Friday, April 24, 2009

Romano Guardini

On the liturgy:
The liturgy as a whole is not favorable to exuberance of feeling. Emotion glows in its depths, but it smolders merely, like the fiery heart of the volcano, whose summit stands out clear and serene against the quiet sky. The liturgy is emotion, but it is emotion under the strictest control.

1 comment:

Athos said...

Like a stately dance, that takes long practice to learn the syntax and grammar of its choreography, minute turns and trills; but when learned and performed well, can take and give the greatest and deepest of Joy.

Which is why it is annoying, to me, anyway, when those called to bring God's eucharistic grace to the faithful perform it with a slovenly disregard. As though straining at or bending the Liturgy gives them "freedom of expression" or some such heavy-booted boorishness.

When we "assist" at Mass, as a dear old monsignor once told us he appreciated from us so much, we too are part of that blessed Dance of Liturgy - not to be mistook for that boorish "liturgical dance," God forbig - when we assist, we become part and parcel with the angelic multitude in stately and ... HUGE honoring of the Lamb.

Cheers