This document discusses a session on full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy. It defines key terms like liturgy, explains what is at stake if liturgy is not done well, and covers topics like the importance of music, rituals, and praying/believing according to how the Church prays. The goal is to help people become more faithful and engaged disciples by understanding how to actively take part in liturgical celebrations with devotion and collaboration.

1. Journey of Discipleship
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
Session Three – Saturday, 09 March 2013
♦ ___________________________________________________________________ ♦
Full, Conscious, and Active
Participation in the Liturgy
♦ ___________________________________________________________________ ♦
Eliot Kapitan
Office for Worship and the Catechumenate
Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Therese Allen
Saints James and Patrick Parish, Decatur
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2. TITLE and GOAL
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
Journey of Discipleship
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
♦ How can I be a more faithful and
engaged disciple?
♦ How can I be holy in this age?
♦ How can we do this together?
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3. Regular Appointments with God
Session Two: February 9, 2013
Sr. Jane Boos, SSND & Christine Malmevik
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5. Journey of Discipleship
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
Session Three – Saturday, 09 March 2013
♦ ___________________________________________________________________ ♦
Full, Conscious, and Active
Participation in the Liturgy
♦ ___________________________________________________________________ ♦
Eliot Kapitan
Office for Worship and the Catechumenate
Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Therese Allen
Saints James and Patrick Parish, Decatur
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6. Aim of Vatican II
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
The Church earnestly desires that all the
faithful be led to that full, conscious, and
active participation in liturgical
celebrations called for by the very nature of
the liturgy. Such participation by the
Christian people as “a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own
people” (1 Pt 2:9; see 2:4-5), is their right
and duty by reason of their baptism.
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 14.
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7. Aim of the Liturgy
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
The Church, therefore, earnestly desires
that Christ's faithful …should not be there
as strangers or silent spectators …they
should take part in the sacred action
conscious of what they are doing, with
devotion and full collaboration. They should
…learn also to offer themselves [and] be
drawn day by day into ever more perfect
union with God and with each other, so
that finally God may be all in all.
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 48.
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8. What is Liturgy?
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♦ Christ present in his Church
♦ exercise of priestly office of Jesus
Christ
♦ uses signs perceptible to the senses
♦ for human sanctification
♦ public worship by Mystical Body,
head and members
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 7.
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9. What is Liturgy?
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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, no. 1069
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10. What is at stake?
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
“Faith grows when it is well
expressed in celebration.
Good celebrations can foster
and nourish faith. Poor
celebrations may weaken it.”
Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, no. 5
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
2007
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11. Liturgy and Devotion
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. . . But these devotions should be so
fashioned that they harmonize with
the liturgical seasons, accord with the
sacred liturgy, are in some way
derived from it, and lead the people to
it, since, in fact, the liturgy, by its very
nature far surpasses any of them.
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 13.
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12. Liturgy and Devotion
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13. Liturgy and Music
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♦ “Singing is for the one who loves”
St. Augustine, Sing to the Lord, no. 2
♦ Singing together expresses the
sacramental presence of God to his
people
Sing to the Lord, no. 2; see nos. 1-9
♦ “Whoever sings well prays twice over.”
General Instruction of the Roman Missal, nos. 39-41
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14. Ritual Books of Roman Rite
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♦ The Roman Missal
♦ The Liturgy of the Hours
♦ The Roman Ritual
♦ The Roman Pontifical
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15. Mass
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♦ Gathering ♦
♦ The Introductory Rites
♦ The Liturgy of the Word
♦ The Liturgy of the
Eucharist
♦ The Concluding Rites
♦ Apostolic Life in Mission ♦
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16. Church
&
church
♦♦♦
church
for the
Church
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17. Why Liturgy?
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
♦ Why is Liturgy important to me?
♦ Why is Liturgy important to the
Church, the People of God?
♦ How has my thinking changed in a
big or a little way because of session
work so far?
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18. Why the Word, the Bible?
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♦ Why is the Word important to me?
♦ Who speaks when the Word is
proclaimed aloud?
♦ How has my thinking changed in a
big or a little way because of session
work so far?
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19. Why a Liturgical Year?
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♦ How do I attend to the Church’s
Liturgical Year?
♦ What does the Church celebrate by
means of the Liturgical Year?
♦ How has my thinking changed in a
big or a little way because of session
work so far?
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20. Praying and Believing
page 53
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
♦ lex orandi, lex credendi
♦ (literally, “the law of prayer is the law
of belief”).
♦ Prosper of Aquitaine, fourth century
♦ affirms Liturgy is the norm of faith
♦ To say this another way: how the
Church prays witnesses to what the
Church believes
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21. ♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
We pray at this table…
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22. ♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
…because we are headed here…
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23. ♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
…getting there by dismissal & mission…
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24. Resources
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Springfield Catholicism Project
http://www.dio.org/catholicismproject
Office of the Missions
Office for Worship and the Catechumenate
with the assistance of many
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25. Resources
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
♦ pp 60-62 – for Catholic life
♦ pg 63 – Liturgy publishers
♦ pp 64-65 – easy reading ( honest! )
♦ Catholic Households
Blessings and Prayers
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26. TITLE and GOAL
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
Journey of Discipleship
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
♦ How can I be a more faithful and
engaged disciple?
♦ How can I be holy in this age?
♦ How can we do this together?
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27. For Reflection
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
♦ What did I learn today that challenges me
to live as a more faithful and engaged
Christian?
♦ What did I learn that helps me be holy
today?
♦ How does all of this challenge my parish?
Pray and journal about these questions over
the coming month. Do some research and
be prepared to discuss next month on April
13, 2013.
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28. Getting started:
♦ _____________________________________________________________________________ ♦
♦ One new thing a learned…
♦ One thing a can do / continue to do
that will help my prayer be better…
♦ One thing this parish can do for good
Liturgy that builds up faith…
♦ I want more input / information on…
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