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The Biblical Roots of Liturgy I: The Old Testament

Fr. Llane Briese OLM: Sacraments and Prayer (Spring 2014). The Biblical Roots of Liturgy I: The Old Testament. “What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than a god, crowned him with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:5-6).

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The Biblical Roots of Liturgy I: The Old Testament

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  1. Fr. Llane Briese OLM: Sacraments and Prayer (Spring 2014) The Biblical Roots of Liturgy I:The Old Testament

  2. “What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than a god, crowned him with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:5-6) A relationship lost

  3. Who made us? • Why did God make us? • CCC 293: • “Scripture and Tradition never cease to teach and celebrate this fundamental truth: ‘The world was made for the glory of God.’ St. Bonaventure explains that God created all things ‘not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it,’ for God has no other reason for creating than his love and goodness: ‘Creatures came into existence when the key of love opened his hand.’” Created for relationship

  4. The story of the Eucharist really begins at the dawn of creation. • 1st Reading at Easter Vigil: Creation Story • Literary Genre of Creation Stories (Gen 1‒3) • “Among all the Scriptural texts about creation, the first three chapters of Genesis occupy a unique place. From a literary standpoint these texts may have had diverse sources. The inspired authors have placed them at the beginning of Scripture to express in their solemn language the truths of creation—its origin and its end in God, its order and goodness, the vocation of man, and finally the drama of sin and the hope of salvation. Read in the light of Christ, within the unity of Sacred Scripture and in the living Tradition of the Church, these texts remain the principal source for catechesis on the mysteries of the ‘beginning’: creation, fall, and promise of salvation.” (CCC 289) Created for Relationship

  5. 4 This is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens- 5 there was no field shrub on earth and no grass of the field had sprouted, for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the ground, 6 but a stream was welling up out of the earth and watering all the surface of the ground-- 7 then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the LORD God made grow every tree that was delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:4b-9

  6. 18The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him. 19 So the LORD God formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each living creature was then its name. 20 The man gave names to all the tame animals, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be a helper suited to the man. 21 So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 The LORD God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman. When he brought her to the man, 23 the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of man this one has been taken." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame. Genesis 2:18-25

  7. The original relationship between humanity and God: • Is God’s original intention. • Is protected by grace. • Is freely accepted/rejected by humanity (with consequences). • Does not accept any rivals (idols). • Exists in the fullness of truth without shame or deception. Summary

  8. Sin: Humanity violates the requirements of the relationship. Gen 3:5: “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The relationship becomes a non-relationship because relationship with God was not good enough for humanity. Gen 11: Tower of Babel; the absurd human project of trying to reach God on one’s own power. (“The Short Way”) Final Consequence: Slavery (Egypt = “house of slavery”) Relationship Lost

  9. 12bThus says the Lord GOD: You were a seal of perfection, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty. 13 In Eden, the garden of God, you lived; precious stones of every kind were your covering: Carnelian, topaz, and beryl, chrysolite, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, garnet, and emerald. Their mounts and settings were wrought in gold, fashioned for you the day you were created. 14 With a cherub I placed you; I put you on the holy mountain of God, where you walked among fiery stones. 15Blameless were you in your ways from the day you were created, Until evil was found in you.16 Your commerce was full of lawlessness, and you sinned. Therefore I banished you from the mountain of God; the cherub drove you out from among the fiery stones. 17Your heart had grown haughty because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. I cast you to the ground, I made you a spectacle in the sight of kings. 18 Because of the enormity of your guilt, and the perversity of your trade, you defiled your sanctuary. I brought fire out of you; it devoured you; I made you ashes on the ground in the eyes of all who see you. 19 All the nations who knew you are appalled on account of you; You have become a horror, never to be again. Ezekiel 28:12b-19

  10. “The Israelites groaned under their bondage and cried out, and from their bondage their cry for help went up to God. God heard their moaning and God was mindful of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God saw the Israelites, and God knew....” (Exodus 2:23-25) The people cry out for the restoration of a relationship lost

  11. Two main traumas for Israel in Old Testament: • Slavery in Egypt (cf. Exodus) • Exile (cf. 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, et al.) • Key Point: A Restored Relationship Must Come from God (the Covenant-Maker). A Restored Relationship?

  12. The OT is filled with prayers for deliverance (in the name of individuals and the entire community). Prayers Celebrating God’s Deeds in History (cf. Ps 78, 103, 118, 136, et al.) Prayers of Lament Crying Out for Help (cf. Ps 80, 90, 140-143, et al.) They’re back! Anamnesis and Epiclesis PRAYERS for Deliverance

  13. Four Particular Examples (all after the Exile): • Psalm 89:2-52 (Lament over the Fall of Monarchy) • Nehemiah 9:1-37 (General Confession of Israel) • Daniel 3:26-45 (Prayer of Azariah) • Only present in the Deuterocanonical (Greek) part of Daniel. • Daniel 9:4b-19 (Prayer of Daniel in Solidarity with the Exiled People) A Model of Prayer Crying Out for Restoration

