Gospel Proclaimed by Laymen at Sunday? Weekday? Celebration in the Absence of a Priest?
  • G
    Posts: 1,400
    Saturday mornings at a nursing home, if a priest is available, (rare,) there is a Mass, usually a deacon presides over a Liturgy of the Word with Distribution of Communion.
    We use the readings and propers for the Sunday.
    The Lay leader, when the deacon cannot attend, omits the Gospel.
    I recall a bit of kerfuffle elsewhere about lay persons proclaiming the Gospel to kiddies taken elsewhere for "children's liturgy of the Word," so when I was called upon on short notice, (I am only the usual lay reader for the first and second readings and Ichant the psalm, Gospel acclamation, etc.) I just followed out of a notebook someone had constructed and omitted it as well.
    But today I see surfing the internet that most dioceses that have made the rite available online in a PDF have the layperson proclaim the Gospel, simply omitting the greeting.
    I can't find anything "official," either yeah or nay.
    We try to alter things as little as possible from week to week, because so many of the Faithful at the service are in some stage of Alzheimer's, (there's one woman, for instance, who sometimes holds my hand, even during the proclamation of the readings,) so I am leery of introducing the "Blessed be God forever," for instance.

    So, can anyone point me to a more generally official PDF, (preferably,) of the right rite for a layman?

    Thanks.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,092
    I don't recall a ban on laymen proclaiming the Gospel in such situations. However, they omit the benedictory dialogue, which is reserved to clerics.

    http://old.usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/weekday.shtml

    There are two rituals:

    For Sundays: Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest

    For weekdays: Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,187
    And of course let no-one be small-minded and try to insist that the benediction dialogue be omitted, if the reader wants to include it.
    Thanked by 1Liam
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Sitting on my hands and biting my tongue at the same time.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Don't hurt yourself.
  • G
    Posts: 1,400
    Sitting on my hands and biting my tongue at the same time.

    Could be worse, could be biting hands and sitting on tongue.
    But may I ask why?

    And what do y'all think, is Saturday morning with Sunday readings a "Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest," or :Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass"?

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    The latter.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,979
    In the east, we have what are called, "Reader's Services" when a priest is not available for a Sunday Divine Liturgy. No communion, since our regulations on who can distribute are much more restrictive than in the west. With smaller congregations, and usually only one priest per parish, those services will happen at some time during the year while the priest is away.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    No communion, since our regulations on who can distribute are much more restrictive than in the west.


    And for very good reason....
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