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Sacred & Holy The Sacred Liturgy and The Holy Mass Please take a moment to read what our Holy Mother, the Church says of them. The following is taken from The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium): (excerpts from Chapter 1) 5.) ... The wonderful works of God among the people of the Old Testament were but a prelude to the work of Christ Our Lord in redeeming mankind and giving perfect glory to God. He achieved his task principally by the paschal mystery of his blessed passion, resurrection from the dead, and glorious ascension, whereby "dying, he destroyed our death, and rising, restored our life." [121 For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth "the wondrous sacrament of the whole Church." [131 6.) Accordingly, just as Christ was sent by Father so also he sent the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit. This he did so that they might preach the Gospel to every creature, [141 and proclaim that the Son of God by his death and resurrection had freed us from the power of Satan [151 and from death, and brought us into the Kingdom of his Father. But he also willed that the work of salvation which they preached should be set in train through the sacrifice and sacraments, around which the entire liturgical life revolves... 7.) To accomplish so great a work Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical :elebrations... The liturgy, then, is rightly seen as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ ... In it full public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and his members. From this it follows that every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the Priest and of his Body, vhich is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others. No other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree. [21] The sense of these words is that no other action can lay claim to derive its value from so close a relation to the action of Christ or to procure such rich fruits. 10.) ... the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power flows. For the goal of apostolic endeavor is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his Church, to take part in the Sacrifice and to eat the Lord's Supper. The liturgy, in its turn, moves the faithful filled with "the paschal sacraments" to be "one in holiness", [261 it prays that they hold fast in their lives to what they have grasped by their faith." [271... 12.) The.spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. ... , according to the teaching of the apostle, he must pray without ceasing.[30] We also team from the same apostle that we must always carry around in our bodies the dying of Jesus, so that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal Flesh.[31] 13.) Popular devotions of the Christian people, provided they conform to the laws and norms of the Church, are to be highly recommended, especially where they are ordered by the Apostolic See.... But such devotions should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the
liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some way derived
from it, and lead the people to it, since in fact the liturgy by its very
nature is far superior to any of them. 12. Easter Preface of the Roman Missal. |