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May 7, 2008
May Crownings of Mary
And More on Food in the Sacristy ROME, MAY 6, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university. Q: In the back of "The Rites of the Catholic Church" there is an Order of Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary. My concern is regarding organizing a May crowning of the Blessed Mother. In the introduction to this rite (No. 8) it lists the bishop, or a priest entrusted by him, as the minister. Can this rite be used for crownings that are repeated yearly? Can this rite be used by a group of laypeople wishing to honor the Blessed Mother with a crown for May? Is there a separate rite (even a semiofficial one) for May crownings? -- M.S., Cleveland Ohio A: Actually, we are speaking of two different things. The order of crowning found in the rites is that of placing a precious bejeweled gold or silver crown upon a particularly venerated image of Our Lady. This is obviously done only once or at least rarely. If the image is found in a diocesan sanctuary, then it is performed by the bishop or his delegate, either another bishop or a priest such as the rector of the Marian sanctuary. Some images of national or international renown are occasionally crowned in the name of the pope as a sign of special veneration. In this case the Holy Father issues a special decree giving directives regarding the mode of crowning. The May crowning is an act of popular devotion in honor of our Blessed Mother that is repeated every year. As the name indicates, it is usually done during the month of May, but in some countries, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, it is performed in other months especially in November. The custom of the May crowning fell out of favor in many places during the 1970s and '80s. Recently it has made a comeback along with Eucharistic adoration, the rosary, and many other traditional Catholic practices that serve to nurture the faith and devotion of the faithful. There is a lot of flexibility regarding the rite, and it can be adapted to many different circumstances and situations depending on whether the crowning is done in a parish, a school or classroom, or even in the family. If the statue of Mary to be crowned is not already in a fixed place, an image may be set up on some suitable support. The area may already be decorated with flowers, but those participating in the crowning may also process to the image carrying flowers and singing appropriate Marian hymns before placing their bouquets at Mary's feet. The rite may consist of hymns, prayers, and maybe an act of consecration to Our Lady. The climax of the celebration is the moment when the one of those present places a crown of flowers on Mary's head accompanied by a traditional hymn to the Blessed Mother. After the crowning, the person leading the event concludes with a suitable prayer. If he is a priest or deacon, he may impart a blessing. Regarding the harmony that should reign between the demands of the liturgy and the celebration of May, the Holy See's Directory of Popular Piety says the following in No. 191: "In many cases, the solution for such problems would seem to lie in harmonizing the content of the 'Marian months' with the concomitant season of the Liturgical Year. For example, since the month of May largely corresponds with the fifty days of Easter, the pious exercises practiced at this time could emphasize Our Lady's participation in the Paschal mystery (cf. John 19, 25-27), and the Pentecost event (cf. Acts 1, 14) with which the Church begins: Our Lady journeys with the Church having shared in the novum of the Resurrection, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The fifty days are also a time for the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation and of the mystagogy. The pious exercises connected with the month of May could easily highlight the earthly role played by the glorified Queen of Heaven, here and now, in the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist." * * * Follow-up: Coffee and Food in Sacristy After our piece on food in the sacristy (April 22), another question came to mind regarding the Communion fast. A reader in Rome wrote: "I have been rather taken aback at the number of people I see sitting at coffee bars having coffee just before Mass. Then they receive Communion well before the prescribed hour of fasting is up. This seems to be a common practice, all over the world, but I've especially become aware of it here in Rome. However, the people doing it aren't just the Romans. They are often tourists from various countries, so perhaps they do this at home as well. I thought one could only drink water within the hour before receiving Communion. Why are so many people drinking coffee, tea, soda, etc., with no regard for the fast? I've even seen people eating before Mass as well, and then receiving Communion within the hour. Has there been a change in the fasting rules?" The one-hour-before-Communion rule remains intact, and effectively only water and necessary medicines may be taken during that period. Sadly, however, many are ignorant of the rule or consider its infringement a minor matter. This is perhaps an unintentional consequence of the one-hour rule itself. An hour is quite a short period and many people find it hard to take seriously. It is a bit like the state imposing a $2 fine for a traffic violation. Before the 2005 Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist, some prelates proposed restoring the previous three-hour fast in order to help the faithful to have a greater appreciation for the privilege of receiving holy Communion. The idea did not prosper as other bishops pointed out that the hourlong fast facilitates some successful pastoral initiatives such as offering office workers the possibility of attending daily Mass during the lunch break in some major cities. Indeed, facilitating the widest possible reception of Communion was the principal reason for reducing the fast to an hour. It thus falls primarily upon pastors and others involved in forming the consciences of the faithful to explain the reasons behind this fast and inculcate fidelity to the rule. The fast is therefore one hour before receiving Communion. It is not an hour before Mass. Therefore there would be no difficulty in having something to eat before a solemn celebration, as is often the case for pilgrims in Rome, in which at least an hour will pass before Communion begins. * * * Readers may send questions to liturgy@zenit.org. Please put the word "Liturgy" in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of questions that arrive. |