02-06-2022
TEXT
THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF THE PASCHAL MYSTERY
(CCC 1131-1211)
CELEBRATING THE LITURGY OF THE CHURCH
Who
celebrates?
233. Who acts in the liturgy?
1135-1137
1187
In the liturgy it is the whole Christ (Christus
Totus) who acts, Head and Body. As our High Priest he celebrates with his
body, which is the Church in heaven and on earth.
234. Who celebrates the heavenly liturgy?
1138-1139
The heavenly liturgy is celebrated by the angels, by the saints of
the Old and New Testament, particularly the Mother of God, by the Apostles, by
the martyrs, and by the “great multitude which no one could number from every
nation, race, people, and tongue.” (Revelation 7:9). When we
celebrate the mystery of our salvation in the sacraments we participate in this
eternal liturgy.
235. How does the Church on earth celebrate the liturgy?
1140-1144
1188
The Church on earth celebrates the liturgy as a priestly people in
which each one acts according to his proper function in the unity of the Holy
Spirit. The baptized offer themselves in a spiritual sacrifice; the ordained
ministers celebrate according to the Order they received for the service of all
the members of the Church; the bishops and priests act in the Person of Christ
the Head.
How is
the liturgy celebrated?
236. How is the liturgy celebrated?
1145
The celebration of the liturgy is interwoven with signs and
symbols whose meaning is rooted in creation and in human culture. It is
determined by the events of the Old Testament and is fully revealed in the
Person and work of Christ.
237. From where do the sacramental signs come?
1146-1152
1189
Some come from created things (light, water, fire, bread, wine,
oil); others come from social life (washing, anointing, breaking of bread).
Still others come from the history of salvation in the Old Covenant (the
Passover rites, the sacrifices, the laying on of hands, the consecrations).
These signs, some of which are normative and unchangeable, were taken up by
Christ and are made the bearers of his saving and sanctifying action.
238. What is the link between the actions and the words in the
celebration of the sacraments?
1153-1155
1190
Actions and words are very closely linked in the celebration of
the sacraments. Indeed, even if the symbolic actions are already in themselves
a language, it is necessary that the words of the rite accompany and give life
to these actions. The liturgical words and actions are inseparable both insofar
as they are meaningful signs and insofar as they bring about what they signify.
239. What are the criteria for the proper use of singing and music
in liturgical celebrations?
1156-1158
1191
Since song and music are closely connected with liturgical action
they must respect the following criteria. They should conform to Catholic
doctrine in their texts, drawn preferably from Sacred Scripture and liturgical
sources. They should be a beautiful expression of prayer. The music should be
of a high quality. Song and music should encourage the participation of the
liturgical assembly. They should express the cultural richness of the People of
God and the sacred and solemn character of the celebration. “He who sings,
prays twice” (Saint Augustine).
240. What is the purpose of holy images?
1159-1161
1192
The image of Christ is the liturgical icon par excellence.
Other images, representations of Our Lady and of the Saints, signify Christ who
is glorified in them. They proclaim the same Gospel message that Sacred
Scripture communicates by the word and they help to awaken and nourish the
faith of believers.
When is
the liturgy celebrated?
241. What is the center of the liturgical season?
1163-1167
1193
The center of the liturgical season is Sunday which is the
foundation and kernel of the entire liturgical year and has its culmination in
the annual celebration of Easter, the feast of feasts.
242. What is the function of the liturgical year?
1168-1173
1194-1195
In the liturgical year the Church celebrates the whole mystery of
Christ from his Incarnation to his return in glory. On set days the Church
venerates with special love the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. The
Church also keeps the memorials of saints who lived for Christ, who suffered
with him, and who live with him in glory.
243. What is the Liturgy of the Hours?
1174-1178
1196
The Liturgy of the Hours, which is the public and common prayer of
the Church, is the prayer of Christ with his body, the Church. Through the
Liturgy of the Hours the mystery of Christ, which we celebrate in the
Eucharist, sanctifies and transforms the whole of each day. It is composed
mainly of psalms, other biblical texts, and readings from the Fathers and
spiritual masters.
Where is
the liturgy celebrated?
244. Does the Church need places in order to celebrate the
liturgy?
1179-1181
1197-1198
The worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24) of the
New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any place because Christ is the true
temple of God. Through him Christians and the whole Church become temples of
the living God by the action of the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, the people of God
in their earthly condition need places in which the community can gather to
celebrate the liturgy.
