Bible and liturgy are the main sources of the Church's life. The Bible tells us about God saving man and the liturgy makes present the salvation given by God. The presentation of the Bible in the liturgy begins with the description of the syna- gogue worship at the time of the early Church. Since the beginning Christians read the Bible during the liturgy. The liturgy of the word was formed gradually, until it reached its final shape in he antiquity. That form was preserved till the Second Vatican Council. The Council resolved to enrich the table of the Divine Word and to read the Scripture in a cycle longer than one year. For Sundays and festivities has been introduced a triennial cycle, the readings of the liturgy of the hours have been changed, biblical readings have been added to the liturgy of the sacraments and the Psalms have been distributed in a 4-weeks cycle.

The words of the Bible are not only read but they become prayer and song. The liturgical prayers draw their inspiration, words and expressions from the Scripture. It is Christ who proclaims the gospel, God speaks to his people and the Church listens to the Divine Word. The liturgy of the Word is closely connected with the liturgy of the Eucharist. During the Mass, the table of the Divine Word and the table of the Eucharist are spread.

Die Methodenvielfalt in der Liturgiewissenschaft

Zusammenfassung

Die Liturgiewissenschaft als eigene theologische Disziplin verwendet in ihrer wissenschaftlichen Forschung verschiedene Methoden. Außer bisher am öftesten gebrauchten historisch-genetischen und synthetisch-theologischen Methoden muss sie heutzutage auch die Methoden, die aus der pastoralen Dimension der Liturgie hervorgehen, verwenden. Daher müssen die Methoden benutzt werden, welche man in den Humanwissenschaften verwendet um die interdisziplinäre Forschung zu ermöglichen. Die besondere Bedeutung haben die hermeneutischen Methoden der Textkritik. Mann soll nach der Semantik, Syntaktik und Pragmatik der verschiedenen Elemente des Textes fragen. Die Liturgie als die Welt der Außenzeichen und Symbole muss auch mit der empirischen Methoden erforscht werden (Fragebogen, Interview und Beobachtung), wie man es in den Sozialwissenschaften tut. Die obengenanten Methoden werden abhängig vom Forschungsziel und Aufgabenkreis verwendet.

The anthropology of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI is strictly theological. Its basis is Christocentric theocentrism. The whole approach is embedded in ecclesiology. The question of who a man is and how to be a man must be directed to God. His answer, which is heard in the Church, is Jesus Christ. The Body of Christ is the space of the communion between God and man. Thus, Christ is God’s tool for the transformation of human existence – its liberation and fulfillment. Man is not an independent being. He comes from God. He exists because he is loved. Being created in God’s image determines the relational - dialogical - nature of his being. A scratch on God’s work is made by sin which undermines the truth about creation. Asking about who he is, man should turn his eyes to God’s perfect image, Jesus who is both God and man. The categories of sonship, childhood and pro-existence are characteristic here. All this is available by entering into the existence of the Son of God, which is done through baptism in the Church. There, man can realize his relational existence. The liturgy, however, provides us with the access to our eschatological destiny.