This is the title of a reflection issued by the Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, and makes a worthy read for both the lay person and the priest. The reflection is dated 15th August 2009.
I recently had a conversation with a fellow Catholic who (perfectly charitably) observed that I was "a book person" in reference to the Liturgy, and, implicitly, asked where the heart came into it. My response was to say that "doing it by the book" was the starting point from where the heart began. Arcbhishop Piacenza expresses this more articulately (my emphasis):
The Liturgy, which is above all a divine act, does not live by “creative subjectivity” but by “faithful repetition” which never burdens us because it is the sign, in space and time, of the faithfulness of God himself. True creativity is really that of the heart which is always renewed because it is in love.
H/T Priests Secretary.
1 comment:
I'm happy to say that I agree with you. : )
This topic arose in connection with a discussion with a Protestant, in which I made the point that the mass, far from being "works righteousness", is pure gift. Since the priest and people do only what is prescribed by the rubrics, which have been handed on to them, their personal efforts don't enter into it at all. Thus it can't be said that we are trying to "work our way to heaven" by saying and attending mass.
The more people try to make the liturgy "their own" by modifying it in one way or another, the more they are relying on their own efforts and not recognizing the mass as a gift from God.
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