Comments on Spirit...

I finished The Spirit of the Liturgy today. It was my first Cardinal Ratzinger book. Any recommendations on what I should read next of his?

The then-cardinal brought up a lot of different points about Mass that I had perhaps considered in the past but never took the time to really think through to the logical conclusion. Why is the Sign of Peace where it is and does it belong there? Just structural questions like that were brought up as points to consider.

The one point that I've been considering the most was at the end of the book when Ratzinger discussed silence and prayer in the Mass. He suggested how perhaps the Eucharistic Prayer should be recited silently by the priest after saying the first few words of each section as a cue for those present. This would serve as a means of drawing everyone into the 'action' rather than just standing/kneeling and listening to the recitation. It brought to mind my own experience during Mass. I have always followed along and in places where I knew the parts well, I mouthed the words along with the priest. Would silence bring closer attention or would it just allow those present to space off?

Of course, in my present condition, the Mass is pretty much silent anyway, so for me, Ratzinger's thought is in fact reality, though I have no cue words to go by...