Blog #3

Christian worship, especially in the liturgy, is not solely focused on the individual and their needs but is heavily focused on the unified practice of the church as a whole. Guardini mentions the idea and problem of expressive individualism and how we should define liturgy as a “unified body” and not a “mere congregation”. These liturgical practices come to life in prayer and popular devotions where popular hymns may be sung with prayer and engaging in prayer and thought and the intentionality behind it. Guardini argues that liturgical emotion can be counterbalanced with thought and keeping both under control. It is reminiscent of the nature vs nurture argument in psychology where you can not have one without the other and both interact with one another. This touches on this in a similar manner where nature and civilization must interact and be in balance with one another when it comes to liturgy and the art of worship.

Guardini takes a more theological approach to the ideas of play, symbol, and festive. Gadamer perceives play as essentially intended movement, a symbol is the veiling and unveiling of an object, where it may resist conception, and festive are moments that happen on their own time and isn’t subject to the abstract, like holidays such as Christmas or Easter. Pieper argues that festivity can’t exist if man doesn’t affirm goodness and receive it as a gift from God and to praise that gift in ritual worship and have a public holding of celebration. Guardini makes a point about symbolism that is a bit more different from the other authors in that symbol to him is sensation and meaning intertwined with one another. Liturgy and playfulness come together where the individual is facing God and doesn’t worry about himself or his feelings but rather shifts his focus and understands it exists before God, manifesting their soul through their body. There is also a serious nature to playfulness where Guardini illustrates it as this orientation such as to the west then to the east and how candles and other objects may be used in liturgy to add a playful quality and the serious nature of it occurs simultaneously at the same where human salvation can occur. They are not separate, liturgy and devotion go hand in hand. This contemplative dimension of art and liturgy allows us to rest on the eternal truth and transcend to salvation.

This is represented in the liturgical contemplation of Cyril of Jerusalem where the point that is emphasized is seeing beyond what is visible and actively contemplating what is before you. The spiritual senses are mentioned such as the “sweet smell of blessedness” and how God breathes into you. There is this serious playfulness that we see once again that takes place in the liturgical action. Being able to sense salvation with all of your spiritual senses and those interact simultaneously, not separately to bring salvation to the human person shows how play comes into action. The intended movement of our senses and objects that may be around us in church or used in liturgy or mass all interact with one another in this playful manner to bring about salvation and bring us closer to God and be able to sense him. This also can manifest when it was talked about how seeing towards the rest can also be a symbol of renouncing the darkness as we see with our eyes but that also unveils/veils to show us renouncing the darkness and symbolizes escaping the grasp of Satan. For Cyril, worship is being able to give our body away to life and a higher being and surrendering ourselves fully to present ourselves to God humbly and with humility and receive the gift of life by praising through festivals and other worship rituals as they did in Jerusalem. Anointing and baptism also use elements of play such as the use of oil or water and how this playful seriousness and material/aesthetic encounter allows for the manifestation of Christ. Oil is a symbol of the olive tree but it is also through the materiality of the oil that Christ is manifested through us. This also parallels with the eucharist and how the bread represents the body of Christ and the wine represents the blood of Christ and through a special prayer and elements of festivity, they manifest themselves to become the body of Christ. You can perform an icon as well such as what we talked about and getting ready to receive the eucharist in your hands (the throne to receive Christ) and it may be an image that was re-enacted but through that action, salvation is unveiled when we are participating in these symbolic images.

Gertrude of Helfta also incorporates play, symbol, and festival through her visionary accounts. The author talks of the sacred heart and the tree and how the image of her as a tree with the roots as working through the wounds of Christ and reflecting on it incorporates the play of the blood and the tree and their movement together in this image can lead to salvation as this is a serious festivity. This image is symbolic as it is unveiling the healing of Christ and the world and our wounds as well as veiling because it is simply a tree and exists as it is, a pure conceptualization.

Guardini argues that the material world matters and this is proven by using the example of water that was mentioned. Water has a duality of being able to cleanse and purify or destroy with powerful storms or murky and deep waters. Baptism is a special example as it is a festive act where you are purified with this water and used as an element to change a person and bring them closer to Christ. It is symbolic of Christ and the playful movement of water that interacts with our body is a beautiful act that allows this ritual worship to help us seek truth and God.