.
These were taken during the second reading. I had stepped up to the choir loft in between singing the Mass.
Here, our new Deacon - the Rev. Mr. Jim Wilder, receives a blessing from the celebrant, Fr. John as the Master of Ceremonies - in black cassock and white surplice - stands nearby. Altar boys wait to escort the Deacon who will take the Word of God from the table altar where it is seen in the photo, to the pulpit, where it will be proclaimed.
The Deacon swings a thurible with incense just ahead of chanting the Gospel. Regardless of where anyone is standing, all face the pulpit for the Word of God. Altar boys are seen in white cassocks and Christmas season shoulder capes in red. During Easter Season, they are gold. The Nativity is off to the left, but not seen very well in this photo. I plan on photographing the Nativity during the week.
Here, all listen to a beautiful Christmas homily given by one of the priests of Opus Angelorum
Fr. John elevates the Sacred Host. The highlight of the Catholic Mass is always the Consecration of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. What struck me profoundly when I first came to Assumption Grotto was not only the ad orientem posture of the priest during the Mass, but the prolonged elevation of the Sacred Host and Chalice.
I believe that much of the indifference to our Eucharistic Lord can be changed over time through simple and ordinary gestures. Everyone has their own thoughts and prayers during elevation. Some say, "My God and my All". Others will say, "My Lord and my God". In some parishes, I barely have time to say these words in my heart because the elevation happens so rapidly and below eye level of the priest. At Assumption Grotto, the elevation is long enough to actually say the first part of the Fatima Angel's Prayer: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, I love You. I ask forgiveness for those who do not believe, nor adore, nor hope nor love you."
Regardless of whether you like to just adore the Lord without even a word, or a short prayer, I pray that priests will begin to prolong the elevation so that we may pause and behold Our Lord - whether the Mass is celebrated ad orientem, or versus populum - facing the people. I once thought the high elevation was due to the fact that the priest is facing the high wall altar. However, I have seen several priests who make use of a very prolonged and high elevation even when celebrating versus populum. I found this also drawing my attention to our Eucharistic Lord.
I would be interested in knowing what others pray or do during elevation. Please feel free to comment.
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15 Somebody Comment!!!:
You know, it was because people would go from altar to altar to adore Our Lord at the elevation that the devotion of Exposition & Benediction developed.
...It's great, isn't it? I find myself holding my breath as I pray, so as not to disturb the sacredness of the moment!
When I elevate the Body of our Lord at Mass I pray: Hail true Body, born of the Virgin Mary, offered on the Cross for the salvation of the world... my Lord and my God! When I elevate the Precious Blood I pray: Hail, true Blood of Christ, poured out on the gibbet of the Cross for our salvation... my Jesus, mercy!
I take great care to elevate reverently and slowly.
Mac: Interesting point about adoration.
Fr. Bailey: Thanks for sharing that beautiful set of prayers.
I remember being a small child and asking what I was suppose to do when the priest lifted the Body and Blood of Christ. No one could give me answers that made any sense. Then again, I think this goes to the indifference and lack of understanding of the Real Presence brought on by dumbed-down catechesis.
Back in those days, the elevation was more prolonged than what I've seen outside of more orthodox Catholic circles. In some cases today - sadly, if you blink - you miss it.
Beautiful photos, Diane.
Hopefully, some day I can take photos like that at my parish.
Merry Christmas.
You do realize that such superfluous use of so many "altar boys" is frowned upon, no, forbidden by the rubrics?
It doesn't add to the solemnity of the occasion, doesn't look nice, just excessive.
Young MC: Who determines how many is too many? For some 13 or 15 are too many. For others, 5 are too many.
Each of the boys in the photo had a task - whether it was that of torch-bearer, or holding the text. I don't know of any boy who did not do something during the liturgy.
Also, I don't think the Holy See would find much of a problem with the number seen in the photo here. We have a solid vocation rate at my parish - men and women. That all male, large altar boy corp of 60 in a parish with roughly 700 families has much to do with young men hearing their call to the priesthood as it does with serving during Mass. We have no shortage of altar boys at any of our 4 weekend Masses, and even our weekday Masses. On Saturdays and Sundays, it typically ranges from 5 - 13 boys. Hence, whom should be told they may not serve on given Sunday in order to keep the number down - 40 of them? Then they serve pretty much only monthly?
These boys are all in frequent and close proximity to the 5-6 priests working in and through my parish as a result of the current arrangement. Their frequent service also has them learning about the liturgy and has them involved in learning pre and post-mass devotions, as well as making use of frequent confession.
Having 14-18 altar boys in one Mass is actually a pretty good problem to have, in my humble opinion.
Young MC: Where does it say this? If you're going to post remarks like that, you should at least have the courtesy of substantiating your claim with a reference to the rubrics of which you speak, so that others can find this information.
GIRM # 109 would seem to contradict what you say. Also, # 187 could be reasonably interpreted to substantiate the practice at Assumption Grotto.
Diane: Fine pictures. I've only been to Assumption Grotto once but was impressed with the devotion of all those present and the beauty with which the liturgy was celebrated.
