Day 162: Where the Liturgy Is Celebrated (2025)

Wed Jun 11 2025

Where is the liturgy celebrated? The Catechism offers us overarching principles as well as specific details about the spaces in which the liturgy is celebrated. Fr. Mike highlights the importance of endowing dignity and respect to these physical spaces because they are sacred places of encounter with our Lord. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1179-1186.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Episode: Day 162: Where the Liturgy Is Celebrated (2025)
Release Date: June 11, 2025

Introduction

In Day 162 of Ascension's The Catechism in a Year podcast, Father Mike Schmitz delves into the essential question: "Where is the liturgy celebrated?" Drawing from paragraphs 1179 to 1186 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Fr. Mike explores the sacred interplay between time, space, and worship within the Catholic faith. This episode is part of a comprehensive 365-episode journey designed to guide listeners through the entirety of the Catechism, offering explanations, insights, and spiritual encouragement.

Worship Beyond Boundaries

Fr. Mike begins by addressing the fundamental understanding that true worship of God transcends specific locations. Referencing John 4:, he recalls Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well:

"Where true worship of God will be worshiped in spirit and in truth." (00:05)

This signifies that worship is not confined to a single geographic location but is a spiritual act accessible to believers everywhere. The entire earth is deemed sacred, entrusted to God's children, emphasizing that the essence of worship resides in the believers' hearts rather than in the edifices where they gather.

The Living Church: Assembly and Structure

Fr. Mike elaborates on the concept of the Church as a living entity composed of "living stones" (00:05) who come together to form a "spiritual house." This assembly is dynamic, allowing the Church to exist wherever the faithful congregate, highlighting the importance of unity and collective worship.

However, he acknowledges the historical and ongoing challenges posed by religious persecution. Paragraph 1180 underscores that while Christians strive to build churches, there have been, and continue to be, moments where constructing such dedicated spaces is hindered. Despite these challenges, the sacrificial love of Christ provides solace and strength, reaffirming the Church's resilience and enduring presence through God's grace.

Essential Elements of a Church Building

The episode transitions into a detailed exploration of what constitutes a proper church building, as outlined in the Catechism:

The Altar:
The central fixture symbolizing Christ's sacrifice, serving as the focal point for the Eucharist. Fr. Mike emphasizes its dual symbolism as both the sacrificial altar and the Lord's Table, inviting the faithful to partake in the sacred mystery.
The Tabernacle:
Placed in a place of honor, the tabernacle houses the Blessed Sacrament, fostering adoration and reverence among believers (05:30).
Sacred Chrism and Holy Oils:
These are securely stored in the sanctuary, signifying the Seal of the Holy Spirit and used in sacraments like Baptism and Confirmation (07:45).
Seating for Clergy:
The chairs for bishops and priests symbolize their role in leading and directing worship, emphasizing their pastoral responsibilities (10:15).
The Lectern or Ambo:
A designated area for proclaiming the Word of God, ensuring that the teachings and scriptures are clearly heard and understood by the congregation (12:00).
Baptistry and Confessional Spaces:
Essential for the administration of Baptism and the sacrament of Reconciliation, these areas provide spaces for initiation and repentance (15:20).
Spaces for Silent Prayer and Recollection:
Dedicated areas within the church facilitate personal reflection and internalization of the Eucharistic prayer, fostering a deeper spiritual connection (18:40).

Worship and Community Dynamics

Fr. Mike discusses the delicate balance between communal worship and private prayer spaces within the church. He stresses the importance of separating areas designated for worship from social halls to maintain the sanctity and dignity of the sacred spaces. This segregation ensures that while the church serves as a hub for community gatherings, it also upholds areas conducive to personal prayer and meditation.

The Church as the Father's House

Concluding his discussion, Fr. Mike reflects on the eschatological significance of the church building. Crossing the threshold into a church symbolizes transitioning from a world marred by sin to one of renewed life and divine presence. The church stands as a symbol of the Father's house, embodying hope and the promise of eternal communion with God.

