Human Dimension of the Christian Liturgy

Abstract

Human dimension of the liturgy can be understood only if we are able to grasp the essence of the Christian liturgy, its nature and theological sense and when we realize the criteria which allow us to distinguish “liturgy” from “non-liturgy”. The paper is an attempt to describe a human dimension of the liturgy understood mostly as an anamnesis, a real salvific presence of Christ’s Mystery; a real presence resulting from an objective fact that the liturgy is the performing of a priestly function of Christ by Him and the whole Mystical Body, the Church. The liturgical anamnesis is the acting of Christ as both God and Man. Thus, firstly, a human dimension of the liturgy is directly linked with the hypostatic union of two natures in Christ and results from the human nature of the Saviour. Secondly, the liturgy is the anamnesis of Christ’s Mystery for the sanctification and salvation of people. This fact should be viewed as a fundamental historico-salvific sense of the liturgy which is the final stage on earth in the history of salvation. Finally, the Christian liturgy due to a psychosomatic nature of man occurs at the present stage of the history of salvation under the cover of a visible earthly reality.