234. Who celebrates the heavenly liturgy?
(Comp
234) The heavenly liturgy is celebrated by the angels, by the saints of the Old
and New Testament, particularly the Mother of God, by the Apostles, by the
martyrs, and by the “great multitude which no one could number from every nation,
race, people, and tongue.” (Revelation 7:9). When we celebrate the mystery of
our salvation in the sacraments we participate in this eternal liturgy.
“In brief”
(CCC 1188) In a liturgical
celebration, the whole assembly is leitourgos,
each member according to his own function. The baptismal priesthood is that of
the whole Body of Christ. But some of the faithful are ordained through the
sacrament of Holy Orders to represent Christ as head of the Body.
To deepen and explain
(CCC 1138) "Recapitulated in Christ," these are
the ones who take part in the service of the praise of God and the fulfillment
of his plan: the heavenly powers, all creation (the four living beings), the
servants of the Old and New Covenants (the twenty-four elders), the new People
of God (the one hundred and forty-four thousand) (Cf.
Rev 4-5; 7:1-8; 14:1; Isa 6:2-3), especially the martyrs "slain for
the word of God," and the all-holy Mother of God (the Woman), the Bride of
the Lamb (Rev 6:9-11; Rev 21:9; cf. 12), and
finally "a great multitude which no one could number, from every nation,
from all tribes, and peoples and tongues" (Rev 7:9). (CCC 1139) It is in
this eternal liturgy that the Spirit and the Church enable us to participate
whenever we celebrate the mystery of salvation in the sacraments.
On reflection
(CCC 1370) To the offering of Christ are united not only the
members still here on earth, but also those already in the glory of heaven. In communion with and commemorating the
Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, the Church offers the Eucharistic
sacrifice. In the Eucharist the Church is as it were at the foot of the cross
with Mary, united with the offering and intercession of Christ. (CCC 335) In
her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She
invokes their assistance in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli… ["May the angels lead you
into Paradise…"]). Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the
Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly
(St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels).
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