221. In what way is the Father the source and the goal of the liturgy? (part 2) (continuation)
(Comp
221 repetition) Through the liturgy the Father fills us with his blessings in
the Word made flesh who died and rose for us and pours into our hearts the Holy
Spirit. At the same time, the Church blesses the Father by her worship, praise,
and thanksgiving and begs him for the gift of his Son and the Holy Spirit.
“In brief”
(CCC 1110) In the liturgy of the Church, God the Father is
blessed and adored as the source of all the blessings of creation and salvation
with which he has blessed us in his Son, in order to give us the Spirit of
filial adoption.
To deepen and explain
(CCC 1081) The divine blessings were made manifest in
astonishing and saving events: the birth of Isaac, the escape from Egypt
(Passover and Exodus), the gift of the promised land, the election of David,
the presence of God in the Temple, the purifying exile, and return of a
"small remnant." the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, interwoven in
the liturgy of the Chosen People, recall these divine blessings and at the same
time respond to them with blessings of praise and thanksgiving. (CCC 1082) In
the Church's liturgy the divine blessing is fully revealed and communicated.
The Father is acknowledged and adored as the source and the end of all the
blessings of creation and salvation. In his Word who became incarnate, died,
and rose for us, he fills us with his blessings. Through his Word, he pours
into our hearts the Gift that contains all gifts, the Holy Spirit.
On reflection
(CCC 1083) The dual dimension of the Christian liturgy as a
response of faith and love to the spiritual blessings the Father bestows on us
is thus evident. On the one hand, the Church, united with her Lord and "in
the Holy Spirit" (Lk 10:21), blesses the Father "for his
inexpressible gift (2 Cor 9:15) in her adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. On
the other hand, until the consummation of God's plan, the Church never ceases
to present to the Father the offering of his own gifts and to beg him to send
the Holy Spirit upon that offering, upon herself, upon the faithful, and upon
the whole world, so that through communion in the death and resurrection of
Christ the Priest, and by the power of the Spirit, these divine blessings will
bring forth the fruits of life "to the praise of his glorious grace"
(Eph 1:6). [END]
No comments:
Post a Comment