In the Eucharist,
Christ gives himself to us.
YOUCAT Catechism +
Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 180
Ave Maria series
180 Why is the Mass
sometimes referred to as a “worship service”?
A worship service is in the first place a service that God
performs for us—and only then is it our service offered to God. God gives himself to us under the form of
holy signs—so that we might do the same: give ourselves unreservedly to
him. [1145-1192]
A lay person reading scripture at St.
Francis Xavier parish in Cross Plains, WI.
Seated at right is Pastor Fr. Thomas L. Kelley. .....180
Jesus is there in Word and sacrament—God is present. That is the first and most important thing
about every liturgy. Only then do we
enter the picture. Jesus sacrifices his
life for us so that we might offer to him the spiritual sacrifice of our
life. In the Eucharist, Christ gives
himself to us, so that we might give ourselves to him. Thus we take part in the redeeming and
transforming sacrifice of Christ. Our
little life is burst open and led into the kingdom of God. God can live his life in our lives.
And whoever would be the first among you must be the slave
of all. For the Son of man also came not
to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:44-45
HOW IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED?
Signs and symbols
1145 A sacramental celebration is woven from signs and
symbols. In keeping with the divine pedagogy of salvation, their meaning is
rooted in the work of creation and in human culture, specified by the events of
the Old Covenant and fully revealed in the person and work of Christ. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second
Edition
1146 Signs of the human world. In human life, signs
and symbols occupy an important place. As a being at once body and spirit, man
expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols.
As a social being, man needs signs and symbols to communicate with others,
through language, gestures, and actions. The same holds true for his
relationship with God. –CCC
1147 God speaks to man through the visible
creation. The material cosmos is so presented to man's intelligence that he can
read there traces of its Creator. (compare Wisdom 13:1; Romans 1:19 f.; Acts of the Apostles 14:7)16 Light and darkness, wind and fire, water and earth, the
tree and its fruit speak of God and symbolize both his greatness and his
nearness. –CCC
1148 Inasmuch as they are creatures, these perceptible
realities can become means of expressing the action of God who sanctifies men,
and the action of men who offer worship to God. The same is true of signs and
symbols taken from the social life of man: washing and anointing, breaking
bread and sharing the cup can express the sanctifying presence of God and man's
gratitude toward his Creator. –CCC
1149 The great religions of mankind witness, often
impressively, to this cosmic and symbolic meaning of religious rites. The
liturgy of the Church presupposes, integrates and sanctifies elements from
creation and human culture, conferring on them the dignity of signs of grace,
of the new creation in Jesus Christ. –CCC
1150 Signs of the
covenant. The Chosen People
received from God distinctive signs and symbols that marked its liturgical
life. These are no longer solely celebrations of cosmic cycles and social
gestures, but signs of the covenant, symbols of God's mighty deeds for his
people. Among these liturgical signs from the Old Covenant are circumcision,
anointing and consecration of kings and priests, laying on of hands,
sacrifices, and above all the Passover. The Church sees in these signs a
prefiguring of the sacraments of the New Covenant. –CCC
1151 Signs taken up by
Christ. In his preaching
the Lord Jesus often makes use of the signs of creation to make known the
mysteries of the Kingdom of God. (compare Luke 8:10) 17 He performs healings and illustrates his preaching with
physical signs or symbolic gestures. (compare John 9:6; Mark 7:33
ff.; Mk 8:22 ff)18 He gives new meaning to the deeds and signs of the Old
Covenant, above all to the Exodus and the Passover, (compare Luke 9:31; Lk 22:7-20)19 for he himself is the meaning of all these signs. –CCC
1152 Sacramental signs. Since Pentecost, it is through the sacramental signs of
his Church that the Holy Spirit carries on the work of sanctification. The
sacraments of the Church do not abolish but purify and integrate all the
richness of the signs and symbols of the cosmos and of social life. Further,
they fulfill the types and figures of the Old Covenant, signify and make
actively present the salvation wrought by Christ, and prefigure and anticipate
