From ancient times in the Liturgical Traditions of both East and West, we have testimonies to the practice of Anointings of the sick with blessed oil. Over the centuries the Anointing of the Sick was conferred more and more exclusively on those at the point of death. Because of this it received the name "Extreme Unction." Notwithstanding this evolution the Liturgy has never failed to beg the Lord that the sick person may recover his health if it would be conducive to his Salvation. 125

Like all the Sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a Liturgical and communal Celebration, 131 whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or Church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord's Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the Sacrament can be preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ's Passover the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the "viaticum" for "passing over" to eternal life.

The Celebration of the Sacrament includes the following principal elements: the "priests of the Church" 132 - in silence - lay hands on the sick; they pray over them in the Faith of the Church 133 - this is the epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if possible, by the bishop. These Liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the sick.

Integration into one of these bodies in the Church was accomplished by a Rite called ordinatio, a religious and Liturgical act which was a consecration, a blessing or a Sacrament. Today the word "ordination" is reserved for the Sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons, and goes beyond a simple election, designation, delegation, or institution by the Community, for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a "sacred power" (sacra potestas) 5 which can come only from Christ himself through his Church. Ordination is also called consecratio, for it is a setting apart and an investiture by Christ himself for his Church. the laying on of hands by the bishop, with the consecratory Prayer, constitutes the visible sign of this ordination.

The chosen people was constituted by God as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." 6 But within the people of Israel, God chose one of the twelve tribes, that of Levi, and set it apart for Liturgical service; God himself is its inheritance. 7 A special Rite consecrated the beginnings of the Priesthood of the Old Covenant. the priests are "appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins." 8

The Second Vatican Council "teaches . . . that the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by episcopal consecration, that fullness namely which, both in the Liturgical Tradition of the Church and the language of the Fathers of the Church, is called the high Priesthood, the acme (summa) of the sacred Ministry." 36

"All priests, who are constituted in the order of Priesthood by the Sacrament of Order, are bound together by an intimate Sacramental brotherhood, but in a special way they form one priestly body in the diocese to which they are attached under their own bishop. . ;" 52 The unity of the presbyterium finds Liturgical expression in the custom of the presbyters' imposing hands, after the bishop, during the Ate of ordination.

Since the Second Vatican Council the Latin Church has restored the diaconate "as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy," 58 while the Churches of the East had always maintained it. This permanent diaconate, which can be conferred on married men, constitutes an important enrichment for the Church's mission. Indeed it is appropriate and useful that men who carry out a truly diaconal Ministry in the Church, whether in its Liturgical and pastoral life or whether in its social and charitable works, should "be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down from the apostles. They would be more closely bound to the altar and their ministry would be made more fruitful through the Sacramental grace of the diaconate." 59

As in all the Sacraments additional Rites surround the Celebration. Varying greatly among the different Liturgical Traditions, these rites have in common the expression of the multiple aspects of Sacramental grace. Thus in the Latin Church, the initial rites - presentation and election of the ordinand, instruction by the bishop, examination of the candidate, litany of the saints - attest that the choice of the candidate is made in keeping with the practice of the Church and prepare for the solemn act of consecration, after which several rites syrnbolically express and complete the Mystery accomplished: for bishop and priest, an Anointing with holy chrism, a sign of the special anointing of the Holy Spirit who makes their Ministry fruitful; giving the book of the Gospels, the ring, the miter, and the crosier to the bishop as the sign of his apostolic mission to proclaim the Word of God, of his fidelity to the Church, the bride of Christ, and his office as shepherd of the Lord's flock; presentation to the priest of the paten and chalice, "the offering of the holy people" which he is called to present to God; giving the book of the Gospels to the deacon who has just received the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.

"Inasmuch as it is a Sacramental action of sanctification, the Liturgical Celebration of marriage . . . must be, per se, valid, worthy, and fruitful." 123 It is therefore appropriate for the bride and groom to prepare themselves for the celebration of their marriage by receiving the Sacrament of penance.