245. What are sacred buildings?
1181
1198-1199
They are the houses of God, a symbol of the Church that lives in
that place as well as of the heavenly Jerusalem. Above all they are places of
prayer in which the Church celebrates the Eucharist and worships Christ who is
truly present in the tabernacle.
246. What are the privileged places inside sacred buildings?
1182-1186
They are: the altar, the tabernacle, the place where the sacred
Chrism and other holy oils are kept, the chair of the bishop (cathedra) or the
chair of the priest, the ambo, the baptismal font, and the confessional.
LITURGICAL
DIVERSITY AND THE UNITY OF THE MYSTERY
247. Why is the one Mystery of Christ celebrated by the Church
according to various liturgical traditions?
1200-1204
1207-1209
The answer is that the unfathomable richness of the mystery of
Christ cannot be exhausted by any single liturgical tradition. From the very
beginning, therefore, this richness found expression among various peoples and
cultures in ways that are characterized by a wonderful diversity and
complementarity.
248. What is the criterion that assures unity in the midst of
plurality?
1209
It is fidelity to the Apostolic Tradition, that is, the communion
in the faith and in the sacraments received from the apostles, a communion that
is both signified and guaranteed by apostolic succession. The Church is
Catholic and therefore can integrate into her unity all the authentic riches of
cultures.
249. Is everything immutable in the liturgy?
1205-1206
In the liturgy, particularly in that of the sacraments, there are
unchangeable elements because they are of divine institution. The Church is the
faithful guardian of them. There are also, however, elements subject to change
which the Church has the power and on occasion also the duty to adapt to the
cultures of diverse peoples.
Section
Two
The Seven Sacraments of the Church
The seven sacraments are:
Baptism
Confirmation
Holy Eucharist
Penance
Anointing of the Sick
Holy Orders
Matrimony
Septem
Ecclesiae Sacramenta
Baptísmum
Confirmátio
Eucharístia,
Paeniténtia,
Únctio infirmórum
Ordo
Matrimónium.
250. How are the sacraments of the Church divided?
1210-1211
The sacraments are divided into: the sacraments of Christian
initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist); the sacraments of
healing (Penance and Anointing of the Sick);, and the sacraments at the service
of communion and mission (Holy Orders and Matrimony). The sacraments touch all
the important moments of Christian life. All of the sacraments are ordered to
the Holy Eucharist “as to their end” (Saint Thomas Aquinas).
THE
SACRAMENTALS
351. What are the sacramentals?
1667-1672
1677-1678
These are sacred signs instituted by the Church to sanctify
different circumstances of life. They include a prayer accompanied by the sign
of the cross and other signs. Among the sacramentals which occupy an important
place are: blessings, which are the praise of God and a prayer to obtain his
gifts, the consecration of persons and the dedication of things for the worship
of God.
352. What is an exorcism?
1673
When the Church asks with its authority in the name of Jesus that
a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn
from his dominion, it is called an exorcism. This is done in ordinary form in
the rite of Baptism. A solemn exorcism, called a major exorcism, can
be performed only by a priest authorized by the bishop.
353. What forms of popular piety accompany the sacramental life of
the Church?
1674-1676
1679
The religious sense of the Christian people has always found
expression in the various forms of piety which accompany the sacramental life
of the Church such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries,
pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross and the rosary. The Church
sheds the light of faith upon and fosters authentic forms of popular piety.
CHRISTIAN
FUNERALS
354. What is the relationship between the sacraments and the death
of a Christian?
1680-1683
The Christian who dies in Christ reaches at the end of his earthly
existence the fulfillment of that new life which was begun in Baptism,
strengthened in Confirmation, and nourished in the Eucharist, the foretaste of
the heavenly banquet. The meaning of the death of a Christian becomes clear in
the light of the death and Resurrection of Christ our only hope. The Christian
who dies in Christ Jesus goes “away from the body to be at home with the Lord”
(2 Corinthians 5:8).
355. What do funeral rites express?
1684-1685
Although celebrated in different rites in keeping with the
situations and traditions of various regions, funerals express the paschal
character of Christian death in hope of the resurrection. They also manifest
the meaning of communion with the departed particularly through prayer for the
purification of their souls.
356. What are the main moments in funerals?
1686-1690
Usually, funeral rites consist of four principal parts: welcoming
the body of the deceased by the community with words of comfort and hope, the
liturgy of the Word, the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and the farewell in which the
soul of the departed is entrusted to God, the Source of eternal life, while the
body is buried in the hope of the resurrection.
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