The People’s Celebration of the Eucharist

‘deserves a place on the bookshelves of every catechist, pastor, and church-goer who seeks a deeper understanding of a current theology of the Eucharistic celebration.’   Conversations

‘It is an open-ended perspective of hope that is the book’s most important gift to its readers…it would make a great textbook for liturgy groups’
The Furrow

‘Lyons knows what he wants to communicate and then makes it as simple and direct as he can.’  The Irish Catholic

 ‘no one is better qualified to assess the story so far than Fr Lyons. [He] dem­onstrates the Eucharist is a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, a grace-filled meal and a pledge of future glory.’   Methodist Recorder

The Eucharist is more than just a rite performed by a presiding priest in the presence of a congregation, though for many centuries it was seen by many to be just that. The truth, however, is that its celebration, when viewed as an activity of the People of God, the Body of Christ, means that there is a fundamental unity incorporating both ordained and non-ordained.  From a deeper perspective, the task becomes one of exploring what the togetherness of priest and people implies, and finding a language to express it. In other words, what we are to understand by ‘the people’s participation’ and ‘the people’s celebration’?  What is it that we mean by ‘people’? What does it mean when the presider speaks of preparing to celebrate ‘the sacred mysteries’?

This book is about the changes introduced by the Second Vatican Council, why they were made, and their implications, but also about the limitations of their effectiveness that emerge when the role of the faithful is considered in depth.