Karianna Frey<br/>writes "Drawing Closer to Jesus through Liturgy."

**Drawing Closer to Jesus through Liturgy**

**Karianna Frey**

Day 1 of 5: Divine Liturgy: A Service on Behalf of the People

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
-Galatians 3:26-28 (NIV)

We know the power of prayer. We know that through prayer we can become better acquainted and associated with God’s face, God’s voice, and God’s essence. It is through prayer that we can come to know, learn, and serve God here on Earth, and it is through prayer that we can talk to God. Through the gift of the Liturgy, we enter into a context in which God talks to each and every one of us, here and now, and listens with joy to our response.

When I first became Catholic, it took me some time to look at the Mass or Divine Liturgy as a prayer; after all, I was raised with the thought that Catholics were nothing but idol-worshippers who didn’t really know Jesus. But after my conversion, it became clear to me that a prayer it really is!

In the rhythm of the service—we experience worship and silence, we speak to God, and God answers in turn. During this time, in communion with others, we all together are united to God through the person of Christ with all of the depth and intimacy of children with a beloved parent.

Through the Liturgy, with its calling and responding, we join our voices together with the entire Church, including the angels and saints—a full fellowship of believers in an atmosphere of prayer to and in the presence of God. The liturgy is more than just a set of pre-ordained statements; the liturgy is a way to unite all of us as Christians—a family of believers formed together through the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ.

Liturgy is not about what we do to please God. It is not about just following the priest/pastor/preacher. It is not about rote prayers. It is about what the Son of God did for us.

Dearest Lord,
Thank you for speaking to me in various ways, and may I always be open to hearing your voice, no matter how it is delivered to my heart. The world around me can so often be loud and overwhelming, and I look to my quiet time with you, in the gift of the Divine Liturgy to praise, worship, and adore You.
Amen.

Day 1 of 5: Divine Liturgy: A Service on Behalf of the People

Start reading this 5-day devotional in the app. Find it on the Featured shelf.