41. Dicitur « in Missis sive in cantu sive lectis, quae cum populo celebrantur, competens auctoritas... linguam vernaculam admittere potest ». Et in decreto pro quadam natione dicitur « In Missis quae cum fidelium concursu celebrantur ».
Cum populo videtur innuere ad assistentiam actuosam participantium; dum concursus fidelium haberi potest etiam absque actuosa participatione. Estne hic ultimus casus ratio sufficiens ad adhibendam linguam vernaculam?
Resp.: Certissime. Immo, a fortiori, cum passiva adsistentia etiam ex hoc capite pendet quod fideles nihil intelligunt, neque de verbis quae proferuntur ad altare. De cetero expressiones cum populo vel concursu populi idem sonant.
41. It say « in sung Masses or Missae lectae which are celebrated with the people , the competent authority... can allow the vernacular language ». And in a decree for a certain nation it says « In Masses which are celebrated with the presence of the faithful ».
With the people seems to imply the active assistance of the participants; while the presence of the faithful can be had even without active participation. Is this last case a sufficient reason to employ the vernacular language?
Resp.: Most certainly. Rather, even more so, since passive assistance also depends on this point, that the faithful do not understand anything of the words which are spoken at the altar. As for the rest, the expressions with the people and the presence of the people are spoken of as the same thing.
Notitiae 1 (1965): 185–186, n. 41participatio actuosa , vernacular
96. Utrum parva missalia pro fidelibus adhuc sint utilia?
Quidam asserunt post introductionem linguae vernaculae in liturgiam parva missalia amplius utilia non esse, quinimmo activae participationi obstare. Re quidem vera parva missalia ante promulgatam Constitutionem de sacra liturgia eo tendebant « ut fideles ritus lingua latina celebratos intellegerent; erant videlicet subsidia populi, veteris huius linguae ignari ».1 Finis tamen praecipuus erat amor et gustus sacrae liturgiae eiusque progressiva ac profundior intellegentia in fideles inducenda. Quod etiam nunc valet. Parva missalia, quae iuxta exigentias hodiernae restaurationis liturgicae sint exarata, quaeque non tantum Ordinarium Missae sed versionem omnium textuum liturgicorum a competenti auctoritate approbatam contineant, adhuc sunt necessaria ad totalitatem mysterii salutis, in anno liturgico celebrati, perfectius percipiendam, ad meditationem et pietatem ex inexhaustis divitiis textuum liturgicorum alendam, ad actuosam participationem faciliorem reddendam. Haec autem non tantum postulat ut verbum Dei in communitate adunata proclametur et ab ipsa attente audiatur, sed etiam ut plebs sancta verbo Dei accepto respondeat, et sacra celebret partes Ordinarii et Proprii, hymnos et psalmos simul canendo vel recitando. Quod peragere valet auxilio alicuius parvi missalis aut libri precum, qui eo utilius evadit cum etiam elementa pro sacramentis aliisque sacris functionibus participandis contineat, sicut v. g. The book of catholic worship , qui ab « U.S.A. liturgical Conference » nunc paratur (cfr. Notitiae , 1 [1965] 318).
Peculiari ratione hoc adiutorio indigere videntur communitates cuiusque generis; quae missam ferialem participant, vel omnibus diebus secundum spiritum liturgiae vivere et orare cupiunt; qui ob infirmitatem vel incommodum vel alia huiusmodi cum propria communitate liturgica convenire nequeunt, ut eius orationi verius et intimus coniungantur; pueri qui ad mysterium liturgicum progressive sunt initiandi. Proinde laudandus et diffundendus usus qui pluribus in locis invaluit donandi pueris, ad Primam Communionem vel ad Confirmationem accedentibus, parvum missale: est omnium aptissimum donum.
Notitiae 2 (1966): 31–32, n. 96hand missals , participatio actuosa
97. In hoc discrimine mutationum liturgicarum suntne parva missalia diffundenda?
Notitia aliquando passim diffunditur circa imminentem reformationem Ordinis Missae, vel definitivam instaurationem totius Missalis; quae serio fundamento caret. Instauratio liturgica pluribus indiget studiis et studiorum annis. Parva ergo missalia si criteriis hodiernae reformationis innituntur et aliqua cum flexibilitate et varietate concipiuntur, adhiberi poterunt per plures annos. Perutiliia insuper evadunt ut fideles spiritualiter et pedagogice ad futuram instaurationem accipiendam praeparentur et ne per aliquot, et quidem ferventiores, annos, priventur profectu spirituali qui ab actuosa et conscia sacrae liturgiae participatione provenit.
97. In this period of liturgical changes, should small missals be distributed?
News is sometimes spread around about an imminent reform of the Order of Mass or a definitive restoration of the whole Missal; this lacks a serious foundation. The liturgical restoration needs more efforts and years of study. Therefore, small missals, if they are based on the criteria of the modern reform and are arranged with some flexibility and variety, will be able to be used for some years. They moreover continue to be very useful so that the faithful will be prepared spiritually and pedagogically for receiving the future restoration and so that they will not be deprived throughout several even more fervent years of spiritual progress that comes from actual and conscious participation in the sacred liturgy.