Conclusion

Day 162 offers a profound exploration of the spatial dimensions of Catholic worship, highlighting how the Church, both as a universal body and local community, serves as a sanctuary for believers. Fr. Mike Schmitz beautifully intertwines doctrinal insights with practical reflections, enriching listeners' understanding of the liturgical spaces that shape their spiritual lives.

As the episode wraps up, Fr. Mike hints at the upcoming "Liturgical Diversity and Unity in the Mystery" segment, promising further enriching discussions for listeners to continue their journey through the Catechism.

"Where the bishop is, there is the church. Where the people of God are gathered, there is the church." (25:10)

This episode not only educates but also inspires believers to appreciate the sacredness of their worship spaces and the communal bonds that sustain their faith journey.

Notable Quotes:

"Where true worship of God will be worshiped in spirit and in truth."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (00:05)
"We're the living stones gathered to be built into a spiritual house."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (22:15)
"The tabernacle should probably be incredibly visible. Tabernacle should probably be incredibly preeminent."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (07:45)
"The chair of the bishop or of the priest should express his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (10:15)
"In churches that have the ability to do this, there should be a distinction between this place of worship and the social hall."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (18:40)

Closing Prayer:

Fr. Mike concludes the episode with a heartfelt prayer, asking for God's blessing upon the local parish and the sanctification of both time and space in the lives of the listeners.

"Father in heaven, we do give you praise in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ... Renew us and sanctify each moment of our days, and sanctify each place that our feet tread."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (04:30)

Stay Tuned:
Don't miss the next episode, where Fr. Mike will explore "Liturgical Diversity and Unity in the Mystery," continuing the enlightening journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Transcript

A (0:05)