the glory of heaven. –CCC
Words and actions
1153 A sacramental celebration is a meeting of God's children
with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form
of a dialogue, through actions and words. Admittedly, the symbolic actions are
already a language, but the Word of God and the response of faith have to
accompany and give life to them, so that the seed of the Kingdom can bear its
fruit in good soil. The liturgical actions signify what the Word of God
expresses: both his free initiative and his people's response of faith. –CCC
1154 The liturgy of the Word is an integral part of sacramental
celebrations. To nourish the faith of believers, the signs which accompany the
Word of God should be emphasized: the book of the Word (a lectionary or a book
of the Gospels), its veneration (procession, incense, candles), the place of
its proclamation (lectern or ambo), its audible and intelligible reading, the
minister's homily which extends its proclamation, and the responses of the
assembly (acclamations, meditation psalms, litanies, and profession of faith). –CCC
1155 The liturgical word and action are inseparable both
insofar as they are signs and instruction and insofar as they accomplish what
they signify. When the Holy Spirit awakens faith, he not only gives an
understanding of the Word of God, but through the sacraments also makes present
the "wonders" of God which it proclaims. The Spirit makes present and
communicates the Father's work, fulfilled by the beloved Son. –CCC
Singing and music
1156 "The musical tradition of the universal Church is a
treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The
main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and
words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy." (Sacrosanctum
concilium 112)20 The composition and singing of inspired psalms, often
accompanied by musical instruments, were already closely linked to the
liturgical celebrations of the Old Covenant. The Church continues and develops
this tradition: "Address . . . one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your
heart." "He who sings prays twice." (Ephesians 5:19;
St. Augustine, En. in Psalm 72,1:Patrologia Latina 36,914; compare Colossians 3:16.)21 –CCC
1157
Song and music
fulfill their function as signs in a manner all the more significant when they
are "more closely connected . . . with the liturgical
action," (Sacrsanctum
concilium 112 § 3)22 according to three principal criteria: beauty expressive
of prayer, the unanimous participation of the assembly at the designated
moments, and the solemn character of the celebration. In this way they
participate in the purpose of the liturgical words and actions: the glory of
God and the sanctification of the faithful: (compare Sacrosanctum
concilium 112)23 –CCC
How I wept, deeply moved by your hymns, songs, and the voices
that echoed through your Church! What emotion I experienced in them! Those
sounds flowed into my ears distilling the truth in my heart. A feeling of
devotion surged within me, and tears streamed down my face - tears that did me
good. (St. Augustine, Conf. 9,6,14:Patrologia Latina 32,769-770) 24 –CCC
1158 The harmony of signs (song, music, words, and actions)
is all the more expressive and fruitful when expressed in the cultural
richness of the People of
God who celebrate. (compare Sacrosanctum
concilium 119)25 Hence "religious singing by the
faithful is to be intelligently fostered so that in devotions and sacred
exercises as well as in liturgical services," in conformity with the
Church's norms, "the voices of the faithful may be heard." But
"the texts intended to be sung must always be in conformity with Catholic
doctrine. Indeed they should be drawn chiefly from the Sacred Scripture and
from liturgical sources." (Sacrosanctum
concilium 118; 121)26 --CCC
Holy images
1159 The sacred image,
the liturgical icon, principally represents Christ. It cannot represent the
invisible and incomprehensible God, but the incarnation of the Son of God has
ushered in a new "economy" of images: --CCC
Previously God, who has neither a body nor a face, absolutely
could not be represented by an image. But now that he has made himself visible
in the flesh and has lived with men, I can make an image of what I have seen of
God . . . and contemplate the glory of the Lord, his face unveiled. (St. John Damascene, De imag. 1,16:Patrologia Graeca 96:1245-1248) 27 --CCC
1160 Christian
iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture
communicates by words. Image and word illuminate each other: --CCC
We declare that we preserve intact all the written and unwritten
