On Sacred Silence

by Michael Raia

Most Catholics encounter regular challenges to the deep reflection the Church encourages before and throughout the liturgy. After all, the earthly liturgy is both a heavenly and human act. Among the possible culprits are various distractions among the assembly – an entirely expected and important one to overcome – the musicians and other liturgical ministers, and many times a celebrant who omits this critical element. Central to the active participation urged leading up to Vatican II by the Liturgical Movement and certainly thereafter, sacred silence is paramount for allowing the exterior participation (postures, gestures, responses, singing) to develop the deeper interior participation of the heart and mind. Whether in the interest of time or a lack of awareness of this essential component, the exclusion of sacred silence from the liturgy can have profound results, particularly in a society that is starved for it. Put another way, one of the key reasons that many Catholics do not experience the transforming power of the liturgy is that there is not enough in the way of sacred silence.

Consider these two sections of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

45. Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. Its nature, however, depends on the moment when it occurs in the different parts of the celebration. For in the Penitential Act and again after the invitation to pray, individuals recollect themselves; whereas after a reading or after the Homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise God in their hearts and pray to him.

Even before the celebration itself, it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred celebration in a devout and fitting manner.

…

56. The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to favor meditation, and so any kind of haste such as hinders recollection is clearly to be avoided. In the course of it, brief periods of silence are also appropriate, accommodated to the assembled congregation; by means of these, under the action of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the First and Second Reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the Homily.

Benedict XVI also addressed this in The Spirit of the Liturgy:

We are realizing more and more clearly that silence is part of the liturgy. We respond, by singing and praying, to the God who addresses us, by the greater mystery, surpassing all words, summons us to silence. It must, of course, be a silence with content, not just the absence of speech and action. We should expect the liturgy to give us a positive stillness that will restore us. Such stillness will not be just a pause, in which a thousand thoughts and desires assault us, but a time of recollection, giving us an inward peace, allowing us to draw breath and rediscover the one thing necessary, which we have forgotten. That is why silence cannot be simply “made"“, organized as if it were one activity among many. It is no accident that on all sides people are seeking techniques of meditation, a spirituality for emptying the mind. One of man’s deepest needs is making its presence felt, a need that is manifestly not being met in our present form of liturgy.

A few key points to keep in mind as context and backdrop to these excerpts:

1) Sacred silence is not merely a void of external liturgical action. It is a deliberate time to go deeper. The priest acting as head of the body must model this action and lead the assembly into it as well. As dynamic and engaging as the music, homily, and other aspects of the liturgy may be, if a priest cannot himself pray in silence at these times of the Mass, he cannot reasonably expect his assembly to do so, and they will continue to struggle to realize the vision of the Council for the renewal of the liturgy.

2) As sensate beings, we know that our surroundings play a central role in our attitudes and dispositions. The church building and all of the material signs that play a role in the liturgy affect our ability to properly engage in liturgy, which is precisely why the Church gives them such an exalted role in the practice of the faith (See the Order of Dedication of a Church and an Altar, for example). A beautiful church can contribute to fostering a rich and fruitful sacred silence that draws the faithful more deeply into the Paschal mystery. A poorly designed or badly renovated church will fail to do so because it is less than sacramental and transcendent, focusing only on the here and now and not pointing to heaven. This causes the members of the body to be unable to engage at the deeper level of active or actual participation (not just going through the motions), waiting for the next moment of “religious entertainment” that Benedict cautions is not at all what the Church has in mind for the faithful to respond to the universal call to holiness.

This can certainly be a challenge with the Mass schedules that many priests are required to keep, with tidying up of pews and loading and unloading parking lots. But this paramount element of sacred silence is not dispensable in the slightest. Even 10 deliberate seconds of silence and stillness in the liturgy are incredibly powerful, especially when a priest teaches his parish how to really pray. To our dear priests, thank you for your lives of service. Please be mindful of the importance of this component of the liturgy in bringing us all to a greater disposition to receive the grace of the sacraments and to be transformed in holiness and configured to the will of God. Please invest and likewise encourage your faithful to invest in this aspect of the liturgy that is crucial for developing the spirituality for the interior dimension of active participation that is the right and duty of all the baptized.

