God and the Sacred
Liturgy
YOUCAT Catechism +
Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 170
Ave Maria series
God and the Sacred Liturgy
170 What is the
most profound origin of the liturgy?
The most profound origin of the liturgy is God, in whom
there is an eternal, heavenly banquet of love—the joy of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. Because God is
love, he would like to let us participate in the feast of his joy and to grant
us his blessings. [1077-1109]
King David Playing the Harp. Painting by Jan de Bray 1670. …..170
Our earthly liturgies must be celebrations full of beauty
and power: Feasts of the Father who created us-that is why the gifts of the
earth play such a great part: the bread, the wine, oil and light, incense,
sacred music, and splendid colors.
Feasts of the Son who redeemed us—that is why we rejoice in our
liberation, breathe deeply in listening to the Word, and are strengthened in
eating the Eucharistic Gifts. Feasts of
the Holy Spirit who lives in us—that is why there us a wealth of consolation,
knowledge, courage, strength, and blessing that flows from these sacred
assemblies. 179
Blessing: A blessing
is something good that comes from God (Latin benedicere; Greek eu-logein=to
call good) to bless is a divine, life-giving, and life-preserving action. God, the Father and Creator of all being,
says: It is good that you exist. The
fact that you are is something beautiful.
Then I will go to the altar of God, the God my exceeding
joy; and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Psalm 43:4
[1077-1109]
CHAPTER ONE – God and the Sacred Liturgy
THE LITURGY - WORK OF THE HOLY TRINITY
1077 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us before him in love to
be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the
praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the
Beloved."( Ephesians 1:3-6)3 –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition
1078 Blessing is a divine and
life-giving action, the source of which is the Father; his blessing is both
word and gift.( eu-logia, bene-dictio)4 When applied to man, the
word "blessing" means adoration and surrender to his Creator in
thanksgiving.—CCC
1079 From the beginning until the end of time the whole of God's work
is a blessing. From the liturgical
poem of the first creation to the canticles of the heavenly Jerusalem, the
inspired authors proclaim the plan of salvation as one vast divine blessing.—CCC
1080 From the very beginning God blessed all living beings,
especially man and woman. The covenant with Noah and with all living things
renewed this blessing of fruitfulness despite man's sin which had brought a
curse on the ground. But with Abraham, the divine blessing entered into human
history which was moving toward death, to redirect it toward life, toward its
source. By the faith of "the father of all believers," who embraced
the blessing, the history of salvation is inaugurated.—CCC
1081 The divine blessings were made manifest in astonishing and
saving events: the birth of Isaac, the escape from Egypt (Passover and Exodus),
the gift of the promised land, the election of David, the presence of God in
the Temple, the purifying exile, and return of a "small remnant." The
Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, interwoven in the liturgy of the Chosen
People, recall these divine blessings and at the same time respond to them with
blessings of praise and thanksgiving.—CCC
1082 In the Church's liturgy the divine blessing is fully revealed
and communicated. The Father is acknowledged and adored as the source and the
end of all the blessings of creation and salvation. In his Word who became
incarnate, died, and rose for us, he fills us with his blessings. Through his
Word, he pours into our hearts the Gift that contains all gifts, the Holy
Spirit. —CCC
1083 The dual dimension of the
Christian liturgy as a response of faith and love to the spiritual blessings
the Father bestows on us is thus evident. On the one hand, the Church, united
with her Lord and "in the Holy Spirit,"( Luke 10:21)5 blesses the Father
"for his inexpressible gift(2 Corinthians 9:15)6 in her adoration, praise,
and thanksgiving. On the other hand, until the consummation of God's plan, the
Church never ceases to present to the Father the offering of his own gifts and
to beg him to send the Holy Spirit upon that offering, upon herself, upon the
faithful, and upon the whole world, so that through communion in the death and
resurrection of Christ the Priest, and by the power of the Spirit, these divine
blessings will bring forth the fruits of life "to the praise of his
glorious grace." ( Ephesians 1:6 )7 —CCC
1084 "Seated at the right hand of the Father" and pouring
out the Holy Spirit on his Body which is the Church, Christ now acts through
the sacraments he instituted to communicate his grace. The sacraments are
perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible to our human nature. By the
action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit they make present
efficaciously the grace that they signify.
—CCC
1085 In the liturgy of the Church, it is
principally his own Paschal mystery that Christ signifies and makes present.
