INPUT FOR JUNE 22 & 29, 2020

(Output should be written on the comments section on or before July 5, 2020)

The Liturgy Source of Life, Prayer and Catechesis (CCC 1071-1075)
Numbers 1071-1075 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) treat sacred liturgy
as source of life, as well as its relationship with prayer and catechesis. The liturgy is
source of life first of all because it is the “work of Christ” (CCC, 1071). In the second
place, because “it is also an action of his Church” (Ibid.). But which is the preeminent of
these two aspects? Moreover, what does the word “life” mean in this context?
Vatican Council II responds: “From the liturgy, hence, and particularly from the
Eucharist, grace flows in us as from a source, and obtained with the greatest efficacy is
the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God, to which all the other
activities of the Church tend as to their end” (Sacrosanctum Concilium [SC], 10).
Understood thus is that, when the liturgy is called source of life, from it grace flows.
Already answered here is the first question: the liturgy is source of life primarily because
it is the work of Christ, Author of grace.
A classic principle of Catholicism, however, states that grace does not take away nature,
rather it implies and perfects it (cf. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I, 1, 8 ad
2 etc.). Given this, man also cooperates in liturgical worship, which is the priestly action
of the “whole Christ,” namely the Head, which is Jesus, and the members, who are the
baptized. Thus, the liturgy is source of life also in as much as it is action of the Church.
Precisely in so far as work of Christ and of the Church, the liturgy is a “sacred action par
excellence” (SC, 7), it gives the faithful the life of Christ and requires their conscious,
active and fruitful participation (cf. SC, 11). Understood here is the bond between the
sacred liturgy and the life of faith: we could say “from Life to life.” The grace that is
given us by Christ in the liturgy calls for vital involvement: "The sacred liturgy does not
exhaust the entire activity of the Church” “ (SC, 9), in fact “it must be preceded by
evangelization, faith and conversion. It can then produce its fruits in the life of the
faithful” (CCC, 1072).
It is no accident that at the moment of bringing together in one volume the writings of J.
Ratzinger, entitled “Theology of the Liturgy,” thought was given to expressing one of the
fundamental intuitions of the author, adding the sub-title: “The Sacramental Foundation
of Christian Existence.” It is a translation in theological terms of what Jesus said in the
Gospel with the words: “apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). In the sacred
liturgy we receive the gift of the divine life of Christ without which we cannot do
anything valid for salvation. Hence, the life of the Christian is nothing other than a
continuation, or the fruit, of the grace that is received in divine worship, in particular,
the Eucharistic.
In the second place, the liturgy has a close relationship with prayer. Again, the focus of
understanding of this relationship is the Lord: “The liturgy is also a participation in
Christ’s own prayer addressed to the Father in the Holy Spirit. In the liturgy, all Christian
prayer finds its source and goal” (CCC, 1073). Hence, the liturgy is also source of prayer.
From it we learn to pray in the right way. As the liturgy is the priestly prayer of Jesus,
what can we learn from it for our personal prayer? In what did the Lord’s prayer
consist? “Fundamental to understand Jesus are the recurrent references to the fact that
he withdrew “on the mountain” and prayed there entire nights, “alone” with the Father.
[…] This “praying” of Jesus is the Son speaking with the Father which involves the human
consciousness and will, the human soul of Jesus, so that man’s “prayer” can become
participation in the communion of the Son with the Father” (J. Ratzinger/Benedict XVI,
“Jesus of Nazareth,” I, Rizzoli, Milan, 2007, pp. 27-28 [our translation]). In Jesus, his
“personal” prayer is not different from his priestly prayer: according to the Letter to the
Hebrews, the prayer made by Jesus during the Passion “constitutes the Mass in action of
the high priesthood of Jesus. Precisely in his crying, weeping and praying Jesus does
what is proper to the high priest: He carries the suffering of being men lifted up to God.
He bears man before God” (Ibid., II, LEV, 2010, p. 184).
In a word, Jesus’ prayer is a prayer of conversation, a prayer addressed to the presence
of God. Jesus teaches us this type of prayer: “It is necessary to always arouse this
relationship and to redirect it in continuation to daily events. We would pray that much
better the more profoundly is the orientation of our soul to God” (Ibid., I, p. 159).
Hence, the liturgy teaches us to pray because it re-orients us constantly to God: “Lift up
your hearts; we lift them up to the Lord!” Prayer is to be turned to the Lord – and this is
also the profound meaning of active participation in the liturgy.
Finally, prayer is the “privileged place of catechesis […] in as much as it proceeds from
the visible to the invisible” (CCC, 1074-1075). This implies that the texts, the signs, the
rites, the gestures and the ornamental elements of the liturgy must be such as to truly
transmit the Mystery they signify and can thus be usefully explained within the
mystagogic catechesis.
OUTPUT:
1. How does liturgy confer grace?
2. Explain: Liturgy must be preceded by evangelization, faith, and conversion.
How does liturgy confer grace?
Let it first be known that grace “is a participation in the life of God” (CCC 1997). As it was
stated in the input given, grace flows from its Author which is Christ. It is a participation in the
life of God because it provides us in partaking the Trinitarian way of life. When we’re baptized,
we become adopted sons of the Father in participation with the grace of Christ. Now the
liturgy confers grace by attending the Divine Worship or the Eucharist, from which we also
partake the gift of the Divine Life of Christ which is also proper for our salvation. That is why
LITURGY MUST BE PRECEDED BY EVANGELIZATION, FAITH, AND CONVERSION.
EVANGELIZATION
Evangelization is an essential counterpart when it comes in believing. After Jesus’
resurrection, He commissioned the Apostles: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the
Gospel to every creature.” (Mk 16:15) This sending forth of the eleven, means that they are
mandated in a missionary obligation, a commitment which include indispensable duties. Here
they are tasked to evangelize, it is THE PLANTING OF THE SEED OF FAITH. This seed is so
precious and fragile, it needs the individual to be open for the Spirit to work in him. Once the
seed is planted, it needs to be taken care of, that’s when Catechesis comes in action, because
it is the nurturing of the seed of faith. Now in connection with liturgy, a believer must first be
evangelized before all these for him to truly understand and appreciate what liturgy can do for
him/her in order to be saved.
FAITH and CONVERSION
Liturgy must be preceded faith and conversion because without faith and not having
oneself be converted, no one can ever truly grasp and comprehend the real essence of liturgy.
Let us say you are now nourishing your faith, the seed that has been planted to you has
already grown. It then automatically leads to conversion, we remember here Saul, a Christian
persecutor. Saul was converted and was baptized because of what the Lord has done to him
on his journey to Damascus.
So, with these in our mind, it is just right and proper that liturgy must always be
preceded by evangelization, faith and conversion. Because even in the simplest and practical
way of explanation, no person has attended the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass if he/she doesn’t
have faith in God. Or even so there was, I can assure you that there is a place for his/her heart
that is exclusive for that seed that needs to be treasured.
Let it be always known that we are all evangelizers and preachers of the Lord, we too
have that mandatory obligation that the Lord has given. Let us always keep the fire burning
within us, so that we may happily work for the Lord in His vineyard “The harvest is plentiful but
the workers are few.” (Mt 9:37)