"Until the Lord shall come in His majesty, and all the angels with Him and death being destroyed, all things are subject to Him; some of His disciples are exiles on earth, some having died are purified, and others are in glory beholding "clearly God Himself triune and one, as He is." Lumen gentium, 49 (Second Vatican Council, 1964)
In this statement, the Church articulates what she has always taught: that our membership in the mystical Body of Christ exists in three "states."
The great celebrations at this end of the liturgical year help us focus on each state of the Church. The Solemnity of All Saints (November 1st) calls us to celebrate the Church Triumphant, both to honor their holy lives and witness, and to ask them to intercede for us. We ask friends and family to pray for us all the time! The angels and saints in heaven are our friends and family too, and by their proximity to the throne of God in heaven, they are in a better position to bring our needs to the One who can fulfill them. The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed or All Souls' Day (November 2nd) calls us to pray and offer sacrifices for those who have died who are not yet purified. A soul in heaven has no need of our prayers! However, a soul in purgatory can no longer help themselves by prayer, fasting, and alms-giving, the "spiritual and corporal works of mercy" which we offer in life to join ourselves to Christ's self-offering. The Solemnity of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (November 9th) recognizes not only a building in Rome, the "Mother Church" and the seat of the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis. It also points to the Church on earth where we "are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit," with "Christ Jesus Himself as the capstone." (Eph. 2:20, 22). Prayer and sacrifice, growing in faith and charity, these constitute the mortar which binds us and allows us to join ourselves to the capstone. Truly, this is the "circle of life!" We in the Church Militant are DISCIPLING, offering ourselves in prayer and service for others, especially those in the Church Suffering who are PURIFYING, being made perfect by the merciful cleansing fire of Christ so that they may take their place in the Church Triumphant whose members are INTERCEDING for us, and the cycle continues. This great circle of the Church continues in three states until Jesus Christ comes again in glory as Eternal King. We look to this future event with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe or Christ the King, the final Sunday of the liturgical cycle (November 22nd this year). Blessings, and Happy November!
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At most of the parishes where I've served over the past thirty years, my job title was "Director of Music and Liturgy." I expect everyone could give some definition of the word “music,” but can we do the same for “liturgy?” We use the word often: “Liturgy of the Eucharist," “Liturgy of the Hours," “liturgical ministers," etc. The word “liturgy” comes from the Greek word λειτουργία (leitourgia) which literally means “public work.” The Church’s liturgy is how we worship “in public,” but even more importantly, it is how God works in our midst. Through liturgical worship we truly encounter God in action. For this reason, the “how to” of liturgy, the forms and materials prescribed for worship, are especially important. Much of the “how to” of Catholic worship comes from our Jewish heritage, which emphasized Scripture readings (especially the Psalms) and the offering of a sacrifice. Jesus himself gave his disciples the “how to” of prayer (“Our Father”) and the Eucharistic rite (“do this in memory of me”), among other rites. In addition to those prescribed in the Scriptures, the Church has based its liturgy on Sacred Tradition, passed down from the Apostles to our own day. The basic form of our Mass has been essentially unchanged for almost 2000 years! Around 150 A.D. St. Justin (Martyr) wrote a description of a Sunday liturgy very similar to our own: readings from the prophets and apostles, a Gospel reading, homily, presentation of bread and wine and prayers over the gifts, and partaking of what was clearly understood to be the actual Body and Blood of Christ. Since our faith calls us to public worship, the “how to” of liturgy is extremely important. The music we sing, the vestments we wear, the books we read from, the sacred vessels we raise, the gestures we make, when we sit stand or kneel, all of these things are not matters of personal preference but sacred actions prescribed for worship. Each act in our “liturgy” brings us closer to God, just as He is coming to us in the sacraments. Have a question about liturgy? Leave it in the comments here - maybe the next blog will give you the answer! Blessings! |
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December 2020
CategoriesAlex E. HillCatholic husband for 36 years. Catholic father of 6. Catholic musician, published Catholic composer. Lover of authentic Catholic liturgy and music, in line with Catholic teaching. Did we mention Catholic? |