On Sacred Silence

by Michael Raia

Most Catholics encounter regular challenges to the deep reflection the Church encourages before and throughout the liturgy. After all, the earthly liturgy is both a heavenly and human act. Among the possible culprits are various distractions among the assembly – an entirely expected and important one to overcome – the musicians and other liturgical ministers, and many times a celebrant who omits this critical element. Central to the active participation urged leading up to Vatican II by the Liturgical Movement and certainly thereafter, sacred silence is paramount for allowing the exterior participation (postures, gestures, responses, singing) to develop the deeper interior participation of the heart and mind. Whether in the interest of time or a lack of awareness of this essential component, the exclusion of sacred silence from the liturgy can have profound results, particularly in a society that is starved for it. Put another way, one of the key reasons that many Catholics do not experience the transforming power of the liturgy is that there is not enough in the way of sacred silence.

Consider these two sections of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

45. Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. Its nature, however, depends on the moment when it occurs in the different parts of the celebration. For in the Penitential Act and again after the invitation to pray, individuals recollect themselves; whereas after a reading or after the Homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise God in their hearts and pray to him.

Even before the celebration itself, it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred celebration in a devout and fitting manner.

…

56. The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to favor meditation, and so any kind of haste such as hinders recollection is clearly to be avoided. In the course of it, brief periods of silence are also appropriate, accommodated to the assembled congregation; by means of these, under the action of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the First and Second Reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the Homily.

Benedict XVI also addressed this in The Spirit of the Liturgy:

We are realizing more and more clearly that silence is part of the liturgy. We respond, by singing and praying, to the God who addresses us, by the greater mystery, surpassing all words, summons us to silence. It must, of course, be a silence with content, not just the absence of speech and action. We should expect the liturgy to give us a positive stillness that will restore us. Such stillness will not be just a pause, in which a thousand thoughts and desires assault us, but a time of recollection, giving us an inward peace, allowing us to draw breath and rediscover the one thing necessary, which we have forgotten. That is why silence cannot be simply “made"“, organized as if it were one activity among many. It is no accident that on all sides people are seeking techniques of meditation, a spirituality for emptying the mind. One of man’s deepest needs is making its presence felt, a need that is manifestly not being met in our present form of liturgy.

A few key points to keep in mind as context and backdrop to these excerpts:

1) Sacred silence is not merely a void of external liturgical action. It is a deliberate time to go deeper. The priest acting as head of the body must model this action and lead the assembly into it as well. As dynamic and engaging as the music, homily, and other aspects of the liturgy may be, if a priest cannot himself pray in silence at these times of the Mass, he cannot reasonably expect his assembly to do so, and they will continue to struggle to realize the vision of the Council for the renewal of the liturgy.

2) As sensate beings, we know that our surroundings play a central role in our attitudes and dispositions. The church building and all of the material signs that play a role in the liturgy affect our ability to properly engage in liturgy, which is precisely why the Church gives them such an exalted role in the practice of the faith (See the Order of Dedication of a Church and an Altar, for example). A beautiful church can contribute to fostering a rich and fruitful sacred silence that draws the faithful more deeply into the Paschal mystery. A poorly designed or badly renovated church will fail to do so because it is less than sacramental and transcendent, focusing only on the here and now and not pointing to heaven. This causes the members of the body to be unable to engage at the deeper level of active or actual participation (not just going through the motions), waiting for the next moment of “religious entertainment” that Benedict cautions is not at all what the Church has in mind for the faithful to respond to the universal call to holiness.

This can certainly be a challenge with the Mass schedules that many priests are required to keep, with tidying up of pews and loading and unloading parking lots. But this paramount element of sacred silence is not dispensable in the slightest. Even 10 deliberate seconds of silence and stillness in the liturgy are incredibly powerful, especially when a priest teaches his parish how to really pray. To our dear priests, thank you for your lives of service. Please be mindful of the importance of this component of the liturgy in bringing us all to a greater disposition to receive the grace of the sacraments and to be transformed in holiness and configured to the will of God. Please invest and likewise encourage your faithful to invest in this aspect of the liturgy that is crucial for developing the spirituality for the interior dimension of active participation that is the right and duty of all the baptized.

