Handbook for Liturgical Studies: Introduction to Liturgy

by Ascar Chupungco, 2004

EVOLUTION OF THE WORD LITURGY

a.Etymological meaning

b. definition of LITURGY

c. LITURGY as encounter with God

a. Etymological meaning

LITURGY LEITOURGIA (GK)

LAOS : people

ERGON : Work

LEITOURGIA AS PEOPLE + WORK

• Public works or state projects

• Public office one undertakes

• (Hellenistic period) work done by slaves for their masters or small acts of service for a friend

• (classical meaning) signifies official function held by society’s nobility

N.T.LEITOURGIA, LEITOURGEIN, LEITOURGOS

• Secular function of Magistrates (Rom 13:6)

• OT priestly office of Zechariah (Lk 1:23)

• Christ’s sacrificial/priestly offering whereby he became the leiturgos of the sanctuary (Heb 8:2)

• Spiritual sacrifice of Christians (Rom 15:16)

• Cultic celebration of Christians in Antioch (acts 13:2)

b. definition of LITURGY1. Mediator Dei 25• Public worship which our redeemer as

head of the church renders to the Father as well as the public worship which the community of the faithful renders to its founder, and through Him, to the heavenly Father.

• The worship rendered by the mystical body of Christ in the entirety of its head and members

b. definition of LITURGYSC 7• An exercise of the priestly office of Christ, as

the whole public worship performed by the mystical body of Christ, that is, by the head and his members, and an action of Christ the priest and of his body which is the church.

SC 10• Summit toward which the activity of the

church is directed, at the same time, it is the fount from which all the church’s power flows.

c. LITURGYc. LITURGY as encounter with God as encounter with God

– Liturgy is a personal encounter with God in the sense that human persons meet the three divine persons according to the particular role each of these plays in the history of salvation.

– Prayers are addressed to the Father through the Son in unity in the Holy Spirit.

LITURGY • recognized by the church as official public worship.

• directed to the Divine Trinity.• exercise of Christ’s priestly office, Christ is present

in every liturgical celebration.

MASS

SACRAMENTS AND BLESSINGS

LIT. OF THE HOURS

FEASTS IN THE COURSE OF LIT. YEAR

Though the liturgy is the summit toward Though the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the church is directed which the activity of the church is directed and it is the fountain from which all her and it is the fountain from which all her power flows, liturgy alone does not also power flows, liturgy alone does not also exhaust the entire activity of the church. exhaust the entire activity of the church. This means that liturgy as the summit This means that liturgy as the summit makes sense only if there exist other makes sense only if there exist other activities of the church.activities of the church.

Liturgy is not synonymous to the sacrament Liturgy is not synonymous to the sacrament of Holy Eucharist.of Holy Eucharist.