The Sacrament of Penance can also take place in the framework of a communal Celebration in which we prepare ourselves together for confession and give thanks together for the forgiveness received. Here, the personal confession of sins and individual absolution are inserted into a Liturgy of the word of God with readings and a homily, an examination of conscience conducted in common, a communal request for forgiveness, the Our Father and a thanksgiving in common. This communal celebration expresses more clearly the ecclesial character of penance. However, regardless of its manner of celebration the sacrament of Penance is always, by its very nature, a Liturgical action, and therefore an ecclesial and public action. 90

Like all the Sacraments, Penance is a Liturgical action. the elements of the Celebration are ordinarily these: a greeting and blessing from the priest, reading the word of God to illuminate the conscience and elicit contrition, and an exhortation to repentance; the confession, which acknowledges sins and makes them known to the priest; the imposition and acceptance of a penance; the priest's absolution; a Prayer of thanksgiving and praise and dismissal with the blessing of the priest.

This initiation has varied greatly through the centuries according to circumstances. In the first centuries of the Church, Christian initiation saw considerable development. A long period of catechumenate included a series of preparatory Rites, which were Liturgical landmarks along the path of catechumenal preparation and culminated in the Celebration of the Sacraments of Christian initiation.

The command of Jesus to repeat his actions and words "until he comes" does not only ask us to remember Jesus and what he did. It is directed at the Liturgical Celebration, by the apostles and their successors, of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death, of his Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father. 165

As early as the second century we have the witness of St. Justin Martyr for the basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic Celebration. They have stayed the same until our own day for all the great Liturgical families. St. Justin wrote to the pagan emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161) around the year 155, explaining what Christians did:

In the epiclesis, the Church asks the Father to send his Holy Spirit (or the power of his blessing 178 ) on the bread and wine, so that by his power they may become the body and blood of Jesus Christ and so that those who take part in the Eucharist may be one body and one spirit (some Liturgical Traditions put the epiclesis after the anamnesis). In the institution narrative, the power of the words and the action of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, make Sacramentally present under the species of bread and wine Christ's body and blood, his sacrifice offered on the cross once for all.

In the sense of Sacred Scripture the memorial is not merely the recollection of past events but the proclamation of the mighty works wrought by God for men. 182 In the Liturgical Celebration of these events, they become in a certain way present and real. This is how Israel understands its liberation from Egypt: every time Passover is celebrated, the Exodus events are made present to the memory of believers so that they may conform their lives to them.

The seasons and days of penance in the course of the Liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. 36 These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).

Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of Communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished Liturgically by the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. 38

This is the reason why the Church normally requires that the Faithful contract marriage according to the ecclesiastical form. Several reasons converge to explain this requirement: 132 - Sacramental marriage is a Liturgical act. It is therefore appropriate that it should be celebrated in the public Liturgy of the Church; - Marriage introduces one into an ecclesial order, and creates rights and duties in the Church between the spouses and towards their children; - Since marriage is a state of life in the Church, certainty about it is necessary (hence the obligation to have witnesses); - the public character of the consent protects the "I do" once given and helps the spouses remain Faithful to it.

Certain blessings have a lasting importance because they consecrate persons to God, or reserve objects and places for Liturgical use. Among those blessings which are intended for persons - not to be confused with Sacramental ordination - are the blessing of the abbot or abbess of a monastery, the consecration of virgins, the Rite of religious profession and the blessing of certain ministries of the Church (readers, acolytes, catechists, etc.). the dedication or blessing of a church or an altar, the blessing of holy oils, vessels, and vestments, bells, etc., can be mentioned as examples of blessings that concern objects.

In the Communion of saints, many and varied spiritualities have been developed throughout the history of the Churches. the personal charism of some witnesses to God's love for men has been handed on, like "the spirit" of Elijah to Elisha and John the Baptist, so that their followers may have a share in this spirit. 43 A distinct spirituality can also arise at the point of convergence of Liturgical and theological currents, bearing witness to the integration of the Faith into a particular human environment and its history. the different schools of Christian spirituality share in the living Tradition of Prayer and are essential guides for the Faithful. In their rich diversity they are refractions of the one pure light of the Holy Spirit.