traditions of the Church which have been entrusted to us. One of these
traditions consists in the production of representational artwork, which
accords with the history of the preaching of the Gospel. For it confirms that
the incarnation of the Word of God was real and not imaginary, and to our
benefit as well, for realities that illustrate each other undoubtedly reflect
each other's meaning. (Council of Nicaea II (787): Conciliorum Oecumenicorum decreta 111) 28
--CCC
1161 All the signs in the
liturgical celebrations are related to Christ: as are sacred images of the holy
Mother of God and of the saints as well. They truly signify Christ, who is
glorified in them. They make manifest the "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1)29 who continue to
participate in the salvation of the world and to whom we are united, above all
in sacramental celebrations. Through their icons, it is man "in the image
of God," finally transfigured "into his likeness," (compare Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2)30 who is revealed to our
faith. So too are the angels, who also are recapitulated in Christ: --CCC
Following the divinely inspired teaching of our holy Fathers and
the tradition of the Catholic Church (for we know that this tradition comes
from the Holy Spirit who dwells in her) we rightly define with full certainty
and correctness that, like the figure of the precious and life-giving cross,
venerable and holy images of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ, our
inviolate Lady, the holy Mother of God, and the venerated angels, all the
saints and the just, whether painted or made of mosaic or another suitable
material, are to be exhibited in the holy churches of God, on sacred vessels
and vestments, walls and panels, in houses and on streets. (Council of Nicaea II:
Denzinger-Schönmetzer 600) 31 --CCC
1162 "The beauty of the images moves me to
contemplation, as a meadow delights the eyes and subtly infuses the soul with
the glory of God." (St. John Damascene, De imag. 1,27:Patrologia Graeca 94,1268A,B)32 Similarly, the contemplation of sacred
icons, united with meditation on the Word of God and the singing of liturgical
hymns, enters into the harmony of the signs of celebration so that the mystery
celebrated is imprinted in the heart's memory and is then expressed in the new
life of the faithful. --CCC
WHEN IS THE LITURGY
CELEBRATED?
Liturgical seasons
1163 "Holy Mother
Church believes that she should celebrate the saving work of her divine Spouse
in a sacred commemoration on certain days throughout the course of the year.
Once each week, on the day which she has called the Lord's Day, she keeps the
memory of the Lord's resurrection. She also celebrates it once every year,
together with his blessed Passion, at Easter, that most solemn of all feasts.
In the course of the year, moreover, she unfolds the whole mystery of Christ.
. . . Thus recalling the mysteries of the redemption, she opens up to
the faithful the riches of her Lord's powers and merits, so that these are in
some way made present in every age; the faithful lay hold of them and are filled
with saving grace." (Sacresanctum
concilium 102)33 --CCC
1164 From the time of the Mosaic law, the People of God have
observed fixed feasts, beginning with Passover, to commemorate the astonishing
actions of the Savior God, to give him thanks for them, to perpetuate their
remembrance, and to teach new generations to conform their conduct to them. In
the age of the Church, between the Passover of Christ already accomplished once
for all, and its consummation in the kingdom of God, the liturgy celebrated on
fixed days bears the imprint of the newness of the mystery of Christ. –CCC
1165 When the Church celebrates the mystery of Christ, there
is a word that marks her prayer: "Today!" - a word echoing the prayer
her Lord taught her and the call of the Holy Spirit. (compare Matthew 6:11; Hebrews 3:7- Heb 4:11; Psalms 95: 6)34 This "today" of the living God which man is
called to enter is "the hour" of Jesus' Passover, which reaches
across and underlies all history: --CCC
Life extends over all beings and fills them with unlimited
light; the Orient of orients pervades the universe, and he who was "before
the daystar" and before the heavenly bodies, immortal and vast, the great
Christ, shines over all beings more brightly than the sun. Therefore a day of
long, eternal light is ushered in for us who believe in him, a day which is
never blotted out: the mystical Passover. (St. Hippolytus, De
pasch. 1-2 Sources Chrẻtiennes
27,117)35
--CCC
WHEN IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED?