Regarding the elevation of the host, I have to say that I prefer the host not to be held up TOO long when Mass is celebrated versus populum. Why? Because after more than the customary few seconds, I think that the focus can easily move to the priest, especially his face, especially if he is the type to say a prayer (moving his lips) during the elevations. People start to think about what the priest is doing, or how devoted he does (or does not!) look, and how long he might continue to hold the host up. Thoughts like, "Oh, look how devout Father is!" or "I wonder how much longer he is going to hold it up!". Once things like this begin to be thought then the focus is totally removed from where it should be, the Blessed Sacrament. This is of course a problem with the people, not with the priest himself -- they should be seeking to bring their thoughts under control and focussing on the main event. But I think celebration versus populum makes this much more difficult.
So, I guess I would say that for versus populum celebrations, I prefer the standard or "shorter form" of the elevation, while with celebration ad Deum, I think the longer (and as high as possible) elevation is just fine.
Merry Christmas!
Adam: Interesting thoughts about elevation during versus populum.
I've made my spiritual case for ad orientem in that it drove me to seek not the face of the priest in the Mass, but the face of God. This is the essence of worship: To seek His "face" and adore Him for no other reason than adoration itself.
Guys, I think you know that I love this blog for many reason but please may I make two points.
How is the thurifer swinging the thurible? He should be holding it in his right hand at the very top of the chain with the left hand placed on his chest. A slight wrist action from the right hand should be sufficient to swing the thurible.
Secondly, I agree with Young MC that this is too many servers. Did all of them have a job to do? I really can't see more servers needed than an MC, thurifer, two acolytes, a crucifer and 6 torch bearers. Making really a maximum of 11 (or 13 if you want a boat boy and a second MC).
Anyway, the Church looks packed which is good to see.
We had some incense and the choir sounded decent. They obviously practiced. Otherwise it was a pretty normal mass in a lot of ways. But it was Christmas!
It would be great to have access to this church. It's here in Michigan, by Detroit, yes?
I'm in SW Michigan.
Oh, and we had several altar boys and they were actually boys, not girls.
What beautiful pictures!!! It's a shame we don't have a parish like yours here in Southern California.
Anonymous: Assumption Grotto is in Detroit, possibly a one-tank drive for you.
Consider how long it would take you to get to Detroit for the Noon Mass on December 31.
Normally, we serve BBQ hot dogs, hamburgers and sausages every Sunday following the 9:30 and Noon Masses, but I'm not so sure it will be available this coming Sunday as we will be preparing for the 11:00pm evening Mass for the Motherhood of Mary and pot-luck.
But, a drive down the main strip (going north up to 10 and 11 mile road areas are plenty of restaurants leading back to I-696 at Gratiot and 11 Mile).
If you are within 2 or 3 hours, you could be home by 6:00 on a given Sunday.
Rarely is the Mass of Vatican II done in Latin at the Noon Mass. Typically, it is at the 9:30. But, there will be an orchestral Mass on the 31st at the noon Mass and those are always in Latin and solemn. It lasts nearly two hours, but many who treasure this kind of liturgy don't have a problem with it. It is more time to spend adoring God in worship.
Indolent Server: Thanks for the compliment of my blog. Yes, despite dark clothing which makes the pews look less full, they were quite packed. This was especially remarkable given the 4:00pm Mass was already full, as well.
A few comments on your comment:
1) I can assure you that the people of Assumption Grotto were too busy lifting their souls up to God to notice the thurifer's hand position on the chain of the thurbile during holy Mass.
2) I've seen such a wide array of opinions on how many altar boys is "too many" I would like to ask, "who" has final the final say when something comes down to opinion and interpretation of the GIRM? There is nothing written which legislates the specific number so that means it must be up to the pastor of a given parish to decide how many is enough or too many. I trust my pastor. I also trust his judgment on not turning away more than half of our altar boys for Christmas since not all of the 60 would have been able to serve between Christmas Eve and Christmas day, given your method. That is, a method of counting altar boys not found in the GIRM. If Holy Mother Church had wanted a set limit, She is big enough to make it known in the GIRM.
Also, we have a solid vocation rate and part of that comes from the fact that all of the 60 or so altar boys serve when at Mass, rather than sit in the pew. I shutter to think what our vocation rate would be if they were only permitted to serve monthly due to overwhelming participation.
There is far more the issue than meets the eye when it comes to the number of altar boys used.
When the Host and the Precious Blood are elevated, I try to pray a prayer from St. Alphonsus de Liguori. I have a little booklet which is an excerpt from the larger work, "The Christian Virtues and the Means to Attain Them" under Regulation of the Life of a Christian, pp. 504-534. (In German)
In the part about the Holy Mass, he suggests praying at the elevation of the Sacred Host, " My God, I ask through your love for your only begotten Son Jesus Christ, forgive me all my sins and grant me the grace of perseverance." Then at the elevation of the Precious Blood, St. Alphonsus suggests praying, "My God, I ask through the Precious Blood of Christ; grant me the grace to love Thee always in this and the next life.
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