III. Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium. 3. Rite, sign and symbol
(Luke 24:28-31). So they drew near the village (of Emmaus) to which they were going, and He (Jesus) appeared to be going further. But they constrained Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening and the day is now far spent.” So He went in to stay with them.
When He had taken His place at the table with them, He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him, but He vanished from their sight
Pope Leo’s Catechesis
Dear brothers and sisters,
As we continue the catechesis on the conciliar constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC), we would like to reflect on a few elements that constitute the sacred liturgy, such as rites, signs, and symbols.
Drawing on the precious work of the liturgical movement, the Second Vatican Council helped us rediscover a truth that was very much alive in the ancient Church and in the teachings of the Fathers.
The rites of the Christian liturgy are not merely an outer shell of the sacramental mystery or a set of arbitrary ceremonies. are an ecclesial mediation through which the gift of God reaches us.
For this reason, the Council encourages an understanding of the Mysterium fidei (Mystery of Faith), realized in the liturgy through rites and prayers.
The rite gives shape to the liturgical action and, through it God enters our lives and gives us spiritual sensitivity, allowing us to experience His presence through Jesus Christ.
This is only possible, however, if we participate in the liturgy with our whole self — body, mind, and heart — in obedience to the Lord’s command, rather than remaining strangers or silent spectators.
Through this sacred rite, we are formed to listen to the Word of God, give thanks and adore, and share fraternally and in ecclesial communion.
We discover that we are a congregation with many faces, united by the same faith.
The rite involves a strictly defined sequence of gestures and prayers,
which can sometimes contradict our tendency toward spontaneity.
However, the purpose is not to restrict freedom with schemes.
On the contrary, through the solemn simplicity of its rhythms,
the rite interrupts hectic activity and reconnects us with what is most essential.
In this way, we discover another dimension of action, (not subordinated to the calculus of efficiency), and a different experience of time and space.
Through the rite, we experience the logic of gratuity.
We find a moment of respite that renews our hearts.
We recognize that God’s grace precedes us.
We learn to live in a rhythm permeated by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The grammar of the rite is woven from signs and symbols proper to the liturgy.
In it, as the Council affirms, “the sanctification of man is expressed and accomplished in the manner proper to the individual signs by means of perceptible signs”.
The Catechism of the Catholic Churchdeepens the value of these signs, recalling that “their meaning has its roots in the work of creation and in human culture, is made concrete in the events of the Old Covenant, and is fully revealed in the person and work of Christ”.
The sign of water is emblematic: from the beginning of creation to the flood, from the passage through the Red Sea to the Jordan, to the water flowing from the side of Christ, which becomes a sacramental sign of immersion in his death and resurrection.
The terms “Sign” and “symbol” are often used interchangeably.
In fact, a sign has a symbolic character when it refers not only to an idea, but also to a whole system of meanings and values.
For example, when we are sprinkled with holy water, we are revived by the awareness of the gift received in Baptism and of our belonging to the new life in Christ.
Secondly, the symbols are essentially practical, being above all actions: simpler and universal, such as kneeling and passing on the sign of peace, or more important, such as actions constitutive of each sacrament.
First of all, symbols have a unique causal and transformative dimension, both in relation to the material elements that constitute them and for those who come into contact with them, generating belonging, moving hearts and minds, and arousing authentic ecclesial relationships.
In his Apostolic Letter Desiderio Desideravi , Pope Francis, making Romano Guardini’s statement his own, indicated “the first task of the work of liturgical formation: man must become capable of understanding symbols anew“ (n. 44).
We must allow ourselves to be educated by the liturgical rites, caring sensitively and without arbitrariness for the beauty of our celebrations, and engaging in authentic mystagogy.
The experience of a living and devotional liturgy, accompanied by an appropriate mystagogical catechesis, is the best means of awakening in every person an openness to the encounter with God, which, according to the logic of the Incarnation, can only take place through the commitment of the whole person: spirit, soul and body
(1 Thessalonians 5:23 – May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