During his earthly life Jesus announced his Paschal mystery by his teaching and
anticipated it by his actions. When his Hour comes, he lives out the unique
event of history which does not pass away: Jesus dies, is buried, rises from
the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father "once for
all."( Romans 6:10; Hebrews 7:27; Heb 9:12; compare John 13:1; Jn 17:1)8 His
Paschal mystery is a real event that occurred in our history, but it is unique:
all other historical events happen once, and then they pass away, swallowed up
in the past. The Paschal mystery of Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in
the past, because by his death he destroyed death, and all that Christ is - all
that he did and suffered for all men - participates in the divine eternity, and
so transcends all times while being made present in them all. The event of the
Cross and Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life.—CCC
1086 "Accordingly, just as Christ was sent by the Father so also
he sent the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit. This he did so that they
might preach the Gospel to every creature and proclaim that the Son of God by
his death and resurrection had freed us from the power of Satan and from death
and brought us into the Kingdom of his Father. But he also willed that the work
of salvation which they preached should be set in train through the sacrifice
and sacraments, around which the entire liturgical life revolves."( Sacrosanctum
Concilium 6)9
--CCC
1087 Thus the risen Christ, by giving the Holy Spirit to the
apostles, entrusted to them his power of sanctifying(compare John 20:21-23)10 they became sacramental
signs of Christ. By the power of the same Holy Spirit they entrusted this power
to their successors. This "apostolic succession" structures the whole
liturgical life of the Church and is itself sacramental, handed on by the
sacrament of Holy Orders. --CCC
. . . is present in the earthly
liturgy . . .
1088 "To accomplish so
great a work" - the dispensation or communication of his work of salvation
- "Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical
celebrations. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass not only in the person
of his minister, 'the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who
formerly offered himself on the cross,' but especially in the Eucharistic
species. By his power he is present in the sacraments so that when anybody
baptizes, it is really Christ himself who baptizes. He is present in his word
since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the
Church. Lastly, he is present when the Church prays and sings, for he has
promised 'where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the
midst of them."'(Sacrosanctum
concilium 7; Matthew 18:20)11 –CCC
1089 "Christ, indeed,
always associates the Church with himself in this great work in which God is
perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is his beloved Bride who
calls to her Lord and through him offers worship to the eternal Father."( Sacrosanctum
concilium 7)12 –CCC
1090 "In the earthly
liturgy we share in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in
the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is
sitting at the right hand of God, Minister of the sanctuary and of the true
tabernacle. With all the warriors of the heavenly army we sing a hymn of glory
to the Lord; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and
fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until
he, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with him in glory."( Sacrosanctum
concilium 8;
compare Lumen gentium 50)13 --CCC
III. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND
THE CHURCH IN THE LITURGY
1091 In the liturgy the Holy
Spirit is teacher of the faith of the People of God and artisan of "God's
masterpieces," the sacraments of the New Covenant. The desire and work of
the Spirit in the heart of the Church is that we may live from the life of the
risen Christ. When the Spirit encounters in us the response of faith which he
has aroused in us, he brings about genuine cooperation. Through it, the liturgy
becomes the common work of the Holy Spirit and the Church. –CCC
1092 In this sacramental
dispensation of Christ's mystery the Holy Spirit acts in the same way as at
other times in the economy of salvation: he prepares the Church to encounter
her Lord; he recalls and makes Christ manifest to the faith of the assembly. By
his transforming power, he makes the mystery of Christ present here and now.
