+++
The liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist together form 'one single act of worship'; the Eucharistic table set for us is the table both of the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord. The Eucharist is described as the “source and summit of the Christian faith,” by so many Church documents, Church Fathers, and Popes. In the First Installment of this series we looked at the Introductory Rites of the Mass, in this installment we will look at the second part of the Mass; The Liturgy of The Word. The Catechism describes the Mass in some beautiful language that I can’t surpass, so I’ll quote it at length; CCC 1154: The liturgy of the Word is an integral part of sacramental celebrations.
- Mass I can see very basic similarities between a Liturgy and a Mass (Litany, Epistle, Gospel, Communion, Litany, etc.). In the ancient Church did the Mass more closely resemble a Liturgy or was it (pre schism) one church two forms of worship, East/West?
- Start studying 8 Parts of the Liturgy of the Word. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Latin Mass, 1523
In 1523 Martin Luther reformed the late medieval liturgy of the Mass. He called it Formula Missae or the Latin Mass. Luther used the purity of the Gospel (the doctrine of justification) as his main criteria for reforming the late medieval Latin Mass. Luther recognized the need for further reform of the church’s liturgy, hinting at this already in the text of his Latin Mass.
In 1526 Luther further reformed the church’s liturgy. He called it Deutsche Messe or the German Mass. Luther composed his German Mass to provide worship in the language of the people, primarily for those who were less educated and less experienced in theological matters.
What is probably the most surprising element of Luther’s reforms of the late medieval liturgy of the Mass, is that he did not select a single form and hold it up as the ideal liturgy to be followed by all Christians. Luther actually wrote against this.
What Luther in fact did was to evaluate the needs of the Wittenburg community he served, and then provide God’s people there with these two services. He did not hold up either service as more “authentic” than the other. Neither did he look down on those who displayed a need for the traditional forms they had grown accustomed to. Instead Luther ran these two very different services right alongside each other in the service of the Gospel in Christ’s church.
![Liturgy Of The Word Vs Mass Liturgy Of The Word Vs Mass](/uploads/1/1/4/2/114237955/212246520.jpg)
Lutheran services from 1526 to the end of the sixteenth century and into the seventeenth century by and large followed one of these two outlines. This demonstrates a willingness on the part of pastors and lay people during this period to allow for a certain amount of freedom in the execution of the church’s liturgy in different locations. It also demonstrates that they arrived at a formula that promoted harmony among God’s people.
A side-by-side comparison of Luther’s Latin Mass and Luther’s German Mass is one example of the liturgical diversity Luther and his colleagues were willing to allow for in the church. This comparison does not fully illustrate the diversity in the execution of the forms that the sixteenth-century reformers appreciated (Latin chants, German chorales, hymnic settings for liturgical texts like the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, e.g.). But it shows in the simplest way how they appreciated the need for diversity in worship practices even within the same local context.
The Latin Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The German Mass
Introit / Psalm …………………………… Spiritual Song (or Psalm in German)
Kyrie eleison[1] …………………………. Kyrie eleison (three times)
Gloria in excelsis[2]
Prayer (or collect) ……………………… Collect
Epistle ………………………………………. Epistle
Gradual (two verses) …………………. German Hymn (by choir)
Alleluia[3]
Sequence[4]
Gospel ………………………………………. Gospel (read facing the people)
Nicene Creed[5] ………………………… Creed (sung in German)
Sermon[6] ………………………………… Sermon (on the Gospel)
Preparation of bread & wine
[…] …………………………………………… Paraphrase of Lord’s Prayer
Preface
[…] …………………………………………… Exhortation to communicants
Blessing of bread & wine ……………. Consecration of bread
… i.e., Words of institution
[…] …………………………………………… Elevation of Body of Christ
[…] …………………………………………… Distribution of Body of Christ
Sanctus ……………………………………. Sanctus (in German)
[…] …………………………………………… Consecration of wine
[…] …………………………………………… Distribution of Blood of Christ
[…] …………………………………………… Sanctus (in German)
Benedictus
Lord’s Prayer
Peace
Agnus Dei[7]
Post-communion collect …………… Thanksgiving Collect
Salutation
… i.e., “The Lord be with you,” etc.
Benedicamus domino
Benediction[8] …………………………. Aaronic Benediction
Kyrie eleison[1] …………………………. Kyrie eleison (three times)
Gloria in excelsis[2]
Prayer (or collect) ……………………… Collect
Epistle ………………………………………. Epistle
Gradual (two verses) …………………. German Hymn (by choir)
Alleluia[3]
Sequence[4]
Gospel ………………………………………. Gospel (read facing the people)
Nicene Creed[5] ………………………… Creed (sung in German)
Sermon[6] ………………………………… Sermon (on the Gospel)
Preparation of bread & wine
[…] …………………………………………… Paraphrase of Lord’s Prayer
Preface
[…] …………………………………………… Exhortation to communicants
Blessing of bread & wine ……………. Consecration of bread
… i.e., Words of institution
[…] …………………………………………… Elevation of Body of Christ
[…] …………………………………………… Distribution of Body of Christ
Sanctus ……………………………………. Sanctus (in German)
[…] …………………………………………… Consecration of wine
[…] …………………………………………… Distribution of Blood of Christ
[…] …………………………………………… Sanctus (in German)
Benedictus
Lord’s Prayer
Peace
Agnus Dei[7]
Post-communion collect …………… Thanksgiving Collect
Salutation
… i.e., “The Lord be with you,” etc.
Benedicamus domino
Benediction[8] …………………………. Aaronic Benediction
Liturgy Of The Word Vs Mass With Ashes
[1] Here Luther allowed for “various melodies for different seasons.”