The catechesis of children, young people, and adults aims at teaching them to meditate on the Word of God in personal Prayer, practicing it in Liturgical prayer, and internalizing it at all times in order to bear fruit in a new life. Catechesis is also a time for the discernment and education of popular piety. 46 The memorization of basic prayers offers an essential support to the life of prayer, but it is important to help learners savor their meaning.

The Church, the house of God, is the proper place for the Liturgical Prayer of the parish Community. It is also the privileged place for adoration of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. the choice of a favorable place is not a matter of indifference for true prayer. - For personal prayer, this can be a "prayer corner" with the Sacred Scriptures and icons, in order to be there, in secret, before our Father. 48 In a Christian family, this kind of little oratory fosters prayer in common. - In regions where monasteries exist, the vocation of these communities is to further the Participation of the Faithful in the Liturgy of the Hours and to provide necessary solitude for more intense personal prayer. 49 - Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are Traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer "in Church."

The Tradition of the Church proposes to the Faithful certain rhythms of praying intended to nourish continual Prayer. Some are daily, such as morning and evening prayer, grace before and after meals, the Liturgy of the Hours. Sundays, centered on the Eucharist, are kept holy primarily by prayer. the cycle of the Liturgical year and its great feasts are also basic rhythms of the Christian's life of prayer.

Vocal Prayer is an essential element of the Christian life. To his disciples, drawn by their Master's silent prayer, Jesus teaches a vocal prayer, the Our Father. He not only prayed aloud the Liturgical prayers of the synagogue but, as the Gospels show, he raised his voice to express his personal prayer, from exultant blessing of the Father to the agony of Gesthemani. 3

Meditation is above all a quest. the mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking. the required attentiveness is difficult to sustain. We are usually helped by books, and Christians do not want for them: the Sacred Scriptures, particularly the Gospels, holy icons, Liturgical texts of the day or season, writings of the spiritual Fathers, works of spirituality, the great book of creation, and that of history the page on which the "today" of God is written.

The habitual difficulty in Prayer is distraction. It can affect words and their meaning in vocal prayer; it can concern, more profoundly, him to whom we are praying, in vocal prayer (Liturgical or personal), meditation, and contemplative prayer. To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart: for a distraction reveals to us what we are attached to, and this humble awareness before the Lord should awaken our preferential love for him and lead us resolutely to offer him our heart to be purified. Therein lies the battle, the choice of which master to serve. 16

Jesus "was praying at a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.'" 1 In response to this request the Lord entrusts to his disciples and to his Church the fundamental Christian Prayer. St. Luke presents a brief text of five petitions, 2 while St. Matthew gives a more developed version of seven petitions. 3 The Liturgical Tradition of the Church has retained St. Matthew's text:

Very early on, Liturgical usage concluded the Lord's Prayer with a doxology. In the Didache, we find, "For yours are the power and the glory for ever." 4 The Apostolic Constitutions add to the beginning: "the kingdom," and this is the formula retained to our day in ecumenical prayer. 5 The Byzantine Tradition adds after "the glory" the words "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." the Roman Missal develops the last petition in the explicit perspective of "awaiting our blessed hope" and of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 6 Then comes the Assembly's acclamation or the repetition of the doxology from the Apostolic Constitutions.

The Traditional form of petition to the Holy Spirit is to invoke the Father through Christ our Lord to give us the Consoler Spirit. 23 Jesus insists on this petition to be made in his name at the very moment when he promises the gift of the Spirit of Truth. 24 But the simplest and most direct Prayer is also traditional, "Come, Holy Spirit," and every Liturgical tradition has developed it in antiphons and hymns.

The Prayer of the Church, nourished by the Word of God and the Celebration of the Liturgy, teaches us to pray to the Lord Jesus. Even though her prayer is addressed above all to the Father, it includes in all the Liturgical Traditions forms of prayer addressed to Christ. Certain psalms, given their use in the Prayer of the Church, and the New Testament place on our lips and engrave in our hearts prayer to Christ in the form of invocations: Son of God, Word of God, Lord, Savior, Lamb of God, King, Beloved Son, Son of the Virgin, Good Shepherd, our Life, our Light, our Hope, our Resurrection, Friend of mankind....

