Gueranger loved, lived, and breathed the Roman Liturgy. A step by step guide, On the Holy Mass offers some of his insights into the history and meaning of its prayers and ceremonies. The work, though a commentary on the Roman Rite of Gueranger's day, has much to offer the Church of Benedict XVI's pontificate. In these days of widely-acknowledged liturgical crisis we need to be reminded of the history, character, the true texture of Catholic worship, the ability of the liturgy to do its own work without crass or illegitimate innovation, and that the priest is servant, not master, of the Church's rites. Dom Prosper Gueranger needs little introduction. He is of course the father of the liturgical movement and is best known for his voluminous collection, The Liturgical Year. What Dom Gueranger did for the liturgical year, he does for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in this, much more manageable volume. Those familiar with the legion of old Catholic books which make a commentary on the different parts of the Mass, according to the ancient Roman liturgical books. This is precisely what Dom Gueranger does in The Holy Mass. In a sense, this work can be summarized as one which gives a summary of the ceremony and history of the liturgical books, and gives a devotional commentary and meditation upon the particular actions and prayers of the ancient Roman liturgy. As suggested, there have been various books and authors whom have set out to accomplish this same task. However, of all those worthy efforts, it seems that if there where to be any one in particular to have in a Catholic library, it would be this particular one. Two reasons come to mind in such an assessment. The first of course pertains to the author. The works and liturgical commentaries of Dom Gueranger are considered classics, especially to those who appreciate our liturgical tradition. Particularly as a devotional work, one can do little better than this French Benedictine whose love of the ancient Roman liturgy still reaches us today. The second reason relates to the beauty and quality of the binding a beauty and quality well representative of its subject matter. Baronius Press makes it a goal to produce high quality books; books with artistic flair. The Holy Mass includes a deep green hardcover with gold, decorative designs on the front cover and spine. As well, the volume includes a golden ribbon and marbled endpapers. All in all, it is a wonderfully produced book and would in particular make a nice gift for a friend, priest or seminarian not to mention a wonderful addition to your family's Catholic library. --Shawn Tribe, New Liturgical Movement Blog, April 2, 2006 I mentioned in a previous post the book The Holy Mass by Dom Prosper Gueranger. Originally published in the 19th century, this work has been republished by Baronius Press. The Holy Mass is a step-by-step explanation of the order of the Mass. Being from the 19th century, the Mass in question is Tridentine. Of course, there are lots of similarities between that and the Novus Ordo (an explanation of the Gloria or Credo is just as applicable for either Mass), and that makes this a great introduction to the Tridentine Mass, as well as a great source for digging a little deeper into the whys of the Mass. The book is clearly divided into sections that stand alone, so it s entirely possible to flip to a particular section that interests you at the time and put it down after that. It also has an Order of the Mass in the back (Latin and English), which is a nice feature. Since there s no proper texts included (obviously this isn t a missal after all), this section is more of a reference than anything, but it s nice to have back there. Finally, I just have to mention the physical nature of the book itself. It s the perfect size for carrying in your purse or church lady bag, with a hard cover and (!) ribbon marker. The paper is nicer than average, too, making this a lovely volume that will last for years. All in all, I highly recommend this book for yourself or for anyone who is just getting introduced to the old Mass, or who is interested in learning more about the Mass. --The Pious Sodality of Church Ladies blog, Nov. 5, 2009 Dom Prosper Gueranger (1837-1875) was a French priest and Benedictine monk. Dom Cuthbert Brogan is Abbot of Farnborough Abbey. Leather Hardcover with ribbon marker