Pastor's Corner November 30, 2003 |
1st Sunday of Advent |
Living the Liturgy
During the Western Conference for Liturgy recently held in Western Canada, Bishop
Gerald Wiesner of Prince George Diocese said, "Good liturgy can strengthen the faith
of the Church, express the relationship between God and His believers, and convey
how Christians live through the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ and the
coming of the Holy Spirit."
He said, "In liturgy, the body languages of the participants, be that of the celebrant
or the parishioners, all affect the liturgical proceedings."
Moreover, he used an example of a sports team to illustrate the importance of
presence. He said,
"During competition, the team spirit of the players is stronger than ever. Likewise,
when parishioners gather together to participate in liturgy, it is easier for them to
perceive the Church as one big family."
I once said that the liturgy begins in the parking lot. I understand that many
parishioners can become frustrated when parking spaces are all taken. In fact, there
are many possible solutions, like changing the schedule for liturgy (I believe rushing
the liturgy is not the best way), increasing the number of traffic directors, etc. I hope
you can all come up with some suggestions.
Regardless, let us endeavour to live out the spirit of the liturgy in our daily lives:
Christ is always living among us.
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