Aug 31 Mon
Why is there a succession of seasons in the liturgy of the Church?
Recently, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the liturgical year and emphasized the importance of Sunday Mass.
“Pope Pius XII stated that the liturgical year is not a cold and lifeless representation of past events, or a simple record of a former age. It is rather Christ Himself who is ever living in His Church. Here He continues that journey of immense mercy which He lovingly began in His mortal life with the intention of bringing men to know His mysteries and, in a way, live by them."
“The liturgical year is a constant renewal of the work of salvation which Christ accomplishes in history. The encounter with Jesus, who died and rose again for us, is the purpose that the Church always pursues, placing the celebration of the liturgy at the center."
“Moreover, the foundation and kernel of the whole liturgical year is Sunday, the original feast day. In various modern languages, its name indicates that it is the “dies Domini” (Domingo), “the Lord’s day”. Even in those languages in which Sunday refers to the “day of the sun” (Sunday, Sonntag), the link with Christ is clear: Christ is the true “Sun of righteousness” who enlightens every person!"
“Since Sunday makes present the day upon which Christ rose from the dead, it is also the day which reveals the meaning of time. … Springing from the Resurrection, it cuts through human time, the months, the years, the centuries, like a directional arrow which points them towards their target: Christ’s Second Coming. Sunday foreshadows the last day, when we shall all rise again.”
As he commented on St. John Paul’s teaching, Pope Leo said that a “virtual presence” cannot substitute for Sunday Mass in person:
“To sanctify Sunday, it is fundamental to celebrate the Eucharist. Listening to the Word and partaking of the Body of Christ entail the coming together ‘in unum’, that is, the joyful gathering of the faithful. In this assembly, the Christian community makes visible its communion with the Lord and bears witness to its belonging to Christ and its fidelity to the Church. This assembly cannot be substituted by a solely virtual presence, nor can it be reduced to a merely passive gathering."
“The liturgical year thus repeats, in sacramental form, the teaching of the history of salvation, guiding the faithful from the expectation of the Messiah to the fullness of the Paschal Mystery and the anticipation of future glory. For this reason, the liturgical year constitutes the guiding principle and the essential framework for all pastoral action."
To this, we could add some words of Cardinal Sarah: “The only way to win this great combat is union with God. Christians will never succeed in overcoming the challenges of the world by appealing to political tools, human rights, or respect for religious liberty. The only true trick for the baptized is prayer and the encounter with Jesus Christ.”
“God is still calling as many men as He did in the past; it is men who do not hear God’s voice as in the past.”