From the opening hymn to the closing song, Anne Koester takes us on a journey through the Sunday Mass, offering meaningful insights to enhance our weekly gathering. Koester speaks as if she sits across the tale from us, sharing her thoughts about our individual roles in the church and why they are so important. Inspired by real-life conversations on this topic, Sunday Mass: Our Role and Why it Matters encourages us to become a more active assembly so we may be further enriched by the liturgical celebration. To help us fully understand our mission and ministry as the Body of Christ, Koester includes some of her conversations as examples and offers relevant reflection material with room for us to note our personal thoughts and responses.

This is an excellent reflection tool for the adult and teen members of the congregation and is ideal for confirmation candidates as they learn why they are called to attend Mass and what being an active member entails. This thoughtful book presents new perspective on the eucharistic celebration in a way that teaches us to fully engage in the Mass each week, to enjoy that time spent with God and our fellow parishioners, and to share our faith with others as we go to love and serve the Lord.

Anne Y. Koester, JD, MA, is Associate Director of the Georgetown Center for Liturgy in Washington, D.C. She has been published in a number of religious journals and is the editor of Liturgy and Justice: To Worship God in Spirit and Truth and co-editor of Vision: The Scholarly Contributions of Mark Seale to Liturgical Renewal and Called to Participate: Theological, Ritual, and Social Perspectives, published by Liturgical Press.