only a shadow lurking in the background. Now that I am a seminarian my prayer life has changed a bit for the better. I am praying what I have never prayed before and doing it three times a day. It is the prayer of the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours. The Liturgy of the hours is the prayer of the Church. It is composed of Psalms, Biblical and non-biblical readings, intercessions, and prayers. All these things unite God’s people and strengthen the Church. We can see in the Acts of the Apostles
structured on page 404 of A New Zealand Prayer Book. The aim of this report is to evaluate this service and my experiences within it, principally through examination of the liturgical space, use of music, hospitality, nature of the worship leading and liturgy, the presentation of biblical texts and sermon, and finally my own feelings as to how the worship experience went. Liturgical Space The space in which Christian Worship occurs, from here called liturgical space, is a place of great power in
Oxford Scholarship Online, “the term ‘liturgy’ traces the revival of religious drama after its initial suppression by Christianity, not only in medieval mystery plays but also in now largely forgotten Reformation and Counter-Reformation dramas. It then turns to baroque poetry and explores how disputes about ritual often reflected a wider cultural change that is indebted to notions of theatre.” Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is an excellent example of a liturgy drama because Hamlet does not commit
“…the Prayer Book is not only a manual of public devotions, it contains the fullest statement of the teaching of the Church”. This understanding of the prayer book as the dominant treatise of Anglican belief is central to this essays argument that the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (1979), and particularly its rite of Baptism, has fundamentally shifted Anglican thinking and liturgical practice in relation to Eucharist and ministry. We will explore this argument by first clarifying what is said
On Sunday March 12th and 19th, my husband and I attended Holy Trinity St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (HTSN) in Finneytown, Ohio. The church conducts Orthros (Matins) at 8:15 am and Divine Liturgy from 9:30-11:30 am. I chose to attend HTSN for two reasons; first, they host the annual Panegyri Festival and two, learning about the 1054 split intrigued me given the current state of the Methodist Church. On March 7th, I spoke with Father Mark Emroll, explained the course assignment and requested
to the success of the liturgy. While the analysis of the physical space within the liturgy uncovers its' importance in relation to the communicated message of God, an analysis of the members who fill that space could attest to the significance that each member has throughout the liturgical event. Aspects of the liturgy
Observation of a Sunday Liturgy On Sunday, November 9 at 10:00am, I went to a Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy at Canadian Martyrs Catholic Church on Main Street. This is the parish that I go to on a weekly basis and at this mass I usually sing in the choir. This particular liturgy was different because there were two baptisms and it was the feast day of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. The majority of the parishioners in this parish are older. There is a mix of elderly people as well as young
As a Roman Catholic belonging to the Latin Rite, I should say that before this project I was unfamiliar with the Eastern Rite Church Liturgy, nor had I ever heard about a Melkite Greek Catholic Church following the Rite of St. John Chrysostom. However, little did I knew that Catholics are welcome to attend to their services and participate fully in the holy communion and thus fulfill their obligation to attend Mass as they are accustomed in any Catholic Church. Knowing this, I found it interesting
The purpose of this paper is to share with you, the reader, where I was with my faith relationship through the Psalms and their role in my prayer life. How, through education in the background, exegesis and relevance of the Psalms coupled with a functional practice of praying them regularly, I have cultivated my faith and strengthened my gratitude for them. Lastly, I wish to offer some advice to others who have not found value in the Psalms (where I once was). These insights are offered in the hope
Living Ecclesial Liturgy Really Trinitarian Living Ecclesial liturgy is not just a celebration, but it embraces the call of sharing with trinitarian life and mission in the real world. Living Christian faith is the matter of faith-in-action: “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17, NAB). Joyce Ann Zimmerman simply indicates, “living liturgy really has two meanings; one, a spirituality that prepares us for a fruitful celebration of liturgy and, second, living in a specifically
I grew up interacting with a handful of Catholic friends, so I have a decent grasp of general Catholic theology. However, I do not have very much experience with the Catholic liturgy itself. Last semester, I was in a class called Spiritual Formations in which we took a field trip where we spent the entire day with the nuns at the Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, South Dakota. Consequently, I had a tangible reference point off of which to base comparisons. I felt more comfortable at this cathedral
St. Albans Psalter Psalm 68 is not long, but it does have lots of detailed material to study the author’s choice of language, and the power of the images that are being conveyed to the readers through an emotional and sentimental way. The simplicity of this psalm’s gives it power, since it expresses an emotional despair in a careful shaped prayer, which comes from a human being in what seems to be a life-threatening situation. In the image and the content, the psalmist’s travels an arc of desperation
pray and echoing the words of St. Paul, we are called to “pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).” The liturgy of the hours is precisely the Church’s response to this call for all Christians to pray without ceasing. Most Catholics would even be surprised at the fact that as a Universal Church are consistently praying without ceasing throughout the world each day through the Liturgy of the Hours. In the following essay I would like to present a brief history along with some changes that were
The book of Psalms is one of the most useful books all throughout the Biblical text. It is not just a book of stories or law but personal praises, laments, and the deepest cries of the soul to the one true King: Yahweh. The Psalter is “the most reliable theological, pastoral, and liturgical resource given us in the biblical tradition” (pp. 1). These psalms pave a path for practical faith in the world today. Author, theologian, and teacher, Walter Brueggemann, goes into depth on the psalms of orientation
For my observation trip, I decided to visit St. Ignatius Church in Oregon, Ohio. I visited a mass at 11:30 on Sunday November 19. I decided to visit a catholic church because my family has no religious background whatsoever, and I decided that I could go with one of my good friends that way if I need to ask questions, she was there to answer them for me. As I was attending mass, I noticed, it was very organized. There was a lot of sitting and standing, where I found myself struggling to understand
Popular Piety has seen a transformation in the way that is appreciated now by the Church. Moreover, Liturgy has also been transformed due to the many influences and dramatic context that occurred between the European society and the Church, such as the Reformation, Counter-Reformation, the French Revolution and more. After the Reformation and the Council of Trent, the interest was placed on the purification of worship and devotional life from superstition and error, which resulted with the new arrangement
As a Christian, there are many different rituals that many different denominations of Christianity follow. One common ritual among most denominations of Christianity is partaking in communion together as a church on Sundays. This ritual holds a special place in my heart. It is important to me because every time I take communion I am reminded of who put me here. I am also reminded of what Jesus did to save me for my sins and why I am here on this Earth. Communion begins with the presentation of the
The Jesus I Never Knew by Phillip Yancey Yancey starts out with the image of Jesus. When he was young he had envisioned Jesus to have angelic features such as, young, handsome, and a compassionate face. It wasn’t until he entered into a Christian college, that he was introduced to the real image of Jesus. I had an immediate connection with Yancey. I too had an image of Christ in my head, which consisted of Hollywood portrayals and those in classical paintings. It wasn’t till I engaged myself at
I am a very consistent person. I don’t like trying new things or going places where I don’t feel comfortable. To be honest reading the directions for this activity really scared me, because I knew I would experience some anxiety and wouldn’t feel comfortable going somewhere alone. Ever since I was born I have been taken to church and was forced to be involved in church activities. I am very familiar with Baptist churches and attending church services that last about two hours and filled with majorly
The term liturgy has its basis in Greek mythology. It can be defined as a form of worship that is that is done according to particular beliefs and practices that are held by a certain group of people. The beliefs and the rituals are usually practiced by the whole group. It may be understood as a ritual that is usually elaborate. Ritual on the other hand refers to a number of activities that are performed in a sequential manner and which more often are prescribed by specific communities. Liturgy