Books on the Mass/Liturgy

“It is true that there can be no more important half-hour in the forty-eight half hours which make up a complete calendar date. But you can go further than this and say that the time of Mass is the most important in the century, in history, in life. It is Calvary all over again, and nothing more important could happen in this world than the redemption of man by the crucifixion.” At the heart of every Catholic’s life is the Mass. As such, it is a form of prayer that demands awareness, reverenc...

Here is the book that will help you discover how to be "fully alive." Esteemed theologian, Fr. Thomas Mullady, OP shares a fresh perspective on why you are called to union with God. He provides accessible and relevant answers on commonly asked post-Vatican II questions in Catholic theology, including Thomistic problems which have pervaded Catholic theology, both past and present.Fr. Mullady offers solutions to debates and a springboard to launch an analysis of contemporary issues such as:What...

Meet your new guide and intercessor on the journey to holiness. Venerable Bruno Lanteri lived through tumultuous times -- war, revolution, and Jansenism were all raging -- yet he prayerfully accompanied his spiritual directees and encouraged them to have patience and hope amid life's challenges. This treasure trove of letters that Venerable Bruno wrote to his spiritual children will provide you with life-enhancing wisdom that you can ponder and take to heart again and again. A common enemy in...

Our Lord entrusted a very special revelation to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: the Heart of Jesus longs for your heart.This divine revelation inspired numerous saints to know, receive, and adore Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist and to quench His thirst for our love by cultivating friendships, performing spiritual and corporal works of mercy, undertaking missionary endeavors, and imitating His Sacred Heart in daily life.The current Jubilee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which commemorates the 350th ...

Reverend James L. Meagher explores how Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles offered the first Mass and what Christ’s own example reveals about the nature, structure, and origins of Christian worship. Meagher begins by correcting a widespread misunderstanding: that the Mass began solely at the Last Supper as a symbolic ritual of bread and wine. While the Last Supper is momentous, Meagher shows that the roots of the Mass reach far deeper into centuries of Jewish liturgical and temple tradition....

This book will help you understand that, yes, you can study dog poetry, become the Minnesota Twins closer, run for president of the United States, become a Franciscan friar in Albuquerque, put oranges in a circle, teach courses in conflicting political theory at the University of Idaho, attend Mass literally underground in a subterranean cathedral hundreds of feet below the desert floor, play no pads tackle football on Boise State's blue turf, write tracts while sunbathing at the top of Namur...

Although frequent Confession is meritorious, one can easily become complacent and fall into a routine that diminishes sorrow for sins. This classic compendium provides preparations and thanksgivings to guide you step-by-step through the Confession process to help you develop a firm resolution, make reparation for sins, and become more disposed to receive God's grace.Whether you are a recent convert or someone who confesses regularly, this book is for you. Fr. Hubert McEvoy, S.J., breaks open ...

How recollected are you during the Collect, the Opening Prayer at Mass? To assist you in entering more deeply into the Mass and the mysteries of this sacred season, Fr. Edward Looney offers short daily meditations and reflection questions so that you may absorb all the richness of the prayers in the liturgy.Whether over a cup of coffee or while resting in the Lord's Presence before or after Mass, these meditations inspire both fruitful contemplation and vibrant group discussion. Fr. Looney re...

Embark on a spiritual journey into God's Heart and experience some of the most powerful and time-tested expressions of prayer. You will find, together in this one book, all the tools you need to form the daily habit of communing with God, to develop a steady prayer life, and to receive the life-giving water that God offers you at every moment.This book is an invaluable resource for use as a Lenten or year-round devotional, a do-it-yourself parish mission, or a guide for families and parishion...

Although the story of our salvation began in the Orient, the richness of the spirituality of our Eastern Fathers and Mothers in the Faith has long remained hidden. The Church is indebted to the East for revealing how Christians from apostolic times lived their faith, from founding Christian monastic life to developing the worship that has helped shape our liturgy.In this spiritual masterpiece, Dr. Alexander Harb offers penetrating meditations on nine themes of the spiritual life, drawing from...

