UNDERSTANDING FULL, CONCIOUS, AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION:ANALYSIS OF SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM AND CASE STUDY OF A U.S.

PARISH

Michael BachmeierNovember 26, 2013

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A dear friend of mine and an alumna of LMU, Hannah, is often

brought to tears while participating in liturgy. Without knowing

her, seeing someone crying during mass probably elicits concern

and triggers assumptions that she is sad or struggling with

various personal issues. For Hannah, though, these tears are not

brought merely by her internal reflections. She cries because

she is overwhelmed by the magnitude of what is happening in the

liturgy. She is fully participating as a member of the body of

Christ, she is conscious of Christ’s presence in the rituals, and

she is overwhelmed as she is transformed as the liturgy

continues. She is focused not on her interior piety, but on God

and God’s word. Although the tears can be distracting both for

her and others in the congregation, this is not her intent and I

know she would control it if she could. Active liturgical

participation is not necessary crying, but for Hannah, these

tears are an outward sign that she has brought her whole self to

the liturgy and has allowed the love of Christ to transform her.

These are tears of sadness and joy as she dies and rises with

Christ through her participation in the liturgy. Her liturgical

participation is not limited to the confines of the sanctuary;

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she allows the love of Christ to radiate in her relationships and

actions outside the liturgy. By no means do I claim that she is

perfect, but Hannah’s experiences serve as a beautiful example of

the power that all the faithful can access through full,

conscious, and active participation in the liturgy of Christ.

Introduction

The Second Vatican Council decreed in its Constitution of

the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, “Mother Church earnestly

desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully

conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations

which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy.”1 As we

celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Council and specifically

the promulgation of this document, it is important to understand

what this phrase calls for and to reflect on how the local

church, the dioceses of the United States, allows it to permeate

all aspects of Christian life. Active participation by the

faithful does not limit itself to the rituals of the liturgy, but

carries implications at the individual, Church, and divine

levels, evidenced by the weight the concept of participation

1 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium (Vatican: The Holy See, 1963), paragraph 14.

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carried throughout the entirety of the Second Vatican Council.

It is often misunderstood as simply the performance of the

required actions and responses. It is in full participation in

the liturgical rituals that the faithful orient themselves as

members of the worshipping body of Christ. Through this

participation in Christ, and with the grace of the Holy Spirit,

the faithful have the opportunity to experience union with God in

the liturgy. Both within the liturgy and in their daily lives as

members of the body of Christ, it is vital for the benefit of the

Catholic Church and its people and the integrity of liturgy that

the faithful are fully conscious and active participants in the

Paschal Mystery during the Eucharist, striving to reach a perfect

union with God through Christ and aided by the power of the Holy

Spirit. As humans, and for the purposes of this essay,

especially in the US, participation often falls short of

perfection among the faithful, but it is their privilege and

mission to endlessly strive to be a sign of the Trinity here on

this earth, most effectively through transformation in the

liturgy, “until there is one sheepfold and one shepherd.”2

2 Ibid., paragraph 2.

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Reforms of Sacrosanctum Concilium

Although it is widely believed that the concept of active

liturgical participation was originated by the Second Vatican

Council and first mentioned in Sacrosanctum Concilium,3 this

constitution solidified and validated the liturgical movement

that had developed in the century prior to the Council.4 In

1903, Pope Pius X first used the phrase “active participation”

referring to liturgical music in “Tra le Sollecitudini.”5 This

single reference developed into a reform movement centered on the

phrase. The movement focused on promoting active participation

as a means of transforming people and steering the faithful away

from a focus on interior piety and private devotions during the

liturgy.6 Active participation was possible in the pre-conciliar

Roman Rite7 and the movement was not necessarily calling for a

3 Frederick R. McManus, Liturgical Participation: An Ongoing Assessment (Washington, DC: Pastoral Press, 1988), 8.4 For the purposes of this paper, it is not necessary to have a complete understanding of the history of liturgical participation because Sacrosanctum Concilium is the culmination of the movement. For a detailed history of the liturgical movement regarding participation, see R. Gabriel Pivarnik, Toward a Trinitarian Theology of Liturgical Participation (Collegeville, MN: A Pueblo Book/Liturgical Press, 2012), 6-51.5 Pivarnik, Toward a Trinitarian Theology, 8.6 Mark Searle, Called to Participate: Theological, Ritual, and Social Perspectives, Ed. Barbara Searle and Anne Y. Koester (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2006), 1.7 McManus, Liturgical Participation, 5.

