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The Spirit of the Liturgy
Originally written in 1918, this profound reflection on the nature of liturgical worship still stands as a guiding light for today's renewel or worship and prayer. In limpid, even poetic terms, it clarifies the underlying principles and existential implications of the belief that when Christians join in the Eucharist and other liturgical celebrations, they do so not as discrete individuals but as interconnected members of the one People of God.
132 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1918
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1727 people want to read
About the author
Romano Guardini
381 books163 followersRomano Guardini was a Catholic priest, author, and academic. He was one of the most important figures in Catholic intellectual life in the 20th century.
Guardini was born in Verona, Italy in 1885. His family moved to Mainz when he was one year old and he lived in Germany for the rest of his life. After studying chemistry in Tübingen for two semesters, and economics in Munich and Berlin for three, he decided to become a priest. After studying Theology in Freiburg im Breisgau and Tübingen, he was ordained in Mainz in 1910. He briefly worked in a pastoral position before returning to Freiburg to work on his doctorate in Theology under Engelbert Krebs. He received his doctorate in 1915 for a dissertation on Bonaventure. He completed his “Habilitation” in Dogmatic Theology at the University of Bonn in 1922, again with a dissertation on Bonaventure. Throughout this period he also worked as a chaplain to the Catholic youth movement.
In 1923 he was appointed to a chair in Philosophy of Religion at the University of Berlin. In the 1935 essay “Der Heiland” (The Saviour) he criticized Nazi mythologizing of the person of Jesus and emphasized the Jewishness of Jesus. The Nazis forced him to resign from his Berlin position in 1939. From 1943 to 1945 he retired to Mooshausen, where his friend Josef Weiger had been parish priest since 1917.
In 1945 Guardini was appointed professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Tübingen and resumed lecturing on the Philosophy of Religion. In 1948, he became professor at the University of Munich, where he remained until retiring for health reasons in 1962.
Guardini died in Munich on 1 October 1968. He was buried in the priests’ cemetery of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Munich. His estate was left to the Catholic Academy in Bavaria that he had co-founded.
Guardini was born in Verona, Italy in 1885. His family moved to Mainz when he was one year old and he lived in Germany for the rest of his life. After studying chemistry in Tübingen for two semesters, and economics in Munich and Berlin for three, he decided to become a priest. After studying Theology in Freiburg im Breisgau and Tübingen, he was ordained in Mainz in 1910. He briefly worked in a pastoral position before returning to Freiburg to work on his doctorate in Theology under Engelbert Krebs. He received his doctorate in 1915 for a dissertation on Bonaventure. He completed his “Habilitation” in Dogmatic Theology at the University of Bonn in 1922, again with a dissertation on Bonaventure. Throughout this period he also worked as a chaplain to the Catholic youth movement.
In 1923 he was appointed to a chair in Philosophy of Religion at the University of Berlin. In the 1935 essay “Der Heiland” (The Saviour) he criticized Nazi mythologizing of the person of Jesus and emphasized the Jewishness of Jesus. The Nazis forced him to resign from his Berlin position in 1939. From 1943 to 1945 he retired to Mooshausen, where his friend Josef Weiger had been parish priest since 1917.
In 1945 Guardini was appointed professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Tübingen and resumed lecturing on the Philosophy of Religion. In 1948, he became professor at the University of Munich, where he remained until retiring for health reasons in 1962.
Guardini died in Munich on 1 October 1968. He was buried in the priests’ cemetery of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Munich. His estate was left to the Catholic Academy in Bavaria that he had co-founded.
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September 27, 2025Sehr lohnenswert zu lesen wenn man über Liturgie nachdenken will. Außerdem sehr schöne Formulierungen. Am spannendsten waren für mich seine Gedanken vom Einzelnen und der Gemeinschaft und seine Überlegungen zu Sinn und Zweck im Bezug auf die Liturgie: Liturgie erfüllt keinen Zweck etwas zu schaffen, sondern hat Sinn allein in ihrem Da-Sein. Auch seine Gedanken zu Liturgie zwischen Emotion und Nüchternheit, Spiel und Ernsthaftigkeit sind sehr stark.
August 15, 2013
Meh. This was a free e-book I found on Amazon. Previously I had read his monumental book length meditation on the life of Christ, The Lord. That one kind of goes beyond things Catholic, and works itself deeply, and beautifully, into the gospels. Spirit of the Liturgy, written in 1918, also starts out beautifully, but by chapter 2 it gets a bit creepy with its Christian as Hive member characterization. This book was probably aimed at the clergy. And at the time it was written, the liturgy was in Latin, so much of what Guardini has written no longer applies (unless you live in an Opus Dei parish, with its weekly Latin offering to true believers hoping for a return to the Good Old Days).
The "Hive" bit may be harsh, but it's hard not to feel a bit of chill with lines like these:
"If prayer in common, therefore, is to prove beneficial to the majority, it must be primarily directed by thought, and not by feeling. It is only when prayer is sustained by and steeped in clear and fruitful religious thought, that it can be of service to a corporate body, composed of distinct elements, all actuated by varying emotions."
