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A few of the general principles for the reform

“Christ is always present in his Church, especially in its liturgical celebrations.” (#7)

[Just a little sidebar on these numbers that you will see from time to time as we display quotations in this section. These numbers refer to the paragraph numbers from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy or CSL]

in the person of the minister (the priest)

especially in the Eucharistic elements (the Body and Blood of Christ)

in the sacraments

in the word as Scripture is proclaimed

in the people gathered for prayer

The earthly liturgy is a foretaste of the “heavenly liturgy” celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.” (CSL #8)

It is the worship of the whole Body of Christ of which we are members:

In the liturgy the whole public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is by the Head and his members. (CSL #7)

Nevertheless, the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows. For the aim and object of apostolic works is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and to eat the Lord’s supper. (CSL #10)

The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font [fountain] from which all the Church’s power flows.

Why is liturgy the font?

If you look at the meaning of the word ‘font’ you can see all these different descriptions. (Source, origin, cause, bud, germ, egg, rudiment, genesis, beginning, birth, starting point, entrance, mainspring, groundwork, foundation, well, reservoir, reason)

In other words, the liturgy is the source of the Church’s power.

What does ‘summit’ mean?

Highest point, top, apex, zenith, pinnacle, acme, culmination, utmost, maximum, climax, peak, crest, paramount, unparalleled, unequaled, unapproached, unsurpassed, superlative

In other words, the highest point toward which the work of the Church is directed is the liturgy.

So again, we look to the Liturgy as the Source and Summit which the Church is directed because the liturgy is the “most effective way possible” for achieving human sanctification and God’s glorification, and these are “the end to which all the Church’s other activities are directed.” (#10)

“The Church earnestly desires that all the faithful be led to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations called for by the very nature of the liturgy.” (#14)

“This full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered above all else ”because it is the “primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit.” (#14)

Pray the Mass – do not just pray during Mass. Virgil Michel

Active participation = engagement in the postures and processions, acclaiming and praying, singing and silences of the rite

Conscious participation = surrender to becoming assembly/Church; giving self over to something bigger than self; saying a conscious yes to God’s presence and

activity

Full participation = openness to God’s transforming action; being transformed by the Holy Spirit into ever more perfect members of the body of Christ

Exterior participation is that which can be observed. We participate by doing all of the parts assigned to the people, such as praying, singing, responding, processing, listening, standing, sitting, kneeling, shaking hands, eating, drinking…

Note that participation in the verbal parts was facilitated after Vatican II because the liturgy began to be celebrated in English.

How easy it is to participate in all the outward ways (singing, giving the appropriate responses, even receiving communion) but not allowing ourselves to be really touched at the core of our being.

We know the liturgy by heart, and sometimes that can make our participation mechanical and automatic, scarcely aware of what we are doing, able to daydream about all kinds of other things.

So we need “Participation of the heart” – we have intentionality about what we are doing:

No matter what is going on in my life, I will participate to the best of my ability today.

I will listen to what God is saying in my heart (in the core of my being) and I will take that message with me into the experiences of the week.

I will live out what I have proclaimed in the liturgy and work for the Reign of God in our midst today.

Ultimately, liturgical participation means participating in the Paschal Mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus: dying and rising with him; laying down our lives with his for one another.

To be present to the moment in the midst of silence is also a form of participation.

This participation is our right and duty by reason of our baptism (#14)

A “right” is a privilege – we have a right to participate

A “duty” is a responsibility – we have an obligation to participate.

The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this mystery of faith,

a. Should not be there as strangers or silent spectators [but as full participants]; through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration.

b. They should be instructed by God’s word and be nourished at the table of the Lord’s body;

c. They should give thanks to God;

d. By offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves;

e. Through Christ the Mediator, they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all.

During one liturgical year, the Church celebrates the entire mystery of Christ.

Within the cycle of a year the Church unfolds the whole mystery of Christ, from his incarnation and birth until his ascension, the day of Pentecost and the expectation of the blessed hope and of the Lord’s return. (#102)

Sunday is the foundation and core of the whole liturgical year. (#106)

On the Lord’s Day, we must come together if we are faithful to Christ.

To hear the word of God and take part in the Eucharist

To call to mind the passion, the resurrection, and the glorification of the Lord Jesus

To thank God who gives us hope

Note: The CSL: other Liturgical Year decrees

SEASONS - Preserve the customs of the seasons: The liturgical year is to be revised so that the traditional customs and discipline of the sacred seasons shall be preserved or restored to suit the conditions of modern times; (#107)

Precedence in certain celebrations: Example – the Proper of the Seasons is given precedence over the feasts of saints

SACRED MUSIC

SACRED ART

How do we pray the Liturgy?

At this point, we want to talk about our Liturgy not in chronological order but put together according to type.

We have Kinetic experiences – movement: postures, gestures, actions, processions.

We have Acoustic experiences- words, sung and spoken, and silence.

Most people seem to focus on the verbal parts of the Mass (words) but let’s take a few moments to look at the non-verbal ways we pray our Liturgy that helps us to broaden our understanding of the nature and ritual of worship.

1.Postures: Standing (Honor; Readiness); Sitting (Listening; meditating) Kneeling (Adoration, lowliness, repentance)

2.Symbolic Gestures: Making the Sign of the Cross (marks us as followers of Christ); Shaking Hands = (Peace, communion, charity)

3.Actions: Genuflecting (Reverence/Adoration); Bowing (Sign of Honor/Respect);

4.Processions: Entrance, Gospel, Gifts, Communion, Recessional. Very important during Holy Week: Palms, Chrism Mass, Transfer of Eucharist, Cross, Easter Candle

5.Gathering: We begin to shift focus – Why have we come (to give glory to God and to learn how to grow in holiness

6.Leaving-taking: Leave with a mission to do good works, praising and blessing God

1.Scripture: God speaks to us; Christ is present in the word – it is He Himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in Church; we make the word our own

2.Preaching: We learn the meaning of the scriptures or the feast we are celebrating and how they apply to our lives today

3.Presidential Prayer Texts (Prayers of the Presider): They include the Opening Prayer (‘collects’ our prayers); Prayer over the Offerings (accepts and blesses our gifts); Eucharistic Prayer (Center and summit of the Mass; a prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification); Prayer after Communion (we ask that the Eucharist we have just celebrated will have the spiritual effect of allowing us to bear fruit in our lives.

4.Congregational Texts: Dialogues (Greeting, After Readings, Preface Beginning); Litanies (Lord Have Mercy, General Intercessions, Lamb of God); Glory to God (prayer of joy and praise); Creed (we profess what we believe); Acclamations (Gospel Acclamation, Holy-Holy-Holy, Memorial Acclamation, Great Amen); Lord’s Prayer (the prayer that Jesus taught us)

5.Processional Chants: Entrance Song [Antiphon] (preparation and unity); Communion Song [Antiphon] (union in spirit, joy of heart)

6.Singing: Music choices should “correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and … foster the participation of all the faithful.” [GIRM 41]

7.Silence: Recollection, meditation, prayer