Catholic Thought discussion

Part 4, Chapter 2,
The Body and the Liturgy

In this final chapter, Ratzinger takes up the significance of the various means of participation in the liturgy. He divides this into several sections.

Section 1, Active Participation

It is important to note that the community is not at the liturgy to just receive something. It is there to actively participate. Since animals are no longer sacrificed as the Christian communal ritual, the congregation brings its sacrifices to the worship, that is the Sacrifice of the Word.

The real “action” in the liturgy in which we are all supposed to participate is the action of God himself. This is what is new and distinctive about the Christian liturgy: God himself acts and does what is essential. He inaugurates the new creation, makes himself accessible to us, so that, through the things of the earth, through our gifts, we can communicate with him in a personal way. But how can we participate, have a part, in this action? Are not God and man completely incommensurable? Can man, the finite and sinful one, cooperate with God, the Infinite and Holy One? Yes, he can, precisely because God himself has become man, become body, and here, again and again, he comes through his body to us who live in the body. The whole event of the Incarnation, Cross, Resurrection, and Second Coming is present as the way by which God draws man into cooperation with himself.

But Ratzinger makes the point that the action of Christ and the action of the congregation merge into a single action.

The point is that, ultimately, the difference between the actio Christi and our own action is done away with. There is only one action, which is at the same time his and ours—ours because we have become “one body and one spirit” with him. The uniqueness of the Eucharistic liturgy lies precisely in the fact that God himself is acting and that we are drawn into that action of God.

Section 2, The Sign of the Cross

The sign of the cross is the most basic Christian gesture, and is the visible public “yes” to Christ. “The sign of the cross is a confession of faith.”

Thus we can say that in the sign of the Cross, together with the invocation of the Trinity, the whole essence of Christianity is summed up; it displays what is distinctively Christian.

There are many signs of crosses in nature and history which point to the cross of the crucified Christ. In Jewish burials there is the tav or the Hebrew letter of the crossed “t.” Plato inscribes the cross in the cosmos in the great movement of stars whose motion intersect. Christians took up the sign of the cross as an act of blessing.

Section 3, Posture

From scripture we can find three related postures: lying down (prostration), falling to one’s knees, and kneeling.

Prostration in liturgy today occurs on two occasions: Good Friday and ordinations. We throw ourselves down in the shock of the realization that our sins caused the death of Jesus. At ordinations we throw ourselves down in the realization that we cannot by our own powers take on the priestly mission of Christ.

Falling to one’s knees is an act of supplication before a power beyond human nature. The bodily gesture reflects the spiritual meaning, in psychosomatic unity of expression and gesture.

The kneeling gesture of bending the knee, either one or both, is a giving up of our strength, an expression of humility.

Through him, through the Crucified, the bold promise of the Old Testament is now fulfilled: all bend the knee before Jesus, the One who descended, and bow to him precisely as the one true God above all gods.

The standing position was the classic posture in the Old Testament. For Christians, standing “was primarily the Easter form of prayer,” based on one of the canons from the Council of Nicaea. “It is the time of victory of Jesus Christ, the time of joy, in which we show forth the Paschal victory of the Lord.” Standing is the posture of the victor.

Finally sitting is allowed during the readings since sitting is conducive to the act of meditating.

This was a really long chapter, so I broke this up into two weeks. I was surprised at how long it was. One more week to go with this book.

I am so glad that this book was picked.

This comment popped out to me:

"This is what is new and distinctive about the Christian liturgy: God himself acts and does what is essential."

Just as He does in every aspect of our lives!

And this:

"We should be clearly aware that external actions are quite secondary here. Doing really must stop when we come to the heart of the matter: the oratio. It must be plainly evident that the oratio is the heart of the matter, but that it is important precisely because it provides a space for the actio of God. Anyone who grasps this will easily see that it is now a matter, not of looking at or toward the priest, but of looking together toward the Lord and going out to meet him."

For the section written about the sign of the Cross, his linking it to Ezekiel was fascinating. And I though this was a beautiful way of looking at it, too:

"Whenever we make the sign of the Cross, we accept our Baptism anew; Christ from the Cross draws us, so to speak, to himself (cf. Jn 12:32) and thus into communion with the living God."

This has caused me to make the sign of the Cross much more slowly. I don't want to make a fast, meaningless gesture.

Regarding the section on posture, wasn't his recollection of his own ordination very touching?

