Books on the Mass/Liturgy

There are many good and popular English books on the Mass. Some of them treat the subject after the manner of a Rationale, explaining the significance of the prayers and ceremonies of the Eucharistic rite; others are historical and antiquarian, and elucidate the origin and evolution of the ceremonial—while of devotional books there is no end. This book, however, is a treatise on the folklore and minor antiquities of the Mass; by which are meant the various aspects and the numerous details of ...

If you want to understand and appreciate the Traditional Latin Mass, then The Latin Mass Explained is essential reading! This book, written by Fr. George Moorman, provides a comprehensive and yet easy-to-read introduction to the cultural and spiritual significance of the Latin Mass. It covers, in detail, every prayer uttered at the Latin Mass – as well as its specific colors, rituals, bells and why Latin is used – illuminating what can initially be a bewildering experience into a meaningful o...

The Mass Explained to Children presents the beauty, depth, and simplicity of the traditional Latin Mass, helping to make it easily understandable for any and every child. With acute sensitivity to the purity and clarity of a child's mind and soul, Maria Montessori wisely instructs in how to prepare for Mass, explains how the altar is set up, and clarifies the meaning and use of the sacred vessels and other elements used during Mass. She describes also the role of the priest, the use and symbo...

In view of ever deepening interest in the traditional form of the Roman rite of Mass—which, according to Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum, demands “due honor for its venerable and ancient usage”—a comprehensive but concise introduction to its history, form, and theology is more than ever desirable. In contrast to conventional explanations of the Mass that offer practical or allegorical explanations of particular moments in the rite, the present work attends to the organic process by which t...

The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass At the crest of volatile years of experimentation, a new rite of Mass was introduced in 1969—no mere cosmetic treatment but a radical reconstruction of the Church’s central act of worship. A minority of the faithful continued to hold fast to the traditional rite, which John Paul II and Benedict XVI gradually freed from restrictions. The steady growth of this “traditionalist” movement inevitably prompts questions in the minds of more and ...

The Mass is the most remarkable event in human history, and we are its privileged participants. Every Mass is a heaven-sent opportunity to meaningful union with God Himself. It is a foretaste of the incredible banquet that awaits us in eternity.And yet, many Catholics sadly remain ignorant of the Mass's profound qualities and purpose. They coastal through the sacred liturgy, not realizing that the Mass is the source and summit of our Christian life.It doesn't have to be this way! The Wonders ...

First published in 2003,The Heresy of Formlessness is already a modern classic, unique for its melding of poetic shimmer and keen observation. Martin Mosebach offers up a compelling defense of the traditional Roman Rite and a searing critique of the postconciliar liturgical reform through which ancient rites were profaned by tone-deaf modernizers—and thus a once-flourishing religion gutted by banal innovations. For Mosebach, the only coherent solution to this crisis is a wholehearted return t...

The Traditional Latin Mass is more elaborate and prayed in an ancient language, so those coming to it for the first time can find it hard to navigate. Derya Little has provided a simple presentation with just enough information about the sequence, content, and meaning of its parts that anyone, adult or child, can follow and pray more easily.

Over fifty years ago, Msgr. Romano Guardini resolved to help his parishioners overcome the distractions and restlessness they suffered at Mass. Just before Mass each Sunday, he gave a brief talk on some aspect of the Mass, teaching them week by week, topic by topic, how to pre-pare themselves to participate more prayerfully. Afterward, he provided a few minutes of silence for reflection, and then began to offer Mass. So helpful were these 32 talks that they were soon published and have since ...

The spiritual vision of Dom Prosper Gueranger culminated in the primacy and centrality of the sacred liturgy, the opus Dei or work of God. He writes, “The liturgy is the highest and the holiest expression of the thought and intelligence of the Church, simply because it is carried out by the Church in direct communication with God, in confession, in prayer, and praise.” The Traditional Latin Mass Explained, a succinct and sublime presentation of the prayers and ceremonies of the Latin Mass, is...

The traditional liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church is a highly formal ritual unfolding in layers of elaborate gesture, rich symbolism, whispered Latin, and ancient plainchants. "Experts" after the Second Vatican Council were convinced that such a ritual was irrelevant to "modern man." To the shock of some, the delight of many, and the surprise of everyone, the old Latin Mass (and much that went along with it) has tenaciously survived during the past half-century and become an increasingly f...

The Divine Liturgy: Insights Into Its Mystery will fascinate readers interested in learning more about the ancient and powerful mystery at the heart of Christian tradition. This book by renowned author Robert Hughes uncovers the deeper meaning of the Mass, tracing its symbolism through the history of religion.The core message of this engaging text reaches out beyond religious discussion, offering readers a unique perspective into a timeless sacred ritual that has delighted and amazed humanity...

The Case for Liturgical Restoration, which gathers the complete and definitive texts of the widely-admired “position papers” of the International Federation Una Voce, tackles the questions: What is the point of the Extraordinary Form? What is its rationale? What can it contribute to the life of the Church here and now? Taking up one by one the most controversial topics in liturgy today—among them, active participation, the role of the laity, eastward orientation, extensive silence, the use of...

SINCE THE TIME of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has experienced an unprecedented crisis of identity, symbolized and propelled by the corruption of the greatest treasure of her tradition: the sacred liturgy. The result has been confusion, dismay, devastation. To the surprise of some, however, the same half-century has witnessed a growing counter-movement of Catholics who find in the Church's traditional liturgy a perennial witness to the orthodox faith, a solid foundation for...

