CHAPTER ONE
THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN THE AGE OF THE
CHURCH
Article 1
THE LITURGY - WORK OF THE HOLY TRINITY
I. The Father-Source and Goal of the Liturgy
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"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he
chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
blameless before him. He destined us before him in love to be his sons through
Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his
glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."3
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Blessing is a divine and life-giving action, the source of which is the Father;
his blessing is both word and gift.4 When applied to man, the word
"blessing" means adoration and surrender to his Creator in
thanksgiving.
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From the beginning until the end of time the whole of God's work is a blessing.
From the liturgical poem of the first creation to the canticles of the heavenly
Jerusalem, the inspired authors proclaim the plan of salvation as one vast
divine blessing.
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From the very beginning God blessed all living beings, especially man and
woman. the covenant with Noah and with all living things renewed this blessing
of fruitfulness despite man's sin which had brought a curse on the ground. But
with Abraham, the divine blessing entered into human history which was moving
toward death, to redirect it toward life, toward its source. By the faith of
"the father of all believers," who embraced the blessing, the history
of salvation is inaugurated.
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The divine blessings were made manifest in astonishing and saving events: the
birth of Isaac, the escape from Egypt (Passover and Exodus), the gift of the
promised land, the election of David, the presence of God in the Temple, the
purifying exile, and return of a "small remnant." the Law, the
Prophets, and the Psalms, interwoven in the liturgy of the Chosen People,
recall these divine blessings and at the same time respond to them with
blessings of praise and thanksgiving.
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In the Church's liturgy the divine blessing is fully revealed and communicated.
the Father is acknowledged and adored as the source and the end of all the
blessings of creation and salvation. In his Word who became incarnate, died,
and rose for us, he fills us with his blessings. Through his Word, he pours
into our hearts the Gift that contains all gifts, the Holy Spirit.
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The dual dimension of the Christian liturgy as a response of faith and love to
the spiritual blessings the Father bestows on us is thus evident. On the one
hand, the Church, united with her Lord and "in the Holy Spirit,"5
blesses the Father "for his inexpressible gift6 in her adoration,
praise, and thanksgiving. On the other hand, until the consummation of God's
plan, the Church never ceases to present to the Father the offering of his own
gifts and to beg him to send the Holy Spirit upon that offering, upon herself,
upon the faithful, and upon the whole world, so that through communion in the
death and resurrection of Christ the Priest, and by the power of the Spirit,
these divine blessings will bring forth the fruits of life "to the praise
of his glorious grace."7
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