Book review: What, Then, Is Liturgy ? Musings ang Memoir

Abstract

This book is originally titled What, Then, Is Liturgy? Musings and Memoir, published by Liturgical Press in 2010 in Collegeville, Minnesota, USA.
The foreword, written by Fr. Mark R. Francis, CSV, and Fr. Keith F. Pecklers, SJ, notes: “Fr. Anscar describes this book as a liturgical memoir, sharing with readers his ‘memories of people and events’ that shaped him into the liturgist he is today… This book presents a perspective on the liturgical life of the Church since the Second Vatican Council.”

As a Benedictine monk (OSB), Fr. Anscar Chupungco was deeply immersed in the Church’s liturgical tradition. In a humble preface, he offers readers an overview of the book’s purpose and content, as well as some insight into his liturgical formation.

“I consider this book a product of my reflections on liturgy after more than thirty years of study and teaching in this field. It is also a book of liturgical commentary. In it, I share with readers memories of people and events that shaped or influenced my career as a liturgical scholar… This is not a textbook, but its content may be helpful for those who want to learn more about liturgical theology without needing standard references or specialized vocabulary.”

“I was formed in the liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, at the time when the Council had just ended and post-conciliar reforms were underway. My professors at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute were actively involved in various Vatican commissions or in the advisory council drafting the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.”

From these objectives and context, we gain a general idea of the book’s content. Fr. Anscar seeks to explore the changes in liturgy—both positive and negative—following Vatican II.

The book is composed of five chapters and a conclusion, structured like a liturgical course.

Chapter One, titled “Fully Human and Fully Divine,” discusses the foundational premises for post-conciliar liturgical reform. Inspired by the opening lines of Sacrosanctum Concilium, it reflects on the Church as a mystery: both divine and human, visible and invisible, active and contemplative, a pilgrim on earth, yet oriented toward the heavenly city.
Fr. Anscar addresses tensions surrounding the reforms:

“Why, fifty years after the Council, is there still dissatisfaction with the ‘new’ liturgy in certain parts of the Church? Is there a need to reform the reforms of Vatican II?”

He also reflects on contemporary challenges, including:

1. Technology in liturgical celebrations

2. Observance of Sunday

3. Gradual solemnity in weekday liturgies

4. The role of women

5. Inculturation

6. The Liturgy of the Hours

7. Active participation through contemplation and silence

8. The role of nature and the cosmos in liturgy

The chapter ends with a discussion on the human body as essential to worship:

“The liturgy sanctifies, celebrates, and reverences the human body, because it ‘shares in the dignity of being the image of God’ (Cate