What did the first Christians believe about the Eucharist?How did they follow Jesus' command, "Do this in remembrance of me"?How did they celebrate the Lord's Day?What would they recognize in today's Mass? The answers may surprise you. In The Mass of the Early Christians, respected author, scholar, and television host Mike Aquilina reveals the Church's most ancient Eucharistic beliefs and practices. Using the words of the early Christians themselves -- from many documents and inscriptions -- ...

What has liturgy to do with life? The sacred with the secular? This study proposes that the liturgy calls us, in the words of Aidan Kavanagh, "to do the world as the world was meant to be done." The sacramental liturgy of the Church and the personal liturgy of our lives should be as a seamless garment. Consecrating the World continues David Fagerberg's exploration of the Church's lex orandi (law of prayer) by expanding two major themes. The first considers liturgy as the matrix wherein our en...

If Your Mind Wanders at Mass by Howard is the ultimate guide to become more engaged and mindful of your Sunday worship experience. This book provides a captivating insight into the power and beauty of the liturgy, reminding us that it is more than just another weekly obligation. During Mass, the veil between Heaven and Earth is transparent as we stand in God's presence alongside angels and saints. Howard's profound look at this spiritual event brings new life to our understanding of worshipin...

In Liturgy and Personality, Dr. Hildebrand explores the relationship between liturgy and healthy personalities through a comprehensive study of the subject. Written in an engaging style and backed with rigorous research and evidence, this book effectively highlights how the Church forms individuals into spiritually sound people with strong characters. Drawing upon the insights that he has accumulated over his many years of working inside the Church, Hildebrand advances an important argument: ...

In this thought-provoking book, Roberto Spataro provides readers with a compelling argument for the relevance of the Tridentine Mass and Latin language to joyful evangelization. Drawing from Pope Francis’s call for renewed evangelical excitement, Spataro shows how the forms of the ancient Latin liturgy provide clarity in a chaotic world. He set out to prove that despite often being viewed as stodgy and passé, Latin still has the power to unite Catholicism into a cohesive whole that highlights...

The Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Roman Liturgy The Holy Mass, by Fr. Lucas, is a historical treatise on the Roman Rite which is meant for the average reader that does not have a lot of study on the subject. It was first published in 1914 in two volumes and is now republished containing both volumes in one book.Father Lucas says in his preface: "The attempt to write yet another book about the Mass while for English speaking Catholics Dr Fortescue's work on the Roman Liturgy holds the field ma...

St. Robert Bellarmine was one of the best known of the Counter-Reformation theologians by both friend and foe. His apologetic writings were the most widely read treatises on theological subjects during the 17th century, and they also brought numerous conversions to the Catholic faith. Now for the first time, St. Robert's amazing treatises are available to you in English! In this treatise on the Sacrifice of the Mass, St. Robert divides his work into two topics: That the Mass is a Sacrifice, a...

These pages, now collected in one small volume, have been written for the purpose of helping the faithful, ordinary souls, to attain one most important object: active participation in the holy Sacrifice of the Mass; so that, consciously and deliberately, they may offer the sacred Victim, offer themselves and be nourished by receiving the holy Eucharist. In a word: that they may live the blessed Eucharist, the sacrifice and the sacrament, in its entirety, and that by living it they may sanctif...

As seen on EWTN with over 600,000 copies sold! Bestselling author Scott Hahn unveils the mysteries of the Mass, offering readers a deeper appreciation of the most familiar of Catholic rituals.Of all things Catholic, there is nothing that is so familiar as the Mass. With its unchanging prayers, the Mass fits Catholics like their favorite clothes. Yet most Catholics sitting in the pews on Sundays fail to see the powerful supernatural drama that enfolds them. Pope John Paul II described the Mass...

The Mystery of Christ's Love Few Catholics have anywhere near an adequate appreciation for the glory and splendors of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass--the central aspect of our Holy Faith. Fr. Michael Mueller's famous masterpiece on this glorious subject will come as a magnificent and direly needed revelation to many Catholic souls. Father Mueller joins a wealth of Catholic traditions, biblical facts, and enthralling true stories from Catholic history and the lives of the saints to show that i...

Centennial Perspectives on Romano Guardini's Landmark Work Romano Guardini's The Spirit of the Liturgy helped us to rediscover the liturgy in all its beauty, hidden wealth, and time-transcending grandeur, to see it as the animating center of the Church, the very center of Christian life.... We were now willing to see the liturgy as the prayer of the Church, a prayer moved and guided by the Holy Spirit himself, a prayer in which Christ unceasingly becomes contemporary with us, enters into our ...

Subversive Catholicism: Papacy, Liturgy, Church is an authoritative and illuminating read from acclaimed German novelist Martin Mosebach. In this collection of essays, Mosebach attests to the remarkable power of full-blooded Catholicism - a power that continually subverts expectations and transcends time. Despite the flaws and failures of those who claim its title, it is the Church that remains perpetually alive with a transcendent gospel. This book offers incredible insights into how the Chu...

Returning to the Traditional Latin Liturgy After Seventy Years of Exile Ever since Paul VI imposed a new set of liturgical books, Roman Catholic faithful have suffered the effects of a hasty and far-reaching reform permeated with nominalism, voluntarism, Protestantism, rationalism, antiquarianism, hyperpapalism, and other modern errors. But man is not master over divine liturgy; rather, all of us are called to be stewards of it, from the lowest-ranking layman to the pope himself. Dr. Peter Kw...