2018: Year in Review

by Michael Raia

This year has been a source of tremendous blessing. As the first official year of business for Studio io, 2018 provided some wonderful opportunities for professional and personal growth. Stepping away from a wonderful position with a family of longtime co-workers to step out in faith in pursuit of a different calling was difficult, but the Lord provided a great deal of affirmation and grace, particularly through the kindness and support of my former bosses and the clients with whom I have been able to continue to work to complete active projects on the other side of the transition. In thanksgiving for God’s abundant generosity, I would like to recap a few other highlights for which I am particularly grateful.

The year began with the exciting completion of conceptual design of a Parish Evangelization Center and chapel for St. Eugene in Oklahoma City with Jackson Galloway Architects (JGA). Shortly thereafter, one of the first independent projects Studio io was able to work on was Sons of Thunder, a priest retreat center chapel. While it was put on hold and did not come to fruition this year, the opportunity to do that work was a great source of encouragement. Shortly thereafter, I had the opportunity to work with St. Vincent Pallotti in Abilene, TX (top left) on the conceptual design for a church renovation and to assist St. Ignatius Martyr in Austin with planning the installation of stained glass windows and renovating confessionals. Another tremendously enjoyable project emerged from a very dated youth room in need of renovation. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Houston endeavored to transform the room into The Well (middle left), a comfortable and inviting parish lounge intended to provide a place for inter-generational use for ministry.

Studio io also been able to provide pro bono consulting work for several clients, including a chapel design study with the deacon class at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston, an ongoing sustainable earthen block hermitage planning effort for the Gospel of Life Disciples in Oklahoma, and some work for the Diocese of Austin: planning a model for a prototype church to be building on three parish campuses, two of which are being relocated to provide adequate space to accommodate rapid growth. Additional pro bono consulting work with the University Catholic Center included coordinating a consultant to design a full sound system replacement, designing exterior Mass times signage, and doing some initial planning for sacred art on the exterior of the building and making an introduction to my very talented friend Baker Galloway, who recently completed a beautiful installation of the icon he was commissioned to paint (bottom left). The image of Christ was installed in vinyl film over a central window of the building facing the iconic UT tower and the bustling south lawn and view corridor in the center of the university campus.

Amid several projects and consulting efforts with Studio io clients, construction administration of other projects designed with JGA began. A new chapel for St. Paul in Smithville, TX (top right) is well on its way, followed by a delayed start to the John Paul II Student Center Addition at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, TX and an exciting historic restoration and addition to the 127-year old St. Mary of the Assumption in String Prairie, TX (bottom right).

Conceptual design of an exciting new Evangelization Center at Sts. Peter & Paul in New Braunfels, TX with JGA is now complete, and apart from the Student Center expansion we are also assisting St. Mary’s with a new Our Lady of Grace shrine, bronze relief of John Paul II, and conceptual budgeting and preliminary sacred art design for a the new church.

Late in the summer, Studio io began working with Most Holy Trinity in Angleton, TX to consider options for adding a youth center and classrooms. St. Martin of Tours in Forney, TX partnered with Studio io to undertake planning of an ambitious parish renewal campaign with a refined master plan and conceptual design for a beautiful new traditional Texas-vernacular gothic revival church as its centerpiece. This project provided a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with Studio io team members Katie Torvinen and Mike Tamara, who are taking on expanded roles with the firm in 2019. Towards the end of the year, Studio io was engaged to begin planning work with several new clients on exciting church renovation projects. We look forward to what lies ahead for these parishes in the coming months.

We are blessed to see what God is doing in his Church, and we are eager to continue encouraging the comprehensive renewal that is so badly needed. We greatly appreciate your prayers. To learn more about Studio io, please visit our blog, read about our values, and see more of our work.

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Adoration & Exposition: How Each Serves the Liturgy

by Michael Raia

“The practice of Eucharistic worship of the Blessed Sacrament…is intended to lead the faithful into a deeper participation in the paschal mystery of Christ in the liturgy!”

Multiple Church documents make clear the role of eucharistic worship (what is frequently referred to as “the cult of eucharistic worship”) and strongly encourage the practice. While in popular practice the purpose has been understood, somewhat simplistically, as spending more time with Jesus, this is only part of the picture. Not only is the liturgical theology that understands the respective roles of the devotional practice of eucharistic adoration and the Rite of Exposition beautiful in its own rite, but the distinction is necessary understand how each serves the liturgy. Both in private prayer and corporate liturgy, eucharistic worship leads us into more authentic participation in the Mass and sacraments – the primary place of personal encounter with Christ. The normative book governing the disciplines of these practices, Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass (HCWEOM), states, “The celebration of the eucharist in the sacrifice of the Mass is the true origin and purpose of the worship shown to the eucharist outside Mass.”

