Participating in the Mass and Sacrifice in the Liturgy

Participating in the Mass by Dom Cuthbert Johnson OSB published by CTS
Sacrifice in the Liturgy by Bishop Peter Elliott published by CTS

Both of these booklets are recent publications in CTS's Living the Liturgy series.  The first is by Dom Cuthbert Johnson, who wrote the Simple Guide to the Mass, which I reviewed recently.  I concluded that review by saying I had found the book uninspiring, and I am sorry to say that the same applies to this one.

Don't get me wrong: by and large it is fine and there are some very good points in it, well made; for example: 'Any form of secular greeting, such as 'good morning,' is not to be used since it undermines the significance of what it means to be assembled in Christ; and likewise 'A choir does not hinder the active participation of the people, as has sometimes erroneously been suggested.  To listen is also a form of active participation,' Hurray!   But he continues 'and indeed is a requisite preliminary to all true participation.'  So does that mean deaf people are unable to participate truly?  I am sure that is not what he means.  So what does he mean?  I suspect it's a dig at those who, for example, prefer a silent canon, or (horror of horrors) pray the rosary during Mass.

So here's my summary of the book:

• a lot is worthy, good points well made;
• quite a bit is stodgy: did you notice the significance of what it means? ... it's all a bit like that, and then cant phrases like 'It is in the homily that the preacher breaks the bread of the Word of God...' which really makes me wince and also sets mild alarm bells ringing;
• every now and then there seems (to my paranoid eyes at least) to be a little swipe at traditional practices, or the exhortation of practices that are antithetical to tradition (eg the communicants... should approach in procession remembering that they are the pilgrim People of God being nourished on their journey; it seems to me a very new and anti-traditional practice to mandate what people should think when approaching Our Lord in Holy Communion.  We have a great tradition of varied pious approaches: to impose this one seems wrong, to me.)

Turning now to Bishop Elliott's book, I am glad to say that I found this much more stimulating.  As the title suggests, the focus is on sacrifice, which strikes me as a good idea when considering the Mass.  This infuses all that the bishop writes; so he starts by exploring how we offer sacrifice, following Christ's example.  He points out the appropriateness of an eastward orientation, noting that the recently favoured approach with the priest facing the people 'has given the impression that the celebrant is a host of a meal, rather than a priest offering sacrifice.' He notes that the Holy Father seeks to minimise that impression with the 'Benedictine Altar.'

Likewise, his consideration of the Altar itself is very rich: it is a symbol of Christ, it is the place of sacrifice (and can only be used for this one purpose, he points out) and it is the holy table of the Supper of the Lamb.  He explores the rich symbolism surrounding  the altar and its development through history, and locates it clearly in a Sanctuary, a holy place that is set apart.

He then turns his attention to the people involved in the sacrifice: the priests, the priestly people gathered together, and the whole Church.  Again, this is a rich and inspiring exploration, drawing on tradition, the teaching of the current Holy Father, and the Liturgy itself, and making it clear that the Liturgy is something that God does, gathering us together that we may participate in it.

The next two sections, and for me the heart of the book, traces the idea of Sacrifice in Scripture and Tradition, and The Work of Christ, Priest and Lamb.  These are, in effect, an excellent 20 page essay, which deserves to be read in its entirety and defies summarising.

Bishop Elliott then addresses a series of issues that he feels need to be dealt with, such as Sacrifice or Meal? and One Sacrifice or Many?  Each answer takes us more deeply into the Church's understanding of the sacrificial nature of the Mass, and the chapter concludes with an exploration of theologies of Sacrifice, drawing on the traditions of both the Western Church and the Eastern Christians.

The final peroration is a brief chapter: A Wondrous Mystery.Here he reflects on the need for beauty, awe and reverence in our approach to this great mystery of our Faith.

As the more perceptive reader will have noticed, I found Bishop Elliott's book more inspiring than the previous two I have reviewed, and thoroughly recommend it.