St. Frances of Rome (1384-1440) displayed mystical gifts from childhood. Though she longed to remain a virgin, her parents arranged a marriage for her, and, as a wife and mother, she led a devout life that mirrored that of a consecrated religious, through fervent prayer and tireless works of charity. In fact, she founded a community of Benedictine oblates who live according to the Rule of St. Benedict, each according to her own state in life; the community now counts thousands of members worl...

In Visions of the Divine, Catholic evangelist, author, and businessman Steve Auth reunites the art of the Eucharist with the Eucharistic liturgy itself. Much of this art was separated from the context of the Mass for which it was created many centuries ago and is relegated now to museums sprinkled around the world. Along with his co-authors Evelyn Auth and Msgr. Roger Landry, Steve leads the reader on a worldwide pilgrimage to some of the most spectacular and moving artistic masterpieces crea...

Embark on an enlightening journey through the wonders of transformation and renewal in this delightful children's book that unlocks the profound mysteries of the Eucharist in a way that is understandable, engaging, and deeply meaningful for young readers.Through charming rhymes and vivid illustrations, bestselling author Anthony DeStefano explores the many evolutions that take place in the world around us -- from the shifting seasons to the growth of plants to the metamorphosis of caterpillar...

"There is no problem . . . no matter how difficult it may be, that we cannot resolve through the prayer of the Holy Rosary." -- Sister Lúcia of FátimaChampion of the Faith Bishop Athanasius Schneider sounds a rallying cry to all Catholics to take up the mightiest spiritual weapon in our arsenal: Our Lady wants you to embark on a Rosary Crusade, under her mantle, to repel the forces of evil and disentangle the vexing problems we face in these troubled times.Unite your prayers with those of the...

He played video games, excelled athletically and academically, manifested contagious joy and wit -- even in suffering -- and befriended all those he met. St. Carlo Acutis (1991-2006), already hailed "the greatest saint of the century," was a Thomas Aquinas in blue jeans.It's almost unheard of that parents take part in the beatification of their own child. So, too, is it uncommon for parents to miraculously be brought back to the Faith and dedicated Christian living by their child. All this ha...

Olier's The Mystical Meaning of the Ceremonies of the Mass, first published in 1657, and presented here with an Introduction by Abbé Claude Barthe, is an outstanding example of the application-to the liturgy and its actions-of the search for a deeper meaning that has also been so influential throughout the history of contemplative Christianity in the resonant, anagogical reading of the Bible. Olier shows us that there is nothing in the traditional Catholic Mass that lacks its own progressivel...

"It seems to me that there is room for a book which has for its purpose to point out the true setting of the Eucharistic mystery in the economy of the supernatural life, and this is the task I have laid upon myself." So begins A Key to the Doctrine of the Eucharist, the most notable work by abbot and theologian Dom Anscar Vonier. Throughout this book, Vonier contemplates the true nature of the sacrifice of the Mass, examining precisely what is meant when the priest proclaims, "This is My body...

One of the most eminent poets and essayists of the last century in Italy, Tito Casini (1897-1987) devoted the last years of his life to a passionate protest against the desecration of the centuries-old Roman liturgy, the spiritual home of millions and a cultural treasure that could never be rivaled, let alone replaced. His defense of tradition was unique in mode, combining lampoon, lamentation, and lyricism in a philosophic poetry that transcends mere polemic. Perhaps the most unique of his w...

The Mass is a central and essential part of the Christian life, the very source and summit of our devotion and piety. Instituted by Jesus Himself at the Last Supper and faithfully passed on by the apostles and their successors, it is not merely a memorial of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Savior, but a true participation in His one redeeming sacrifice. It does not merely praise and invoke God, but causes Him to be really, truly, and substantially present. It is through the Mass t...

Nowadays the inclusion of hymns, chants and sequences in Eucharistic worship is a well-established and much-loved feature of liturgical celebration that we tend to take for granted. How this came about is the subject of this present fascinating study in which John Blakesley guides us through the growth and development of chant, office hymns, sequences and tropes and their increased use in the Church of the Middle Ages. St. Ambrose is credited with introducing hymns into the Western Church in ...