The "heart" of the matter seems, to me, to be missing in this statement, which is dominated by the word "corporate." It just sounds so mechanical. Oh, Guardini does allow for that component, but it's described as "emotion under the strictest control." It's profound stuff, but often a two sided sword that just doesn't fit most Catholic masses today. It's as if Guardini is projecting Dante's angels' worshipful dance from the Paradiso. In other words beautiful, but also artificial, even arid. Woven throughout are comments (complaints?) about the modern man, and his insistence on his individuality, which are veiled swipes at a post-Reformation society that keeps mucking up all that truth and beauty the Church is trying to regulate.
In addition, along the way, Guardini also tells a few whoppers. These are not central to Guardini's subject, but he would of been better off leaving out statements like "[t]he Church has always condemned every attempt at attacking science, art, property, and so on." Then there's the one about the Mass creating an "inner world of immeasurable breadth and depth" that is at the "same time so lucid and so universal in form, that its like has never been seen, either before or since." Well, I'll grant him the "universal" bit (then, not now), but one has to wonder if he'd ever heard the Orthodox Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. If he hadn't heard it, he certainly knew of it. That liturgy easily holds its own with the Latin Mass. Maybe I'm nitpicking, but I can't help but feel that such statements betray an institutional arrogance that even a no-doubt humble and holy man such as Guardini was unaware.
Finally, this book is laced with long and numbing passages regarding "beauty." I suppose one can find delicate nuance in these lines, but I usually found myself getting sleepy.
The "Hive" bit may be harsh, but it's hard not to feel a bit of chill with lines like these:
"If prayer in common, therefore, is to prove beneficial to the majority, it must be primarily directed by thought, and not by feeling. It is only when prayer is sustained by and steeped in clear and fruitful religious thought, that it can be of service to a corporate body, composed of distinct elements, all actuated by varying emotions."
The "heart" of the matter seems, to me, to be missing in this statement, which is dominated by the word "corporate." It just sounds so mechanical. Oh, Guardini does allow for that component, but it's described as "emotion under the strictest control." It's profound stuff, but often a two sided sword that just doesn't fit most Catholic masses today. It's as if Guardini is projecting Dante's angels' worshipful dance from the Paradiso. In other words beautiful, but also artificial, even arid. Woven throughout are comments (complaints?) about the modern man, and his insistence on his individuality, which are veiled swipes at a post-Reformation society that keeps mucking up all that truth and beauty the Church is trying to regulate.
In addition, along the way, Guardini also tells a few whoppers. These are not central to Guardini's subject, but he would of been better off leaving out statements like "[t]he Church has always condemned every attempt at attacking science, art, property, and so on." Then there's the one about the Mass creating an "inner world of immeasurable breadth and depth" that is at the "same time so lucid and so universal in form, that its like has never been seen, either before or since." Well, I'll grant him the "universal" bit (then, not now), but one has to wonder if he'd ever heard the Orthodox Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. If he hadn't heard it, he certainly knew of it. That liturgy easily holds its own with the Latin Mass. Maybe I'm nitpicking, but I can't help but feel that such statements betray an institutional arrogance that even a no-doubt humble and holy man such as Guardini was unaware.
Finally, this book is laced with long and numbing passages regarding "beauty." I suppose one can find delicate nuance in these lines, but I usually found myself getting sleepy.
June 19, 2024
Ein großartige Reflexion des Gottesdienstes und der Liturgie! Guardini schreibt nicht über die konkreten Gottesdienstelemente, sondern eben den "Geist der Liturgie": Über das Gebet, wie es persönliches aufnimmt und gleichzeitig korrigiert und über den einzelnen hinausgeht; über die Gemeinschaft, die einen demütig macht, weil man seine "Selbstständigkeit und Selbstherrlichkeit" aufgibt und zugleich beschenkt wird; über die Liturgie als Spiel, weil sie nicht bloßer Zweck ist. Guardini schreibt:
Gleichzeitig verpasst man etwas, wenn man die Liturgie nur aus ästhetischen Gründen sucht und nicht um der Wahrheit willen, da es sich in der Liturgie um "die bitter ernste Sache des Heiles" handelt. Guardini endet mit einem Kapitel über den "Primat des Logos über das Ethos", was meint:
Brauchte also nicht erst Comer & Co., um das zu entdecken ;)
Doch sei es nur Schein, dass sich die Liturgie nicht um "Handeln und Streben und den sittlichen Stand der Menschen" kümmere, sondern, so Guardinis Schlusssatz: "Denn in Wirklichkeit weiß sie sehr wohl: wer in ihr lebt, wird wahr, gesund und befriedet in seinem innersten Wesen."
Die Frage, mit der ich zurückbleibe: Erfährt das der "normale" Gottesdienstteilnehmer?
