A Catholic Statement: The Constitution On The Sacred Liturgy Part Iii

On December 4, 1964, when Pope Paul VI promulgated the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, he spoke of worship as "the first [issue] to be examined and the first, too, in a sense, by reason of its intrinsic value and its importance in the life of the church. " Chapter IV The Divine Office 83. Christ Jesus, High Priest of the new and eternal covenant, taking human nature, introduced into this earthly exile the hymn that is sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven. He joins the entire human community to himself, associating it with his own singing of this canticle of divine praise. For he continues his priestly work through the agency of his Church, which is unceasingly engaged in praising the Lord and interceding for the salvation of the whole world. The Church does this not only by celebrating the Eucharist, but also in other ways, especially by praying the divine office. 84. By tradition going back to early Christian times, the divine office is so arranged that the whol…