What is liturgy? What is it about? What is the significance of the Mass? Why do we do what we do in liturgy of the Mass? What is it that we offer when we – or rather the priest on our behalf – what is it that we are offering?
This prayer from the Mass is said quietly by the deacon or priest during the Preparation of the Gifts, while he prepares the chalice by pouring in some wine and then adding a few drops of water:
By the mystery of this water and wine: 2 Macc. 15:39; John 19:34
- May we come to share in the divinity of Christ: Rom. 5:2; 2 Pet. 1:4
Who humbled himself to share in our humanity. Phil. 2:8
This quiet prayer and action of pouring water into wine is a summary of the whole Mass and of our entire Catholic Faith.
The Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported at the beginning of March, that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be remembered in Church history for his work to recover the beauty of traditional liturgy. This is from a teaching in the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska by Bishop James D. Conley.
The head of the Lincoln, Neb. Diocese, who has been reading Benedict’s writings on liturgy for decades, said these works “will remain a great contribution to liturgical theology for years to come.” “His great legacy,” Bishop Conley told CNA Feb. 27, “will be the re-discovery of the beauty of the traditional liturgy.”
Benedict awakened a “new way” of looking at the ordinary form of the Mass – the liturgy which came after the 1960s Second Vatican Council – “with a greater attempt to be more attentive to the rubrics.” In the former pontiff’s view, Mass should be celebrated with beauty, dignity, and in continuity with the tradition of the Church, Bishop Conley noted.
Do you, dear friends of Catholic Vitamins see a beauty and a dignity in the liturgy? Despite perhaps poor music… despite weak homilies and other distractions – we are called to raise our minds and hearts to more fitting celebration of the liturgy.
Today’s guest, Fr. O’Doherty will speak about this in the show and we hope it will help you to want to learn more and to enter more into the beauty that former Holy Father Benedict saw and proclaimed in the Mass.
Dee and Deacon Tom knew Doctor Horst Buchholz when he was Director of Liturgical Music at the Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Denver. He is currently director of music at the St. Louis archdiocese. Dr. Horst says that Pope Benedict has offered such a wealth of teaching on the liturgy that his influence has yet to come to full fruition.
“There has been no Pope since Pius X, or even before, with such a fervent love for liturgy and Sacred Music like Benedict XVI…We still have to accept, digest, and adapt many of Benedict’s thoughts and directives on liturgy and Sacred Music,” he said.
MUSIC ON THE SHOW
We played a portion of a wonderful song by an outstanding Catholic performer, DANIELLE ROSE. 
She was a guest a few years back on Catholic Vitamins. The song SEE YOU IN THE EUCHARIST seems most fitting to play in a podcast about the Liturgy. The Eucharistic song is from Danielle’s album PURSUE ME. Thank you Danielle for permission to play your music.
And one of our most favorite (and famous guests) on Catholic Vitamins was the wonderful show we did on Devotion with MATTHEW BAUTE. One of the songs he gave us to use on Catholic Vitamins is IN YOUR PRESENCE — so very fitting for the attitude to bring to Liturgy – our assembly to praise and thank the Lord. Our attitude to have in gratitude for the nourishment of Word and Eucharist. If you liked the song we played by Matthew Baute, the show he visited on with us can be found at: http://catholicvitamins.com/catholic-vitamin-d-devotion/