1166 "By a tradition handed down from the apostles which
took its origin from the very day of Christ's Resurrection, the Church
celebrates the Paschal mystery every seventh day, which day is appropriately
called the Lord's Day or Sunday." (Sacrosanctum
conilium 106)36 The day of Christ's Resurrection is both the
first day of the week, the memorial of the first day of creation, and the
"eighth day," on which Christ after his "rest" on the great
sabbath inaugurates the "day that the Lord has made," the "day
that knows no evening." (Byzantine liturgy.)37 The Lord's Supper is its center, for there the whole
community of the faithful encounters the risen Lord who invites them to his
banquet: (compare John 21:12; Luke 24:30)38 --CCC
The Lord's day, the day of Resurrection, the day of Christians,
is our day. It is called the Lord's day because on it the Lord rose victorious
to the Father. If pagans call it the "day of the sun," we willingly
agree, for today the light of the world is raised, today is revealed the sun of
justice with healing in his rays. (St. Jerome, Pasch.: Corpus Christianorum
Series Latina 78,550)39 --CCC
1167 Sunday is the pre-eminent day for the liturgical
assembly, when the faithful gather "to listen to the word of God and take
part in the Eucharist, thus calling to mind the Passion, Resurrection, and
glory of the Lord Jesus, and giving thanks to God who 'has begotten them again,
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' unto a living hope": (Sacrosanctum
concilium 106)40 --CCC
When we ponder, O Christ, the marvels accomplished on this day,
the Sunday of your holy resurrection, we say: "Blessed is Sunday, for on
it began creation . . . the world's salvation . . . the
renewal of the human race. . . . On Sunday heaven and earth rejoiced
and the whole universe was filled with light. Blessed is Sunday, for on it were
opened the gates of paradise so that Adam and all the exiles might enter it
without fear. (Fanqith, The
Syriac Office of Antioch, vol. VI, first part of Summer, 193 B)41 --CCC
The liturgical year
1168 Beginning with the
Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the Resurrection fills
the whole liturgical year with its brilliance. Gradually, on either side of
this source, the year is transfigured by the liturgy. It really is a "year
of the Lord's favor."( Luke 4:19)42 The economy of salvation is at work within
the framework of time, but since its fulfillment in the Passover of Jesus and
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the culmination of history is anticipated
"as a foretaste," and the kingdom of God enters into our time. –CCC
1169 Therefore Easter is not simply one feast among
others, but the "Feast of feasts," the "Solemnity of
solemnities," just as the Eucharist is the "Sacrament of
sacraments" (the Great Sacrament). St. Athanasius calls Easter "the
Great Sunday"( St.
Athanasius (ad 329) ep.