These expressions of piety extend the Liturgical life of the Church, but do not replace it. They "should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred Liturgy, are in some way derived from it and lead the people to it, since in fact the liturgy by its very nature is far superior to any of them." 179

The Christian funeral confers on the deceased neither a Sacrament nor a Sacramental since he has "passed" beyond the sacramental economy. It is nonetheless a Liturgical Celebration of the Church. 185 The Ministry of the Church aims at expressing efficacious Communion with the deceased, at the Participation in that communion of the Community gathered for the funeral and at the proclamation of eternal life to the community.

The different funeral Rites express the Paschal character of Christian death and are in keeping with the situations and Traditions of each region, even as to the color of the Liturgical vestments worn. 186

The Order of Christian Funerals (Ordo exsequiarum) of the Roman Liturgy gives three types of funeral Celebrations, corresponding to the three places in which they are conducted (the home, the Church, and the cemetery), and according to the importance attached to them by the family, local customs, the culture, and popular piety. This order of celebration is common to all the Liturgical Traditions and comprises four principal elements:

The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by Liturgical life. the obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the Faithful the indispensable minimum in the spirit of Prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor:

The fourth precept (“You shall keep holy the holy days of obligation.") completes the Sunday observance by Participation in the principal Liturgical feasts which honor the mysteries of the Lord, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. 85

Sacrilege consists in profaning or treating unworthily the Sacraments and other Liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God. Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this Sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us. 52

"A parish is a definite Community of the Christian Faithful established on a stable basis within a particular Church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop." 115 It is the place where all the Faithful can be gathered together for the Sunday Celebration of the Eucharist. the parish initiates the Christian people into the ordinary expression of the Liturgical life: it gathers them together in this celebration; it teaches Christ's saving doctrine; it practices the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love:

Education in the Faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. 35 The parish is the Eucharistic Community and the heart of the Liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents.

In the first place these are Prayers that the Faithful hear and read in the Scriptures, but also that they make their own - especially those of the Psalms, in view of their fulfillment in Christ. 96 The Holy Spirit, who thus keeps the memory of Christ alive in his Church at prayer, also leads her toward the fullness of truth and inspires new formulations expressing the unfathomable Mystery of Christ at work in his Church's life, Sacraments, and mission. These formulations are developed in the great Liturgical and spiritual Traditions. the forms of prayer revealed in the apostolic and canonical Scriptures remain normative for Christian prayer.

"Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." 10 Prayer, formed by the Liturgical life, draws everything into the love by which we are loved in Christ and which enables us to respond to him by loving as he has loved us. Love is the source of prayer; whoever draws from it reaches the summit of prayer. In the words of the Cure of Ars:

According to the apostolic Tradition, the Lord's Prayer is essentially rooted in Liturgical prayer:

The quotations, also in small print, from patristic, Liturgical, magisterial or hagiographical sources, are intended to enrich the doctrinal presentations. These texts have often been chosen with a view to direct catechetical use.

From the beginning until the end of time the whole of God's work is a blessing. From the Liturgical poem of the first creation to the canticles of the heavenly Jerusalem, the inspired authors proclaim the plan of Salvation as one vast divine blessing.

"Accordingly, just as Christ was sent by the Father so also he sent the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit. This he did so that they might preach the Gospel to every creature and proclaim that the Son of God by his death and resurrection had freed us from the power of Satan and from death and brought us into the Kingdom of his Father. But he also willed that the work of Salvation which they preached should be set in train through the sacrifice and Sacraments, around which the entire Liturgical life revolves." 9

"To accomplish so great a work" - the dispensation or communication of his work of Salvation - "Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her Liturgical Celebrations. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass not only in the person of his minister, 'the same now offering, through the Ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross,' but especially in the Eucharistic species. By his power he is present in the Sacraments so that when anybody baptizes, it is really Christ himself who baptizes. He is present in his word since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. Lastly, he is present when the Church prays and sings, for he has promised 'where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them."' 11

