The Forgotten Language: How Recovering the Poetics of the Mass Will Change Our Lives

Poetics represents the art of living. For the Christian, it also demonstrates the art of learning to live as a saint, exploring what it means to claim that God is remaking us through grace.

This delicate and delightful book serves as a poetic confession. It's the meditation of a man moving uncertainly from chaos toward beauty who is seeking to connect earth to Heaven--and who found the poetry hidden in the form and beauty of the Mass, and of life itself.

With profound insights, Fr. Rennier illuminates the things of earth with the eyes of Heaven. He will help you add shape, structure, and heart to your prayer life as he reflects upon the meaning behind the actions in the Mass, the sacred objects, and the sacramentality we find in daily life.

Through Scripture and his own reflections, Father unveils:

• The key to discovering the truth and real mystery of poetry

• The skill you need to quickly progress in your interior life

• How the Mass aids us in ascending rung by rung up the ladder to Heaven

• Two ways to determine if you are seeking God (You will never guess them!)

• How the world of nature reveals biblical truths and the mysteries of God

• The only means through which God speaks to us

You will learn how to develop a listening heart, rightly order your priorities, and experience joy in completing even the humblest daily tasks. Fr. Rennier offers methods to "let go" of your desire to master everything, grow in contemplation, and find your true self. Most assuring, he convinces you that in whatever you are going through or have experienced, God is there with you drawing you to His Heart.

Father also explains your vocation during Mass and the most efficacious way to inflame your Eucharistic love. In page after page, you will see how you are healed and transformed through the Mass and learn ways to participate in the Sacred Mysteries more attentively and lovingly. You will find tips on how to appreciate the splendor and meaning of the Mass until it becomes pure poetry, a personal relationship, a conversation between your soul and God.

Every life is a story, a single, unified poem waiting to be told, listened to, and fully lived. Fr. Rennier brilliantly relates how by being still and aware of the details of the Mass your faith will be reawakened, and you will be reminded of Christ's victory on the Cross. The Mass forevermore will remind you of your lasting home and provide a glimpse of the Heavenly rest that awaits you.

Formerly a pastor for the Anglican Church, Fr. Michael Rennier was received into the Catholic Church in 2010 and ordained under the Pastoral Provision for former Anglican clergy. He now serves in Archdiocese of St. Louis where he lives with his wife and six children. Father Michael is on the editorial board at Dappled Things magazine, writes a weekly column for Aleteia, and contributes to his archdiocesan newspaper and AdoremusBulletin.