“A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER”

Liturgical Rites & the Christian Tradition

“…it is important that the individual rites have a relation to the places where Christianity originated and the apostles preached: they are anchored in the time and place of divine revelation. Here again ‘once for all’ and ‘always’ belong together. The Christian faith can never be separated from the soil of sacred events…‘Always’ can only come from ‘once for all’…Rites are not, therefore, just the products of inculturation, however much they may have incorporated elements from different cultures. They are forms of the apostolic Tradition and of its unfolding in the great places of the Tradition.”
“…What is important is that the great forms of rite embrace many cultures. They…create communion among different cultures and languages. They elude control by any individual, local community, or regional Church. Unspontaneity is of their essence. In these rites I discover that something is approaching me here that I did not produce myself, that I am entering into something greater than myself, which ultimately derives from divine revelation.”
- Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
The Spirit of the Liturgy (pp. 163-165) [Ignatius Press, 2000]

Trinity Sunday

This Sunday (June 7th 2009) is Trinity Sunday. It is the day on which the Church determines to celebrate the glory and the mystery of the Trinity. The Christian faith is, and must be, expressed in Trinitarian form. We worship a triune God. His glory and being surpasses anything else in the universe. We are baptized into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We offer praise and worship to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We confess the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In light of Trinity Sunday, let us affirm an orthodox understanding of the Holy Trinity by affirming The Athanasian Creed:

The Athanasian Creed
1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith.

2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

3. But this is the catholic faith: That we worship one God in trinity, and trinity in unity;

4. Neither confounding the persons; nor dividing the substance.

5. For there is one person of the Father: another of the Son: another of the Holy Spirit.

6. But the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one: the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.

7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.

8. The Father is uncreated: the Son is uncreated: the Holy Spirit is uncreated.

9. The Father is immeasurable: the Son is immeasurable: the Holy Spirit is immeasurable.

10. The Father is eternal: the Son eternal: the Holy Spirit eternal.

11. And yet there are not three eternals; but one eternal.

12. As also there are not three uncreated: nor three immeasurable: but one uncreated, and one immeasurable.

13. So likewise the Father is almighty: the Son almighty: and the Holy Spirit almighty.

14. And yet there are not three almighties: but one almighty.

15. So the Father is God: the Son is God: and the Holy Spirit is God.

16. And yet there are not three Gods; but one God.

17. So the Father is Lord: the Son Lord: and the Holy Spirit Lord.

18. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord.

19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord:

20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, there are three Gods, or three Lords.

21. The Father is made of none; neither created; nor begotten.

22. The Son is of the Father alone: not made; nor created; but begotten.

23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son: not made; neither created; nor begotten; but proceeding.

24. Thus there is one father, not three Fathers: one Son, not three Sons: one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

25. And in this Trinity none is before or after another: none is greater or less than another.

26. But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together, and co-equal.

27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped.

28. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.

29. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation, that we believe also rightly in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

30. Now the right faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man.

31. God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds: and Man, of the substance of His mother, born in the world.

32. Perfect God: perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.

33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead: inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood.

34. And although He be God and Man; yet He is not two, but one Christ.

35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God.

36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance; but by unity of person.

37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man; so God and Man is one Christ.

38. Who suffered for our salvation: descended into Hades: rose again the third day from the dead.

39. He ascended into heaven. He sits on the right hand of God, the Father almighty:

40. From whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

41. At whose coming all men must rise again with their bodies;

42. And shall give account for their own works.

43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; but they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.

44. This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.

Anglican Liturgy

This blog will serve to provide information on Christian Worship. Liturgical Worship is a part of the fabric of the Christian Faith, and has been expressed in the catholic church since the time of the apostles. This site will mainly focus on the Anglican expression of the worship of the universal Christian church; however, there are links provided to various expressions of that same worship (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, etc.).