fest. 1:Patrologia Graeca 24,1366.)43 and the Eastern
Churches call Holy Week "the Great Week." The mystery of the
Resurrection, in which Christ crushed death, permeates with its powerful energy
our old time, until all is subjected to him. –CCC
1170 At the Council of Nicaea in 325, all
the Churches agreed that Easter, the Christian Passover, should be celebrated
on the Sunday following the first full moon (14 Nisan) after the vernal
equinox. Because of the different methods of calculating the 14th day of the
month of Nisan, the date of Easter in the Western and Eastern Churches is not
always the same. For this reason, the Churches are currently seeking an
agreement in order once again to celebrate the day of the Lord's Resurrection
on a common date. –CCC
1171 In
the liturgical year the various aspects of the one Paschal mystery unfold. This
is also the case with the cycle of feasts surrounding the mystery of the
incarnation (Annunciation, Christmas, Epiphany). They commemorate the beginning
of our salvation and communicate to us the first fruits of the Paschal mystery. –CCC
The sanctoral in the liturgical year
1172 "In celebrating
this annual cycle of the mysteries of Christ, Holy Church honors the Blessed
Mary, Mother of God, with a special love. She is inseparably linked with the
saving work of her Son. In her the Church admires and exalts the most excellent
fruit of redemption and joyfully contemplates, as in a faultless image, that
which she herself desires and hopes wholly to be."( Sacrosanctum Concilium 103.)44 –CCC
1173 When the Church
keeps the memorials of martyrs and other saints during the annual cycle, she
proclaims the Paschal mystery in those "who have suffered and have been glorified
with Christ. She proposes them to the faithful as examples who draw all men to
the Father through Christ, and through their merits she begs for God's
favors."(
Sacrosanctum Concilium 104;
cf. SC 108,111.)45 –CCC
The Liturgy of the Hours
1174 The mystery of
Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which we celebrate in the Eucharist
especially at the Sunday assembly, permeates and transfigures the time of each
day, through the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, "the divine
office." (compare Sacrosanctum
concilium, Ch. IV,83-101)46 This celebration, faithful to the apostolic exhortations
to "pray constantly," is "so devised that the whole course of
the day and night is made holy by the praise of God." (Sacrosanctum
concilium 84; 1
Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18)47 In this "public prayer of the Church,"48 the faithful (clergy, religious, and
lay people) exercise the royal priesthood of the baptized. Celebrated in
"the form approved" by the Church, the Liturgy of the Hours "is
truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the
very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the
Father. (Sacrosanctum
concilium 84)49 --CCC
1175 The Liturgy of the Hours is intended
to become the prayer of the whole People of God. In it Christ himself
"continues his priestly work through his Church." (Sacrosanctum
concilium 83)50 His members participate according to
their own place in the Church and the circumstances of their lives: priests
devoted to the pastoral ministry, because they are called to remain diligent in
prayer and the service of the word; religious, by the charism of their
consecrated lives; all the faithful as much as possible: "Pastors of souls
should see to it that the principal hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated
in common in church on Sundays and on the more solemn feasts. The laity, too,
are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among
themselves, or even individually." (Sacrosanctum
concilium 100;
compare SC 86; SC 96; SC
98; Presbyterorum
ordinis 5)51 --CCC
1176 The celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours demands not
only harmonizing the voice with the praying heart, but also a deeper
"understanding of the liturgy and of the Bible, especially of the
Psalms." (Sacrosanctum
concilium 90)52 --CCC
1177 The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours
integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the
symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being
celebrated. Moreover, the reading from the Word of God at each Hour (with the
subsequent responses or troparia)
and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters at certain Hours, reveal
more deeply the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, assist in
understanding the psalms, and prepare for silent prayer. The lectio divina, where the Word
of God is so read and meditated that it becomes prayer, is thus rooted in the
liturgical celebration. –CCC
1178 The Liturgy of the Hours, which is like an extension of
the Eucharistic celebration, does not exclude but rather in a complementary way
calls forth the various devotions of the People of God, especially adoration
and worship of the Blessed Sacrament. --CCC
WHERE IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED?
