The Church Sanctifying: Worship Chapter 8 The Church Sanctifying: Worship

Public Worship People have always worshipped publically Liturgy Since they received blessings as a community Liturgy “Public work” (Greek) Church’s official public worship Different from private prayer External and formal Liturgical worship connects us with the whole Communion of Saints

Liturgy Meant to unite the Church 3 elements that make up the liturgy Standardized all over the world 3 elements that make up the liturgy Eucharist (Mass) Sacraments Divine Office

Mass Re-presentation of the Sacrifice on Calvary We are at the foot of the cross We participate in Christ’s sacrifice We are joined to Christ Receive the Blessed Sacrament By receiving the Body of Christ, we become the Body of Christ Highest form of prayer

Sacraments Outward signs, instituted by Christ, to give grace 7 Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Holy Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick

Liturgy of the Hours Christ instructed the Church to pray without ceasing Liturgy of the Hours is the way that the Church accomplishes this Sanctifies (makes holy) every second of the day Also known as the Divine Office Prayer of praise and petition using the Psalms and readings from scripture and the lives of the saints Priests and other members of the Church are required to pray this each day Different prayers for different times of the day Lauds, Vespers, Compline etc.

Liturgical Year Church year Based upon three major feasts Christmas, Easter, Pentecost Christmas and Easter are most important Get full seasons to prepare for and celebrate them Divided into different seasons Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Ordinary Time Each season has its own liturgical prayers Divided to help us understand God more simply

Advent Advent begins 4 Sundays before Christmas Advent: Penitential season preparing for Christ’s coming (Advent is Latin for “coming”) Christmas Second coming Advent is a joyful season, as Christmas is right around the corner Gaudete Sunday (Latin for “rejoice”)

Christmas Christmas vigil Mass ends Advent Christmas begins Christmas: Feast of Christ’s birth Kicks off a whole season of celebration Christmas season concludes with feast of the Epiphany Revelation to the gentiles (represented by the 3 wise men) that Christ had come

Lent Preparation for Easter Begins on Ash Wednesday Lasts 40 days We remember our own mortality and weakness Lasts 40 days Represents 40 days Jesus was in the desert Sacrifice for these 40 days Days of fast and abstinence Time of penance Generally not a time for joy Laetare Sunday Latin for “rejoice” 4th Sunday of Lent Holy Week Final week of Lent Celebrate Holy Thursday (Last Supper), Good Friday (Christ’s death)

Easter Easter Vigil ends Lent Season of triumphant joy 50 days Celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the grave Season of triumphant joy 50 days Ends with Pentecost

Pentecost Celebrates presence of Holy Spirit in the Church Jesus had promised that He would send the Holy Spirit all the way back at the Last Supper

Ordinary Time Between the Christmas and Lent, and then between Easter and Advent Ordinary does NOT mean unimportant Just not based upon a major feast day

Feast Days Holy Days Sunday Feasts Feasts of Saints and Blessed Mother

Holy Days of Obligation Must attend Mass to celebrate these solemnities 6 in the US Immaculate Conception (Dec 8) Christmas (Dec 25) Mary, Mother of God (Jan 1) Ascension (40 days after Easter) Assumption (Aug 15) All Saints Day (Nov 1) Not during Lent

Sunday Feasts During Christmas Season During Ordinary Time Feast of the Holy Family Sunday after Christmas Feast of the Epiphany Sunday closest to Jan 6 Baptism of Jesus Sunday after the Epiphany During Ordinary Time Trinity Sunday Corpus Christi

Liturgical Colors Different Church seasons have different colors Purple Penance Used during Advent and Lent White Purity, joy, and glory Christmas and Easter Green Life and hope Ordinary time Red Fire, love, and blood Pentecost Passion Feasts of martyrs, apostles, evangelists Rose Joy in the midst of penance Laetare and Gaudete Sundays Black Mourning Masses for dead and All Souls Day