Let Us Pray: A Guide to the Rubrics of Sunday Mass

Let Us Pray is a guide to the Catholic Mass. It is not so much a book for someone seeking a personal understanding of the Eucharist as it is a manual for ministers and planners. It offers a thorough commentary on the rubrics of the Mass, that is, the how-to instructions for each part of the celebration. The publication of the revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) in 2002-03 seems to be the occasion for this new guide. It proceeds through the Mass from opening to close. For each part, author Paul Turner explains what church documents say, principles behind the rubrics, and common practices. Why not just read the GIRM instead of a book like this? What more does this author offer? 1) Turner unpacks the GIRM. He shows how principles mentioned in one part of the GIRM apply to each part of the Mass, and he highlights variations and exceptions. 2) He includes guidelines from other documents - Directory for Masses with Children, Pastoral Introduction to the Order of Mass, etc. 3) Turner points out changes from the earlier General Instruction, explaining what is new in the 'new' GIRM and why. 4) Turner describes what actually happens in parishes, not just what 'should' happen. This includes things not addressed in the GIRM, such as some gestures and postures of the assembly. In this last aspect, the treatment is uneven. Some popular practices are mentioned, others not. When Turner says certain things are common in parishes, is this simply an observation? Or based on research? Even so, this is a valuable and practical guide for liturgical ministers and planners - priests, deacons, lay ministers, liturgy committees, and those who are serious students of liturgy.

In this fascinating work, the author presents the central details about the celebration of the Eucharist. The rubrics, or instructions governing those details, are designed to "ensure that what happens at Mass is what the Church intends." In his introduction, Turner gives some background on development of the rubrics, relevant Church documents, scriptural influence, and historical precedent. It is precedent that prompts some priests to retain the practice of keeping their fingers together after touching the consecrated host, though the gesture is no longer required. Precedent also underlies regional customs embraced by the faithful such as striking the breast three times during the elevations. Turner acknowledges that a balance between variety and constancy in the Mass can become an issue for some individuals, but that the rubrics for Mass are not unlike the blueprint for a building. "The finished product needs careful direction, but it also needs heart and soul.... Mass needs the rubrics in order to be the Mass, but it takes more than rubrics to pray." "Let Us Pray" consists of more than 800 numbered paragraphs with specifics on every aspect of the Mass in sequential order. For example, there are frequent references to changes in the priest's body language in post Vatican II rubrics, notably how high the hands should be held or how widely spread at certain points. Or that the priest should look directly at members of the assembly when he is addressing them, but look upward and into the distance when addressing God. And if the priest is wearing a wireless microphone, he should shut it off after the Collect. While these "little-known-facts" are of interest, they are only a minor element of Turner's explanation of the Sunday Mass, which he proclaims to be "the greatest miracle in the world." The book is a valuable resource for anyone who wishes to increase his appreciation of the Mass and especially for liturgists, catechists, and those who train lay ministers.