Sacraments of Christian initiation as Christ's saving act made present in the ecclesial community, according to the "Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium" of the Second Vatican Council
Abstract
On December 4, 1963, the Second Vatican Council promulgated the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, to reform the liturgy. In its pastoral concern for the renewal of the Church's spiritual life through liturgical worship, the Constitution highlights two aspects of the liturgy: the presence of Christ, and the communal character of the celebration. In the sacraments, Christ is present and continues His saving mission: to worship the Father and to sanctify the world. The intention of the Council is that the Christian people should come with the profound awareness of Christ's true presence in the sacraments. As Christ always associates the Church in His saving work, the sacramental celebration is an act of worship by all the Mystical Body of Christ. The ecclesial community is the subject of liturgical acts. The sacraments must be celebrated with conscious and active participation. Their communal nature calls for a communal participation of the faithful. This dissertation applies the above two aspects specifically to the three sacraments of Christian initiation. A historical review of the liturgical movement in the world leads to the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. An examination of the liturgical prayers and rituals shows the evidence of those two aspects in the new rites of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. 3his study comes to the conclusion that sacramental spirituality is certainly a model for Christian living. Christians are integral members of the Mystical Body. They are personally united with Christ to continue His saving work. Consequently, in sacramental spirituality, the Christian is called to live a saved and saving life.
Subject Area
Theology
Recommended Citation
Vianney, Peter Joachim, "Sacraments of Christian initiation as Christ's saving act made present in the ecclesial community, according to the "Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium" of the Second Vatican Council" (1991). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9127049.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9127049