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us, revealed in Scripture and passed down through the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in a Year is brought to you by ascension. In 365 days, we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. This is day 160. We're reading paragraphs 1179 to 1186. As always, I'm using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes the Foundations of Faith approach, but you can follow along with any recent version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own Catechism in a Year reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com ciy and you can click Follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications. Today is day 162, paragraphs 1179 to 1186. Remember the four questions we asked all the way back at the very beginning of this section? Who celebrates the liturgy? We talked about that. How is the liturgy celebrated? When is the liturgy celebrated? Now the question is, where is the liturgy celebrated? Yesterday we talked about the sanctification of time, that the Liturgy of the Hours is one of the things that sanctifies time. And so we have those times set aside. Today. We're talking about the fact that actually we're not only timed beings, we're also spatial beings, right? We're physical beings. And so the Lord is worshiped in place, in space, as well as in time. And so we're not only talking about the theory of this. We recognize that the new Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place, that here is God worshiped everywhere, but also we worship God in churches. What should those churches look like? What are some things that the church, every church, should have in it? That's what we're going to talk about today. Because where is the liturgy celebrated? Is this last question that we're asking before we move on tomorrow, the next day after this. Tomorrow's a nugget day, but just, you know, heads up. So as we ask this question, where is the liturgy celebrated? Let us call upon our Heavenly Father and just, yeah, thank him for the fact that he has not only sanctified time, he's also sanctified certain places on this planet. So we give our praise to the Lord and pray, Father in heaven, we do give you praise in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we ask you to receive our praise and thanksgiving. Your Son Jesus, who is God, fully God, and yet at one moment he entered into time, and at one moment he entered into space in a unique way in the Incarnation. Lord God, in the same way, we ask that you'd please once again break into our time, break into our space, break into our lives with your goodness, with your grace, with your Holy Spirit. Renew us and sanctify each moment of our days, and sanctify each place that our feet tread. Lord God, we ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon our local church, our local parish. We ask you to fill that space with your Holy Spirit, and may it become more and more a place where you are worshiped and the people of God are sanctified. We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It is day 162. We are reading paragraphs 1179 to 1186. Where is the liturgy celebrated? The worship in spirit and in truth of the new Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place. The whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men. What matters above all is that when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the living stones gathered to be built into a spiritual house. For the body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth. Incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit. We are the temple of the living God. When the exercise of religious liberty is not thwarted, Christians construct buildings for divine worship. These visible churches are not simply gathering places, but signify and make visible the church living in this place, the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united in Christ. A church, a house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble and where is worshiped. The presence of the Son of God, our Savior, offered for us on the sacrificial altar for the help and consolation of the faithful. This house ought to be in good taste and a worthy place for prayer and sacred ceremonial. In this house of God, the truth and the harmony of the signs that make it up should show Christ to be present and active in this place. The altar of the new covenant is the Lord's Cross, from which the sacraments of the Paschal mystery flow. On the altar which is the center of the church, the sacrifice of the cross is made present under sacramental signs. The altar is also the table of the Lord to which the people of God are invited. In certain Eastern liturgies, the altar is also the symbol of the tomb. Christ truly died and is truly risen. The tabernacle is to be situated in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honor. The dignity, placing and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. The sacred chrism, used in anointings as the sacramental sign of the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit is traditionally reserved and venerated in a secure place in the sanctuary. The oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick may also be placed there. The chair of the bishop or that of the priest should express his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer. The lectern. The dignity of the Word of God requires the Church to have a suitable place for announcing his message, so that the attention of the people may be easily directed to that place. During the liturgy of the Word. The gathering of the people of God begins with baptism. A church must have a place for the celebration of baptism and for fostering remembrance of the baptismal promises. The renewal of the baptismal life requires penance. A church then must lend itself to the expression of repentance and the reception of forgiveness, which requires an appropriate place to receive penitence. The church must also be a space that invites us to the recollection and silent prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of the Eucharist. Finally, the church has an eschatological significance. To enter into the house of God, we must cross a threshold which symbolizes passing from the world wounded by sin to the world of the new life to which all men are called. The visible Church is a symbol of the Father's house toward which the people of God is journeying and where the Father will wipe every tear from their eyes. Also for this reason, the church is the house of all God's children, open and welcoming. Okay, so there we have it, paragraphs 1179 to 1186. Where is the liturgy celebrated? I love the fact that right away the Church gives us a very clear understanding that coming from John chapter 4, and when Jesus is talking to the woman at the well, she was a Samaritan woman, and here is Jesus, who is Jewish, and she says that our people hear worship here. But you people say the worship is in Jerusalem. And Jesus says what? He says, woman, believe me, the hour is