1179 The worship "in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24)53 of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one
place. The whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men. What
matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they
are the "living stones," gathered to be "built into a spiritual
house." (1 Peter 2:4-6)54 For the Body of the risen Christ is the
spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth:
incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, "we are the temple of the
living God." (2 Corinthians 6:16)55 --CCC
1180 When the exercise of religious liberty is not thwarted, (compare Dignitatis
humanae 4)56 Christians construct buildings for divine worship. These
visible churches are not simply gathering places but signify and make visible
the Church living in this place, the dwelling of God with men reconciled and
united in Christ. –CCC
1181 A church, "a house of prayer in which
the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble, and
where is worshipped the presence of the Son of God our Savior, offered for us
on the sacrificial altar for the help and consolation of the faithful - this house
ought to be in good taste and a worthy place for prayer and sacred
ceremonial." (Presbyterorum
ordinis 5; compare Sacrosanctum
concilium 122-127)57 In this "house
of God" the truth and the harmony of the signs that make it up should show
Christ to be present and active in this place. (compare Sacrosanctum
concilium 7)58 --CCC
1182 The altar of the New Covenant
is the Lord's Cross, (compare Hebrews 13:10)59 from which the sacraments of the
Paschal mystery flow. On the altar, which is the center of the church, the
sacrifice of the Cross is made present under sacramental signs. The altar is
also the table of the Lord, to which the People of God are invited. ( compare
General Instruction to Roman Missal 259)60 In
certain Eastern liturgies, the altar is also the symbol of the tomb (Christ
truly died and is truly risen). --CCC
1183 The tabernacle is to be situated
"in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honor." (Paul
VI, Mysterium
Fidei: Acta Apostolicae Sedis (1965) 771)61 The dignity, placing, and security of
the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really
present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. ( compare Sacrosanctum
concilium 128)62 --CCC
The sacred chrism (myron),
used in anointings as the sacramental sign of the seal of the gift of the Holy
Spirit, is traditionally reserved and venerated in a secure place in the
sanctuary. The oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick may also be placed
there. –CCC
1184 The chair of the bishop (cathedra) or that of the priest "should
express his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing
prayer." (General Instruction to Roman Missal
271)63 --CCC
The lectern (ambo): "The
dignity of the Word of God requires the church to have a suitable place for
announcing his message so that the attention of the people may be easily
directed to that place during the liturgy of the Word." (General Instruction to Roman Missal 272)64 --CCC
1185 The gathering of the
People of God begins with Baptism; a church must have a place for the
celebration of Baptism (baptistry) and for fostering
remembrance of the baptismal promises (holy water font). –CCC
The renewal of the baptismal life requires penance.
A church, then, must lend itself to the expression of repentance and the
reception of forgiveness, which requires an appropriate place to receive
penitents. –CCC
A church must also be a space that invites us to the
recollection and silent prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of
the Eucharist. –CCC
1186 Finally, the church has an eschatological significance.
To enter into the house of God, we must cross a threshold,
which symbolizes passing from the world wounded by sin to the world of the new
Life to which all men are called. The visible church is a symbol of the
Father's house toward which the People of God is journeying and where the
Father "will wipe every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 21:4)65 Also for this reason, the Church is the house of all
God's children, open and welcoming. --CCC
IN BRIEF
1187 The liturgy is the work of the whole Christ, head and
body. Our high priest celebrates it unceasingly in the heavenly liturgy, with
the holy Mother of God, the apostles, all the saints, and the multitude of
those who have already entered the kingdom.
–CCC
1188 In a liturgical celebration, the whole assembly is leitourgos,
each member according to his own function. The baptismal priesthood is that of
the whole Body of Christ. But some of the faithful are ordained through the
sacrament of Holy Orders to represent Christ as head of the Body. –CCC
1189 The liturgical celebration involves signs and symbols
relating to creation (candles, water, fire), human life (washing, anointing,
breaking bread) and the history of salvation (the rites of the Passover).
Integrated into the world of faith and taken up by the power of the Holy
Spirit, these cosmic elements, human rituals, and gestures of remembrance of
God become bearers of the saving and sanctifying action of Christ. –CCC
1190 The Liturgy of the Word is an integral part of the
celebration. The meaning of the celebration is expressed by the Word of God
which is proclaimed and by the response of faith to it. –CCC
1191 Song and music are closely connected with the liturgical
action. The criteria for their proper use are the beauty expressive of prayer,
the unanimous participation of the assembly, and the sacred character of the
celebration. –CCC
1192 Sacred images in our churches and homes are intended to
awaken and nourish our faith in the mystery of Christ. Through the icon of
Christ and his works of salvation, it is he whom we adore. Through sacred
images of the holy Mother of God, of the angels and of the saints, we venerate
the persons represented. –CCC
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