I'm starting to really feel the fact that summer is coming to an end. In just 15 days, I'm heading overseas from America to study in Rome. Don't worry, though, I plan to keep this blog going while over there, even with the added burden (and joy, I suppose) of classes and studies. While there is always a certain sadness at the end of summer, one may say there is a great joy liturgically speaking.
The summer months of July until the Assumption of Mary on August 15 are somewhat devoid of liturgical celebrations. While there are a number of saints and feasts, there are no solemnities during the time, and the Liturgy moves through the long season of Ordinary Time. While this is a blessed and beautiful season, it can develop a certain monotony to it. One of the beauties of the coming months, however, is that there will be numerous feasts, solemnities, and occasions for us to focus our thoughts on and keep our spirits up as the summer ends and the winter comes. And if all else fails, we can just remember that there are only 126 more Shopping Days. After all, who doesn't love Christmas...
The point is that the Liturgy invites us to look ahead. If we are truly "living the Liturgy," we are always looking ahead. The liturgical season of Advent invites us to look ahead to Christmas. In Lent we are called to look ahead to Easter. The Christmas season constantly looks ahead to the coming Passion of the Lord. Easter looks ahead to the life of the Church. And lastly, this season of Ordinary Time looks ahead to what every season of the Church looks towards, which is the Four Last Things - Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven.
This doesn't mean we don't commemorate the current seasons and/or feasts. Rather, we certainly need to do that. It would be foolish and wrong to rejoice and feast during Lent while attempting to use the excuse, "I'm anticipating Easter." Instead, the fasting of Lent is appropriate and necessary, but it only has its meaning when it is done with Easter in mind. Fasting for the sake of fasting is really just dieting. Fasting during Lent to prepare your soul for Easter means you are looking ahead. You are disciplining yourself now so that you are better prepared and disposed for Easter. When we fast for an intention, we are looking ahead to the Last Judgment and crying out for mercy on our souls or the souls of others.
Most souls, then, probably have at least a sense of living the Liturgy, for many are familiar with the concept of giving up something for Lent. However, to truly be steeped in the practice takes some effort and foresight. While it is not particularly difficult it does require one to do more than simply show up for Mass on Sundays. Come Sunday, September 14, there will be many people who are completely unaware that the Feast of the Holy Cross will be celebrated that day instead of the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time. I'd be willing to bet a lot of people barely notice the priest is wearing red instead of green, and many who do will have no idea why.
Those who live the Liturgy, however, will not only know this Feast is coming, they will commemorate it with a special joy since it falls on Sunday this year. They will prepare their hearts for it, and then enter into the mystery it offers. This idea of course applies to all the feasts of the Church's liturgical year. But a simple question remains, how do we prepare for these feasts?
There are, of course, many ways to do so. I will, however, in union with the Church propose some of the more common ways to prepare for a feast day. The first, and surest way, is naturally prayer. There are many forms this can take. For example, novenas of preparation are very common ways to prepare for a feast day, and most of the feast days have at least some sort of novena associated with them. Those who follow the Facebook page (here) may have noticed that I try to post novenas in preparation for many of the feast days.
Another method one may find useful to pray in preparation for feast days are meditations of some of the saints or learned writers. Especially among the Fathers, there are sermons on the various feast days, which can be a way of gaining knowledge of the feast, so that when it arrives it can be celebrated with genuine piety and joy.
The last method in regards to prayer I will recommend is fasting. The example often used is that of preparing for a big supper. You don't eat a huge lunch when you're going to have another huge meal later. Fasting is a source of disciplining the soul and also makes the meal on the feast truly a "feast," in the more literal sense!
The next way I recommend preparing for a feast day is to look at the liturgical texts ahead of time. It has been my experience that the first time I hear a prayer, it doesn't necessarily sink in. Instead, I'm able to better meditate upon it, and experience it, when I've seen it before and have sense of what's coming. Plus, the benefit to this manner is that after reading all of the texts you can get an overall feel for the entire theme for the day. Thus, while praying them in the actual liturgy connections may be brought about that wouldn't have appeared if you didn't have "the big picture."
The final way of preparing for a feast day I will recommend is to plan it ahead of time. As human beings, we were created for order; therefore, having some sense of order to and structure to a feast day will help it go smoothly and prayerfully. Know when you are going to go to Mass. Know when you plan to say any extra prayers or what special things you want to do. It doesn't have to be mapped out to the minute, but just as having a schedule for the day makes the day go smoothly, so having a plan for the spiritual life can help it to go smoothly.
Of course there are always surprises and bumps along the road, but when there is a general plan in place, these can be dealt with rather than making the entire structure fall apart.
In order to "live the Liturgy," then, it must be treated as another aspect of life. Just as there are many things we need to prepare for, train for, and anticipate in life, so it works with the liturgical life. Without some preparation the Liturgy, like life, will simply pass on by without being lived.
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