Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part Two › Section One › Chapter Two · Article 1 (§§1136–1199)
Paragraphs · 64
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
I. Who Celebrates?
- §1136 — Liturgy is an "action" of the whole Christ (Christus totus). Those who even now celebrate it without signs are already in the heavenly liturgy, where celebration is wholly communion and feastvatican.va
- §1137 — The book of Revelation of St. John, read in the Church's liturgy, first reveals to us, "A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne": "the Lord God."vatican.va
- §1138 — "Recapitulated in Christ," these are the ones who take part in the service of the praise of God and the fulfillment of his plan: the heavenly powers, all creation (the four living beings), the servants of the Old and New Covenants (the twenty-four elders), the…vatican.va
- §1139 — It is in this eternal liturgy that the Spirit and the Church enable us to participate whenever we celebrate the mystery of salvation in the sacraments.vatican.va
- §1140 — It is the whole community, the Body of Christ united with its Head, that celebrates. "Liturgical services are not private functions but are celebrations of the Church which is 'the sacrament of unity,' namely, the holy people united and organized under the authority of the bishops.vatican.va
- §1141 — The celebrating assembly is the community of the baptized who, "by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that .vatican.va
- §1142 — But "the members do not all have the same function." Certain members are called by God, in and through the Church, to a special service of the community.vatican.va
- §1143 — For the purpose of assisting the work of the common priesthood of the faithful, other particular ministries also exist, not consecrated by the sacrament of Holy Orders; their functions are determined by the bishops, in accord with liturgical traditions and pastoral needs.vatican.va
- §1144 — In the celebration of the sacraments it is thus the whole assembly that is leitourgos, each according to his function, but in the "unity of the Spirit" who acts in all.vatican.va
Signs and symbols
- §1145 — A sacramental celebration is woven from signs and symbols. In keeping with the divine pedagogy of salvation, their meaning is rooted in the work of creation and in human culture, specified by the events of the Old Covenant and fully revealed in the person and work of Christ.vatican.va
- §1146 — Signs of the human world. In human life, signs and symbols occupy an important place. As a being at once body and spirit, man expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols.vatican.va
- §1147 — God speaks to man through the visible creation. the material cosmos is so presented to man's intelligence that he can read there traces of its Creator.vatican.va
- §1148 — Inasmuch as they are creatures, these perceptible realities can become means of expressing the action of God who sanctifies men, and the action of men who offer worship to God.vatican.va
- §1149 — The great religions of mankind witness, often impressively, to this cosmic and symbolic meaning of religious rites. the liturgy of the Church presupposes, integrates and sanctifies elements from creation and human culture, conferring on them the dignity of signs of grace, of the new creation in Jesus Christ.vatican.va
- §1150 — Signs of the covenant. the Chosen People received from God distinctive signs and symbols that marked its liturgical life. These are no longer solely celebrations of cosmic cycles and social gestures, but signs of the covenant, symbols of God's mighty deeds for his people.vatican.va
- §1151 — Signs taken up by Christ. In his preaching the Lord Jesus often makes use of the signs of creation to make known the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.vatican.va
- §1152 — Sacramental signs. Since Pentecost, it is through the sacramental signs of his Church that the Holy Spirit carries on the work of sanctification. the sacraments of the Church do not abolish but purify and integrate all the richness of the signs and symbols of the cosmos and of social life.vatican.va
- §1153 — A sacramental celebration is a meeting of God's children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words.vatican.va
- §1154 — The liturgy of the Word is an integral part of sacramental celebrations. To nourish the faith of believers, the signs which accompany the Word of God should be emphasized: the book of the Word (a lectionary or a book of the Gospels), its veneration (procession,…vatican.va
- §1155 — The liturgical word and action are inseparable both insofar as they are signs and instruction and insofar as they accomplish what they signify. When the Holy Spirit awakens faith, he not only gives an understanding of the Word of God, but through the sacraments also makes present the "wonders" of God which it proclaims.vatican.va
- §1156 — "The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. the main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy."vatican.va
- §1157 — Song and music fulfill their function as signs in a manner all the more significant when they are "more closely connected . . with the liturgical action," according to three principal criteria: beauty expressive of prayer, the unanimous participation of the assembly at the designated moments, and the solemn character of the celebration.vatican.va
