What’s the Smoke For?: And Other Burning Questions about the Liturgy

by Johan van Parys

What are Vespers? Where have the consecration bells gone? Why do some liturgical ministers vest and others don’t? Blinking sneakers on altar servers, Christmas trees in January . . . what is that all about? These are some of the candid questions that Catholics and others often wonder about the liturgy. In What’s the Smoke For? expert liturgist Johan van Parys offers helpful and engaging answers. Based on church teaching and rooted in sound theology, Johan’s responses invite inquiring minds to continue to think about what is happening in the church and to be engaged in learning more about liturgy and the arts.

164 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a more comical approach to answering questions about the Catholic faith and what goes on during mass. It tackled various subjects, some of which might be awkward to ask at your on church. My only issue is that some of the questions seemed as if they had been made up by the author in order to talk about a particular subject.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easily digestible format for questions about Catholic liturgy (read for work research). In addition to answering the questions, the reader also gets a glimpse at some of the historical and cultural conflicts and developments within the Roman Catholic Church. (I was surprised at how much change there has been!)

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book grew out of an answer column in a parish publication. For many Catholics with little religious education or for non-Catholics with some experience of the Catholic Mass, this will satisfy curiosity about things observed. For anyone with a bit more knowledge of Catholic liturgy, this will be too basic.