UNDERSTANDING THE "WHY" BEFORE THE WHAT
> WHY ARE CATHOLIC CHURCHES THEY WAY THEY ARE?
MATTER MATTERS. SACRED SPACE
- Etymology of the word sacred: late 14th century: past participle adjective from obsolete verb sacren “to make holy” (12th century), from Old French sacrer “consecrate, anoint, dedicate” (12th century) or directly from Latin sacrare “to make sacred, consecrate; hold sacred; immortalize; set apart, dedicate,” from sacer (genitive sacri) “sacred, dedicated, holy, accursed,” from Old Latin saceres, from root *sak- “to sanctify.”
- Sacred space is used solely “to make sacred” ... it is intentionally “set apart”. Sacred space is not supposed to “feel” like secular space.
- Permanence ... because God is eternal, timeless ... He is faithful ... He and the Church are going to be there when you need them.
- Verticality ... to lift your mind away from the earth and “up” to Heaven
- Transcendence ... Heaven, beauty, sacred, “transcends” the things of the earth
- Jesus: the Second Person of the Trinity, the Word “through whom all things were made”, the Son of God, Son of the Father
- Kingdom: Jesus: “For behold, the kingdom of God is among you”. (Luke 17:21) “Our Father who art in Heaven ... thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.” The Kingdom is the redemptive and active presence of God Himself. There is a Heavenly dimension of the Kingdom ... Heaven. There is an earthly dimension of the Kingdom ... the Church.
- Church: the “mystical body of Christ” ... the Baptized are the Church, with Christ as the head.
- Sacraments: a visible sign on earth of a hidden reality of the Kingdom. Sacraments are tangible, earthly ways for us to experience the Kingdom of God now on earth. Sacraments are “signs” on earth of a reality in Heaven, while at the same time making present on earth the very realities they point to in Heaven.
> WHY DO WE DO THE SAME THING ... EVERY SUNDAY ... THE SAME WAY
- The word sacrifice is derived from two Latin words: sacer, which means “sacred” facer, which means “to make”
- A sacrifice is “an offering to God to make holy”
- Sacrifice (and covenant) with Adam [Genesis 4:1-5]
- Sacrifice (and covenant )with Noah [Genesis 8:6-20]
- Sacrifice (and covenant) with Abraham [Genesis 22:1-13]
- Sacrifice (and covenant) with Moses [Exodus 24:1-8]
- Sacrifice (and covenant) with David [2nd Samuel 6:17]
- Sacrifice was central to the worship of Israel: In 1st Kings 18: Elijah's sacrifice to the true God proves God's existence to the false prophets
- Sacrifice was central to the worship of Israel
- Numbers 28: Instructions for sacrifice
- Exodus 28: Aaron’s family chosen for sacrifice
- Leviticus 4: Necessary for repentance
- What is needed for sacrifice?
- Priest: The one who offers sacrifice
- Victim: That which if offered. In the Old Testament liturgies, “bloody sacrifices” were most complete.
- Altar: Sacred, only for sacrifice
- Two types of Old Testament sacrifice
- Clean sacrifice—sacrifice of Melchizedek, Genesis 14:18
- Bloody sacrifice—sacrifice of the Passover, Exodus 12
- The Cross is the complete, ultimate sacrifice
- Jesus is the Priest—He is the one offering the sacrifice
- Jesus is the Victim—He is the one slain
- The Cross is the Altar—from there the sacrifice is offered
- The clean sacrifice of the Last Supper fulfills the sacrifices of bread and wine
- The bloody sacrifice of the Cross fulfills the sacrifice of Passover
- The sacrifice of Calvary perpetually joins the clean and the bloody sacrifice as one
- The Cross is the redeeming sacrifice. The offering of the Cross was once and for all.
- If sacrifice is central to worship, what would our worship be without sacrifice?
- The Mass re-presents the sacrifice of Calvary
- Is the Mass a sacrifice?
- Instituted by Christ: Luke 22:19
- Proof in the Bible: Acts 2:46; Acts 13:2; Heb.13:10
- Proof in the early Church: Saint Irenaeus, whose master Saint Polycarp was with Saint John, writes about the Mass in 100 A.D.
> WHAT DO WE CALL IT? WHY IS IT WHERE IT IS?
- Sanctuary: the focal area of the liturgical action and center or “heart” of the Church itself
- Altar: the Altar of Sacrifice exclusively reserved for the Sacrifice of the Mass
- Crucifix: as the Sacrifice of the Mass re-presents the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, the crucifix affixed in the center of the Sanctuary is intentionally revered near the Altar
- Ambo: a distinguished setting reserved for the proclamation of the Sacred Scripture
- Tabernacle: a distinguished setting reserved the Blessed Sacrament (the Eucharist, “Communion”)
- Baptismal Font: font used for the Sacrament of Baptism
- Holy Water Font: at each door serves as a reminder of the waters of Baptism. It reminds Catholics that every time they come to Eucharist they come through Baptism. They dip their hand in the water and mark themselves anew with that sign in which they were Baptized—the sign of the Cross.
- Paschal Candle: also known as the Easter Candle. The verticality of the candle “raises” our eyes toward the Resurrection of Christ at Easter. At the Easter Vigil, the congregation sits in darkness, representing the darkness of sin and the setting of Holy Saturday’s awaiting Jesus’ Resurrection. It is the Paschal Candle that brings light into the darkness, just as Christ Resurrection brings light into the darkness. It is the central focal point for funerals.
- Ambry: a sacred space reposing the Holy Oils used for the celebration of the Sacraments
- Presider’s Chair: reserved for an Ordained Catholic priest as he represents the presence of Jesus Christ by virtue of his Ordination. As Old Testament Rabbis would teach from the chair of honor, the chair has been an image revered for the religious leader for 4,000 years.
- Sacramentary: the official sacred text used only for sacred liturgical use by the priest
- Lectionary: the official arrangement of the Sacred Scriptures used for use at Mass. At every Sunday Mass there is a reading from the Old Testament, a reading from the Book of Psalms, a reading from the letters of the New Testament, and a Reading from the Gospels. The Church has carefully “grouped” or arranged texts from the Bible, “grouped” or arranged by theme, and has planned them over a three-year “cycle”. Thus, if you go to Mass every Sunday you’ll read 4% of the Old Testament and 47% of the New Testament. However, you will cover 100% of the Biblical content of the Salvation History, including the core teachings of the prophets, the epistles, and the Gospels.
- Vestments: sacred attire worn by the priest and deacon set apart for liturgical use
- Stations of the Cross: 14 moments of Jesus’ carrying the cross, crucifixion, and death. Tradition dates the earliest praying of the Stations of the Cross less than 300 years after Jesus’ death.
- Confessional: a distinguished setting reserved for the Sacrament of Reconciliation
- Genuflection: bending to one’s right knee prior to entering, and while exiting, the pew as one faces the Tabernacle. “Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
