Eclipse and Liturgy

Millions of people in North America are gathering this weekend ahead of Monday’s total eclipse of the sun. Observers from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina will converge along the path of the total eclipse to see the moon completely cover the sun—a phenomenon that hasn’t happened in the continental United States for nearly 40 years. The total eclipse begins in Lincoln Beach at 10:16 a.m. PDT and will pass through more than a dozen states before ending in Charleston at 2:48 p.m. Parts of the United States and other parts of the world not in the path of a total eclipse will be able to see at least a partial eclipse.

 Wherever there is a cosmic event, there are crowds of people. In fact, it is the movements of both the sun and the moon that have gathered multitudes of believers throughout the ages. The Jewish calendar was calculated by these movements. For Jews, the notion of the day is from sunset to sunset. That’s why the Jewish Sabbath and all Jewish holidays begin at sunset. The oldest major feasts, influenced by the positions of the sun and the moon, were agricultural. Passover and Pentecost, for example, began as festivals that celebrated the harvests of barley and wheat. It was only later that these harvest festivals incorporated the religious commemorations of the Exodus and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai for which Passover and Pentecost are named.  

Our Christian liturgical calendar is also governed by the cosmos. The full moon of spring determines the date of Easter, and the date of Easter determines how the entire liturgical year is arranged. Christmas, the day on which we celebrate the coming of the Light of the World, takes place around the winter solstice which heralds the beginning of longer days and shorter nights.

As the ancient world believed, the cosmos is where God encounters humankind. Scholars call the cosmos the first bible. Time, nature, the sun and the moon are all symbols that reveal and lead us to God’s very presence.

Hearing the Word

Prior to the Second Vatican Council, most Catholics didn’t read the Bible, nor was reading it encouraged. Church authorities believed allowing Catholics access to the Bible would be dangerous. They were afraid the laity wouldn’t know how to interpret Scripture, or worse, would interpret it incorrectly.   

Vatican II changed that thinking. As the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, (Dei Verbum) says, “Easy access to Sacred Scripture should be provided for all the Christian faithful.” #22

What used to be a one-year cycle that included two readings in the liturgy has now been expanded to a three-year cycle that includes three readings.

“The treasures of the bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God's word. In this way a more representative portion of the holy scriptures will be read to the people in the course of a prescribed number of years.” Sacrosanctum Concilium #51.

Scripture scholar Margaret Nutting Ralph says we have come a long way, “I think people find Christ’s presence in Eucharist, and we say ‘the table of the Eucharist,’ when we say ‘the table of the Word,’ we are saying you should expect to find Christ present in the Word too. It’s not that Christ comes late to Mass and only arrives at Eucharist.”

Ralph, who has written a dozen books on Scripture, was in Atlanta recently for a workshop hosted by the Archdiocese. She challenged her listeners to delve more deeply into the Scriptures. “Don’t think familiarity with the lectionary is familiarity with the Bible,” said Ralph.

Since the lectionary includes only portions of Scripture, Ralph advises reading the entire book, letter, and Gospel. When we read what comes before and after the portion proclaimed in the liturgy, we can better understand the context. This, Ralph says, helps us to understand the intent of the author, which often reveals a new and deeper understanding of God.

Whether we read and meditate on the Scriptures on our own, study them via a Bible class, or share their meaning for our lives with others, such as in a small faith community, we enhance our experience of hearing the Word proclaimed at the Liturgy. Then Scripture truly becomes for us a living Word, a lamp for our feet and a light for our journey.

Clothing Used in the Liturgy - Alb

Alb – From the Latin albus, meaning white. It is worn by clerics underneath their vestments and can also be worn by lay ministers. The garment is a reflection of the white garment that clothes those newly baptized. It is a reminder that the call to all ministry originates in baptism.

Clothing Used in the Liturgy - Stole

Stole –A sign of clerical office. A priest’s stole is worn on both shoulders. A deacon’s stole is worn on one shoulder.

Clothing Used in the Liturgy - Dalmatic

Dalmatic – This garment, used by the deacon presiding at Mass, was commonly worn by people in the first few centuries. Around the fourth century, it was worn over a longer tunic by the upper class. It was eventually selected for use in the liturgy.