The Liturgical Context Matters: Proclaiming the Scriptures

Worshippers arrive and gather in the church for a liturgical celebration. Energy begins to build. There is a sense of expectation as the community stands to sing the opening hymn and the procession moves through the liturgical space. People observe the colour of the liturgical vestments, the Lectionary or Book of the Gospels elevated in a position of honour, and the altar servers walking reverently with candles. At the conclusion of the Introductory Rites, the people sit with a sense of anticipation. The reader approaches the ambo.

It is intriguing to ponder the mindset with which each person then experiences the scripture proclamation. Are people aware of the inherently corporate nature of the event in which they are taking part, or are they inwardly focused on their personal encounter with God? When the Scripture readings are proclaimed, do people feel addressed as members of the Church and perceive implications for the community, or are they searching for clarity or insight about their personal life circumstances?

When the Lectionary readings are proclaimed in the midst of the assembly, people are immersed in a unique context: it is a very different engagement with Scripture when compared to the experience of reading the Bible in solitude. In this liturgical context, people hear scriptural passages proclaimed aloud, juxtaposed beside other biblical readings according to the Lectionary’s unique structure, all while being surrounded by the ecclesial community and immersed in the multisensory context of the liturgy. So, what is it about the liturgical event that sets it apart as a unique context for engaging with Scripture?

The Proclamation as Communal and Social Event

Despite cultural and societal trends towards individualism in modern times, the hearing of Lectionary texts in the liturgy is a communal activity and a complex social event. The common action of word, song and gesture in the liturgy has a powerful impact in the formation of a social identity and the establishment of an ecclesial community within which worshippers receive meaning in the scriptural proclamation. This stands in stark contrast to the modern concept of reading, where a reader sits alone and silent before a written text, engaged in a private and disembodied activity.

The liturgical proclamation is addressed to a group of people, not to solitary individuals. Members of the assembly gather not as independently spiritual persons, but as members of the Body of Christ who experience a sense of physical and social embeddedness in the community while listening to the scriptural proclamation which is addressed to them. A personal encounter and moment of conversion can undoubtedly take place in the liturgical event, but the context of the liturgy makes it a vastly different sort of encounter to that which may occur when sitting in solitude and reading a passage from the Bible.

The tension between the public, ritualised proclamation of the Scripture texts, and the inward movement towards silent reflection must be preserved. In this way, the experience of receiving the proclaimed Scripture texts in the liturgy is profoundly personal, without being individualistic. It is also deeply communal and forms both personal and communal identity.

Sacramental Encounter

The distinguishing feature of the scriptural proclamation in the liturgy, which sets it apart from other contexts in which people might engage with biblical texts, is the premise that Christ is sacramentally present and speaking in the assembly. Christ is present in His word, since it is He Himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church (SC 7). The sacramental presence of Christ is assured once more in the General Instruction on the Roman Missal: When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel (GIRM 29).

It is important to note that the sacramental presence of Christ in the word resides not in the book but in the proclamation to the assembly which constitutes a living event. American priest and professor of liturgy and sacramental theology, Paul Janowiak, describes the presence of Christ in the scripture proclamation as a complex circulation of grace-filled energy. It becomes clear that, in the ritual proclamation of the Lectionary readings, there is not only an encounter between God and humanity, but also an encounter of faith among human beings.

The proclamation of Scripture in the Mass forms part of a single act of worship with the celebration of the Eucharist which follows (SC 56). The Introduction to the Lectionary emphasises this unity: The Church is nourished spiritually at the table of God’s word and at the table of the Eucharist: from the one it grows in wisdom and from the other in holiness. The spoken word of God brings to mind the history of salvation; the Eucharist embodies it in the sacramental signs of the liturgy (GIL 10).

Thus, in instances where a celebration of the Eucharist is not possible, the assembly is assured of the sacramental presence of Christ and their communion with him through the proclamation of Lectionary pericopes in which they are fed from the table of the word. This has particular importance for remote communities who regularly participate in Sunday Celebrations of the Word due to the unavailability of a priest.

Potentiality to Actuality

Just as a musical score is no more than a series of black marks on paper until the musicians take up their instruments and transform the written marks into musical sound, so too Scripture remains dormant in a state of future potentiality until it is proclaimed and actualised. Jesuit philosopher and professor of English literature, Walter Ong, described a parallel between the Victorian art of pressing flowers between the pages of a book and living words on the pages of a closed book. The flowers become dry and lifeless, yet all their details are exquisitely preserved. Words pressed within a book are not dead, however, but rather exist in a state of potentiality until the book is re-opened and the words spoken. In the Catholic tradition, the liturgical proclamation is the primary context for converting the otherwise dormant letters of the Lectionary readings into living words addressed to a contemporary community.