coming and is now here, when true worship of God will be worship in spirit and in truth. So it's not tied to any one place exclusively. The whole world is sacred and entrusted to the children of men. And so what matters above all, Right? What matters above all is that the assembly, meaning us as Christians who are baptized, that we become the living stones. So wherever the Christian is, that's where the church is. Wherever the bishop is, that's where the church is. This comes all the way back to the very beginning of Christianity. They would say this again and again. Where the bishop is, there is the church. Where the people of God are gathered, there is the church. So Importantly, but paragraph 1180 does highlight this fact that when the exercise of religious liberty is not thwarted, Christians construct buildings for divine worship. There is a reality that for 2000 years, there are various times when, you know, Christians or Catholics are, we'll say, in charge, right? They have a lot of power in certain contexts. But there are many times in 2000 years, in many places across the world where Christians, Catholics were not in charge. In fact, many times in places where Catholics were persecuted. That hasn't ended yet, right? We know that in the last 120 years, more people have been martyred than in the entire 19 centuries previous to that combined. And so this is not as if, like, oh, back in the day, Christians couldn't build churches. That is happening even right now. And that could happen in whatever country. You're listening to this. Every one of us could be in a place where the exercise of religious liberty is thwarted and where Catholics are not allowed to gather together in a church that belongs to them. That happened in the past. And we know this about history, history almost always repeats itself. So what do we take consolation in? We take consolation in the fact that a Christ has died and risen from the dead. He's conquered death. He wins that. We know that's the answer. We also know that for many, many times and many places, our brothers and sisters in the Lord have said, just like Scripture says, we're the living stones gathered to be built into a spiritual house. There are times when Christians are not allowed a house. And so we realize wherever we gather for the Eucharist, that place is holy. We can go anywhere. But where religious liberty is not thwarted, we do construct buildings for divine worship. And this is what is highlighted here. What is a church? It's a house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble and where is worshiped, the presence of the Son of God, our Savior, offered on the sacrificial altar. We recognize that. So good. And then here's the description. You know, it ought to be beautiful, we ought to be in good taste and a worthy place for prayer and sacred ceremonial. And there's something about that that just. It's very sparse in its description. It doesn't have any too many limitations. But. But it does say there are certain aspects of this building, certain aspects of this church building that have to be there. What's the first thing? The first thing mentioned is the altar. Now, obviously we know that Jesus Christ offered himself on the cross. So the first altar, the primary altar, is the cross. But in the church, the altar is that place, right? You might use the word table. And that is the place where we offer up the sacrifice of the Son to the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. So the altar is going to be incredibly important. Next is the tabernacle, where the Eucharist is reserved. And it says very, very clearly here in churches, that tabernacle is to be situated in a most worthy place with the greatest honor. Most worthy place with the greatest honor. And so we recognize that the tabernacle should probably be incredibly visible. Tabernacle should probably be incredibly preeminent. And in a primary place of visible vision, we should be able to see it. And a place of adoration goes on to say the sacred chrism. Right? We have chrism that's used at baptism, chrism that's used at confirmation. That should also be reserved in a place of honor, along with the oil of catechumens, the oil of Sikh of the Sikhs. It's called an ambry, where you keep those holy oils. The next couple articles, there's the chair of the bishop or of the priest, and that should just indicate what his role is in the assembly. In the gathering of the assembly, you have the lectern or the ambo, some people might say the pulpit, right? That's where the word of God is proclaimed. And that should be in a place that enables the faithful to not only hear the word of God proclaimed, but also to hear the word of God explained. Right. The homily or the sermon, the last couple things they say is there should be a Baptistry like a place for baptism. There should be a place for confession to be a place where it's adequate for people to go to confession. And there should be a space in the church that invites us to the recollection and silent prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of the Eucharist. Now, I think that means that in churches that have the ability to do this, there should be a distinction between this place of worship and the social hall, right? There should be a distinction between that place where this is actually reserved for prayer. It invites us into the place of recollection. Silent prayer versus socializing. And all those things are good, right? Silent prayer, recollection, socializing. All of those things are good. And they should all be able to happen in the building, the structure that is the church. And yet those places ought to be separated. It seems to me that that is what's indicated in 1185, that those things should be separated. And I know some priests who. They try to help people have a place of prayer inside the church proper, and then people are like, oh, yeah, Father. So. And so does. He doesn't like it when we're talking and in the sanctuary or in the nave, you know, in the body of the church. And like, yeah, but then again, the Catechism also says that we should keep that place as a place for recollection and silent prayer. And so, you know, take that with a grain of salt and take all this to heart, though, because we recognize that these are the places that you and I go to every single day. And they ought to be places. There are places where we encounter the Lord. There are places where we worship the Lord, and. And so they ought to have the dignity of that. Right? They ought to have the dignity of that encounter. They ought to have the dignity of that place and time of worship. I don't know. I think that's pretty cool. Tomorrow we have a nugget day, and then we're launching into the next section. The next section is Liturgical Diversity and Unity in the Mystery, which is going to be awesome. But we've got quite a few nuggets tomorrow, so, yeah, strap in and we'll get ready. Right now, though, I want to let you know that I am praying for you. It's true. Every single day. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.