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.
The Paschal Mystery of Christ made present in the sacramental liturgy is a model of spiritual growth of Christians on the way of purification, illumination, and unificati-on. The transition (Passover) of Christ from death to life is a model of a Christian way. Christians live in connection with the paschal mystery every day when they strive to do what is more perfect and when they express the newness of life in the performance of good deeds. The participation in the transition of Christ through death to a new life consists in abandoning the way of life of a sinful man and striving for deeds of a man renewed in the mystery of Christ’s death and His glorious resurrection. Faith received at baptism enables a man to participate in the paschal mystery of Christ and offers a participation in the resurrection of the Son of God. The union with Christ and remai-ning in Him is the participation in the sacrifice of the Savior according to the paschal theology. The Passover is an event that brightens with its splendor not only the life of the individual Christian, but also the whole history of mankind. The final fulfillment in Christ is the purpose of the whole universe.