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comprehensive reform.8 The movement reached its culmination

during Vatican II with the Promulgation of Sacrosanctum Concilium by

Pope Paul VI on December 4, 1963. Mark Searle, in his book,

Called to Participate: Theological, Ritual, and Social Perspectives, warns that the

reform movement prior to the Council and the reforms enacted in

the post-conciliar period are not consistent.9 The pre-conciliar

liturgical movement sought to reform the faithful through the

formation of active participation in the Eucharist; the post-

conciliar reforms altered the liturgy to increase the liturgical

participation of the liturgy.10

As the First Constitution approved by the Second Vatican

Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium set the stage for the rest of the

council. “The reform and promotion of Liturgy”11 undertaken by

the bishops of Vatican II was necessary in obtaining the

Council’s aims of “impart[ing] an ever increasing vigor to the

Christian life of the faithful; to adapt more suitably to the

needs of [their] times; to foster whatever can promote union.”12

8 Massimo Faggioli, True Reform: Liturgy and Ecclesiology in Sacrosanctum Concilium (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2012), 20.9 Searle, Called to Participate, 1-8.10 Ibid.11 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 1.12 Ibid.

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The spirit of the liturgical reforms, with the active

participation as the guiding theme, continued throughout “the

council’s efforts to renew the public prayer of the Church,” 13

establishing liturgy’s role of unifying all of Christian life.

As an example of the integral role of active participation, the

Vatican II decree Ad Gentes states the primary aim of all church

activity is to “open up for all a free and reliable way to full

participation in the mystery of Christ.”14

Ultimately, Sacrosanctum Concilium, calls for the liturgy to be

reestablished as the pinnacle of the Christian experience of all

the faithful here on earth. In order to restore the liturgy,

many rites needed to be revised, as stated in Sacrosanctum

Concilium: “The rite of the Mass is to be revised in such a way

that the intrinsic nature and purpose of its several parts, as

also the connection between them, may be more clearly manifested,

and that devout and active participation by the faithful may be

more easily achieved.”15 The reforms always pointed beyond

themselves to an adherence to tradition, emphasizing the role of 13 Richard Gaillardetz and Catherine Clifford, Keys to the Council: Unlocking the Teaching of Vatican II (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2012), 24-5.14 Paul VI, Ad Gentes (December 7, 1965), quoted in Pivarnik, Toward a Trinitarian Theology, 44.15 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 50.

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Trinity, and standardizing an increased full, conscious, and

active participation of the body of Christ. Because of “the

sanctification of man,”16 the liturgy is adapted to the people,17

especially the laity, as it attempts to unify all the faithful in

the Church with God by increasing participation in the Eucharist.

The active participation of the faithful in the liturgy was “to

be considered before all else.”18

The new statutes established by the Council in Sacrosanctum

Concilium were applied to the normative liturgy of the Roman Rite

in the Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum, which includes the

General Instruction of the Roman Missal. Pope Paul VI promulgated the new

Roman Missal April 3, 1969. Though it can be claimed that a

entirely new rite did not have to be established or was even

desired by the Council, to fully engage the pastoral needs of the

faithful,19 an entirely new rite was formed. Pope Benedict XVI

reflected on the post-conciliar period, “it would be necessary

not to follow the texts of the Council but its spirit.”20 This

16 Ibid., paragraph 7.17 Searle, Called to Participate, 1.18 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 14.19 Faggioli, True Reform, 60.20Benedict XVI, “What has Been the Result of the Council?,” in Vatican II: TheEssential Texts, ed. Norman Tanner (New York: Image, 2012), 5.

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new normative liturgy is further adapted by the culture of the

gathered worshipping body and has taken on its own distinct form

in the US.21

Full, Conscious, and Active Participation

Before one can delve into a deeper understanding of active

liturgical participation, it must be clear what liturgy is.

