Pope Francis continues his catechesis on Christian prayer at the weekly General Audience and reflects on how liturgical prayer unites us to Christ.
By Devin Watkins
Speaking in the library of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis held his General Audience on Wednesday, which was broadcast live to the faithful around the world.
In his ongoing catechesis on Christian prayer, the Pope spoke of how the liturgical celebrations of the Church make Christ present in our lives.
He began by pointing out that Christian history is full of movements that set aside liturgical rites.
“Often,” he said, “this tendency claimed the supposed greater purity of a religiosity that did not depend on external ceremonies, which were considered a useless or harmful burden.”
He added that many modern Catholics attend Mass on Sunday, but nurture their own spirituality through various personal devotions.
Liturgy and life
Pope Francis went on to say that the Church has made great strides in recent decades in the centrality of the liturgy in the life of the faith.
He said Christian prayer is closely linked to concrete expressions of faith, such as Holy Scripture, the Sacraments, and liturgical rites.
“In the Christian life, the bodily and material sphere can be dispensed with, because in Jesus Christ he became the way of salvation,” he said.
Prayer based on the liturgy
The liturgy, the Pope said, is more than a simple spontaneous prayer. “It is an act that founds the whole Christian experience and, therefore, also prayer. It’s an event, it’s happening, it’s presence, it’s an encounter with Christ. “
He said that Jesus Christ “is made present to the Holy Spirit through the sacramental signs.”
“Christianity without liturgy is a Christianity without Christ,” he stressed.
Sincere participation
The Pope went on to say that the liturgy, by its very nature, invites us to participate fully so that we can receive the grace that God offers through it.
“Many Christian prayers do not come from the liturgy,” he said, “but all, if they are Christian, 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 is what allows us to internalize the sacramental presence of Jesus. “What is external to us becomes part of us,” a reality expressed in the natural action of eating.
“Mass cannot simply be ‘heard,'” he noted, “as if we were simply spectators of something escaping without our participation. Mass is always celebrated, and not just for the priest who presides over it, but for all the Christians who experience it. “
Christ is the center
The Pope concluded his catechesis by 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 a worship of God, but this cannot happen without prayer, especially liturgical prayer.”