The following passage struck me as so true:

"On the other hand, when someone tries to take worship back into the purely spiritual realm and refuses to give it embodied form, the act of worship evaporates, for what is purely spiritual is inappropriate to the nature of man. Worship is one of those fundamental acts that affect the whole man. That is why bending the knee before the presence of the living God is something we cannot abandon."

When I first moved here, I tried several Roman Catholic churches before I found my traditional parish. One of them didn't have kneelers, and I found that so odd! My children were scandalized because I had us kneel anyway 😂 But the link between the physical & spiritual is so plain to see after reading this chapter.

Yes to all your observations Michelle.

I don't think I have ever seen a Catholic Church without kneelers, except perhaps when renovations were going on and they had to relocate to a gym or something. It's not a Catholic Church without kneelers.

Actually that reminds me of a story. I was on a business trip in the Los Angeles area and I got an afternoon off. I went to Christ Cathedral, but this was when it was just sold to the Catholic Church. It had been a big Protestant Church and they had tours. The lady explained to me it was being adjusted for Catholics. She said something to the effect "they had to put in those kneeling things you Catholics use." LOL.

This last chapter on posture and bodily motions has been fascinating.

The sign of the cross is so important. It's only recent they put out holy water at my parish again because of Covid. I catch my son not making the sign of the cross. He had gotten out of habit. I had to instruct him. He's thirteen. He should know better.

Manny wrote: "Yes to all your observations Michelle.

I don't think I have ever seen a Catholic Church without kneelers, except perhaps when renovations were going on and they had to relocate to a gym or someth..."

Her statement :)

The church I tried without the kneelers? It also lacked a Crucifix and I never saw a statue. Honestly, it reminded me of my friend's Methodist church.

Oh that's terrible. How long ago was that? Have you ever been back?

Manny wrote: "Oh that's terrible. How long ago was that? Have you ever been back?"

No, I went once. It must have been 25-27 years ago now. Oh my gosh, time flies.

Section 4, Gestures

Ratzinger discusses the significance of various gestures during the liturgy.

First is the orans posture, praying with arms extended, the oldest gesture of prayer in Christendom. It is a calling upon God, a gesture of peace, a reaching out to God. It imitates Christ stretching His arms on the cross.

A gesture developed later is that of praying with joined hands. This comes from feudalism, where a man professed faith to a lord by placing his joined hands between the lord’s hands. When we pray with joined hands, we are placing our hand into Christ’s hands and professing our faith to Him.

The gesture of bowing is an act of humility.

Another gesture is the striking of the breast. This is an action showing admittance of guilt.


Section 5, The Human Voice

In the act of the liturgy, it is obvious that the human voice is essential to the celebration, and we use the voice in several means.

First in the articulation of prayer, “in which the priest, in the name of the whole community, speaks through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, to the Father. We see this in the readings, the homily, and the priestly prayers.

Second, we see it in the congregation’s responses, such as Amen, Alleluia, And With Your Spirit. We see it in the meditative “appropriation of the Word,” such as hymns, psalms, and other recitations.

Third, Ratzinger proposes that silence be a part of the liturgy, “a silence with content.” Ratzinger feels the most ideal times for silence is during the preparation of the gifts, right after communion, at the elevation of the consecrated species, and during the silent prayers of the priest. “Shared silence becomes shared prayer.”


Section 5, Vestments

The priest, first and foremost, wears vestments to make clear he is not there as a private person. “What is merely private, merely individual, about him should disappear and make way for Christ.” Liturgical vestments recall St. Paul’s exhortations “to be clothed in Christ.” The priestly vestments are, on one hand, the symbolic putting on of Christ. On another hand, they symbolize the new clothing of the risen Body of Jesus. Adam too had to put on clothing after the fall, and all subsequent clothes are “a poor substitute for the light of God coming from within, which was Adam’s true robe. Until man puts on Christ, he will not be properly clothed.


Section 6, Matter

Matter are the physical materials and objects that come into play in support of the liturgy: candles, bells, altar cloths, but especially species that form the elements for the sacraments. There is water for baptism, bread and wine for communion, and oils for anointing.

The symbolism of water is twofold: death and life. Through baptism we are plunged into death and reborn into life.

Bread, wine, and oil “express the goodness of creation,” the means to gladden and strengthen the heart and “make the face shine.”

In these elements, we come to recognize Christ, His tangible body. The elements become sacraments.

I'm sorry I took so long with this last section. I had a few things take up some time this week.

This completes book.

I am so happy that this was picked. I really loved this book. Thank you for the wonderful discussion, too!

I wish all of you a fruitful Lent and a blessed Easter!