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The Spirit of the Liturgy

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I am old enough to have witnessed what was called "Liturgical Renewal" post Vat II style as a non-liturgist amongst the many others in the pews. We scratched our heads and wondered at the nonchalance with which changes were instituted: "That's old hat and it has to go." Since that time, I was ordained a Deacon(1975), and somewhat to my own surprise, I was forced to truly become a student of Vat II because of the challenges with which I was continually being confronted.

What as an amateur I had always suspected, Cardinal Ratzinger in THE SPIRIT OF THE LITURGY has, as a professional, proven to me to be true. Full Liturgical renewal has yet to happen. And it cannot be so until all are aware of what it is that we are about when we celebrate the Liturgy.

THE SPIRIT OF THE LITURGY gives us(clergy and laity alike) the foundation and raison d'etre for our most solemn moment of prayer, the Eucharistic Sacrifice. He solidly and with obvious expertise grounds our appreciation for the Mass in Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Fathers of the Church. One example: The Eucharistic Celebration's close ties to the Jewish Synagogue Service helps tremendously to understand its division into Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist and at the same time explains the age old practice of priest and people facing in the same direction(ad orientem). One could walk through this little book citing example after example, page after page, of how ones appreciation of the Mass could not fail to be deepen with the turning of yet another page. It has hugely enhanced my own appreciation for the richness of the Liturgy.

It is a must read for all clergy; a sine qua non for Liturgists especially. At the same time, I cannot too highly recommend it to the Laity to help them understand that some of the silliness they see in the Liturgy is just that, silliness, and in some cases much worse. This book comes as a big dose of sanity and reasonableness.

The Spirit of the Liturgy is interestingly presented in a quite readable format. It is not a "Sunday afternoon" novel but for anyone with a modicum of ability and tenacity, it is very manageable.

Most of all, it is obviously written by a man of deep faith and a sense of piety; one for whom worshipping in spirit and truth is a reality. May it be so for me(and you) as well!

Inspired by Romano Guardini's classic of the same name, the importance of this book cannot be overstated -- not just because the author is one of the church's foremost theologians and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, but mainly because its rich content provides profound insight into the interplay between the transcendant and the immanent in the liturgy. This man's brilliant mind, his deep grasp of humanity, history and scripture, and his humility and respect for all sides in the liturgical reform movement shine through in John Saward's crisp translation from the German original. Divided into four parts (The Essence of the Liturgy, Time and Space in the Liturgy, Art and Liturgy, Liturgical Form), the cardinal's reflections will benefit liturgists and worshippers alike. This book should be read by every catholic adult, but especially by bishops, priests, and deacons (and those in formation). After 30 years of drift into banality, the church still awaits the implementation of Vatican II's vision of the liturgy. This book provides impetus in that direction.

Cardinal Ratzinger, newly elected as Pope Benedict XVI, is perhaps one of the greatest intellectuals in the Roman Catholic Church's hierarchy since the second world war. Examples of his ability in the historical and theological disciplines abound, but perhaps a more practical expression of this intelligence is contained in this book, `The Spirit of the Liturgy'. The subject of this book is the central rite of the church, the Eucharistic feast, and the liturgy - the word `liturgy' actually translates into `work of the people', and this includes clergy and laity alike.

The first section of the book works to connect liturgy in the church with the wider world, and indeed the entire cosmos. Ratzinger draws on ideas East and West, from philosophical traditions in the church as well as the biblical witness (both Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament). He sees Jesus as both a role model as well as the central figure in the Eucharist, drawing on all of these sources to make the point of the way worship is done, and what meaning can be derived from it.

Following this introductory section, Ratzinger continues to look at the practical aspects, everything from the language used and the movements done to the architectural implications and the musical elements. Ratzinger was a leading figure in the Second Vatican Council, but navigates an interesting line between some of the traditional elements and the more recent innovations in liturgical worship. He is suspicious of the idea of changing music in service to being popular forms simply for the sake of relating to the culture, seeing that as somewhat of a sell-out to changing forms; he generally disapproves of rock-concert-type music in the liturgy, for example, because it is less a part of the worship as it is a part of the general culture outside.