Adoration & Exposition: How Each Serves the Liturgy

by Michael Raia

“The practice of Eucharistic worship of the Blessed Sacrament…is intended to lead the faithful into a deeper participation in the paschal mystery of Christ in the liturgy!”

Multiple Church documents make clear the role of eucharistic worship (what is frequently referred to as “the cult of eucharistic worship”) and strongly encourage the practice. While in popular practice the purpose has been understood, somewhat simplistically, as spending more time with Jesus, this is only part of the picture. Not only is the liturgical theology that understands the respective roles of the devotional practice of eucharistic adoration and the Rite of Exposition beautiful in its own rite, but the distinction is necessary understand how each serves the liturgy. Both in private prayer and corporate liturgy, eucharistic worship leads us into more authentic participation in the Mass and sacraments – the primary place of personal encounter with Christ. The normative book governing the disciplines of these practices, Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass (HCWEOM), states, “The celebration of the eucharist in the sacrifice of the Mass is the true origin and purpose of the worship shown to the eucharist outside Mass.”

For many years the Church has been affirming and asserting the true presence of Christ in the eucharist, and in popular practice the proliferation of adoration chapels in churches has been of great assistance in addressing this need. The idea of spending time before the Blessed Sacrament to grow in love of Christ and to recognize more deeply with the eyes of faith his sacramental presence in the eucharistic host is well founded. However, it is not an end unto itself. From the nascent development of the practice of eucharistic worship of the Blessed Sacrament reserved to provide communion to the sick, the Church has understood its purpose to be more than merely leading the faithful into a deeper relationship with Christ – it is intended to lead the faithful into a deeper participation in the paschal mystery of Christ in the liturgy! Again, from from HCWEOM: “The principal reason for reserving the Sacrament after Mass is to unite, through sacramental communion, the faithful unable to participate in the Mass, especially the sick and the aged, with Christ and the offering of his sacrifice.”

“If adoration and Exposition are not leading us into a more reverent and zealous participation in the Mass and reception of Holy Communion as the visible sign of that participation, they are failing to serve their purpose.”

There are two forms of worship that the Church upholds as integral to Christian spirituality: liturgy which is public, and popular piety or devotion, which is private – even when prayed together among multiple individuals. An example would be the rosary prayed by multiple people; it remains devotion and is considered private prayer because it is not liturgy even if 100 or 1,000 people pray it together. The practice of adoration – that is spending time adoring the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle of a church or chapel – is rightly understood to refer to devotional worship and as such, is, strictly speaking, optional (see the Directory on Popular Piety for more on this). That said, multiple legislative documents strongly urge the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament in the church, making daily adoration (not necessarily Exposition) available to the faithful. The Church encourages keeping churches and chapels accessible whenever possible to allow the faithful to develop a eucharistic spirituality. The Rite of Exposition, however, is a liturgy of the Church, and as such is public in nature; it leads from and flows to the Mass and the sacraments, which are properly understood to be participation in the paschal mystery of Christ. Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass several other interrelated documents linked below, while providing for the possibility of extended periods of Exposition, make clear that this is a rite, and as such is distinct from the general practice of adoration. It can safely be assumed that if Exposition is observed more similarly to how adoration is intended – that is, apart from the rite, something of the Church’s intention is lost. If the faithful who frequently or even occasionally attend adoration where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the monstrance but never witness or partake in any semblance of the rite, an important aspect of liturgical worship has been appropriated for individual devotion.

So why split hairs over this issue, and why does the Church even have a different theology behind each practice? Well if communion with Christ is the end goal, the Church professes that this does not just happen in private prayer; it happens sacramentally in the liturgy. In other words, if eucharistic worship outside of Mass is not leading us into a deeper relationship with Christ in the liturgy, it is failing to serve its purpose. Both adoration and Exposition serve this purpose: adoration does so in a private devotional context, and Exposition in one that is public, or corporate, and liturgical. These two parts reflect the beautiful understanding of the vertical (individual) and horizontal (communal) dimensions of our eucharistic faith, and the two parts of spirituality that are essential for every Christian. Most of us have been guilt of over-emphasizing one over the other at times, and I would propose that in America the tendency to emphasize one’s individual devotion over and sometimes against the liturgical action of the corporate body is frequently a problem.