For many years the Church has been affirming and asserting the true presence of Christ in the eucharist, and in popular practice the proliferation of adoration chapels in churches has been of great assistance in addressing this need. The idea of spending time before the Blessed Sacrament to grow in love of Christ and to recognize more deeply with the eyes of faith his sacramental presence in the eucharistic host is well founded. However, it is not an end unto itself. From the nascent development of the practice of eucharistic worship of the Blessed Sacrament reserved to provide communion to the sick, the Church has understood its purpose to be more than merely leading the faithful into a deeper relationship with Christ – it is intended to lead the faithful into a deeper participation in the paschal mystery of Christ in the liturgy! Again, from from HCWEOM: “The principal reason for reserving the Sacrament after Mass is to unite, through sacramental communion, the faithful unable to participate in the Mass, especially the sick and the aged, with Christ and the offering of his sacrifice.”

“If adoration and Exposition are not leading us into a more reverent and zealous participation in the Mass and reception of Holy Communion as the visible sign of that participation, they are failing to serve their purpose.”

There are two forms of worship that the Church upholds as integral to Christian spirituality: liturgy which is public, and popular piety or devotion, which is private – even when prayed together among multiple individuals. An example would be the rosary prayed by multiple people; it remains devotion and is considered private prayer because it is not liturgy even if 100 or 1,000 people pray it together. The practice of adoration – that is spending time adoring the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle of a church or chapel – is rightly understood to refer to devotional worship and as such, is, strictly speaking, optional (see the Directory on Popular Piety for more on this). That said, multiple legislative documents strongly urge the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament in the church, making daily adoration (not necessarily Exposition) available to the faithful. The Church encourages keeping churches and chapels accessible whenever possible to allow the faithful to develop a eucharistic spirituality. The Rite of Exposition, however, is a liturgy of the Church, and as such is public in nature; it leads from and flows to the Mass and the sacraments, which are properly understood to be participation in the paschal mystery of Christ. Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass several other interrelated documents linked below, while providing for the possibility of extended periods of Exposition, make clear that this is a rite, and as such is distinct from the general practice of adoration. It can safely be assumed that if Exposition is observed more similarly to how adoration is intended – that is, apart from the rite, something of the Church’s intention is lost. If the faithful who frequently or even occasionally attend adoration where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the monstrance but never witness or partake in any semblance of the rite, an important aspect of liturgical worship has been appropriated for individual devotion.

So why split hairs over this issue, and why does the Church even have a different theology behind each practice? Well if communion with Christ is the end goal, the Church professes that this does not just happen in private prayer; it happens sacramentally in the liturgy. In other words, if eucharistic worship outside of Mass is not leading us into a deeper relationship with Christ in the liturgy, it is failing to serve its purpose. Both adoration and Exposition serve this purpose: adoration does so in a private devotional context, and Exposition in one that is public, or corporate, and liturgical. These two parts reflect the beautiful understanding of the vertical (individual) and horizontal (communal) dimensions of our eucharistic faith, and the two parts of spirituality that are essential for every Christian. Most of us have been guilt of over-emphasizing one over the other at times, and I would propose that in America the tendency to emphasize one’s individual devotion over and sometimes against the liturgical action of the corporate body is frequently a problem.

The distinction is critical to allowing both forms to fulfill their purpose: leading the faithful back into vibrant worship in the Mass, where we actually encounter and participate in that which we merely recall through adoration and Exposition – the saving mystery of Christ made present at the altar. It is the joining of our hearts and our living sacrifice of praise that God wants, and every moment of eucharistic worship better prepares and disposes us to make this great act at our next Mass. And furthermore, the union of joining our sacrifice of praise to the saving act of Christ at the altar is sacramentalized – made visible, tangible, and present, in the reception of Holy Communion. Put another way, if adoration and Exposition are not leading us into a more reverent and zealous participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and reception of Holy Communion as the visible sign of that participation, they are failing to serve their purpose.

“Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is a public rite, not a private devotion like adoration. Each serves its purpose to foster a greater love of him who is truly present.”