Jewish Liturgy and Christian liturgy. A better knowledge of the Jewish people's Faith and religious life as professed and lived even now can help our better understanding of certain aspects of Christian liturgy. For both Jews and Christians Sacred Scripture is an essential part of their respective liturgies: in the proclamation of the Word of God, the response to this word, Prayer of praise and intercession for the living and the dead, invocation of God's mercy. In its characteristic structure the Liturgy of the Word originates in Jewish prayer. the Liturgy of the Hours and other Liturgical texts and formularies, as well as those of our most venerable prayers, including the Lord's Prayer, have parallels in Jewish prayer. the Eucharistic Prayers also draw their inspiration from the Jewish Tradition. the relationship between Jewish liturgy and Christian liturgy, but also their differences in content, are particularly evident in the great feasts of the liturgical year, such as Passover. Christians and Jews both celebrate the Passover. For Jews, it is the Passover of history, tending toward the future; for Christians, it is the Passover fulfilled in the death and Resurrection of Christ, though always in expectation of its definitive consummation.

In the Liturgy of the New Covenant every Liturgical action, especially the Celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacraments, is an encounter between Christ and the Church. the liturgical Assembly derives its unity from the "Communion of the Holy Spirit" who gathers the children of God into the one Body of Christ. This assembly transcends racial, cultural, social - indeed, all human affinities.

The Word of God. the Holy Spirit first recalls the meaning of the Salvation event to the Liturgical Assembly by giving life to the Word of God, which is proclaimed so that it may be received and lived:

"By the saving word of God, Faith . . . is nourished in the hearts of believers. By this faith then the congregation of the Faithful begins and grows." 21 The proclamation does not stop with a teaching; it elicits the response of faith as consent and commitment, directed at the covenant between God and his people. Once again it is the Holy Spirit who gives the grace of faith, strengthens it and makes it grow in the Community. the Liturgical Assembly is first of all a Communion in faith.

Anamnesis. the Liturgical Celebration always refers to God's saving interventions in history. "The economy of Revelation is realized by deeds and words which are intrinsically bound up with each other.... (The) words for their part proclaim the works and bring to light the Mystery they contain." 22 In the Liturgy of the Word the Holy Spirit "recalls" to the Assembly all that Christ has done for us. In keeping with the nature of liturgical actions and the ritual Traditions of the Churches, the celebration "makes a remembrance" of the marvelous works of God in an anamnesis which may be more or less developed. the Holy Spirit who thus awakens the memory of the Church then inspires thanksgiving and praise (doxology).

In every Liturgical action the Holy Spirit is sent in order to bring us into Communion with Christ and so to form his Body. the Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father's vine which bears fruit on its branches. 26 The most intimate cooperation of the Holy Spirit and the Church is achieved in the Liturgy. the Spirit who is the Spirit of communion, abides indefectibly in the Church. For this reason the Church is the great Sacrament of divine communion which gathers God's scattered children together. Communion with the Holy Trinity and fraternal communion are inseparably the fruit of the Spirit in the liturgy. 27

The whole Liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the Sacraments. 29 There are seven Sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. 30 This article will discuss what is common to the Church's seven sacraments from a doctrinal point of view. What is common to them in terms of their Celebration will be presented in the second chapter, and what is distinctive about each will be the topic of the Section Two.

Liturgical catechesis aims to initiate people into the Mystery of Christ (It is "mystagogy." ) by proceeding from the visible to the invisible, from the sign to the thing signified, from the "Sacraments" to the "mysteries." Such catechesis is to be presented by local and regional catechisms. This Catechism, which aims to serve the whole Church in all the diversity of her Rites and cultures, 15 will present what is fundamental and common to the whole Church in the Liturgy as mystery and as Celebration, and then the seven Sacraments and the Sacramentals.