The distinction is critical to allowing both forms to fulfill their purpose: leading the faithful back into vibrant worship in the Mass, where we actually encounter and participate in that which we merely recall through adoration and Exposition – the saving mystery of Christ made present at the altar. It is the joining of our hearts and our living sacrifice of praise that God wants, and every moment of eucharistic worship better prepares and disposes us to make this great act at our next Mass. And furthermore, the union of joining our sacrifice of praise to the saving act of Christ at the altar is sacramentalized – made visible, tangible, and present, in the reception of Holy Communion. Put another way, if adoration and Exposition are not leading us into a more reverent and zealous participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and reception of Holy Communion as the visible sign of that participation, they are failing to serve their purpose.

“Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is a public rite, not a private devotion like adoration. Each serves its purpose to foster a greater love of him who is truly present.”

Practically speaking, how does this take shape in parish life or ministry, and what revisions to practice could be considered? A simple suggestion is cultivating an awareness of which act is which and encouraging the faithful to act accordingly. If a church or chapel with a tabernacle is available, eucharistic worship can take place in the form of adoration (not exposing the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance), which is private devotion. If Exposition with a monstrance is desired, at least according to the current rite (see note below) it is public liturgy and should follow the Rite of Exposition or one of the adaptations provided. I have recommended to several parishes to consider a greater encouragement of the faithful to use the church tabernacle to adore whenever possible, as encouraged by the documents, and intentionally emphasize the liturgical aspect of the Rite of Exposition. This could mean celebrating the Rite daily, weekly, or monthly, whether for 30-60 minutes immediately after Mass, or even with Exposition in the morning and benediction / reposition in the afternoon, observing the aspect of the rite that suggests the integration of Scripture readings and songs, and even offers the integration of Liturgy of the Hours. One parish I assisted with leading a youth retreat opted to observe devotional time in front of the tabernacle on one night, and the Rite of Exposition the following, illustrating the dynamics of how each of these are intended to be integrated into a liturgical spirituality that better prepares the faithful for the Mass.

To recap: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is a public rite, not a private devotion like adoration. Each serves its purpose to foster a greater love of him who is truly present, and to prepare the faithful to more deeply encounter him in the heart of the eucharistic mystery made present at Mass – the place where he principally and calls out to his mystical body and bride the Church to be joined to him and the divine life of the Trinity, for the glory of God and for their growth in holiness.

This article is not intended as – please excuse the unintended pun – a scholarly exposition. To request further resources, please feel free to contact me. I would highly recommend anyone who assists with the planning of eucharistic worship purchase a copy of Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass. It is worthy of note that the USCCB is in the process of revising this document, so we might expect to see some clarifications and changes, and at present the potential shifts that it could see are only a guess. Given that the widespread popularity of perpetual adoration is, strictly speaking, not currently addressed in the way it is observed, we might speculate this could be incorporated in some way. However, using the Church’s theology of liturgy and devotion, we can place the other aspects of this resource within the context of the larger theology to understand how the Church intends these elements to work together.

Resources for further study:

Eucharisticum Mysterium (1967)
Redemptionis Sacramentum (2004)
Sacramentum Caritatis (2007)

Sit-Stand-Kneel: Liturgical Postures and Gestures

by Michael Raia

While Catholics joke about the sit-stand-kneel rhythm of the Mass that we often refer to as Catholic Calisthenics, it's easy for us to get into a monotonous routine and lose sight of the beauty and wisdom of the Church's intent for liturgical postures and gestures. This post is intended as a general guide for those seeking to understand more about this important part of Catholic worship. 

THE NATURE OF WORSHIP

The first thing to remember about liturgical postures and gestures is that they are liturgical – they serve an important role in public worship. The purpose of liturgy is to give God the glory he is due, and thereby to make us holy. It is an act that is innately human: conforming ourselves increasingly in humble obedience to the image and likeness of God in which we were made, and as a result being sanctified and made holy. As we do this, we experience a foretaste of heaven and move closer to the eternal reality of full and complete participation in the divine life of the Trinity. All of this is our purpose and destiny, as we are reminded in every liturgy. 

