Episode Description
In this episode of Catholic Unscripted, Katherine Bennett and Mark Lambert are joined once again by Brian Williams to explore the Catholic liturgy, the changes of the modern era, and what has been lost in the process.

Drawing on theology, history, and lived experience of parish life, the conversation examines how the liturgy shifted in the decades following the Second Vatican Council, why beauty and reverence were sidelined, and how music, language, and posture shape belief itself.

Rather than treating liturgy as a matter of personal taste or nostalgia, this discussion addresses worship as something received, not invented — and asks whether the Church can recover a sense of continuity, sacred order, and transcendence in an age shaped by utility and informality.

This is a thoughtful and accessible conversation for anyone who senses that the Mass is meant to be more than a gathering — and wonders how we lost sight of that.

Topics Discussed

• Why liturgical reform went further than many expected
• The difference between organic development and rupture
• What was lost when beauty and reverence were deprioritised
• The role of sacred music in shaping belief
• Latin, silence, and the sense of the sacred
• Why “active participation” is often misunderstood
• The problem with treating liturgy as self-expression
• How architecture, language, and posture form the soul
• Whether recovery and renewal are possible

Key Themes
Liturgy as inheritance, not innovation
Beauty as a theological necessity
The relationship between worship and belief
Continuity vs rupture in Catholic tradition
Reverence in a desacralised culture

About the Guest
https://liturgyguy.com/
Brian Williams is a liturgy commentator and writer based in the United States, known for his clear and thoughtful explanations of Catholic worship, sacred music, and the theological meaning of the Mass. He speaks regularly on questions of tradition, reform, and reverence in modern Catholic life.

Subscribe & Support

If you value serious, faithful conversations about Catholic life and tradition:

👉 Subscribe to www.CatholicUnscripted.com
👍 Like this episode
🔁 Share it with someone who has questions about the liturgy

Your support helps us continue these conversations.
#christianhistory #catholicchurch #christian