SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT1_Liturgy and Worship

Instructions:

a) Please read the instructions carefully and follow them.

b) Choose only 4 questions and answer them, however, you are required to answer Questions 1, 3
and 4.

c) Answer each question exhaustively and give concrete examples to clearly explain your claims.

d) Submit this assessment on time.

e) Please don’t hesitate to ask questions if you need some clarifications.

1. The Church has implemented several liturgical changes as inspired by Vatican II Council.
Give your own assessment whether the Church has been successful in her attempt for such
changes. Cite examples of changes which you think are fully implemented or partially
implemented and changes which you think should be given more attention to. (25pts)

The Vatican Council II calls for an update due to the world-shift that concerns matters about
faith and morality. This led us to the concept of “Aggiornamento” or bringing up to date. Through
this council, the Church was able to renew her relationship with God. Many changes have been
brought up that made Christians to return back. The Church has been opened to a widespread
world. It caused immediate revitalization of the Church’s commitment.

I guess one of the examples of change that was fully implemented is the spirit of inclusivity.
Many faithful people have felt the sincere extension of her (Church) hands. The Church became a
listener rather than being an imposer. Laities have been given more roles in the liturgy. Second,
liturgies have been infused with a heart. This might sound a metaphor but it enabled every believer
to feel the presence of God during rituals/ religious practices. Since we already take part in the
service, many faithful now understand and experience the grandeur of God’s love. And lastly, what
I love the most is that the Church became mediator to our brothers and sisters who have diversity
in faith and morals (Ecumenism). These brought us to the reformation of a well-founded Church.
However, as time goes by, the world continuously evolving into additional updates considering
the advances of technology and other stuffs. There are matters that the Church should consider,
for example, the use of gadgets to replace liturgical books resulted into a debatable issue. In this
 generation where there is a rampant conformity of the society to technological devices, the Church
is questioned whether these alternatives shall be allowed, taking place that the sanctity of the
sacramental celebration might suffer just for the sake of people’s convenience. This I think should
be given with more attention especially that we now live in a paradigm where people are stock at
home. Many Christians are now geared by online connection. Masses during the peak of Covid19
pandemic caused a decrease in the number of church-goers. And now that we slowly returning to
the new normal, it also changed the mind setting of a catholic faithful saying that attending to mass
can be done online. This is an alarming perspective for me because the physical representation of
ourselves during the celebration cannot be replaced by a virtual reality especially if the intention
and circumstances are not totally valid.

2. Liturgy and worship are interrelated. Cite some of their similarities, if there are, and
differences. (25pts)

Liturgy is nothing without worship while worship is empty without liturgy. They go hand
in hand. Liturgy is the platform that serves as the avenue to execute worship. It enables a faithful
to actualize the kind of response towards God. Worship, on the other hand, is the summit of liturgy.
It is the process whereby we express ourselves in communion with the Lord through acts of prayer
in the forms of service, thanksgiving, repentance and supplication. Through liturgy and worship,
people are gathered as one Church to signify the intention of oneness with Him. Both of them lead
us to God. They are promoters of faith to live as true followers of His examples. However, liturgy
and worship differ in terms of their composition/nature. Liturgy is the matter while worship is the
form. Liturgy is the materiality that supports the objectivity of the worship. Just like in Philosophy,
a marble is the matter and out of this object a sculptured image can be drawn out as the form. In
other words, they are both co-existents.
3. The document Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) has laid
down the principles for the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy. Give two
principles which you think are very important that can be easily followed. Explain why you
think these are very important. (25pts)

For me, the first principle that is very important is to reinvigorate the Catholics. Since we as
Christians are partakers of Christ’s mission, it is deeply necessary to awake our relationship with
God through liturgy and worship because these two serve as the setting stone in embracing our
belongingness to the Church. Our response should be active amidst the call to evangelization and
this requires us to participate in creating miracles in the lives of other people. Unfortunately, there
had been a greater number of people who have lost their path in following Christ. This is because
the Church lapsed from the needs of the world. It may sound undesirably fact to know that Church
is being asked to adjust with the recommendations of the physical realm. But the truth is everything
must change to go with the flow. The other principle is that we must modernize the Church. The
Church needs a new face, same being, but a new appearance that will attract people to retreat. This
is a very important aspect of Sacrosanctum Concillium since this it plays an important role in
renewing our relationship with God. This is being practiced by observing and acknowledging the
diversity of faithful in terms of ways of worshipping depending on the ethnicity, culture, language
and many more. Adaptability on situations is the key to this principle that is why the Church is
alive because it never stops in updating just like the biblical metaphor of old wineskins to new
wineskins.

4. Change in life is essential. As a Christian, what aspects of your faith-life do you want to
change for the better and cite some measures on how to do them. Explain thoroughly your
answers. (25pts)

My faith-life is like a roller coaster. I am mirror of a pharisaic face. I teach religion but there
are instances that my faith-life is empty, as if I am searching for something I could use to fill-in
what is lacking. I even questioned God’s existence during my Philosophy years. I confessed the
feeling of doubting His presence yet sometimes it still haunts me. As much as I want to refrain
from this inclination, I barely do my part to truly free myself from this bond of being lost and
alone. I really want to change it and I know I could start anytime I want.
 As we are being introduced to a modernized world, we cannot avoid the possibility of asking
if everything we do is worth fighting for. Is following God with a single mistake can still bring me
closer to Him in the final days? Serving God most of my life: Am I still loved in case I betrayed
Him on my last breath? Indeed, questions about God, life and death have concerned my faith-life.
Yet despite uncertainties, I continuously depend, trust and believe in His ways because He never
abandoned me since then

In my life, every day is a religious experience. God shows Himself in the presence of other
people. He sends instruments to manifest His love to me. Through them I could feel that I am with
God, and that God is in me. I guess for me it is always a challenge to check myself if I am still in
the path towards Him because I know there will always be opportunities for the evil ones to deceive
me in my choices in life. Luckily, thanks to my wife who shares with me in prayer. We use to pray
rosary and attend mass together as a sign of our commitment to always look back on the mercy
and compassion of God. I use to serve as our school’s musician during masses, and all of these are
portrayals on how I can bring back my honor and glory to God. Yes, He has been good to me.
Thus, me and my wife express our gratitude to His name through words and deeds. I am grateful
since both of us came from a unique kind of human formation. We underwent to a process that
molded us to become a better version of ourselves who are geared towards what God wants for us.

As an educator, our innate vocation is to create a difference in the lives of our students. And
so, as way to change my faith-life, I put myself in the aspect of sacrificing my time and talents
even if that will exhaust myself, as long as I move my students back to God. It may sound suicidal
but that makes me fulfilled in my existence. What I have in my mind is that God knows what my
heart desires. He knows what I can do and He knows what I can give for the glory of His name.
Amen.