DO THISIn Memory of Me

The Sacred Liturgy as the splendor of God’s eternal glory

A pastoral letter byArchbishop John C. Nienstedt

Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis

The Catholic SpiritNovember 10, 2011

Special Section

“. . . and, I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to myself.” — John 12:32

My earliest recollections of the Sacred Liturgy are from my homeparish church, providentially named “the Church of Saint Paul.” Itwas a stately Gothic structure with a beautiful high altar made ofCarrara marble. There, at a young age, I knew that I was enteringnot just a sacred space, but what I believed to be a vision of what

heaven must be like. Every Sunday the eight members of my family would pileinto our station wagon and drive the short distance to the 8:00 a.m. Mass. We satin the second row, left hand side of the main aisle, two rows in front of mygrandparents. How well I remember those days!

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Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

The parish was, very much, the center of myuniverse at that time. And at the Sunday Liturgy, Itruly felt at home surrounded by family andfriends.

The Mass, then, was celebrated in Latin, thoughthe sermon was in English. There at Saint Paul’s, Igrew familiar with the responses and becametransfixed by the careful, reverent actions thatmade up the ritual. Without being able to givevoice to my feelings, I was enamored by the

Liturgy. Within it, Iknew that the wordsof the priest gavevoice to the unspokenprayers of thosegathered in faith. Ialso knew that itprovided us withspiritual nourishmentand strength by thepower of the HolySpirit acting throughthe person of thepriest. And I furtherknew that it broughtthat small, yet ever so

important community of believers gathered atthat hour, into a gathering that had meaning wellbeyond a head count of those assembled.

My brothers and sisters, I gladly share thesereminiscences with you as I begin my firstpastoral letter to the Archdiocese of Saint Pauland Minneapolis, a letter dedicated to the sourceand summit of the Christian way of life — theSacred Liturgy.

That early, formative experience of worshippingwith the community of faith at my home parishdedicated to the great Apostle, Saint Paul, has hada lasting influence on me right up to andincluding these past four years in this wonderfulArchdiocese, a local Church dedicated to thesame Apostle to the Gentiles.

The Second Vatican Council began when I wasa junior in high school. By the time it concluded,I was already in the seminary. There I had the richgrace of taking a course on the Mass by a wiseand scholarly priest. With studied research and inclear terms, he guided us step by step through theOrder of the Mass, carefully relating all the partsto one another to form a synthetic whole. I wascaptivated as I found myself being drawn moreand more into the rich meaning that lies at theheart of this marvelous prayer. Indeed, I was sodrawn to it that I now could not imagine my lifewithout it. And whether it is celebrated in Latinor English, Italian or Spanish, the effect isessentially the same. The words obviously areimportant, but their true importance lies in themystery by which those words are animated,

inspired and inflamed.

This is the fourth year I have been here in theArchdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis andthe third year I have been privileged to serve asyour Archbishop. During that time, I have hadthe wonderful opportunity of celebrating theHoly Eucharist in literally every corner of thislocal Church, with 164 pastoral visits to parishes,73 school visits, celebrations on the campuses ofour two Catholic universities, feast days at ourEastern Rite churches, diaconal, priestly andepiscopal ordinations, confirmations and, ofcourse, the Sacred Triduum at our magnificentCathedral.

All of these experiences have left me with theimpression that our priests, deacons, religious,catechists, worship coordinators as well as theCatholic faithful in general take the celebration ofthe Sacred Liturgy very seriously, putting muchtime and personal effort into its preparation andexecution. For this I am deeply grateful. This isindeed a sign of the vitality of faith thatcharacterizes us as the Body of Jesus Christ, whoremains forever our great High Priest.

At the same time, I am also aware that with theimplementation of the new translation of theRoman Missal, scheduled for the first Sunday ofAdvent this year, we have the marvelousopportunity to stopand reconsider theimportant role thatthe Mass plays in ourlives as individuals, asparish communitiesof faith and as anArchdiocese.

I wish to offer somereflections on thismost importantaspect of the Church’slife as the answer tofour questions:

■ First, why is theLiturgy so essential tothe well-being of theChurch?

