Heart of the Mass

 

 

The Heart of the Mass:

A Sacramental and Linguistic Approach

Professor Christopher Carstens

Pontifex University

(1 credit)

 

Fundamentals of liturgical theology are explained, such as the work of the Trinity, Paschal Mystery, active participation by the Church and her members, sacraments, mystagogical catechesis. Ritual elements of the Mass, especially words, are then examined in light of these fundamentals.

 

Jesus Christ and his saving Paschal Mystery are the content of every liturgical celebration. These are made present through the medium of sacramental signs and symbols: “What was visible in our Savior,” says St. Leo the Great, “has passed over into his sacraments.” One of the liturgy’s most privileged sacramental signs is language. The words of the praying Church are bearers of the “Word of the Father.” To hear the Church pray the Gloria (for example) is to hear the Word. To see the priest at the chair is to see Christ, the Head of his Church. But to hear and see in this way require a “mystagogical” vision, where our natural senses are led to encounter the liturgical Christ in sacramental signs. Thus, a paradigm for a mystagogical catechesis will be developed and then applied to the Mass’s most important signs, symbols, and words.

 

Required Resources:

• Christopher Carstens and Douglas Martis. Mystical Body, Mystical Voice: Encountering Christ in the Words of the Mass. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2011.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church

System Requirements:

This course is offered asynchronously on our LMS, NEO.  To access the course and complete it successfully, you will need an internet capable device with sound and a current internet browser: either the current or the previous release of Chrome, Firefox and Safari, or Internet Explorer 11+ (for Windows 8 and previous versions), and Microsoft Edge (for Windows 10+) to run the LMS.  In addition, courses require the use of, a PDF viewer, word-processing software compatible with Microsoft Office suite and a current email address. For help with the NEO platform see the Help Center in the LMS, found by clicking on the “?” in the upper right hand corner after you have logged in.  For log in questions, registration questions, or problems with missing content or content malfunctions, contact the teaching assistant, Elizabeth Froula at [email protected].

 

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

• Discuss how the participation of the baptized in the liturgy relates them to the Paschal Mystery.
• Explain how the sacraments are a part of the “The Economy of Salvation”
• Discuss the meaning of the words and actions that make up the celebration of the Mass.

 

Lesson Objectives:

1. Introduction—Getting to Work

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Recognize the various valid understandings of liturgy.
• Discuss the Catechism’s definition of liturgy as work.

2. Work of God

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Define “economy of salvation.”
• Relate how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work in the economy of salvation and in the “sacramental economy,” or liturgy.
• Explain clearly the Paschal Mystery of Jesus.

3. People of God

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify who the People of God are.
• Distinguish between the common priesthood of the baptized and the ministerial priesthood of the ordained.
• List the two principal arenas of the laity’s participation in Christ’s priestly work.

4. Participation

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Recognize the origin of the term “active participation” in the Magisterium.
• List the ways in which the laity actively participate in the Mass.
• Discuss the challenges to active participation today.

5. Sacrament

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Repeat from memory the Catechism’s definition of “sacrament.”
• Define the theological elements that make up the sacraments – efficacious sign, minister & intention, matter & form, grace, sacramental character, working of the Holy Spirit.

6. Symbols and Sacramentals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Discuss sacraments “in the broad sense of the term.”
• Distinguish the nature of sacramentals as compared to the sacraments.
• Explain the place of symbols in the liturgy.

7. Mystagogy

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Explain the meaning of mystagogy and its relationship to sacramentality.
• Identify the sources of mystagogical meaning.
• Define the meaning of a mystagogical viewpoint.

8. Mid-Term Exam

9. A Logical Look at the Liturgy

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Discuss the place of the Word in the Trinity
• Explain how the Word has “resounded” throughout salvation history.
• Express the sacramental significance of the word in liturgical celebrations.

10. Linguistic Mystagogy

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Explain the meaning of mystagogy and its relationship to sacramental language.
• Identify the sources of mystagogical listening.
• Interpret mystagogically the words of the liturgy.

11. Introductory Rites

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Define the meaning of the words and actions that make up the Introductory Rites of the Mass.

12. Liturgy of the Word

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Define the meaning of the words and actions that make up the Liturgy of the Word.

13. Liturgy of the Eucharist

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Define the meaning of the words and actions that make up the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

14. Communion and Concluding Rites

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Define the meaning of the words and actions that make up the Concluding Rites.

15. Course Conclusion and Review

Examinations: There are two exams for the course. The first exam, a midterm, follows Session 7. The second exam is a comprehensive final. The format for both exams is short answer, and students will be allowed 90 minutes to complete each exam. Both exams may use open notes.

 

Grading: The student’s course grade is based on the Midterm score (50%) and Final score (50%).

 

Proprietary Interest Policy:

Faculty are permitted to refer to notable past work and achievements (including publications and educational activities not offered by Pontifex University, and even those offered for personal profit) in their published biography on the Pontifex website and course promotions. In the context of educational activities undertaken for Pontifex University, including videos, live or recorded, teachers, can recommend or bring to the attention such work for students (even if for personal profit, for example, books or podcasts) but only with approval by Pontifex University and when it is related to the teaching purpose of the class.  An instructor’s related work will be noted in the syllabus as appropriate.  Instructors may use their own materials as required in their courses and learning events as long as the materials are appropriate for the particular learning event.

 

Failure to comply with this policy will result in a warning or administration modification of course materials. Violations of this policy should be reported to the Provost.