[2] Luther gave the option to the local pastor to “decide to omit [the Gloria in excelsis] as often as he wishes.”
Ti nspire cas student software license number crack. [3] Luther argued for the singing of the Alleluia during Lent, Holy Week, and on Good Friday. “For the Alleluia is the perpetual voice of the church, just as the memorial of His passion and victory is perpetual.”
[4] A sequence refers to a medieval musical arrangement that follows “in sequence” in the liturgical order. The term sequence also referred to the harmonic sequence of the music. Luther made this element of the liturgical order a choice of the local pastor.
[5] The singing of the Creed for Luther was a matter that “should also be left in the hands of the bishop.” Luther referred to the local pastor as “bishop.”
[6] Here Luther argued that the sermon should come before the reception of the Lord’s Supper; “. . . it might be argued that since the Gospel is the voice crying in the wilderness and calling unbelievers to faith, it seems particularly fitting to preach before mass.” Luther referred to the administration of the Sacrament of the Altar as “the mass.”
![Catholic mass liturgy book Catholic mass liturgy book](/uploads/1/1/4/2/114237955/743548451.jpg)
[7] During the singing of the Angus Dei, according to Luther, the presiding minister was to “communicate, first himself and then the people.”
[8] Luther wrote, “I also wish we had as many songs as possible in the vernacular which the people could sing during mass, immediately after the gradual and also after the Sanctus and Agnus Dei. . . . But poets are wanting among us, or not yet known, who could compose evangelical and spiritual songs, as Paul calls them [Col. 3:16], worthy to be used in the church of God.”
+ sdg +
Catholics may frequently encounter Orthodox Christians in their communities and workplaces, yet most know very little about their faith practices. The Orthodox churches were born from a centuries-old division between Western Christianity (often called “Catholic”) and Eastern Christianity (often referred to as “Orthodox”). Catholicism and Orthodoxy share many teachings and traditions. More so than the relationship between Catholics and Protestants, the Orthodox churches and the Catholic Church have a common spiritual heritage that includes shared beliefs about the priesthood, sacraments, and saints. St. John Paul II, for instance, urged the Church to always “breathe with two lungs,” referencing in particular the identities and gifts of Eastern and Western Christians.
The formal separation between Eastern and Western Christianity occurred in the 11th century, but a widening chasm between East and West had been developing for centuries prior to that. The gulf between the two was shaped by differences in language, difficulty of communication, and evolving religious practices. The chief theological contention between West and East was — and still is — the role of the papacy. Eastern Christians historically emphasized the equality of local churches and their bishops. The primacy of the pope over local churches is seen as an obstacle to unity. Following its emphasis on the collegiality of the bishops, as Eastern Christianity further evolved, national and linguistic identities emerged, resulting in the development of the Orthodox churches (including Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Romanian Orthodox, among others).
The distinctive traditions of Catholics and Orthodox, though rarely differing at the level of doctrine, are often seen during worship. For one example, the terminology for Sunday worship is different. The “Mass,” a term taken from the final words of the Catholic liturgy in Latin, ite, missa est (literally, “go, you are sent”), is used only by Catholics. Eastern Christians use the term Divine Liturgy. In the worship space of Orthodox churches, the clergy and congregation are separated by a screen called an iconostasis, which is meant to remind the worshippers of the presence of the angels and saints who join the community in prayer. The Orthodox liturgy is always celebrated facing east in the direction of the rising sun in anticipation of the second coming of Jesus.
Though unleavened bread is consecrated in the Mass, in Orthodox liturgies it is usually leavened. Much of the Eastern liturgy is chanted, not spoken. Less significant differences such as the Eastern Christian use of icons (never statues) and various forms of clerical vesture can also be observed. Yet the similarities between the Mass and Divine Liturgy are more numerous than the differences. Both usually include hymns, the reading of Scripture, a sermon, recitation of the Creed, and a Eucharistic prayer with consecration of bread and wine.
Though the majority of Eastern Christians belong to one of the Orthodox churches, some belong to one of the Eastern Catholic churches that look to the papacy as the center of unity among Christians. They have similar names to the national Orthodox churches (for example, Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic). These churches maintain unity with the Catholic Church while worshiping according to their own traditions that follow Eastern Christian practices.
Liturgy Of The Word Vs Mass
The Eastern Orthodox churches, though not united to the Catholic Church, are considered sister churches to the Catholic Church because they share in apostolic succession, an ordained priesthood, and reception of the sacraments, including receiving the Eucharist. According to Catholic discipline, in general the Church permits access to the Eucharist and the other sacraments only to those who are members of the Church. However, if an Orthodox Christian cannot receive the sacraments from his or her own church, he or she could approach the Catholic Church. Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments of Penance, Eucharist, and the Anointing of the Sick to members of the Eastern Orthodox churches who ask for these sacraments. However, the disciplines of one’s own church should be followed.
In recent years efforts have been made to increase cooperation between Catholics and Orthodox. For hundreds of years the chief leaders of the Catholic and Orthodox churches had little if any contact. In a historic 1964 meeting, Bl. Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople embraced as a sign of the desire for greater reconciliation. The following year the mutual excommunications leveled by the West and East against each other 900 years earlier were removed. Since that time the popes, including Pope Francis, have worked toward greater cooperation with Eastern Orthodox Christians.
The Sunday Liturgy
Differences between the Mass and the Divine Liturgy reveal both a common spiritual source and distinctive developments in worship over time and space. Yet the churches of the West and the East both witness to the desire to worship God “in spirit and truth,” participating in the one sacrifice of Christ by which we are fed and redeemed.