Liturgical Sources
“Google it” is one of our most common contemporary catchphrases. We use Internet search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing along with the online encyclopedia Wikipedia as our go-to sources for just about everything: the latest news and weather, sports scores, recipes, and answers to all sorts of questions—everything from “What time is it in ______?”to “How do I tie a tie?” to “What is the best way to lose weight?” Knowledge is literally at the tip of our fingertips.
Have you ever wondered what we use as our go-to source for Mass? How does the priest and deacon know what to say and when? How do we know when to stand and kneel and sit and process and sing? All of these answers are found in the Roman Missal. The Roman Missal is the book used mainly by the priest at Mass. It contains not only the prayers for Mass, but also instructions on how to conduct the Mass.
How did we get those prayers and those instructions? Who or what was the source of our sourcebook? The answer is there were many sources that influenced our prayer. Some of our practices stem from ancient culture. The vestments worn by the priest and deacon, for example, were commonly worn as outer garments in ancient Rome.
Some of our sources originated with leaders of the early church. Many of the prayers we pray, for example, are rooted in ancient texts written by early Christian theologians.
Another source was a Christian pilgrim named Egeria, whose observations of liturgical practices in fourth century Jerusalem have influenced our Holy Week liturgies to this day.
While all of these sources helped to shape our liturgy, our primary source is the Scripture. The words of Jesus at the Last Supper, “Do this in memory of me,” became the cornerstone of our liturgical prayer. We come together to hear the words of Scripture and to do what Jesus commanded us to do, to take, bless, break, and share the sacred meal in remembrance of him.
Other Scripture passages are woven throughout the liturgy. The sign of the cross which begins and ends the Mass comes from the Gospel of Matthew.
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
The first line of the Gloria echoes the words of the angels upon the announcement of the birth of Christ to the shepherds.
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”(Luke 2:14)
The first part of the Sanctus, the Holy, Holy, Holy comes from the Book of the prophet Isaiah and the Book of Revelation:
“In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they hovered. One cried out to the other: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!’” (Isaiah 6:1-3)
“The four living creatures, each of them with six wings, were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they do not stop exclaiming: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.’” (Revelation 4:8)
The second part of the Sanctus comes from the Book of Psalms and the Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem in the Gospel of Matthew.
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 118:26)
“The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.’” (Matthew 21:9)
The Lord’s Prayer is from Matthew 6 and Luke 11.
The sign of peace is rooted in Matthew.
“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23)
The words we pray before Communion echo those of the Gentile centurion who asks Jesus to come to his house and heal his servant.
“The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew 8:8)
“And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.” (Luke 7:6)
These are but a few examples of the Scriptural sources of our liturgical prayer. May we who hear and pray these texts be a living word of witness to the hope they express.