179 Who Celebrates the Liturgy?

YOUCAT Lesson 179

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

How We Celebrate the Mysteries of Christ

179  Who celebrates the liturgy?

In all earthly liturgies, Christ the Lord himself is the one who celebrates the cosmic liturgy, which encompasses angels and men, the living and the dead, the past, present, and future, heaven and earth.  Priests and believers participate in different ways in Christ’s divine worship.  [1136-1139]

…….Photo: …..Fr. Randy Knauf, OFM Capuchin, leads his parishioners in singing the “Great Amen” just before giving the Sacrament of Eucharist to the faithful assembled at a weekday school Mass.  Photo by Don L. Bragg …..179

When we celebrate the liturgy, we must prepare ourselves interiorly for the great thing that takes place in it: here and now Christ is present and, with him, all of heaven.  There everyone is filled with unspeakable joy and at the same time with loving care for us.  The last book of Sacred Scripture, Revelation, portrays in mysterious images this liturgy to which we here on earth join our voices.   –YOUCAT Lesson 170

“And so, with the Angels and all the Saints we proclaim your glory, as with one voice we sing: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts,…”  (Eucharistic Prayer II of the Church)

“It (the liturgy) is entering into the liturgy of the heavens that has always been taking place…It is not the case that you think something up and then sing it; instead, the song comes to you from the angels.  Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI, “In the Presence of the Angels I Will Sing Your Praise” in “A New Song for the Lord.”

…….WHO CELEBRATES?

…….1136 Liturgy is an "action" of the whole Christ (Christus totus). Those who even now celebrate it without signs are already in the heavenly liturgy, where celebration is wholly communion and feast. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

…….The celebrants of the heavenly liturgy

…….1137 The book of Revelation of St. John, read in the Church's liturgy, first reveals to us, "A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne": "the Lord God." (Revelation 4:2, 8; Isaiah 6:1; compare Ezekiel1:26-28) ¹    It then shows the Lamb, "standing, as though it had been slain": Christ crucified and risen, the one high priest of the true sanctuary, the same one "who offers and is offered, who gives and is given." (Revelation 5:6; Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Anaphora; compare John 1:29; Hebrews 4:14-15; Heb 10:19-20) ²    Finally it presents "the river of the water of life . . . flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb," one of most beautiful symbols of the Holy Spirit. (Revelation 22:1; compare Rev 21:6; John 4:10-14) ³  --CCC

…….1138 "Recapitulated in Christ," these are the ones who take part in the service of the praise of God and the fulfillment of his plan: the heavenly powers, all creation (the four living beings), the servants of the Old and New Covenants (the twenty-four elders), the new People of God (the one hundred and forty-four thousand), (compare Revelation 4-5; Rev 7:1-8; Rev 14:1; Isaiah 6:2-3) ⁴  especially the martyrs "slain for the word of God," and the all-holy Mother of God (the Woman), the Bride of the Lamb, (Revelation 6:9-11; Rev 21:9; compare Rev 12) ⁵ and finally "a great multitude which no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes, and peoples and tongues." (Revelation 7:9) ⁶  --CCC

…….1139 It is in this eternal liturgy that the Spirit and the Church enable us to participate whenever we celebrate the mystery of salvation in the sacraments.