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Pneumatological Aspect of the Liturgy

Liturgy as Worship to the Father through Christ

in the Holy Spirit
1. CCC 1091: “In the liturgy, the Holy Spirit is teacher of the faith of the People of God and
artisan of “God’s masterpieces”, the sacraments of the New Covenant. The desire and
work of the Spirit in the heart of the Church is that we may live from the life of the risen
Christ. When the Spirit encounters in us the response of faith which he has aroused in us,
he brings about genuine cooperation. Through it, the liturgy becomes the common work
of the Holy Spirit and the Church.”

2. The Holy Spirit in the Life and Mission of Christ. The role of the Holy Spirit in the liturgy
should be seen from the perspective of his role in the life and mission of Christ. As the
mystery of Christ was the work accomplished by the Father in the Holy Spirit, so is the
presence of that mystery in the liturgy a work accomplished by the Father in the Holy
Spirit.

a. Incarnation: Jesus as “huios” (= Son)

Incarnation and Baptism: the Holy Spirit covered the Virgin Mary with his shadow and
gave human life to the Word, that is, made him Son of Man; in Baptism, the Holy Spirit
comes to the fount of the Church and infuses divine life to man, that is, makes him
child of God.

Incarnation was the “humanization of God”, while Baptism is the “divinization of

man;” and both are work of the Holy Spirit.

b. Baptism and Mission: Jesus as “christos” (= the Anointed One)

Sacrament of Confirmation: The Christian is anointed with the Holy Spirit to

become sacrament of Christ to the world by his life of faith and work.

c. Death and Glorification: Jesus as “kyrios” (= Lord, sender of the Holy Spirit)
Sacrament of the Eucharist: By partaking of the bread and wine made into the Body
and Blood of Christ by the action of the Holy Spirit, the
faithful become “one body, one Spirit in Christ”.
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3. The Holy Spirit in the Liturgy

a. Liturgy as anamnesis. The Holy Spirit recalls the mystery of Christ. 1 The Holy Spirit is
the Church’s living memory. In the Liturgy of the Word, the Holy Spirit “recalls” to
the assembly all that Christ has done for us. In keeping with the nature of liturgical
action, the celebration “makes remembrance” of the marvelous works of God. The
Holy Spirit who thus awakens the memory of the Church then inspires thanksgiving
and praise (doxology).2

b. Liturgy as epiclesis. The Holy Spirit makes present the mystery of Christ. 3 Christian
liturgy not only recalls the events that saved us but actualizes them, makes them
present. The Paschal Mystery of Christ is celebrated, not repeated. It is the
celebrations that are repeated, and in each celebration there is an outpouring of the
Holy Spirit that makes the unique mystery present.

Liturgical epiclesis is the prayer addressed by the Church to the Father through Christ
our Lord to send the Holy Spirit on sacramental elements like water, bread, wine, oil
(consecratory epiclesis) or on the community or individual (before Communion at
Mass: communion epiclesis; at ordination: ordination epiclesis, etc.). Through the
epiclesis, the Holy Spirit becomes present to the elements and to the community or
individual and effects consecration, sanctification, forgiveness, etc. The liturgical
gesture expressing the epiclesis is the laying on of hands. 4

c. Just as the paschal mystery culminated in the mystery of Pentecost, so does

anamnesis culminate in epiclesis; thus, every liturgical action as anamnesis of the
paschal mystery culminates in epiclesis or bestowal of the Holy Spirit. 5

d. The role of the Holy Spirit in the liturgical life of the Church is seen in the anamnetic-
epicletic content of various liturgical celebrations: sacraments, sacramentals and
blessings, liturgy of the hours, liturgical year.

1
Cf. CCC 1099.
2
CCC 1103.
3
CCC 1104.
4
A. J. Chupungco, “A Definition of Liturgy,” in Handbook for Liturgical Studies 1: Introduction to the
Liturgy, ed. A. J. Chupungco, Collegeville 1997, 7.
5
Ibid.