Liturgy The Church at Prayer
The Church at Prayer The Church is most fully the Church when it is at prayer. The Church is always at prayer because it is the Body of Christ. God, in the Trinity, is dynamic. Trinitarian theology: The Father begets the Son, the Son pours himself out in obedience and love for the Father. The love between them is love itself: the Holy Spirit. When the Church is at prayer, it is actively partaking in the prayer that is the Trinity. The sacraments are the highest form of this prayer.
The Liturgy: The Church at Prayer The Liturgy: Greek leit ergos: the work of the people; it is public work done on behalf of the people. The liturgy is the official prayer of the Church. It occurs during the celebration of the sacraments and the Liturgy of the Hours. The liturgy involves the whole person, including all the senses. The liturgy actively incorporates individuals into one body. The Liturgy of the Hours is prayed at regular intervals; it extends the prayer of the Mass. All religious (bishops, priests, deacons, monks, nuns) are obliged to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. The liturgy centers on praying the Psalms, but involves short readings, prayers, reflections and hymns.
The Liturgical Year Time is marked and measured not only hourly, but throughout the year. The liturgical year reflects the life of Christ during the course of a year. The Church, in re-enacting the life of Jesus, participates in that life. The Liturgical year is composed of Ordinary Time (Green), Lent (purple except for Good Friday),Easter (white), Advent (purple), and Christmas ( white) as well as various feasts and solemnities (white) and feasts of martyrs (red) Meaning/significance of Liturgical Colors
The Liturgical Year: Solemnities Solemnity (Latin: Sollemnitas, from Sollus Whole and Annus year: an annual celebration): the highest form of a feast day in the Church, generally celebrating a fundamental mystery of the Church. Usually associated with the life of Jesus, Mary, or an important saint. Solemnities may vary from diocese to diocese, or within particular orders. Individual parishes may also celebrate particular feasts as solemnities (e.g. a patron saint, or the anniversary of the dedication of one s own church.)
Liturgical year: Solemnities Solemnities are ranked in importance. First: The Paschal Triduum Sundays of Advent, Lent, Christmas, and Easter Ash Wednesday Weekdays of Holy Week up to and including Thursday Days within the Octave of Easter
Liturgical Year: Solemnities After the solemnities commemorating the central mysteries of faith, the ones having to do with the life of Christ have the most importance: E.g. Epiphany, Trinity Sunday, Pentecost, The Ascension, The Annunciation, Corpus Christi Next, the Solemnities having to do with Mary: e.g. The Assumption, The Immaculate Conception Finally, those having to do with particular saints: e.g. The Feast of Peter and Paul; St. Joseph, spouse of BVM
Liturgical year: solemnities After the solemnities from the General Roman Calendar, particular dioceses may celebrate feasts days as solemnities: Ireland: St. Patrick (also a Holy Day of Obligation) Wales: St. David Mexico: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Holy Day of Obligation) St. Augustine: Augustinians, the Diocese of Kalamazoo
Liturgical Year: Easter and Pentecost The Great Commission: Matthew 28:16-20 Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, until the end of the age. Christ sends the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to complete the promise to Abraham (Genesis 18:18); this is ultimately God s response to the Tower of Babel and the cycle of sin that started in the Garden. Israel is a type for the Church; i.e., person, thing, or event in the Old Testament that points allegorically to the new Testament.
Leadership of the Church Peter is appointed head: Mt 16:16-19 John 21: 15, 17 Acts 1:15-26 Peter calls for replacement of Judas Acts 2:14-40 Peter preaches/ speaks for the Apostles at Pentecost Sacramentally, Apostolic Succession occurs for the bishop during the Laying on of Hands during his ordination. Christ is: The Church receives: Primary Means: Priest The Sanctifying Office The Sacraments Prophet The Magisterium (Teaching) Deposit of Faith/Revelation King The Governing Office Canon Law/ Discipline
Magisterium The Church teaches that its faith was given to the Apostles and is preserved by the presence of the Holy Spirit. This authority is called the Magisterium Papal Infallibility: a charism given to the Pope on matters of Faith and morals, exercised ex cathedra ( From the chair ), or when he fully intends to pronounce a binding teaching, and is not just speaking speculatively. Episcopal Infallibility: similar to Papal Infallibility, bishops speak infallibly when pronouncing teachings in union with the Church, and give definitive interpretations for their diocese. N.B.: A bishop is not infallible on his own. Conciliar Infallibility: Bishops speak infallibly when gathered in and ecumenical council and in producing official documents. Ecumenical councils, because they are representations of the whole Church, speak with an authority similar to that of the Pope.
Ecumenical Councils Ecumenical Council: A gathering of all the bishops of the world, in the exercise of their collegial authority over the universal Church. An ecumenical council is usually called by the successor of St. Peter, the Pope, or at least confirmed or accepted by him. (CCC 884)
Ecumenical Councils (list not exhaustive) First Council of Nicea (325 A.D.): denied Arianism (heresy that Christ was the firstborn of Creation), asserted that Christ is of the same substance as the Father. Adopted the original Nicene Creed. Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.): repudiated Nestorianism (heresy that the two natures of Jesus meant he was also two persons united temporarily in the same body, and that Mary is not the Mother of God), asserted that Mary is Theotokos, the Mother of God. Also repudiated Pelagianism (the claim that humans redeem themselves by their own effort.) Council of Chalcedon (451): Repudiated Monophysitism (position that the human nature of Jesus was absorbed into the divine; formed in reaction to Nestorianism). Declared Jesus was true God and true Man. He has two natures united in one person.
Ecumenical Councils (non-exhaustive) Second Council of Nicea (787 A.D.) repudiated iconoclasm and restored the veneration of icons. Fourth Lateran Council (1215 A.D.) defined transubstantiation Council of Trent (1545-1563 A.D.) reformed the Church following Protestantism, defined the seven sacraments, strengthened clerical (priestly) education and discipline. Reforms, does not abolish, indulgences. First Vatican Council (1870): papal primacy in governance, defined papal infallibility, address the relationship between faith and reason Second Vatican Council (1963-1965): addressed relationship of Church to modern world, the liturgy, and ecumenism
Rite (church) Meaning marks of church Bride of Christ Ecumenism: contemporary efforts with Lutheran, Baptists, orthodox Inspiration of holy spirit on scripture: inspired, protected from error Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life among the sacraments Church necessary for salvation.