Question by Fr. Eric Baffoe Antwi:
My Lord, there are sacraments that are received only once. However, there are periods when these sacraments are renewed. With the exception of Confirmation, some of the other sacraments, e.g., Baptism, Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony, are “renewed”. For instance, on Holy Saturday night and on Easter Sunday, there is a Baptismal “renewal”. During the Chrism Mass, priests are asked to “renew” their commitment to priestly service. On wedding anniversaries, some couples “renew” their marriage vows. Please enlighten us on the use of the word “renewal” in these sacraments, since renewal “usually” connotes expiration.
Answer by Bishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu:
Let us begin by looking at the meaning of the word “renew”. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “to renew” is “to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection, as we renew our strength in sleep”. It does not mean that what is renewed has necessarily expired. For example, when Christians pray that God should renew their strength, it does not mean that their strength has expired. It means that their strength has been reduced and it is their prayer that God will restore it to its original condition.
Renewal of Baptismal Promises
During Mass on Holy Saturday night (and also during Mass on Easter Sunday), Christians renew their baptismal promises. The celebrant addresses the faithful in these or similar words:
Dear brethren (brothers and sisters), through the Paschal Mystery we have been buried with Christ in Baptism, so that we may walk with him in newness of life. And so, now that our Lenten observance is concluded, let us renew the promises of Holy Baptism, by which we once renounced Satan and his works and promised to serve God in the holy Catholic Church. And so I ask you:
Priest: Do you renounce Satan?
All: I do.
Priest: And all his works?
All: I do.
Priest: And all his empty show?
All: I do.
Or:
Priest: Do you renounce sin, so as to live in the freedom of the children of God?
All: I do.
Priest: Do you renounce the lure of evil, so that sin may have no mastery over you?
All: I do.
Priest: Do you renounce Satan, the author and prince of sin?
All: I do.
Then the Priest continues:
Priest: Do you believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth?
All: I do.
Priest: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered death and was buried,
rose again from the dead
and is seated at the right hand of the Father?
All: I do.
Priest: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting?
All: I do.
And the Priest concludes:
And may almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has given us new birth by water and the Holy Spirit
and bestowed on us forgiveness of our sins, keep us by his grace,
in Christ Jesus our Lord, for eternal life.
All: Amen.
The Priest sprinkles the people with the blessed water, while all sing a song.
The Renewal of Commitment to Priestly Service
In this ceremony that takes place during the Chrism Mass, priests renew the promises that they made when they were ordained. They are not ordained again! After the homily, the bishop speaks to the priests in these or similar words:
My brothers,
today we celebrate the memory of the first eucharist,
at which our Lord Jesus Christ
shared with his apostles and with us
his call to the priestly service of his Church.
Now, in the presence of your bishop and God’s holy people,
are you ready to renew your own dedication to Christ
as priests of his new covenant?
Priests: I am.
Bishop: At your ordination
you accepted the responsibilities of the priesthood
out of love for the Lord Jesus and his Church.
Are you resolved to unite yourselves more closely to Christ
and to try to become more like him
by joyfully sacrificing your own pleasure and ambition
to bring his peace and love to your brothers and sisters?
Priests: I am.
Bishop: Are you resolved
to be faithful ministers of the mysteries of God,
to celebrate the eucharist and the other liturgical services
with sincere devotion?
Are you resolved to imitate Jesus Christ,
the head and shepherd of the Church,
by teaching the Christian faith
without thinking of your own profit,
solely for the well-being of the people you were sent to serve?
Priests: I am.
Then the bishop addresses the people:
My brothers and sisters,
pray for your priests.
Ask the Lord to bless them with the fullness of his love,
to help them be faithful ministers of Christ the High Priest,
so that they will be able to lead you to him,
the fountain of your salvation.
People: Lord Jesus Christ, hear us and answer our prayer.
Bishop: Pray also for me
that despite my own unworthiness
I may faithfully fulfill the office of apostle
which Jesus Christ has entrusted to me.
Pray that I may become more like
our High Priest and Good Shepherd,
the teacher and servant of all,
and so be a genuine sign
of Christ’s loving presence among you.
People: Lord Jesus Christ, hear us and answer our prayer.
Bishop: May the Lord in his love
keep you close to him always
and may he bring all of us, his priests and people,
to eternal life.
All: Amen.
Renewal of Wedding Vows
A wedding vow renewal is a ceremony of celebration and recommitment in which a married couple reaffirms their marriage vows to each other. Here again we need to emphasize that the couple are not marrying again! Why do people renew their wedding vows? Many married couples choose to have a second celebratory ceremony to reaffirm their commitment and love for one other, particularly if they are approaching a milestone anniversary such as 10, 25, 40 or 50 years together. Because this is not a legally binding ceremony like a wedding ceremony, there really are no hard-and-fast rules about how a couple should renew their vows. Are wedding rings needed for a vow renewal? Although they are not necessary, many ceremonies include the re-dedication of wedding rings. Many people may use the celebration as an opportunity to upgrade their original ring with a new engraving or purchase a new ring entirely.
Who officiates a Vow Renewal Ceremony? Because a vow renewal is not a legally binding ceremony like a wedding is, virtually anyone can act as an officiant, like a priest, minister, a judge, or even friends. In the Catholic Church, it will be good to get the priest to preside over this ceremony. The ceremony may take the following form (taken from the Diocese of Dublin). The priest says,
Dear children of God, in becoming husband and wife
you gave yourselves to each other for life.
You promised to be true and faithful,
to support and cherish each other until death parts you,
that your years together may be
the living out in love of the vows you made.
The love of man and woman is made holy
in the sacrament of marriage,
and becomes the mirror of God’s faithful, everlasting love.
Since you intend now to renew your consent
before God and His Church
I invite you to join hands
(and the answer is “I do”)
And I ask you:
Do you continue to take each other as husband and wife,
and promise to love each other truly,
for better for worse, for richer for poorer,
in sickness and in health, till death do you part?
Couple: I do.
Celebrant:
What God has joined together
man must not separate.
May the Lord continue to enrich you
with his many blessings. Amen.
I now invite you to hold up your rings:
Almighty God, continue to bless + these rings
symbols of faithfulness and unbroken love.
May this couple always be true to each other,
be one in heart and mindand united in love forever,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: (directed to all present)
My dear friends, let us pray for this couple
as they celebrate this milestone of faithfulness.
Holy Father, creator of the universe,
maker of man and woman in your own likeness,
in union with this married couple,
we bless you and thank you for their years together.
Continue to fill their hearts
with love for you and each other.
Bless + them, their children,
their relatives and friends,
and lead them to a share in your wedding feast of heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
| For further explanations or enquiries, you may contact the author, Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, Catholic Bishop of Konongo-Mampong, on this number: 0244488904, or on WhatsApp (with the same number). |