■ Second, how canour unity in worship build up our unity asChurch?

■ Third, why is it so important that weparticipate in the weekly celebration of theSunday Liturgy?

■ And fourth, why must all we do in this greatArchdiocese, individually and collectively, beinformed by the Liturgy?

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With the implementation of the newtranslation of the Roman Missal . . .

we have the marvelous opportunity tostop and reconsider the important

role that the Mass plays in our livesas individuals, as parish

communities of faith and as anArchdiocese.

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Dave Hrbacek /The Catholic Spirit

Part I:What is the Essential Connection between

the Sacred Liturgy and the Church?

To help us understand why the Sacred Liturgy isso important for the Church, let us define ourterms — what is the Church, and what is theSacred Liturgy?

In the “Dogmatic Constitution of the Church,”the Second Vatican Council reminds us that the

Church is a“sacrament — a signand instrument ofcommunion withGod and of unityamong all men.” (1)

The Council alsorefers to the Churchas a “gatheringtogether” (2) of thosewho believe in Christ,and as “a people

brought into unity from the unity of the Fatherand the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (3) “TheConstitution on the Sacred Liturgy,” from thissame great Council, makes the purpose of thisgathering in Christ clear when it states that allactivities of the Church are directed toward thesanctification of human beings and theglorification of God. (4) From these references,then, we can state simply that the purpose of theChurch is to call her members to holiness, inother words, to create saints. Consequently,everything the Church does must be seen in thatlight.

But sanctity for the Christian is not a solitaryactivity. It is done in and through the Church, aChurch which is “gathered” as an assembly calledby Jesus Christ to form His Body, and that is seenmost fully in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy.

Again, the uniqueness of this worship wasemphasized in the teaching of the Second VaticanCouncil:

“. . . every liturgical celebration, because it isan action of Christ the priest and of His Bodywhich is the Church, is a sacred actionsurpassing all others; no other action of theChurch can equal its efficacy by the same titleand to the same degree.” (5)

If our worship is truly to be effective then, itmust be done through Him, with Him and inHim.

As Pope Benedict has written,

“The Liturgy derives its greatness from what itis, not from what we make of it. Ourparticipation is, of course, necessary, but as ameans of asserting ourselves humbly into the

spirit of the Liturgy and of serving him who isthe true subject of the Liturgy: Jesus Christ. TheLiturgy is not an expression of theconsciousness of a community, which, in anycase, is diffuse and changing. It is revelationreceived in faith and prayer, and its measure isconsequently the faith of the Church in whichrevelation is received. The forms that are givento the Liturgy can vary according to time andplace, just as the rites are diverse. What isessential is the link to the Church, which, forher part, is united by faith in the Lord. Theobedience of faith guarantees the unity of theLiturgy, beyond the frontiers of place and time,and so allows us to experience the unity of theChurch, the Church as the homeland of theheart.” (6)

This “homeland of the heart” is made up ofbelievers who have likewise been “gathered” as anassembly to pray together. In the community ofbelievers, our own hearts’ hopes and sorrows, joysand disappointments find reception, affirmation,and transformation as they are offered as onewith Christ to the Father in prayer. Thus, we seewhy it is profoundly true that no one can pray toGod as an isolated individual.

Again, Pope Benedict has observed,

“Prayer is always praying with someone. Noone can pray to God as an isolated individualand with his own strength. Isolation and theloss of a basic sense of fellowship in prayerconstitute a major reason for the lack of prayer. Ilearned to pray by praying with others, with mymother, for instance, by following her words,which are gradually filled out with meaning forme as I speak, live, and suffer in fellowship withher. . . . And that isprecisely why it isimpossible to start aconversation withChrist alone,cutting out theChurch: aChristological formof prayer thatexcludes theChurch alsoexcludes the Spiritand the humanbeing himself. Ineed to feel my wayinto these words ineverything I do, inprayer, life,suffering, in mythoughts. And thisvery processtransforms me. ButI must not try

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Sanctity for the Christian is not asolitary activity. It is done in and

through the Church.