"The Liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the font from which all her power flows." 13 It is therefore the privileged place for catechizing the People of God. "Catechesis is intrinsically linked with the whole of Liturgical and Sacramental activity, for it is in the Sacraments, especially in the Eucharist, that Christ Jesus works in fullness for the transformation of men." 14

The patriarchs, prophets and certain other Old Testament figures have been and always will be honoured as saints in all the Church's Liturgical Traditions.

"Therefore, the study of the sacred page should be the very soul of sacred theology. the Ministry of the Word, too - pastoral preaching, catechetics and all forms of Christian instruction, among which the Liturgical homily should hold pride of place - is healthily nourished and thrives in holiness through the Word of Scripture." 111

"I believe" (Apostles' Creed) is the Faith of the Church professed personally by each believer, principally during Baptism. "We believe" (Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) is the faith of the Church confessed by the bishops assembled in council or more generally by the Liturgical Assembly of believers. "I believe" is also the Church, our mother, responding to God by faith as she teaches us to say both "I believe" and "We believe".

The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian Prayer. All Liturgical prayers conclude with the words "through our Lord Jesus Christ". the Hail Mary reaches its high point in the words "blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." the Eastern prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, says: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Many Christians, such as St. Joan of Arc, have died with the one word "Jesus" on their lips.

In Christian usage, the word "Church" designates the Liturgical Assembly, 141 but also the local Community 142 or the whole universal community of believers. 143 These three meanings are inseparable. "The Church" is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ's Body.

"Let us be very careful not to conceive of the universal Church as the simple sum, or . . . the more or less anomalous federation of essentially different particular Churches. In the mind of the Lord the Church is universal by vocation and mission, but when she pub down her roots in a variety of cultural, social, and human terrains, she takes on different external expressions and appearances in each part of the world." 318 The rich variety of ecclesiastical disciplines, Liturgical Rites, and theological and spiritual heritages proper to the local churches "unified in a common effort, shows all the more resplendently the catholicity of the undivided Church." 319

Lay people who possess the required qualities can be admitted permanently to the ministries of lector and acolyte. 436 When the necessity of the Church warrants it and when ministers are lacking, lay persons, even if they are not lectors or acolytes, can also supply for certain of their offices, namely, to exercise the Ministry of the word, to preside over Liturgical Prayers, to confer Baptism, and to distribute Holy Communion in accord with the prescriptions of law." 437

"Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved Liturgical Rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church." 462 By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is "constituted . . . a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church's love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come." 463

Religious life was born in the East during the first centuries of Christianity. Lived within institutes canonically erected by the Church, it is distinguished from other forms of consecrated life by its Liturgical character, public profession of the evangelical counsels, fraternal life led in common, and witness given to the union of Christ with the Church. 466

"All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." 513 The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the Faithful fly in all their dangers and needs.... This very special devotion ... differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." 514 The Liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian Prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary. 515

In the New Testament the word "Liturgy" refers not only to the Celebration of divine worship but also to the proclamation of the Gospel and to active charity. 6 In all of these situations it is a question of the service of God and neighbor. In a Liturgical celebration the Church is servant in the image of her Lord, the one "leitourgos"; 7 she shares in Christ's Priesthood (worship), which is both prophetic (proclamation) and kingly (service of charity):

As she has done for the canon of Sacred Scripture and for the doctrine of the Faith, the Church, by the power of the Spirit who guides her "into all truth," has gradually recognized this treasure received from Christ and, as the Faithful steward of God's mysteries, has determined its "dispensation." 34 Thus the Church has discerned over the centuries that among Liturgical Celebrations there are seven that are, in the strict sense of the term, Sacraments instituted by the Lord.

The ordained Ministry or ministerial Priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood. 38 The ordained priesthood guarantees that it really is Christ who acts in the Sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the Church. the saving mission entrusted by the Father to his incarnate Son was committed to the apostles and through them to their successors: they receive the Spirit of Jesus to act in his name and in his person. 39 The ordained minister is the Sacramental bond that ties the Liturgical action to what the apostles said and did and, through them, to the words and actions of Christ, the source and foundation of the Sacraments.

