{Lenten Book Club: The Spirit of the Liturgy}
As promised — and I do believe, in keeping with the mission of this blog, which is to talk about what we want to talk about — we will read The Spirit(s) of the Liturgy as a little book club together this Lent.
- First, Romano Guardini's The Spirit of the Liturgy. It's free, online. You can also purchase it here. (Edited to add that I realized too late that this edition — the only one in print — does not include footnotes, boo.)
- Then, Joseph Ratzinger: The Spirit of the Liturgy (yes, same name).
- (When you buy something via our Amazon affiliate link, a little cash rolls our way… just a little. Thanks!)
- I'll post on Fridays. I'll give you your homework, I'll talk about what we read, we'll discuss in the comments. You can do this study at any point, but if you want to stay current and join in the convo, that's how it will go.
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For Friday, read Chapter One, “The Prayer of the Liturgy,” of the Guardini book or flunk out don't worry because it will all be here in that great organized way we have of offering series. Trying to do better this time. And Chapter Two will be next Friday, so you can look ahead to that (and have a bit more time).
The info on these mitts is here on my Ravelry page.
Here you can see why I did break down and spend $7 on this book:
One more read-through and I think each and every sentence will be underlined.
If it weren't for you great and wonderful readers, I would never have the sheer cheek to attempt something like this study.
The Spirit of the Liturgy is a rather philosophical attempt to make the case for universal, objective, joyful, and serene worship. It's an inquiry into what the essence of such worship is and what it ought to be. Guardini offers a fresh way of looking at what it means to worship while being grounded in the most fundamental philosophical and theological ideas.
There are points made in this book that I strongly suspect will be new to you. They were new to me, although instantly recognizable. That's why I so strongly feel moved to share my reading with you. It's an exciting book, against all expectations! (And then, just wait for the other one. Swoons of ecstasy!)
Probably most of our readers here at Like Mother, Like Daughter are married women who are devoting themselves to building their home. We have a fair number of readers who are unmarried women, some who have already raised their children and like to stop by for a cup of tea and a read, and even some guys — great, thoughtful men who appreciate what we hope is a reasoned and sometimes fun apologia for home life, in which they too are heavily invested. In fact, you could say, it's what they work for, when all is said and done.
So we have a lot of homemaking things to talk about here, and we love it. I can talk the price of potatoes all day. Want to see what I'm knitting? Glad to show you. Let's paint a room together!
But I have never for one minute bought the lie that a woman whose path in life can be described as “homemaker” — or even, to use my very favorite un-PC term, “housewife” which is what I call myself on forms — gives up using her mind. “So, if you stay home, will you… stop thinking?” I have been asked this in my day.
There are many silly, thought-free people in the world. Some of them, perhaps, are stay-at-home moms. I am willing to concede that possibility. Some are not, let's be honest, stay-at-home anythings. They are all too “out there” if you ask me.
But intelligent people can be found everywhere, if you look hard enough, and many of them also love to knit, quilt, garden, and keep bees. So we won't make any assumptions.
Except for this one: we will assume that readers of Like Mother, Like Daughter are highly intelligent and, furthermore, are up for anything. Including a rather tricky Lenten journey through the wilds of philosophy, theology, and what have you, in order to find some answers to a troubling question.
It's tricky because your guide, yours truly, lacks all the necessary credentials to be leading you. However, she is left to do it by default. Thus, it must be.
Yes, the reading is daunting. It's way more daunting than even the most daunting Facebook post. But it will be good for you and I will help you. When I can't, I'll find someone who will.
We have to (I hope I can say “we”), because of the troubling nature of the question, as I mentioned. This question is at the very heart of the darkness that I believe has overtaken us as a civilization.
And I don't mean in the past 10 or even 50 years. I mean in the past… 200 and even 500 (some might say 700) years. It's crept up on us and now we are living out its inner logic. (We talked a little about it just a little in this post about The Abolition of Man, a book in which C. S. Lewis deals with the question from the different angle of the education of the young, perhaps the most important, after the subject of worship.)
This question has to do with whether something exists outside of ourselves, or whether reality is merely what we shape it to be by our preferences — or by the preferences of those we find we have no power to resist.
Reality. What is it?
If reality exists apart from ourselves, then worship — from all evidence a universal human impulse (as we will see when we go on to Joseph Ratzinger's Spirit of the Liturgy) — has a different character from what it has if it's only an urge, arising from the breast of man (as perhaps the result of collisions of chemicals?) with no goal external to him.
Worship is either preference — a nice add-on to a comfortable life, or the desperate and meaningless expression of a suffering life — or it is our one duty and happiness — the possession of what we are made for and most desire.
Since you are, we hope, living your Lent, simply and peacefully, perhaps you will be able to find time for some deep reading and grappling of big thoughts. I really appreciate you coming along with me!
Mrs. B. says
I’d love to be along for the ride, as much as it’s doable for me. Thank you so much for all the work you’re putting into this project.
I’ve read most of the Ratzinger book, because I kept bumping into quotes from it, all of them so wonderful that I had to buy the book. I think Summorum Pontificum and the creation of the Anglican Ordinariate are the two concrete actions that most represent his understanding that the liturgy is vital, and I’m so grateful for those two gifts.
“… the case for universal, objective, joyful, and serene worship” Ah, serene worship! Next Sunday I’ll try to explain my feisty toddler that liturgy is supposed to be SERENE! 😉
Leila says
Mrs B: the worship is supposed to be serene, not the toddlers!
Toddlers gotta toddle 🙂
Lisa G. says
OK, I’m reading.
