Since the allowance of the vernacular in the Mass following Vatican II, the idea of people having their own Roman Missal has fallen into relative obscurity. The erroneous thinking that the Roman Missal was simply there to help one follow the Latin has, sadly, resulted in a temporal and eternal disconnect with the liturgical and spiritual heartbeat of the Church. The liturgical year of the Catholic Church is far more than an artificial collection of feasts and seasons. It is a profound and soul-altering spiritual rhythm that provides a veracity as real as cosmic time. The Roman Missal provides us with a vital navigational tool for the spiritual reality of our glorious faith.
Praying the Mass
“The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer.” – Pope Paul VI
When most of us call to mind a Roman Missal, we think of the Order of the Mass, which presents the basic liturgical structures and rhythm of our worship. The Order of the Mass grants us the foundation for understanding the Holy Sacrifice of Christ and our timeless participation in his death and resurrection. When we attend Mass, we are entering into a moment where time and eternity meet. Reception of the Eucharist is a real participation in Christ’s historic sacrifice, and that deeply intimate experience with Christ in the Eucharist orientates us toward the glory of Christ’s eternal kingdom. It is past, present and future all coming together in the Eucharist, which is then wrapped in prayers, Scriptures and the solemnity proper to it. In this understanding, the Roman Missal aids the Catholic in engaging heart and soul in the most perfect prayer more perfectly.
A Treasury of Catholic Prayers
Beyond Sunday, the Roman Missal is a wealth of wisdom that offers the individual Catholic a myriad of sacred prayers. Life is turbulent — at times a challenging path where feelings of being lost or overwhelmed are all too common. Other times, life is a resounding joy and a blessed event filled with miracles, daily needs, friends, family and the charity of Christ. For all of these circumstances, our forefathers of the faith have composed prayers to help Catholics communicate with God and express their hearts in wondrous lucidity. The Roman Missal is a tome of these wise expressions and should be an at-hand resource for any Catholic and their family.
Daily Structuring
We are well aware that our Catholicism cannot be isolated to one day a week — that the faith must be a habitual and daily event that colors the very expression of our lives. However, the daily discipline necessary and the proper actions to accomplish this spiritual necessity can be very difficult. The Roman Missal presents the structure of the liturgical year for every day of the week, offering the readings and prayers to help the individual Catholic participate in the daily expression of the divine reality of our faith.
The Missal and the Home Altar
Home altars are important focal points for any Catholic family striving for holiness. Often set aside in bedrooms or even closets, home altars are domestic sanctuaries that provide Catholics with a quiet place of prayer and meditation. Among the crucifix, the icons and the candles, the Roman Missal is a vital part of the home altar, as it brings into a place of family prayer the liturgical guide gifted to us by the Church.
A Personal Bond
Catholics dedicated to praying the Rosary can witness to the intimate bonds they develop with their own rosaries. Each bead in each mystery is a witness to God’s faithfulness, whether it is an answered prayer or a comfort in mourning. Each decade of the Rosary comes to be a memorial for the divine events in our lives. The Roman Missal is no different. Holding it in your hand each week at Mass, turning to its prayers in times of need, and having it serve as a spiritual guide is likewise a divine bonding experience. In time, as with the rosary, the pages and prayers begin to call to mind the divine actions we have witnessed, and grant us the endurance and joy to live the good life.
Proper of Saints
We are not the first — or last — ones to strive after a life of holiness. The Roman Missal can be a constant source of spiritual direction, and the proper of the saints serves to reinforce that reality through brief accounts of their lives and enriching prayers related to each. The study of our forefathers, the celebration of their fidelity, and the acceptance of their present reality and intercession all serve to bind together the family of God. As the Church militant, we must look back to the lives of the Church triumphant and look forward to receiving the eternal prize they now embrace.
Ritual, Votive and Requiem Masses
The Roman Missal also includes special Masses and rituals for various occasions. Votive Masses and Masses for the dead are unique circumstances in our lives, circumstances that can be difficult for our families. Again, like the rosary, having in your hand your Roman Missal that has consistently been a source of guidance and comfort is invaluable in the most arduous of times.
Are you looking to draw closer to the heartbeat of the Church? The Roman Missal will provide you with blessings for decades to come. If you have never owned one, the new translation of the Mass provides a great opportunity to make a purchase (Christmas is coming!). And if you have an old one, it’s a perfect time to update. Which one? I am not an expert, but I own a beautiful and faithful compilation provided by Midwest Theological Forum that you can find here. Many blessings on your journey …
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And for those travel a lot and have limited space for books in your bags (or just like the convenience), there is an “App” for that (at least for Macs). I have the Missal in an App form and am grateful for it.
Well, I will own my own missal if Amazon doesn’t keep pushing back the delivery date. (I believe they’re currently saying 12/19. It was ordered in November).
shouldn’t be using cell phones inside a Sacred building; leave it for outside and off of Church ground;holy ground. I say use book form inside and not at church; watching Mass on EWTN at home or someone else’s home; use the missal on your phone then. Keep the secular out of the Church and the Mass and keep it Sacred.
Sometime this week we will have our Missals; I think one side will be in English and other Latin; beautiful books.
Excellent suggestion! I loved my Missal from years ago & find the new booklets larger & hard to hold & follow. Will gift myself with this. Thank you and God bless!
