Formation for the Whole Church
Understanding what is celebrated.
At the centre of all liturgical renewal is sound liturgical formation – understanding what is being celebrated in order that it might be celebrated worthily and well. Liturgical formation is not only for the clergy – it is for the whole Christian faithful, to form a deep personal familiarity with the liturgy. This section offers resources to help the clergy and the lay faithful to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Church’s sacred liturgy.
01Understanding the Holy Eucharist
The Eucharistic celebration, as the encounter with the living Christ par excellence, is the source and summit of the entire Christian Life (Lumen Gentium, 11). This Sacrament of unity is, as St Augustine said, the mystery by which the Christian faithful see what they are already and receive what they are to become – the very body of Christ. This understanding was the golden thread through running through Pope Benedict XVI’s life and priestly ministry, and through all his liturgical writings. Our mission to promote this understanding begins with the rediscovery and promotion of his writings and the works inspired by them, and further formation on the nature of the Eucharistic sacrifice.
Bibliography
- Joseph Ratzinger, Collected Works – Theology of the Liturgy
- Joseph Ratzinger, The Feast of Faith: Approaches to a Theology of the Liturgy
- Pope Benedict XVI, Behold the Lamb of God
Devout Participation
The fully conscious and active participation of the lay faithful ‘is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit’ (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 14). However, there is a danger that active participation becomes something superficial – limited to outward gestures and words, without touching on the interior participation in the sacred liturgy. We provide resources for the lay faithful to participate devoutly in the sacred liturgy, praying with the Priest and the whole Church and joining themselves to the sacrificial action celebrated at the altar.
03Parish and Family Formation: Liturgical Catechesis
The family and the Parish community are the centre of liturgical formation. Pope Benedict XVI wrote of his own accompaniment by his parents and pastor throughout his childhood ‘a riveting adventure to move by degrees into the mysterious world of the liturgy, which was being enacted before us and for us there on the altar.’ We provide materials for parishes and families to grow together in a deeper understanding and love of the liturgy.