Sacrosanctum Concilium states: “liturgy is the summit toward which

the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is

the font from which all her power flows. For the aim and object

of apostolic works is that all who are made sons 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.”22 The Second Vatican Council, thus, establishes liturgy

as the primary method of attempting to complete Christ’s earthly

mission in the here and now, 23 as well as experience a foretaste

of future union with God.24 Liturgy is ecumenical, sacramental,

and eschatological. Liturgy, as a comprehensive compilation of

21 Mark Searle, “Culture,” in Liturgy: Active Participation In the Divine Life: Where We’ve Been—Where We’re Going, ed. James P. Moroney (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990), 27-51.22 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 10.23 Ibid., paragraph 2.24 Ibid., paragraph 8.

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ritual, is “symbolic from beginning to end.”25 It is through

full, conscious, and active participation in these ritual symbols

that allows humans to fully experience the powerful potential

that the liturgy offers.

The Second Vatican Council elegantly summarizes the role of

the faithful in the liturgy in Sacrosanctum Concilium:

The Church, therefore, earnestly, desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary,through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what theyare doing, with devotion and full collaboration. They should be instructed by God’s word and be nourished at the table of the Lord’s body; they should give thanks to God; byoffering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the Mediator, they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all.26

By instituting the role of the faithful at the center of the

Church’s actions and as necessary contributors to Christ’s

liturgy, the Council does not just empower the laity but

emphasizes the sanctification of the people through the Holy

Spirit at their baptism and affirms their priestly membership in

25 Searle, Called to Participate, 17.26 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 48.

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in the body of Christ.27 Participation in the liturgy is not

merely an opportunity or even an option for the faithful, it is

their “right and duty by reason of their baptism.”28 Thus,

liturgy is ecumenical in its very nature. It was important for

Vatican II to revive the practice of offering communion of both

species and offering the sacrifice from the altar to the laity.29

It is through baptism that each of the baptized enters into

communion with all the faithful in the body of Christ.

Sacrosanctum Concilium asserts, “in the liturgy the whole public

worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that

is by the head, and his mass.”30 Each liturgy works toward the

union of the whole faith community, manifesting the body of

Christ,31 not just those gathered in any one sanctuary. The

reinstatement of “the common prayer,”32 or the Prayer of the

Faithful, in the normal liturgy is a perfect opportunity for the

faithful gathered to orient themselves towards a more perfect

union with the whole body of Christ. These prayers are not meant

27 Ibid., paragraph 7.28 Ibid., paragraph 14.29 Ibid., paragraph 55.30 Ibid., paragraph 7.31 Ibid., paragraph 26.32 Ibid., paragraph 53.

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to be parochial in nature, but to be the prayer of all the

faithful offered for all the faithful.

Each liturgy is not only performed by the faithful, but by

the whole body of Christ, which includes Christ himself. For

every liturgy is Christ’s, and the faithful are welcomed to

participate in His liturgy through the bestowal of the grace of

the Holy Spirit. Full, conscious, and active participation is

only possible with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Gabriel

Pivarnik, as he attempts to iterate the Trinitarian nature of the

liturgy, goes as far as stating that the human person

participating in the liturgy becomes more like the divine:

“Participation goes beyond the level of being and centers now on

the deification of the human person, who becomes more like God by

participating or sharing in the divine nature.”33 Thus, liturgy

is not only ecumenical in nature, but also sacramental. With the

power of the Spirit, through baptism, Christians have the

privilege to enter into union with God, 34 experiencing a

“foretaste of [the] heavenly liturgy,”35 as members in the body

33 Pivarnik, Toward a Trinitarian Theology, 3.34 Ibid., 48.35 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 8.

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of Christ. This is the ultimate goal of liturgical

participation. Participating in future union with God is only

possible through remembering, or anamnesis, of the past saving

actions of the Trinity, particularly, the Paschal Mystery. Like

my friend Hannah I offered as an example in the introduction to

this paper, “Our own spirituality, if it is to be true to the

liturgy, must take on that characteristic of the dying and rising

of the Lord.”36

Full, conscious, and active participation distinguishes

liturgical participation from mere attendance, going through the

motions, and focusing on personal piety. The faithful must offer

God their mind, body, and spirit if they hope to be transformed

by God in the liturgy. Aimon-Marie Roguet designated seven

ritual acts that formulate liturgical participation: gathering of

assembly, bodily postures and gestures, processions, singing and

responses of the gathered, attentiveness to the liturgical rite,

silence, and admiration for the liturgy.37 Participation in these

ritual acts is not completed simply by doing the gesture or 36 Rembert G. Weakland, “Liturgy,” in Liturgy: Active Participation In the Divine Life: Where We’ve Been—Where We’re Going, ed. by James P. Moroney (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990), 86.37 Aimon-Marie Roguet, “Theology of Liturgical Assembly,” in Pivarnik, Toward a Trinitarian Theology, 30-1.

