At the Supper of the Lamb: A Pastoral and Theological Commentary on the Mass
A worthy successor to Fr. Turner'sLet Us Pray: A Guide to the Rubrics of Sunday Mass, At the Supper of the Lamb: A Pastoral and Theological Commentaryis a guide to liturgical mystagogy from a wise and seasoned pastor and scholar. Always grounded in the revised English-language text of the Roman Rite Order of Mass in its ordinary form, the author offers a succinct commentary on each element, combining historical data with theological insight. What makes the work so helpful, however, are the questions for reflection and discussion appended to the background Fr. Turner offers, questions that gently but forcefully invite readers to become attentive to what is said and done during Mass in order to deeper their understanding of and prayer during Mass. I highly recommend this little book as a wonderful vehicle to develop the full, conscious and active engagement with the liturgy that is the right and duty of all the baptized. --Fr. Jan Michael Joncas, Associate Professor of Catholic Studies, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MinnesotaWhat a precious pastoral gift this is! Fr. Turner has provided a wonderful resource for worship leaders, liturgy committees, pastors and ministers of music to use as both a source of background, theology, and liturgical practice. His concise yet well developed presentation of the history and recent pastoral practice of the various ritual units lead wonderfully into a great catechetical process of reflection and inventory for parishes to examine and evaluate their approaches. This is the resource that we need, and a great ongoing tool for parish leaders to truly take a hard look at their choices and develop strategies for the future. This time of implementing the revised Missal, we desperately need resources to help us pave the way--and here, Fr. Turner does not disappoint. This book will find an important place next to the Missal, the Lectionary, our hymnals, and other pastoral guides, and keep us focused as we lead our communities to embrace our liturgy in spirit and truth. --David Haas, Director, The Emmaus Center for Music, Prayer and Ministry, Eagan, MinnesotaWhat a great resource! I highly recommend this book to any parish seeking to deepen and fine tune its understanding and celebration of liturgy. The book does exactly what it sets out to do, as stated in the Introduction: . . . help you understand the parts of the Mass so that you may enter them more intentionally and prepare for them with wisdom. --Sandra Dooley, Liturgy and Music Director, St. John Vianney Parish, Orlando, FL(former director of the Office for Worship, Los Angeles, CA)