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FASTING
In the dioceses in the United States, Catholics aged 18 through 59 are bound to fast on both Ash Wednesday (March 2, 2022) and Good Friday (April 15, 2022).
To fast means to consume one full meal a day at most, although taking of other, smaller quantities of food at the other customary mealtimes is permitted. Food and drink between meals (excepting water and medicine) is not permitted on days of fasting.
ABSTINENCE FROM MEAT
Catholics aged 14 and up are to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays of Lent, and Good Friday.
To abstain means refraining from eating beef, veal, pork, or poultry at least, although eggs and milk products are acceptable. The consumption of fish and shellfish is permitted, though the penitential character of the abstinence should be kept in mind.
EASTER DUTY
All the faithful, after they have been initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, are bound by the obligation of receiving Communion at least once a year. This precept is to be fulfilled during the Easter Season unless it is fulfilled, for a just cause, at some other time during the year. This period is extended to include all the weeks of Lent and the Easter Season up to Trinity Sunday (June 12, 2022).
LENTEN PRACTICES
The faithful are encouraged during Lent to attend daily Mass, receive Holy Communion, participate in penance services, and receive sacramental absolution; to take part in public and private exercises of piety, give generously to works of religion and charity, perform acts of kindness toward the sick, aged, and the poor; to practice voluntary self-denial, especially regarding food, drink, and worldly amusements; and to pray more fervently, particularly for the intentions of the Holy Father.
Although we are still in the midst of the pandemic, some of our protocols have lightened since Lent of 2021. These protocols attached may be used, at the pastor’s discretion.
Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, falls this year on March 2. Ashes are to be blessed as a sign of our entry into a season of conversion, repentance, and reconciliation. Ashes are to be blessed by a bishop, priest, or deacon. Others may be associated with the clergy in the distribution of ashes.
Distribution of Ashes in Time of Pandemic:
The priest says the prayer for blessing the ashes, then sprinkles the ashes with holy water without saying anything.
Then he addresses all those present and only once says the formula as it appears in the
Roman Missal, applying it to all in general: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” or
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Each minister marks the forehead of each parishioner with ashes, saying “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Ministers will sanitize their hands before distribution, then (the ministers) wash the residue ashes off after the last person and then sanitize their hands again.
Funeral Masses may not be celebrated on Holy Thursday, Good Friday or Holy Saturday, nor on the Sundays of Lent. When pastoral reasons require that a funeral be celebrated on these days, only a Funeral Outside of Mass may be held.
To afford the faithful opportunities to participate in Lenten prayer services, pastors are encouraged to have such prayer services at least twice a week, including the Way of the Cross on Fridays, Exposition and Benediction, Evening Prayer, and evening Masses. A homily or instruction should be included.
BLESSING OF THE OILS AND CONSECRATION OF THE CHRISM
In order to allow participation of Catholics throughout the islands, the Sacred Oils will be blessed during the Chrism Mass to be celebrated in several locations. All are encouraged to join in one of the following celebrations:
Maui: Thursday, March 24, 7 p.m., St. Anthony Church, Wailuku.
Kauai: Tuesday, April 5, 7 p.m., Holy Cross Church, Kalaheo.
Big Island: Thursday, April 7, 5:30 p.m., St. Joseph Church, Hilo.
Oahu: Tuesday, April 12, 7 p.m., Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, Honolulu.
THE SACRED PASCHAL TRIDUUM
“Since Christ accomplished his work of human redemption and of the perfect glorification of God principally through his Paschal Mystery, in which by dying he has destroyed our death, and by rising restored our life, the sacred Paschal Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord shines forth as the high point of the entire liturgical year” (Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, #18). Three major liturgical principles may be of help here:
The Triduum may be viewed as a single liturgical action that occurs over a period of three days.
The Triduum is not part of Lent, but in its entirety, celebrates the Easter event.
The entire focus of the Triduum is on the Triumph of the Cross and the Resurrection.
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Each parish should plan how it will conduct this opening liturgy of Holy Week with due regard to the safety of all and to the ritual prescriptions in the Roman Missal.
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper
The Roman Missal directs that “After the Homily, where a pastoral reason suggests it, the Washing of Feet follows” (Roman Missal, Holy Thursday, 10). However, due to the current protocols and for pastoral reasons the washing of feet this year may be eliminated during the Triduum, unless the priest washing the feet and those whose feet are to be washed are agreeable to participate in this sacred gesture.
At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the procession with the Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose is to be planned in such a way that current safety measures can be maintained throughout the procession and the hours of Adoration.