Finally the Spirit of communion unites the Church to the life and mission of
Christ. --CCC
The Holy Spirit prepares
for the reception of Christ
1093 In the sacramental
economy the Holy Spirit fulfills what was prefigured in the Old Covenant. Since Christ's Church
was "prepared in marvelous fashion in the history of the people of Israel
and in the Old Covenant,"( Lumen gentium 2)14 the Church's liturgy has retained certain elements of the
worship of the Old Covenant as integral and irreplaceable, adopting them as her
own:
-notably, reading the Old Testament;
-praying the Psalms;
-above all, recalling the saving events and
significant realities which have found their fulfillment in the mystery of
Christ (promise and covenant, Exodus and Passover, kingdom and temple, exile
and return). —CCC
1094 It is on this harmony of
the two Testaments that the Paschal catechesis of the Lord is built,(
compare Dei Verbum 14-16; Luke 24:13-49)15 and then, that of the
Apostles and the Fathers of the Church. This catechesis unveils what lay hidden
under the letter of the Old Testament: the mystery of Christ. It is called
"typological" because it reveals the newness of Christ on the basis
of the "figures" (types) which announce him in the deeds, words, and
symbols of the first covenant. By this re-reading in the Spirit of Truth,
starting from Christ, the figures are unveiled.( compare 2 Corinthians 3:14-16)16 Thus the flood and Noah's ark prefigured
salvation by Baptism,( compare 1 Peter 3:21)17 as did the cloud and the
crossing of the Red Sea. Water from the rock was the figure of the spiritual
gifts of Christ, and manna in the desert prefigured the Eucharist, "the
true bread from heaven." (John 6:32; compare 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 )18 --CCC
1095 For this reason the
Church, especially during Advent and Lent and above all at the Easter Vigil,
re-reads and re-lives the great events of salvation history in the
"today" of her liturgy. But this also demands that catechesis help
the faithful to open themselves to this spiritual understanding of the economy
of salvation as the Church's liturgy reveals it and enables us to live it. --CCC
1096 Jewish liturgy and Christian liturgy. A better knowledge of
the Jewish people's faith and religious life as professed and lived even now
can help our better understanding of certain aspects of Christian liturgy. For
both Jews and Christians Sacred Scripture is an essential part of their
respective liturgies: in the proclamation of the Word of God, the response to
this word, prayer of praise and intercession for the living and the dead,
invocation of God's mercy. In its characteristic structure the Liturgy of the
Word originates in Jewish prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours and other liturgical
texts and formularies, as well as those of our most venerable prayers,
including the Lord's Prayer, have parallels in Jewish prayer. The Eucharistic
Prayers also draw their inspiration from the Jewish tradition. The relationship
between Jewish liturgy and Christian liturgy, but also their differences in
content, are particularly evident in the great feasts of the liturgical year,
such as Passover. Christians and Jews both celebrate the Passover. For Jews, it
is the Passover of history, tending toward the future; for Christians, it is
the Passover fulfilled in the death and Resurrection of Christ, though always
in expectation of its definitive consummation. --CCC
1097 In the liturgy of the New Covenant every liturgical action, especially the celebration of the
Eucharist and the sacraments, is an encounter between Christ and the Church.
The liturgical assembly derives its unity from the "communion of the Holy
Spirit" who gathers the children of God into the one Body of Christ. This
assembly transcends racial, cultural, social - indeed, all human affinities. –CCC
1098 The assembly should prepare itself to encounter its Lord and to become "a people well
disposed." The preparation of hearts is the joint work of the Holy Spirit
and the assembly, especially of its ministers. The grace of the Holy Spirit
seeks to awaken faith, conversion of heart, and adherence to the Father's will.
These dispositions are the precondition both for the reception of other graces
conferred in the celebration itself and the fruits of new life which the
celebration is intended to produce afterward. --CCC
The Holy Spirit recalls
the mystery of Christ
1099 The Spirit and the Church
cooperate to manifest Christ and his work of salvation in the liturgy.
Primarily in the Eucharist, and by analogy in the other sacraments, the liturgy
is the memorial of the mystery of salvation. The Holy Spirit is the Church's
living memory.(compare John 14:26)19 --CCC
1100 The Word of God. The Holy Spirit first
recalls the meaning of the salvation event to the liturgical assembly by giving
life to the Word of God, which is proclaimed so that it may be received and
lived: --CCC
In the celebration of the
liturgy, Sacred Scripture is extremely important. From it come the lessons that
are read and explained in the homily and the psalms that are sung. It is from
the Scriptures that the prayers, collects, and hymns draw their inspiration and
their force, and that actions and signs derive their meaning. (
Sacrosanctum concilium 24)20 --CCC
1101 The Holy Spirit gives a
spiritual understanding of the Word of God to those who read or hear it,
according to the dispositions of their hearts. By means of the words, actions,
and symbols that form the structure of a celebration, the Spirit puts both the
faithful and the ministers into a living relationship with Christ, the Word and
Image of the Father, so that they can live out the meaning of what they hear,
contemplate, and do in the celebration. –CCC
1102 "By the saving word
of God, faith . . . is nourished in the hearts of believers. By this
faith then the congregation of the faithful begins and grows."( Presbyterorum
ordinis 4)21 The proclamation [of the Word of God] does not
stop with a teaching; it elicits the response of faith as consent and commitment, directed at the covenant between God
and his people. Once again it is the Holy Spirit who gives the grace of faith,
strengthens it and makes it grow in the community. The liturgical assembly is
first of all a communion in faith. –CCC
Anamnesis. The liturgical
celebration always refers to God's saving interventions in history. "The
economy of Revelation is realized by deeds and words which are intrinsically
bound up with each other. . . . [T]he words for their part proclaim
the works and bring to light the mystery they contain."( Dei Verbum 2)22 In the Liturgy of the Word the Holy Spirit "recalls"
to the assembly all that Christ has done for us. In keeping with the nature of
liturgical actions and the ritual traditions of the churches, the celebration
"makes a remembrance" of the marvelous works of God in an anamnesis
(a recalling to mind) which may be more or less developed. The Holy Spirit who
thus awakens the memory of the Church then inspires thanksgiving and praise (doxology).
