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Episode 10 – The Inward then Outward, Upward then Downward Movement of Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David fa*gerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David fa*gerberg and Kris McGregor discuss how marriage, as a sacrament, symbolizes the union between Christ and the Church, reflecting God’s original plan before the Fall. Discussing asceticism in the context of both Eden and our current spiritual practices; and how living in an upright manner aligns with God’s original justice, they delve into the concept of liturgy as a two-way movement, where the faithful ascend into the heavenly realms, and the Holy Spirit descends upon the assembly.
The mystery and beauty of sacraments, particularly the Eucharist and reconciliation, Dr. fa*gerberg uses vivid metaphors to illustrate how sacraments reconnect believers with God, especially after sin has disrupted their relationship.
Mysticism is discussed as an integral part of Christian life, not a separate path but a deeper way of walking the path laid by Christ. With repetition in spiritual practices, it fosters a deep and steady communion with God, preparing the soul for the ultimate mystical union in heaven.
From the discussion with Dr. fa*gerberg:
“This is from my theological diary once more. There are two movements in the liturgy and the Greek language identified them as anabatic and katabatic. Basis means to go. Anabatic is to go up. Katabatic is to go down. The anabatic movement in liturgy is our ascent into the heavenly realms. Lift up your hearts. The katabatic is the spirit’s descent upon the assembly and the sacrifice.
Oh, the dictionary includes a meteorological definition for Anabasis as well. It says pertaining to an uphill wind produced by the effects of local heating. No wait. That’s a Pentecostal definition. The dictionary also gives a spatial metaphor. Anabasis, it says, is a march from the coast to the interior, where in silence one will find the Holy Spirit waiting. While Catabasis is a march from the interior of a country to the coast, where in need one will find the world waiting.
Every liturgy is a two-way march inward then outward, or upward then downward. But here’s the paragraph that made me think of it now and this is just especially for you in your tornado. The prefix acro means aloft. The Holy Spirit restores Adam and Eve’s wings making us liturgical acrobats, acrobasis, tumbling twirling, doing barrel rolls with the angels above the altar. Liturgical aestheticism lightens one’s gravity and increases the measure of our liturgical capacity.
So I’ll open a summer camp for liturgical acrobats and the people who have a thin definition will think that I’m actually doing something like a clown liturgy, but will actually start with prayer fasting and alms giving. Try to overcome the passions, learn how to overcome the passions so that we could become lofty liturgists twirling aloft. Acrobasis. I told you I don’t know other languages. I mean, I’m just bad at it. I passed my language exams, but I do like single words and they just turn like a ruby. They don’t have all those other words cluttering up the sentence, those single words are just gems to me.”
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
- The Sacramental Union in Marriage: How does your marriage (or relationships) reflect the union between Christ and the Church?
- Original Justice and Asceticism: In what ways can you practice asceticism in your life to align more closely with God’s original plan for humanity?
- Liturgy as Spiritual Ascent: How can you more consciously participate in the liturgical ascent and descent during Mass to deepen your connection with God?
- Reconciliation and Renewal: Do you view the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a “kickstart” for your spiritual life, and how can it help restore your relationship with God?
- The Role of Mysticism: How do you understand mysticism within your faith journey, and how can you begin to cultivate a mystical life grounded in the sacraments?
- The Power of Repetition: What spiritual practices in your life need more consistent repetition to build a deeper and more stable relationship with God?
- Communion with God in Everyday Life: How can you foster a continuous, habitual communion with God, even in the ordinary moments of daily life?
For more podcast episodes of this series visit the Pathways to Sacred Mysteries w/Dr. David fa*gerberg page
David W. fa*gerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
fa*gerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
He also has an avocation in G. K. Chesterton, having published Chesterton is Everywhere (Emmaus Press, 2013) and The Size of Chesterton’s Catholicism (University of Notre Dame, 1998).
