The word “liturgy” means any ceremony that is held in the Church. A liturgy is a service or ceremony, with stylized prayers and actions done by both a prayer leader and a group. They are designed to express our prayerful ideas, thoughts, and intentions to God, and to represent God's intentions to us. It is not "everyday" activity. Of course, you can pray to God every day and any time. Liturgy is special time on a special day. It is more memorable ... not ordinary.

Maybe you conducted a "liturgy" at your own engagement! If you ever took the time to "set the scene," or if you planned for that moment with music, flowers, special words, a special time, or a special place like a favorite restaurant, then you were actually performing a liturgy.

Of course, you can say,  "I love you” every day and at any time also. There are moments though when you want everything to be extra memorable. You want it to be extra-ordinary. So does God. Those moments in Church are called Liturgies.

Those actions in the liturgy of the Mass that represent God's actions or intentions, such as the use of Bread and Wine and the words of consecration, usually stay the same over the centuries. However, people and societies change over time, sometimes by quite a bit. Therefore, those actions in the ceremony that represent our intentions, such as the wedding vows, can change from time to time, and even from parish to parish. That's why you might see differences in the way weddings are done in different parishes. Each one is still an extra-ordinary and special moment with God.

Priests

Just as Christ was the prayer leader at the Last Supper, so is one person still chosen to pre-side at the Eucharist today. That presiding action of Christ is a symbol of everything else a priest does also. His life is based on the work of Jesus, who spent His whole life mainly doing two important things; unifying, and reconciling. He formed and unified a community of people that loved as He loved, and He sought out those who were lost or outcasts and helped them change their ways and return to the ways of God. Living His "way" is so much more fulfilling than any other. We actually enjoy this life of ours a lot more. After all, we live the way we were designed.

This kind of love is our salvation. That "way" saves us from the selfishness and unhappiness of sin. That way points us toward real and lasting happiness, and it really works. In all the Scriptures, Jesus either showed His small band of followers how to love, or reconciled outcasts to that new community. Those are still the main functions of the Priest who presides over a local community of the Church; unifying, and reconciling.

His special clothes have no special meaning other than enabling quick recognition. Different orders of Priests have different uniforms. For example, Franciscans are priests who follow the example of St. Francis and wear brown robes. Black is the common color today for most. The title "Reverend" is the traditional name for the office. The title "Father" is a recent nickname only, but has become more common in the last few hundred years.

The Mass and Confession

These are the two Sacraments or "Liturgies" that continue Christ's two works of unifying and reconciling today. His band of followers, or Christians, to this day still express their love for each other and God by coming together once a week as He told us to do, and sharing the One Bread and the One Cup at Mass. They also frequently and without embarrassment accept responsibility for their occasional unloving actions and publicly say so at the start of every Mass. That is the prayer that starts..."I confess to Almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters” We start the Mass on a refreshing note of honesty!    

The Last Supper of Jesus, however, was a closed event. Only the closest friends of the Lord were invited. There was no one there who was meeting Jesus for the first time! Only those who had stood the test of time attended, even though they were not all strong in their faith. Only those who publicly stood with Him for three years were there. That night they cele-brated the relationship they already had developed with Jesus.

Receiving Communion

The band of followers or  "Church” today still shares the same belief about Christ, and still shares the wish to live and love as He did, even if all are still not strong in their faith. That's why communion is reserved only for those who have publicly stated those desires, which oc-curs at Baptism. Strength of belief may be unequal among members in the Church but there can be no difference of belief for those who share in the One Bread and the One Cup. We should be “in communion” to receive communion.
     
While gathered with His closest friends, Jesus took bread and wine and identified Himself with them. He said, "This is my body; This is my blood." He said that whenever we gather and say these prayers and do these actions, He would be present in a more special and objective way. The Bread and Wine are now called "The Eucharist", which is a Greek word that means "thanksgiving." It was the word that most came to people's minds when they realized Jesus was really giving Himself to them. There are other names as well. The individual pieces of Bread are called "hosts" as well as "holy communion." The time of distribution is also called "communion."

    TABERNACLE:   When mass is over the Eucharist is placed in a highly decorated con-tainer for safekeeping. At St. Paschal’s it is the gold colored box directly behind the altar. In other Churches it may be in a side chapel of the building. Even though Mass is over, the Eucharist is still the objective presence of Jesus Christ and so is treated with special re-spect. At times, a minister of the parish may take some of the Eucharist from the tabernacle to the hospital for those who could not make it to Mass. Throughout the day people will often stop by the church for just a moment just to pray in the presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist.

At St. Paschal’s we also have an Adoration Chapel where the Eucharist is visible in a special decorative holder 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is open for people to come and spend some quiet time in prayer in front of the Eucharist. The Adoration Chapel is located by the exit from the parking lot of the church.

 SANCTUARY LAMP:  On the west wall of the altar area and in the Adoration Chapel is a large red candle. When that candle is lit, it is a signal that there are Hosts in the taber-nacle or in the Adoration Chapel.        

REVERENCE:  Catholics greatly respect this special presence of Christ under the appearance of Bread and Wine. That's why we are so respectful during Mass. We ask everyone in the Church to be respectful as well, so there will be some limits for photographers and guidelines for guests to follow. 

Perhaps you remember where the proposal for your marriage was accepted. Some couples treat that romantic spot with a special respect also. Whether it was a restaurant, a park bench, or in someone's home, it becomes your special place of fond memories. The altar is that place for Catholics. It is there we hear God renew His deep commitment to us. We like to treat it with special reverence.

For example, the photographers shouldn't noisily move around for pictures up near the altar. Video cameras on the altar should be stationary and unobtrusive. They are more “invisible” that way. The whole interior of the Church should also not be a place for loud conversations or loud small group gatherings. Guests should go directly to their seats and wait for your cere-mony to begin, or better still, spend some time in prayer! All of these guidelines help keep the church a Church, a special place of love and a special place of devotion.

Catholics hold the Mass in especially high esteem. It expresses so much of our faith. That's why so many people who are getting married choose to have their Marriage ceremony included in the Mass. However, it can be celebrated by itself without a Mass. It is up to you. You can make your choice after reflecting on the meaning of the Mass in your own spiritual life, the faith background of your guests, and the wishes of your fiancée.  Don't forget to talk it over with your priest as well.

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