Summary of the Week and a Reflection (29th & 30th March)

THE CELEBRATIVE MOMENT OF CHRISTIAN MYSTERY: THE LITURGY

Sr. Mary Mbom

1.1  What is liturgy? It is means the “work” or “work for the people” or “public service”. The essence of the liturgy is the actual work or deed done by God’s grace Christ, not the humanly invented ceremonies that carry it. It is what God does not what we do, and what God does is to redeem us from sin and make us holy. In the divine sacrament of the Eucharist, the work of redemption is accomplished. (CCC 1068). This accomplishment is not just a symbol but is really done. Through the liturgy, God gives us the dignity of sharing in his own work, opus Die which is the work of our redemption.

1.2  The Holy Spirit in the liturgy: when the Holy Spirit comes upon the bread and wine and accomplishes what surpasses every word and thought, bread becomes the body of Christ and wine becomes His blood. The same Holy Spirit through Mary, the word became flesh. (St John Damascene) In liturgical actions the Holy Spirit is sent in order to bring us into communion with Christ and so to form His body.(CCC 1108). The Holy Spirit is also to prepare the assembly to encounter Christ and to recall and manifest Christ to the faith of the assembly. Finally the Holy Spirit completes the liturgy as he completes the Trinitarian plan of salvation.

1.3  Who celebrates the liturgy? According to the book of Revelation, St John say it is the following:

A)    A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne, the Lord God. (Rev 4:2-8)

B)    It then shows the Lamb, standing as though it had been slain; Christ crucified and risen, the one high priest…. (Rev 5:6).

C)    The river of life…..flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Rev 22:1; CCC 1137)

           Those who take part in the service of the praise of God are the adorers and they are:

1)      Angels,

2)      All creation,

3)      The servants of the Old and New covenant,

4)      The new people of God,

5)      The martyrs slain because of the word,

6)      A great multitude which no one could count, from every tribe, nation, peoples and tongues.

To conclude this part, the liturgy is far greater than the universe and the liturgy is not in the world but vice versa.

2.2. The visible elements in the church

The altar is where the sacrifice is offered, it is also the tomb where Christ rose, and it is the Lord’s Table.

 Tabernacle. It is where the Blessed Sacrament is kept and they are situated in the most worthy place with the greatest honour.

Cathedral, this is the chair of the bishop in the cathedral, or that of the priest in the parish. Usually it is the biggest among all the other chairs on the altar.

The lectern or ambo, the word of God is being proclaimed from there.

Baptistry, is where baptism takes place.

     The church has a space where one is free to recollect and pray silently. It is the house of God and everyone is welcomed.

The life in the Spirit

3.1. Christ came into the world to communicate to us a wonderful treasure.

St Paul tells us that no one has ever seen God (Jn 1:8). We know something about Him from creation, about his power which creatures to existence, his wisdom in arrangement and his love to man. But His life is beyond us because we don’t what is in God’s heart. We cannot say how we were conceived in our mother’s wombs and how we grew to till when we were delivered. It goes same with not knowing who God is really is.

 In the Old Testament, God spoke Moses and revealed his name to him in the burning bush (Ex 3: 13-15). Still the Jews could not dare pronounce his name, they substituted it with different titles.