There is a metaphor that Ratzinger uses near the beginning of the book about the liturgy being akin to a fresco which has been uncovered from the accumulations over time. While the picture is now more visible and able to be participated in by viewers, it is also now more susceptible to damages and ravages of the elements. Ratzinger emphasises both pieces, ultimately straddling the fence between traditional and modern.

During Vatican II, Ratzinger was considered one of the liberal theologians of the church. Now, he is considered as the newly-elected pope the champion of conservative views. This book gives an insight into the way he thinks, and how we might be in for an interesting time; those who think Ratzinger a knee-jerk conservative might be in for a surprise, as may be those who are hopeful for changes in various areas of his thought.

Regardless, this book demonstrates the quality of mind and clarity of expression Ratzinger has. This is must read for those who want insight into directions of the new pope.

In this book, Cardinal Ratzinger has raised and answered some of the most essential issues any Catholic, or for that matter any Christian, can face. He treads where only a deep faith founded in clear understanding can lead him, and through him, us. The essential nature of this book is seen right from the beginning. On page 17 he introduces the critial necessity of worshiping God as God desires, not as man desires. It is why God led Israel through the desert, why He prescribed precisely how He was to be worshiped, and why this is true for us today. God has an absolute right to be worshiped as He chooses. Our response is to obey. This creates the relationship between man and God. When we decide to worship God as we want, when we make worship, we clutch empty space and create a self-affirmation, a form of entertainment instead of a faithful worship of God. How God demands we worship Him, and why, is the central thread of this book, and is a critical point for every Christian to understand. If we do otherwise, we unbalance our relationship with God by injecting too much self, putting entertainment and "feeling good" ahead of the will of God, and in doing so we create disorder in all else we do. Every Christian needs this book.

This book is simply a must-have for educated Catholics, and even for non-Catholics who want to find a rational (and Scriptural) basis worship, especially the sacramental.

Cardinal Ratzinger shows that worship is not merely something we do to show gratitude to God or to appease his wrath. Rather, worship is where we find the meaning of our existence, and live it to the fullest. Perhaps this book would be best read in conjunction with Josef Pieper's "Lesisure: The Basis of Culture."

The book is pretty deep, and sometimes hard to follow (this is to be expected from any work that is a translation from another language). Still, even those less intellectually inclined can get something out of it.

If you want to see where Modernist liturgical experimentation has gone awry, and what needs to be done, and what principles need to be rediscovered, to get back the magnificent worship most of us have been deprived of, then read this book. And give it to others who need it!

As a Protestant, despite some high church leanings, I find plenty to disagree with here. But this book wasn't written for me, and I greatly respect Ratzinger's learned, devout approach to his topic. This is the best overview of Roman Catholic worship I have found.

He named this book intentionally after his hero, Guardini's 1918 book of the same name.

It is divided into four parts (The Essence of the Liturgy, Time and Space in the Liturgy, Art and Liturgy, Liturgical Form)

It is very important to note at the onset, Ratzinger clearly is NOT giving some call to return to the Medievel past, but is giving a dynamic new expressions of ancient practices. He is not a reactionary grasping for nostalia, but a modern Neo-orthodox catholic. (Conservative neo-orthodox, but neo-orthodox).

Conservative Catholics tend to rail against all changes in the liturgy the past 40 years, but without a theological basis to weigh the good from the bad. Ratzinger gives a helpful framework to evalute these developments, whether you agree with them or not.

For those who find Roman Catholic theological discourse thin on thoughtful and intense exegesis, this book will be a pleasant surprise. Scriptures are explored often and deeply.

Sadly, there are no footnotes, but a good bibliography is provided for each chapter.