The Adoration of the Holy Cross — Universal Prayers
Options contained in the Roman Missal should be selected beforehand
Reverencing by the congregation is to be done by a profound bow or genuflection only. Kissing or touching of the cross should be avoided during the pandemic.
The following prayer will be added to the Universal Prayers (cf. Missale Romanum, page 314 n. 13):
Prayer XI: For special needs of the sick and dead affected by the coronavirus
Let us pray for our world, which has been so radically impacted by the coronavirus crisis; for those who contracted the disease and those who care for them; for medical personnel and researchers; for those who have suffered economically; and for a complete and speedy recovery from this crisis.
Prayer in silence. Then the priest says:
Almighty God of all the living, you are our strength and our salvation. Hear and answer our prayers for all affected by this crisis. Open our hearts to the firm hope that this cross we bear may ultimately lead to the joy of the freedom from this scourge. Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection — LUCERNARIUM
Where because of difficulties that may occur, a fire is not lit, the blessing of fire is adapted to the circumstances. When the people are gathered in the church as on other occasions, the Priest comes to the door of the church, along with the ministers carrying the paschal candle. The people, insofar as possible, turn to face the Priest …” (Roman Missal, Easter Vigil, 13).
Small taper candles should be used, and the congregation would be asked to take them home after the celebration.
If there are no Baptisms, the water is to be blessed as described in the Roman Missal in a small vessel. After the Mass, the blessed water should be stored away from the reach of the faithful. Or, as an alternative, people could be encouraged to bring their own holy water containers filled with water, and this water can be blessed at the same time.
If there are to be Baptisms, the water in the font is blessed as usual, but the administration of Baptism will follow a different protocol.
For the Baptismal Liturgy (RCIA), Baptism by immersion is not recommended at this time.
When the time for the Baptism occurs, the presider should use water from the font and pour it over the head of the Elect into a separate vessel, in such a manner that the water that touches the person’s head does not flow back into the font.
It is important that the water not be recycled in this way in order to preserve a stricter hygiene than would be necessary under normal circumstances. [Note: This directive applies to the celebration of Infant Baptisms as well.]
Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation (RCIA)
The priest will not lay his hands on the head of each individual to be confirmed, but with his hands outstretched over the entire group he will pray in silence.
Use of “cotton balls or swabs” during the anointing at the Confirmation rite may continue. If this option is chosen, there should be a fresh cotton ball for each candidate, dipped into the Chrism, and afterwards, they should be collected in a dignified container and after the liturgy safely burned.
Priests and deacons are reminded that the anointing of the Elect with the Oil of Catechumens should take place some time PRIOR to the Easter Vigil, and not during the Easter Vigil. (Those who are already baptized, even in another Christian ecclesial community, are not catechumens and should not be anointed with the Oil of Catechumens.)
THE PASCHAL CANDLE
“The Paschal candle should be prepared, which for effective symbolism must be made of wax, never be artificial, be renewed each year, be only one in number, and be of sufficiently large size, so that it may evoke the truth that Christ is the light of the world. It is blessed with the signs and words prescribed in the Missal or by the Conference of Bishops (from the 1988 Circular Letter on the preparation for Easter published by the Congregation for Divine Worship).”
[Note: Since the Paschal candle is to be lit for all liturgies during the Easter season and during baptisms and funerals, it often happens that the candle burns down so much that it no longer is a sign that clearly proclaims Christ’s victory over the darkness of sin and death. To prevent this from happening, parishes are encouraged to purchase candles that will be able to be proper symbols until the following Easter Vigil. In the Diocese of Honolulu, if the pastor judges that the Paschal candle blessed at the Easter Vigil is no longer able to be the sign it is meant to be, the parish should replace it with a new Easter candle. However, there is no special ceremony for blessing the second candle. It should simply be prepared in the sacristy with the proper date, then placed in the candle holder.]
A glass chimney is recommended to shield the flame of the Paschal Candle at the Easter Vigil liturgy from the time it is lit until it is safely standing in its place in the church.
THE EASTER DISMISSAL WITH ALLELUIAS
The dismissal, from the Easter Vigil through the Octave of Easter, ending with the Second Sunday of Easter, inclusive, should be followed by a double Alleluia! preferably sung. The same is true for the liturgies of Pentecost Sunday and its Vigil. The double Alleluia is not added at other liturgies during the Easter season.
When pastoral necessity requires it, the local Ordinary may allow duplicate liturgies on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, but not the Easter Vigil.
Please feel free to contact me at the Office of Worship, 808-585-3342 or alguerrero@rcchawaii.org, should you have any questions.
Blessings!
