What’s that big red book on the altar?

by Jane Bernard Hanson

One Sunday morning at Mass a long, long time ago, my older son, Robert, then about four, tugged on my sleeve and asked, "What’s that big red book up there on the altar?" This was before I went to liturgy school so my answer was pretty simple. I leaned over and whispered to him, "That’s the book that has all the prayers in it." Now that I have actually been to liturgy school, I realize that may not have been such a bad answer after all. The big red book does indeed have all the prayers for Mass in it and as I have learned, much, much more.

The big red book, also known as the Sacramentary, is the liturgical book that answers the questions, what, how and why. What does the presider, the assembly and other ministers pray and do at Mass, how do they do it and why do they do it? The first part of the Sacramentary, its introduction, is called the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM.) The GIRM describes the structure of the Eucharistic celebration and also explains the liturgical and doctrinal principles that are the foundation of the Mass.

Let’s take a look at a bit of history. The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) mandated that the order of Mass and all the sacraments be revised and renewed. The first revised edition of the Roman Missal, made up of the Sacramentary and the Lectionary (the book of Scripture readings for Mass and the Sacraments), was published in 1969 by Pope Paul VI. It introduced the changes in the Mass envisioned by the Council Fathers. Knowing that all living things, including the liturgy, evolve and develop, the Sacramentary was revised, really fine-tuned again in 1975. That revision took into consideration the experience of the changes in the Mass and the revisions of the other rites of the church. And now, based on the wisdom gleaned from more than 30 years of liturgical renewal and pastoral practice, the Sacramentary is again being fine-tuned.

The Latin version of the revised Sacramentary will have to be translated into English. That process can take some time. The revised GIRM is currently being translated into English and adaptations for the United States are going through the approval process. It is hoped that the revised GIRM will be ready for use in parishes on the first Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2002.

With this latest revision of the Sacramentary and the minor changes that it holds for us, comes a golden opportunity to reflect on the celebration of the Eucharist as the center of our Catholic Christian life. In the coming months we will explore the basic structure of the Mass: the Gathering Rites, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Dismissal Rites. We will also reflect on the liturgical principles set out in the Second Vatican Council’s first document, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, and how our participation in Sunday Mass nourishes and strengthens us as faithful disciples and witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Watch for the next article in this series, "Called and Gathered: The Introductory Rites."

Jane Bernard Hanson is director of the Office of Worship and Spiritual Life for the Diocese of New Ulm.