Liturgie üben heißt, getragen von der Gnade, geführt von der Kirche, zu einem lebendigen Kunstwerk werden vor Gott, mit keinem andern Zweck, als eben vor Gott zu sein und zu leben [...] Schließlich wird ja auch davon das ewige Leben die Erfüllung sein.
Gleichzeitig verpasst man etwas, wenn man die Liturgie nur aus ästhetischen Gründen sucht und nicht um der Wahrheit willen, da es sich in der Liturgie um "die bitter ernste Sache des Heiles" handelt. Guardini endet mit einem Kapitel über den "Primat des Logos über das Ethos", was meint:
Den endgültigen Vorrang im Gesamtbereich des Lebens soll nicht das Tun haben, sondern das Sein. Nicht auf Handeln kommt es im Grunde an, sondern auf Werden [...] nicht die Anstrengung, sondern die Anbetung ist das Endgültige.
Brauchte also nicht erst Comer & Co., um das zu entdecken ;)
Doch sei es nur Schein, dass sich die Liturgie nicht um "Handeln und Streben und den sittlichen Stand der Menschen" kümmere, sondern, so Guardinis Schlusssatz: "Denn in Wirklichkeit weiß sie sehr wohl: wer in ihr lebt, wird wahr, gesund und befriedet in seinem innersten Wesen."
Die Frage, mit der ich zurückbleibe: Erfährt das der "normale" Gottesdienstteilnehmer?
February 21, 2022
I had to read this book for my NSP and I could not get myself to read it. I had to find an audio version of it on YouTube. I still did not understand any thing it was talking about.
March 7, 2019
I read this book as a precursor to reading Cardinal Ratzinger's book of the same name as the latter was influenced by and an elaboration/expansion of sorts of the former. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It is little wonder that it sparked a liturgical revival in Germany in the 1920s after it was published.
Up to this point, most of the books I have read about mass or the liturgy were of the kind which explained the rituals and symbols or historical and biblical origins of the liturgy. While those are important and formative, I loved that Guardini's book approached liturgical formation from an entirely different perspective - that of exploring the philosophical foundations and presuppositions upon which the Roman Catholic liturgy rests. I found it personally illuminating to read the analogy of liturgy as "play" (as opposed to "work"), how it is intentionally designed to give primacy to Logos as opposed to Ethos, and why it is ontologically and necessarily different and distinct from personal prayer and popular devotions. An unexpected outcome for me was that reading The Spirit of the Liturgy has enabled me to be more accepting of dissatisfactory experiences of the liturgy (not because bad liturgy should be tolerated but because this book has given me a lens to see into a reality beyond that, and that gives me much needed hope).
This book is quite heavy on philosophy and would not be considered as an easy read for the casual reader. However, for readers who appreciate philosophy and who do not mind being challenged (not just intellectually, but spiritually also), I would recommend this book.
Just to give a taste from its pages:
"Because the life of the liturgy is higher than that to which customary reality gives both the opportunity and form of expression, it adopts suitable forms and methods from that sphere in which alone they are to be found, that is to say, from art. It speaks measuredly and melodiously; it employs formal, rhythmic gestures; it is clothed in colors and garments foreign to everyday life; it is carried out in places and at hours which have been co-ordinated and systematized according to sublimer laws than ours. It is in the highest sense the life of a child, in which everything is picture, melody and song.
It is not work, but play. To be at play, or to fashion a work of art in God's sight--not to create, but to exist--such is the essence of the liturgy. From this is derived its sublime mingling of profound earnestness and divine joyfulness. The fact that the liturgy gives a thousand strict and careful directions on the quality of the language, gestures, colors, garments and instruments which it employs, can only be understood by those who are able to take art and play seriously. Have you ever noticed how gravely children draw up the rules of their games, on the form of the melody, the position of the hands, the meaning of this stick and that tree? It is for the sake of the silly people who may not grasp their meaning and who will persist in seeing the justification of an action or object only in its obvious purpose.
The liturgy has laid down the serious rules of the sacred game which the soul plays before God. And, if we are desirous of touching bottom in this mystery, it is the Spirit of fire and of holy discipline "Who has knowledge of the world"8--the Holy Ghost-Who has ordained the game which the Eternal Wisdom plays before the Heavenly Father in the Church, Its kingdom on earth. "
Up to this point, most of the books I have read about mass or the liturgy were of the kind which explained the rituals and symbols or historical and biblical origins of the liturgy. While those are important and formative, I loved that Guardini's book approached liturgical formation from an entirely different perspective - that of exploring the philosophical foundations and presuppositions upon which the Roman Catholic liturgy rests. I found it personally illuminating to read the analogy of liturgy as "play" (as opposed to "work"), how it is intentionally designed to give primacy to Logos as opposed to Ethos, and why it is ontologically and necessarily different and distinct from personal prayer and popular devotions. An unexpected outcome for me was that reading The Spirit of the Liturgy has enabled me to be more accepting of dissatisfactory experiences of the liturgy (not because bad liturgy should be tolerated but because this book has given me a lens to see into a reality beyond that, and that gives me much needed hope).
