Product Description

Written by a spiritual master this is an important Lent title that examines what it means to celebrate the Eucharist, and in turn reminds us of our capability for love, hope and faith.The Eucharist writes Timothy Radcliffe is a three part drama, forming us in faith, hope and love. In this book he examines what it means to celebrate the Eucharist. Whilst other people experience it as boring and pointless, listening to the readings, the homily and the creed all take us through the crises and challenges of faith. From the offertory through to the end of the Eucharistic prayer we are caught up in the hope that was Christ's, faced with Good Friday. From the Our Father until we are sent on our way, especially in receiving communion, we are formed as people who are capable of love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7928 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 214 pages

About the Author
Timothy Radcliffe was until recently Master of The Dominican Order. He is the winner of the 2007 Michael Ramsey prize for theological writing for his book What is the Point of Being a Christian? He lives in Oxford.

Customer Reviews

Why read this book?
This is the Archbishop of Canterbury's official Lent book for 2009 and in a welcome gesture of Christian unity and brotherhood (especially in these schismatic times!) Rowan Williams has chosen the Dominican Religious Timothy Radcliffe to be this years guest writer.
Timothy Radcliffe using the Sunday Mass as his base structure for the book has produced a Beautifully written extended meditation on the shape of the christian life and what it means to live 'Eucharistically'. For example The Eucharistic Prayer becomes in Radcliffes hands the starting point for a meditation on the place of hope. The Lords Prayer or "Our Father" becomes the basis for an exploration of communion with God and our relationship to our fellow believers. I don't think it would be too hyperbolic to say that for Radcliffe The Mass contains the very meaning of life itself and that when the Christian actively participates in this Eucharistic 'drama' s/he has entered lifes deepest transformative mystery. A place of challenge, trial and sacrifice and yet also one of peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, love and growth.
This is a profoundly meditative,humane and richly allusive book that will reward the attentive and sensitive reader with deep insights into the Christian life, highly recommended. Rowan has chosen well.

Just one crisis after another!
This us such a helpful guide to the Eucharist, written with great humour and sensitive insight. I have read the present Pope's "Introduction to Christianity", which follows the creed in its careful explanation, and Timothy Radcliffe is as careful and thorough but with just that bit of British humour to keep one reading - and chuckling - beyond the end of the chapter. Most Lent books take all of Lent to read, but this one is going down at a rate of knots! There is also a great bibliography, and I have ordered books he mentions, feeling that anything he uses to make a point must be worth my reading, too.
My title comes from a comment he makes about salvation history, how we grow through the crises of our lives, and which he shows are parallel in many ways with the life of Christ shown in the Eucharist. Those who have never suffered a crisis of any kind need not read this book. Everyone else should!

Challenged to face up to God and to the world
What an inspired and challenging Lent book this is. Timothy Radcliffe takes us on from his previous book 'What is the Point of being a Christian' into a breathtaking analysis of what it means to 'be Church' and to live liturgically. But this is no mere text-book, this is the challenge of Christian discipleship itself. On every page Radcliffe uses compelling examples from literature, contemporary culture, and the tradition of the Church itself to bring to life 'the drama of the Eucharist'. Radcliffe presents to us a liturgy that is not alien and inert, dull and remote, but one that gives meaning to human life itself; the key to understanding what real love is and what it means to create an authentic community of love. Here the drama of the Eucharist becomes the drama of living. Highly recommended.