|
Download PDF Version (55k)
Revised February 24, 2012
Lay Eucharist Minister
A Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM) is licensed to this extraordinary ministry by the Bishop and assists in administering the chalice at celebrations of the Holy Eucharist where there are an insufficient number of priests or deacons assisting the celebrant (BCP 408)
Lay Eucharistic Minister for Visitation
A Lay Eucharistic Minister so licensed by the Bishop who, directly following a celebration of the Holy Eucharist on a Sunday (or other principal celebrations), takes the Sacrament consecrated at the Celebration to members of the congregation who, by reason of illness or infirmity, were unable to be present at the Celebration. See also the Home Lay Eucharistic Ministers page.
Vestments: Cassock and Surplice
Ideally the cassock should fall to within four inches of the floor. To avoid visual distraction and not to call attention to oneself, black or dark low-heeled shoes are preferable (please do not wear high heels, sandals, tennis shoes, cross trainers, etc.) Please do not wear large earrings or bows in your hair. Ideally, pectoral crosses and any other personal jewelry should be worn beneath the cassock and surplice.
Academic hoods are appropriately worn at certain non-eucharistic liturgies such as Academic Convocations, the Daily Offices, etc. Their use should be reserved to these and other occasions as announced. When seated, please keep both feet on the floor (i.e. do not cross your legs or ankles).
Before the Service
In the week prior you should familiarize yourself with all the readings read by a lay person and not just the one assigned to you. If someone does not show up, you may be asked to read more than one reading. REHEARSE the readings. The propers are found in the lectionary in The Book of Common Prayer and may also be found on the St. Peter’s website.
Check in with the verger as soon as you arrive. It is helpful to be vested 30 minutes before the service. (Sometimes there needs to be time to change readers or to find substitutes at the last minute. At 20 minutes before the service, final assignments are made. Anyone showing up after that may not be able to serve. We leave the vesting area to go to the procession staging area 8 to 10 minutes before the service is scheduled to begin.)
Check the service sheet, the Book of Eucharistic Readings, and know where you are to be in the order of procession, where you will sit, and whether you will serve at the Gospel or Epistle altar rail.
At the 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Mass, there are normally three or four LEM’s. Generally, a Youth Lector will read the Epistle; other readings and the Prayers of the People are read by a
LEM.
IMPORTANT: If you are leading the Prayers of the People, be sure to collect the form from the bulletin board in the vesting area. (Do not add names to the prayers without checking with a priest first). If the printed form is not present, check with the verger or celebrant. Since the vesting area can become very crowded before the 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. services, once all the LEM’s are present, vested and duties assigned, and after checking with the verger, you may wish to go to the procession staging area to wait for the service to begin..
The Entrance Procession
At the procession, generally you will follow the second crucifer. However, watch for and follow the instructions of the verger.
Walk with simple dignity, hands clasped at waist level (or carrying Hymnal or Prayer Book). When you reach the top of the chancel steps, stop and reverence the Altar, and go to your seat. Unless otherwise instructed, go to your seat in the Gospel (north) transept.
The Lessons
When the lessons are read, the Lector first says, “A reading from ________.” As the congregation will have the citation of chapter and verses listed in their service sheet it is not necessary (or desirable) to mention them. At the conclusion of the reading give a brief pause and then say: “The Word of the Lord.” The people will respond, “Thanks be to God.”
The Psalm is introduced, “The Psalm appointed for today is Psalm ___, found on page __ of your service sheet or page ___ in the Book of Common Prayer.
When reading in the Church there is now a book of Eucharistic Readings which lays out the Sunday readings in strict accordance to the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer. They are correctly ordered, already edited for liturgical use, and all optional passages are included. Those passages which may be omitted (cited in parentheses in the Lectionary), have been set off in separate indented paragraphs, and marked with a vertical bar line at the margin. You must always check the service sheet to see if you are to read these optional passages.
NOTE: In some of the passages listed, an opening phrase needed to clarify the context is printed in italics and set off in brackets. These italicized words should be read UNLESS the preceding passage is also read and continuity of the entire reading is clear.
