The liturgy is a source of surprise and even confusion for those whose whole mentality is idealistic: far from being pure mental prayer, the liturgy is expressed orally and takes shape in bodily postures and gestures; these moreover are not left to the spontaneous invention of the individual but are determined by constant laws. The reason for this characteristic of the liturgy is that revelation teaches us not to separate body and soul but to recognize the unity of the human composite as God created it and is now saving it. Dom Capelle remarks:
“The material and the spiritual are not juxtaposed in the human person but are made one, and the union is not a binding of two distinct entities but the intrinsic correlation of two components of one and the same being; the union is in the proper sense a unity, and a substantial unity at that. This is why a purely spiritual worship would not only be inhuman and have to be rejected, but is even impossible.”
The body, which is destined for a glorious resurrection, has in the present life already become a temple of the Holy Spirit through baptism; it is fed by the Eucharist, and Tertullian made the point as early as the beginning of the second century that the sacraments are performed on the body in order to sanctify the soul. Furthermore, there is no real thought or feeling that is not spontaneously embodied in a posture or gesture; conversely, a posture, gesture, or action involve the whole person to such an extent that it expresses, intensifies, or even gives rise to an interior attitude; on this point modern psychology and pedagogy provide striking confirmation of theological tradition. Finally, these signs are required by the communal nature of liturgy: unanimity of hearts finds expression at least as much in bodily postures as in singing, or at least is expressed more easily by means of them. Moreover, the language of words, especially the words of the celebrant, is made more intelligible by gestures. Christ used gestures to perform miracles that he could have worked simply by words.
The Church at Prayer, Volume I: Principles of the Liturgy (page 179). Edited by A. G. Mortimort.
Class: Introduction to the Sacraments and Worship
“The material and the spiritual are not juxtaposed in the human person but are made one, and the union is not a binding of two distinct entities but the intrinsic correlation of two components of one and the same being; the union is in the proper sense a unity, and a substantial unity at that. This is why a purely spiritual worship would not only be inhuman and have to be rejected, but is even impossible.”
The body, which is destined for a glorious resurrection, has in the present life already become a temple of the Holy Spirit through baptism; it is fed by the Eucharist, and Tertullian made the point as early as the beginning of the second century that the sacraments are performed on the body in order to sanctify the soul. Furthermore, there is no real thought or feeling that is not spontaneously embodied in a posture or gesture; conversely, a posture, gesture, or action involve the whole person to such an extent that it expresses, intensifies, or even gives rise to an interior attitude; on this point modern psychology and pedagogy provide striking confirmation of theological tradition. Finally, these signs are required by the communal nature of liturgy: unanimity of hearts finds expression at least as much in bodily postures as in singing, or at least is expressed more easily by means of them. Moreover, the language of words, especially the words of the celebrant, is made more intelligible by gestures. Christ used gestures to perform miracles that he could have worked simply by words.
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The Church at Prayer, Volume I: Principles of the Liturgy (page 179). Edited by A. G. Mortimort.
Class: Introduction to the Sacraments and Worship
