/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

>>641686

Liturgy, in the western sense, means rite. Therefore, liturgy is dictated by liturgical (i.e. official worship) books. There are many of them but what is for the people are missal (about mass) and breviary. Breviary is book of Divine office, Litrugy of Hours. It's better to pray them toghether with other belivers but you can do it alone. Those are official liturgies of Latin church.

But there are also devotions, some of them public, that may not be liturgies per se but are as close to liturgy as sacramentals are to sacraments. For exemple, today May Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary should start. Their content is mainly celebration of the Virgin as Queen of Heaven and Earth by singing of Loreto Litany and Sub tuum praesidium. CHeck out if your church do that in the evening

>>641702

>>641702

So the only official Liturgy of the Latin Church are Mass and Divine Office?

What's the difference between sacramentals and sacraments? What devotions are the most common?

>>641763

Sacramentals are pious practices like scapulars, medals, blessings, etc. Sacraments are the things instituted by Christ in order to confer to us God's grace (e.g. Eucharist, Reconciliation, Extreme Unction, etc.).

As for devotions, the most common ones would probably be the rosary, liturgy of the hours (especially among the religious), brown scapular, little office of the BVM and Eucharistic Adoration on the first friday and/or saturday of the month.

>>641792

>liturgy of the hours

Is this a devotion or Liturgy? In the first post it was Liturgy mentioned alongside Mass but now it's Devotion.

Sorry to be a hassle. >>641686

>>641792

Also what is the difference between a Sacramental and a Devotion? Or is one a subcategory of the other?

>>641799

Think of liturgy as public worship. The Liturgy of the Hours and Mass are both forms of public worship, but the latter was instituted by Christ and is therefore a sacrament. Praying the hours is not required unless you're a monk or priest, but it's a popular devotion nonetheless.

>>641800

Sacramentals are things that have a special blessing attached to them, like scapulars and medals. They usual have to be blessed by priests and, in the case of the scapulars, usually requires an initiation before receiving it (usually a small prayer). Devotions are practices, like praying the rosary, and are simply acts of devotion towards God.

>>641804

Thank you so much. It's much clearer now.

Public worship - Mass and Liturgy of the Hours

Sacramental - things specially blessed by the Clergy

Devotions - pious practices (Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration etc.)

>>641810

I should have mentioned that praying the hours and saying Mass can also be done alone privately (the latter by a priest only, obviously).

>>641811

I see.

I suppose I'll break it down like this then:

Sacraments (Mass and the other 6)

Sacramentals - outward things blessed

Devotions - private or public practices that develop piety

I would consider "private devotions" celebrated publicly in the church as litirgical acts, so things like stations of the cross or even recitation of the rosary. I also suspect benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament falls under the category of liturgy by any definition.

>>641813

>I also suspect benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament falls under the category of liturgy by any definition.

Why wouldn't that be a Sacramental?

>>641763

>So the only official Liturgy of the Latin Church are Mass and Divine Office?

I would say that THE liturgy of the Latin Church is Mass just like THE liturgy of Byzantine Church is Divine Liturgy.

Liturgy of Hours is A liturgy of Latin Church. But you understood me not quite well. There are more liturgies in Latin Church. For exemple, rites of sacraments are liturgical, funerary rites are liturgy, consecration of altars, the order of ordaining Deacons, Priests and Bishops and consecrating the oils for use in the church are liturgies.

But since a) they are done by clergy b) for 99% of the time are incorporated into mass I didn't feel the need to mention them.

>What's the difference between sacramentals and sacraments?

Sacraments are:"perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible to our human nature. By the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit they make present efficaciously the grace that they signify."

Sacramentals are: "sacred signs which… signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy."

> What devotions are the most common?

Rosary, first and foremost. I would also say Stations of the Cross, Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Angelus Domini are among more popular ones. There are many, many of them and I can bet that every soul on earth would find one that would suit them.

>>641804

>>641799

Liturgy of Hours is a liturgy for Breviary is Liturgical book. It may not be required but it's still "work for the people", opus Dei and it's one of the pillars of Church's liturgical life.

>>641813

>I would consider "private devotions" celebrated publicly in the church as litirgical acts, so things like stations of the cross or even recitation of the rosary.

Liturgical means among other things canonical. It have to be codified and published as official rite of the church. Benediction is liturgical, it have it's rites. But there is no "Rite of Stations of the Cross". Why should it be even? Devotions are as name suggest are made to consecrate ourselves while liturgies are made for ourselves with thier center and sum in THE Liturgy, Eucharist.