  14. Anamnesis:A “remembering” section • From the Greek ἀναμιμνῄσκωwhich means “to remember, remind someone of something.” • NOT the same thing as “to imitate, emulate” • Uses past tense verbs to recall God’s deeds of the past. • Epiclesis: A “request” section • From the Greek ἐπικαλέω which means “to invoke” (lit. “to call upon”). • Uses the imperative mood (commands) to ask God for something. • Begins with “and/but now…” or something similar. Two key Terms

  15. v. 2: Blessing: “I will sing the goodness of the Lord forever…” • vv. 3-38: Anamnesis recalls David’s election and the promise of his unending dynasty • vv. 20b-38: A lengthy citation of earlier biblical tradition about David (cf. 2Sam 7, etc.) • vv. 39-52: Epiclesis: • v. 39: “But now…” • v. 48: “Remember how brief is my life…” Psalm 89:2-52

  16. Prayer of Ezra (priest) • All people of Israelite descent are present. • v. 5: 8 priests call the community to worship. • vv. 6-31: Anamnesis • Creation (v. 6) • Call/Election of Patriarchs (vv. 7-8) • Exodus event (poetic interlude) (vv. 9-15) • Sinfulness Recalled (vv. 16-31) • vv. 32-37: Epiclesis: “Now, therefore, (Heb. “and now”) take into account all the disasters that have befallen us… We are in great distress!” (cf. Ex 2:33-35) Nehemiah 9:1-37

  17. Preface: Blessing of God (usually for something in particular) Anamnetic Section: Remembering Epicletic Section: Requesting Use of citations from prior biblical tradition “And now…” These OT elements are important because the Church would import them into celebrating the Eucharist (and other Sacraments). Review of Key Elements

  18. “I praise you, LORD, for you raised me up and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, my God, I cried out to you for help and you healed me. LORD, you brought my soul up from Sheol; you let me live, from going down to the pit. Sing praise to the LORD, you faithful; give thanks to his holy memory.” (Psalm 30:2-5) God Hears His People’s Cry and Restores a Relationship Lost

  19. The Exodus is the fundamental event of the OT. God restores his people from slavery and re-creates relationship with them after the tragedy of Genesis. Last Supper in Egypt and Crossing the Red Sea. Blood always required in a covenant with God (cf. Gen 15, Ex 12, Ex 24) because when communion with God is ruptured, death results. Through vicarious atonement, that death is transferred, thus permitting communion to be re-established. The Jewish Passover

  20. The image of the Passover is dominant in the Church’s understanding of Christ reconciling us sinners to our Father. • Easter Vigil Exsultet: • “These, then, are the feasts of Passover,in which is slain the Lamb, the one true Lamb, whose Blood anoints the doorposts of believers. This is the night, when once you led our forebears, Israel’s children, from slavery in Egypt, and made them pass dry-shod through the Red Sea…” Passover as a Hermeneutical Key

  21. “… This is the night that even now, throughout the world, sets Christian believers apart from worldly vices and from the gloom of sin, leading them to grace and joining them to his holy ones. This is the night, when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.” • “O wonder of your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son! O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!” • 1Cor 5:7-8 (Easter Communion Antiphon): “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed; therefore let us keep the feast with the unleavened bread of purity and truth.” Passover as a Hermeneutical Key

  22. Ex. 12: Necessity for the Israelites to eat the Lamb’s roasted flesh. Ex. 24: The blood is sprinkled upon the people. Participation is an essential aspect of the mystery. Axiom: “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” Ex. 24:8: “Then he took the blood and splashed it on the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words." The Jewish passover

  23. A prophetic sign serves as an antitype which foretells and contains the full meaning of an unrepeatable founding event. This prophetic sign itself is repeated through a ritual re-presentation through which successive generations have access to the founding event. Without it, the event would become an artifact of history. This ritual re-presentation is a memorial(Heb. zikkaron; Gk. anamnesis) which has enduring value and makes the founding event transcendent throughout time. The ritual must be repeated annually (order to repeat) follow certain prescriptions to carry the meaning. The community of faith must participate in this ritual. The Jewish Passover

  24. Hebrews is an ancient homily written to illustrate how Jesus is a priest par excellence. Christ takes the place of the Lamb; he enters the sanctuary with his own blood. Thus, he is the priest and victim of the sacrifice. “Covenant” in NT: A difficult term to translate. He is the mediator of the new covenant, but also the testator by whose death we receive an inheritance. Application to Christ (Hebrews 9:15-22)

  25. Just as the OT links the Passover meal with the escape from Egypt, the NT links the Last Supper with the Cross/Resurrection. It contains the fullness of its meaning and interpretation. Through the Eucharist, the founding event of Christ’s death and resurrection is perpetuated throughout history in all times, nations, etc. “Do this in memory (anamnesis) of me.” Our participation in the Eucharist is real (cf. “theological feet”). Through the founding event, we pass from death/slavery/guilt to life/freedom/innocence (like Israel did from Egypt). The Christian Passover

  26. 1Cor 10:16: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” • John 6:53: Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” • Remember, these words were addressed to a Jewish audience (v. 52) during Passover (v. 4). Any Insights into these Texts?

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