Because sin separates us from God, from the start of salvation history he has used material signs and symbols to reveal himself and re-establish the bond of family with his people. And because grace, sanctification, and love are invisible realities, we can struggle to grasp these concepts when depending solely upon our physical senses. Ergo, 'the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.' God who is pure spirit took on flesh to be known by us and to provide a place of intimate and relational encounter. Now all things created – everything material – participates in the redeeming work of Christ which is re-ordering and restoring all things to the beauty and dignity of their God-given purpose. Our sacraments and sacramentals are a foreshadowing of the complete removal of the effects of the fall and the complete restoration that is to come at the end of time. Not only do they let us glimpse a small piece of this glory, but they actually help to bring it about. A beautiful liturgy symbolizes the order and perfection of heaven, but insofar as each worshiper is being transformed in holiness, the liturgy also brings about this perfection. For a more thorough overview of key concepts about liturgical catechesis, see this post.

OUTSIDE ON THE INSIDE 

Our posture and gestures are an external sign of the intended interior reality: that each of us is being transformed as we are more fully conformed to God's image, likeness, and will. In liturgy we are outwardly acting in a way that we belong to Christ, but of course no one can really offer our heart and our will on our behalf. Many were taught the sign of the cross as children, but as we grow up we learn the meaning and depth of praying in a way that joins us to the source of life itself – the love of the Trinity. It is because of this fundamental mystery of the Church that 'we live and move and have our being' (Acts 17:28). This act is something we practice our entire lives as we grow in charity and in holiness. There are three ways to consider the profound importance of posture and gestures in liturgical prayer:

1. CONFORMITY. The act of worship is one of humble obedience because it is the process of learning to more closely follow Christ. It requires discipline and selflessness, and this is why the Church looks to solemnity in her worship. Like a soldier learning drills and military procedure as a member in a larger missional body, the process of learning to pray the liturgy marks us as belonging to the army of the baptized who are being trained to imitate Christ in spreading the Gospel. It allows all aspects of our sinful selves that would be at odds with this identity and mission to be surrendered and purged for the greater good of the Body. Our posture and gestures in liturgy present an opportunity to rid ourselves of all that is not from God to be fully disposed to the graces he offers in the sacraments. If we want to be effective disciples, we must be obedient and attentive in our training and practice.   

2. RITUAL. The second thing to remember is that solemnity marks important events in human history: graduations, birthdays, weddings, funerals, inaugurations and coronations; even if not strictly religious these events are often marked by ritual ceremony and solemnity across various cultures, because this is written into our God-given nature as humans. These observances materialize important invisible human realities – achievement, celebration, passing on, being imbued with a sacred duty. Not only is the Christian constantly practicing passing from the old to the new (a reason we often walk past a baptismal font as a reminder of our death in Christ in anticipation for the Resurrection) as we commemorate Christ's own passion, but our worship is also a regular reminder that we have been given a sacred commanded to go and baptize; to lead people into Christ's mission through selfless service. 

3. PIETY. Finally, true solemnity is also a mark of piety: the faithful reverence we give to people and things we love. In attentively conducting our bodies with care in worship, we show our belief in the truth and sacredness of the mysteries we celebrate, especially the eucharist, which is Jesus – love himself. The sacraments point us to God. It is not only the reception of holy communion that requires our reverence, but the Christ who is present throughout the entire liturgy. Sacramentally the Church believes Christ is present in various ways beginning with the procession, the proclamation of the Word, and also including the mystical Body to which the Word is proclaimed and the eucharist offered as nourishment. This assembled Body is a visible, sacramental reminder of the Word made flesh; we too embody the Word and let it take up flesh and dwell within us. It transforms us as the Bride of Christ becomes radiant for the Bridegroom. 

