I. Animating the Mass Means Making It Live
How do we bring a celebration to life when God himself is the primary actor? Some Christians remind us of this very question. They point out that a Mass is a Mass—that we don't need to orchestrate everything to give it life, because it is the Lord himself who gives us life. This is true. The Mass is first and foremost an action of God. But it is also an action of men and women living in a particular time and place. The Eucharistic celebration, like any celebration, is a feast. And as such, it must respond to certain needs and certain conditions.
Every feast has several key elements: the gathering of people (we don't celebrate alone); speech (people who speak, sing, and dialogue); ritual (the offering of flowers, gifts); shared food (a meal, a snack); and thanksgiving (gratitude for gifts received, for the presence of friends).
All of this unfolds in a certain atmosphere—music, flowers, decoration—and with a particular rhythm (moments of exuberant joy, moments of silence). We find these same elements in the Eucharistic celebration. The Mass brings together the friends of Jesus, who listen to God's Word, who thank the Father with Jesus offering himself, who share the Bread of Life to live better in love. To bring the Mass to life is to ensure that the gathering is genuine, that the listening and sharing of God's word are alive, that the Eucharist becomes the praise of all the people with, through, and in Jesus, that the sharing of bread becomes communion with the Body of Christ and with all those brothers and sisters who form the Body of Christ, and that it awakens us to commitment.
II. Making It One
To ensure quality, reverence, and genuine participation in the Mass, we need animation—that is, thoughtful preparation and direction. This doesn't start from scratch. There is a given structure, a determined ritual. But these don't prevent us from exercising creativity and spontaneity. However, creativity and spontaneity don't mean doing anything at any moment. To animate a Mass is to bring it to life by making it one—by uniting all the elements that compose it into a single, unified action. This means creating connections in terms of content, people, and flow—before, during, and after the Mass. There are three stages every good animation must undertake: preparation, execution, and evaluation.
Before: Preparation
A celebration needs at least minimal preparation to be experienced well. Preparing doesn't mean orchestrating everything or determining every detail in advance. It means providing a framework for the action and choosing the right tools. A few essential questions guide us:
To bring the Mass to life is to ensure that the gathering is genuine, that the listening and sharing of God's word are alive…
- a) Content: What will be the central theme, the unifying source for the different elements of the Mass? This theme becomes the thread running through the choice of songs and gestures. It might come from the day's liturgy, from the biblical texts, or even from current events. We might give thanks to God in Jesus for the joy of a beautiful sunny day, for the friendship that binds us together, for the light Jesus offers our lives, or for the forgiveness the Father offers us in Jesus.
- b) People: How can we make people's participation active? What tasks should we assign, and to whom? What symbols should we use? For people with disabilities, participation through gesture is often more important than participation through words. This must always be in our minds.
- c) Flow: We need to plan the sequence—though this doesn't prevent us from making changes during the celebration if circumstances require it. Much could be said here, but I'll focus on songs, music, and gestures.
Songs should not stand apart from the action but should be woven into what is being celebrated. They should be chosen according to the theme of the celebration, their role in it, and how easy they are to sing. If the central theme is forgiveness, choose songs that express conversion, pardon, and reconciliation. Some songs belong to the opening, others to Communion, others to the closing. Some are meant for a soloist or choir; others suit the whole assembly. For people with disabilities, choose refrains that are short and easy to learn. It's also good sometimes to repeat the same refrain at different moments in the celebration.
Music plays mainly a supporting role. Musicians must be very aware of this. Their job is to sustain the assembly's singing. They can prepare people to listen to God's Word or to receive Communion with soft, meditative background music. It's very important that musicians and song leaders choose music based not on their own abilities but on what the assembly can do. Gestures and postures matter greatly in an assembly that includes people with disabilities. If you propose a gesture, it must be planned, thought through, and explained so that people can perform it with understanding. For example, if forgiveness is the central theme, you might emphasize the penitential rite at the beginning (inviting people to bow their heads as a sign of conversion) and the exchange of peace before Communion.
During: Execution
Animation happens mainly during the celebration itself. Several attitudes and skills are needed. Here are some examples:
A celebration doesn't need many elements. But everything chosen must be done well, must have meaning, and must be genuinely lived.
- a) Content: The celebrant must be able to express the central idea in the homily and in the brief introductions that precede the readings, the Eucharistic Prayer, the Lord's Prayer, and Communion. There must be continuity of thought among all the ministers. The song leader should support the central idea the celebrant expressed, and the celebrant should be able to reference the songs that were sung.
- b) People: Pay attention to what is actually happening: notice what occurs and integrate it into the action taking place. Adapt as needed. Maintain an inner attitude of prayer; your outward manner should reflect your inner prayer.
- c) Flow: Give clear, precise directions. Ask for gestures that mean something. Do one thing at a time. And so on.
A celebration doesn't need many elements. But everything chosen must be done well, must have meaning, and must be genuinely lived.
After: Evaluation
To improve animation, we need to evaluate it honestly and respectfully. Some questions help us determine what went well and what could improve:
- a) Content: Was the central theme developed sufficiently across the different elements? Was there unity of action and thought? Was it understandable? Why or why not?
- b) People: Did members of the assembly have opportunities to participate? What chances were given to them to build bonds with one another? What could we do to improve the animation?
- c) Flow: What went well? What needs improvement? Were the songs and music suitable? Did people understand the gestures? There is much more to say about animating the Mass. I hope these reflections will be useful to all who, in any way, help animate a Eucharistic celebration. A celebration doesn't need many elements. Everything that is chosen must be done well, must have meaning, and must be genuinely lived. What matters is cultivating a love of celebrating the Risen Jesus together. Animation should nourish, sustain, and deepen this love and this desire. It can do so if it truly brings the celebration to life by making it one—in content, in people, and in flow—before, during, and after the liturgical action.
— Fr. Noël Simard, 1992