Some random notesL Chapter 4 - Reservation of Blessed Sacrament is least convincing to me, though full of historic tidbits. He acknowledges that Augustine, above other Church Fathers, had a `spiritualizing tendency" (I know Peter Brown shows this too). Ratz. argues that the early church's "corpus mysticum" doesn't mean anything like the modern English `mystical', but instead "pertaining to the mystery."

p. 107ff.: debunks the craziness about Christmas' date being tied to the Mithras myth and Saturn's b-day etc. He shows why Dec. 25 developed in the 3rd cent. West. Pegging Christmas to December 25th related to the time of the winter solstice. This was important as up to this day, dark days increase, but from this day, the darkness decreases! Theologically: As Jerome says in the 4th cent: "The light advances while the night retreats; Christ must increase but I must decrease."

pp. 136ff. is ON MUSIC and liturgy: "the cosmic character of liturgical music stands in opposition to the two [prevailing] tendencies of the modern age...music as pure subjectivity, music [and] as the expression of mere will. We sing with the angels."

pp. 177ff. Argues for making the sign of the cross in prayer. Goes into OT foreshadowing with the Hebrew letter Tav etc. (p. 179) Some of it is strained and weird and too clever for its own good. But bottom line - many Xians make the sign of the cross to remind ourselves and tell a watching world that our prayers are PARTICULARLY XIAN. I Co. 2:2. It is the CROSS that sets us apart from that imam that Ratzinger pretended to pray with in the Blue Mosque last week! Our prayers are to a PARTICULAR God - not some Universal god!

POSTURE (KNEEELING) pp. 184ff. convincing. Why not conform our bodies to our hearts? Otherwise we are being Gnostic.

On VESTMENTS, pp. 216ff., interested me. "The liturgical attire worn by the priest during mass should make clear that he is not there as a private person, as this or that man, but stands in place of Another - Christ. What is merely private, merely individual, about him should disappear and make way for Christ." P. 216. Christ who incarnated (as a male, Ratz. notes).

Paul Gal. 2:20 "It is no longer I , but Christ who lives in me." On priests in worship "It is not he himself who is important, but Christ. It is not he himself who is communicating to men, but Christ. HE MAKES HIMSELF THE INSTRUMENT OF CHRIST, ACTING, NOT FROM HIS OWN RESOURCES, BUT AS THE MESSENGER, INDEED AS THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER - IN PERSONA CHRISTI, AS THE LITURGICAL TRADITION SAYS..."

Ratz. ties vestments to Paul in Gal. 3:27 "putting on Christ" (also in Rom. 13:14). Eph. 4, Col. 3 "putting on new nature." May overplay his hand a little there, but overall he is convincing.

ON APPLAUSE: "Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of the liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment."

On MATTER pp. 220f.: The incarnational nature of the Christian faith is essentially reflected in its use of material things - bread, wine, water, oil, etc. - in the liturgy.

232pp., but no index. GREAT binding, and cover art.

I can't say that I understood this entire book. However, it had much insight and went much deeper into the theology which underlies the liturgy than anything else I ever read. Although, I do have numerous books which explain the theology of the Eucharist, but that seems to be a bit more concrete than the nuances of the liturgy and its development over the centuries. There are extremely-traditionalistic groups which would have us believe that the Tridentine (Latin) Mass was the original Mass that was instituted by Christ and no other rites are valid. The irony is that we are still the Latin Rite, albeit in the vernacular language. Indeed, Greek was the original language of the liturgy. It just seems logical since the New Testament was penned in Greek. Even though I would prefer the Tridentine Mass, there is much value and beauty in the vernacular. I would say the Tridetine has the emphasis of Christ's presence in the Eucharist, whereas, the Novus Ordo has placed its emphasis on the image of God in mankind, the community.

I would like to pass on a few bits of insight which I found fascinating in this book. The first point is the misunderstanding of the Direction of Liturgical Prayer. I have heard it said numerous times, and this is how it has been phrased: "Vatican II changed how the priest used to have his back against the people, or towards the people, so that now he faces the people." If we were to ever discuss the pros and cons of both ends, a phrasing such as what we just read, begs the question of why the preferred posture is facing the people. The word "against" implies a negativity. In other words, it is "wrong" to have your back towards someone. It colors the perspective of the audience. Almost as if saying, how would you like to have someone's back on you the whole time?

