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August 5, 2022This week Cathy Kveton reflects on paragraph 51 of Desiderio Desideravi, which reads in part:
There are many ways in which the assembly, as one body, participates in the celebration. Everybody doing together the same gesture, everyone speaking together in one voice — this transmits to each individual the energy of the entire assembly. It is a uniformity that not only does not deaden but, on the contrary, educates individual believers to discover the authentic uniqueness of their personalities not in individualistic attitudes but in the awareness of being one body. ... These are gestures and words that place order within our interior world making us live certain feelings, attitudes, behaviors. They are not the explanation of an ideal that we seek to let inspire us, but they are instead an action that engages the body in its entirety, that is to say, in its being a unity of body and soul.
Cathy reflects:
In Pope Francis’s apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi, he offers reflections of different aspects of liturgy. He speaks of the importance of dedication to this celebration.
But there are times I feel more spiritually refreshed by being in nature or listening to music than by sitting in church. An individual attitude, yes, but I feel it’s sometimes necessary.
More often, though, I’m happy to celebrate as part of the congregation — not just as an individual. I feel very comfortable in the ritual of the liturgy. This touched me when reading Pope Francis’s thoughts. All of the actions, movements, prayers, and singing are important in bringing us together in worship. So many living, working parts that energize all of us.
It’s sad to me to hear people say that they don’t attend Mass because they don’t get anything out of it. Those ministering are not the only people responsible for our worship. We need to bring something, bring ourselves to the liturgy. By each of us participating in something that is so familiar, so prayerful, with our faith community, we all contribute to this spiritual time.