This book is quite heavy on philosophy and would not be considered as an easy read for the casual reader. However, for readers who appreciate philosophy and who do not mind being challenged (not just intellectually, but spiritually also), I would recommend this book.
Just to give a taste from its pages:
"Because the life of the liturgy is higher than that to which customary reality gives both the opportunity and form of expression, it adopts suitable forms and methods from that sphere in which alone they are to be found, that is to say, from art. It speaks measuredly and melodiously; it employs formal, rhythmic gestures; it is clothed in colors and garments foreign to everyday life; it is carried out in places and at hours which have been co-ordinated and systematized according to sublimer laws than ours. It is in the highest sense the life of a child, in which everything is picture, melody and song.
It is not work, but play. To be at play, or to fashion a work of art in God's sight--not to create, but to exist--such is the essence of the liturgy. From this is derived its sublime mingling of profound earnestness and divine joyfulness. The fact that the liturgy gives a thousand strict and careful directions on the quality of the language, gestures, colors, garments and instruments which it employs, can only be understood by those who are able to take art and play seriously. Have you ever noticed how gravely children draw up the rules of their games, on the form of the melody, the position of the hands, the meaning of this stick and that tree? It is for the sake of the silly people who may not grasp their meaning and who will persist in seeing the justification of an action or object only in its obvious purpose.
The liturgy has laid down the serious rules of the sacred game which the soul plays before God. And, if we are desirous of touching bottom in this mystery, it is the Spirit of fire and of holy discipline "Who has knowledge of the world"8--the Holy Ghost-Who has ordained the game which the Eternal Wisdom plays before the Heavenly Father in the Church, Its kingdom on earth. "
Read
August 2, 2011Guardini's expertise ranges beyond theology and liturgy into the realm of psychology and sociology, though it is probably more accurate to simply say he understood the human soul.
This masterpiece does something very difficult and does it well, namely, it articulates what it is that makes good liturgy good. One finds oneself nodding along as Guardini discusses the various aspects of good liturgy and the human tendencies which such liturgy both counters and nurtures. Further, it is difficult not to find oneself represented in at least a few of Guardini's descriptions. The reader, when finished, will better understand both the liturgy and the self.
This masterpiece does something very difficult and does it well, namely, it articulates what it is that makes good liturgy good. One finds oneself nodding along as Guardini discusses the various aspects of good liturgy and the human tendencies which such liturgy both counters and nurtures. Further, it is difficult not to find oneself represented in at least a few of Guardini's descriptions. The reader, when finished, will better understand both the liturgy and the self.
July 16, 2022
A short yet rich read regarding many dimensions of the liturgy. Guardini discusses the prayer, fellowship, style, symbolism, playfulness, and seriousness of the liturgy, and the role of beauty and truth within it. Throughout this discussion, he frequently offers examples of erroneous attitudes that have surfaced in the modern world that lead to a misunderstanding of the liturgy. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the playfulness of the liturgy, in which he characterizes the liturgy as play. This play is not understood as a theatrical performance, but truly the play of a child, in which he purposelessly pours out his very self for the sake of his own self-realization and expression.
backburner
May 3, 2009As this is the book which inspired Pope Benedict to write The Spirit of the Liturgy, I thought it would be a good idea to read this book along with the Holy Father's book, however that did not happen. Still want to read it ... hopefully some day very soon!
May 15, 2018
Whatever good points the author makes concerning the liturgy are drowned out once he makes the idiotic statement that like art, the liturgy should exist clearly for its own sake. The book is even more hampered by the author's complete misunderstanding of Protestantism, and why and how it operates and exists.
September 24, 2021
I read this book years ago as the basis for an academic theological composition that I wrote. Some have claimed that it served as the inspiration for Joseph Ratzinger's masterful book with the same title; in anycase, I was quite impressed with Guardini's book and loved the examples he uses. The author stuck me as a man of deep faith; the book was easy to read and full of wisdom.
January 1, 2013
Foundational to an understanding of the subject. Clear, powerful images.
July 13, 2023
Technical note: Goodreads has unhelpfully combined two books separated by a century into one link. One is by Romano Guardini, the other by Pope Benedict XVI. I’m reviewing Guardini.
For what it’s worth, though, I came to Guardini through Benedict XVI’s biography, and then noticed his name in a few other places (Alexander Schmemann, for example). Liturgy and the worship of God is a topic of growing interest to me, especially the ideas that predate the Second Vatican Council, and so I picked this book up electronically through the Internet Archive. And this is a good read, but not one I would suggest for someone just getting into the liturgical waters.