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to dispense with the example of the words, forthey are alive, a growing organism, words thatare lived and prayed by countless people.” (7)

The Liturgy, therefore, finds its origin inChrist’s call to be “gathered” — he who is bothvictim and priest, the one who offers and theone who is offered. He calls us to holiness, butalways in and through the Church and herLiturgy. Again, this is the reason for the Church’sexistence: to bring the baptized into a closer

relationship withChrist as members ofHis one Body whopray the Liturgytogether with Christfor the glory of Godand the good of all.Our corporate orcommunal prayer isthus a prayer that

what has been accomplished in Christ might beaccomplished in us, and that like Christ wemight be sent to bear fruit for the life of theworld.

Here, in the “work” of the Church gathered inChrist, the two great themes of the SecondVatican Council, “communio” and “missio,”become ever more clear. The Church is gatheredby its call into communion in order to be sentforth on mission to bring Christ to the worldand to bring the world to Christ. As Blessed JohnPaul stated in “Christifideles Laici,”“Communion gives rise to mission and missionis accomplished in communion.” (8) It isimpossible for us to have one without the other.

There is also an eschatological dimension tothis gathering, often termed the “not yet” of ourfaith life, that is, our future eternal life in God,reflective of the words that Jesus Himself usedabout his own mission:

“. . . and I, when I am lifted up from theearth, will draw all to Myself.” (John 12:23)

This gathering in Christ that takes place in theLiturgy is a foreshadowing and a foretaste of thegathering which will happen in the NewJerusalem where Christ desires to gather allpeople to himself at the end of time.

Through this understanding of the Liturgy, wecan see how the Church is the sacrament ofunity and salvation of the whole world. When“the Mass is ended,” we are called to go out intothe world and proclaim the good news of Jesuscrucified and risen, a reality that is witnessed,touched, and seen at the Sacred Liturgy.

The vision of our being “gathered” together inChrist, then, gives impetus for our intention tobe united as one in the practice of the faith andin a particular way by our observance of the

rubrics given to us by the Church for thecelebration of the Liturgy. As Pope Benedictreminds us, “The obedience of faith guaranteesthe unity of the liturgy. . . .”

Part II:How does the Unity of Worship

affect the Unity of Faith?

When I was appointed a bishop by HisHoliness, Blessed John Paul II, I chose as myEpiscopal motto “That all may be one.” Thesewords, found in the 17th chapter of the Gospelof Saint John, express, it seems to me, the mostfundamental prayer of the heart of Jesus for Hisdisciples — ever greater unity with God, whichnaturally leads to an ever deeper unity with oneanother. This prayer has become my ownduring these years of Episcopal service,especially here in the Archdiocese of Saint Pauland Minneapolis. All of us must work for thatunity which is the explicit desire of the LordJesus Christ.

But unity does not mean “going along to getalong.” That would be a false unity, and onethat cannot endure. True unity, rather, must berooted in the truth and in our adherence to it.For Catholics, unity means oneness in faith, asenunciated in the Creed and the authoritativeteachings of the Church. This unity ismanifested in our worthy reception of thesacraments, especially the sacrament ofsacraments that is the Holy Eucharist, justlyreferred to as the “sacrament of unity.” As weare gathered around the one bread and the onecup, we are strengthened and summoned toform an ever greater unity of mind and heartwith Christ Himself, so that we might be joinedmore closely to oneanother. Our unitywith each othercomes from this unityin Christ.

I remember as ajunior in seminarycollege being sent toa nationalseminarians’conference inColumbia, Missouri.The year was 1964.One evening I wasinvited to one of thehotel rooms toparticipate in “theLiturgy.” When I arrived, the room was darkand a number of seminarians were seated with “the presider” on the floor arounda small table upon which had been placed a loaf of bread and a large glass of wine.

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As we are gathered around the onebread and the one cup, we are

strengthened and summoned to forman ever greater unity of mind and

heart with Christ Himself.

