Sacred Reverence

Reverence (having deep honor and respect)

  19.   By consecration, you are holy, which does not mean you are a saint! But it does mean that you belong to God, soul and body. You should show this by the way you serve. Reverence for God and for sacred objects is most important when you serve. Reverent actions, peaceful and dignified behavior, should be seen by the people when you stand at the altar.

  20.   It is said that justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done. It is the same with reverence. A server may feel reverent, feel prayerful, but this is of little use if accompanied by casual or careless behavior. By distracting and disturbing people, that server is not seen to be reverent.

Understanding the liturgy. In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC), the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council taught: Servers, lectors, commentators, and members of the choir also exercise a genuine liturgical function. They ought, therefore, to discharge their office with the sincere piety and decorum demanded by so exalted a ministry and rightly expected of them by God’s people.

Consequently they must all be deeply imbued with the spirit of the liturgy, each in his own measure, and they must be trained to perform their functions in a correct and orderly manner. (SC 29)

Excerpt from: "Ceremonies Explained for Servers: A Manual for Altar Servers, Acolytes, Sacristans, and Masters of Ceremonies" by Peter J. Elliot