In this game-changing book, Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B., reveals how you can actively listen and open yourself to receive God's personal love for you in the Mass, where our Lord waits to quench your deepest longing and heal your wounds. Drawing from the wisdom of the saints, modern-day spiritual giants, and his own penetrating reflections, you will learn how to quiet your mind, stretch your heart, and become childlike in the sense of experiencing the sacred mysteries with wonder and awe. The M...

With contributions from Leo Darroch, Fr. Gabriel Díaz-Patri, Philippe Maxence, Sebastian Morello, Matthew Schellhorn, and Erik Tonning What do Evelyn Waugh, Lanzo Del Vasto, Nancy Mitford, F.R. Leavis, Agatha Christi, Yehudi Menuhin, René Girard, and Franco Zefferelli have in common? Along with scores of others-artists, musicians, scholars, writers, actors, politicians, and business people-they signed petitions to save the Catholic Church's ancient Latin liturgy, between 1966 and 2007. This i...

The first of Ronald Knox's three "Slow Motion" collections, The Mass in Slow Motion comprises fourteen sermons preached during World War II to the students of the Assumption Sisters at Aldenham Park. Modest yet arresting in style, Knox explains the Mass from the opening psalm to the solemn words of conclusion: Ite missa est. While the liturgy Knox contemplates is that of the Tridentine Rite, the abundant fruits of his contemplation can be easily translated to the Ordinary Form of the present ...

"Eucharistic Gems: Daily Wisdom on the Blessed Sacrament" by Donald H. Calloway, MIC, serves as a spiritual tool to deepen devotion to the Eucharist. Offering 366 quotes from popes, saints, and venerable figures, this book aims to sustain the Eucharistic Revival in the hearts of believers. Through daily reflections, readers are invited to explore the timeless truth of Jesus' Real Presence in the Eucharist, fostering a deeper relationship with Him. As an ongoing resource for spiritual growth, ...

An Historical, Liturgical and Devotional Explanation of the Mass according to the Roman Missal "In a word, the service of God is meant to be beautiful, because a true instinct of man makes him realize, even when he is in a state of retrogression and barbarism, that all that is best and noblest must be made subservient to the worship of the Lord and Creator of all." Dom Ernest Graf begins his work The Priest at the Altar with this declaration that beauty is the fundamental form of the Liturgy....

How to Remember and Treasure its Rites In Memorize the Latin Mass! Dr. Kevin Vost harnesses the powerful memory methods of Sts. Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas to help readers learn and remember all the parts and rites of the Traditional Latin Mass as they delve deep into the meaning and history of each one of them, gleaned from the wisdom of the Church and her saints. Crafted to supplement a Missal and to stimulate further reading, this book is a primer for readers, their children, grand...

The Memoirs of Antonio Cardinal Bacci Antonio Bacci was rector of the archdiocesan seminary of Florence when his exceptional knowledge of Latin caused him to be summoned to Rome in 1922 to join the office of the Secretary of State as an assistant, first to Aurelio Galli and then to Nicola Sebastiani, the chief Latinists of the Holy See. Bacci succeeded Sebastiani as Secretary of Briefs to Princes upon the latter's death in 1931. In the first half of the memoirs here translated, Bacci discusse...

Historical & Liturgical Notes on the Roman Missal When Ildefonso Schuster (1880-1954) transformed his copious and insightful lecture notes on the Roman liturgy into the five volumes of Liber Sacramentorum— known to us in English as The Sacramentary, and presented here for the first time in a modern reprint— he stated his purpose: "sharing with devout and studious souls, especially among my brother priests, whatever sentiments of faith and reverence Our Lord may have deigned to grant me, H...

Historical & Liturgical Notes on the Roman Missal When Ildefonso Schuster (1880-1954) transformed his copious and insightful lecture notes on the Roman liturgy into the five volumes of Liber Sacramentorum— known to us in English as The Sacramentary, and presented here for the first time in a modern reprint— he stated his purpose: "sharing with devout and studious souls, especially among my brother priests, whatever sentiments of faith and reverence Our Lord may have deigned to grant me, H...