The Church desires that these actions be marked by beauty and dignity, as such are revelatory of the faith for the purpose of drawing us more deeply into the heart of worship. This is a common goal for all believers, and as such we are united outwardly by the gestures and posture of our prayer:

The gestures and posture of the priest, the deacon, and the ministers, as well as those of the people, ought to contribute to making the entire celebration resplendent with beauty and noble simplicity, so that the true and full meaning of the different parts of the celebration is evident and that the participation of all is fostered. Therefore, attention should be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice. A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude of the participants. – General Instruction of the Roman Missal 42        

SPECIFICS & PREFERENCE 

Generally speaking, the liturgical instructions in the U.S. have us sit when we are being instructed and attentive in listening to the Word. We stand for times of communal prayer – times when it is especially important to join our hearts, minds, and voices in worship even if the priest is praying to the Father on our behalf. We kneel for times of adoration. This is spelled out in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal #43, and other areas of specific instruction are scattered throughout this document, including when we genuflect, bow the head or make a profound bow, strike our breast, and make the sign of cross. What is not necessarily dictated beyond these general postures is exactly what we do at all other times, especially with our hands. 

Personally, I do my best to respect the spirit of the posture and not introduce too many foreign elements of individual preference, in addition to doing everything the Church does specifically ask of me. Keeping my hands together similar to how altar servers are trained is a helpful reminder that I am a participant in the liturgy and that my reverence and attentiveness is no less important because I am not serving in a formal capacity as a liturgical minister. [Sidenote: I recently discovered that traditionally the practice has been right thumb over left to indicate the victory of the will over evil in accord with the Old Testament tradition of the right hand signifying blessing. It has become a wonderful tiny prayer to pray every time I think about something I otherwise have unknowingly done differently all my life.] With this understanding, I have come to desire for the external dimension of my worship to reflect the interior, and vice versa, to avoid causing others any distraction, and to encourage others to pray. I know that the piety and reverence by others often has a profound impact on my own prayer more times than I can count. 

As members of a hierarchical church (headed by a heiros, Greek for priest, and structured accordingly), we should also keep in mind that the priest and deacon serve in special roles, especially the priest. It is he who serves in the person of Christ the true Head. Particularly during the dialogues between the priest and people, it is helpful to remember it is Christ speaking to his Body and presenting it to the Father – the gestures of the priest are unique from those of the other ministers and the assembly, which should be unified in their action. According to the GIRM, the priest or deacon may give special instructions to the faithful, but they should always do so according to faithful observance of the rubrics of the liturgy. Ideally the faithful should be encouraged and inspired by the reverence of the priest, and the priest by the reverence of the people - each performing their duties as prescribed so as to practice holiness in anticipation of eternal life. It is in this way that we truly give God the most glory, and give him the most opportunity to make our hearts pure and holy like his own.  

Catholic Architecture & the Mind of the Church – Part 1

by Michael Raia

St. Louis Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis, MO. Photo by William Haun.

This post was originally published on August 27, 2014 at JacksonGalloway.com

In this first of what will be several posts on liturgy and architecture, I wanted to discuss church design from the perspective of the Catholic Church, on the heels of completing my first Masters in Liturgy summer session in Chicago. While some of the principles below may appeal to Christians from different backgrounds, it should be stated that they are primarily presented from a Catholic view of sacramental theology and viewed in light of the implications they bear for our work as architects with Catholic clients. 

“...the language of the architecture of a church building should be in harmony with the language of the Church.”

ONTOLOGY & LANGUAGE

Physical objects communicate to us on several levels. A scientist might tell you that an apple and its parts are made up of specific molecular structures. A a basic level for most people it is just food, but it is also a symbol: health, original sin, an extremely successful tech brand… Fr. Douglas Martis, Director of the Liturgical Institute at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, uses water as an example to explain the various layers of symbols in the sacraments: "When the Church says 'water,' she doesn't just mean the chemical formula H2O. She means the waters of baptism, the waters of creation, the waters of the flood, the waters of the Red Sea, the waters of the Jordan, the blood and water flowing from the side of Christ, and the living water flowing from the throne in the book of Revelation – and she means all of that, all at once, all at the same time." Architecture is no different. Buildings are composed of parts that can be seen as the materials from which they are made, but they also serve a purpose and represent ideas that are central to our faith. Architecture speaks. Architects and designers are responsible for determining the message every building they design communicates. The language of the architecture of a Catholic church building should be in harmony with the language of the Church herself. Gaining an understanding of this language – how to see and hear sacramental language with the eyes and ears of the Church – requires education, not only for those involved with the planning and design process, but also for the ministers and the lay faithful who will celebrate the liturgy within a church building. This way of understanding with the mind of the Church is an essential part of our Christian tradition and a source of life for our participation in liturgy. If we hope to point people to beauty inherent in every Mass, we must provide something tangible to do the pointing.

