In order for our liturgies to go smoothly, we need people who practice their ministry “behind the scenes” or out of public view. These people can be planners; sacristans; set-up or clean-up people; ministry coordinators, such as reader trainers or schedulers; people who run cameras or slides; sounds techs; and people who decorate the environment of the church, inside and out. Each parish will configure these roles to meet its individual needs and add to the list others who help outside of Mass times or like a sound tech who works in the back of the church during Mass.
These people are serving the community’s prayer, quietly and in the background. Many people may not even realize these tasks are being done on a regular basis. These ministers can be taken for granted. Know that if the church is clean and tidy and everything is in place for the Mass, it has been readied by someone whose gift of service benefits everyone.
Background workers prepare us for Advent by adding color and most likely an Advent wreathe to the environment of the church. They take us from the austerity of Good Friday to the lush colors and lilies of the Easter Vigil. They make sure the vestments and vessels are in good order. They arrange the right number of hosts and provide the right amount of wine for Holy Communion. They train other liturgical ministers to serve in their roles at Mass. They run slides with music for our singing. They are responsible for doing dozens of things that we need done in order to celebrate Mass. Note: There is a photograph of St Therese of Lisieux preparing the hosts for Mass. She was a sacristan.
Liturgy forms us for how we are to act the rest of the week. What are we learning as we participate behind the scenes at Mass? We are learning the importance of being responsible, of fulfilling what we have promised we would do. We are learning the need for workers behind the scenes at every event, and we may volunteer to assist at a food shelf, to serve meals, or to clean up after those meals. What about helping in our neighborhood, shoveling or doing yard work for a neighbor who cannot do these chores. We could set up chairs for a meeting, answer phones at a nursing home, or volunteer in a myriad of ways for charities, schools, libraries, nature centers, and within our families. (After all, somebody does the dishes, the laundry, and cleans the house, plus . . .)
If we feel called to participate behind the scenes at church, how might that ministry influence our actions and attitudes as we try to be the hands, feet, and voice of Christ in the world?