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Dave Hrbacek /The Catholic Spirit

As the service began, it became clear to me thatthis was an experimental liturgy as the wordsbeing used were quite unfamiliar to me. Iremember being offended at the arbitraryselection of secular readings and home craftedtexts. When it came time to share in the one loafand the one cup, I excused myself and went backto my room.

Recently, I read a quote from Pope Benedict’searlier writings that reflect what I learned that

night. As a Cardinal,the Pontiff wrote thatwhen the Liturgy is“manipulated evermore freely, thefaithful feel that, inreality, nothing iscelebrated and it isunderstandable thatthey desert theLiturgy and with itthe Church.” (9)

To avoid suchunfortunate results,then, it is necessarythat parishes andpriests be obedient tothe rubrics and thedefinitive legislation

concerning our common liturgical texts, actionsand practices. Such obedience serves to bettercommunicate and, in fact, realize that unitywhich is the heartfelt prayer of Jesus.

Fundamentally, the Church’s Liturgy is not theexpression of local customs or the particularinterests of a parish or a priest. True enough, anassembly or a presider often do bring with themgifts and talents that should be shared with all,including at the offering of praise that is thecelebration of the Mass. But at its heart, the unityof the Roman Rite, reflective as it is of theChurch’s universality, is meant to shine throughour liturgical celebrations as an expression of ourunity through one common expression of faith.How we pray together manifests what we believe,and in our belief, we are called by Christ to beunited as one. Such obedience serves a distinctpurpose, therefore, one to which parish and priestalike should submit with both humility and inlove.

These reflections are always pertinent for thelife of the Church, but with the imminentimplementation of the newly translated thirdedition of the Roman Missal, they have becomeespecially timely. The new texts of the Church’sprayer provide a grace-filled moment toreexamine our liturgical practices, and to ensurethat the liturgical life of our parishes, religiouscommunities, and various apostolates are in

conformity to the liturgical norms of the Church.

As I have already pointed out, the People ofGod have a right to the Liturgy as it is prescribedin the approved liturgical books. Over these pastfour years, I have been impressed with theamount of time, thought and research that hasgone into the process of approving the newliturgical texts. Experts offer their work oftranslation, bishops suggest modifications, theEpiscopal conference votes on each work andthen the results are sent to the Holy See with arequest for authorization. It is a painstaking anddeliberative process — one that I believe involvesthe grace of the Holy Spirit who guides the wholeChurch. To think that such an effort can beignored or bypassed because of the particularlocal customs of a community or the pastoralcustoms of a local group, no matter how wellintended they may be, strikes against the veryunity of being Church that the Liturgy is meantto foster and signify.

As a way of ensuring that this new text is fullyimplemented within our local Church, I amasking all liturgical communities to ensure that areview and implementation of the most up todate “General Instruction of the Roman Missal”be completed by the first Sunday of Lent, 2012,paying special attention to such matters as theposture used at Mass, the modification oromission of liturgical texts without the necessaryapproval, and the purification of sacred vessels. Ifmore time is required by a parish or community, Iask that a letter be submitted outlining thereasons for the delay with a specific plan ofimplementation. In addition, it is important thatthe 2004 Vatican Instruction, “RedemptionisSacramentum,” be studied and implemented inparishes, as I requested in 2009. I once againrepeat thisinstruction and askpastors and parishesto pay particularlyclose attention tothose practices thatare forbidden withinthat document. Allsuch practices shouldbe immediatelystopped.

On the whole, thislatter directive ofmine, which inreality has already been given by the UniversalChurch close to a decade ago, should not be aburden to the faith communities here in our localChurch. To those that may be affected, I offer theservices of the Archdiocesan Office of Worship toassist you in the catechesis and planning that willbe necessary to effect the changes required.

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The new texts of the Church’s prayerprovide a grace-filled moment to

reexamine our liturgical practices,and to ensure that the liturgical life ofour parishes, religious communities,

and various apostolates are inconformity to the liturgical norms

of the Church.