This is an incorrect way of looking at the ancient posture of the priest. The traditional posture was indeed having the priest's back facing the people, but the underlying symbolism which most folks fail to realize is that the priest faced WITH the people in common orientation towards the Lord who meets us in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Cardinal Ratzinger teaches us not just this specific symbolism of posture, but also connects it with the cosmic dimension of it all. The East has always been a symbol of God's direction for it is where the sun rises and implies the future. Therefore Christ was the common point of reference. Even in this sense, when overlapped with modern lay-philosophy, there is a greater premium on community or common-unity, thus the priest was not separating himself from us, but was leading us in a common prayer which we all participated in. In a recent interview in 2003, with EWTN news host, Raymond Arroyo, Cardinal Ratzinger mentioned that this common orientation, a return to the ancient practice of facing the East MAY help in the catechesis of the faithful. Through osmosis, I believe, people may be able to rediscover what the Eucharist truly is, the true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord. Indeed, statistics have shown that 2/3 of Catholics do not believe in the real presence; this is staggering.

The Cardinal also goes over many other things including the liturgical form. He clarifies what "active participation" really is. It is not necessarily the laity taking on the duties of what the priest used to do by himself, but for the laity to take part in the ritual as a community responding to prayers which the priest recites, in addition to the singing and the common prayers and creeds. Personally, I think this has aided to the decrease in the response to the priestly vocation. Although the duties of the priest spans far greater than just the Mass, the summit of his duty is the Mass, and as such, if a whole chunk of his job description (prior to the 60's) has been given to the laity, then why would I even consider spending years in a seminary to do what can be done in some small part with a few weeks of training?

I think there is a philosophical error in the assertion that bringing the laity into the sanctuary brings the priest back down from his alleged "pedestal" and dignifies the laity. I don't think this was ever the case. I don't think the Church has ever taught that the priest was in some way "better" or "holier than thou." Perhaps the laity believed that, but that's the fault of the individual and not the church. The vocation of matrimony is equivalent in degree in regards to personal holiness; a regular Joe or Sally can certainly be more saintly than a priest. However, in relation to the religious life's objective superiority in regards to preparation for the afterlife, it has always been church teaching of the objective superiority of consecrated virginity. That comes from documents AFTER Vatican II (Vita Consecrata). After all, as the Bible teaches, "we will be as the angels are." There is no marriage in heaven. Ratzinger speaks of the symbolism of marriage here on earth as a sign of the eternal relationship between God and mankind, that essentially, our souls are feminine as God is the masculine. Hence the strongest reason for the male priesthood. Since God is not male nor female but spirit and masculine, His representative has to be masculine, and therefore male. This is because he is "in persona Christi", as an "alter Christus".

If the laity wants to know where their place in the church is, it is in the pews during Mass and worshipping on all equal planks with one another, allowing the priest to offer up OUR Sacrifices up to God on our behalf. If they want to know where their place is in the Church, outside of Mass, it is with their children teaching them the truths and beauty of the Catholic faith. It is participating in the corporeal works of mercy. It is becoming a desperately needed Catechist. It is evangelizing those who have never heard the Gospel. It is evangelizing those who have heard the Gospel and rejected it. It is re-Catechizing the fallen away or marginalized Catholics. Where is the vocation of the laity? It is in the home, in the workplace, it is on vacation, it is at the grocery store, in the Mall, on the freeway. We live up to our vocation with every single thing we do on our daily routines. Likewise, I would expect nothing less from a priest, that they live their lives according to the virtues of their vocation. Will we falter? You bet. Does that mean we should lose sight of our goal? No. So, let's get to it...

All in all, I think this book was great; it opened up my eyes a bit more...

Laurence
Catechist

In 1946 the young Joseph Ratzinger read Romano Guardini's classic work The Spirit of the Liturgy. Some fifty four years later the Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith published this work under the same title. Why?

Part of the answer is found in Guardini's book. According to Ratzinger it "helped us to rediscover the liturgy in all its beauty, hidden wealth, and time-transcending grandeur, to see it as the animating centre of the Church, the very centre of Christian life," at a time when the liturgy was, for the laity, "largely concealed beneath instructions for and forms of private prayer." And part of the answer is found in the liturgical state of the Catholic Church at this, the dawn of the third Christian millennium. Ratzinger again: "[the liturgy] has been endangered by climatic conditions as well as by various restorations and reconstructions. In fact, it is threatened with destruction if the necessary steps are not taken to stop these damaging influences."

