Copyright © 2001 by

Rick Swenton
106 Melinda Lane
Bristol, CT 06010-7199
All Rights Reserved

Permission is granted for use of this work in parish liturgy or music programs in a non-commercial setting provided that no fee is charged and that this copyright notice remains on all copies.

Liturgy – The "Work of the people."   (Why We Do the Things We Do)

Liturgy is the words, movements, song, symbols, rituals, actions, interactions and gestures we use during worship. They help our physical bodies transcend our earthly limits and experience God face to face, in this time, in this place. Liturgy has visible actions and invisible actions. We experience God face to face through the scriptures proclaimed during the Liturgy of the Word. We experience God face to face through the Eucharist during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. During the reception of Communion, we acknowledge Christ’s presence not only in the Eucharist but in each person assembled in our community.

Liturgy is NOT entertainment. Those who plan and implement liturgy are often frustrated because they feel they are in competition with television and the entertainment industry. When liturgical ministers attempt to instill a high level of quality into the liturgy, it can be incorrectly viewed as a performance – a commodity delivered as entertainment. Liturgical ministers feel an obligation to offer the very best of their talents and skills to promote a prayerful and spiritual worship experience. This person must not be a performer but rather a facilitator who rallies the assembly into community prayer – both sung and spoken.

Liturgy is not a "show" but rather a "showing." It is a showing of the way back to God. The liturgical ministers AND the assembly are one, together. We show each other the Christ living within us. We tell each other we are not alone in our longing to return to the Father. Liturgy must engage the entire person. It can’t be just the mind, or the heart, or the body sitting in the pew. It must be all of us: heart, mind, soul and body fully engaged in the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Liturgy belongs to the assembly. It is not reserved for the presider or the other liturgical ministers. It belongs to all of us. Liturgy is not about private prayer. Liturgy is not about personal prayer. Liturgy is about God’s people speaking, singing and moving together. Liturgy is a celebration. We celebrate God’s abundant love for us as we create a new human community, always renewing, always remembering. We claim God’s presence, God’s compassion, God’s holiness.

The mechanical details (when to stand, when to sing) of the Mass were not handed down from Jesus nor are they divinely inspired. They are simply instructions given to us by our bishops to help standardize the Mass. There is a very good reason for all Catholics to be celebrating Mass the same way everywhere. It is symbolic of the unity of God’s people as we pray together in one voice – the voice of the Church. We are all members of the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is the Church (with a capital C). When we celebrate Mass, the prayer of the universal Church becomes one with the Body of Christ as we are called to our place in heaven through the Cross of Jesus.

Liturgy teaches us, even when we don’t know we are being taught. It teaches us how to find Christ. It does not do this teaching by making us read prayers from books. It calls us to become what we hear, to become what we eat and drink. It calls us to fall on our knees, open our arms, and embrace our sisters and brothers. It calls us to continue doing this after the liturgy is over. The liturgy of the Mass teaches us how to act as we celebrate the liturgy of life. All of life is holy and all of God’s people need to be embraced, not just when we are in church.

Liturgy reminds us to "Taste and see the goodness of the Lord." Liturgy teaches us that life is a mystery. You go out, you give your life away to all people. You come to liturgy, you get together and eat. You remember the One who taught you by eating with street people. What good is liturgy if it does not bring about change in the world? It’s up to us. Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you."