Guardini approaches the Mass through human nature and its strange dualism: we are hylomorphic beings; we are also strangely individual communitarians. Any ideology or institution that overly focuses on one aspect comes off worse for the lack of balance. Historically, we live in an age of subjectivism, and whether we Catholics like it or not, that mentality enters our understanding of the Church. We end up with a strange divorce of Catholic from the Church, as if the Church were something outside of us, a force or set of rules and institutions distinctly not us. Guardini corrects this Lockean notion with the more traditional Aristotelean approach. We are individuals within a Church; the Church does not dissipate if we die, and we do not cease to exist in the Church. Individualism and Totalitarianism are the erring extremes that need a correction in the middle ground.
The Church itself has a similar duality: it is a perfect society of imperfect men, and a society of Creator and Creatures. We err focusing too much on the ideal Church or on the imperfections clearly visible. The difficult duty of the Catholic is to love the Church as she is, not as we wish her to appear; to love Christ crucified is a related idea.
And we need the Church and her Christ as a bedrock, a foundation. Modern man uprooted from the absolute is uncertain and drifting, but as Guardini says, “this spiritual and intellectual poverty is accompanied by a colossal pride. Man is morbidly uncertain and morbidly arrogant.” A dangerous combination and an accurate description of modernity. There’s a reason “the crisis of modernity” is a genre now. We desperately need, not want, need truths to abide by. The Church provides this in three ways: Dogmas, Moral Teaching, and the Liturgy.
Guardini focuses on the Liturgy of that triad, and to the question modernity presents us: do we wish to have a liturgy that is based on the Logos or on our Ethos? The Church’s success over the ages is due to its commitment to the truth, not the popular, not current fads. “The Church enters every age. But she also opposes them. The Church is never modern.” And that leads into the second half of the book: what is Liturgy and its connection to the truth, the Logos?
We return to our dual nature as members of a Church and yet particular individuals. The Liturgy is the communal and corporate prayer of the Church, and as such has the highest priority in our spiritual life. But we are still individuals; hence our need for subjective, personal devotions. Balance is again required, as we run the risk of making our personal devotions too formal or desiring the liturgy to be warmer and fuzzier. Those personal devotions will change through time, but the liturgy must be based on eternal truth. We are hylomorphic, bodies in time with eternal souls, and our prayers must reflect both elements.
Guardini gives useful principles for liturgical worship. For starters, such worship sets an appropriate tone, guided by reason and interwoven by dogma. It is not an emotional experience primarily, and this is an act of genius. This daily celebration is even keeled, whereas we fluctuated emotionally with the varying fortunes of life. Regardless of what is happening to us, though, we can always return to the Mass and touch the eternal, unchanging truth. Again, this is a communal worship: to try to stir up emotions every day would be exhausting and frankly inauthentic. The Church has pared down its liturgy over the centuries, influenced by years beyond imagining and innumerable people in many lands. The balance of teachings is beyond the work of any single human, but the product of centuries; a new liturgy formed by any man or even committee would likely come off as biased towards their particular personalities and interests, which would obviously hinder anyone not focused on those same interests, but also a problem for those sharing a similar viewpoint in that no balance is provided to their limited knowledge and understanding. For all of that, the Mass of ancient days moves the soul without whipping it up into a frenzy. Ironically, this allows the soul to appreciate and participate in the liturgy according to its own current mood and situation. One might be joyful or sorrowful, particularly sensitive to the beauties of religion or harassed by the world, and yet find the Mass a place of joy, of comfort, of peace. If the liturgy itself leaned heavily towards one of those feelings, it would be difficult for others to worship. “It is this reserve which in the end makes fellowship in the liturgy possible; but for it the latter would be unendurable.”
And the public worship of God must have style. Guardini has a good definition for this word: it is a particular that expresses the universal accurately. Perhaps this is the greatest weakness of the Novus Ordo: one can easily walk away from it not knowing it is a sacrifice.
Overall, a worthwhile read. I can see why Benedict XVI appreciated it. Performed honestly and objectively, riven with dogma and guided by reason, mellowed by time and space, such worship truly becomes a “mystic guarantee of universal sanity.” And that, not watered down cringey “fun”, is what will bring souls to kneel at a pew.
For what it’s worth, though, I came to Guardini through Benedict XVI’s biography, and then noticed his name in a few other places (Alexander Schmemann, for example). Liturgy and the worship of God is a topic of growing interest to me, especially the ideas that predate the Second Vatican Council, and so I picked this book up electronically through the Internet Archive. And this is a good read, but not one I would suggest for someone just getting into the liturgical waters.
Guardini approaches the Mass through human nature and its strange dualism: we are hylomorphic beings; we are also strangely individual communitarians. Any ideology or institution that overly focuses on one aspect comes off worse for the lack of balance. Historically, we live in an age of subjectivism, and whether we Catholics like it or not, that mentality enters our understanding of the Church. We end up with a strange divorce of Catholic from the Church, as if the Church were something outside of us, a force or set of rules and institutions distinctly not us. Guardini corrects this Lockean notion with the more traditional Aristotelean approach. We are individuals within a Church; the Church does not dissipate if we die, and we do not cease to exist in the Church. Individualism and Totalitarianism are the erring extremes that need a correction in the middle ground.