So, Cardinal Ratzinger, believing that the liturgy of the Roman rite is in a state of crisis, has written this book to call for "a new reverence in the way we treat" the liturgy and "a new understanding of its message and its reality" lest the Catholic Church suffer "irreparable loss." To that end Ratzinger hopes that this book will contribute to the emergence a new liturgical movement in the Church in much the same way as Guardini's book was seminal to the classical liturgical movement of the twentieth century.

What are we to make of Cardinal Ratzinger's rather dramatic assumption? Is the liturgy in crisis? There is little doubt that liturgical reform and practice following the Second Vatican Council has occasioned much debate, has been implemented in different places in manners that vary radically and at times substantially, and has - most sadly - been the ground of real division in the Church. We can also observe an increasing number of scholarly works addressing this question: Aidan Nichols' Looking at the Liturgy and the volume Beyond the Prosaic edited by Stratford Caldecott are but two. No matter what our perspective, then, it is clear that what the liturgy is and how it should be celebrated is an issue today. Given this, it is only fair to give the considerations of this rather well-placed Cardinal a hearing.

And he has quite a lot to say. The first part of the book deals with the essence of the liturgy, what liturgy is in reality, in relation to the cosmos and to history, and with its biblical origins. These are fundamental theological questions that have all too often been ignored in recent years. Thus, if the liturgy is of its essence the unique confluence of "the spiritual movement of the Old Testament, the process of inner purification within the history of religion, human quest and divine response," we can understand that Christian worship that is purely, or even predominantly, the action of the worshipping community is erroneous, and we can see that to call the liturgy an "assembly," or the Mass a "meal" is deficient.

Ratzinger's account of the essence of the liturgy informs his practical conclusions. Because Christian liturgy "is never performed solely in the self-made world of man" but "is always a cosmic liturgy...wherever possible, we should definitely take up again the apostolic tradition of facing the east, both in the building of churches and in the celebration of the liturgy." The Cardinal underlines this point at some length, going so far as to say that Mass with the priest facing the people during the liturgy of the Eucharist has led to the situation where "less and less is God in the picture." He adds: "looking at the priest has no importance. What matters is looking together at the Lord. It is not now a question of dialogue but of common worship, of setting off toward the One who is to come."

With regard to the Blessed Sacrament, he reminds us that "if the presence of the Lord is to touch us in a concrete way, the tabernacle must also find its proper place in the architecture of our church buildings." The importance of sacred time, the liturgical calendar with its seasons and feasts, is discussed.

The chapter on images and religious art contains a frank admission that "a new iconoclasm which has frequently been regarded as virtually mandated by the Second Vatican Council," has "left behind a void, the wretchedness of which we are now experiencing in a truly acute way." He reminds us of the philosophical truth that "through the appearance of the beautiful we are wounded in our innermost being, and that wound grips us and takes us beyond ourselves; it stirs longing into flight and moves us towards the truly Beautiful, to the Good in itself."

As with our art and our altars, Ratzinger calls us to focus our liturgical music once again on God, insisting that "the cosmic character of liturgical music stands in opposition to the two [prevailing] tendencies of the modern age...music as pure subjectivity, music [and] as the expression of mere will. We sing with the angels."

A timely correction of the widely misunderstood concept of "active participation" in the liturgy is given:

"Doing must really stop when we come to the heart of the matter: the oratio. It must be plainly evident that the oratio is the heart of the matter, but that it is important precisely because it provides a space for the actio of God...The almost theatrical entrance of different players into the liturgy, which is so common today...quite simply misses the point...If the liturgy degenerates into general activity, then we have radically misunderstood the "theo-drama" of the liturgy and lapsed almost into parody."

