Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross, Page 4
Thursday, August 24, 2000
Q uestion: I have noticed that
lectors are not uniform in the
way they approach and depart the
ambo. Some bow to the celebrant,
some bow to the altar, some just
bow, before and after the reading.
Most, do not bow. What is the
proper method?
—A Lector
A nswer: The lector (reader) is
one who enjoys the installed
ministry of proclaiming the Word
of God to the people. A lector par
ticipates in a special and dignified
manner in the sacred ceremonies in
which the liturgy of the Word is
celebrated.
In biblical times, the proclaimers
of the Word of God were called
prophets, because they were sent as
messengers by God. We find these
prophets proclaim: “Thus Says The
Lord”, which is paraphrased by
today’s lector: “The Word of The
Lord” after the readings.
This privilege cannot be treated
carelessly and recklessly. There
must be some dignity and orderli
ness that accompany it. This is the
very essence of the sacred liturgy:
those uniform signs and gestures
are symbols that communicate the
universality of the Catholic faith.
This uniformity defines the oneness
and unity of our Catholic identity.
In every diocese, however, the
bishop is the chief liturgist, and
every priest must remain in con
formity with liturgical standards
that are permitted by the bishop in
particular circumstances. On this
issue the Roman Missal is very
specific: “the priest, deacon and
other ministers genuflect to the tab-
Questions
emacle if placed in the sanctuary,
when they approach or leave the
altar but not during the celebration
of the Mass itself.The General
Instruction of the Roman Missal
adds that only those who are not
engaged in ministry during the
mass genuflect whenever they
cross before the most Blessed
Sacrament.
The standard, therefore, is that
lectors and other ministers make a
deep bow to the altar. In a situation
where the seat for the priest is
located behind the altar the bow is
still observed, but not so much for
the priest as much for the altar and
the crucifix.
The bow must be made to the
altar each time you cross in front of
it: before you climb to read and
before you go to your seat after the
reading. Traditionally and cultural
ly, signs of reverence are made to
kings, queens, chiefs and spiritual
figures. The altar of sacrifice and
the crucifix are symbols of the
kingship, the authority and the
presence of Christ. We as subjects
of his kingdom do him homage and
reverence. In other cultures, wo
men would go on their knees to
greet a king, while the men would
prostrate themselves. The custom
of bowing to the altar and genu
flecting to the Blessed Sacrament
helps in distinguishing the symbol
of authority (the altar) from the
authority, Christ himself present in
the Eucharist.
Some pastors, however, allow the
lector to remain behind the ambo
throughout the duration of the serv
ice, and that creates confusion. I
have seen lectors and altar servers
& Answers
walk round the altar during Mass
as if they were in a supermarket.
—Father Iorapuu A. Moses
Father Moses, a priest from
Nigeria, is interning with The
Southern Cross this summer.
Q uestion: At Church the other
day, someone who had not
received the host approached to
receive from the cup. I always
thought that one had to receive the
host before receiving from the cup.
—A Communion Minister
A nswer: You are correct; in
normal circumstances, one
would not receive from the cup
without first receiving the host at
Holy Communion.
National awareness of the dis
eases that affect us is at an all-time
high. There are, however, some
diseases that get little or no atten
tion unless they directly touch on
our lives. One of these lesser
known diseases can have a pro
found effect on Catholics because
it makes it impossible for them to
consume Eucharistic bread. The
disease known as Celiac-Sprue dis
ease is manifested in an intolerance
for the “gluten” found in wheat
flour.
While each person suffering from
Celiac-Sprue disease reacts differ
ently to different amounts of
gluten, most doctors advise them to
adopt a totally gluten-free diet.
Studies done with people who suf
fer from this disease indicate that
even the smallest amount of gluten
can cause inflammatory changes to
the small intestine. Preliminary
studies indicate that even small
amounts of gluten can have long
term effects on the health of the
person suffering from Celiac-Sprue
disease.
Because canon law provides for
the right of Catholics in good
standing to receive the Eucharist it
is important that we properly pro
vide for the sufferers of this dis
ease. Church law requires the use
of bread made from wheat alone. In
1995 Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of
the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith indicated that because
gluten is an essential ingredient of
wheat, special hosts made from
flour without gluten can not be
used. While low-gluten wheat
could be used, the increasing med
ical evidence indicates that even a
small amount of gluten could be
dangerous. The best solution now
seems to be offering the Precious
Blood, alone, to those suffering
with the disease.
Understanding the desire and the
need of Celiac-Sprue sufferers to
share in the Eucharist allows us to
reflect on our Eucharistic heritage.
Part of our Eucharistic belief is that
Christ is fully present under the
form of Eucharistic bread and fully
present under the form of
Eucharistic wine. Reception of
either form is a complete sharing in
the Eucharistic gift. Our preference
for the reception under both forms
comes from the biblical story of the
Last Supper where Jesus com
mands the disciples “take, eat this
is my body” and “drink from it all
of you.”
While our Eucharistic regulations
(Continued on page 6)
601 E. Liberty St.
Savannah, GA 31401-5196
Leave the past alone
Dear Editor:
I have heard the issue on getting rid of State
Flags with the Confederate emblem long
enough. Now the attack is on Georgia. I say
s topi
I believe the flag of Georgia should fly over
our Capitol as a part of our heritage. This flag
represents history, may it be good or bad. It
represents a way of life that no longer exists.
Hebrew slaves built the Pyramids, Auchwitz
was built in order to exterminate Jews, tribes in
Africa fought, and made slaves of their own
people.
Tell you what, let’s do this: let’s tear down
the Pyramids, remember WWII, blow up the
southern United States, say Africa doesn’t
exist, stop using cotton for clothes because it
comes from the South... get reall These are
Letters
parts of history, good or bad, like it or not.
Teach the right and the wrong of the past.
We’ve learned from the past, let’s move on.
If we would teach “Respect” for each other
and the difference between right and wrong,
these experiences would not repeat themselves.
“Is” means “is”; “was” means “was.” Leave
the Pyramids alone, remember World War II,
and leave the flags alone. Educate for the fu
ture.
If you believe in our State Flag and agree that
it is part of World History, then please write or
call your Congressman and voice your support
for our flag to fly over our Capitol.
Jimmy L. King
Columbus
Thanks
Dear Editor:
I returned from my annual summer visit to
FAX: (912) 238-2339
E-mail: DClark5735@aol.com
California and enjoyed “catching up” on the
issues of The Southern Cross published while I
was on vacation. I especially enjoyed the front
page article on “Encuentro 2000” (Aug. 8).
The special multi-cultural gathering had
ended by the time of my arrival in LA.
However, the memories and experiences of this
event were still very much alive in the mind of
Bishop Gabino Zavala, Chairman of
“Encuentro 2000” and a personal friend whose
company I enjoy each year.
Bishop Zavala spoke enthusiastically of the
Savannah Diocese delegation and let me know
clearly how glad he was to see the participants
from the Savannah Diocese enter into the spirit
of “Encuentro 2000.”
Rev. James Kirchner
Waycross
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