That Catholic liturgy must relate to the human species without negating the spiritual is the vital point of Festugière’s work. His name is among the most popular among the liturgists of our time, and it is not to be denied that some of his questions probably had to be asked in some way.
Let us reflect on the observations made by the scholar Renata Salvarani who speaking about Baptism, observes that “between the ninth and tenth centuries, the baptismal liturgies underwent some transformations, even significant ones, which can be found both in the normative provisions and in the ecclesiastical practice.”
In the liturgy, on the other hand, the symbols, rites and precepts are precisely established by the Church as they become the intermediary of great mysteries and effectively transmit the grace that saves us. Just as the liturgical proclamation of the Word of God is closely linked to Sacred Scripture and does not admit any deviation from what the inspired Word is, so in sacred rites and prayers there must be fidelity to the symbols and texts established by the Church. Without this observance, the liturgy undergoes falsifications, reductions, omissions or additions that do not conform to faith and prayer which are proper to the Church.
In my church everything is now electrified, both the perennial lamp near the tabernacle and the votive candles in front of the Madonna. Those of the altar still remain, lit with a lighter, always kept there on the table. Some of us would like to change things, but others prefer it this way and see no difficulty in continuing like this …
For decades in the post-conciliar period, people were saying that one should no longer do catechism, but experience the encounter with the Lord. The teaching of doctrine in this way was abandoned and replaced with communication of ‘our experiences’ and the ‘testimony’ of ‘credible’ people. Even in celebrations the testimonies and the homily-ray had great consideration. What do you say about this?
The liturgical reform was made for pastoral reasons: to bring the people closer to the liturgy and to make it understood by the ordinary people who frequent it. Isn’t a return to the precise observance of the rubrics and the literal pronunciation of prayers out of place, when a looser dynamic helps to capture the attention of the faithful, especially children?
when the sacred places are enveloped in silence, the sacred ministers dressed in their noble liturgical garments, the rites performed with inner and outer gravity, the prayers elevated with solemn majesty, the songs and music inspired by the truth and holiness of dogma; when everything will be made docile to the law established by God and in conformity with the tradition received from the Fathers as a substantial part of the depositum fidei; then the Christian people will be respected in their rights as a priestly people and will be led by faithful shepherds to go up from visible things to the contemplation of the eternal ones.
In the performance of the liturgy, of liturgical ceremonies, in the past much importance was given to the role of ritual repetition, so that certain reiterated gestures or texts became familiar to the participants in the sacred rite. All this was fixed in the rubrics that constituted a guarantee for those who, in different capacities, participated in the sacred action.