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Of course, it is not enough that we simplyfollow the liturgical law of the Church. In orderto foster that “full, conscious and activeparticipation” that lies at the heart of all liturgicalrenewal and reform, we must strive to understandmore fully just what it is that we are doing whenwe assemble in response to the loving call of theTrue and Living God. To this end, it is, of course,quite important that we understand thehistorical, cultural background of rites and rituals.The theological realities that are expressed so

powerfully in ourliturgical practicemust also be knownand explored in orderto plumb the fulldepths of themysteries wecelebrate. Again Irecall with deepgratitude theseminary coursewhich introduced meto the breadth anddepth of what wecelebrate in theLiturgy.

But we must alsotake the time simplyto listen to theLiturgy itself. We allmust strive, clergyand laity alike, tohear with true

docility the words the Church has given us, andthe memories she cultivates within us as herprayers are proclaimed in our midst.Unfortunately, for far too many, Sunday Mass issimply one activity among many in our busylives. Let me be clear: such busyness can easilyencumber and stifle our capacity forsanctification. The Sunday Eucharist, and theSacred Liturgy in general, must become thesource and summit of our lives, for it is nothingless than the prayer of Jesus Christ our great HighPriest, head and members worshipping togetherthe Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Toparticipate truly in the Mass and the othersacraments is to be united with Christ, who is thesource and wellspring of all holiness.

When we stop to listen to the words of theMass, or the words of absolution, or the beautifulpowerful prayers of baptism and confirmation,we discover anew the mysteries of faith andenkindle the sense of wonder which marked thedisciples on the road to Emmaus when theydiscovered the Living Christ, present to them. Aswe listen to the story of our salvation, it is alsoaccomplished within us, even as we wait in joyfulhope for the coming of the Lord and the finalconsummation of all things into Himself.

The unity that is signified and effected by theLiturgy is accomplished in a limited but real waywhen we listen together to the words of theChurch. Indeed, full participation in the sacredmysteries is not possible without thisfundamental, receptive listening.

Here, I would like to pick up on a suggestion Irecently heard from the Australian born MatthewKelly, author of “Rediscovering Catholicism.”Kelly suggests that every Catholic ought to bringa journal to Mass which has inscribed on thecover, “What’s the one thing I need to do todayto be a better person?” (10) He guarantees that ifwe have that single focus in mind as Mass begins,we will discover the joy and meaning that lies atthe heart of the Eucharist. I think he’s right. Isuggest we try it out.

Preparing for and implementing the new missalwill take patience, humility, and an effort on thepart of all of us. But as we learn new words andimplement the historic changes affecting thewhole English-speaking Church, let us strive tolisten to what the Church is saying in these re-translated prayers. It is certainly my hope andprayer that these new words will prompt all of usto reflect once again upon the mystery of theMass, and to strive more earnestly for that unitythat it both causes and signifies.

Part III:Why is Sunday Mass so essential for

our Life of Faith?

I began this pastoral letter with my earliestrecollections of going to Sunday Mass at ourhome parish with my family. The emphasis givento this priority was the beginning, I believe, of myformation as adisciple of JesusChrist. For me, theexperience ofattending SundayMass was not viewedso much as a duty,but rather assomething I verymuch wanted to doand enjoyed doing. Imight say it was aduty of the heart. Certainly, I knew that it was amortal sin if I missed Mass, but that knowledgeprovided only a fraction of the motivation for mygoing. No, I looked forward to that Sundaymorning worship primarily because it put me intouch with my God.

And so, I write this third chapter of my pastoralletter to share this great “love affair” I have had with the Mass in general, and Sunday Mass in

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For me, the experience of attendingSunday Mass was not viewed so

much as a duty, but rather assomething I very much wanted to doand enjoyed doing. I might say it was

a duty of the heart.

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particular. To guide my reflections in this section, Ireread Blessed John Paul II’s 1998 Apostolic Letter,“Dies Domini, On Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy.”

