Plumbing the Depths of the Liturgy On An Autumn Sunday

We've been plumbing the depths of the Liturgy of the Catholic Church these past Sundays. After acknowledging that the Liturgy encompasses more than the Mass, we recognized the connection the Liturgy creates between Heaven and earth; following that, the desirability of following the Liturgical calendar throughout the year. Our guide has been The Soul of the Apostolate by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard. We'll continue to follow his lead today focusing on some distinctive characteristics of what he calls "the Liturgical life."

Following the Liturgical calendar throughout the year affords us special and specific opportunities to participate in the Liturgy. When possible, that involves more than Sunday Mass. I say "when possible" because, as opposed to Dom Chautard, laymen don't have the advantage of the order and stability that ife in a monastery affords when it comes to our pious practices. We have to make special efforts to participate in more-than-Sunday-Mass. If you haven't yet seen why we want to make such efforts, maybe today's discussion will help.

Let's start today with what we've covered already, as summed up by Dom Chautard. He is addressing Our Lord:

"As a Christian I am a member of that Body of which You are the Head and the Life. And that is the point of view from which You look at me, Divine Savior"

Previously we discussed the Body of Christ from our point of view: what it is and how we fit in. But here we're told that Our Lord Himself "sees us" as part of His Body. Let's pause a second. Consider what this means. Our Lord consider us not only not just His creatures, His children, His brothers and sisters, those for Whom He dwelt in our world in order to save us. All of these certainly establish an broad and deep intimacy that we don't have with our fellow creatures. But if we consider that He looks at me as a member of His Body, how can we not be in awe of the depth of this intimacy?

We remain not simply with Him, but a part of Him through all the trials and tribulations, temptations and sufferings we encounter each day. The same holds for our joys and successes. As a part of Him, what we think, say, and do affects Him personally. He not only knows, but in some mystical way feels our thoughts, emotions, the results of our actions, just as we feel these ourselves. You wonder how any of us could possibly even think of causing Him pain. Would we not prefer to bring Him joy? Dom Chautard shows us just how we can, indeed, bring Him joy:

"So I give you a special joy when, in presenting myself before You, I speak to You as my Head, and consider myself as one of the sheep of that Fold of which You are the only Shepherd, and which includes in its unity all my brothers in the Church militant, suffering, and triumphant."

Most of us go about our lives - at least the vast majority of the time - sticking mentally, emotionally, even spiritually close to the natural world that surrounds us. It's understandable. Unless we make the effort - consistently, persistently to heighten our awareness of the supernatural, we rarely speak to Our Lord as does Dom Chautard here. But if you carefully, thoughtfully, prayerfully read those few words again, can a change of heart be far away? 

Imagine now all Catholics, around the world, with minds and hearts lifted to this supernatural awareness. And remind yourself that the supernatural is real, more real in fact than the natural world that crowds our sense day to day. It's not something wispy, "up there," beyond our understanding. How can we increase and intensify the presence of the supernatural, we busy Catholic laymen who have to grapple with all that the world, the flesh, and the devil throws at us day to day? One of the best ways is to dig deeper into the Liturgy.

St. Peter Damian wrote a famous treatise explaining why the prayers in the Liturgy are said in the plural, not the singular. Dom Chautard, thoroughly familiar with his forebear, thus says:

"...in the Liturgy, everything is done in common in the name of all, for the benefit of all...This close union between all the members, by the same faith and by participation in the same Sacraments, produces fraternal love in their souls, and this is the distinctive sign of those who wish to imitate Christ and walk in His footsteps..."

Here we see how we're all in the same boat. We're not left to our own devices. Thinking of millions of fellow Catholics sharing the same faith, the same Sacraments should bolster our confidence that the supernatural can become a "normal" part of our lives. Just think of what we Catholics share, especially if part of that sharing is love of God and love of neighbor.

"'By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.' This bond among the members of the Church draws them all the closer together in proportion as they participate more fully, through the Communion of Saints, in the grace and charity of the Head, who communicates to them supernatural and divine life. 

"These truths are the foundation of the liturgical life which, in its turn, brings me constantly back to them."

So we find us all, souls interlocked with God and each other in a bond of love, participating actively in the liturgical life. That's the picture so colorfully portrayed here. 

Now, if you're like me, I need to take all this in small doses. Frankly, it overwhelms me when it hits me all together. So I circle back and read a bit, then pause. I think. I pray. I meditate. Then another small dose. It's the only way for me to really absorb what Dom Chautard puts before us in black and white. To appreciate his words, we must allow them to take root and come alive.

If we allow ourselves to plumb the depths of the Liturgy in this fashion, we can - at least we hope we can - make the Liturgy more and more a part of our lives. The Church itself thus comes alive, as it was intended to be when Our Divine Savior instituted it while He still walked amongst us. Let's conclude today's discussion with these final words:

"O Holy Church of God, I wish, as far as in me lies, to make you more lovely and more holy and more full. And the splendor of your whole unity will come forth from the perfection of each one of your children, built on the foundation that dominated solidarity which was the thought that dominated Christ's prayer after the Last Supper and was the true testament of His Heart: 'That they may be one...That they may be made perfect in one.'

"O Mother, Holy Church, how moved I am with joy and admiration for your liturgical prayer! Since I am one of your members, it is my prayer too, especially when I am present or take an active part in it. All that you have is mine; and everything I have belongs to you." 

Happy Sunday!