Obscure Elements Of The Mass

It's commonly been taught that the Novus Ordo is comprised of two sections:  the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

But depending on where you go to Mass, there are other parts not so clearly detailed.  AoftheA attempts to define some of these more obscure elements.  

Liturgy of the Bulletin  

This normally occurs prior to the final blessing, but it can occur at the beginning of Mass as well.  Sometimes the priest makes announcements of upcoming events at the parish, reading directly out of the church bulletin, such as social justice opportunities or the local CORPUS meet-n-greet pancake breakfast in the school hall; mostly, though, the Liturgy of the Bulletin is led by the Extraordinary Minister of Remedial Reading.  Incidentally, many congregants participate on their own, particularly during the homily.

Liturgy of the Exodus

Some parishes designate one of their Sunday Masses the "family Mass", where all the children are encouraged to leave their families just before the first reading to go listen to dumbed-down versions of the readings and Gospel.  Sometimes this is referred to as the "Children's Liturgy".  The children are invited to the altar for a blessing, and then are herded out of the church worship space to a different room, dutifully following a DRE lackey Youth Minister who holds a Sacramentary-like book (that is probably filled more with homogenized pictures than actual Scripture) above her head; it's called the Liturgy of the Exodus because most of the kids - particularly the older ones - can be seen grumbling and muttering under their breath.

Liturgy of the Ours

This element can occur twice in any Mass.  It more commonly occurs during the Prayers of the Faithful, when congregants are asked and encouraged to blurt out any personal intentions.  None of these are audible to anyone outside of a fifteen foot radius from the speaker, or several people attempt to speak at once, leading to awkward silences or people talking over one another.  This element can also take place after the Liturgy of the Bulletin, whereby the priest asks if anyone in the congregation has anything they would like to announce, or he asks if anybody is celebrating a birthday during the upcoming week, so that the entire church can sing to them.  Really!

Liturgy of the Hugs 

 

Commonly called the "Kiss of Peace" or "Exchange of Peace".  But in some places it can last longer than the homily, as congregants mill about to shake hands and hug and chatter with nearly every person in attendance.  When the priest leaves the sanctuary to join the Liturgy, you have an advanced form of the liturgy.  Sometimes the Liturgy of the Hugs commences prior to this point - during the Our Father, when the entire congregation contorts, twists and stretches to grasp hands with one another.  This is the Liturgy of the Human Chain.  The H1N1 scare curtailed this liturgy somewhat, but it remains a fairly popular element.

Liturgy of the Dine and Dash

This liturgy is an option-out feature of the Mass.  It occurs during distribution of Holy Communion, when a percentage of the congregation leaves immediately after receiving Holy Communion.  What makes this practice particularly unfortunate is that the participants miss out on the Liturgy of the Bulletin and in some places, the Liturgy of the Ours.

Granted, not all of these elements are incorporated everywhere.  They are not universal norms.  Some parishes skip these altogether.  But I hope this brief synopsis of the other liturgical elements provides you with a deeper appreciation for the hard work and commitment of creative liturgists and priests, with the goal of increasing active participation.  

Never have so few done so much to provide so little.