–CCC
1103 Anamnesis. The liturgical
celebration always refers to God's saving interventions in history. "The
economy of Revelation is realized by deeds and words which are intrinsically
bound up with each other. . . . [T]he words for their part proclaim
the works and bring to light the mystery they contain."( Dei Verbum 2.)22 In the Liturgy of the Word the Holy Spirit
"recalls" to the assembly all that Christ has done for us. In keeping
with the nature of liturgical actions and the ritual traditions of the
churches, the celebration "makes a remembrance" of the marvelous
works of God in an anamnesis which may be more or less developed. The Holy
Spirit who thus awakens the memory of the Church then inspires thanksgiving and
praise (doxology).
The Holy Spirit makes
present the mystery of Christ
1104 Christian liturgy not
only recalls the events that saved us but actualizes them, makes them present.
The Paschal mystery of Christ is celebrated, not repeated. It is the
celebrations that are repeated, and in each celebration there is an outpouring
of the Holy Spirit that makes the unique mystery present. –CCC
1105 The Epiclesis ("invocation upon") is the intercession in which the
priest begs the Father to send the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, so that the
offerings may become the body and blood of Christ and that the faithful by
receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God.( compare Romans 12:1)23 –CCC
1106 Together with the
anamnesis [a recalling to mind], the epiclesis [invocation upon] is at the
heart of each sacramental celebration, most especially of the Eucharist: –CCC
You ask how the bread
becomes the Body of Christ, and the wine . . . the Blood of Christ I
shall tell you: the Holy Spirit comes upon them and accomplishes what surpasses
every word and thought. . . . Let it be enough for you to understand
that it is by the Holy Spirit, just as it was of the Holy Virgin and by the
Holy Spirit that the Lord, through and in himself, took flesh.(
St. John Damascene, De fide
orth. 4,13:Patrologia Graeca
94,1145A)24
–CCC
1107 The Holy Spirit's
transforming power in the liturgy hastens the coming of the kingdom and the
consummation of the mystery of salvation. While we wait in hope he causes us
really to anticipate the fullness of communion with the Holy Trinity. Sent by
the Father who hears the epiclesis [invocation upon] of the Church, the Spirit
gives life to those who accept him and is, even now, the "guarantee"
of their inheritance.( compare
Ephesians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 1:22)25 --CCC
The communion of the Holy Spirit
1108 In every liturgical
action the Holy Spirit is sent in order to bring us into communion with Christ
and so to form his Body. The Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father's vine
which bears fruit on its branches.( compare John 15:1-17; Galatians 5:22)26 The most intimate cooperation of the Holy
Spirit and the Church is achieved in the liturgy. The Spirit who is the Spirit
of communion, abides indefectibly in the Church. For this reason the Church is
the great sacrament of divine communion which gathers God's scattered children
together. Communion with the Holy Trinity and fraternal communion are
inseparably the fruit of the Spirit in the liturgy.(
compare 1 John 1:3-7)27 --CCC
1109 The epiclesis is also a prayer for the full effect of the
assembly's communion with the mystery of Christ. "The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit"( 2 Corinthians 13:13)28 have to remain with us
always and bear fruit beyond the Eucharistic celebration. The Church therefore
asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit to make the lives of the faithful a
living sacrifice to God by their spiritual transformation into the image of
Christ, by concern for the Church's unity, and by taking part in her mission
through the witness and service of charity. --CCC
IN BRIEF
1110 In the liturgy of the Church, God the Father is blessed
and adored as the source of all the blessings of creation and salvation with
which he has blessed us in his Son, in order to give us the Spirit of filial
adoption. –CCC
1111 Christ's work in the
liturgy is sacramental: because his mystery of salvation is made present there
by the power of his Holy Spirit; because his Body, which is the Church, is like
a sacrament (sign and instrument) in which the Holy Spirit dispenses the
mystery of salvation; and because through her liturgical actions the pilgrim
Church already participates, as by a foretaste, in the heavenly liturgy. --CCC
1112 The mission of the Holy Spirit in the liturgy of the
Church is to prepare the assembly to encounter Christ; to recall and manifest
Christ to the faith of the assembly; to make the saving work of Christ present
and active by his transforming power; and to make the gift of communion bear
fruit in the Church. –CCC
OT David playing the harp
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