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Requirements
I General
Requirements
When Serving in the presence of Our Savior and surrounded by His
Heavenly Host it is both wise and necessary for a server to perform all
assigned duties with attention, dignity and reverence. Just as Jesus
“emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant . . .” servers should set
aside their own preferences and attend to every action of the Divine
Liturgy as a team, all rehearsing the Divine Celebration in the same
manner and style as directed by the parish priest and performed by their
companion servers.
The
server, participating as instructed, will enter into a fuller
participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass while assisting the
priests and deacons as the mysteries of the Upper Room and Calvary are
represented to God’s people. All actions of the server are woven from
signs and symbols whose meaning is rooted in the works of creation and
in human culture, specified by events in the Old Testament and fully
revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is
imperative that all servers do their assigned tasks in the prescribed
form and manner.
The
Sanctuary is holy, and access to it is restricted to a very few men and
women. Do not abuse the privilege you have been given to enter the
sanctuary for service by being disrespectful or entering the holy place
unnecessarily. Again, your actions will be an example for the entire
congregation. By nature, people imitate the actions of others. This is
why we count on you to help others be more holy.
1. Servers will be required to vest in either cassock with
surplice or alb and cincture as directed by the priest.
2. Clothes worn under an alb should be such that they so not have
patterns, pictures, stripes, checks or any other design which will show
through the alb.
3. Dress shoes and appropriate socks or stockings must be worn.
The sanctuary is no place for sneakers, running shoes, or any other
sports footwear.
4. Servers carry the cross, the processional candle(s), hold the
book for the priest celebrant when he is not at the altar, carry the
incense and censer, present the bread, wine, and water to the priest
during the preparation of the gifts or assist him when he receives the
gifts from the people, wash the hands of the priest, hold the Communion
paten and assist the priest celebrant and deacon as necessary.
II Specifics
Who may serve?
A
server can be any person who has received first confession and Holy
Communion. Boys and girls who are at least 7 years old may ask to be
trained to serve on the Altar. Adult men are always encouraged to
continue to serve on the Altar, especially during weekday and early
morning Mass.
Why serve?
In
your initial meeting after you have asked to be considered for Altar
service, the Mass Steward Coordinator or leader of the server training
will ask questions to discern the reasons why you wish to serve and to
be reasonably certain that your desire, and not parental pressures, are
the main motivation. A reluctant or disinterested server is a
distraction to the priest, parishioners and fellow servers. A poor
attitude can have a negative effect on the overall parish faithful. It
is not uncommon for a parent to want a child to be a server but the
child has no desire and this can be a problem for all concerned.
Required
Basic Knowledge of the Mass
A
server candidate is required to know the principal prayers of the Mass:
The Gloria, Our Father, Nicene Creed, Lamb of God, Lord, I am not worthy
and Holy, Holy, Holy. If they cannot take the time to memorize these
basic prayers they may be demonstrating a lack of sufficient interest in
being a good server. Not knowing these prayers usually results in a
server who just stands there looking out of touch and in ignorance of
our most sacred act of worship.
In
addition prospective servers are to memorize three passages from
scripture to help them appreciate the Sacrificial nature of the
Eucharist. These are the suggested passages but there are many others
which can be used to start a discussion about why we have the Sacrifice
of the Mass.
Exodus
12:21-24. “Then Moses called all the elders of Israel, and
said to them, "Select lambs for yourselves according to your families,
and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the
blood which is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts
with the blood which is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of
the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through
to slay the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on
the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not allow
the destroyer to enter your houses to slay you. You shall observe this
rite as an ordinance for you and for your sons for ever. “
John 1:36
“Behold the Lamb of God.”
John 6: 51-59
“I
AM the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this
bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the
life of the world is my flesh. The Jews then disputed among themselves,
saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat? So Jesus said to
them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son
of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at
the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As
the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who
eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from
heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread
will live for ever. This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at
Capernaum.” Remember it was Judas Iscariot who Jesus referred to
at the end of this chapter.
1
Corinthians 11:26-31
“For
as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the
Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or
drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of
profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and
so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and
drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon
himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged.”
All
candidates should know and recite the basic flow of the mass. They must
learn this so as to later perform their tasks at the proper times. They
should be taught the use of all the liturgical items they will be
handling and the purpose of each item. See the end of this manual for
definitions.
1. All candidates must demonstrate their ability to make use of
the “tools of the trade” such as matches, candle lighters, books
and candles, processional cross, preparation of credence table, chalice,
mass colors, etc. On the job training is very important. New servers
will not be allowed to be alone without the guidance of experienced
servers for several masses.
2. All server candidates must be able to demonstrate their
ability to genuflect, bow and make the sign of the cross. It is an
eye-opener to see that many candidates never heard of the sign of the
cross or genuflection.
3. They must understand genuflecting is reserved for and to the
Real Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ whether on exposed on the altar
or reserved in the tabernacle. Genuflecting is a form of worship of our
God and should only be done to Him alone. It would be a grave mistake to
genuflect to any altar, cross, picture or crucifix. Catholics do not
worship (latria) anyone but the ONE TRIUNE GOD, Father Son and Holy
Spirit. “Praise be to God forever.”
4. Servers should be shown how to bow in respect to the altar as
it is where Jesus offers his Body to the Father for the propitiation of
our sins.
Sometimes servers are very young and must be shown the proper way to
genuflect, bow, kneel, stand, hold and care for the Communion patten and
sit during Mass. They should be required to demonstrate sufficient form
and dexterity in the these motions before being commissioned as servers.
**More details are
addressed in interviews and all requirements are discussed in training.
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