“…we believe that things set apart for a sacred purpose are themselves sacred; they are an extension of the sacramental life of the Church.”

BEAUTY & SACRAMENTALITY 

Understanding church architecture from an ontological perspective means that we want a church building to express what it already is: a physical representation of heaven on earth. The Mass already is heaven on earth, so everything that surrounds the liturgy should point our attention towards it and tell us, "look, this is really special." The Mass possesses inherent beauty as the highest form of prayer and the presence of Christ's redeeming sacrifice for all mankind. Liturgical architecture is one of the languages with which we describe that beauty. Liturgy is inseparable from its built environment, the church building, in the same way Baptism is inseparable from water. We need an altar and candles. We need to see the myriad of angels and the communion of saints depicted as uniting in prayer with us. The Church has always understood these ideas as central to the celebration of the Eucharistic mystery. Material objects are an essential part of all of the sacraments. God chose not only to create the material world and to breathe his very life into it, but also to indwell what he created, elevating the nature of being of all created things; most perfectly, humanity. Because of this, we believe that things set apart for a sacred purpose are themselves sacred; they are an extension of the sacramental life of the Church. Just as we are by definition both matter and spirit, the sacraments too contain a necessary material component that is sacred and exists alongside the spiritual reality. 

COMMUNAL WORSHIP

Liturgy, or communal worship integrates both vertical and horizontal aspects to our faith. Both the temple (vertical axis) and the assembly (horizontal axis) are important scriptural images in symbolically representing the underlying realities of the Mass, yet tension over articulating this point through design has polarized architects and liturgical consultants for years. Both elements in the theology of Christian worship – the one, true, and perfect sacrifice in the holy of holies (the sanctuary proper), and the gathering and organization of Christ's mystical Body that participates in that sacrifice, are indispensable and are interwoven into our 2,000 year tradition. Not only is Christ's sacrifice participatory, but it is precisely in that participation that we are made more of what we are as baptized Christians: members equal in dignity but distinct in function, united in the Body of Christ. Each plays our part to act on behalf of Christ the head, according to St. Paul. The ordained priest acts in Christ's stead here on earth, guiding the Body in worship, which is a function that differs from the common priesthood bestowed upon and to be exercised by all lay faithful. To review, our faith reflects a vertical sacrificial dimension to God and a horizontal unifying dimension for humanity. As we assemble to celebrate the Mass, we physically mirror the Body of Christ, of which we are all members, and of which Christ himself is the head. It is through this process that we become more like God. A beautiful prayer typically prayed silently by the priest in preparing the gifts sums this up perfectly: By the mingling of his water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity. The goal of the liturgy is to become divinized, to become like God to share in the eternity of his divine life.  

“When physical beauty, representing grace, lends awe to our sense of the Mass, we are led to an awe of God as the giver of that grace.”

THE ROLE OF SACRAMENTALS

While the subtleties of the beautiful image of the mystical Body of Christ are often overlooked by the average Sunday Mass-goer, the effects of their presence (or absence) are no less powerful at a deeper level. Subconsciously, buildings are capable of underscoring or undermining the message of the actions performed within. Each of us has been formed by our environment and carry with us memories and impressions from actions tied to the place in which they happened. For millennia architecture has played a vital part in human culture, and our faith upholds this important role. Sacraments visibly show us an invisible reality: the work of God. Sacramentals aid the sacraments in doing this and show us something of how God does this work of salvation: statues, paintings, holy water, incense – these things all help our feeble human senses to grasp just a tiny bit more the immense mystery and superabundant gift that is God's grace and mercy. Just as with Fr. Martis' example of water, all of the things in a church that depict water reference these events and lend to the fullness of the symbol. When physical beauty, representing grace, lends awe to our sense of the Mass, we are led to an awe of God as the giver of that grace. How we experience the liturgy can determine how we experience God. In addition to this symbolic understanding, we also must understand the sacraments to be efficacious signs that actual bestow the grace they symbolize; we are being changed through our participation. A poorly designed church risks omitting one idea in favor of the other, lacking either the fullness and dimensions of the representative symbol or the spiritual reality it represents.  