In the discussion of liturgical posture, the importance of retaining kneeling is underlined:

"It may well be that kneeling is alien to modern culture - insofar as it is a culture, for this culture has turned away from the faith and no longer knows the One before whom kneeling is the right, indeed the intrinsically necessary gesture. The man who learns to believe learns to kneel, and a faith or a liturgy no longer familiar with kneeling is sick at the core. Where lost, kneeling must be rediscovered..."

And certain liturgical behaviours are bluntly ruled out:

"It is totally absurd to try to make the liturgy "attractive" by introducing dancing pantomimes...which frequently...end with applause. Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of the liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment."

Ratzinger considers the importance of silence in the liturgy, and goes on to argue that "it really is not true that reciting the whole Eucharistic prayer out loud...is a prerequisite for the participation of everyone in this central act of the Mass." He reflects on the role of liturgical vestments and on how the incarnational nature of the Christian faith is essentially reflected in its use of material things - bread, wine, water, oil, etc. - in the liturgy.

As well as these practical conclusions The Spirit of the Liturgy contains a contribution to the current debate over reform of the Roman rite as a whole. Whilst not taking either of the more prevalent uncritical stances (`we should go back, wholesale, to what we had before' or `Paul VI's reform was faultless'), Ratzinger suggests that all was not well at the top following the Second Vatican Council:

"...the impression arose that the pope really could do anything in liturgical matters, especially if he were acting on the mandate of an ecumenical council. Eventually, the idea of the givenness of the liturgy, the fact that one cannot do with it what one will, faded from the public consciousness...The pope's authority is bound to the Tradition of faith, and that also applies to the liturgy. It is not "manufactured" by the authorities. Even the pope can only be a humble servant of its lawful development and abiding integrity and identity."

And, as Ratzinger has said in other publications, these principles were not necessarily respected in the official reform following the Council. But, whilst the examination of such historical realities is of the utmost importance in deciding upon any future `reform of the reform,' that is not the main thrust of this book.

What The Spirit of the Liturgy is, is an urgent call to each of us to rediscover the focus of the liturgy on the Incarnate God. In particular, this book reminds those entrusted with the preparation for and the celebration of the sacred liturgy - in its humblest or in its most splendid contexts - of their duty to allow the liturgy once again to become that sacred encounter of God who was made flesh and blood for our salvation. This after all was Guardini's aim, and it was the aim of the classical liturgical movement which Cardinal Ratzinger seeks to revive.

It would be very easy for me to gush about this book. I absolutely loved it! I made all sorts of time in my schedule to read it over a few days. This bookwas intensely gripping. Cardinal Ratzinger (Benedict XVI)has a real talent not only for pointing out what's wrong with the liturgy as is and where it needs to change, but for doing so firmly yet gently. He begins with explaining why we do liturgy at all, how it connects us to the life, Passion and Resurrection of Christ, and then he goes on to discuss the various aspects of the liturgy. I found the chapter on music particularly amusing at one point because he was discussing how liturgical music is banal, how it was influenced by popular culture, by all sorts of errors, and yet the situation he was describing was not that of today, but that which caused the Council of Trent, yet it rings crystal clear for today. Allright, no more spoilers!! Pick up this book, particularly if you want to get a clear understanding of what the liturgy is, and what it shouldn't be made out to be! I can't stress enough how much I absolutely enjoyed this book! It was fantastic, no point in giving it a rating out of five points, because it would be far off the scale. The writing was engaging and clear, the topic was timely, and very masterfully presented!

Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, has written an invaluable text for a deeper understanding of the importance of liturgical expression in the Catholic faith. In clear, insightful and organized language, THE SPIRIT OF THE LITURGY intends to assist the faithful in "the right way to give the faith its central form of expression in the liturgy."

The book begins with a study of the "Essence of the Liturgy" and its place in the fundamental reality of faith. It moves into a developmental reflection of sacred time, sacred space, the nature and use of art and music, and finally, the particulars of liturgical form.

Liturgical expression is integral to the Catholic worship in that it allows all persons to enter into deeper mysteries and realities. THE SPIRIT OF THE LITURGY helps the reader appreciate the ever-unfolding mysteries of revelation, and meditate upon the different aspects of expression within an integrative context.