Mass planning

The questions you always have to consider when planning a Mass are:

• Who is going to be present?
• What is happening on that particular day?
• What are the readings for the day?
• What about the prayers that change each week too (propers)?
• Where does this Sunday sit in the cycle of the year?

Most Youth Sunday celebrations will be happening at a regular parish Mass on Christ the King, 20 November. It’s lovely to feature young people’s service to the community through welcoming, reading, bringing up the gifts, playing the music and other ministries. Do remember though, that other people fulfil these roles on other Sundays, so make sure you think about them too when planning the Mass. You should always talk over any plans for the liturgy with your parish priest well in advance.

Planning the Mass

The Liturgy Office planning sheet is very helpful.

The Mass commentary will be a big part of the Christ the King celebrations this year. Other parts that your young people can help to plan include the music (see the music section for suggestions) and the bidding prayers.

Suggestions for the homily

This year we suggest that the homily might focus on the liturgy itself and in particular, might draw on the questions of the young people that have arisen through the sessions. Just about every Mass-going Catholic, if asked, has a query or two about the Mass that they’ve never had the opportunity to ask. Young people are no different. Perhaps the homily could pick some of these questions and also address the underlying issues of:

What does it mean to be the Body of Christ? (especially in the light of today’s readings) Why should we come to Mass?

Why do we need young and old, rich and poor, people from different parts of the world to come together in our parish? What would we miss if people didn’t come?

What can each individual do to build the Body of Christ?

What is God sending us out to do today?

Ministries that your young people can serve in

Look at the talents of the young people in your group. You may well already have servers, readers, and musicians. Members of your group might also be in the choir, be part of the welcoming team, help with the coffee, or even be commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Eucharistic Ministers).

You will also need a commentator (this role could be split up for each set of questions), and young people to read the answers. Your group could also bring up the offertory, write and read the bidding prayers, help with the flowers (if gifted in that way!) or even produce the parish newsletter for that week. It’s really good for them to realise how many people contribute to the celebration of the Mass each week (as explored in session 2).

Music for the new translation

This leaflet on planning music for the Mass is an excellent place to start.

However, so many of the words in the new translation have changed that the old Mass settings aren’t suitable any more. The bishops have requested that new settings of the Mass be submitted to the Liturgy Office for approval. All the settings which have been approved so far can be found on the Liturgy Office website.

Chant settings of the new translation can be found on icelweb.org

Lots of new music and revised versions of old favourites available from decanimusic.co.uk

You can find American settings here:

singthenewmass.com
ocp.org
giamusic.com

The team at CJM music are in the process of producing new music which they hope to have out in October. In the meantime they are featuring “Glory to God” which has lots of new music for the Mass, including five full settings, one of which is CJM’s Mass of St Luke.

It’s good to see parish musicians producing their own settings too. Here is Teresa Brown’s Mass of St Luke, Evangelist.

Other settings recommended by youth leaders...

Curtis Stephan’s Mass of Renewal

Bobby Fisher’s Mass of St. John, especially the Gloria

The Boyce & Stanley settings, especially the Mass of St. Bernadette and the Mass of St. Luke.

David Haas’ Mass for a New World

New music is coming out all the time, so it’s worth keeping your eye out for what’s available.

You can also watch a set of videos on YouTube produced by Mike Stanley, co-founder of CJM music, talking about the new translation from a musician’s point of view.

And this is the YouTube channel for all things to do with the new translation.