"Have we been stuck all too long, nestled inside a conventional, external and formal religiosity that no longer warms our hearts and changes our lives?," Francis said.
"Do our words and our liturgies ignite in people's hearts a desire to move towards God, or are they a 'dead language' that speaks only of itself and to itself?"
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I knew this would strike a nerve, but maybe something can come out of this. If anything, just hear me out on what I think the Pope is alluding to when he says the Faith was not "a suit of armour that encases us; instead, it is a fascinating journey, a constant and restless movement, ever in search of God."
I was going to take excerpts from
Lumen Gentium, which is a central document from Vatican II, the Universal Call to Holiness, but I think this particular part should be read in its entirety:
33. The laity are gathered together in the People of God and make up the Body of Christ under one head. Whoever they are they are called upon, as living members, to expend all their energy for the growth of the Church and its continuous sanctification, since this very energy is a gift of the Creator and a blessing of the Redeemer.The lay apostolate, however, is a participation in the salvific mission of the Church itself. Through their baptism and confirmation all are commissioned to that apostolate by the Lord Himself. Moreover, by the sacraments, especially holy Eucharist, that charity toward God and man which is the soul of the apostolate is communicated and nourished. Now the laity are called in a special way to make the Church present and operative in those places and circumstances where only through them can it become the salt of the earth (2*). Thus every layman, in virtue of the very gifts bestowed upon him, is at the same time a witness and a living instrument of the mission of the Church itself "according to the measure of Christ's bestowal".(197)Besides this apostolate which certainly pertains to all Christians, the laity can also be called in various ways to a more direct form of cooperation in the apostolate of the Hierarchy (3*). This was the way certain men and women assisted Paul the Apostle in the Gospel, laboring much in the Lord.(198) Further, they have the capacity to assume from the Hierarchy certain ecclesiastical functions, which are to be performed for a spiritual purpose.Upon all the laity, therefore, rests the noble duty of working to extend the divine plan of salvation to all men of each epoch and in every land. Consequently, may every opportunity be given them so that, according to their abilities and the needs of the times, they may zealously participate in the saving work of the Church.ETA:
For me it boils down to the ability for me as a lay person to participate in the Liturgy (Vatican II) in a way that is reflected in this call to holiness. This participation will be the same around the world, but expressed in ways reflective of the people that make up that church. For us here in Central Texas and my home in South Texas - you get some mariachi music from time to time. I have attended a mass in Vietnamese and enjoyed their music and dance. Clearly, the parish in Chicago is home to some great African-American Catholics who have wonderful musical talent that they give back to our Lord!