- §1158 — The harmony of signs (song, music, words, and actions) is all the more expressive and fruitful when expressed in the cultural richness of the People of God who celebrate.vatican.va
- §1159 — The sacred image, the liturgical icon, principally represents Christ. It cannot represent the invisible and incomprehensible God, but the incarnation of the Son of God has ushered in a new "economy" of images:vatican.va
- §1160 — Christian iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by words. Image and word illuminate each other:vatican.va
- §1161 — All the signs in the liturgical celebrations are related to Christ: as are sacred images of the holy Mother of God and of the saints as well.vatican.va
- §1162 — "The beauty of the images moves me to contemplation, as a meadow delights the eyes and subtly infuses the soul with the glory of God."vatican.va
Liturgical seasons
- §1163 — "Holy Mother Church believes that she should celebrate the saving work of her divine Spouse in a sacred commemoration on certain days throughout the course of the year.vatican.va
- §1164 — From the time of the Mosaic law, the People of God have observed fixed feasts, beginning with Passover, to commemorate the astonishing actions of the Savior God, to give him thanks for them, to perpetuate their remembrance, and to teach new generations to conform their conduct to them.vatican.va
- §1165 — When the Church celebrates the mystery of Christ, there is a word that marks her prayer: "Today!" - a word echoing the prayer her Lord taught her and the call of the Holy Spirit.vatican.va
- §1166 — "By a tradition handed down from the apostles which took its origin from the very day of Christ's Resurrection, the Church celebrates the Paschal mystery every seventh day, which day is appropriately called the Lord's Day or Sunday."vatican.va
- §1167 — 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, Resurrection, and glory of the Lord Jesus, and giving thanks to God who…vatican.va
- §1168 — Beginning with the Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the Resurrection fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance. Gradually, on either side of this source, the year is transfigured by the liturgy.vatican.va
- §1169 — Therefore Easter is not simply one feast among others, but the "Feast of feasts," the "Solemnity of solemnities," just as the Eucharist is the "Sacrament of sacraments" (the Great Sacrament).vatican.va
- §1170 — At the Council of Nicaea in 325, all the Churches agreed that Easter, the Christian Passover, should be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon (14 Nisan) after the vernal equinox.vatican.va
- §1171 — In the liturgical year the various aspects of the one Paschal mystery unfold. This is also the case with the cycle of feasts surrounding the mystery of the incarnation (Annunciation, Christmas, Epiphany).vatican.va
- §1172 — "In celebrating this annual cycle of the mysteries of Christ, Holy Church honors the Blessed Mary, Mother of God, with a special love. She is inseparably linked with the saving work of her Son.vatican.va
- §1173 — When the Church keeps the memorials of martyrs and other saints during the annual cycle, she proclaims the Paschal mystery in those "who have suffered and have been glorified with Christ.vatican.va
- §1174 — The mystery of Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which we celebrate in the Eucharist especially at the Sunday assembly, permeates and transfigures the time of each day, through the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, "the divine office."vatican.va
- §1175 — The Liturgy of the Hours is intended to become the prayer of the whole People of God. In it Christ himself "continues his priestly work through his Church."vatican.va
- §1176 — The celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours demands not only harmonizing the voice with the praying heart, but also a deeper "understanding of the liturgy and of the Bible, especially of the Psalms."vatican.va
- §1177 — The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated.vatican.va
- §1178 — The Liturgy of the Hours, which is like an extension of the Eucharistic celebration, does not exclude but rather in a complementary way calls forth the various devotions of the People of God, especially adoration and worship of the Blessed Sacrament.vatican.va
IV. Where is the Liturgy Celebrated?
- §1179 — The worship "in Spirit and in truth" of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place. the whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men.vatican.va
- §1180 — When the exercise of religious liberty is not thwarted, Christians construct buildings for divine worship. These visible churches are not simply gathering places but signify and make visible the Church living in this place, the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united in Christ.vatican.va
- §1181 — A church, "a house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble, and where is worshipped the presence of the Son of God our Savior, offered for us on the sacrificial altar for the help and consolation of the…vatican.va
- §1182 — The altar of the New Covenant is the Lord's Cross, from which the sacraments of the Paschal mystery flow. On the altar, which is the center of the church, the sacrifice of the Cross is made present under sacramental signs.vatican.va
- §1183 — The tabernacle is to be situated "in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honor." The dignity, placing, and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.vatican.va
