Critical Mass

critical mass (n) - the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction

critical (adj) - characterized by careful, exact evaluation and judgment; indispensable, essential

Mass (n) - public celebration of the Eucharist in the Western Rites of the Catholic Church

Critical Mass is a blog devoted to the liturgical catechesis of the faithful of the Catholic Church called for by Vatican Council II in its first document, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium:

With zeal and patience, pastors of souls must promote the liturgical instruction of the faithful, and also their active participation in the liturgy both internally and externally... [n. 19]

Pope John Paul II repeated this call 25 years later: "The most urgent task is that of the biblical and liturgical formation of the people of God, both pastors and faithful." (Vicesimus Quintus Annus, n. 15) And again, on the 40th anniversary of the Constitution: "it is more necessary than ever to intensify liturgical life within our communities by means of an appropriate formation of the pastors and of all the faithful with a view to the active, conscious and full participation in liturgical celebrations desired by the Council." (Spiritus et Sponsa, n. 7)

The name of this blog is a pun on the term "critical mass" found in physics. Critical Mass seeks to provide the reader with more than just "the smallest amount of catechetical material needed for a sustained participation in the most precious liturgy of the Church", the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The word "critical" is important too. The Mass itself is "essential" and "indispensable": it is critical to God's faithful people. Any study of something so important should be "characterized by careful, exact evaluation and judgment": it should be critical.

The theme of this blog, found beneath its title, is "The Science of the Liturgy". The study of the liturgy is a science. The word "science" comes to us from the Latin scientia which means "knowledge"; the Latin verb sciere means "to know". Science is a quest for knowledge. Critical Mass seeks to provide the reader with genuine knowledge of the liturgy so that participation in the Mass can be full, conscious, and actual. This knowledge concerns the parts of the Mass, the gestures, the prayers (heard and unheard), the symbols, and most importantly, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist.

This type of catechesis, which seeks to explain the signs and symbols of the mysteries celebrated in the liturgy, is called mystagogical by the Church.

The following resources are frequently made use of by Critical Mass; please make note of the abbreviations will be used in the references to these materials:

• The normative Latin text of the Roman Missal (RM), 3rd typical edition, the book from which the priest prays the Mass (2002)
• The normative Latin text of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (IGMR), 3rd typical edition, which gives details and instructions for the proper celebration of the Mass (2002)
• The forthcoming English translation of the The Order of Mass I (OM) of the Roman Missal (2008)
  
• The US Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) adaptation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), 3rd typical edition (2003)
  
• Instruction from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) on certain matters to be observed or avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist Redemptionis Sacramentum (RS) (2004)
• The English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), 2nd edition, a "a sure and authentic reference text for teaching catholic doctrine" (1997)