What is the nature of the God we worship?
Some people describe god as a superior force, a energy in the universe, superior being etc. However, this isn't the description of the God of the Bible, right from the Book of Genesis we see God creating man in his own image and likeness. What does that mean? Genesis 5:3 uses these same words to describe the relationship between Adam and his son Seth. "When Adam had lived one hundred thirty years, he became the father of a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth." To create something in your own image is to have a fatherly relationship with that person. Hence, the God of the Bible is a personal God who wants to have a relationship and communicate with us.
What kind of a relationship does God keep with his people?
As we read through the Bible we see people going away from God but he constantly tries to renew the relationship. And he does this by making COVENANTS with them. The best definition of a covenant would be ‘a sacred family bond’. It is different from a contract, as a covenant involves an invocation of God and also it binds people in a familial bond. Best example of a covenant is a marriage. Two people who are complete strangers, become family in the presence of God. Hence we understand that God wants to have a covenantal relationship with us.
How was this covenantal relationship celebrated in the Old Testament?
A friend of mine, once went to a church which had Christians of all denominations and was amazed by the singing and the preacher and kept telling me how much better it was compared to the regular mass. He felt the Catholic mass was too ritualistic eg. the clothes the priest wore, the phrases everyone repeated, the fixed structure of the liturgy etc. Why do we have all these strange rituals? The answer is pretty simple, it is because that's how God told us, he wanted to be worshiped, in the Bible.
In Exodus 24:9-11 After God brought the people out of slavery he makes a covenant with them and teaches them how he wants to be worshiped. God calls Aaron, Nadab and Abihu who were PRIEST along with the elders and Moses up on the mountain to worship him. Moses leads the worship around an ALTAR. They sacrificed alot of animals. And the SACRIFICE is important because of the BLOOD. Moses takes the blood and throws some of it on the altar which symbolizes God and some on the people thereby joining them in a blood relationship with God. Thus making a covenant between them. (This we see repeated in the New Testament by Jesus during the Last Supper after he blesses the wine and says "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many." Thus he creates a new covenant between us and God, with his own blood. Which is why at every mass when these words are repeated, we are renewing this covenant.)
After that Moses takes a HOLY BOOK and reads it and the people respond with REPETITIVE WORDS. The worship ends with a sacred MEAL and in this meal they are able to see God. What does the priest, altar, sacrifice, blood, Holy book, repetitive words and meal, remind you of? It has a striking similarity to the mass we celebrate, doesn't it?
As you read ahead in Exodus 25 God gives specific instructions on how to build a sanctuary for him to abide and the Ark of the covenant in gold which had two huge statues of angels on it. In front of the ark of the covenant was a gold table where the bread of the presence was kept and the menorah candle. (Think of your church: There would be a golden tabernacle on the altar where the Eucharist is kept, in front of which would be a table where the Eucharist is celebrated and you will definitely find some candles burning on that altar.)
As we continue to read Exodus 25 we see that the priests had beautiful vestments embellished with jewels. They had 12 precious stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel on their breast plate so when they go in the tabernacle to offer sacrifice, the 12 tribes are close to his heart. Also in the temple was a bronze basin filled with water, where the priest had to wash his hands and feet before entering the holy place to offer the sacrifice. Symbolizing purifying himself, so you understand why the priest washes his hands before the consecration. The priest also had incense which represented the prayers of the people which he would offer to God.
You may wonder why all the gold and ornaments? It was to remind the people that when you enter the temple you are no longer on earth but in heaven, in God’s own dwelling, to renew the covenant. (Remember this the next time you enter church).
How was this covenantal relationship celebrated in the New Testament?
While we have a picture of how worship was in the Old testament, the New Testament doesn’t seem to tell us much about how the early church worshiped but if we go to the last book of the Bible. We see in the vision of John how heavenly worship looks like.
We see in the book of Revelations 4-5, John has a vision of heavenly worship where he hears them singing "Holy Holy Holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come." and the 24 elders fall down and worship the one on the throne. Don’t we also fall to our knees soon after the Sanctus is sung during mass. The more we continue to read the book of Revelations the more similarities we begin to find between the heavenly worship described there and the celebration of the Eucharist in our churches.
How was this covenantal relationship celebrated in the Early church?
So we saw how worship was in the Old Testament and in heaven but what about the early church? While we don’t have details in the Bible we have a passage from the apologetic letter of St Justin Martyr, an early church Christian.
"And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits, then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen. and there is a distribution to each,and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit, and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning amoung us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world, and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that on Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration."
While I could go on and on showing you how each part of the mass has its origins from the Bible and early church traditions, it would make for a pretty long blog. But I am sure you get the idea of how worship was conducted during the Old Testament, during the early church and you also have a picture of heavenly worship which is what we imitate during the mass. So remember the next time you attend mass know that you are getting a glimpse of what is to come in heaven. It will make the celebration a lot more meaningful to you.
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