Desiderio Desideravi: Apostolic Letter on the Liturgical Formation of the People of God by Pope Francis ( Catholic Truth Society 2022: £4.95. )
In the sacristy of the Poor Clare Convent at Much Birch, Herefordshire, there used to be an exhortation for every priest, apt and necessary to celebrate this Mass as it were your first Mass, your only Mass and your last Mass . The liturgy is at the heart of the tradition of the Catholic Church and needs to be celebrated with reverence and love. At the centre of authentic liturgy is the priest as Alter Christus Another Christ who through the action of the Holy Spirit transforms the bread and wine into Christ’s Body and Blood, the sacrifice which nourishes and strengthens all Catholic Christians, in the words of Pope Francis from his latest apostolic letter to rekindle our wonder for the beauty of the truth of the Christian celebration and life which is a journey of growth in joy and in communion.