Historical & Liturgical Notes on the Roman Missal When Ildefonso Schuster (1880-1954) transformed his copious and insightful lecture notes on the Roman liturgy into the five volumes of Liber Sacramentorum— known to us in English as The Sacramentary, and presented here for the first time in a modern reprint— he stated his purpose: "sharing with devout and studious souls, especially among my brother priests, whatever sentiments of faith and reverence Our Lord may have deigned to grant me, H...

Historical & Liturgical Notes on the Roman Missal When Ildefonso Schuster (1880-1954) transformed his copious and insightful lecture notes on the Roman liturgy into the five volumes of Liber Sacramentorum— known to us in English as The Sacramentary, and presented here for the first time in a modern reprint— he stated his purpose: "sharing with devout and studious souls, especially among my brother priests, whatever sentiments of faith and reverence Our Lord may have deigned to grant me, H...

Historical & Liturgical Notes on the Roman Missal When Ildefonso Schuster (1880-1954) transformed his copious and insightful lecture notes on the Roman liturgy into the five volumes of Liber Sacramentorum— known to us in English as The Sacramentary, and presented here for the first time in a modern reprint— he stated his purpose: "sharing with devout and studious souls, especially among my brother priests, whatever sentiments of faith and reverence Our Lord may have deigned to grant me, H...

Design, Theme, and Symbol in Worship Today there is a growing eagerness to enter into a deeper knowledge of the Mass, the sacraments and the whole life of the Church. A particularly rewarding insight comes from a penetration of the actual words, gestures and symbols used in worship. "The Church wants us to stop and look and be enriched by the glories she presents for our contemplation," writes Sister Laurentia. "The liturgy is God's art. For His material He uses our familiar earth, air, fire ...

Ten Short Stories Based on Actual Events  Can priests miss Mass? This little book light-heartedly depicts ten Holy Masses nearly missed by priests due to some opposition from within Holy Church, not from without. From Kilimanjaro to Loch Ness, from Burma to Paris and more, the ten humorous short stories describe hindrances to the celebration of Holy Mass inflicted on innocent priests by sacristans, shrine rectors or even bishops. Those failed to recognise that, given a suitable time frame and...

Sermons for Pentecost and the Time after Pentecost In these modern days of the six-minute homilette, some may question the use of translating musty old sermons. Why bother with the past? Yet if we want to be whole Catholics, we need to know what went before us, as well as our present. In these confusing times where some in the Church are trying to erase any reminder of the past, it becomes all the more necessary to be familiar with the Faith as handed down through the centuries, in order to b...

Dom Virgil Michel's book gives a complete expository survey of the liturgy of the Church as viewed by one of the leaders of the liturgical movement. The liturgy, he believes, is something more than a collection of formal regulations and ceremonies; it is the very core of the spiritual life and activity of the Church. The present book contains chapters describing the special significance of important liturgical periods in the Church year; it covers the theological implications of the rites and...

​"Suppose for a moment that Catholicism had been dead for centuries, that the traditions of its worship had been lost. Only the unspeaking and forlorn cathedrals remain; they have become unintelligible yet remain admirable." So begins Marcel Proust's Death Comes for the Cathedrals (La mort des cathédrales), originally published in Le Figaro (1904). Proust addresses the political and religious debate concerning the "the Briand bill," a parliamentary proposal which imperiled the fate of French ...

From Joseph Kleutgen to the Second Vatican Council This book, which is now in its second edition, expels the confusion surrounding the distinction between the ordinary and the extraordinary magisterium of the Church by exposing the ambiguity inherent in the term 'ordinary magisterium'. A detailed analysis of the origins of this terminology in the writings of Joseph Kleutgen, a nineteenth century neo-scholastic theologian, provides the historical and theological context for understanding its ...

The well-known children's story The Secret Garden lends itself to a religious and modern interpretation. Like orphaned children in desperate need of spiritual comfort, many Catholics discovered the traditional Latin Mass thanks to the Covid pandemic. Thirsting for Confession, for Eucharistic adoration, or for Holy Communion administered with reverence, they rejoiced when finding all this and more in traditional worship. This book offers an analogy between Frances Hodgson Burnett's pre-WWI tal...

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...