Liturgy and Worship Reflections

When one studies Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Church Fathers, one theme emerges with startling clarity: the relationship between God and His people is a divine romance. From Eden to the Cross, from the prophets to the heavenly vision of the New Jerusalem, we see a God who loves His people as a Bridegroom loves His Bride. This nuptial imagery reaches its fulfillment in the Church, the Bride of Christ, and finds its expression in the greatest mystery of the Mass.

The other week I had the opportunity to once again visit the small hilltop town of Orvieto, Italy, shortly before the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi, which we celebrated last Sunday. This feast was instituted for the Universal Church in 1264 by Pope Urban IV, who was at that time living in Orvieto.

In the Encyclical Mediator Dei, the Venerable Pius XII writes that "the Church is without question a living organism, and as an organism, in respect of the sacred liturgy also, she grows, matures, develops, adapts and accommodates herself to temporal needs and circumstances, provided only that the integrity of her doctrine be safeguarded" (no. 59).