Mosaic dome in the Baptistry of Neon, Ravenna, Italy. Photo by Jill and Ian.

“Buildings are capable of underscoring or undermining the message of the actions performed within.”

THE VIA MEDIA 

We properly understand the sacraments as both sign and reality; God's work that in turn bears fruit in us. This is one of the places where many Christians find themselves at odds, and for the Church, a wonderful example of the Catholic ‘Both/And’ that is key to thinking with the mind of the Church. Missing the crucial aspect of the Mass as a holy and perfect sacrifice by over-emphasizing its symbolic and communal nature is missing the sacramental nature of the Eucharist itself. A sacrament is always a sign that points us to something deeper. Too easily the supernatural reality of God's presence is reduced to a mere symbol of community if we do not treat it with appropriate reverence. Conversely, an over-emphasis of the sacrifice in which we take part, disconnected from the horizontal dimension of the active assembly, deprives those present of seeing the sacramental life fruitfully lived. It is the via media, the middle road, that the Church asks us to walk in prayerful consideration of the physical environments we create to house this sublime action of liturgy. A well designed church fully communicates the richness of the symbol and teaches about the reality that is symbolized – that Christ is truly present with angels and saints and the hosts of heaven, and through partaking of the eucharistic celebration, we become part of his Body, sharers of his divine life. By virtue of our baptism we are called to continue the missionary work of Christ and to take his presence out to the world. That is the vision the Church has for her architecture. 

End of Part 1. Read Architecture & The Mind of the Church – Part 2 here.

Continue Reading – Part 2

"Catholic Architecture & the Mind of the Church"

Liturgical Catechesis 101

by Michael Raia

Central mural in the triumphal arch above the apse of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville, OH by EverGreene Architectural Arts. (photo by Meleca Architecture)

This post was originally published on December 15, 2015 at JacksonGalloway.com.

A handful of friends and colleagues have requested a very basic survey of concepts on Catholic worship and liturgical catechesis – that is, teaching on liturgy. I find the progression in the following outline very helpful when explaining what liturgy is and why it's important in the big picture of the Catholic faith, as well as how each of the details of what we see and do in worship relates to that belief. For a wonderful video clip series outlining these concepts in a slightly different format: Elements of the Catholic Mass. The majority of the content below can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), "Part Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery," in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), and in  Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) (SC). All of these writings are well worth the read.

WHAT IS WORSHIP

"Worship is the rendering to God what is owed God by intelligent beings" (Virgil Michel, OSB). Human beings are made for love and communion with God. "God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength" (CCC 1). Because we know that the greatest act of love is a sacrifice – to lay down one's life (John 15:13) – in worship we offer a sacrifice of praise and give everything we have to God. Worship can be both public (liturgy) and private  (devotional, both individual and communal). Both are integral to a healthy and vibrant spiritual life.

WHAT IS LITURGY

Liturgy is public worship – the work of Christ and that of the Church, the Body of Christ. By virtue of our participation in Christ's work as members of the Body, we also participate in the divine life of the Trinity, an eternal exchange of love between the Father and Son that is the Holy Spirit. This action – liturgical participation – is our right and duty by baptism (SC 14). As with any sacrament, the action or "doing" is all God's, but as a good parent, he invites us to join in it, both as the worship for which we are made and for the sanctification of the world. Liturgy is an "action" of the whole Christ" (CCC 1136).  

PARTICIPATION IN THE DIVINE LIFE OF THE TRINITY

The Trinity is a constant dialogue of love between three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. Citing the Compendium to the CCC which draws on the writings of Augustine, Archbishop William Lori writes that "the living, eternal bond of love between the Father and Son is the Person of the Holy Spirit." Through the liturgy, we enter the Trinitarian dialogue by sharing in the Paschal mystery of Christ's suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father. This is possible because of our being grafted onto Christ by means of his mystical Body. In turn, Christ presents his Body (of which we are a part) to the Father in sacrifice on our behalf. It is through sharing in Christ's sacrifice to the Father that we participate in the divine life of the Trinity. God's intention for us is that we become divinized – namely, that we participate in the divine life of God and in so doing are made holy like him: "By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity" (Roman Missal).