The catechesis of the Liturgy entails first of all an understanding of the Sacramental economy (Chapter One). In this light, the innovation of its Celebration is revealed. This chapter will therefore treat of the celebration of the Sacraments of the Church. It will consider that which, through the diversity of Liturgical Traditions, is common to the celebration of the seven Sacraments. What is proper to each will be treated later. This fundamental catechesis on the sacramental celebrations responds to the first questions posed by the Faithful regarding this subject: - Who celebrates the liturgy? - How is the liturgy celebrated? - When is the liturgy celebrated? - Where is the liturgy celebrated?

Beginning with the Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the Resurrection fills the whole Liturgical year with its brilliance. Gradually, on either side of this source, the year is transfigured by the Liturgy. It really is a "year of the Lord's favor." 42 The economy of Salvation is at work within the framework of time, but since its fulfillment in the Passover of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the culmination of history is anticipated "as a foretaste," and the kingdom of God enters into our time.

In the Liturgical year the various aspects of the one Paschal Mystery unfold. This is also the case with the cycle of feasts surrounding the mystery of the incarnation (Annunciation, Christmas, Epiphany). They commemorate the beginning of our Salvation and communicate to us the first fruits of the Paschal mystery.

The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the Prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the Liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated. Moreover, the reading from the Word of God at each Hour (with the subsequent responses or troparia) and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters at certain Hours, reveal more deeply the meaning of the Mystery being celebrated, assist in understanding the psalms, and prepare for silent prayer. the lectio divina, where the Word of God is so read and meditated that it becomes prayer, is thus rooted in the liturgical Celebration.

The Mystery of Christ is so unfathomably rich that it cannot be exhausted by its expression in any single Liturgical Tradition. the history of the blossoming and development of these Rites witnesses to a remarkable complementarity. When the Churches lived their respective liturgical traditions in the Communion of the Faith and the Sacraments of the faith, they enriched one another and grew in fidelity to Tradition and to the common mission of the whole Church. 66

The diverse Liturgical Traditions have arisen by very reason of the Church's mission. Churches of the same geographical and cultural area came to celebrate the Mystery of Christ through particular expressions characterized by the culture: in the tradition of the "deposit of Faith," 67 in liturgical symbolism, in the organization of fraternal Communion, in the theological understanding of the mysteries, and in various forms of holiness. Through the liturgical life of a local church, Christ, the light and Salvation of all peoples, is made manifest to the particular people and culture to which that Church is sent and in which she is rooted. the Church is catholic, capable of integrating into her unity, while purifying them, all the authentic riches of cultures. 68

The Liturgical Traditions or Rites presently in use in the Church are the Latin (principally the Roman rite, but also the rites of certain local Churches, such as the Ambrosian rite, or those of certain religious orders) and the Byzantine, Alexandrian or Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite and Chaldean rites. In "Faithful obedience to tradition, the sacred Council declares that Holy Mother Church holds all lawfully recognized rites to be of equal right and dignity, and that she wishes to preserve them in the future and to foster them in every way." 69

Sunday is the pre-eminent day for the Liturgical Assembly, when the Faithful gather "to listen to the word of God and take part in the Eucharist, thus calling to mind the Passion, Resurrection, and glory of the Lord Jesus, and giving thanks to God who 'has begotten them again, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' unto a living hope": 40

"The beauty of the images moves me to contemplation, as a meadow delights the eyes and subtly infuses the soul with the glory of God." 32 Similarly, the contemplation of sacred icons, united with meditation on the Word of God and the singing of Liturgical hymns, enters into the harmony of the signs of Celebration so that the Mystery celebrated is imprinted in the heart's memory and is then expressed in the new life of the Faithful.