Notitiae 2 (1966): 32, n. 97hand missals , liturgical reform , participatio actuosa
25. Quaenam est vera significatio ritus offertorii?
praeparatione donorum, eorumque depositione in altare, de oblatis a fidelibus latis pro Ecclesia et pauperibus, nihil vero de oblatione sacrificii.
Resp.: Ipsa historia ritum offertorii esse actionem sacrificii praeparatoriam docet, in qua a sacerdote celebrante et ministris dona colliguntur a fidelibus oblata. Haec sunt elementa celebrationis (panis et vinum) et alia dona Ecclesiae atque pauperibus destinata. Talis significatio « praeparationis » semper peculiaritas propria offertorii habita est, etsi formulae minus apte hoc ostendebant et magis de sacrificio loquebantur. Novus ritus hanc peculiarem notam in splendidorem lucem ponit, sive mediante activa participatione fidelium in praesentatione donorum sive mediantibus formulis quae a celebrante proferuntur in depositione supra altare elementorum celebrationis eucharisticae.
25. What is the true significance of the offertory rite?
preparation of the gifts, and of their placement upon the altar, of the offerings brought up by the faithful for the Church and the poor, but that there is nothing about the offering of the sacrifice.
Resp.: History itself teaches that the rite of the offertory is an action preparatory to the sacrifice, in which gifts offered by the faithful are collected by the priest celebrant and the ministers. These are the elements for the celebration (bread and wine) and other gifts destined for the Church and the poor. This significance of « preparation » has always been held as the proper character of the offertory, even if the formulas did not show this well and spoke more of sacrifice. The new rite places this particular note in clearer light, both by means of the active participation of the faithful in the presentation of the gifts and also by means of the formulas which are recited by the celebrant in placing the elements for eucharistic celebration upon the altar.
Notitiae 6 (1970): 37, n. 25offertory , participatio actuosa De homilia
Homilia, qua per anni liturgici cursum ex textu sacro fidei mysteria et normae vitae christianae exponuntur, ut pars liturgiae verbi saepius et inde a Constitutione liturgica Concilii Vaticani II potissimum est commendata, immo pro aliquibus casibus praescribitur. Ab ipso qui praeest de more habenda, homilia in Missae celebratione eo tendit ut nuntiatum Dei verbum una cum liturgia eucharistica fiat « quasi annuntiatio mirabilium Dei in historia salutis seu mysterio Christi ». Etenim mysterium paschale Christi quod lectionibus et homilia nuntiatur, per Missae sacrificium exercetur. Christus autem in Eccelsiae suae praedicatione praesens semper adest et operatur.
Homilia igitur sive verbum Scripturae sacrae nuntiatum sive alium liturgicum textum explicet, communitatem fidelium ad Eucharistiam actuose celebrandam ducere debet, ut « vivendo teneant quod fide perceperunt ». Hac viva expositione Dei verbum, quod legitur, et celebrationes Ecclesiae, quae peraguntur, maiorem efficacitatem acquirere possunt, si homilia revera sit fructus meditationis, apte parata, non nimis protracta nec nimis brevis, et si in ea ad omnes praesentes, etiam pueros et incultos, attendatur.
(Ex n. 24 Praenotandorum Ordinis Lectionum Missae , editio typica altera 1981, p. xxi ).
On the homily
The homily, by which, through the course of the liturgical year, the mysteries of faith and norms of Christian life are set forth from the sacred text, as part of the Liturgy of the Word has been recommended often and especially since the liturgical constitution of the Second Vatican Council, and indeed is prescribed in some cases. The homily in the celebration of Mass is customarily to be given by the one who presides by virtue of the fact that it shows how the word of God which has been proclaimed becomes together with the eucharistic liturgy « a kind of proclamation of the wonders of God in salvation history or the mystery of Christ ». And also the Paschal Mystery of Christ, which is announced by the readings and homily, is exercised through the sacrifice of the Mass. Christ, moreover, in the preaching of his Church, is always present and at work.
The homily, therefore, whether it explains the word of sacred Scripture that has been proclaimed or another liturgical text, ought to lead the community of the faithful to celebrate the Eucharist actively, so that « they may hold in their manner of life what they have grasped by faith. ». By this living explanation of the Word of God, which is read, the celebrations of the Church, which are carried out, can also acquire a greater efficacy if the homily is truly the fruit of meditation, aptly prepared, neither excessively drawn out nor too brief, and if it is attentive to the needs of all those present, even children and the uninstructed.
(Ex n. 24 of the Praenotanda Ordinis Lectionum Missae , editio typica altera 1981, p. xxi ).
Notitiae 19 (1983): 834homily , participatio actuosa