"The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church
is directed; it is also the font from which all her power flows." (Vatican Council II, Sacrosanctum
Concilium)
Definition
“The
word ‘liturgy’ originally meant a ‘public work’ or a ‘service in the name of/on
behalf of the people.’ In Christian tradition it means the participation of
the People of God in ‘the work of God. Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high
priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his Church.” (Catechism
of the Catholic Church, # 1069)
Liturgical
Prayer is public prayer that follows prescribed ritual formulas. Liturgical prayer is prayer for the salvation of the world.
It can be distinguished from Devotional prayer, which is intended to unite the individual with God through
Christ.
The ritual of public prayer includes not only prescribed texts, but also gestures, garments, symbols and materials
such as bread and wine, candles, ashes, palms, oils and other symbolic elements. For Catholics, liturgical
prayer includes the Scriptures, the seven Sacraments (especially the Eucharist), the Divine Office, and prescribed prayers
and services for special occasions.
History
The liturgy of the Catholic Church had its origins in the liturgical practices of the Jews in the first century.
When Luke tells us in Acts 3:42 that the earliest Jewish followers of Christ in Jerusalem “devoted themselves to the
breaking of bread and the prayers,” it is most likely that this “breaking of the bread” was an adaptation
of the Jewish shabbat which was a thanksgiving prayer celebrated with bread and wine in small groups, usually families,
on Friday evenings. And when later Eucharistic practices were developed in the early centuries, they drew
their formulas from the Synagogue services—especially from the Passover Seder services.
In the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries,
liturgical prayers and formulas were developed in the various languages throughout the middle East: Greek, Syrian, Latin,
Alexandrian, Antiochean, etc. These were the origins of the various Eastern rites, which have fluorished in the
Middle East ever since. The Latin rite, which was the basis for Western liturgy today, grew out of services in Rome and Alexandria.
Although the earliest versions of these liturgical
prayers drew upon the Jewish berakah (thanksgiving) formulas, they quickly became embellished with Christian themes
based on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Resources
You can find additional information about Liturgical Prayer in these resources:
Church Documents
- Sacrosanctum Conculium, The Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, from
the Second Vatican Council, in The Conciliar and Post-Consiliar Documents, ed. by Austin Flannery, O.P., Costello
Publishing, 2004.
Books
- The Place of Christ in Liturgical Prayer, ed. by Brian Spinks, Liturgical Press,
2004.
- Liturgical
Prayer: Its History and Spirit, by Fernand Cabrol, 1925, republished by Scahuffler Press, 2008.
- Daily Liturgical Prayer: Origins and Theology,
Gregory Woolfenden, Ashgate Publishing, 2004.
Websites
Nurturing Devotion
- Read Ron Rolheiser’s distinction between liturgical prayer and devotional prayer in the website above. This
understanding should enhance your experience of both kinds of prayer.
- Volunteer to serve on your parish’s liturgy or worship committee, both to
learn more about excellent worship and to assist with planning worship services.
