LITURGICAL CORNER

 

 

PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS AT

WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS

 

 

Nuptial Masses

 

     The bride and groom themselves may present the bread and wine for the celebration of the Eucharist.  This gesture expresses the offering of the lives of the married couple united to the offering of Christ for His Church and made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice.  The couple may also give a gift to the Church and/or to the poor with the presentation of the bread and wine.  Other Catholics may also bring forward the gifts for the Eucharist.

 

Funeral Masses

 

It is fitting that family members present the gifts of bread and wine; they may also present other gifts for the needs of the Church and of the poor.  Other Catholic members of the congregation present may do the same.

 

SOME IMPORTANT DO’S AND DON’TS

 

There is a preference that the prayers over

the bread and wine be said inaudibly.

 

The rubrics in the Sacramentary reveal what the priest is supposed to do at this point:  The priest, standing at the altar, takes the paten with the bread and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, says inaudibly “Blessed are you, etc…”  Then he places the paten with the bread on the corporal.  If no Offertory Song is sung, the priest may say the preceding words in an audible voice; then the people may respond:  “Blessed be God forever.”  There is flexibility here.  If there is an offertory song being sung, then he has the option of saying them loudly enough to be heard, in which case the people have the option of responding.  Thus, it is not a liturgical abuse for the priest to say the words, inaudibly even if there is no song, nor is it an abuse for the people not to respond.  It would make good liturgical sense that if the prayer over the bread is prayed quietly the same should apply for the chalice.  Oftentimes priests will say the first inaudibly and the second audibly especially if music stops.  Keeping consistent here respects the rubrics and allows for Sacred Silence as well.