Bøger af Christopher Carstens

Romano Guardini's The Spirit of the Liturgy "helped us to rediscover the liturgy in all its beauty, hidden wealth, and time-transcending grandeur, to see it as the animating center of the Church, the very center of Christian life.... We were now willing to see the liturgy as the prayer of the Church, a prayer moved and guided by the Holy Spirit himself, a prayer in which Christ unceasingly becomes contemporary with us, enters into our lives." -- Joseph Cardinal RatzingerIn the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council wrote that liturgical reform and renewal must accord with what they called "the spirit of the liturgy". But what did they mean by this? Popes had written and spoken about this spirit in the decades before the council, but another important source is the 1918 book The Spirit of the Liturgy by Romano Guardini, which Pope Benedict XVI credits with sparking the liturgical movement in Germany.The Seven Gifts of The Spirit of the Liturgy is a study of Guardini's watershed text. With contributions from Bishop Arthur Serratelli, Cassian Folsom, O.S.B., Michon Matthiesen, David Fagerberg, Daniel Cardó, Bishop James Conley, Emery de Gaál, and Susan Benofy, as well as Christopher Carstens, it analyzes each of the seven core features of the liturgical spirit as Guardini defined it: objective, corporate, universal, symbolic, meaningful, beautiful, and logical.The Second Vatican Council saw each of these seven characteristics as integral to authentic liturgical reform. Too often they remain absent from liturgical celebrations even today, when subjectivism and individualism take the place of an objective, corporate spirit; when custom-made liturgies neglect the dimension of universality; when frivolous, anemic symbols stand in for a robust symbolism that truly manifests Christ; when beauty and seriousness fade into the background.We hold back the spirit of the liturgy if we don't know what it is, if we don't desire it, and if we don't work to let it animate liturgical prayer and practice. For this reason, nine experts on the liturgy recall in this book Guardini's key spiritual insights, showing how these can deepen our liturgical understanding and practice today.

If you're unhappy because the Mass has become for you routine or even boring and tedious these pages are for you. They teach you eight simple ways to make your every Mass a joyful time of piety and intense devotion. Explaining the spiritual meanings behind the signs and symbols, words and actions of the Mass, author Christopher Carstens teaches you spiritually-enriching ways to enter the church building, make the Sign of the Cross, pray the Opening Prayer, listen to the Readings, prepare your soul at the Offertory, participate in the Eucharistic Prayer, receive Communion, and even respond to the Dismissal. Soon with the help of author Carstens wise suggestions you will be surprised to find each Eucharistic Celebration a fountain of peace for you, a profound refreshment for your soul. Among other things you'll learn from these pages: The meaning of the "sacramental principle": if you don't understand it, then Mass is almost surely flat for you How each element of the Liturgy has a sacramental quality about it, and can be for you a grace-filled encounter with Jesus How to transform your prayers at Mass into a conversation with God Why silence - both within the liturgy and outside of it - is a necessary element of that conversation with God What you should desire in order to receive the Eucharist most efficaciously (and what that desire presupposes in you) Coming and going through the church doors: what, each time, it should mean for you spiritually Plus, at the end of each chapter, a list of action items for the next time you go to Mass, and much, much more to awaken in you the bright spirit of joyful devotion that we are all called to have at Mass

A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery sweeps readers through the various liturgical celebrations of Lent, the Paschal Triduum, and the Easter Season, unveiling the rich spiritual treasures contained in each. Based principally on the solemn texts themselves and on the writings of the Fathers of the Church, it clarifies the meaning and purpose of each celebration and suggests practical ways for participants to pray these observances more fruitfully.Entering the celebrations from Ash Wednesday through Lent and the Easter Triduum with the holy insights contained here allows the faithful more effectively to engage Christ Himself, who meets us in these divine ceremonies.A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery shows readers how prayerful participation in the Paschal Mystery brings life, joy, and holiness. It's a powerful aid for every Christian who seeks to make Lent and Easter a truly life-changing experience.