The Liturgy
YOUCAT Catechism +
Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 166
Ave Maria series
God Acts in Our Regard by Means of Sacred Signs
166 Why does the Church
celebrate the liturgy so often?
The people of Israel interrupted their work “seven times a
day” (Psalm 119:164) in order to praise God. Jesus participated in the liturgy and prayer
of his people; he taught his disciples to pray and gathered them into the Upper
Room so as to celebrate with them the liturgy of all liturgies: the gift of
himself in the Last Supper. The Church,
which calls us to the liturgy, obeys his command, “Do this in remembrance of
me” (1 Corinthians 11:24b). [1066-1070]
Council Fathers with their
secretaries leaving St. Peter's Basilica Vatican II Council. Photo by Lothar Wolleh. ....140...166
Just as a man breathes air in order to stay alive, so too
the Church lives and breathes by celebrating the liturgy. God himself is the one who breathes new life
into her day by day and enriches her with gifts through his Word and his
sacraments. We can use another image,
too: every liturgy is like a rendezvous of love that God writes on our
calendar. Anyone who has already
experienced God’s love is glad to go to church.
Someone who from time to time feels nothing and goes nevertheless shows
God his faithfulness.
Liturgy: (from Greek
leiturgia=public work, service, achievement by and for the people): In the Christian Tradition, liturgy means
that the People of God participate in the “work of God”. The centerpiece of liturgical celebrations is
the Holy Eucharist; the other liturgies—for example, the celebration of other
sacraments, devotions, blessings, processions, and the Liturgy of the Hours—are
ordered to it.
“The liturgy is never a mere meeting of a group of people
who make up their own form of celebration…through our sharing in Jesus’ appearing
before the Father, we stand both as members of the worldwide community of the
whole Church and also of the communion of saints. Yes, in a certain sense this is the liturgy
of heaven.” --Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI, in “God and the
World”
[1066-1070]
Why the liturgy?
1066 In the Symbol of the faith the Church confesses the
mystery of the Holy Trinity and of the plan of God's "good pleasure"
for all creation: the Father accomplishes the "mystery of his will"
by giving his beloved Son and his Holy Spirit for the salvation of the world
and for the glory of his name.( Ephesians 1:9)1 –CCC
Such is the mystery of Christ, revealed and fulfilled in history
according to the wisely ordered plan that St. Paul calls the "plan of the
mystery"(Ephesians 3:9;
compare Eph 3:4)2 and the patristic tradition will call the "economy
of the Word incarnate" or the "economy of salvation."—CCC
1067 "The wonderful works of God among the people of the
Old Testament were but a prelude to the work of Christ the Lord in redeeming
mankind and giving perfect glory to God. He accomplished this work principally
by the Paschal mystery of his blessed Passion, Resurrection from the dead, and
glorious Ascension, whereby 'dying he destroyed our death, rising he restored
our life.' For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death
upon the cross that there came forth 'the wondrous sacrament of the whole
Church."'(Sacrosanctum
concilium 5 § 2; compare St. Augustine, En. in Psalm
138,2:Patrologia Latina 37,1784-1785)3 For this reason, the Church celebrates in the liturgy
above all the Paschal mystery by which Christ accomplished the work of our
salvation.—CCC
1068 It is this mystery of Christ that the Church proclaims
and celebrates in her liturgy so that the faithful may live from it and bear
witness to it in the world:--CCC
For it is in the liturgy, especially in the divine sacrifice of
the Eucharist, that "the work of our redemption is accomplished," and
it is through the liturgy especially that the faithful are enabled to express
in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature
of the true Church.( Sacrosanctum
concilium 2)4 –CCC
1069 The word
"liturgy" originally meant a "public work" or a
"service in the name of/on behalf of the people." In Christian
tradition it means the participation of the People of God in "the work of
God."(compare John 17:4)5 Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high
priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his Church.—CCC
1070 In the New Testament the word "liturgy" refers
not only to the celebration of divine worship but also to the proclamation of
the Gospel and to active charity.(compare Luke 1:23; Acts of the Apostles 13:2; Romans 15:16,27; 2 Corinthians 9:12; Philippians 2:14-17,25,30)6 In all of these situations it is a question of the
service of God and neighbor. In a
liturgical celebration the Church is servant in the image of her Lord, the one
"leitourgos";( compare Hebrews 8:2,6)7 she shares in Christ's priesthood (worship), which is
both prophetic (proclamation) and kingly (service of charity):--CCC
The liturgy then is rightly seen as an exercise of the priestly
office of Jesus Christ. It involves the presentation of man's sanctification
under the guise of signs perceptible by the senses and its accomplishment in
ways appropriate to each of these signs. In it full public worship is performed
by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and his members.
From this it follows that every liturgical celebration, because it is an action
of Christ the priest and of his Body which is the Church, is a sacred action
surpassing all others. No other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by
the same title and to the same degree.( Sacrosanctum
concilium 7 § 2-3)8 –CCC
Church Council
Fathers
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