The Liturgy of the Word of God
The Word of God heard and preached is a sacrament in the Polish National Catholic Church. The Liturgy of the Word of God is then the rite of the Sacrament of the Word of God when a homily or sermon is preached after the Readings and the Gospel are heard.
The Readings and the Gospel are assigned by the Church from the Holy Bible in accordance with the liturgical season or the Mass theme. The Readings and the Gospel are chanted at a Solemn Mass.
THE READINGS
The celebrant at the altar or he, the deacon or the lector at the lectern introduces and reads a lesson or passage from one of the books of the Holy Bible, except from the four books of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the end of the Reading the reader says or sings:
C.: This is the Word of the Lord.
R.: Thanks be to God.
The Gradual Verse is now read by the celebrant from the missal at the altar or by him, the deacon or the lector at the lectern. (This verse is taken from the Holy Bible in accordance to the theme of the Mass.)
At this time a second Reading may be introduced, read and concluded in the same manner as the first.
The Alleluia Verse follows or in Lent the Tract. Either one is read by the celebrant from the missal at the altar or by him or the deacon at the pulpit. (These verses are taken from the Holy Bible in accordance to the theme of the Mass.) The Alleluia Verse is said or sung with the following responses:
C.: Alleluia, alleluia.
R.: Alleluia, alleluia.
C.: . . . alleluia, alleluia.
R.: Alleluia, alleluia.
[From Easter Sunday through Pentecost Sunday]
C.: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
R.: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
C.: . . . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
R.: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
THE GOSPEL
The Gospel is the reading or proclamation of the Gospel (which is Greek for "Good News") of Jesus Christ taken from one of the first four books of the New Testament in the Holy Bible. The authors ascribed to those four books are Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who are also known as the four Evangelists.
If a deacon proclaims the Gospel he bows to the celebrant and says:
Deacon: Father (Bishop), give me your blessing.
C.: The Lord be in your heart and on your lips
that you may worthily proclaim His Holy Gospel.
Deacon: Amen.
If the celebrant proclaims the Gospel he bows to the altar and says:
C.: Almighty God, cleanse my heart and my lips that I may worthily proclaim Your Holy Gospel.
The Gospel is usually read from the pulpit or sometimes from the altar. It may also be read in the midst of the congregation within a Gospel Procession.
With his hands joined the celebrant or deacon says or sings:
C.: The Lord be with you.
R.: And also with you.
C.: A reading from the Holy + Gospel according to . . .
With the right thumb, sign your forehead, lips and heart with a cross.
R.: Glory be to You, Lord.
If incense is used, the celebrant or deacon now incenses the Gospel to glorify Christ just as we honor Him by standing while the Gospel is proclaimed.
After the proclamation of the Gospel the celebrant or deacon raises the book and says or sings:
C.: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
R.: Praise be to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is now kissed and returned to its place.
When the Mass is sung and a homily is preached, everyone kneels and sings the following hymn as the celebrant kneels at the foot of the altar.
THE HYMN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
All: Holy Spirit, come inspire us!
Send Thy sevenfold gifts upon us.
As we hear Thy Word most solemn,
Teach our hearts to know Thy wisdom.
THE SACRAMENT OF THE WORD OF GOD
A homily or sermon may be preached at this time. The homilist may be a deacon, priest or bishop. At the pulpit the homilist says:
C.: Praised be the Lord Jesus Christ.
R.: Now and forevermore.
The homilist quotes a verse from the Holy Bible, then begins and also ends the homily by saying:
C.: In the name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
R.: Amen.
The sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation or Matrimony may be administered at this time.
THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
The Nicene Creed (formulated in 325 A.D. at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicea or Nicaea; it is an expansion of the Apostles' Creed) is said on Sundays, Saturdays at a Vigil Mass, solemnities and other days prescribed by the Church as announced. It is not said at Mass for the dead or at a Wedding Mass. It is also omitted when either Baptism or Confirmation is administered during the Holy Mass, because the Apostles' Creed is used in the rites of those sacraments.
While saying the first line the celebrant raises and then joins his hands. He and the congregation read the Creed together.
I believe in One God,
All: the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth
of all that is seen and unseen.
I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
He came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
He was born of the Virgin Mary
(genuflect or bow deeply)
AND BECAME MAN.
For our sake He was crucified
under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day He rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated
at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father.
With the Father and the Son
He is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic
and apostolic church.
I acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead
and + the life of the world to come.
Amen.
If the Creed is not said, please turn to the next page for the beginning of: The Liturgy of the Eucharist.
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