Called to Participate: Theological, Ritual, and Social Perspectives

Called to Participate is the late Mark Searle’s last testament on liturgical reform. It draws on the teachings, writings, and international lectures of this noted liturgist and professor. Where do we go from here? Searle asks in response to the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council. Searle offers a historical perspective of the roots of liturgical reform during the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. He describes the nature of liturgy as ritual activity, where the people of God are invited to participate in liturgy as sharing in the life of God. Selected aspects of the liturgy are considered, such as the proclamation of the Word. He also comments on the social character of the liturgy, which is to move beyond the assembly to participate in God’s work in an outward or public ministry. Called to Participate bids us to form a contemporary spirituality that is firmly rooted in the liturgy. It leads worshipers to find entry points into the mystery of God’s work in the world. It is a help to liturgical leaders to grasp the nature and function of liturgy and to inspire faith-filled planning, preaching, and catechesis.

Dr. Mark Searle (1941-1992), taught theology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, where he also coordinated the graduate program in liturgical studies and directed the M.A. program in theology. He lectured extensively in Europe and the United States and served as a consultant to the International Committee on English in the Liturgy. 

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 Searle to Liturgical Renewal and Called to Participate: Theological, Ritual, and Social Perspectives, published by Liturgical Press.