With Volume 6 of the Council Notebooks, Jesuit Arturo Elberti opens the doors to Sacrosancutm Concilium, the constitution on the liturgy.
The Author addresses all those, especially young people, who wish to participate ever more consciously and fruitfully in the lived liturgy of the Church.
Passing the Torch
When, on January 25, 1959, John XXIII announced the convocation of a new council, he took an unexpected step, calling the entire Church to a solemn moment that was deeply traditional and, at the same time, clearly innovative.
But upon his death - June 3, 1963 - alongside the grief, there was a deep sense of uncertainty about whether the Council could continue.
What would the new Pope do?
On June 21, 1963, the election of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini fills hearts with hope. In his first message to the world, the day after his election, he announced: «The most important part of our pontificate will be devoted to continuing the Council».
The Liturgical Reform and the Use of the Spoken Language
Through an intense pastoral experience in the Diocese of Milan, Paul VI had seen how fruitful a liturgy that was properly understood and participated in could be. This awareness set in motion the journey that would lead to the drafting of Sacrosanctum Concilium and the subsequent liturgical reform.
The most distinctive innovation was certainly the replacement of Latin in the Mass with the language spoken by the people.
On August 4, 1967, the Pontiff approved the decision to use the national language throughout the celebration, thus opening the way for Eucharistic celebrations in which the faithful could participate fully and understand them.
A gift and a task
What we take for granted as simple, established, and ordinary - being able to understand every part of the Mass and actively participate in prayer - was in fact a true revolution inspired by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Church.
Our grandparents can tell us what attending Mass was like and the joy they felt when, finally, they were able to pray in Italian, allowing themselves to be nourished by every single word they heard and spoke.
Exploring Sacrosanctum Concilium in greater depth makes it possible to understand the steps the Church has taken to this day and to appreciate more and more the gift that every celebration is!