It is the whole Community, the Body of Christ united with its Head, that celebrates. "Liturgical services are not private functions but are Celebrations of the Church which is 'the Sacrament of unity,' namely, the holy people united and organized under the authority of the bishops. Therefore, liturgical services pertain to the whole Body of the Church. They manifest it, and have effects upon it. But they touch individual members of the Church in different ways, depending on their orders, their role in the liturgical services, and their actual Participation in them." 7 For this reason, "Rites which are meant to be celebrated in common, with the Faithful present and actively participating, should as far as possible be celebrated in that way rather than by an individual and quasi-privately." 8

For the purpose of assisting the work of the common Priesthood of the Faithful, other particular ministries also exist, not consecrated by the Sacrament of Holy Orders; their functions are determined by the bishops, in accord with Liturgical Traditions and pastoral needs. "Servers, readers, commentators, and members of the choir also exercise a genuine liturgical function." 14

In the Celebration of the Sacraments it is thus the whole Assembly that is leitourgos, each according to his function, but in the "unity of the Spirit" who acts in all. "In Liturgical celebrations each person, minister or layman, who has an office to perform, should carry out all and only those parts which pertain to his office by the nature of the Rite and the norms of the Liturgy." 15

Signs of the covenant. the Chosen People received from God distinctive signs and symbols that marked its Liturgical life. These are no longer solely Celebrations of cosmic cycles and social gestures, but signs of the covenant, symbols of God's mighty deeds for his people. Among these liturgical signs from the Old Covenant are circumcision, Anointing and consecration of kings and priests, laying on of hands, sacrifices, and above all the Passover. the Church sees in these signs a prefiguring of the Sacraments of the New Covenant.

A Sacramental Celebration is a meeting of God's children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words. Admittedly, the symbolic actions are already a language, but the Word of God and the response of Faith have to accompany and give life to them, so that the seed of the Kingdom can bear its fruit in good soil. the Liturgical actions signify what the Word of God expresses: both his free initiative and his people's response of faith.

The Liturgical word and action are inseparable both insofar as they are signs and instruction and insofar as they accomplish what they signify. When the Holy Spirit awakens Faith, he not only gives an understanding of the Word of God, but through the Sacraments also makes present the "wonders" of God which it proclaims. the Spirit makes present and communicates the Father's work, fulfilled by the beloved Son.

"The musical Tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. the main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn Liturgy." 20 The composition and singing of inspired psalms, often accompanied by musical instruments, were already closely linked to the Liturgical Celebrations of the Old Covenant. the Church continues and develops this tradition: "Address . . . one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart." "He who sings prays twice." 21

Song and music fulfill their function as signs in a manner all the more significant when they are "more closely connected . . . with the Liturgical action," 22 according to three principal cRiteria: beauty expressive of Prayer, the unanimous Participation of the Assembly at the designated moments, and the solemn character of the Celebration. In this way they participate in the purpose of the liturgical words and actions: the glory of God and the sanctification of the Faithful: 23

The harmony of signs (song, music, words, and actions) is all the more expressive and fruitful when expressed in the cultural richness of the People of God who celebrate. 25 Hence "religious singing by the Faithful is to be intelligently fostered so that in devotions and sacred exercises as well as in Liturgical services," in conformity with the Church's norms, "the voices of the Faithful may be heard." But "the texts intended to be sung must always be in conformity with Catholic doctrine. Indeed they should be drawn chiefly from the Sacred Scripture and from liturgical sources." 26

The sacred image, the Liturgical icon, principally represents Christ. It cannot represent the invisible and incomprehensible God, but the incarnation of the Son of God has ushered in a new "economy" of images:

All the signs in the Liturgical Celebrations are related to Christ: as are sacred images of the holy Mother of God and of the saints as well. They truly signify Christ, who is glorified in them. They make manifest the "cloud of witnesses" 29 who continue to participate in the Salvation of the world and to whom we are united, above all in Sacramental celebrations. Through their icons, it is man "in the image of God," finally transfigured "into his likeness," 30 who is revealed to our Faith. So too are the angels, who also are recapitulated in Christ:

"Liturgical diversity can be a source of enrichment, but it can also provoke tensions, mutual misunderstandings, and even schisms. In this matter it is clear that diversity must not damage unity. It must express only fidelity to the common Faith, to the Sacramental signs that the Church has received from Christ, and to hierarchical Communion. Cultural adaptation also requires a conversion of heart and even, where necessary, a breaking with ancestral customs incompatible with the Catholic faith." 74