Celebrating Liturgy
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At the Second Vatican Council, the liturgy was identified as the “summit towards which the activity of the church is directed; it is also the source from which all its power flows. For the goal of apostolic endeavor is that all who are made children of God by faith and Baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his church, to take part in the sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s Supper” (Sacrosanctum Consilium, 10). While most people think of Mass as being equivalent to liturgy, there is actually a variety of liturgical worship within the Catholic Church. Most commonly, we gather as a community to celebrate Sunday Mass together. This is the primary opportunity for the faithful to hear the Word of God in the scriptures and to share in the Lord’s Supper.
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What is Liturgical Worship?
“The liturgy is also a participation in Christ’s own prayer addressed to the Father in the Holy Spirit. In the liturgy, all Christian prayer finds its source and goal. Through the liturgy the inner man is rooted and grounded in “the great love with which [the Father] loved us” in his beloved Son. It is the same “marvelous work of God” that is lived and internalized by all prayer, “at all times in the Spirit..” -Catechism of the Catholic Church 1073
Similar to the familiar January through December calendar, liturgical celebrations within the Catholic Church follow a regular pattern. For the Church, the Liturgical Calendar begins with Advent and proceeds through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Following this path each year allows us to enter into the mystery of Christ and builds a deeper understanding of God’s plan for salvation. Even more specifically, the Catholic Church follows a three-year cycle that immerses us in critical biblical passages emphasizing the message and mission of Jesus Christ, both in the Old and New Testaments. At St. Bernard Parish, we use these liturgical seasons of the Catholic Church to enrich our faith lives. Focusing on the various seasons of the liturgical year enables us to learn more about what God desires of us during Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time, preparing us to be better disciples in the world around us.At. St. Bernard Parish, we use these liturgical seasons of the Catholic Church to enrich our faith lives lives. focusing on the various seasons of the liturgical year enables us to learn more about what God desires of us during Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time, preparing us to be better disciples in the world around us.
During each season, St. Bernard reveals the true message from the scripture. To be better disciples among the community, take some time to explore the various seasons of our church year.
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Readings of Scripture
The readings for the Mass are available to all of us, so we can prepare ahead of time for Sunday Mass. However, daily Mass readings allow us to listen and study God’s word on a regular basis, even if we do not attend daily Mass. Several resources are available to find the Daily Mass Readings. We list them in the bulletin each week, but some prefer to subscribe to published resources such as the Word Among Us or Give Us This Day. At St. Bernard, we offer an annual subscription to Give Us This Day, renewable every summer. If you would like to receive this resource, please contact our parish office at 920-739-0331. The Daily Mass Readings are also available on the USCCB Daily Readings web page.
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Youth Hosted LIturgies
St. Bernard provides opportunities for families, children, and teens to participate in some of the ministerial roles for weekend Masses three times a year. Youth are welcome to volunteer as Greeters, Ushers, Altar Servers, and Musicians. However, in order to be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, the young person must be confirmed. Adult family members are also welcome to help in these roles.
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Ministry SChedule Pro (MSP)
MSP is a software package used by St. Bernard to schedule over 200 ministers in various positions of service vital to the smooth functioning of liturgies. It encompass all ministries in the areas of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Musicians, Lectors, Altar Servers, Hospitality (Ushers & Greeters), Sacristans, Teachers for Children’s Liturgy, Hospitality Ministers, Media Technicians (Sound and Screen).
Each volunteer is assigned a unique username and password. When a minister clicks on the MSP graphic below, he/she is taken directly to the sign-in page. After entering the unique sign-in information, the minister can access his/her personal profile which includes dates the minister is unavailable to serve and liturgies for which the minister may want to volunteer.
MSP also allows ministers to request a substitute for a particular liturgy when a conflict occurs. Through e-mail, the system notifies other volunteers, who are qualified for that specific ministry, that a substitute is needed for a particular liturgy.
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