Of course, in modern times, scriptural texts are no longer confined to black marks on the page of a sacred book that resides in the church building; they are readily accessible in a variety of translations with associated commentaries, in both printed and electronic formats. An Internet search instantaneously displays any chosen part of the Bible, while a variety of apps can display the Lectionary readings assigned to any given liturgical day. In a highly literate society where people are accustomed to having personalised and immediate access to texts, it may seem questionable to assert that Lectionary texts are only actualised through proclamation in an ecclesial community and within a ritual context.

Yet, the study of orality and literacy recognises that when a text is read aloud in a public forum, meaning is conveyed not only through the content of the text, but also through the very act of its being proclaimed publicly. The ritual act of proclaiming scripture in public not only attributes to the texts a sense of continuity and enduring wisdom, but affirms their normative status in and for the Church.

Written and Oral Texts

Scripture texts are the product of an oral tradition, in which writing was simply a way of carrying and preserving spoken words across time and distance until they could be re-sounded again in the community. The texts chosen for inclusion in the bible were selected because early Church communities repeatedly used them in liturgical gatherings, and the texts thus became a treasured communal memory. The biblical texts, in their original language, are rich with oral features such as rhyme, rhythm and repetition. These characteristics were designed to assist in the hearing of the texts, rather than facilitating their comprehension in silent reading.

Even though literacy levels and access to texts are considerably greater today than they were in the early Church, a Lectionary is nonetheless printed solely for the purposes of oral proclamation and aural reception. The readings fall into the categories of both written and spoken text which give them a distinctive influence. As written text, the lections convey a sense of authority and permanence; as spoken words they embody the qualities of presence, participation, connection and involvement.

The Homily

The homily continues the liturgical hearing of the sacred texts, illuminating a focus from the readings and exploring implications for the contemporary assembly. On any liturgical day, the same Lectionary text is heard, albeit in the various vernacular languages, in every parish around the world, and must be mediated to convey meaning to each specific congregation. Indeed, it could be argued that the homilist should spend as much time interpreting the local community and their specific socio-cultural reality as they do interpreting the Scriptures.

It is helpful to view the homily as a dialogical event rather than an instance of unidirectional communication; that is, an internal dialogue takes place in the mind of the listener. The homilist speaks to the community as one with them, as a ‘questioning listener’ embedded in the same culture and time. Ultimately, of course, those listening to the homily may formulate new questions and perceive new insights not foreseen or intended by the homilist.

Multi-sensory Signs and Symbols

The context of the liturgical event is rich in multi-sensory elements. Visually the congregation absorbs the arrangement of the architectural space, the appearance of the sacred books, the baptismal font, ambo and altar, the celebrant’s vestments, the presider’s gestures, movement and postures, candles, processions, liturgical colours, sacred vessels, works of religious art in the worship space, the way the light falls, and the rest of the assembly gathered around.

The auditory sense is stimulated with spoken words, instrumental sounds of the musicians, the singing of the cantor and assembly, bells which might be rung, the creaking of pews as the assembly stands and sits, and the cries of infants and small children. The sense of smell is engaged when incense is used on solemn occasions, when sacramental oils are used at Baptism and Confirmation, at the fire of the Easter Vigil, and more generally in the unique smells that inhabit a particular church building.

The tactile sense is engaged in the bodily experiences of sitting, standing, genuflecting, moving in procession, sharing a sign of peace, and receiving communion. Sitting after the opening prayer indicates a preparedness for listening as a collective group and facilitates a reflective stillness in the moments of silence between each reading. Standing to greet the gospel denotes a degree of heightened reverence and attentiveness. The incorporation of the sense of taste at the reception of holy communion completes the engagement of all five senses.

All these non-verbal elements promote a profound affective response which facilitates an encounter with the Lectionary readings that goes far beyond the texts themselves. The sensory elements and symbolic actions that form part of the liturgical event not only support and complement the Scripture readings but become a significant part of the total message being transmitted.

