Pope Says Laity Require Liturgical Formation

  • Thread starter Thread starter HagiaSophia
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
H

HagiaSophia

Guest
Zenit reporting:

"John Paul II sent a message from his hospital room emphasizing that liturgical formation is not only a necessity for the clergy and religious, but also for the laity…

““It is urgent that in parish communities, associations and ecclesial movements adequate formative endeavors be ensured so
that the liturgy will be better known in the richness of its language, and be lived in fullness,” he said…”

““The Second Vatican Council’s liturgical reform has produced important fruits, but there
must be a move from renewal to deeper reflection, so that the liturgy might characterize increasingly the life of persons
and communities, transforming them into sources of holiness, communion and missionary drive,” the Holy Father wrote…”

"To understand the “art of celebrating,” the Pope reminded the assembly that “in the Eucharistic celebration, living representation of the paschal mystery, Christ is present and his action is participated and shared in ways appropriate to our humanity, in need of words, signs and rites.”

Because of this, “the art of celebrating expresses the capacity of ordained ministers and of the whole assembly, gathered for the celebration, to act and live the meaning of each one of the liturgical acts,” allowing themselves to be “profoundly penetrated by the Mystery.”

Regarding the preaching of homilies, the Pope said that it “must favor the encounter, the most profound and fruitful possible, between God who speaks and the community that listens.”

Noting that it is important that the homily “not be lacking in the Sunday Eucharist,” the Holy Father concluded by assuring that “in the context of the new evangelization, the homily is a precious and for many only opportunity for formation.” …

www.zenit.org
Code: ZE05030305
Date: 2005-03-03
Laypeople Need Liturgical Formation Too, Says Pope
 
40.png
HagiaSophia:
Zenit reporting:

"John Paul II sent a message from his hospital room emphasizing that liturgical formation is not only a necessity for the clergy and religious, but also for the laity…

““It is urgent that in parish communities, associations and ecclesial movements adequate formative endeavors be ensured so
that the liturgy will be better known in the richness of its language, and be lived in fullness,” he said…”

““The Second Vatican Council’s liturgical reform has produced important fruits, but there
must be a move from renewal to deeper reflection, so that the liturgy might characterize increasingly the life of persons
and communities, transforming them into sources of holiness, communion and missionary drive,” the Holy Father wrote…”

"To understand the “art of celebrating,” the Pope reminded the assembly that “in the Eucharistic celebration, living representation of the paschal mystery, Christ is present and his action is participated and shared in ways appropriate to our humanity, in need of words, signs and rites.”

Because of this, “the art of celebrating expresses the capacity of ordained ministers and of the whole assembly, gathered for the celebration, to act and live the meaning of each one of the liturgical acts,” allowing themselves to be “profoundly penetrated by the Mystery.”

Regarding the preaching of homilies, the Pope said that it “must favor the encounter, the most profound and fruitful possible, between God who speaks and the community that listens.”

Noting that it is important that the homily “not be lacking in the Sunday Eucharist,” the Holy Father concluded by assuring that “in the context of the new evangelization, the homily is a precious and for many only opportunity for formation.” …]

Great article in view of the fact that we could be the only Gospel that many of our fallen away brothers and sisters ever read.

Deacon Tony
Click to expand...
 
Deacon Tony560:
Great article in view of the fact that we could be the only Gospel that many of our fallen away brothers and sisters ever read.

Deacon Tony
Click to expand...
An excellent point Deacon - I have a good Capuchin friend who always works very hard on his homilies as it is his contention that for 90% of the Catholics he knows it is their only “touch” of gospel values every week.

How would you explain this statement as it captured my attention, but I’m not quite sure I know precisely what the pope was saying: “gathered for the celebration, to act and live the meaning of each one of the liturgical acts,” allowing themselves to be “profoundly penetrated by the Mystery”?

I happened to catch Raymond Arroyo this evening interviewing Cardinal Arinze and most of it covered very leading questions on liturgical practice. The cardinal was eloquent and clear and he kept stressing that the “good of the congregation” is the largest consideration for liturgical practice and flexibility must be offered. I felt that I understood so much better what some of the documents and statements meant after hearing him discuss the issues.
 
40.png
mgy100:
What does all this mean specifically?
Click to expand...
I had hoped the Deacon would have responded as I am certain he could do a better job than myself, but apparently he’s missed it and so I shall try and give it a go insofar as I understand it:

When we send a young man to seminary to be trained for the priesthood we say that he is undergoing formation. In church parlance it means that he will be “formed” according to the mind of the church, in how to properly celebrate the mysteries, offer the sacraments and in general conduct his priestly minnistry. The training should see a changed person in many ways when it is completed.

And if I understand the pope that is what he wants for the laity with regard to our liturgical celebrations. We are not just to “park in the pews” but to participate in it. And when we are fully catechized as to what the liturgy is, what it means to invoke, when we, as the pope says, are brought deeper into what is happening this formation should have the effect of “transforming them into sources of holiness, communion and missionary drive,”

In order for us to be properly formed into the mind of the church
the pope goes on to say “to act and live the meaning of each one of the liturgical acts,” allowing themselves to be “profoundly penetrated by the Mystery.”

Regarding the preaching of homilies, the Pope said that it “must favor the encounter, the most profound and fruitful possible, between God who speaks and the community that listens.”

Thus he is encouraging the catechesis of the laity in these matters so that we can better understand the “words, signs and rites.”

I hope this has been helpful and to see a fine example in action please see Bishop Olmsted’s work on Kneeling, Standing, Sitting

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=43027

The bishop here, already formed by his training in the litrurgical practices of the church, is catechizing us in the postures of the Mass, what and why.
 
The laity formation is needed. we are just like little lost sheep running a muck… with a few sheep trying to use their brains without looking at the Shepard (ie weird music and dancing) We should form up like good soldiers in ranks and march up on the path to calvary without fall off with our eyes set on the Blessed Sacrament.
 
so in a sense, we are to join togehter and teach catholic ways correctly. We are supposed to be active and not just show up for mass. I know at a certain parish at the beginning of first communion retreat the ladies running it told the kids, me and my daughter present, she said, the bread and wine are a symbol of Christ, and it is a meal!!! Needless to say we have had many talks and she knows Communion isn’t a symbol.
 
40.png
mgy100:
so in a sense, we are to join togehter and teach catholic ways correctly. We are supposed to be active and not just show up for mass.
Click to expand...
Exactly.
40.png
mgy100:
I know at a certain parish at the beginning of first communion retreat the ladies running it told the kids, me and my daughter present, she said, the bread and wine are a symbol of Christ, and it is a meal!!! Needless to say we have had many talks and she knows Communion isn’t a symbol.
Click to expand...
I don’t know if you’ve seen the thread but Cardinal Kasper is even complaining about how poorly the liturgy is being taught and celebrated. Here’s the thread link for it and a quote:

"…Kasper contests the tendency to “interpret in a simple metaphorical and purely symbolic” sense the words of the consecration:

“The words of Jesus ‘This is my body’ and ‘This is my blood’ must be understood in the real sense, and in this sacramental sense we speak of the real presence; that is, the true, real, and substantial presence of Jesus Christ under the signs of bread and wine.”

The cardinal contests the obfuscation of the mass as sacrifice and its reduction to a meal at which “the celebration of the eucharist is almost indistinguishable from a banquet or a party.”

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=42944
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top