A Beacon Of Light . . . Christ In The Liturgy

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.

(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)

• + + Last week we began an explanation of the “economy of salvation” and how the Trinity participates in the liturgy. We saw how the liturgy has, as its aim, to offer praise, honor, and thanksgiving to God the Father. The Church’s liturgical life has this as its goal.
  Today we will ask the question: What role does the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, or Christ, play in the liturgy? The answer is quite simple, but only if we gaze through eyes of faith.
  Our faith teaches that Jesus Christ is the “source and summit of the Christian life.” This is true because the liturgy, has as its aim, to make known the work of our redemption. This is only accomplished through Christ, who for our sake endured the Passion, was crucified, died, and was buried, who also rose from the dead to give us life everlasting.
  After the Resurrection, Christ took His place at the right hand of the Father, where “Christ now acts through the sacraments he instituted to communicate his grace. The sacraments are perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible to our human nature” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1084). It is the liturgy, then, that signifies and makes present the Paschal mystery of Christ.
  The Catechism further explains this in n. 1085:
  “During his earthly life Jesus announced his Paschal mystery by his teaching and anticipated it by his actions. When his Hour comes, he lives out the unique event of history which does not pass away: Jesus dies, is buried, rises from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father ‘once for all.’ His Paschal mystery is a real event that occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other historical events happen once, and then they pass away, swallowed up in the past. The Paschal mystery of Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past, because by his death he destroyed death, and all that Christ is — all that he did and suffered for all men — participates in the divine eternity, and so transcends all times while being made present in them all. The event of the Cross and Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life” (CCC, n. 1085).
  The role of Christ in the liturgy continues this day through the ministry of the priesthood. The ministerial priesthood is the means through which Christ is made present today: “Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass not only in the person of his minister, ‘the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross’” (CCC, n. 1088).
  The teaching of Christ, “being present,” in the liturgy of the Church can be daunting for us to comprehend. We might ask ourselves: How can we be sure of this? How do we know?

A Bleak And Inaccurate Interpretation

These questions don’t surprise me, considering the utter confusion and dismal condition of the Church following the Second Vatican Council. The immediate days, weeks, and even hours following the council shook the Church to her core. The bleak and inaccurate interpretation of the council’s liturgical documents has had long lasting effects that have reached even today. If this “cherished” and “much needed” council was an attempt at helping the faithful to “grow” in their appreciation of the liturgy, it has failed dismally!
One of the hallmarks of the Catholic Church is the universality that exists within her. This universality, however, was challenged following the Second Vatican Council. What once was a sign of welcome and comfort in every Roman Catholic church, namely the centralized position of the Tabernacle in the sanctuary, had become a game of “hide and go seek.”
There was a problem with this because these actions were in direct opposition to the “esteemed” liturgical norms expressed so eloquently in Sacrosanctum Concilium.
The idea of removing Christ from the sanctuary, even to another room altogether, did not help at all! The idea of making the priest the “center of attention” has caused much harm to the liturgy. These actions did nothing to enhance the relationship between the faithful and Christ. What they did do is contribute to the total lack of belief in the true and lasting Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
As a product of the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, I have come to realize that if it were not for the grace of Baptism, along with the example of faith my maternal grandmother showed, I wonder where I would be. It was through the loving action and support of my grandmother, that I received the opportunity to experience the fruits of Christ’s abiding Presence in the liturgy.
I remember the first time that the “fruits of the liturgy” touched my heart. I attended a Mass at Our Lady’s Chapel in New Bedford, Mass. The liturgy was outstanding! I felt the power of Christ and thought I was in Heaven! Little did I know at the time, that is exactly what I was supposed to feel! And today, as I now celebrate the Sacred Liturgy, I see and feel how Christ is present each day in the liturgy.
Sadly, however, many of the liturgical experiences of the faithful today are lacking the mystery and reverence that has the power to transform even the hardest of hearts. But it does happen, and when it does, it is truly the power of Christ as work!
Recently, our local community experienced a great tragedy. Three young boys who were college roommates were involved in a fatal car crash. Two of the three died upon impact and the third was critically injured. Our parish had the daunting responsibility of assisting one of the families in burying their 18-year-old son. He had just begun college and was one of the college’s lacrosse players.
For this family, the faith had taken a back seat in their lives. Their son had been baptized, but he had not received any other sacraments. So I reached out to the family to offer our assistance during this tragic time. After meeting with the family, I agreed to allow the Visitation to take place in the church because we could accommodate the largest number of visitors in town. The Mass of Christian Burial was attended by family, friends, and fellow college students, including lacrosse teammates.
Following the funeral Mass, the boy’s father approached me in tears. He expressed how the liturgy had “made him a believer again.” Over the years he had drifted away from the Church and never made it a priority. Interestingly enough, the tragedy of his son’s death was transformed into the means through which Christ, present in the liturgy, enabled the father’s return to the faith.

A Hymn Of Glory

The liturgy is so important in maintaining our life of faith. It is the place where we encounter Christ’s comforting touch in times of sorrow and grief. It is where we receive the forgiveness, needed to forgive ourselves. It is the channel through which man and woman declare their love for one another and are united in the Sacrament of Matrimony. It is the dispensary where we receive the Divine Food necessary to transform earthly hunger into divine fulfillment.
But more important, it is a foretaste of the liturgy to come! It is the place where we receive a “divine kiss” and experience the unconditional love of God Himself.
In closing this week’s column, I return to the question asked in the beginning: “What role does Christ play in the liturgy?” The answer is clear:
“In the earthly liturgy we share in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle. With all the warriors of the heavenly army we sing a hymn of glory to the Lord; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with him in glory” (CCC, n.1090).
Next week we will learn about the role of the Holy Spirit in the liturgy.