The Church itself has a similar duality: it is a perfect society of imperfect men, and a society of Creator and Creatures. We err focusing too much on the ideal Church or on the imperfections clearly visible. The difficult duty of the Catholic is to love the Church as she is, not as we wish her to appear; to love Christ crucified is a related idea.
And we need the Church and her Christ as a bedrock, a foundation. Modern man uprooted from the absolute is uncertain and drifting, but as Guardini says, “this spiritual and intellectual poverty is accompanied by a colossal pride. Man is morbidly uncertain and morbidly arrogant.” A dangerous combination and an accurate description of modernity. There’s a reason “the crisis of modernity” is a genre now. We desperately need, not want, need truths to abide by. The Church provides this in three ways: Dogmas, Moral Teaching, and the Liturgy.
Guardini focuses on the Liturgy of that triad, and to the question modernity presents us: do we wish to have a liturgy that is based on the Logos or on our Ethos? The Church’s success over the ages is due to its commitment to the truth, not the popular, not current fads. “The Church enters every age. But she also opposes them. The Church is never modern.” And that leads into the second half of the book: what is Liturgy and its connection to the truth, the Logos?
We return to our dual nature as members of a Church and yet particular individuals. The Liturgy is the communal and corporate prayer of the Church, and as such has the highest priority in our spiritual life. But we are still individuals; hence our need for subjective, personal devotions. Balance is again required, as we run the risk of making our personal devotions too formal or desiring the liturgy to be warmer and fuzzier. Those personal devotions will change through time, but the liturgy must be based on eternal truth. We are hylomorphic, bodies in time with eternal souls, and our prayers must reflect both elements.
Guardini gives useful principles for liturgical worship. For starters, such worship sets an appropriate tone, guided by reason and interwoven by dogma. It is not an emotional experience primarily, and this is an act of genius. This daily celebration is even keeled, whereas we fluctuated emotionally with the varying fortunes of life. Regardless of what is happening to us, though, we can always return to the Mass and touch the eternal, unchanging truth. Again, this is a communal worship: to try to stir up emotions every day would be exhausting and frankly inauthentic. The Church has pared down its liturgy over the centuries, influenced by years beyond imagining and innumerable people in many lands. The balance of teachings is beyond the work of any single human, but the product of centuries; a new liturgy formed by any man or even committee would likely come off as biased towards their particular personalities and interests, which would obviously hinder anyone not focused on those same interests, but also a problem for those sharing a similar viewpoint in that no balance is provided to their limited knowledge and understanding. For all of that, the Mass of ancient days moves the soul without whipping it up into a frenzy. Ironically, this allows the soul to appreciate and participate in the liturgy according to its own current mood and situation. One might be joyful or sorrowful, particularly sensitive to the beauties of religion or harassed by the world, and yet find the Mass a place of joy, of comfort, of peace. If the liturgy itself leaned heavily towards one of those feelings, it would be difficult for others to worship. “It is this reserve which in the end makes fellowship in the liturgy possible; but for it the latter would be unendurable.”
And the public worship of God must have style. Guardini has a good definition for this word: it is a particular that expresses the universal accurately. Perhaps this is the greatest weakness of the Novus Ordo: one can easily walk away from it not knowing it is a sacrifice.
Overall, a worthwhile read. I can see why Benedict XVI appreciated it. Performed honestly and objectively, riven with dogma and guided by reason, mellowed by time and space, such worship truly becomes a “mystic guarantee of universal sanity.” And that, not watered down cringey “fun”, is what will bring souls to kneel at a pew.
November 22, 2024
This is a justly regarded classic and is a beautiful, brief reflection on the meaning and mystery of the Divine Liturgy. Guardini is one of the last century's most important Roman Catholic theologians and was, along with Von Balthasar and Ratzinger, another German 'member' of the Nouvelle Theologie group. In The Spirit of the Liturgy Guardini reflects on how the Divine Liturgy inhabits this middle-place between the individual and corporate, the emotional and stoic, the spiritual and physical. It is a perfect mixture and is a gift from God. Therefore it shouldn't be commercialized, sentimentalized, or tampered with in general. It is the product of many holy pastors and pious congregations over the last many centuries who have met the Risen Christ in the sacrament. It is not a manufactured or artificial thing, but the fruit of a slow, beautiful, mysterious process of reflection and reception. The chapter on the "play" of the Liturgy is worth the price of the book.
December 5, 2024
‘Nunca um artista verdadeiro teve diante dos olhos um objectivo didáctico ou ético. Na arte ele só busca a solução do conflito íntimo que o corrói, só ambiciona trazer ao mundo da representação, à luz clara da expressão plástica, a vida superior que entrevê em sonho e de que a realidade lhe não oferece senão uma aproximação.’
July 27, 2024
Itin malonu skaityti. Ne viską supratau, kai kuriem dalykam trūksta žinių, bet labai gera skaityti. Skaitysiu dar kartą: ne visą iš eilės, bet atskirus skyrius tikrai paskaitinėsiu. Labai gerai parašyta. Ir netgi supratau kas yra liturgija - pavadinimą knyga išpildė :)
December 13, 2024
Beautiful book
January 19, 2025
So amazing. I learned so much I need to re-read and reflect on it more.