As the saintly Pontiff reminds us, theimportance of Sunday lies in the fact that itrecalls the day of Christ’s Resurrection. This is thefundamental event upon which our faith rests,for as Saint Paul reminds us, if Christ is not risen,then our faith is in vain (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:14).It is the mystery of the resurrection that Blessed

John Paul II says, “liesat the very heart ofthe mystery of time.”(11) I frequently findmyself saying that“time is the enemy”because there neverseems to be enoughof it to accomplish allthat needs doing. But,in fact, time is aprecious gift in whichthe very developmentof my person unfoldsand realizes itspotential. Time is,therefore, somethingthat is more thanendured. It is ratherto be celebrated with

the unfolding of life. For the disciple of Jesus,risen from the dead, this means growing in aliving encounter with him through personal andcommunal prayer. This is what gives time itsdeeper meaning: the opportunity provided toexperience an interpersonal relationship indialogue with the risen Jesus, present to his Body,the Church. This, in fact, happens in the Sundaycelebration of the Mass.

Of course, this trajectory, if you will, has aneschatological dimension because thatinterpersonal relationship is leading to adefinitive fulfillment in the Kingdom of God.

I do realize that there has been an incredibleshift in how society views Sunday since I wasgrowing up. The “weekend” for most families Iknow is chock-full of activities from morning tonight. Often these involve sports competitions,but they also include jobs and errands that didn’tget done during the week. For many, even goodCatholics, Sunday Mass can become just onemore activity to fit into the schedule, rather thanthe culmination of the past week and thebeginning of a new period of time.

This latter view of Sunday, a new beginning,recalls the dawn of creation as described in theBook of Genesis. There we read how God took sixdays to create the world and all that is in it andwhen he finished, He “blessed the seventh day

and made it holy” (Genesis 2:3). For humanbeings caught up in a whirlwind of activity,Sunday is meant to be a call to a contemplativere-examination of where our lives have been andwhere they are going. Sunday is meant to givemeaning to the other six days of the week.

Of course, such periodic examination of ouractivity is helpful to the individual, but as wehave seen, no individual lives in isolation and noChristian disciple is saved alone. As baptizedCatholics, we are gathered by the Lord Jesus intocommunity as members of his Mystical Body.This reality is reflected in the Sunday Eucharist:“Because there is one bread, we who are many areone body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17). The whole community ofthe Church is called and gathered together onSunday so as to witness to, and proclaim themeaning of, who she is and who we are inrelation to her. This is why the Creed is recited atevery Sunday Liturgy. It reconfirms us in ourCatholic identity, which is, of course, universal innature and, therefore, joins us in communionwith Catholics throughout the world.

At this point, I would very much like toencourage the practice that my family had ingoing to Church together for the Sunday Liturgy.Parents, of course, lead and teach by example. Ican think of only a few privileges given to parentsthat rival their responsibility of introducing theirchild to the Lord, by teaching them their prayersand increasing their knowledge of the Mass byjoyful and active participation in it.

Finally, it is essential for us to recall that notonly is the Holy Eucharist a celebration of asacred banquet by disciples of the Lord Jesus, butit is also the unbloodysacrifice of ChristCrucified. As theCouncil of Trentteaches:

“In this divinesacrifice which isaccomplished in theMass, the sameChrist who offeredhimself once andfor all in a bloodymanner on the altarof the Cross is contained and is offered in anunbloody manner.” (12)

This important teaching has been reaffirmed inthe “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church” ofthe Second Vatican Council which states that“taking part in the Eucharistic sacrifice, which isthe fount and apex of the whole Christian life

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I can think of only a few privilegesgiven to parents that rival their

responsibility of introducing theirchild to the Lord, by teaching themtheir prayers and increasing their

knowledge of the Mass by joyful andactive participation in it.

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they [the priestly community] offer the DivineVictim to God and offer themselves along withit.” (13)

This is specified even more in the Catechism ofthe Catholic Church where it states:

“In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christbecomes also the sacrifice of the members of hisBody. The lives of the faithful, their praise,sufferings, prayer and work, are united withthose of Christ and with his total offering, andso acquire a new value.” (14)

By joining their lives to Christ, the members ofthe assembly fulfill their duty of “full and activeparticipation” in the Mass. This participationreaches its fulfillment in the worthy reception ofthe Priestly Victim Himself, who is found in thereception of Holy Communion.

