Wednesday, June 19, 2013

"Pray to your Father in secret."

I found today's Gospel commentary from Daily Gospel edifying.

Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy « Sacrosanctum Concilium », § 10-12
"Pray to your Father in secret"

The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows... From the liturgy, therefore, and especially from the Eucharist, as from a font, grace is poured forth upon us; and the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God, to which all other activities of the Church are directed as toward their end, is achieved in the most efficacious possible way.

But in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects, it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain (cf 2 Cor 6,1). Pastors of souls must therefore realize that, when the liturgy is celebrated, something more is required than the mere observation of the laws governing valid and licit celebration; it is their duty also to ensure that the faithful take part fully aware of what they are doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched by its effects.

The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. The Christian is indeed called to pray with his brethren, but he must also “enter into his chamber to pray to the Father, in secret” and yet more, according to the teaching of the Apostle Paul, he should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5,17) . We learn from the same Apostle that we must “always bear about in our body the dying of Jesus, so that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodily frame” (2 Cor 4,10-11). This is why we ask the Lord in the sacrifice of the Mass that, "receiving the offering of the spiritual victim," he may fashion us for himself "as an eternal gift" (cf Eucharistic Prayer III).

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