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making the correct response; all liturgical acts are symbols or

signs and point beyond them;38 the participation is never

complete until a perfect union with God is achieved in the next

life. Mark Searle predicates three dimension of each ritual or

sacramental act.39 The first level is the ritual itself, or the

signifier. Performing or being attentive to the ritual act is

intended to orient the participant towards Christ and

participation in His body. This is the second level: what is

being celebrated. Sacrosanctum Concilium explains, “the very act of

celebrating them most effectively disposes the faithful to

receive this grace in a fruitful manner, to worship God duly, and

to practice charity.”40 Not only does “ritual signify what is

going on,” it “makes it happen.” 41 For example, by acknowledging

that they are participating as members of the body of Christ by

singing with the assembly, the faithful are forming that very

body. 42 The third level is what the ritual ultimately means or

points to, which is always “our union with God.” 43 Thus, full,

38 Searle, Called to Participate, 17.39 Ibid., 18.40 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 59.41 Searle, Called to Participate, 18.42 Ibid., 27.43 Ibid., 18.

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conscious, and active participation, as defined in Sacrosanctum

Concilium, is when “the faithful take part fully aware of what

they are doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched by its

effects.”44

The first way that the faithful participate in the liturgy

is the gathering of the assembly. The faithful must prepare

themselves for what is to come in the liturgy, as well

concentrate on their place in the body of Christ.45 Each member

of the body of Christ has a role to play in the liturgical-ritual

enactment. Sacrosanctum Concilium affirms, “Servers, lectors

commentators, and members of the choir also exercise a genuine

liturgical function.”46 Regardless of these roles, each member of

the assembly has an equal participatory role in the liturgy.

The faithful also participates with their bodies, through

bodily postures, gestures, and processions. These actions are “a

form of language; more than just a movement, it is a way of

saying something.”47 “Through the prayer and gestures of the

liturgy,” Searle writes, “we open ourselves up to the prayer of

44 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 11.45 Ibid.46 Ibid., paragraph 29.47 Searle, Called to Participate, 59.

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the spirit praying in us. Through conforming to the constraints

of the rite, we de-center ourselves, momentarily abandon our

claim to autonomy, so that our bodies might become epiphanies of

Christ in our midst.”48 When the faithful sit or stand or

process, they are doing so in communion with the others

congregated and, thus, the whole Church. These actions express

reverence, position the faithful to best hear the word of God, or

characterize the faithful as members of a pilgrim church. When

the president raises the Eucharistic species, he reenacts the

actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, and does so with and on

behalf of the entire body of Christ.49 The formation of the Sign

of Peace and its intentional placement in the Communion rite

makes it an “authentic ritual act of community,” according to

McManus.50 This act truly has the beautiful possibility of being

a sign or symbol of the peace that the faithful hopes and prays

for on behalf of all the faithful.

Fully conscious and active participation also includes

attentiveness and silence. An increased level of consciousness

48 Ibid., 62.49 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 33.50 McManus, Liturgical Participation, 16.

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is made possible by the acceptance of the use of the vernacular

in Sacrosanctum Concilium and expanded in the General Instruction of the

Roman Missal, which states, “permission for all liturgical

celebrations in which the people participate to be in the

vernacular, so that the people may fully understand the mystery

which is celebrated.”51 Use of the vernacular greatly increases

the formation of the faithful. The assembly must be especially

attentive to the word of God. Vatican II reinstated the word of

God’s primary role in the Eucharist. Sacrosanctum Concilium greatly

increased the portion of the scriptures that the faithful

experienced in the liturgy.52 Although commonly thought of as

only the Scripture, the homily, songs, and prayers are also the

word of God. For example, during the Eucharistic Prayer, the

“prayer is at once humanity’s response to God and at the same

time God’s own word and act in us.”53 Listening to the word of

God is the first type of silence, according to Frederick

McManus.54 The second type of reverent silence is when the

51 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), in The Roman Missal, Third Edition for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America (Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), paragraph 12.52 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 51.53 Searle, Called to Participate, 56.54 McManus, Liturgical Participation, 11.