It should be pointed out here that while ourbrothers and sisters of other faiths share with us acommon baptism and a mutual love of theScriptures, nevertheless, they do not share fullcommunion of belief in the doctrines of theCatholic Church and, therefore, may not beinvited to share in Eucharistic communion. Thisprovision would also extend to persons whoknow themselves to be in the state of serious sinor who have publically dissented from Churchteaching. Honesty requires consistency in action.To break communion in faith forfeits one’s rightto receive sacramental Communion.

In times of past and even in presentpersecution, courageous Catholic believers riskeddeath rather than miss Sunday Eucharist. Weshould pray to have that kind of faith, that deepsense of appreciation for what, or rather, Who theEucharist is. With such an understanding, we canbetter understand the grave obligation Catholicshave to attend Sunday Mass, not by the force oflaw, but rather with a response of love.

Part IV:How is All we do Informed by the Liturgy?

In concluding the above reflections, I wish tooffer a brief summary to assert that all we do as alocal Church, that is, as an Archdiocese, ought tobe informed by the Sacred Liturgy. Whether it isimplementing our strategic plan for parishes andschools, studying the texts for the new RomanMissal, defending the family and the traditionalunderstanding of marriage, working for peace andjustice among all peoples, feeding the poor orsheltering the homeless — each of these activitiesshould have a conscious link in our minds andhearts to what we celebrate at Mass.

The reason for this is that it is in the Liturgythat we find Jesus Christ, who cries out even now

“Yes” to the will of the Father by offering Himselfas a complete and selfless oblation to his Father.We join the offering of ourselves and all that wehave together with him in this one, joyous, andsaving cry. This cry, this “Yes” of Jesus, witnessedagain and again in the celebration of the SacredLiturgy, needs to echo and resonate in our ownlives and in our particular vocations, regardless ofwhat that vocation might be. Whether as a priest,deacon, religious, lay person, or even a bishop,our lives are meant to ring with a resounding, yetpeaceful “Yes” to the demands of love. TheLiturgy shapes this cry, teaching us to speak thelanguage of Divine Charity with which it iscomposed. We listen to the words of the Liturgyso that we may truly speak them in our dailylives. To be a liturgical Christian, therefore, is tolive the balance between the demands ofcontemplation and action.

My friends, I began these reflections byrecalling how at an early age I became enamoredby the Holy Eucharist. Indeed, my relationshipwith the Sacred Liturgy has been a “love affair”that has lasted a lifetime. It is my sincere hopethat in reading this pastoral letter, you, my dearbrothers and sisters, will be renewed in your ownlove for the Liturgy and find in its celebration aforetaste of the glory to which the Lord Jesus callsboth you and me.

God bless you!

Endnotes(1) Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, “DogmaticConstitution on the Church,” “Lumen Gentium,”November 21, 1964, n. 1.

(2) Ibid., n. 2.

(3) Ibid., n. 4.

(4) Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, “Constitution onthe Sacred Liturgy,” “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” December4, 1963, n. 10.

(5) “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” n. 7.

(6) Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, “Theology of the Liturgy,” alecture delivered during the Journées Liturgiques deFontgombault, 22-24 July 2001, reprinted in “Oriens”(Summer 2002, vol. 7, #2).

(7) Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, “On the Theological Basis ofPrayer and the Liturgy,” “The Feast of Faith: Approaches to aTheology of the Liturgy” (San Francisco, Ignatius Press,1986), pp. 31-32.

(8) Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation “ChristifidelesLaici,” December 30, 1988, n. 32.

(9) See Ratzinger, “Theology of the Liturgy.”

(10) Matthew Kelly, “Our Lives Change When Our HabitsChange,” a CD produced by Lighthouse Catholic Media,NFP, 2011.

(11) Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter “Dies Domini,” May31, 1998, n. 2.

(12) “Denzinger-Shönmetzer,” n. 1743.

(13) “Lumen Gentium,” n.11.

(14) Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1368.

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