45 Lectionary - Ambo

The Ambo is where the Liturgy of the Word is proclaimed.  At the Cathedral the link between the breaking open of the Word at the Ambo, and breaking of the bread at the altar is highlighted by the same design and stone work of each object.

Ambo at Lancaster Cathedral -
decorated during the Flower Festival 2009 click to see other images 

CCC 102 Through all the words of Sacred Scripture, God speaks only one single Word, his one Utterance in whom he expresses himself completely:

You recall that one and the same Word of God extends throughout Scripture, that it is one and the same Utterance that resounds in the mouths of all the sacred writers, since he who was in the beginning God with God has no need of separate syllables; for he is not subject to time.

CCC 103 For this reason, the Church has always venerated the Scriptures as she venerates the Lord's Body. She never ceases to present to the faithful the bread of life, taken from the one table of God's Word and Christ's Body.

The catechism has plenty of references to Church Documents and Scripture, here you can see the link with Dei Verbum one of the Vatican 2 Constitutions.   

Dei Verbum (DV)

CHAPTER VI: SACRED SCRIPTURE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

DV 21 The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God's word and of Christ's body. She has always maintained them, and continues to do so, together with sacred tradition, as the supreme rule of faith, since, as inspired by God and committed once and for all to writing, they impart the word of God Himself without change, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit resound in the words of the prophets and Apostles. Therefore, like the Christian religion itself, all the preaching of the Church must be nourished and regulated by Sacred Scripture. For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life. Consequently these words are perfectly applicable to Sacred Scripture: "For the word of God is living and active" (Heb. 4:12) and "it has power to build you up and give you your heritage among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32; see 1 Thess. 2:13).

66 Cf. DV 21.

67 1 Thes 2:13; cf. DV 24.

68 DV 21.

45 Lectionary

The Lectionary contains all the readings from the Bible that are used at Mass. It is organised so that for each day there is a first reading (usually Old  Testament), Psalm, second reading (on Sundays and Feasts days only – New Testament) and Gospel reading.  
The Sunday readings are organised into a 3-year cycle, called A, B, C and each yearly cycle begins on the first Sunday of Advent.

Year A: Gospel of Matthew 
(last time November 2010 through 2011, next starts November 2013)

Year B: Gospel of Mark 
(last time December 2011 through  2012, next starts November 2014)

Year C: Gospel of Luke 
(November 2012 through November 2013)

The Gospel of John is read throughout Easter, and is used for other liturgical seasons including Advent, Christmas, and Lent where appropriate. The Liturgy of the Word is the part of the Mass where we listen to readings from the Lectionary.  We believe that we are listening to God's Word and that God speaks to us through the readings. The priest's homily, which is given after the Gospel has been proclaimed, helps us to understand the readings and what they mean for us today.

Image of the four evangelists -
Can you see the symbolic animal?

CCC 104 In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, "but as what it really is, the word of God". "In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them."

44 Liturgy of Hours - Evening and Night Prayer

Visitation - Lancaster Cathedral

Evening Prayer is known in Latin as Vespers.   For detail of the structure of evening prayer from the Liturgy Office for England and Wales 

Vespers is regularly prayed in the Cathedral at Lancaster on a Sunday late afternoon (4.40pm) and on special feast days or celebrations.  
The Canticle or song of praise is Mary's Magnificat which is found in Luke 1: 46:55 which reminds us of the visitation.

Night Prayer
Night Prayer is known as Compline.  This is the shorter set of prayers and includes the Canticle or song of praise of Simeon known as the Nunc Dimittis who had waited for the Lord.  The song is based on Luke 2: 29-32.  The two videos come from Ampleforth and cover the Night Prayer or click the titles to open in a separate page

Part 1 of Evening Prayer                                      Part 2 of Evening Prayer

     

44 Liturgy of Hours - Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer is known in Latin as Lauds.  For details of the structure of morning prayer from the Liturgy Office for England and Wales
The Benedictus
The canticle or song of praise that is sung each day in morning prayer is known as the Benedictus.  It comes from Luke 1: 68-79 and is the song of Zechariah which John the Baptist's father sang on the birth of his son.

This English version of the Benedictus lasts just  over 2 minutes.

Divine Office

For a more detailed explanation of the Liturgy of Office offered by a Benedictine Monk from Mount Angel Abbey, Oregon. It lasts about 20 minutes and explains the background to the different hours in the Divine Office.

44 Liturgy of the Hours

Liturgy of Hours: Breviary

The Liturgy of the Hours is also known as the Divine Office and is a set of prayers that members of the Church use throughout the day so that day and night are 'made holy by the praise of God'. When a priest is ordained, he promises to pray the Liturgy of the Office in the morning, in the evening and at other times during the day. The Liturgy of the Hours includes psalms, readings from the Old and New Testaments, hymns and prayers and can be prayed individually or as part of a community. It can also be sung. 

CCC 1176 The celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours demands not only harmonizing the voice with the praying heart, but also a deeper "understanding  of the liturgy and of the Bible, especially of the Psalms."

During the coming week we'll post some videos covering the liturgy of the hours. We start with an explanation of the Liturgy of Hours by a young person - they give an electronic link to: 

• an e-breviary which is the name of the book with the Liturgy of Hours.  
• an online version which also includes Mass readings Universalis.  

Calling younger readers and schools ... 

if you've created or would like to create a video or explanation of an object of faith we'd like to hear from you.  Please use the contact us page

43 Wedding Rings

A couple who married
at Lancaster Cathedral

When a couple get married, they exchange rings as a symbol of the bond of marriage. The circle of the ring represents undying love and the continually renewed vows of the married couple. Marriage is a vocation created by God. God created man and woman and their mutual love expressed in marriage becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love that God has for us. 

[ccc 1621-24, 1663]

YOUCAT 266 How is a Church wedding celebrated?

As a rule a wedding must take place publicly.  The bride and bridegroom are questions as to their intention to marry.  The PRIEST or the DEACON blesses the rings.  The bride and bridegroom exchange rings and mutually promise "to be true in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health" and vow to each other: "I will love you and honour you all the days of my life." The celebrant ratifies the wedding and administers the BLESSING 

CCC 1603 "The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws. . . . God himself is the author of marriage." The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. "The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life."


If anyone has an interesting or unusual story about their wedding rings that they would be willing to share please get in touch using contact us page

42 Deacon ordination and call to service

Ordination of Rev Paul Marley - July 1991

In the Cathedral's 150th Anniversary there was a special blog (Billington's Blog) reporting on events from the past 150 years.  There is an entry about the ordination of a Deacon the Rev. Paul Marley, who was ordained by Bishop John Brewer, on 20th July 1991.  This was a few years before the reordering of the Cathedral, so a chance to see what it used to look like.

What is the role of the deacon?

Deacons supporting Bishop Michael Campbell during Eucharistic Prayer

CCC 1570 Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace in a special way. The sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint ("character") which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the  "deacon" or servant of all. Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity.

Who can be a permanent deacon?

CCC 1571 Since the Second Vatican Council the Latin Church has restored the diaconate "as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy," while the Churches of the East had always maintained it. This permanent diaconate, which can be conferred on married men, constitutes an important enrichment for the Church's mission. Indeed it is appropriate and useful that men who carry out a truly diaconal ministry in the Church, whether in its liturgical and pastoral life or whether in its social and charitable works, should "be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down from the apostles. They would be more closely bound to the altar and their ministry would be made more fruitful through the sacramental grace of the diaconate."