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faithful are called to engage the word of God, and return prayer

to God, attempting to be in communion with the body of Christ and

allow them to be personally transformed.55 The post-conciliar

Roman Rite instituted certain moments of silence as well as

highly recommended other moments. McManus makes an important

point, the silence called for in the new rite is not similar to

that of the pre-Vatican II rite; this silence is meant to be

participatory and ecumenical, not accidental and for private

devotions.56

The faithful also participate through the responses,

acclamations, and singing. These liturgical acts allow for the

faithful to verbally participate in the prayer of the Church and

the word of God, as well as verbally proclaim their attitudes and

beliefs. Sacred music has always been an exceptional

participatory experience of the liturgy, which was reaffirmed by

the Second Vatican Council: “Liturgical worship is given a more

noble form when the divine offices are celebrated solemnly in

song, with the assistance of sacred ministers and the active

55 Ibid., 12.56 Ibid., 11.

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participation of the people.”57 When the people make the

response of “Amen” to a prayer, they are making the prayer their

own58 and committing themselves to Christ’s mission.59 How do the

faithful at worship know that their participation in the

liturgical-ritual acts are full, conscious, and active? Searle,

in a speech titled “Culture,” stated, “the goal of active

participation is achieved not when the faithful cease to be

silent spectators and become vociferous singers but when they

sing, watch, speak, gesture, with the consciousness that it is

all done in Christ to the glory of God.”60 The participation of

the faithful is not measured by the performance of individual

actions, for they are only a means to an end, not the end itself.

The end is union with God that will come with the fulfillment of

Christ’s earthly mission and with the establishment of the

Kingdom of God in the present.

In order to promote active participation among the faithful,

the Church must be fully formed and conscious of what they are

doing and why they are doing it. In this case, conscious means

57 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 113.58 GIRM, paragraph 54.59 Searle, Called to Participate, 53.60 Searle, “Culture,” 46.

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“knowing, responsible, informed, and fully understanding the

meaning of the rites and gestures of each celebration.”61 Use of

vernacular allows for this catechesis to occur during the

liturgy. Many of the reforms of the Liturgy by Vatican II were

meant to make the meaning of and participation in the rites

clearer. Throughout Sacrosanctum Concilium, it is emphasized that

“Christian people, so far as possible, should be enabled to

understand them with ease and to take part in them fully,

actively, and as befits the people.”62 It is not enough, though,

to rely on the rituals alone to fully realize liturgical

formation. Sacrosanctum Concilium challenged scholars to

comprehensively study liturgy and the clergy to be better

instructed in the liturgy.63 As a function of their pastoral

mission, bishops and pastors are charged with “promot[ing] the

liturgical instruction of the of the faithful, and also their

active participation . . . , taking into account their age and

condition, their way of life, and standard of religious

culture.”64 It is the hope that an increase in liturgical 61 Gaillardetz and Clifford, Keys to the Council, 25.62 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 21.63 Ibid., paragraph 14-8. This paper could not be written without the depth ofresearch on the liturgy available in the post-conciliar period.64 Ibid., paragraph 19.

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catechism and formation will lead to a fuller conscious and

active participation of the faithful.65

Sacrosanctum Concilium does allow for the liturgy to be adapted

to the needs of the local community and culture in an attempt to

further promote active participation.66 Culture inherently

affects liturgy because of its social nature. Liturgy has only

ever existed throughout history within a cultural context and

been viewed through a particular lens.67 Although cultural

adaptations were to be controlled by the local bishops, culture

influences all aspects of church life unconsciously.68 Searle

argues that the American liturgy has been encultured and is no

longer Roman.69 Liturgies in the US clearly take on a unique

presentation.

Although it might seem logical that liturgical participation

occurs only within the liturgical rites, this is far from the

truth. As participants in the body of Christ, the Church

participates in Christ’s actions: in his living, dying, and

rising. Through baptism, the faithful are called to participate 65 Pivarnik, Toward a Trinitarian Theology, 36. 66 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 37.67 Searle, “Culture,” 31.68 Ibid., 29.69 Ibid., 28.