Anamaria says
Wish I could join- I read a good chunk of Ratzinger’s book on a retreat one year, it is phenomenal. I’ll definitely read it one of these days, but, with a new baby, it’s not the year for me! I need something a bit shorter, I think- unless I manage to download one or both books on my dad’s old iPad (in theory, great for nursing reading but my technological ineptitude means that, instead, I look at Wall Street Journal ten times a day and food blogs throughout the witching hour…)
I look forward to the posts, nevertheless! Or, perhaps, because it’s so logistically difficult to read something edifying in the first months of a new baby 🙂
Allie says
I can’t get my mind off the (hot cross? ) buns?
🙂
rachel says
on board for the first part, with the free ebook… for the second ill be reading, and pondering and enjoying, you posts alone.
thank you!
Kathryn says
Auntie Leila, The second to last paragraph, “Worship is either preference — a nice add-on to a comfortable life, or the desperate and meaningless expression of a suffering life — or it is our one duty and happiness — the possession of what we are made for and most desire,” was exactly what I needed to hear. I read the the first chapter for this Friday and it was worth every minute. Thank you! I’m looking forward to following the discussion on Friday.
Rose says
I’m stepping up as bravely as I can. Thank you for the invitation Leila. At this stage I’m very new, I have much reading to do to even be a beginner but I will focus, read and contribute if I have something to contribute.
I am quietly excited and I thank you for the leading that you do in so many ways.
Anel says
Goodness, Auntie Leila.. as a Protestant [of the “oldest” kind] there is much to try to understand here [in chapter 1] – half of the practices that are referred to is unfamiliar to me [us P’s?]. No matter, I think I get the gist and look forward to your notes on it.
Just one question [maybe someone else can help] – end note # 8 simply refers to Matt. v. 37. It looks like a verse in Scripture, but there’s no Chapter? Would like to understand.
God Bless
Lindsey Gallant says
Perhaps the v. is a Roman numeral indicating chapter 5?
Anel says
ahaaaa!
Deb says
Have started reading and am looking forward to this study…thank you Leila!
Deb
Rain says
I just ordered the books and look forward to reading along!
Anne says
Thank you for hosting this! I’m in. (And I’ll try to keep my comments relevant, I promise.)
Leila says
Anne, your grades will suffer if you wander around in your comments, just warning you!!
LOL
Love to hear from you no matter what.
*Kate says
I’m looking forward to trying to keep up! Thank you for the challenge 🙂
Nancy says
So glad you are leading the book discussion. Through the opportunity of my husband’s work assignments in various parts of country, we have experienced worship with beautiful liturgy. Some of those places included St. Mary’s Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, Cathedral Basilica of Assumption in Covington, KY and Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, GA. The parish we now attend (because closeness to home)has placed the tabernacle in a room beside the altar with doors. Last week during communion the choir sung Rascal Flatt’s THE LONG ROAD. Rascal Flatt=awesome country singer BUT Not during communion I have tried to gently speak to fellow parishioner- friends who serve on committee/boards, and even to the music director.
Your discussion on women in the home reminded me of a conversation I just had with a 26 year old woman. She believed the consequences, as a result of devoting time to raising a family at home, would be (1) lose ground on the career ladder (2) become sloppy in dress (3) and intellectually dull. This was her vision of a housewife.
Erica says
Nancy, wow, I hope as your friend ages and gains a little more life experience, her feelings/opinions/expectations change just a bit. 🙂
Leila says
Nancy, YIKES!!
We will talk about this but I would not have GENTLE words for any of them!!
Erica says
I just purchased both books and plan to join in the discussion next week. Thank you for doing this, Leila. I needed some encouragement to read something deep this Lent. I have heard excellent things about Ratzinger’s book so am excited to finally read that one. I will pass along your post to our local homeschool group.
Cara says
I’ve ordered the books and looking forward to your notes and discussion.
Needed the opportunity for some “deep thinking”. 🙂
Peace to you this Lent.
Sandy says
Wonderful idea! I am looking forward to a insightful read and discussion,
Lisa G. says
I forgot to say that the whorly design on your knitting is so unusual and pretty!
Polly says
The timing of this study is fascinating to me. I am dipping in, too, and am late to start, but will catch up this weekend. Fascinating because for a while now I have been mulling over this idea of worship preferences. I am a Protestant, and my church changed denominations a couple of years ago. We are now searching for a pastor since our longtime pastor has retired. There’s so much to write about all of this, but the short story is that these processes have forced the issue with me: that is, what is worship? What is expected of us in worship? Why do we choose one person to lead us v. another person? Protestants emphasize the *personality* standing in front of us in worship, and I think that’s because we do not have universality in our worship. It’s all about preference! I find this exhausting.
At the same time I’ve been pondering all this, my sister joined the Catholic church at Easter Vigil last year (2015). So I’ve had the opportunity to talk to her extensively about Mass and to worship with her several times. I have always loved liturgy (was baptized in the Episcopal church, as was my husband, but I was raised in a Reformed church). My husband says that it seems so rote, and I see what he means–for him, growing up in the Episcopal church, there was a lot of going through the motions, and the emphasis was on “activities” and “programs” but not a continuation of the liturgy in the home. But there’s so much more to a liturgical service than meets the eye……
Anyhow, thank you for hosting this study! I’m looking forward to reading along.
Therese says
Looking forward to beginning, Leila.
Jud says
Absolutely love this reading posts. I love reading pope Benedict. I have no time to join you at this time but I love love love that you are reading it and more people with you. A book like this, surrounded by cookies and knitwork, is just as good as it gets on planet earth! Thank you for sharing this.
Jud says
So I reply to my own post – I have to tell you – I couldn’t help it and I bought the book! I even started a vlog – in dutch. I am so grateful that you * made* me get this book. Just wanted to share that. It’s a tough read, even in dutch, but I just know good will come of it! I will dive in your comments now, got a bit stuck in chapter two., so I can use some input. Keep on reading!