Liturgy and Discipleship

The liturgy of the Church is an encounter with our loving God. It transforms those who worship, forms disciples in the teachings of Jesus, and sends them forth to serve God with love, charity, and justice. This pastoral resource provides trust-worthy and practical ideas for preparing the liturgy by integrating the needs of the world in an appropriate way. The ideas adhere to liturgical norms and Catholic Social Teaching and explore the many options provided in the ritual texts.

This includes:

• Easy-to-use material organized by the seven key themes of Catholic social teaching
• Explanations of each theme and its important connection to liturgy
• Quotes from church documents related to each theme
• Charts noting readings from the Sunday lectionary which correspond to each theme
• Preaching points for appropriately integrating each theme into the homily - Music suggestions
• Ideas for prayer texts, masses for various needs, blessings, and other prayer options
• Original texts that may be used at Mass and other liturgies
• Recommendations for when each theme should be highlighted at liturgy - Practical ways for Catholic parishes to put the teachings into action
• Scripture passages for adult faith formation reflection
• Index of patron saints related to social needs