Singing

The place of singing in the Catholic liturgy cannot be overlooked as an influence on the interpretation of Scripture texts. Singing is an integral part of Sunday celebrations; whoever sings well prays twice over (GIRM 39-40). The words and images of Scripture are not only uttered by the reader, cantor or presider in the liturgy but are also placed on the lips of the assembly in the responsorial psalm. Hymnody also provides rich avenues for the words of Scripture to be sung by the assembly, and invites the people to revisit the themes of the readings, meditate upon them and dwell longer on the words as they fit the melodic contour. The words of Saint Paul come to mind: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly... and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God (Col 3:16).

Silence

Without intentional moments of silence, with almost everything spoken or sung aloud, little time or space is kept for reflection or the perception of new insights. Providing time before the Liturgy of the Word allows worshippers to prepare their hearts and minds to receive the sacred texts. Moments of communal silence after each reading, and after the homily, provide necessary space for worshippers to enter into an internal dialogue with the sacred texts and with the words of the homilist, prompting the emergence of new meaning.

Silence in a liturgical context is different from just being quiet. Silence is not an inner haven in which to hide oneself in some sort of intimate isolation, as if leaving the ritual form behind as a distraction. Instead, the assembly falls quiet together, with an awareness of the dynamic social energy that is circulating, such that the liturgical silence is a symbol of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit who animates the entire action of the celebration (Pope Francis, Desiderio Desideravi 52).

Full, Conscious and Active Participation

In this year of the sixtieth anniversary of Sacrosanctum Concilium, it is timely to recall one of its key premises, that each person present at the liturgy is a ‘doer’ of the liturgical action by virtue of their baptism. The full, conscious and active participation called for in SC14 has inevitable implications for scripture interpretation in the liturgy.

The bodily gestures, postures and processions in the liturgy draw together the external and the internal, establishing a mutual relationship between thoughts, words, and actions and creating a unique context in which to interpret the scripture readings. It is important to note, however, that active participation not only encompasses observable movements but also spiritual participation through listening, reflecting, and engaging sensory and cognitive faculties.

In an ideal scenario, participation is encouraged when the readings proclaimed are articulate and audible, and the assembly is quiet and attentive. However, the reality of many liturgical events is quite different. Parents with small children may be distracted for several minutes at a time, people may be absorbed with other concerns, or may be unfamiliar with liturgical texts and rituals. The reader’s voice may be barely audible due to an ineffective sound system, or a strong accent may make the words difficult to decode. The work of active participation required of the assembly during the Liturgy of the Word is a skill which requires practice and nurturing, and which may occur with varying degrees of success because of particular circumstances.

Biblical Fragments

The proclamation of Lectionary readings in the Liturgy of the Word is not the only time when Scripture is heard in the Catholic liturgical event. Biblical fragments pervade the Catholic Mass from beginning to end and take on new meanings according to their position in the liturgy. Before coming forward to receive communion, for example, the people say together: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed (RM 704). Most would recognise that this prayer corresponds to the biblical words of the centurion who trusted in the ability of Jesus to heal his servant from afar (Lk 7:6-7).

In the liturgical context, the words of the centurion are placed on the lips of the assembly, reminding them to adopt the centurion’s attitude of faith and humility, and to approach the sacrament as recipients of Christ’s healing. The recitation of this Scripture text by the assembly week after week adds a new layer of meaning which becomes embedded in their minds such that they cannot hear these words of Luke’s gospel without perceiving eucharistic connotations.

Sent Forth on Mission

The closing words of the liturgy always send the assembly forth on mission, issuing the challenge to take the fruits of their sacramental encounter with Christ into their families, workplaces, schools and sporting clubs. In gathering to be nourished and transformed through the scriptural proclamation and through the Eucharist, the worshipping community opens itself to critique; there is an expectation that there will be some evidence of this transformation permeating the wider world. The ritual activity of the assembly becomes a paradigm for the work of that same community beyond the liturgy, fulfilling the words of Scripture by feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, sheltering the homeless.

Drawing meaning from the Scriptures in the liturgy is therefore a function not of the text alone, but of the complex network of interrelationships that draw together people, symbols, texts, actions and sensory stimuli in the communal worship event. The text is activated in us as we go out to live what we have proclaimed.

Text and Context

Having heard the Scriptures proclaimed and shared from heart to heart, from faith to faith, worshippers go forth renewed and inspired. The energy of the voice of Christ has changed them. In word and song, in reflection and silence, the word – indeed the Word – has been received. The communal encounter with Christ has formed a people into the Body of Christ. Christ has readied them and strengthened them to continue his work in the world.

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This article was originally published in Liturgy News ​Vol 50(3) September 2020. Reprinted with permission.