Book Report: What Happens at Mass

By Jeremy Driscoll, OSB. 135 pp.

I actually read this book over Christmas Break; a gift from my little brother. This is one of the most important books I've ever read. Driscoll does a magnificent job of explaining the Mass to the intelligent but non-expert reader. He does an especially good job of emphasizing the importance of the readings and of explaining (as far as possible) the consecration. My father, a theology teacher of over 25 years, says that Driscoll offers the best, simple definition of Mystery he's ever come across:

I would say that a mystery is a concrete something that when you bump into it, it puts you into contact with a divine reality.

When you attend the same event every week of your life, it's easy to become complacent. What Happens at Mass goes a good way towards shaking this complacency. Although slim, this book requires frequent rereading to truly begin to understand it.