www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Why is getting caught up in the liturgy such a bad thing?

The response is probably that of a poorly formed Catholic, something all too common. Some people have a rather protestant evangelical view of how things "ought to be." This leads them to diminish the importance of ritual and tradition, or consider it as somehow pharasaic or without meaning.

Obviously liturgy must never become narcissistic, which is certainly a peril to be studiously avoided on a personal level. But what the person fails to understand is that the liturgy is the "source and summit" and the Faith. It is the highest form of prayer and worship of the Triune God.

However, because many of the unformed variety of post-Vatican II Latin rite Catholics have no sense of the cosmic and eschatological dimensions of the liturgy, they see it as somehow "fluff" rather than what it is, the union of the heaven and earth and our presence at the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In that sense, the externals are not merely empty signs, but rather potent symbols and reminders of sacred realities. This means they do bring us closer to God and into a greater spirit of adoration.

He's right that its all about God, but he's wrong in what he thinks isn't about God.

You're making perfect sense, Diak. And I think this phrase hit the nail on the head. They look at things from a raw utilitarianism and are ignorant of the purpose and reasons behind their worship. I guess their idea of a perfect Mass is the Bible readings, a few prayers and the words of consecration.

Anyway, as far as your friend goes John, don't worry. Every tradtion, Holy Week service and rubric has a place and reason behind it, and as far as I'm concerned your friend's dismissal of it all as simple claptrap reflects a horrible ignorance and reductionist view of his own Faith.

It's like saying "Look I receive the Eucharist anyway, and I haven't committed a mortal sin. Why do I have to bother with daily prayer, confessing venial sins, prayers before mass, and all that overpious stuff?". Or maybe, "All you know Christ rose from the dead. All that stuff about salvation history is for people with nothing better to do with their time than read the Bible".

Marc
[who has heard things similar to each of the quotes above]

ByzanTN wrote:


The music is tacky, everything is rushed to get it over within an hour, it's heavy on the touchy-feely, etc. Add anything to the bare-bones "mass for the TV generation," and it seems like you are adding highly unusual "extras." I think some who most desired to be liberated from the tyranny of the past (tradition), are now enslaved by banality.



If only that could be "undone." What you say is true, or course, but it bothers me that so many American Catholics don't seem bothered by it.

Another thing that has always bothered me is the Catholic Church's contradictory position on tradition. Officially, it's now "good" for the East, which is encouraged to preserve or even rescue traditions. But then the tradition of the West is viewed as inadequate & it had to be reformed. Much of the tradition that had developed since the Tridentine period was rejected. In that sense, Latin Rite Catholics have suffered an injustice, since their tradition, they were told, was somehow inferior to that of the East.

Stojgniev

Actually, all Protestants have a liturgy, most just won't admit to it.

I have been to very prayerful Protestant Liturgies which were so named.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Why is getting caught up in the liturgy such a bad thing?

Because sooner or later, those who do "get caught up in the liturgy" begin to rant.

The purpose of the Liturgy is twofold: First, to manifest the public action of God on our behalf,eg., the Nativity, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. Second, Liturgy is our loving public response as the People of God to His action. Ranting, IMHO, fit neither of those descriptions.

(I'm geeting off the soap box now.)

Fr. Deacon John has given a good answer, and I'm going to take it and go a little further.

It's okay to get "caught up in the Liturgy" if, by this, one means getting caught up in the worship of God. On the other hand, if one is so focused on the details of what it happening that one fails to worship then that is wrong.

Fr. Deacon Edward

I think, if I understood the original post correctly, that the poster was constrasting love for the liturgy with the indifference he had encountered from others. I would take enthusiasm for the liturgy any day over indifference.

Hi there.

I would agree, provided we qualify that with a perspective that there are legitimate abuses or tasteless developments that one cannot ignore and which we must work studiously against. Sadly, for many in the Latin rite liturgical abuses have become the norm and many of them are as such that they can obscure or distort the doctrine of the Faith.

Sometimes people can go overboard in their concerns, such as those who muse whether one ought to kneel before or after the Sanctus. That kind of minutiae isn't healthy to focus upon and isn't a real liturgical issue in my opinion.

But concerns over abuses which might cause irreverence toward the Blessed Sacrament, or which seriously rupture the tradition, or where liturgical texts are changed to suit particular ideological agendas and which blur the distinction between the ministerial vs. common priesthood are certainly things we must watch and work against. The Church, including recently in Redemptionis Sacramentum, has encouraged the laity in this way.

I believe the principle of "lex orandi, lex credendi" stands true to experience and thus makes it important to be watchful.

The key in all this is trying to strike the balance of speaking the truth boldly and directly and working to enact reform, while still maintaining the spirit of Christ. We need to find the mix that the likes of a St. Athanasius or St. Catherine of Siena had in working to defend the faith and practice of the Church.