Religion Class

3. THE HISTORY OF LITURGY
Introduction
• The Liturgy and its rites were delivered by the Apostles to the
churches, which they had established. The apostles were
taught by the Lord himself, who for forty days , following His
resurrection spoke to them of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God. (Acts 13)
• In the beginning,the Liturgy was passed from the Apostles to
their successors , the bishops as an Oral Tradition. This is the
same way in which the books of the Bible were propagated.
Oral Tradition preceded the written forms of both the bible

4. THE HISTORY OF LITURGY
Introduction
• The Liturgy was commanded to writing only after heresies
started to appear in the church and when heretics attempted
to put their heretic teachings into the Liturgy. The fact that a
manuscript of a liturgical text is dated to the fourth century ,
does not mean that the liturgy was composed in the fourth
century but merely that it was recorded in writing in the
fourth century.

5. DOCUMENTATION OF THE LITURGY

6. A. THE LITURGY OF ALEXANDRIA
• Saint Mark, one of the seventy apostles, who brought Christianity to
Egypt around the middle of the first century A.D.. Also brought to Egypt
the liturgy that bears his name the Liturgy of Saint Mark. The liturgy
which was originally written in Greek, is probably the oldest and most
authentic liturgy in Christendom.
• Saint John Chrysostom tells that St. Mark was the first Apostle to
inscribe the Liturgy, in the form of a service or a regular church ritual
which is strictly followed in the celebration of the Eucharist.

7. B. THE LITURGY OF ROME
• The earliest liturgy that is known to exist in the
church of Rome is the liturgy of Hippolytus. Most
scholars agree now that this liturgy originated in
Egypt and was exported to Rome.

8. C. THE LITURGY OF JERUSALEM
• In Jerusalem, the city of God, the liturgy ofSt James was the
dominant Eucharistic prayer by the fourth century. Not only in
Jerusalem, but also in Syria, Arabia, Greece and Armenia.
• The Liturgy is attributed to St. James, who became the first
bishop of Jerusalem. Hamman describes this liturgy despite
the Hellenization of its form and of the thought beneath it, it is
still astonishingly close the original Eucharist.

9. D. THE LITURGY OF ANTIOCH
• Antioch was the city in which Barnabas and Paul spent a whole year
preaching and where the disciples were called Christians first. (Acts
12) it was the first centre to be preached to outside Judea. In this
important centre of Christianity, another liturgical tradition thrived
by the fourth century , the liturgy of the apostles.Supposedly
written by Clement, Bishop of Rome, who in turned received it from
the Apostles.

10. CHRISTIAN LITURGY
• In Christian tradition liturgy means the participation of the people
of God in the work of God (Jn 17:4).
• As Vatican II said, it requires the full ,conscious and active
participation of all the faithful. ( It is both a right and obligation)

11. IMPORTANCE OF LITURGY
• The sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the
church. Before men come to the liturgy they must be called to
faith and to coversion. (SC9).
• Nevertheless the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity
of the church is directed ;at the same time it is the font from
which all her power flows ( SC10)

12. LITURGY FROM THE BIBLE
• OLD testament examples:
- The Passover ( Exodus 12)
- The Tabernacle and other rituals ( Exodus 25-30;cf 25:8-9
and 27:20-21)
- The building of the temple and its rededication
• New Testament Examples:
- Institution narratives ( Mt 26:26-30; Mk14:22-26,Lk 22:14-
23)
- Acts 2:42
- Paul’s instruction (1 Cor 11:23-26)

13. ACTION OF THE HOLY TRINITY
• THE FATHER :
Through the liturgy the father fills us with his blessings in the word
made flesh who died and rose for us and pours into our hearts the Holy
Spirit. At the same time , the church is blessed by the Father by her
worship , praise and thanksgiving and begs Him for the gift of his Son and
the Holy Spirit.

14. • THE SON
- Christ signifies and makes present his paschal
mystery . By giving the Holy Spirit to His apostles He
entrusted to them….the power to make present the work
of salvation through the Eucharistic sacrifice and the
sacraments.
- He himself acts to communicate his grace to the
faithful of all times and places throughout the world.

15. • THE HOLY SPIRIT
- The very closest cooperation is at work in the liturgy between
the Holy Spirit and the Church. The Holy Spirit prepares the Church to
encounter her Lord.He recalls and manifests Christ to the faith of the
assembly He makes the mystery of Christ really present. He unites the
church to the life and mission of Christ and makes the gift of
communion bear fruit in the Church. (CCC223)
- Another fruit in the lives of the faithful: new life in the spirit.
(CCC 1072)

16. ELEMENTS OF THE LITURGY
• The 7 Sacraments
•
- The Sacraments of Initiation
(Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist)
- The Sacraments of Healing
(Penance and Anointing of the Sick)
- Sacraments at the service of Communion
and Mission
(Matrimony and Holy Orders)

17. THE LORD’S PRAYER
• The Lord’s suffer is its center, for there the whole
community of the faithful who invites them to his banquet.
(CCC 1166)
• Sunday is the pre-eminent day for the liturgical assembly,
when the faithful gather, “ to listen to the word of God and
take part in the Eucharist, thus calling to mind the Passion,
Death and Ressurection and glory of the Lord Jesus.
(CCC1167)

18. THE LITURGICAL YEAR
In the liturgical year the church celebrates the whole
mystery of Christ from His Incarnation to His return in glory. On
set days the Church venerates with special love the Blessed Virgin
Mary , the morther of God. The church also keeps the memorials
of saints who lived for Christ , who suffered with Him and who
lived with Him in glory. (CCC242)

19. THE LITURGICAL YEAR
The Seasons:
Advent
Christmas
Lent
Holy Week
Easter
Ordinary Time
(red=martyrdom)