All liturgy – that includes Mass, the Sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours, adoration – points us to the mysteries of Jesus Christ and helps us take part in those mysteries which redeem and sanctify us. To do this, the liturgy has seasons which point us to different aspects of these mysteries. At this point in the letter (around paragraph 154) Pope Pius XII starts to highlight these seasons briefly.
Advent is the start of the Liturgical year and, according Pius XII, strives to make us aware of our sins. This is not for the sake of shame, but to foster a desire to turn from sin through penance, prayer, and an increased desire for God who can free us from that sin. Christmas leads us back to the truth that we must be born again with Christ who was born into our world in order to raise us up to the eternal one. The Epiphany fosters in us the desire to seek the things of God just as the Magi sought Christ. We used to have a season called “Septuagesima,” which was like a pre-Lent. We no longer have that, but when we did it was like Lent in that it pointed us to the need for repentance. Lent’s more severe penance drives us to seek more heartily after God’s mercy. Holy Week points us to the sufferings of Christ and the very heart of our redemption by calling us to carry our cross as we accompany Christ to Calvary. The Paschal Season (Easter) lifts our hearts and minds in the joy of Christ’s triumph over death and calls us to aspire to heavenly things with great fervor. Finally, there is Pentecost, which points us to the importance of being docile (receptive and obedient) to the Holy Spirit so that we can grow in virtue and holiness. There was no such thing as Ordinary Time at this point history, so Pius XII doesn’t offer us any reflection on that. I would point to the concept of perseverance and the value of daily, consistent growth. “Ordinary” in this context doesn’t mean “plain,” but instead means “ordered” or “structured.”
Part of the reason for offering this reflection is that some writers had begun to say we should not pay attention to the “Historical Christ.” They wanted to seem more “mystical” and thought that ignoring the historical aspects would let people do that. This is a major error and the Church has always emphasized the importance of the Incarnation and the real, historical events of Christ’s life as the center-piece to genuine devotion. So, the Pope does his job of protecting the truth by calling out this error and pointing to what we being lost in that error. The reality is that, by the power of God, the liturgy doesn’t just remember these events, it actually makes them present in some way. Entering into their celebration is not like remembering an anniversary, it is a mystical contact with the unique gifts and graces that each event offers us. There really are graces you can only get at Christmas and graces that you can only get during Lent. So, observing each feast and season in it’s proper order is good for us just like eating a diverse diet is necessary to get the full range of nutrition.
Having covered the seasons, Pius turns to the saints. By commemorating various saints throughout the year, the liturgy both offers us their example as motivation and celebrates the triumph of our brothers and sisters in Christ. It also allows us to ask their help in prayer. Chief among these is, of course, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. We celebrate her more than any other saint and ask her intercession more because “her life is most closely linked with the mysteries of Jesus Christ, and there is no one who has followed in the footsteps of the Incarnate Word more closely and with more merit than she: and no one has more grace and power over the most Sacred Heart of the Son of God and through Him with the Heavenly Father.” Mary didn’t just imitate the mysteries of Christ by being holy, she directly participated in them.
As we draw close to the end of this letter, Pope Pius XII starts to offer some practical applications of what he’s taught. The first one he offers is to recommend that all people of the Church make use of devotions and religious practices that are not liturgical, but support the effectiveness of the liturgy. He lists “meditation on spiritual things, diligent examination of conscience, enclosed retreats, visits to the blessed sacrament, and those special prayers in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary among which the rosary, as all know, has pride of place.” He tells pastors, bishops and priests alike, to encourage these devotions among the faithful. He then goes on to say “do not allow… that churches be closed… where the adoration of the sacrament and visits to our Lord in the tabernacles are neglected.” I must confess that I’ve never liked having to keep the Church closed for reasons of safety, though I do remind you that our chapel is accessible at any time with a code and that you can get that code by calling or visiting the office. Please continue to visit Our Lord and foster devotion to his presence!