Were Not Our Hearts Burning?: Understanding the Mass--Living the Eucharist

In Were Not Our Hearts Burning?, author Benini offers a profound and accessible reflection on the Eucharist as both liturgical celebration and daily encounter with Christ. Beginning with Pope Francis's apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi, and building on the theological insights of Romano Guardini, Benini walks readers through each element of the Eucharistic liturgy--unpacking its biblical foundations, symbolic richness, and spiritual significance.

Far more than a theological overview, this book is a pastoral and personal invitation to rediscover the beauty of the Mass and to allow its grace to shape every aspect of life. Whether you're a parishioner seeking deeper participation, a catechist, or a spiritual seeker, Were Not Our Hearts Burning? offers a fresh and thoughtful way to encounter Christ in the breaking of the bread--and beyond.

Endorsements:

"These insightful reflections will guide the faithful into a deeper encounter with the Lord Jesus in the mass. The Lord longs for disciples who will offer themselves on the altar and then become walking tabernacles in their daily lives--Eucharistic missionaries sent to share his love throughout the world."

--Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens, bishop of Crookston, Minnesota, founding chairman of the Board of the National Eucharistic Congress

"Marco Benini has invited us on a journey that should make our hearts burn with the desire to become what we receive at Eucharist, to be fed by word and sacrament, and to draw closer to the Lord Jesus, whose desire for us is more than we could ask for or imagine. This book covers history, theology, spirituality, and the ritual life that together make the richness of the sacramental life both secure in the tradition and open to the renewed depths this present age of worshipers brings."

--Paul Janowiak SJ, Santa Clara University

"With a heartfelt and accessible approach, Fr. Marco Benini invites the faithful to know Jesus more fully in the breaking of the bread, and to feel their hearts burning within them. With reflection on scripture, tradition, and our liturgical rites, this lovely volume invites us anew to participate in--and to be--the living presence of Christ Jesus!"

--Katharine E. Harmon, PhD, Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary, Collegeville, Minnesota

"In 2022, Pope Francis graced the church with a pastoral assessment of and theological guidance for the ongoing implementation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. Marco Benini has responded to the late Holy Father's call by gracing the people of God--laity and clergy alike--with a series of theologically informed yet lucidly accessible explanations of each major part of the restored and renewed Mass of the Roman rite. By grounding his instructional itinerary on Luke's story of the risen Christ's journey with the two disciples to Emmaus, Fr. Benini provides a much-needed guide to all the dimensions of the divine presence and formative power of the Eucharist."

--Bruce T. Morrill, SJ, Vanderbilt University Divinity School

Marco Benini is ordinary professor of liturgical studies at the German Liturgical Institute in Trier and research professor at The Catholic University of America.