Pope Francis continues his catechesis on Christian prayer at the weekly General Audience, reflecting on how liturgical prayer unites us with Christ.
By Devin Watkins
In the library of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis held his general audience of Wednesday, which was sent directly to believers around the world.
In his continuing catechesis on Christian prayer, the pope spoke about how the church’s liturgical celebrations make Christ present in our lives.
He begins by noting that Christian history abounds with movements that set aside liturgical rituals.
“Often,” he said, “this tendency asserts the supposed greater purity of a religion which does not depend on external ceremonies which are regarded as a useless or harmful burden.”
Many modern Catholics, he added, attend Mass on Sunday but nurture their own spirituality through various personal devotionals.
Liturgy and life
Pope Francis further said that the Church has made great progress in recent decades with the core of the liturgy in the life of faith.
According to him, Christian prayer is closely linked to concrete expressions of faith, such as the Holy Scriptures, the Sacraments and liturgical rituals.
“In the Christian life the physical and material spheres must not be done away with, because in Jesus Christ it has become the way to salvation,” he said.
Prayer based on liturgy
The liturgy, says the pope, is more than just spontaneous prayer. ‘It is an act that bases the whole Christian experience and therefore also prayer. It’s event, it’s happening, it’s presence, it’s an encounter with Christ. ”
He said that Jesus Christ “is present in the Holy Spirit through the sacramental signs.”
“Christianity without liturgy is a Christianity without Christ,” he emphasizes.
Intimate participation
The pope went on to say that the liturgy, by its very nature, invites us to participate fully so that we may receive the grace that God offers through it.
“Many Christian prayers do not come from the liturgy,” he said, “but all, if they are Christians, presuppose the liturgy, that is, the sacramental mediation of Jesus Christ.”
Christ, he added, is present every time a sacrament is celebrated.
‘Celebrate’ the liturgy
Pope Francis said that prayer allows us to internalize Jesus’ sacramental presence. “What appears to us becomes part of us”, a reality expressed in the natural operation of eating.
“The fog cannot simply be ‘listened to’, ‘he pointed out,’ as if we were merely spectators of something slipping away without our involvement. The fog is always celebrated, and not just by the priest presiding over it, but by all Christians who experience it. ”
Christ is the center
The pope concluded his catechesis, pointing out that Christ is the center of the liturgy, and that every Christian is invited to participate wholeheartedly in the Sacraments.
“Life is called to become worship of God, but it cannot happen without prayer, especially not liturgical prayer.”