ON OCCASIONS WHEN AN ACTUAL BIBLE IS USED INSTEAD OF THE BOOK OF EUCHARISTIC READINGS: When preparing your reading from the Bible be aware of the reading’s context and edit the beginning of the reading according to the directions of the Book of Common Prayer: In the opening verses of Lessons, the reader should omit initial conjunctions which refer only to what has preceded, substitute nouns for pronouns when the reference is not otherwise clear, or else prefix to the reading some such introduction as “N said (to J.)” (BCP page 888) If in doubt, a wire-bound copy of the Episcopal Eucharistic Lectionary is on the bookshelf in the vestry so that you may see how introductory verses have been edited. Finally, read naturally - not too fast and not too dramatically - while projecting your voice. It is not necessary (or desirable) to make eye contact with the congregation.
The Prayers of the People
If you are leading the Prayers of the People go to the lectern at the conclusion of the Nicene Creed and announce the prayers in the following manner:
“The Prayers of the People, Form ___, are found on page ___ of the Book of Common Prayer.”
At the end of the Prayers of the People, remain at the lectern, but step back slightly while the celebrant introduces and begins the Confession of Sin and remain standing through the Absolution and then move back to your seat at the Peace.. EXCEPTION: When Form VI is used you will introduce the Confession of Sin, and then step back..
The Communion
During the Eucharistic Prayer, the LEM’s should kneel on the provided rugs/cushions. After the Invitation to Communion (“The gifts of God for the people of God.”), the LEM’s stand and receive communion.
When there is one priest and two LEM’s, the priest will administer bread from the center to the side aisle at both rails. A LEM will follow on either side.
When there are at least two priests and four chalice bearers, two priests administer the bread from the center aisle toward the side aisle on either rail, while one LEM follows and the other LEM waits on the chancel steps. When the priest reaches the side aisle, s/he will return to the center still walking behind the rail while the LEM “circles around” by going through the transept, pausing to refill chalice if necessary, and then waiting on the chancel steps to follow the priest (administering the bread) again. Sometimes a third priest will bear a chalice.
The order of receiving (at time of this revision): choir, transepts and then the nave; however, at times the choir receives last. Order of receiving is the responsibility of the vergers.
Additional Direction on Administration of Communion
Wipe and turn the chalice after each person. “Thread” the purificator through your fingers rather than wadding it up into a ball, and exchange it for a clean one when needed.
Say the words of administration “The Blood of Christ, the cup of Salvation” to each person, i.e.,do not “string out” the phrase to cover three people.
Please do not use personal names before the words of administration, or include any other greetings or gestures when administering the chalice. Making such distinctions during the communion is inappropriate.
A few communicants receive the Bread only, but still wish to have the Wine presented to them (they will cross their arms over their chests after receiving the bread). You pause in front of them and simply say the words of administration.
Some people come forward to receive a blessing from the priest instead of Communion and indicate that desire by crossing their arms over their chests. In this instance, do not say the words of administration.
At St. Peter’s, a baptized child may receive communion as soon as the parents decide they are old enough. If in doubt, ask a parent if a child receives.
The following is printed in every service sheet and is our practice for those who wish to receive by intinction:
If you prefer, you may leave the Bread in your palm for the person administering the chalice to dip into the Wine and place on your tongue.
If this is the case, take the wafer from their hand, dip in slightly into the wine and then place the wafer on their tongue. Do not shake the wafer after dipping it in the wine. The words of administration become “The Body and Blood of Christ keep you in everlasting life.”
At each “round”, be mindful of how many people are left to communicate and do not refill your chalice unless needed.
As communion is ending, be mindful that a priest may need you to accompany him to take communion to someone who is physically unable to come to the altar.
Ablutions
When the communion of the people has been completed, LEM’s should place the chalice on the credence table or hand it to the deacon or priest already at the credence table. If there is wine remaining in the chalice, after processing out, return down the south side aisle, stopping at the front pew. Once the dismissal is said, go to the sacristy to consume the consecrated wine in the chalice.
As soon as the priest(s) return to the altar, the LEM’S should kneel for the postcommunion hymn or postcommunion prayer.. Do not necessarily wait for “Let us pray”.
The Procession Out
During the procession hymn, make no movement to leave the sanctuary until the Verger indicates for you to begin. Generally, LEM’S follow the first crucifer, but the order and/or timing may change, i.e., on Sundays where there are people sitting in the nave who process out such as the first graders or at Baccalaureate. Therefore, watch the Verger. When you receive the indication to move, walk to the front of the altar, reverence it, and then process out with dignity. There is no rush. Maintain the speed and distance with which you start.
If wine has been left in the chalice (see Ablutions above), return to the sacristy to consume the wine in the chalice.
|
