Sacred Mysteries: Sacramental Principles and Liturgical Practice

By Dennis C. Smolarski

Book Overview

How well do Christians celebrate those rituals that embody their belief? Thirty years after Vatican Council II and 25 years after the revised rites began to be used, it is now possible to reflect on the quality of worship in our churches, and on the degree to which the renewed liturgy has been effective. We can begin to see the celebration of sacred mysteries not merely as prescribed rituals but as actions that illuminate fundamental relationships among human beings and between them and God. Sacred Mysteries opens by reflecting on the continual process of reform in the church and on the foundational principles for all liturgical action. It then moves to a discussion of each of the sacraments, with particular reference to the way they are ritualized in the assembly. A final chapter addresses practices that can cloud the experience of mystery during liturgical celebrations and thus inhibit rather than enhance the power of the rite. Clergy and laity who are concerned about the effectiveness of worship will find much in these pages to reflect on and to enhance the quality of their celebration. +

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809135515
• ISBN13: 9780809135516
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Paulist Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Great Resource for Any Liturgical Minister

This book presents an insightful and valuable presentation on the principles and liturgical practice of the sacraments of the Catholic Church and how they are perceived by the Second Vatican Council. After three introductory chapters that deal with a reflection on the quality of liturgical worship during the years after the Council, Smolarsky states that sacraments need to be experienced as practices that establish relationships between and among God and human beings. The author discusses each of the seven sacraments, giving a brief historical development and then an explanation of the present rites and their effectiveness. In an insighful final chapter, there is a presentation of actual practices that prevent the full power of the rites. This is a very concise and effective resource for clergy and laity involved in liturgy. The fact that is both well written and brief makes Smolarski's book a first hand source for weekly liturgical planning.