The Liturgy of Life
As Christian maturity develops there should be the realization in the significance of norm and ordinary; for this is where the great majority of human experience is spent. It is the weak Christian indeed that only feeds on spectacle and spiritual highs. It is the beauty of the constant seasons, morning mist off the lake and the recognizing smile in the face of the infant that constantly reveals something of God: present.
By walking, not running through our day’s routine is one way we can learn to open up ourselves and reflect on the theology of God with us, not just God out there some where when great attention is given. That is why the repetition of the Mass is so important to the Catholic; it is the participation in the everyday of life where God is with us now. So what is God trying to reveal in this repetitive space and time? The sun rises and sets time and again, revealing that we as Christians are like our Father: “partakers of the divine nature” now. This divine nature is not put on like an altar boy’s robe when entering the stone church for Mass then taken off when exiting. God continues deep transformation in our nature within the norm of Monday. We are His children to the market place; transmitters of His divine nature behind the computer and store counter in relationship.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 460:
“The Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature": "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God." "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God." "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."
The Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches have a more developed theology of this “partakers of the divine nature” in living this liturgy of life than in the West. The West need embrace this correct Christian identity more within a secular culture that has a tendency to separate the human from divine, wishing an anemic and compartmental religion. Western man wishes control, even of God. The mystery and power of the Christian faith IS threatening: divine transforms humanity that will then transform environment.
This Christian mystery of being “partakers of the divine nature” makes the man become a man and woman become woman. He will not make man and woman look like they wish but only like He IS. The question is how bad, or in this case how good, does one wish to co-operate with the divine? The result transforms, for the liturgy of our daily life reveals what we worship. Sometimes Monday can reveal more of a man than Sunday.
As Christian maturity develops there should be the realization in the significance of norm and ordinary; for this is where the great majority of human experience is spent. It is the weak Christian indeed that only feeds on spectacle and spiritual highs. It is the beauty of the constant seasons, morning mist off the lake and the recognizing smile in the face of the infant that constantly reveals something of God: present.
By walking, not running through our day’s routine is one way we can learn to open up ourselves and reflect on the theology of God with us, not just God out there some where when great attention is given. That is why the repetition of the Mass is so important to the Catholic; it is the participation in the everyday of life where God is with us now. So what is God trying to reveal in this repetitive space and time? The sun rises and sets time and again, revealing that we as Christians are like our Father: “partakers of the divine nature” now. This divine nature is not put on like an altar boy’s robe when entering the stone church for Mass then taken off when exiting. God continues deep transformation in our nature within the norm of Monday. We are His children to the market place; transmitters of His divine nature behind the computer and store counter in relationship.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 460:
“The Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature": "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God." "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God." "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."
The Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches have a more developed theology of this “partakers of the divine nature” in living this liturgy of life than in the West. The West need embrace this correct Christian identity more within a secular culture that has a tendency to separate the human from divine, wishing an anemic and compartmental religion. Western man wishes control, even of God. The mystery and power of the Christian faith IS threatening: divine transforms humanity that will then transform environment.
This Christian mystery of being “partakers of the divine nature” makes the man become a man and woman become woman. He will not make man and woman look like they wish but only like He IS. The question is how bad, or in this case how good, does one wish to co-operate with the divine? The result transforms, for the liturgy of our daily life reveals what we worship. Sometimes Monday can reveal more of a man than Sunday.
posted by Kenneth W. Michael | 10:30 AM
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