ON November 14, a lay led liturgy forum was run in our parish for the deanery.
Hosted by Elizabeth Harrington, the education officer with the archdiocesan Liturgical Commission and Sr Ursula O’Rourke, a lecturer at St Paul’s Theological College, it was informative and inspiring.
Among the 140 people there were some who were clearly fearful of the future of the Church in view of the shortage of priests.
It was obvious they feel the sole purpose of increasing laity involvement in liturgy is to usurp the role of the priest and degrade the importance of the Mass.
The Eucharist is our summit and source and is, and always should be, central to our faith.
However, the increasing reality is that there is not enough priests to say every Sabbath Mass in every parish every weekend.
When we are faced with no priest, do we stop gathering, disband the community and relinquish our responsibility to each other? Do we change the main day of worship to Wednesday to fit in with the availability of a priest?
No. Under guidelines from Rome, and in turn from our own archdiocese, we look towards what we, as a laity, are permitted and encouraged to do as active members of Christ’s Body on earth.
The future challenges our personal baptismal call to bear the Good News in word and action. We have a responsibility to bear witness to the Kingdom of God.
An article from the September issue of Ministry and Liturgy entitled “Celebrating parish ministry” by Dona Cole reflects on this challenge.
“This is without doubt a dark time, but it is also a transformative time. A time when suffering and trial can bring about powerful change in the Church.
“This is no time for hopelessness and despair but rather a time for prayer and discernment, contemplation and, ultimately action.
‘This is a time when those committed to moving forward as a people of faith, lay and ordained, must together find a way to keep the red-hot coals of faith alive …
“There is tension in our Church, but we can put that tension to good use. That tension stems from a conflict between an ideal vision of Church and the everyday reality of life…”
Let us not sink in fear and despair but rather embrace the challenge and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us in effecting a pathway to the future.
Who knows, a more active laity may increase the numbers who answer the call to be ordained.
MARIA LAWSON
Aspley, Qld
