liturgy of the Word, the first of the two principal rites of the mass, the central act of worship of the Roman Catholic Church, the second being the liturgy of the Eucharist (see also Eucharist). As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembrance, supplication or repentance. It forms a basis for establishing a relationship with a divine agency, as well as with other participants in the liturgy.
