The Celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ

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The Celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ

• USCCA Chapter 14
• Tuesday, December 22, 2020

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Liturgy

1. Means public work or work done on behalf of the
   people.
2. Is communal in nature, expecting all to
   participate in it.
3. Is the action of Christ the High Priest and of
   His Mystical Body.

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Liturgy
December 22, 2020

1. Is centered on the Holy Trinity, directed to the
   Father as the source of all, through the Son in
   the unity of the Holy Spirit.
2. Is the means by which we participate in the
   Paschal Mystery, the passion, death and
   Resurrection, of Our Lord Jesus.

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Liturgy
December 22, 2020

1. Refers to the seven Sacraments and all official
   public prayer of the Church.

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Sacraments
December 22, 2020

1. Are both visible, with material signs and
   symbols, and invisible, involving Gods unseen
   grace.
2. Are initiated by God to share His grace, His
   life.
3. Are built on the saving words and deeds of Jesus
   Christ.

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Sacraments
December 22, 2020

• Total seven. They are divided as
• Sacraments of Initiation Baptism, Confirmation
  and Eucharist.
• Sacraments of Healing Reconciliation and
  Anointing of the Sick.
• Sacraments at the Service of Communion Holy
  Orders and Matrimony.

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Sacraments
December 22, 2020

• Are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by
  Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which
  divine life is dispensed to us through the work
  of the Holy Spirit.
• Efficacious They make effective (bring about)
  the reality they signify. (They are like a stop
  sign that would actually stop a car.)
• Christ instituted them, not a mere human being.

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Sacraments
December 22, 2020

1. The Church, not a particular person, oversees and
   celebrates the Sacraments.
2. Sacraments give us a share of the life of God,
   bringing us into communion with Him and the
   entire Body of Christ.
3. The grace of the Sacraments, while always
   present, does not work magically on the
   individual. To tap into the grace of the
   Sacraments, the participant must have faith in
   Christ and desire the sacramental grace.

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Sacraments
December 22, 2020

• While the Sacraments of the Church are necessary
  for salvation, God is not bound to them.

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Liturgy is the Body of Christ at Prayer.
December 22, 2020

• Who celebrates the liturgy?
• The entire Body of Christ, animated by the Spirit
  by baptism, celebrates the liturgy.
• At liturgy, the ordained priest acts in the
  Person of Christ the Head of the Church.

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Liturgy is the Body of Christ at Prayer.
December 22, 2020

• How do we celebrate the liturgy?
• Liturgy is celebrated using signs, symbols and
  rituals in an environment set apart for the
  worship of God.
• As God used physical matter (the Body of Jesus)
  as an instrument of His grace, so He uses the
  elements of this world to share His life with us.
  
• Sacred images draw us into the mystery of Christ.

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Liturgy is the Body of Christ at Prayer.
December 22, 2020

• The Liturgy of the Word, based on the
  proclamation of Scripture, is part of all
  sacramental celebrations. When the Word is
  proclaimed, Christ Himself speaks.
• The action of the liturgy helps make visible the
  hidden action of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

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Liturgy is the Body of Christ at Prayer.
December 22, 2020

• vi. The Church has a rich variety of liturgical
  traditions or rites beyond the Roman Catholic
  Church. They share in fullness of communion with
  the entire Church.

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Liturgy is the Body of Christ at Prayer.
December 22, 2020

• When do we celebrate?
• Sunday, the day of the Lords Resurrection, is
  central to the life of the Church.
• The entire year is divided into the Liturgical
  Year, broken into seasons based on the life of
  Christ.

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Liturgy is the Body of Christ at Prayer.
December 22, 2020

• Throughout the year, the Church honors the work
  of Christ in her saints with special feastdays
  honoring the saints, in particular Mary, the
  Mother of God.
• The daily Liturgy of the Hours allows the
  faithful, in particular priests, to mark the key
  moments of the day with prayer.

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Liturgy is the Body of Christ at Prayer.
December 22, 2020

• d. Where do we celebrate?
• While we are encouraged to pray anywhere and
  always, the place of liturgical prayer is
  normally the church building.

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For Discussion
December 22, 2020

1. Many of our non-Catholic brothers and sisters in
   Christ, along with many Catholics who do not
   practice their Catholic faith, have trouble
   finding Christ in the liturgy. Have you ever
   experienced someone who described Mass like this?
   Describe your conversation with them? What
   advice would you give them in order to help them
   better see Christ in the liturgy?
2. Given the uniqueness of the Lords Day and the
   necessity of gathering as a Body in Christ, why
   can individual prayer never be a substitute for
   participation in the Sunday liturgy?