Talks on the Sacramentals, by Msgr Arthur Tonne - Ritual

 RITUAL

"Hitherto you have not asked anything in my name. Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full." St. John, 16:24.

In the first months of his administration as president of the United States George Washington was much disturbed by questions of ceremony. How should he appear in public? How often? What kind of entertainment and parties should he give? What title should he take? How should he be introduced? On the one hand he did not want to act like a king, surrounded with peers and courtiers; on the other hand he did not want to degrade his high office by a total lack of ceremony that might render the person of the president ridiculous and the office of president contemptible.

Washington sought the advice of Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton and others. Adams thought there should be much ceremony. Jefferson said there should be none at all. Hamilton favored a simple and moderate formality. This suggestion Washington adopted.

Today there is a great deal of ceremony connected with the presidency of the United States. His inauguration is an elaborate affair. His appearance before congress, his meeting of individuals and delegations, his travels, social and state engagements are surrounded with ceremony. We expect that.

How much more necessary is it that there be some ceremony in our relations and dealings with God? In the Old Testament God personally gave definite directions about divine worship and everything connected with it. In the New Testament Christ has left this up to His Church, although He himself used ceremonies at times. As a result, the Catholic Church has several official liturgical books. Chief among them are the Missal, which contains the prayers and ceremonies of the Mass; the Breviary or divine office which all in sacred orders are obliged to say every day; the Pontifical which describes the functions reserved to bishops, such as the blessing of holy oils, the consecration of churches, altars and so forth, and the administration of Confirmation and Holy Orders; the Ceremonial of Bishops, which sets forth the ceremonies to be observed in cathedrals, collegiate churches, and to a certain extent in other churches; the Martyrology which contains a catalogue of the saints of each day with a short summary of their virtues; and the Ritual which gives the sacred rites to be observed in the sacraments and other church functions.

Of this Ritual I would like to speak today. It is the priest's Book of Rites. It gives the words and ceremonies of those sacraments that can be given by a priest, and the blessings which the Church authorizes him to bestow on persons and things.

Emily Post tells us the proper thing to do and say on social occasions. Mother Church, in her Ritual, tells her priests what to do, tells them what is proper and prescribed in their work as mediators between God and man. The Ritual contains the rites of the sacraments of Baptism, Penance, Extreme Unction, Matrimony, and of Holy Communion outside of Mass; it has prayers for the visitation of the sick; it contains about 140 forms of blessing--for persons, religious articles, animals, food, machinery--for almost everything man needs and uses.

You generally see the smaller edition of the Ritual, which contains those portions most frequently used by the priest. This smaller book can be more conveniently carried on frequent and distant sick calls, and on other occasions when the complete volume would be unwieldy. I would like to give you some idea of the divisions and contents of the complete Ritual:

1. It begins with certain decrees of the Popes and a short chapter of general remarks on the administration of the sacraments. How to give the sacraments is then explained, with the prayers and ceremonies for each. There is a chapter on the visitation of the sick, with appropriate prayers and selections from the Gospels. The last blessing and the funeral service are then given. This first section closes with the sacrament of marriage and the churching of women.

2. Next come the blessings, some by the bishop only, others by the priest also. Following these are ceremonies, prayers, psalms and hymns for various feasts and processions, held for some particular need. There is an exorcism or ceremony for driving the devil out of those possessed. Then come directions for recording marriages, confirmations, baptisms, in the proper parish books.

3. To this Ritual proper are added two appendices and a supplement. First is a short form for blessing baptismal water; the ceremony when a priest is permitted to confirm, and to celebrate more than one Mass on the same day; a number of Litanies and blessings.

4. The second appendix comprises additional blessings, and a short supplement for priests in this country.

Although we have described on other Sundays many of the blessings bestowed by the Church, we would like to point out the variety and suitableness of the Ritual prayers. So numerous are these blessings that we must make a general classification:

a. The blessings of persons includes, for example, the blessings of pilgrims, of throats, of sick adults, of expectant women, and of happy young mothers. There are blessings of children of all ages and conditions.

b. Several of the blessings refer to religious articles: for a cross, a church, an organ, for bells, cords, pictures, statues and rosaries.

c. Another class of blessings is given to buildings: churches, schools, libraries, printing presses, homes--old and new.

d. There are prayers for bread, birds, beer, and almost every article found on the table.

e. We find blessings against tiny mice and tornadoes, for automobiles and typewriters. And then, to be sure that nothing is overlooked, Mother Church provides a blessing for all things, which can be used for anything not listed in her official books.

Try to understand and respect these official prayers of Mother Church. Amen.