Practically speaking, how does this take shape in parish life or ministry, and what revisions to practice could be considered? A simple suggestion is cultivating an awareness of which act is which and encouraging the faithful to act accordingly. If a church or chapel with a tabernacle is available, eucharistic worship can take place in the form of adoration (not exposing the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance), which is private devotion. If Exposition with a monstrance is desired, at least according to the current rite (see note below) it is public liturgy and should follow the Rite of Exposition or one of the adaptations provided. I have recommended to several parishes to consider a greater encouragement of the faithful to use the church tabernacle to adore whenever possible, as encouraged by the documents, and intentionally emphasize the liturgical aspect of the Rite of Exposition. This could mean celebrating the Rite daily, weekly, or monthly, whether for 30-60 minutes immediately after Mass, or even with Exposition in the morning and benediction / reposition in the afternoon, observing the aspect of the rite that suggests the integration of Scripture readings and songs, and even offers the integration of Liturgy of the Hours. One parish I assisted with leading a youth retreat opted to observe devotional time in front of the tabernacle on one night, and the Rite of Exposition the following, illustrating the dynamics of how each of these are intended to be integrated into a liturgical spirituality that better prepares the faithful for the Mass.

To recap: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is a public rite, not a private devotion like adoration. Each serves its purpose to foster a greater love of him who is truly present, and to prepare the faithful to more deeply encounter him in the heart of the eucharistic mystery made present at Mass – the place where he principally and calls out to his mystical body and bride the Church to be joined to him and the divine life of the Trinity, for the glory of God and for their growth in holiness.

This article is not intended as – please excuse the unintended pun – a scholarly exposition. To request further resources, please feel free to contact me. I would highly recommend anyone who assists with the planning of eucharistic worship purchase a copy of Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass. It is worthy of note that the USCCB is in the process of revising this document, so we might expect to see some clarifications and changes, and at present the potential shifts that it could see are only a guess. Given that the widespread popularity of perpetual adoration is, strictly speaking, not currently addressed in the way it is observed, we might speculate this could be incorporated in some way. However, using the Church’s theology of liturgy and devotion, we can place the other aspects of this resource within the context of the larger theology to understand how the Church intends these elements to work together.

Resources for further study:

Eucharisticum Mysterium (1967)
Redemptionis Sacramentum (2004)
Sacramentum Caritatis (2007)

Catholic Church Design: Form and Function

by Michael Raia

Many folks with an average knowledge of architecture are familiar with a handful of names and concepts related to twentieth-century Modernism and it's influence: Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, and possibly the often repeated axiom "form follows function." Rather than debate the merits of this concept and the implications it has for all buildings, I propose reconsidering the role of a church building as fulfilling two types of function: that of utility and that of the sacred.

As Catholics, we believe that the material world is sacramental and deeply symbolic; that is to say that everything created can mediate God's presence to us; communicate his divine nature, his plan, and his love. Our built environment can either clarify or confuse this reality. Simply put, this is the job of a church building, and in an even more specific way than other buildings. The purpose of a courthouse is to symbolize law and order in such a way that it encourages and inspires upstanding conduct and virtue. A poorly designed courthouse does little to inspire confidence in the order of the legal system. The purpose of a home is to encourage Christian living in a way that makes families holy and encourages them to be good disciples and missionaries. But a home that discourages community will make this difficult – something we have seen happen to our new neighborhoods as our communities become even more isolated and individualistic. Even our athletic, entertainment, and leisure facilities speak to us about our need for activity and community, and they can encourage these activities in a godly and virtuous, or disordered way.  

Detail, Church of the Transfiguration, Philadelphia (Credit: Matthew Christopher, Abandoned America) 

When it comes to churches, it is so easy for us to lose sight of the sacred action of liturgy and become solely concerned with the function of utility. There are reasonable and important human concerns: are there enough seats and adequate restrooms? Are the lighting and sound systems setup so that we can we see and hear the liturgy? All of these presuppose the deepest function of a church building that go beyond utility: to aid in our worship and to communicate the divine. It does so in a way that far surpasses the other buildings on a parish campus; all of them provide lit, conditioned space for gathering. The church actually brings heaven to earth, or you could say, transports those present into heaven. It is a foretaste of the glory and perfection that is to come, and it is actively working to bring those things about as we strive toward ongoing conversion and build up the Kingdom of God. The separation between the natural and supernatural is porous in this mystical place where God comes to reside with and within his people. This is why it's not ever adequate to think of the aesthetic and symbolic aspects of a church as optional, dispensable, or even  secondary to the strictly utilitarian requirements of a commercial building. 

