The Diocese of Jefferson City has structured parish councils such that there is a Worship Commission of the Council that attends primarily to the sacramental and liturgical life of the parish. In many respects this follows the practice of the Church which has a Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. The US Bishops have a committee on Divine Worship. Here is a summary of their mission:  “The Committee on Divine Worship, a standing committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has the responsibility for all matters relating to the Liturgy. The Secretariat of Divine Worship carries out the work of the Committee on Divine Worship, by:   overseeing the preparation and approval of liturgical books and texts and granting the concordat cum originali for publications of liturgical texts in the United States; reviewing all publications in the United States which contain excerpts from approved liturgical books; providing leadership in liturgical formation and sacramental catechesis, especially by means of its monthly Newsletter and other publications; and serving as a resource for Bishops and Diocesan liturgical commissions [note:  canonically required of a diocese] and offices of Worship seeking advice.”

There is a distinction with regard to a parish commission, however, since the Worship Commission of a parish is primarily a consultative and service body, rather than one with normative competency. The commission assists the pastor in his duty of ensuring that the sacramental and liturgical life of the parish is celebrated in such a manner to invite all to encounter Jesus Christ alive in their midst. The commission attends to the environment in which the liturgies are celebrated, to the liturgical actions that take place in celebrations, to the materials necessary for worship, to the formation of the assembly, to the engagement in the liturgical calendar, and to the ministers who serve. 

The importance of an effective Worship Commission can’t be overestimated. By a clear organizational structure and mission, two essential objectives are reached:  the inestimable riches of the Catholic Church’s worship are safeguarded and made available to the faithful, and the faithful are given the greatest opportunity to full, active and conscious participation in the liturgy.

A Worship Commission is important for ensuring that our offering to God in the Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist is of our first and best fruits. The pastor needs willing collaborators to ensure that the Sacred Liturgy is celebrated in a worthy manner. A healthy Worship Commission is well-equipped to attend to all the requirements necessary for the correct and fitting celebration of the liturgies of the parish, ensuring that nothing is neglected or omitted. A healthy Worship Commission assists the pastor in ensuring that the liturgy is truly the work of the entire people of God and not of just a small few. An active and engaged Worship Commission is of supreme importance to the pastor in assisting him in fulfilling his obligation to celebrate the liturgy according to the norms of the Church. 

This is why I have begun the process of forming a Worship Commission. Our first meeting was Saturday, October 23. Our next meeting will be Sunday, November 14 at 1:30 PM in the school cafeteria/church basement. That particular meeting is especially to attend to the role of song, music and musicians at the Mass, but anyone is welcome to participate. I hope to have a Worship Commission chartered and staffed by Easter through a series of monthly meetings.

Sacrosanctum Concilium 18 is often quoted in paraphrase as “the People of God have a right to the Roman Rite.” That somewhat ironic statement indicates several things. That worship is necessarily regulated by norms and Tradition, that there are occasions when the fundamental dignity of the liturgy is impacted by human negligence or ill-will, and that there is a danger to the liturgy when the preferences or customs of an individual or a small group interfere with the common good. That doesn’t mean that the liturgy can’t be an expression of the character of the community who celebrates it, but that local custom and individual preference must always be in alignment with universal norms and Sacred Tradition lest division and discord enter the community. 

Worship is necessarily an aesthetic enterprise. Like all true art, liturgy admits of discipline—that is, constraints of medium, custom, and intelligibility. In an age of individualism, one can fall into the  error that truth and beauty is only expressed by the individual genius. Art becomes then a private affair, understood only by those “in the know,” rather than a true expression of universal good and beauty.

Our worship instead is ecclesial in nature. That means we celebrate not only as ourselves in the midst of a small, parish community, but together with all those in our particular church which is the Diocese of Jefferson City. This particular church always celebrates in union with the whole Church. That means the universal Catholic Church throughout the world and the Church throughout history, united in the apostolic succession to Christ himself who first tasked the apostles to be the shepherds of his flock.

These points may seem abstract and impractical, but they are in no way irrelevant to the situation of the Church in this day and age. In a world of individual choice and convenience, the fundamental communitarian nature of the liturgy, especially the Holy Mass, as that which makes us into God’s People is frequently ignored and often misunderstood. Keep the Sabbath Holy. Attend Mass on Sunday and days of precept. It’s pretty clear what God wants of us. The pandemic has made it impossible to ignore any longer how fragile our sense of community has become and how few, in comparison to the entire parish roster, we can count on to be present.

If we are going to rebuild and revitalize our worshipping community, we must approach that sacred task fully prepared and fully staffed. We are a parish with a core of faithful and dedicated disciples who kept the lights on and the graces flowing in a time of turmoil.  We have been blessed with clergy whose love of the liturgy and sacraments is evident in their faithful service. A Worship Commission will allow many more parishioners to participate in the various roles of service that are necessary for a worthy celebration of the Christian Mysteries. 

We all cherish the inexhaustible fountain of grace that the liturgy and sacraments are  for a world of sorrow and trial. It is truly right and just that we worship God as His People. We know the joy of encountering the Risen Lord in our midst. But joy is not complete unless it is shared, therefore I will conclude by recalling an episode in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. 

Andrew and John the Evangelist were disciples of John the Baptist. They followed the direction of their master and became followers of the Lamb of God, Jesus the Christ. Andrew immediately went to find his brother, Simon Peter, to tell him about the Lord.  Jesus started his ministry by organizing the disciples and asking for their help in preaching the Good News. This is a beautiful summary of what the work of a Worship Commission should be. We behold the Lamb of God, and we want to ensure the greatest blessing to all who come to the supper of the Lord.