April 22, 2023
Romano Guardini (1885-1968) está entre os grandes teólogos católicos no século 20. Influenciou o pensamento de Joseph Ratzinger, que se tornaria o papa Bento XVI em 2005. O livro "O Espirito da Liturgia" de Guardini é impressionante. É um conjunto de ensaios teológicos sobre a liturgia. Esta primeira edição (2018) da Cultor de Livros precisa de uma revisão gramatical.
Existe diferença entre a oração pessoal, íntima, as devoções particulares e a liturgia, que variam desde o nível individual até o coletivo ou público. A liturgia é culto exterior, público e oficial da Igreja, é lex orandi, expressa dogmas ou verdades de fé de modo objetivo, não de modo didático porque não é a sua finalidade. A unidade litúrgica existe na medida em que os fiéis rezam a liturgia com a fé nos mesmos dogmas, e sem que a liturgia se confunda com as devoções particulares e orações pessoais. Nestas, verdades de fé comovem os fiéis diferentemente, conforme sua personalidade. Se essas orações distintas são confundidas, rompe-se a unidade litúrgica. Sem normas, o povo tende à sentimentalização na liturgia, donde a importância de o pensamento dominar o sentimento.
A liturgia, enquanto realidade simbólica (mesmo que Guardini não fundamente sua terminologia na semiótica ou linguística), pode ser mal compreendida, focando-se quer o aspecto material ou corporal, quer o aspecto espiritual. No primeiro caso, supervaloriza-se o símbolo enquanto matéria: a cor do objeto, as palavras exatas, as rubricas, em detrimento daquilo que é simbolizado. E, no segundo caso, supervaloriza-se a realidade espiritual como a graça, o carisma, as moções do Espírito, em detrimento da materialidade do símbolo.
No Medievo, havia uma compreensão da contemplação/conhecimento acima da atividade/vontade. Na Modernidade, há uma mudança, exemplificada pelo protestantismo, de modo que a atividade/vontade seja mais valorizada que a contemplação/conhecimento. Guardini aponta o ativismo contemporâneo de sua época como um problema, uma vez que não se baseia sobre uma vida contemplativa. Não entra na questão da dignidade do conhecimento e do amor, ou da inteligência e vontade, porque foge ao escopo do livro.
Nota-se que o autor aborda a temática litúrgica filosoficamente, perpassando conceitos como verdade, arte, beleza, ser. Certamente, "O Espírito da Liturgia" é apropriado para uma leitura espiritual e meditação a respeito da vida de oração, da liturgia, ainda que a erudição filosófica e teológica do autor possa reduzir o público-leitor.
Hoje faltam muitos sacerdotes e teólogos com o perfil de Romano Guardini: erudito, com vida interior, sensato. Poderia ser sintetizado como equilíbrio litúrgico.
Existe diferença entre a oração pessoal, íntima, as devoções particulares e a liturgia, que variam desde o nível individual até o coletivo ou público. A liturgia é culto exterior, público e oficial da Igreja, é lex orandi, expressa dogmas ou verdades de fé de modo objetivo, não de modo didático porque não é a sua finalidade. A unidade litúrgica existe na medida em que os fiéis rezam a liturgia com a fé nos mesmos dogmas, e sem que a liturgia se confunda com as devoções particulares e orações pessoais. Nestas, verdades de fé comovem os fiéis diferentemente, conforme sua personalidade. Se essas orações distintas são confundidas, rompe-se a unidade litúrgica. Sem normas, o povo tende à sentimentalização na liturgia, donde a importância de o pensamento dominar o sentimento.
A liturgia, enquanto realidade simbólica (mesmo que Guardini não fundamente sua terminologia na semiótica ou linguística), pode ser mal compreendida, focando-se quer o aspecto material ou corporal, quer o aspecto espiritual. No primeiro caso, supervaloriza-se o símbolo enquanto matéria: a cor do objeto, as palavras exatas, as rubricas, em detrimento daquilo que é simbolizado. E, no segundo caso, supervaloriza-se a realidade espiritual como a graça, o carisma, as moções do Espírito, em detrimento da materialidade do símbolo.
No Medievo, havia uma compreensão da contemplação/conhecimento acima da atividade/vontade. Na Modernidade, há uma mudança, exemplificada pelo protestantismo, de modo que a atividade/vontade seja mais valorizada que a contemplação/conhecimento. Guardini aponta o ativismo contemporâneo de sua época como um problema, uma vez que não se baseia sobre uma vida contemplativa. Não entra na questão da dignidade do conhecimento e do amor, ou da inteligência e vontade, porque foge ao escopo do livro.
