BLS 19 through 21 cover material under the heading of “Worship in Time and Space.”
§ 19 § Liturgy is “the participation of the People of God in ‘the work of God.'” (CCC 1069) It is the “exercise of the priestly office of Jesus” in which God is worshiped and adored and people are made holy. (SC 7; Cf. CCC 834) God begins the work of sanctifying people in time and space and brings that work to completion. Those who respond to God in worship and in service are given the privilege of becoming co-workers in the divine plan. (CCC 2567)
The basic principle of liturgy: Christ praises the Father. Christ’s Body participates in this praise. The important secondary effect: people become holy through their response to God’s grace.
This foundational statement underlies anything and everything we discuss in liturgy, including provisions for its buildings and its art.
All texts from Built of Living Stones are copyright © 2000, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Catholic Sensibility 