The question of function is ultimately tied to purpose, and to say that a church building's purpose is limited to meeting utilitarian human needs is to overlook the spiritual needs that are met in the liturgy. Why does a church need to have good sound and lighting, enough seats, restrooms, and so on? We have said that it is so that people are able to worship – to join their minds and hearts to that of the priest and Christ to be taken to the right hand of the Father as a foretaste of heavenly eternity, and in so doing to give God glory and be made holy. But we also know that how Catholics worship takes place is through the ritual liturgy that defines the sacraments. God communicates his grace in visible, tangible form. It's not just represented through these efficacious signs, it's actually made present by them!  

Churches have the awesome responsibility of transporting us visibly and tangibly to heaven, because that's what happens when we gather to worship in liturgy. As such, a church is a sacramental, an object that points us to the reality contained within and made present by the sacraments. This is a sacred function, and it's why there is a beautiful liturgy specifically for sacred buildings: The Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar. Accordingly, it is impossible accurately to think of a church building as strictly 'functional' in the utilitarian sense with which Modernism has defined it. The church is not merely a place of human action, but also and preeminently divine. God acts, and we respond; this is the mystery of salvation: "We love because he first loved us" (1 Jn 4:19). 

Header image taken from Louis Bouyer's book Liturgy and Architecture. 

For more on the symbolism of the church building, please consider reading the following posts: 

A Case for the Christian Temple
Catholic Church Architecture and the Mind of the Church - Part 1 
Catholic Church Architecture and the Mind of the Church - Part 2 
 

More Parish Renovation Considerations

by Michael Raia

Ever sit in a church or parish hall and daydream about renovations? I sure do. But I've chatted with a lot of pastors, parish business administrators, and committee chairs who simply don't know where to start. Many times an obvious and substantial facilities need is daunting, and can pose a challenge to making progress. While often there is reason to postpone any changes until they can be coordinated and integrated into a comprehensive plan, there are also situations when it might be prudent to consider taking incremental steps towards a larger goal, or even to split a project into phases. Here are some considerations for evaluating the circumstances in your parish.

Conceptual proposal for a church renovation in west Texas. Mural courtesy of New Jerusalem Studios.

Project Scope: Size and Content 

Are the facilities needing something that is just one or two big items such as flooring or lighting, either within one building, or spread out across multiple buildings? If all in one building, this project may benefit from a comprehensive plan to incorporate all needs. If it's work to take place across multiple buildings, it may make sense to either complete one trade at a time, such as flooring. There may be reason, however, to complete all projects in one building at a time before moving to another building. Key considerations in discerning the best approach include cost and scheduling. Technology is also a big consideration; it may be beneficial to install WiFi, audio-visual systems, building access control and security across multiple buildings in that executing this work in stages can sometimes be costly. 

"If there are emotional challenges to overcome in creating buy-in for the parish it may be wise to take the low-hanging fruit first, then build trust and increase giving before proceeding."

If the project is much larger and complex in nature, such as the need to substantially update and beautify the interior of a church or chapel, a comprehensive plan is likely a better route to take whether the project is executed all at once or in phases. For instance, there might be a need to redesign the sanctuary within a church, commission new sacred furnishings and sacred art, or install new pews, flooring, and lighting. It's certainly possible that there is enough momentum and funding behind the project to plan to complete it in one phase. But if there are emotional challenges to overcome in creating buy-in for the parish it may be wise to take the low-hanging fruit first, then build trust and increase giving before proceeding. Many times it is also realistic that items such as stained glass or statues can be planned from the start, but may require additional sponsorship outside of a capital campaign to fully fund.

Preparing for a Larger Project

So what if a parish badly needs functional or aesthetic upgrades, but can't afford any expensive changes yet, or it's just not good timing? For a church or chapel in need of changes, what can be done to beautify the liturgy and encourage a more robust devotional life in the faithful? Some options might include: 

- Spend the time and money on good technology. There might be an acoustical problem or sound transmission problem. There are many ways to address this with materials, and with the sound reinforcement systems themselves. In other rooms, even great acoustics will not help a terrible sound system very much. Meeting rooms and parish halls, especially when used for overflow liturgies, may see great use come of installed projectors and screens for presentations. This increases the quality of the regular ministry content, but also saves the staff and volunteers a lot of work.

