1070. In the New Testament the word “liturgy” refers not only to the celebration of divine worship but also to the proclamation of the Gospel and to active charity.6 In all of these situations it is a question of the service of God and neighbor. In a liturgical celebration the Church is servant in the image of her Lord, the one “leitourgos”;7 she shares in Christ’s priesthood (worship), which is both prophetic (proclamation) and kingly (service of charity):
The liturgy then is rightly seen as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. It involves the presentation of man’s sanctification under the guise of signs perceptible by the senses and its accomplishment in ways appropriate to each of these signs. 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 which 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.8
Aprofunde seus conhecimentos
581. What place does the Our Father have in the prayer of the Church?
152. What does it mean to say that the Church is the universal sacrament of salvation?
144. What happened at Pentecost?
482. What is required for earthly peace?
403. What is the principle of subsidiarity?
Acesse nossos estudos biblicos:
What is the message of redemption present in the book of Abdias, specifically in Abdias 1:17?
What does Baruch 6:2-5 teach us about the danger of trusting ourselves instead of trusting God?
What are the story and life lessons drawn from the Ascension of Solomon in 1 Kings 1-2?
What does Nahum 1:9 say about God’s mercy to those who repent?
What does it mean to choose godliness over the flesh, according to 1 Peter 4:1-6?
