The Development of the Meaning of the Term "Liturgy" in the Twentieth Century

Abstract

The Development of the Meaning of the Term "Liturgy" in the Twentieth Century Richard A. Nicholas (bio) ABSTRACT The term "liturgy," inherited from the ancient world, gradually fell into disuse in the Latin West. With the advent of the Liturgical Movement, the term not only grew in usage but in depth of meaning. The paper traces how the definition and meaning of the term developed throughout the twentieth century. Pius XII in Mediator Dei emphasized liturgy as the worship rendered by the Church in union with its Head. The Second Vatican Council in Sacrosanctum Concilium developed the term in reference to the sacraments and the sanctification of their recipients. The Catechism of the Catholic Church complemented the roles of the Father and the Son in the liturgy by amplifying the role of the Holy Spirit. KEYWORDS Liturgy, Mediator Dei, Sacrosanctum Concilium, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Liturgical Movement INTRODUCTION The final vision in the last book of the New Testament has a depiction of the heavenly liturgy that the Church's earthly liturgy reflects (Rev 22:1–17). In the ancient earthly Jerusalem, the Temple was the focal point of liturgical worship. It was there that the presence of God dwelled. Now in the heavenly Jerusalem, the [End Page 45] Temple is replaced with God and the Lamb, whose glory permeates the city as the river of life, from which all the faithful may drink. On the river's banks, the tree of life heals the nations and bears much fruit. Nothing will be cursed because all sin will be healed and washed away, allowing the faithful to worship God face to face without the intrusion of evil. The Spirit of God and the Bride, the Church, call the faithful to worship. It is the responsibility of all those present to assist in the Church's liturgy, whereby God the Father is worshipped through the Lamb, God the Son, and in the Spirit of God. While all three persons of the Godhead are actively engaged with the Church in this vision of worship, it is interesting to note that the meaning associated with the Latin Church's use of the term "liturgy" did not reflect the Johannine vision of worship until late in the twentieth century. This article will trace how the definition and meaning of the term "liturgy" developed throughout the twentieth century to include and explicate the roles of each person of the Godhead, as well as the Church and her members, in the act of worship. PRE-TWENTIETH CENTURY MEANINGS OF THE TERM The term "liturgy" is derived from the ancient Greek word λειτουργία (leitourgia) and it pertained to any work or action that was done for the well-being or welfare of the people or general public, such as defense, city services, recreation, education, etc.1 It had no specifically religious significance until the term was used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. There it was the term most frequently used for a public service, usually led by the priests and Levites, by which God was worshipped (Ex 28:43; Num 4:33; 2 Chr 31:2; [End Page 46] Jdt 4:14; 1 Mac 10:42; Sir 4:14, 45:15). Far less frequently, it was used for an action done on behalf of the people by the Jewish theocratic state as a representative of God (1 Kgs 19:21; 2 Chr 17:19, 22:8). In the New Testament, the term was also used to describe a public service of Jewish worship, for example, the liturgy administered by Zechariah in the Temple (Lk 1:23) and the sprinkling of sacrificial blood by Moses (Heb 9:21). The term was also employed for a non-cultic service (Phil 2:17), a charitable gift (Phil 2:30; 2 Cor 9:12) and a liturgist, servant, or minister of Jesus Christ (Phil 2:25; Heb 1:7, 8:2; Rom 15:16). "Liturgy" was used in its most specific Christian sense to describe the worship offered by the Christians in Antioch (Acts 13:2) and more significantly the priestly work of Jesus Christ in Hebrews 8:1-6. The author...