- Assess affordable upgrades: flooring, lighting, ceiling tiles, painted walls, and seating may be simple ways to improve the aesthetics and usability of facilities and build momentum and trust for a larger project. 

- Commission a study and revamp of liturgical ministries. The training and reverence of servers, readers, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion all have an impact on the aesthetics of worship and affect how Mass-goers experience worship. This does not need to require any funding. 

- Review the sacred music program and study the documents and teachings to better form those in the music ministries. Is it simply status quo or based on personal stylists preferences, or is the sacred music truly fulfilling its duty in the liturgy? This could also be something that does not cost anything. However, it could also be a worthy investment to purchase new sacred music books, pew missals, or hymnals for the pews that offer richer content and provide an opportunity for greater liturgical renewal according to the requirements of the liturgical documents than many of the popular resources currently offer.   

- Purchase new sacred vessels, new vestments and altar linens, and other sacramentals such as candlesticks, processional crucifix, book of Gospels cover, and so on. When these are beautiful, they uplift the liturgy. When they are actually coordinated and aesthetically complementary, they demonstrate a care for the liturgy and its constituent elements that is immediately evident to all present. As a Church we required to foster a deeper eucharistic devotion. Our teachings are clear on the sacred dignity of the altar and other sacramental elements in the church, as well as the church building itself. We know the importance of the role of the priest in persona Christi capitis, leading the mystical Body of Christ in worship. This is justification enough to do away with vessels that do little to reinforce the true presence of Christ in the eucharist and vestments that do not anticipate and sacramentalize the radiance of heaven present in the liturgy.

- Commission new or renovate existing principle sacred furnishings. There is certainly a sliding scale of cost here, depending on size, material, complexity, and quantity: altar, ambo, font, chair, or all of the above? If there is one furnishing that has never matched the rest – ie presidential chair or font, it may be possible to commission something that coordinates and thereby elevates the dignity of its function. In two previous interior church renovations I've completed, the ambo needed some help to appear more on par with the other principle furnishings. 

- Commission good sacred art that elevates the liturgy. We must keep in mind the difference in the roles that liturgical and devotional art play. A church or chapel might have a large blank wall or canopy that provides a great opportunity for a liturgical mural. Imagery can include the Trinity, the heavenly Jerusalem, and other scriptural images for Christ such as the lamb, the vine and branches, the good shepherd, and the great high priest. A great many churches are lacking in this capacity, yet it is a very high priority. Additional devotional elements might include statues of saints with small votive areas for prayer and veneration.

"If there is a disconnect between the liturgical facilities and those used to catechize and evangelize, you can be sure that the pain from this disconnect will also be evident when expecting the Gospel to be taken off-campus."

Mystagogical Component

Every improvement is an opportunity for communication. On the one hand, it's simply a wise habit for any pastor to share his desires with those under his care. On the other, it's something the Church demands in terms of mystagogy – to explaining the meaning of the signs and symbols, how they relate to the rites, and how they impact our daily lives. Every project takes a great deal of planning – time, effort, and resources that otherwise could be dedicated to other areas of ministry. Yet these improvements should always be viewed as something that actually aid in ministry, both directly and indirectly. Indirectly in the sense that a beautiful church more clearly engages people for worship, but directly in the sense that a pastor who explains how and why the beautiful church was designed to do this.

This is not something that cannot extend to meeting rooms and social facilities as well. Our parishes are communities that extend the sacramental life into the home, the workplace, and society. We are salt and light, leaven for the world. We are to incorporate the Gospel into every aspect of our lives, and that starts with every part of the parish. If there is a disconnect between the liturgical facilities and those used to catechize and evangelize, you can be sure that the pain from this disconnect will also be evident when expecting the Gospel to be taken off-campus. The parish must provide a visible and logical roadmap for the integration of Christian living that can be modeled elsewhere. 