Nota-se que o autor aborda a temática litúrgica filosoficamente, perpassando conceitos como verdade, arte, beleza, ser. Certamente, "O Espírito da Liturgia" é apropriado para uma leitura espiritual e meditação a respeito da vida de oração, da liturgia, ainda que a erudição filosófica e teológica do autor possa reduzir o público-leitor.
Hoje faltam muitos sacerdotes e teólogos com o perfil de Romano Guardini: erudito, com vida interior, sensato. Poderia ser sintetizado como equilíbrio litúrgico.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2023
What a book! I’ll be returning back to this regularly. His chapter on playfulness and the liturgy was something I needed to read and didn’t know I needed to read it. I’m reading this for a paper. I can see why Pope Francis uses this theologians thoughts.
March 14, 2016
I now have a better understanding of the unique beauty of the Mass and why we do things the way we do. This celebration not only includes me, our congregation, but all of the Church around the world as well as those who have gone before us, and those who will come after us. It is a living sacrifice of our praise to Our Lord. While reading this book I was drawn to how pertinent it is in the church today. I didn't realize it was written in 1918. R. Guardini was a mentor of Pope Benedict XVI.
The foundation of beauty is truth. Without truth, the beauty we experience is one dimensional, shallow, without depth and truly without beauty.
If going to church is boring, you gotta ask yourself whether you are going to praise and glorify God, or some other reason. Corporate worship will not be fruitful without a healthy private prayer life as well as group prayer/devotion. All 3 are necessary for a fruitful spiritual life.
This book was a challenge for me since I have no training in philosophy or logic. It is part of a Lenten Book Club on http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/
The foundation of beauty is truth. Without truth, the beauty we experience is one dimensional, shallow, without depth and truly without beauty.
If going to church is boring, you gotta ask yourself whether you are going to praise and glorify God, or some other reason. Corporate worship will not be fruitful without a healthy private prayer life as well as group prayer/devotion. All 3 are necessary for a fruitful spiritual life.
This book was a challenge for me since I have no training in philosophy or logic. It is part of a Lenten Book Club on http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/
July 26, 2016
Romano Guardini did a splendid job with this short book on the Catholic Mass. It was recommended to be from a friend, and I'll say that it was indeed a great recommendation. I'd say for the average joe the book is a little on the difficult side being written in the early 2oth century, especially as it is a translated work, which I believe adds some slight difficulty.
The book is divided up into different aspects of the Liturgy and seems to discuss the Liturgy more philosophically than its pieces and parts. I think for the mind wondering about the moral and philosophical dimension of the Mass, this is a great read.
The book is divided up into different aspects of the Liturgy and seems to discuss the Liturgy more philosophically than its pieces and parts. I think for the mind wondering about the moral and philosophical dimension of the Mass, this is a great read.
Read
July 23, 2012Born in Italy and raised in Germany, Fr Guardini presented this WWI era text at the beginning of the 20th Century Liturgical Movement. Written early in his ordained ministerial service, Guardini's chapter on "Playfulness" remains a classic theological reflection on the "purpose" of worship. A short volume with countless insights. A must read for those who desire to see the trajectory of liturgical renewal from mid 19th century chant revival through the Second Vatican Council.
July 11, 2017
Fascinating. Clearly apparent why Joseph Ratzinger was compelled to write his own volume with the same title. The distinction he makes between the subjective private devotions/prayers and the objective ritual of the liturgy and our need for both is not only a brilliant, I’d say it is one of the most needed messages in modern liturgical consideration. Definitely a classic.
February 20, 2020
Un clásico que ha inspirado el tema desde su publicación en 1918. Muy interesantes los capítulos sobre la primacía del logos sobre el ethos (que explica la vuelta al realismo desde las posiciones de idealismo kantiano) y sobre la liturgia como juego: la condición humana ha evolucionado de homo cogitans y homo faber a homo orens y homo ludens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2013
Though this wasn't as good as anticipated, the essay entitled, "The Playfulness of the Liturgy," is worth the price of admission. I found much of Guardini's language a bit obscure. Still worth the read.
July 30, 2017
Really 2.5 stars. While there are some very good chapters and some great lines to meditate on, overall the book has too much theology and philosophy for the ordinary reader. The introduction by Joanne M. Pierce is easily readable and is a good summary of Guardini's work.
February 22, 2023
Worth the Challenge
This is a small but spiritually dense book on the importance of the liturgy in Catholic life. Will be of value to every priest and religious, but also to laypeople who wonder, “why is that Mass like this?”
This is a small but spiritually dense book on the importance of the liturgy in Catholic life. Will be of value to every priest and religious, but also to laypeople who wonder, “why is that Mass like this?”
October 3, 2009
This reflection on the liturgy provides much material to reflect upon regarding the essence and purpose of the liturgy.
January 13, 2014
Not bad but nowhere near as good as the similar book by Ratzinger.
August 31, 2018
Nice read
Heavy read. Makes plenty of points clear to think about. May read it again to absorb it a little more.
Heavy read. Makes plenty of points clear to think about. May read it again to absorb it a little more.
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