- §1184 — The chair (cathedra) of the bishop or the priest "should express his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer." The lectern (ambo): "The dignity of the Word of God requires the church to have a suitable place for announcing his message so…vatican.va
- §1185 — The gathering of the People of God begins with Baptism; a church must have a place for the celebration of Baptism (baptistry) and for fostering remembrance of the baptismal promises (holy water font).vatican.va
- §1186 — Finally, the church has an eschatological significance. To enter into the house of God, we must cross a threshold, which symbolizes passing from the world wounded by sin to the world of the new Life to which all men are called.vatican.va
In Brief
- §1187 — The liturgy is the work of the whole Christ, head and body. Our high priest celebrates it unceasingly in the heavenly liturgy, with the holy Mother of God, the apostles, all the saints, and the multitude of those who have already entered the kingdom.vatican.va
- §1188 — In a liturgical celebration, the whole assembly is leitourgos, each member according to his own function. the baptismal priesthood is that of the whole Body of Christ.vatican.va
- §1189 — The liturgical celebration involves signs and symbols relating to creation (candles, water, fire), human life (washing, anointing, breaking bread) and the history of salvation (the rites of the Passover).vatican.va
- §1190 — The Liturgy of the Word is an integral part of the celebration. the meaning of the celebration is expressed by the Word of God which is proclaimed and by the response of faith to it.vatican.va
- §1191 — Song and music are closely connected with the liturgical action. the criteria for their proper use are the beauty expressive of prayer, the unanimous participation of the assembly, and the sacred character of the celebration.vatican.va
- §1192 — Sacred images in our churches and homes are intended to awaken and nourish our faith in the mystery of Christ. Through the icon of Christ and his works of salvation, it is he whom we adore.vatican.va
- §1193 — Sunday, the "Lord's Day," is the principal day for the celebration of the Eucharist because it is the day of the Resurrection. It is the pre-eminent day of the liturgical assembly, the day of the Christian family, and the day of joy and rest from work.vatican.va
- §1194 — The Church, "in the course of the year, . . unfolds the whole mystery of Christ from his Incarnation and Nativity through his Ascension, to Pentecost and the expectation of the blessed hope of the coming of the Lord" (SC 102 # 2).vatican.va
- §1195 — By keeping the memorials of the saints - first of all the holy Mother of God, then the apostles, the martyrs, and other saints - on fixed days of the liturgical year, the Church on earth shows that she is united with the liturgy of heaven.vatican.va
- §1196 — The faithful who celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours are united to Christ our high priest, by the prayer of the Psalms, meditation on the Word of God, and canticles and blessings, in order to be joined with his unceasing and universal prayer that gives…vatican.va
- §1197 — Christ is the true temple of God, "the place where his glory dwells"; by the grace of God, Christians also become the temples of the Holy Spirit, living stones out of which the Church is built.vatican.va
- §1198 — In its earthly state the Church needs places where the community can gather together. Our visible churches, holy places, are images of the holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem, toward which we are making our way on pilgrimage.vatican.va
- §1199 — It is in these churches that the Church celebrates public worship to the glory of the Holy Trinity, hears the word of God and sings his praise, lifts up her prayer, and offers the sacrifice of Christ sacramentally present in the midst of the assembly.vatican.va
Scripture cited · 98 verses
Psalm 95:7 · Wisdom 13:1 · Isaiah 6:1 · Isaiah 6:2 · Isaiah 6:3 · Ezekiel 1:26 · Ezekiel 1:27 · Ezekiel 1:28 · Matthew 6:11 · Mark 7:33 · Mark 8:22 · Luke 4:19 · Luke 8:10 · Luke 9:31 · Luke 22:7 · Luke 22:8 · Luke 22:9 · Luke 22:10 · Luke 22:11 · Luke 22:12 · Luke 22:13 · Luke 22:14 · Luke 22:15 · Luke 22:16 · Luke 22:17 · Luke 22:18 · Luke 22:19 · Luke 22:20 · Luke 24:30 · John 1:29 · John 4:10 · John 4:11 · John 4:12 · John 4:13 · John 4:14 · John 4:24 · John 9:6 · John 21:12 · Acts 14:17 · Romans 1:19 · Romans 8:29 · Romans 12:4 · Ephesians 5:19 · Ephesians 6:18 · Colossians 3:16 · 1 Thessalonians 5:17 · Hebrews 3:7 · Hebrews 3:8 · Hebrews 3:9 · Hebrews 3:10 · Hebrews 3:11 · Hebrews 3:12 · Hebrews 3:13 · Hebrews 3:14 · Hebrews 3:15 · Hebrews 3:16 · Hebrews 3:17 · Hebrews 3:18 · Hebrews 3:19 · Hebrews 4:1 · Hebrews 4:2 · Hebrews 4:3 · Hebrews 4:4 · Hebrews 4:5 · Hebrews 4:6 · Hebrews 4:7 · Hebrews 4:8 · Hebrews 4:9 · Hebrews 4:10 · Hebrews 4:11 · Hebrews 4:14 · Hebrews 4:15 · Hebrews 12:1 · Hebrews 13:10 · 1 Peter 2:4 · 1 Peter 2:5 · 1 Peter 2:9 · 1 John 3:2 · Revelation 4:2 · Revelation 4:8 · Revelation 5:6 · Revelation 6:9 · Revelation 6:10 · Revelation 6:11 · Revelation 7:1 · Revelation 7:2 · Revelation 7:3 · Revelation 7:4 · Revelation 7:5 · Revelation 7:6 · Revelation 7:7 · Revelation 7:8 · Revelation 7:9 · Revelation 14:1 · Revelation 21:4 · Revelation 21:6 · Revelation 21:9 · Revelation 22:1