The priority of liturgy

Read the Catechism in a Year

Catechism in a Year: Day 154

Part Two: How We Celebrate the Christian Mysteries
- Section One: God Acts in Our Regard by Means of Sacred Signs
Question 168: Why does the liturgy have priority in the life of the Church and of the individual?

The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the font from which all her power flows” (Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum concilium 10).

During Jesus’ lifetime, multitudes of people flocked to him, because they were seeking his healing presence. Even today we can find him, for he lives in his Church. He assures us of his presence in two places: in service to the poor (Mt 25:40) and in the Eucharist. There we run directly into his arms. And when we let him get close to us, he teaches us, feeds us, transforms us, heals us, and becomes one with us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

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Question 169: What happens to us when we celebrate the liturgy?
When we celebrate the liturgy, we are drawn into the love of God, healed, and transformed.

The sole purpose of all liturgies of the Church and all her sacraments is that we might have life and have it abundantly. When we celebrate the liturgy, we encounter the One who said about himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). Someone who is forsaken and goes to Mass receives protection and consolation from God. Someone who feels lost and goes to Mass finds a God who is waiting for him.

Dig Deeper: Corresponding CCC section (1074-1076) and other references here.

Recommended Listening: The Lamb's Supper by Dr. Scott Hahn