Taking Next Steps 

Of course all of these items can be included into one large project, but for many parishes that simply isn't an option. Taking smaller steps to make progress can help establish teamwork between a pastor and a planning / design committee, as well as gain trust from the parish at large, which is especially important for situations where the parishioners are directly funding a project via a capital campaign. Even if projects are completed with operations funds, parishioners will often benefit a great deal from knowing their collections contributions are being treated with care. A plan for physical improvements and careful explanations are a must, along with clear communication about what changes are being made and why. Every parish campus requires stewardship of the resources it offers, and every parish's leadership has a responsibility to their parish for this care. With thoughtful planning, even the most difficult circumstances can be accommodated in producing satisfying and inspiring changes to the physical campus.   

If you have questions about the content of this post or would like to discuss considerations for your own parish, please contact us. 

Sursum Corda: Elevating Our Worship

by Michael Raia

The Ecstasy of St. Paul, Nicolas Poussin

It's an ancient dialogue shared between the priest celebrant and the assembly in every Mass: the Sursum Corda, the original Latin words of the Mass meaning "Lift up your hearts", or "Hearts up!". It is part of the preface of the eucharistic prayer or anaphora found in each of the earliest known Christian liturgies. Its meaning is profound, and holds the key to true and authentic liturgical participation in order to yields its fruits; to affect conversion, bring about salvation, and spur on the missionary efforts of the Church. 

This imperative and its response, "We lift them up to the Lord," is a turning point in the liturgy, and often offers a telling duality of those on auto-pilot and those who are actually quite enthusiastic about this opportunity. At the transition from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as the Word which has been proclaimed begins to take on flesh – on the altar through the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, and in our hearts as we consume this precious gift and are transformed by its grace – what the Church intends is a deep, two-fold meaning. 

First, the Church intends that we are actually making an offering of hearts – that we are giving them to God. The preface takes place just after the gifts have been offered; the physical representation of what we bring to the liturgy to be given to God, which is the gifts of bread and wine and the collection. Of course we know that the holy sacrifice of the Mass is Christ's on the cross, made real and present on the altar by the power of the Holy Spirit, but this sacrifice is also ours: "Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Almighty Father." This previous command reminds us that the people are a necessary and essential part of the liturgy – that we have a duty to worship God in this way, giving our hearts and making an offering of ourselves. As we are gathered in the Church, all of Christ's body – the head who is Christ himself symbolized (which is to say both signified and made present) in the priest, along with each of us as members – is offered to the Father in the moment of Christ's death on Calvary.

What this action requires is humble obedience; it means that we check our consumer mentality at the door and lift our gaze as we lift our hearts. The liturgy is about God and joining us to him. Although he meets us exactly where we are in our sin and weakness, he calls us higher because our destiny is heaven. Heaven, then, must be our aspiration. We elevate our hearts, which is to say that we not only make them an offering, but we make them heavenly, because the liturgy itself is our earthly participation in the glory of heaven. Our worship is not something of this world. When we lift up our hearts, we are doing it the way that heaven does it – a transformation to perfection by grace. We follow this action by joining our voices with those of the heavenly host singing "Holy, Holy Holy" – the scriptural anthem of heaven that reminds us that we too, as the people of God longing for union with him in heaven, must become holy.

Second, we know that whatever we give to God is returned glorified. Our offering is taken up to the Father and made perfect as he is working in us to make us perfect – a true reflection of his love. If we truly lift up our hearts, we not only worship God in this way, but we are made holy; he returns our hearts in a better state then they came in. This sacramental action of the transformation of grace is foreshadowed by the Transfiguration and fulfilled in the Resurrection and Ascension – Jesus offers the gift of his whole self and it is returned, glorified as he is restored to union with the Father. Because Christ is the firstborn of the new Creation, we must follow his example of dying, rising, and being received into the glory of heaven – perfect union with the Father in the love of the Trinity, which we do as members of Christ's own perfected body. 

These two elements of this simple and profound dialogue reflect the two purpose of the liturgy: to give God glory and to make us holy. In worship we give God what he is due; we acknowledge his is the source of all that is good, and we thank him and praise him for it. As we do this, we align ourselves with all that God intends for his creation – beauty, truth, and goodness, and as a result, we are sanctified. This is God's plan for every Mass that we attend. This is God's plan for preparing his children to join him in eternity. Next time we are implored to lift up our hearts, let us do so with the eager anticipation of exactly what God has in store for us if we do! 

For more wisdom, perspective, and implications of this subject, please see the Liturgical Institute's Episode 27 of Elements of the Catholic Mass.