THE MYSTERY OF FAITH

What exactly is the mystery? During the Mass, we profess what we call the Mystery of Faith. In three different forms, we describe the saving action of God through our participation in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, made present in the eucharistic meal. This is our memorial, our observance of his command, and also our making present of the events that followed his last supper. The Holy Spirit makes Christ's one true sacrifice of Calvary present at every liturgy. Christ is the head – represented in the priest– we are body, and we always present our worship to the Father. TO the Father, IN the Son, THROUGH the Holy Spirit. This is the proper orientation of our liturgical prayer and action. 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE 

PRAY the Mass. Be mindful that every action is part of worship. Sing along when appropriate, listen attentively to the readings and homily (if not read and prepare before Mass), pray along earnestly with the prayers, maintain an engaged and reverent posture. Particularly during the Sorsum Corda ("lift up your hearts") and the Doxology ("through him, with him, in him"), these are crucial moments the faithful are being invited to join our individual and collective sacrifices to that of Christ to present perfectly to the Father. While the eucharist is indeed a heavenly banquet that is a foretaste of the eternal banquet, it is first and foremost Christ's sacrifice and in turn, that of his Body the Church. Our ritual observance of this sacrifice as a Church demands our attention and participation as individual baptized members of the Body. 

GRACE

While we are all members of the Body of Christ in the liturgy, the extent to which we are conformed to his image – the extent to which the liturgy transforms us – depends on our choice to engage and cooperate with God's grace or tune out. The same power of the Holy Spirit that is responsible for the mystery of each Sacrament – in the Eucharist it is the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and this sacrifice being offered eternally to the Father on our behalf – is the power we are given when we participate in and receive the sacraments that gives us grace in our lives. The post-communion prayer explains the expected fruit of the mystery that is celebrated (GIRM 89). When we pray the Mass, we cooperate with God's grace, which in turn has an effect on us. 

CONVERSION

The effects of grace from the liturgy bring about conversion. Benedict XVI in Sacramentum Caritas explains that authentic liturgical participation presumes conversion from sin. This is why the Church asks of her faithful that they be absolved of mortal sin prior to approaching the altar. The conversion to know the Christ we seek in the breaking of the bread is the transformation that is required for the liturgy to be effective in our lives. Without appreciating the mystery of our sharing in Christ's sacrifice through the liturgy, it is very difficult to expect fruit to come from our participation. We are called to constant conversion. If we are not getting anything out of Mass, this might be why – preparation is crucial. First be reconciled... (SC 55) The goal is for the liturgy to give life to the Christian mission. 

MISSION

"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" (CCC 1069). In fact, the liturgy demands justice. The natural action at the close of the liturgy is directed outward towards the service to which we are called by our baptism (ite missa est) - GO FORTH!  The liturgy is missionary in purpose; in addition to glorifying God, it also sanctifies men and calls them to their creator.  Therefore liturgy is inseparable from social justice – our baptismal responsibility to love one another and serve those in need as Christ commanded. The Eucharist is food for our journey. The closing words "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life" tell us that we are to take Christ's love to the world; to be his hands and feet, serving those in need. We can most effectively serve others like Christ if we take on his appearance.  

SYMBOLISM

Music, art, and architecture are entryways into the divine. They bring the faith to life and communicate in a way that is deeper and more tangible than concept alone. If we want to more fully participate in the liturgy, we need to be formed in the symbolic and mystical language of the Church. Not only in the prayers and actions of the liturgy, but in the liturgical arts, we see the beauty of the Mass revealed, which leads us into the mystery, into worship. The goal is to PRAY the Mass, but to do so we must be taught the language of mystagogy: the "signs and symbols of invisible (heavenly) realities" (SC 122). These things point to what is happening in the liturgy so that we may understand and participate.

As a result, the liturgy deserves the best that we can realistically provide (or do) with what we have been given. The offering of our gifts and talents to surround the liturgy with beauty and adorn it with layers of meaning is an ancient and praiseworthy practice. However, the Church is clear that how this takes place is a matter that deserves great attention and effort, and will vary between cultures and times. However, this idea is not in conflict with nor diminishes the Christian responsibility to serve.