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The Parish Messenger
July 1998
Toward a Theology of the Solemn High Mass
(Part 2--see Part 1 in the June issue of
the Messenger)
Anglicans are a people of worship. It is often said, to understand what we
believe, look at how we pray. In this series of articles we are looking at how we pray in
the particular liturgical form known as the solemn High Mass. By studying how we pray in
this activity, we hope to come to a deeper understanding of those things which we believe
about the Church, ourselves, and ultimately God Himself.
We have looked at the role of the priest, whose function is to offer sacrifice.
The sacrifice of the Mass is the atonement of Calvary, once offered, a full, perfect and
sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. The Mass is not a replay of
Calvary’s events. There is no new sacrifice - each Mass puts us at the foot of that
very Hill of Good Friday - but likewise puts us at the Table of Maundy Thursday, the empty
tomb of Easter Day and the mountain-top of the Ascension. When we have in remembrance
Christ’s passion and death, resurrection and ascension, we place ourselves in Sacred
Time which transcends the limitations of our daily living and puts us in the realm of
eternity.
This is not to forget our daily existence. If the priest is there to offer
sacrifice and to call us into this sacred time, there is one sacred minister whose duty it
is to attend to the daily needs of the
community. This is the Deacon. The sign of the deacon is the stole crossed over the
shoulder - reminiscent of the server’s towel. While the priest’s stole is worn
crossed over the breast, indicative of the sacrifice of the Cross, the deacon’s stole
is worn in a manner to free the arms to work and to serve.
The deacon’s duties in the Solemn High Mass all point to this function of
service to and among the People. It is the Deacon who proclaims the Gospel. As we have no
ordained deacon, we fudge a bit and have the priest proclaim the Gospel. In reality,
though, this task always belongs to the deacon, even when the Bishop is present, because
the deacon functions as an icon of the presence of Christ within the world. If we were to
view the priest as an image of the crucified Christ, offering the sacrifice of Calvary,
the deacon would be the icon of the ministering Christ - attending the poor, the widows,
healing the complaints of the sick - proclaiming to them the Good News of salvation.
To the deacon also falls the duty to prepare the altar and the elements for the
Holy Communion. This is fitting because the elements come from the People, to be returned
to them. From the Body of Christ come the gifts which in turn become the Body of Christ.
The eucharistic elements are gifts which earth hath given and human hands have made, as
the contemporary prayer of oblation puts it. From the community, these simple gifts are
prepared by the Deacon to become the Gifts of God for the People of God.
It is customary (though not mandatory) for the deacon to lead the Prayer for
the Whole State of Christ’s Church. Once again, in his role as people’s
advocate, the deacon is most likely to be aware of those sorts and conditions of men who
are most in need of our prayers and support.
In the third and final part of this series, we will take a look at the roles of
the sub-deacon, and also examine the roles of the choir and congregation.
Computer Updates
With the arrival of new members, our computerized information is a bit behind.
Dates of births,
baptism. etc. are missing for members old and new. The national office is now tracking
people
according to Baptism rather than by Communion and Confirmation.
Over the summer, we will be updating these records. You will most likely
receive notice of missing dates. One thing that might help: many of us are unaware of the
dates of our Baptism. It wouldn’t hurt to have everyone check on that date, as this
seems to be the piece of information most often missing.
This will also help us to accurately recognize birthdays and anniversaries,
along with giving due
recognition to Baptismal anniversaries.
Low Masses
This summer we will again have Low Masses on the last Sundays of June, July and
August. This
will add a bit of variety and refreshment to the summer schedule - along with an
opportunity to
acquaint those newer among us with differences between the two types of Masses.
Rector's Vacation
The rector will be on vacation from July 13th to the 26th. The Sunday
Masses will be covered
by Fr. Barger. Fr. Kilby will take the two Thursday morning Masses and there will be no
Friday 12:10 Masses during this time. In case of emergency, please call Fr. Barger.
Speaking of vacations...
Remember while traveling to fulfill your Sunday obligation by searching out an
Anglican parish.
The first thing I always do is hit the “Yellow Pages” and check out Mass times.
It’s always fun to
see how they “do it” in other places. It’s also fun to see bulletins from
our sister parishes too -
bring them back with you.
Sunday Bulletin
After 6 years of dedicated service, Karen Schwartzbeck is turning over the
reins of the Sunday
bulletin to Louis Jaspeer Crouse. We thank her for the many hours she has volunteered in this
effort. We also thank Louis for his willingness to take on this challenge. God’s
blessings on both.
Summer’s Feasts and Fasts
Several Prayerbook feasts occur during the summer. These will be marked
by extraordinary
celebrations of the Holy Eucharist.
June 29 Sts. Peter and Paul - 6:30 p.m.Low Mass
July 4 Independence Day - 10:00 Low Mass
July 25 St. James the Apostle - Pvt. Nuptial Mass
August 6 The Transfiguration - 9:00 Low Mass
August 15 St. Mary the Virgin - 10:00 High Mass
August 24 St. Bartholomew - 6:30 p.m. Low Mass
Like green vestments?
Let’s hope so - we’ve got 23 weeks of them!
Lectionary Readings
July 5 V Pentecost
Isaiah 66:10-16
Galatians 6:1-18
Luke 10:1-12,16-20
July 12 VI Pentecost
Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Colossians 1:1-14
Luke 10:23-37
July 19 VII Pentecost
Genesis 18:1-14
Colossians 1:21-29
Luke 10:38-42
July 25 St. James the Apostle
Jeremiah 45:1-5
Acts 11:27-12:3
Matthew 20:20-28
July 26 VIII Pentecost
Genesis 18:20-33
Colossians 2:6-15
Luke 11:1-13
Did you miss previous editions of the Parish Messenger?
Don't worry. The May and June issues are still archived online.
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