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in the priestly work of Christ by living like Him and doing God’s

will. This extends to all levels of Christian living; “all other

activities of the Church” are directed towards the union of the

Church with God.70 Although written in the pre-conciliar period,

Virgil Michel’s poetic words ring true today, “If the first

purpose of the liturgical movement is to lead the faithful into

more intimate participation in the Liturgy of the Church, then

the further objective must also be of getting the liturgical

spirit to radiate forth from the altar of Christ into every

aspect of the daily life of the Christian.”71 Full, conscious,

and active participation requires participation in the lives of

the members of the body of Christ, especially the poor and

marginalized. The transformation of all the faithful through the

word of God, the Eucharist, and the grace of the Spirit must find

expression in efforts to create the body of Christ. Vatican II’s

liturgical reforms promulgated in Sacrosanctum Concilium should not

be seen wholly as “a reform applied to the rites of liturgy but a

reform that liturgy promotes through its rites.”72 Searle argues

70 Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 10.71 Virgil Michel, in Searle, Called to Participate, 69.72 Faggioli, True Reform, 131.

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that this connection between liturgy and social action was

lacking in the immediate period after Vatican II as many focused

only on changes to the rite, rather than the theological meaning

of active participation, namely union with God.73

I would like to offer a theological theory of participation,

synthesizing my research with class learning outcomes, based on

the temporal and eschatological themes of liturgy. During the

liturgy, the Church commemorates salvation history, particularly

the Paschal Mystery. By participating in the prayers and actions

of the liturgy, the faithful participate in the actions of

Christ, marking the faithful’s participation in the past. All

liturgical participation has as a goal a more perfect union of

the body of Christ with God. This is something the faithful

always strives for, but can only participate in through the Holy

Spirit in a limited way on earth. Thus, when the faithful

participate in any aspect of or emphasizing the communion of the

body of Christ both in and outside liturgy, the faithful

participate in the future. In the here and now, the faithful

must allow the celebration of past actions and the anticipation

73 Searle, Called to Participate, 11.

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of future realizations to constantly transform them into fruitful

and loving pillars that stand before God in the present on behalf

of the marginalized.

Case Study: Active Participation in the United States 50 years after Sacrosanctum

Concilium

I have experienced the post-Vatican II Roman Rite, with the

reforms called for by Sacrosanctum Concilium, many times, in many

places, and at varying stages of my own liturgical formation. In

recent years, I have gained a much richer appreciation for

liturgy while serving as liturgical minister, primarily as a

sacristan, while at LMU. Although I am not a pastor, my role is

pastoral, requiring me to assist in the preparation of the

liturgy to “ensure that the faithful take part fully aware of

what they are doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched

by its effects.”74 Because of my intimacy with the liturgical

life of the LMU community, my observations of a liturgy in Sacred

Heart Chapel on-campus would be partially biased. When observing

liturgical participation during a Eucharistic celebration, one

can only observe participation in the outward ritual signs and

74Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 11.

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how the particular celebration has been prepared and executed to

promote participation. Because these outward signs orient the

faithful toward a deeper aim, participation in these rituals can

still be revealing.

My experiences at LMU have shaped my understanding of

liturgical participations, but for the purposes of my research, I

participated in and observed a Eucharistic liturgy at St.

Monica’s Parish in Santa Monica, CA, Sunday, November 24, 2013.

As I approached and entered the sanctuary, multiple ministers of

hospitality promptly, warmly greeted me. This pre-service

period, the gathering of the assembly, is vital to promoting an

orientation towards community and participation among the

faithful. In this period and throughout the entire liturgy, it

is important that the communal emphasis is for the formation of

all the faithful in the body of Christ, not a parochial focus on

only the local congregation. As, a stranger to this parish, it

was easier to realize my place amongst the universal faithful.

Searle even contends that the assembly at any particular

liturgical celebration should see itself as a company of

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strangers taking part in the public worship of the Church.75 The

congregation was very diverse, representative of a global

community of the faithful. The choir was located directly behind

the altar, which had the potential to be distracting, but because

of the organization and size of the sanctuary, it created a feel

of intimacy with all gathered, including the presider. Just

prior to the entrance hymn, the cantor greeted the congregation

and welcomed guests, asking them to stand, and then invited the

assembly to greet their neighbors. This can easily be

interpreted as having the intent to create either a parish

community or a universal community.

