Liturgical History

Liturgical History

• We saw how in the Plan of Salvation, worship of God is present– Cain & Abel, etc.– Moses, “let us go into the wilderness for 3 days to

give sacrifice to our God”

• As the people grew in understanding of God and their relationship to him, rituals developed

• At the Last Supper: the meal is transformed and God gives food to man.

• Worship in the NT includes the morning/evening prayer, blessings, prayers of the synagogue, NO more need for animal sacrifice.

• The word “liturgy” has been in use for only about two centuries.

• Stages:– Apostolic period-ends at death of apostles– Minority and semi-clandestine up to 4th century. – “Constantine’s Peace”– National leaders convert, followed by their citizens– Period of stability/rigidity from Council of Trent

(1560’s) to Vatican II

• Faith and reason necessary for study of liturgy– Early centuries had few books so much has been

lost to history

• Each Church developed their own traditions• Finally was written. Just like NT, after the

witnesses to Jesus died, it is important to keep for history what they had said about Jesus.

• Not to say that there was standardization. Even in Rome, every basilica had its own liturgy.

• Different Families of Churches (rites) emerged:– Roman Church and the Churches of Antioch and

Alexandria

• Eastern Churches: their anaphoras usually distinguish one from another

• Emphasis in this unit is on Roman Rite

• “Documents” available to us– Liturgical books, letters of bishops

• Sacramentaries: just prayers of the bishops. Leonine or of Verona, on example . Pope Leo the Great, so from at least about 440.

• Lectionaries and books we call Liber Pontifical, Ordines romani

• Original liturgical language was Greek• Latin was next from about 375. Because of

Byzantine arrivals in the West, Mass was bilingual in places and Eastern customs were incorporated: Marian feasts, veneration of the cross, and others.

• Middle Ages: Each Church evolved their own customs and books varied from place to place.

Council of Trent (1545-1564)

• Defend the Church• Counter Reformation• New Missal and other liturgical books

published for consistency

Liturgical MovementFrance and Germany◦1833-Abbey of Solemnes (France, Abbott Prosper

Gueranger)◦1921-Abbey of Maria Laach (Germany, Fr Odo Casel)◦1927 Fr Romano Guardini- Cath Youth Movement

(1939, he escapes from the Nazis-he was a threat)

◦Bilingual missals were printed◦Hymns sung by the people in vernacular

◦Trent had checked the liturgy for the sake of the Truth◦This movement saw a pastoral need to open it up to

renewal

Liturgical Movement• Pope St. Pius X

– 1903 He first wrote of “active participation” in a document on sacred music

– 1910- Encouraged First Communion at age of reason

• Piux XII– 1943 Mystici Corporis– 1947 Mediator Dei– 1955 Holy Week and Easter Vigil reform– 1957 changed Eucharistic fast to 3 hrs

• John XXIII (1958-1963)– 1959- Announces II Vatican Council– 11Oct 1962 II Vatican Council begins– Return of catechumenate– Added “St. Joseph” to the Roman Canon– Other changes to the Mass

Sacrosanctum Concilium

• 1st document of Vatican II Council• 4 Intentions:

–Sanctify–Update–Foster ecumenism–Evangelize

• Lex orandi, lex credendi

SC (cont.)

• Motive: increase of holiness• Church is not like any other institution: it’s

been founded by the God made Man.• Pastoral reasons: main reason for reform of

the liturgy • First time in history, that other rites were

acknowledged of equal right and dignity.

SC (cont)

• Chap. 1 Major principles• Chaps. 2-7: special sections, but most details

left for afterwards.

• Liturgical reform with the publication of various documents, the Rites, a revised liturgical calendar, revised Liturgy of the Hours. 2nd editions now being published.

More Recent documentsRevised rituals of the sacramentsCanon Law-1983Catechism of Catholic Church 2nd ed 19973rd ed GIRMRedemptionis SacramentumHomilies, audiences of Holy FatherResponses of Congregation for Divine

Worship and Discipline of the SacramentsDocuments of ACBC, individual dioceses (not exhaustive list)

Today the text and rubrics of the Roman Liturgy are found in the Liturgical Books of the Roman Rite    1. The Roman Calendar    2. The Roman Missal (newest 2011)    3. The Roman Lectionary    4. The Roman Pontifical    5. The Roman Ritual (all the sacramental rites)    6. The Liturgy of the Hours    7. The Book of Blessings    8. The Martyrology