What is considered Liturgy? “The Church’s worship in its various aspects is called Liturgy. The Liturgy refers first of all to the Holy Mass, then to the Sacraments, the Processions, the Offices, the Funeral Rites, etc.”[i] “Of all the practices recommended by our holy religion – Morning and Evening Prayers, Prayers before and after Meals, Visits to the Most Holy Sacrament, Rosary, Way of the Cross, etc. – the august Sacrifice of the Mass is the greatest, the most precious and the most holy, as well as the most conductive to man’s salvation.”[ii]
What are Processions? There are many types of processions. A Corpus Christi Eucharistic procession which includes processing with the Blessed Sacraments and many times adoring Our Lord on altars that are set up in various places. There are also Marian Processions which may finish with the crowning of the Blessed Virgin.
What are the Offices? The Offices is another name for the Divine Office, Liturgy of the Hours or Christian Prayer. All of these names refer to the psalms, readings and hymns prayed by the Universal Church throughout the day. The Office flows from the Mass. One Saint described the Mass as the Sun and the Liturgy of the Hours as the rays that flow from the sun.
Why is Liturgy so important? Liturgy is the Doctrine of our Church lived out. When we go to Mass, receive the Sacraments, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, etc. we are living out what Christ and the Church teach. It is as if we stepped into the pages of a book and they come alive. “The Ecclesiastical Liturgy is in many respects nothing else but the metaphorical language of the doctrine of faith...Pope Sixtus V has said of it [Liturgy]: ‘The ecclesiastical Liturgy is the most beautiful confession of the true faith.’ Therefore it is also its aim to impart greater splendor to the holy proceedings, to render a more worthy homage to the Divine Majesty, to instruct and to edify the faithful by metaphorical language full of appeal and by a picturesque representation of the various parts of the religious truth. It is one of its intentions to show, by solemn ceremonies, the tendency of this or that doctrine, in an act full of meaning.”[iii]
What does it mean that the Liturgy is metaphorical language of the doctrine? This means that the Liturgy is full of images, stories, and tangible things that point us to a deeper reality, the transcendent beauty and truth of the mysteries of God. In the songwriting business there is a phrase, “Show, don’t tell”. In writing a song or poem the author shows us, he does not tell us. In the area of Faith the Liturgy “shows us”. Catechesis is the “telling” of the Faith. Liturgy is the “showing” of the Faith. “So, in the new Missal the rule of prayer (lex orandi) of the Church corresponds to her perennial rule of faith (lex credendi), by which we are truly taught that the sacrifice of his Cross and its sacramental renewal in the Mass, which Christ the Lord instituted at the Last Supper and commanded his Apostles to do in his memory, are one and the same, differing only in the manner of their offering; and as a result, that the Mass is at one and the same time a sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, propitiation, and satisfaction.” There are two laws in the Church, the law of prayer (Liturgy) and the law of faith (Catechesis). Catholics are also called to live these laws out in their life. We live what we believe and believe what we pray. We could also say that we live out our faith (Catechesis) which we learn primarily through our prayer (Liturgy).
The Mass is called “the Order of Mass”? What is so important about “order”? Why is there an “order”? The word liturgy comes from a Greek word that means “public service”. With any service, whether it is service to God or service to neighbor there is an order. In many non-Catholic communities the word “service” is used rather than Liturgy or Mass. People might say, “Are you going to Sunday Service” or “That was such a beautiful service.” With any service there is order. The following video shows a “order” or “pattern” to many Non-Denomination communities.
VIDEO - “Sunday's Coming - Movie Trailer”
Many times the service or liturgy can begin to mimic the culture and appeal to the senses, rather than the soul. The importance of Liturgy (Mass, Rites of the Sacraments, Liturgy of Hours), prayer and devotion is that it is timeless and does not depend on a time period or fads. The Liturgy is for all times, it is eternal, it appeals to the soul, which is eternal, not the senses, which are temporal.
What is the Order of the Mass? The following are the parts of the Order of the Mass.
Introit (Entrance Antiphon)
Greeting
Penitential Act (Confiteor)
Kyrie
Gloria
Collect (Opening Prayer)
First Reading
Responsorial Psalm
Second Reading
Alleluia or Gospel Acclamation
Gospel
Homily
Profession of Faith (Creed)
Prayer of the Faithful
Offertory
Preface
Sanctus
Consecration
Mystery of Faith
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Sign of Peace
Fraction Rite (Breaking of the Bread)
Agnus Dei
Communion of the Faithful
Prayer after Communion
Concluding Rite (Blessing, Dismissal)
ACTIVITY – The Order of the Mass
These 27 parts make up the Order of the Mass. Make twenty cards with the words above printed on them. Break up the group into groups of four or five. Scramble the cards and have the groups put the 27 in order. Once the groups have them in the correct order the following questions can be asked.
What are the propers of the Mass, the parts that change according to season, etc. (not including the readings)? Entrance Antiphon, Collect (Opening Prayer), Alleluia or Gospel Acclamation Verse, Offertory Antiphon, Prayer over the Offerings (Preface), Communion Antiphon, Prayer after Communion.
What are the ordinaries of the Mass, the parts that never change? Kyrie, Gloria, Creed, Sanctus, Consecration, Mystery of Faith, Amen, Lord’s Prayer, Sign of Peace, Fraction Rite, Agnus Dei, Communion of the Faithful.
What parts of the Mass are mentioned in Justin Martyr’s Apology? First Reading, Second Reading, Gospel, Homily, Prayer of the Faithful, Offertory, Preface, Consecration, Amen, Communion of the Faithful.
Why is the order important? What is the importance of the flow? What is the importance of each part?
[i] Roman Catholic Daily Missal (1962)
[ii] Roman Catholic Daily Missal (1962)
[iii] Roman Catholic Daily Missal (1962)