As the final Sunday in the liturgical calendar, the liturgy

was the Solemn Celebration of Christ the King. The president was

the parish pastor, Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson. He had a very unique

style of presiding. At times he was quite casual or hurried, and

in other instances he was formative and truly emphasized the word

of God. Other than immediately following the distribution of

Communion, he did not allow for the necessary or suggested

moments of silence. Msgr. Torgerson’s homily was quite

75 Searle, Called to Participate, 71-9.

26

representative of the word of God. It was clear, informative,

applicable, ecumenical, and even eschatological, which in my

experience is often lacking. Outside the minimal inclusion of

silence, the liturgy was consistent with the GIRM and current

edition of the Roman Missal.

The outward ritual participation by the assembly through

actions, responses, and song was filled with above average

fervor. A great majority of the congregation seemed to be

actively participating. There were many lively liturgical

ministers of varying roles. The music and singing was reverent

and performed at a high level. One interesting ritual adaptation

that I do not see commonly is a sung “Our Father.” It seemed to

fill the whole sanctuary with a certain energy and was a peak

experience of the body of Christ in this particular Eucharistic

celebration.

At the conclusion of the liturgy, the assembly was invited

to a reception of coffee and donuts in the courtyard. This is

often a misplaced attempt to create community within the local

parish; the coffee and donuts wrongly take the place of the body

and blood of Christ in the formation of community. In this case,

27

though, along with the treats were quite a few opportunities to

engage the word of God and membership in Christ’s body outside

the liturgy. Even though I was a stranger to the community, I

was invited to attend an upcoming parish men’s retreat. The

older gentleman who approached me, Jose, seemed to truly

understand the ecumenical nature of the liturgy and Christian

living. As we talked, he made it clear that he wanted me to go

on the retreat because he saw me as a sanctified member of the

body of Christ, as he saw all people. I was his neighbor in

Christ not just his neighbor in the parish. As he attempted to

answer what active liturgical participation meant to him, he

largely emphasized its ecumenical role. I also talked to a young

single mother of two elementary school kids. She explained to me

that the reason she attended mass at St. Monica’s was because the

parish offered many resources and opportunities that her kids and

her would otherwise not have. She was very gracious for all that

the parish had done for her family. She described liturgical

participation as simply singing and going through the motions.

Conclusion

28

My liturgical experience at St. Monica’s Parish was pretty

symbolic of an above-average liturgy in the United States. It is

clear that for the most part, the reforms set forth in

Sacrosanctum Concilium by the Second Vatican Council have taken full

effect in the everyday liturgical experiences of the faithful.

Speaking of issue in the American liturgy in the 1980s, McManus

states, “whatever the problems, and they are genuine and serious,

the liturgical transformation has taken place; it is basically

successful; and nothing can diminish its positive achievements in

theory and practice.”76 The concept of active participation is

quite broad and has not been completely resolved since Vatican

II.77 Consistent throughout history and reflected by many modern

scholars, improved and increased liturgical catechesis is

necessary for a more complete union of the body of Christ through

active participation. This is a particularly important emphasis

of Sacrosanctum Concilium that has yet to reach its full potential.

Sacrosanctum Concilium placed the liturgy and the faithful at

the very heart of the Christian experience. Full, conscious, and

active participation has the potential to be quite beneficial for

76 McManus, Liturgical Participation, 23.77 Ibid., 1.

29

each member of the faithful as well as the Church as the body of

Christ. Participating in the ecumenical, sacramental, and

eschatological nature of the liturgy has a profound effect on the

participant. By participating in Christ’s liturgy, the faithful

participate in the life of Christ. This is only possible through

the grace of the Holy Spirit bestowed on the faithful at baptism.

If the participant is conscious and attentive, each ritual act

leads him or her to understanding his or her role in the body of

Christ. It is through this conscious participation that the body

of Christ is formed in the here and now. As a member of Christ’s

body, and with the grace of the Holy Spirit, the participant has

the opportunity to experience a glimpse of all the faithful’s

future union with God. With this carries ethical implications.

While members Christ’s body on this Earth, the faithful’s union

with God must be expressed in the continual completion of

Christ’s worldly mission.

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