Blog 3

While Christian worship seems simple to understand at first glance, one must realize that it is not just the act of showing reverent honor and homage to God, but rather a multifaceted term that can take form in various ways. With liturgy being one of the main ways for Catholics to showcase their faith, theologians and scholars alike show that liturgy is playful, symbolic, and festive. While my eight year old cousin who I sat next to during Christmas Eve mass would strongly argue against liturgy being playful and festive, there have been various examples showcasing the playful, symbolic, and festive side of Christian worship in literature from Cyril of Jerusalem, Gertrude the Great of Helfta, and Romano Guardini.
While going to church may not be playful in the sense of being amusing and lighthearted, liturgy is playful in the sense that it allows for each and every person to get away from the constant presence of purposeful activity, so they can truly be one with God. In the latter definition of play, it is crucial to understand that there is no end goal for the movement going on. Guardini relates movement without a goal to young children playing. While playing in a sandbox might give them joy and some physical activity, there is no main goal that the child is striving towards. In liturgy, the congregation comes together to celebrate mass with no intention besides growing closer to God and strengthening their faith. Partaking in something with no end goal is something that many people in modern society struggle to adopt. From a young age, many are pushed to think about how everything one does is a step to succeeding in life. Theologian Cyril of Jerusalem speaks of a similar concept, and demonstrates how receiving the eucharist can help someone engage in play. One does not usually receive the Eucharist in mass because they are solely relying on the nutrients from the small piece of bread. Rather, they eat the host because they want to put everything aside and become one with the Lord by consuming an efficacious sign of his grace. Both Guardini and Cyril attempt to stress to readers the importance of stepping away or “wasting time”, to truly worship God.
Regarding symbolism in Catholic worship, I would argue that symbolism is the most easily recognizable and understood in comparison to play and festivity. One could step into a chapel and quickly identify a plethora of objects that have a deeper spiritual meaning about them. In Guardini’s Sacred Signs, the theologian showcases how symbols can be found in things such as Holy Water, doors, incense, and fire just to name a few. Honing in on Holy Water, one can truly start to see how the liquid can have a deeper meaning. While water consumption is essential for human life, it can also take life away. Holy water is essential in the growth of faith, and washes away the sins of those who are blessed with it. By itself, Holy water does not mean much but with its deeper meaning, it allows those who metaphorically “step into it” to learn from it and grow closer to God. Another object in liturgy that relates to symbols is the eucharist. In her writing, Gertrude the Great of Helfta discussing how consuming the eucharist was such an important event, that it made her realize she must “transform her tongue”. With the encounter of Eucharist, there is a simultaneous veiling and unveiling going on. Like all symbols in the Church, the host unveils to her that she should change her tongue, but also causes her to contemplate more deeply on being a follower of christ.
Finally, the Catholic Church, especially liturgy, can be found to hold a few aspects of festivity. In liturgy, ritual worship is constantly present and helps promote festivity. Through worship, one is able to reaffirm and strengthen the presence of God in their life. Like noted earlier, when Gertrude the Great of Helfta had her special encounter with the eucharist, she had both a physical and spiritual encounter with the Lord. With the correct mindset, this encounter can be replicated every time one goes up to receive the body of Christ. Similar to when Gaurdini discusses the burning of incense in mass, both actions are rooted in celebrating the Lord. By tasting the host and smelling the incense, church goers are able to partake in showing thanks to the many gifts that God bestows onto his followers.
Perhaps when my eight year old cousin gets older and reaches a level where he can comprehend this level of writing, he will be able to see that in reality, Christian worship is in fact a combination of playfulness, symbolism, and festivity.