Did You Know?

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1070) there are three aspects to Christian liturgy: 1) the celebration of divine worship, 2) the proclamation of the Gospel, and 3) active charity. Full, active participation at the Eucharistic liturgy involves conscious presence, praying, singing, and acting in union with the whole assembly. (“Privatizing” one’s participation – not sharing with others – ‘doing one’s own thing’ – is really contrary to the spirit of the Liturgy and not in accord with Catholic teaching.) Catholic Liturgy is public (community) worship which honors God, teaches His people, and leads them to deeper faith and greater holiness, as a whole Community. Our Catholic understanding of Liturgy is Trinitarian (the Perfect Community/Unity of the Godhead): it is offered by the whole Christ, Head and members, by JESUS our High Priest and his brothers and sisters. It is offered to the Father through the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit! That is really the foundational base of Catholic Liturgy. There will be local variations in the forms, as directed by the Diocesan Bishop – the “Chief Liturgical Officer” – and as shaped by the culture of the Parish Community. These variations in ‘form’ – eg. standing at certain points, (in some Parishes the whole assembly remains standing throughout the distribution of Holy Communion); holding hands at the ‘Our Father’; in our Parish a slight bowing of the head at the Holy Name of JESUS, etc. are local ‘customs’ and not part of the Sacred Tradition of the Church. Here the ancient rule applies: “In essentials there must UNITY; in non-essentials (customs) there must be LIBERTY; and in all things there must be CHARITY.” When visiting other Parishes, be a good guest in CHARITY, honoring that Community’s ‘customs’ and do not impose your ‘customary’ way of worship. Again, remember the ancient wisdom – offered by St. Ambrose: “When in Rome, do as the Romans.” which the Saint advised specifically in reference to local “customs”. Be sensitive and charitably accepting of the “customs” of the Parish Community you are visiting and do not “privatize” the Liturgy, by doing your “customary” thing, if it draws attention to yourself, or otherwise violates the spirit of UNITY which should always characterize Catholic Liturgy. Routines in any part of life can occasion carelessness – and we can never be ‘casual’ or careless about the Sacred Liturgy and the unique encounter with the Living God which it provides!