RE Praying the Mass and the hand missal:
I found the missal helpful to help me prepare for praying the Mass. With it, I can go an hour before Mass begins to meditate on the readings, pray the pre-Communion prayers and orient my being in His presence. I never cease to wonder about the poor souls who rush in 2 minutes before Mass begins, grab a bulletin and barely have a chance to kneel before the entrance hymn begins.
On a practical level, when I follow the readings in the missal during the liturgy of the Word, it compensates for the occasional flubs by the lectors. After spending that much time in prayer and meditation, by the time the homily comes around I’m soaked as it were in the richness of the Word of God.
My 2¢
Joe
I’ve been TRYING to get a personal Missal in the third edition, but, as Alan stated, they simply are not available. I fear the publishers didn’t get the presses rolling on the third edition soon enough, trying to sell a large inventory of the second edition. Very disappointing.
I have been a fan of Magnificat’s monthly “missalette” for years, and recently it has been particularly helpful during this translation-transition period. It’s a handy size, very nicely produced, and, except for its somewhat idiosyncratic Daily Offices, faithful to the liturgical norms of the Church and a good source for devotional readings. This is not a plug, just a suggestion that there are resources out there.
@ Aj Aj, you forget that the codex was novel technology at one time too, just like the Kindle is today, and so was printing. But I don’t hear you saying we should leave our machine-printed and string-bound editions on the church steps, even though these are secular innovations. The Church has warned us repeatedly that an affected nostalgia is not a proper attitude to take toward the liturgy, and I’m disappointed to see it’s alive and well.
What I do not like about the Magnificat is the price, every year. Loved my missal, and now will search for a new version. I love the “faithful” part of the description for the missal, but wonder, are their some beautiful pictures, and are the drawings real to life, or modernistic?
I also want to get a Sunday missal. It was so strange trying to follow along in one of those missalettes; I felt lost w/o my missal, with all the familiar marked pages, and not being able to find parts of the Mass readings quickly.
Thank you.
Regarding availability - EWTN Religious Catalogue has them in stock. Click the link at the end of the post to get more info.
I am sure people look at me with Aj’s attitude when I pull out my Blackberry at Eucharistic Adoration. However, I am using my Rosary app, so back off! A friend of mine saw someone at Mass on the first Sunday of Advent, following along with assistance from an iPad. He may have had the new Missal on there, or some other guide. If we use modern technology to facilitate our faith, who are you to tell us that’s wrong? Timmy, thanks for your comment about the codex, it’s outstanding.
I would love to get a Missal for each member of my family when they are available. Will stick with book form for now, but my oldest child is saving up for an iPad2, and when she gets it, I will likely put a Missal and YouCat on it for her. The INFORMATION is what’s important, not how we get it!
Judy - the artwork in the Midweast Theological Missal I recommended is really fantastic - particularly if you appreciate a more traditional approach to sacred art.
Thank you, Dan. Is their a Sunday Missal available from them, also?
Christ’s peace!
Jennifer - Romans 14 might be worth meditating on in this situation. I too have used my iPhone in Mass after forgetting my prayer book but determined that I should be very discrete as my goal is to focus on Christ and to avoid providing any distraction to others as they seek to do the same. A woman behind me gasped and I am sure she thought I was reading email… I have not done the same since and don’t plan to do so any time in the future if it would draw another’s attention from Christ to me.
Judy - don’t know - you can call them at 1-800-854-6316
I have the new Roman Missal and I love it. It has the Mases for every day of the week.
The description on Midwest Theo. Forum website states it includes Sundays.
3 cheers for the Daily Roman Missal. Wonderful. I have the Midwest Theo. Forum and highly recommend it!
When I noticed so many verses were being skipped over at Sunday Mass during the Liturgy of the Word readings, I started bringing my Bible with me, every week. It puts the readings into better context for me, since I can know what’s being left out.
When I was a child, I had a Sunday missal. But bringing my Bible along is even better. I wish I would have done that years ago. Mass guides on cardstock are available for lay people to learn their new responses during the Sunday liturgy, so we do not really need a Sunday missal. We need our Bibles.
Thanks for the article, Dan. I need to update my Missals (I have two for the different times during the Liturgical Year and they are only for Daily Masses) and it looks like I can get one that has the Daily Masses and Sunday Masses combined (as the one you have pictured). Merry Christmas to me!
My husband & I both use our iPods with Magnificat app for the Liturgy of the Word then put it away for homily. The Holy Father suggested eve priests use iPads on the altar. I try to make it clear that is for the readings. Our priests know and love it, ESP since I have the Breviary on an app, too. Sorry if some don’t approve. Re Romans 14, there is also rash judgment.
I don’t know…I just struggle mightily with the use of handheld electronic devices during Mass. I love my iMissal, Rosary app, etc…but I think that in Mass itself, we have to be careful, because the vast majority of people are going to see you whip out an iPhone and assume that you’re texting or whatever. I *know* they’re wrong, but all the same, it’s a major distraction. Churches have a hard enough time getting across that using your mobile phone during Mass is wildly inappropriate…speaking to a culture that has less of a sense of the sacred every day…encouraging people to do just that is kind of confusing, IMHO.
I have just ordered the Daily Roman Missal. I felt real bad having to throw away the issues of Magnificat after a year or so. However, I did check to see if the NABRE would cause the lectionary to be updated anytime soon before investing in the Daily Roman Missal. It would seem that for now the NABRE, according to the USCCB, is approved for personal use and study, but will not at this time be used at Mass.
Haven’t had a chance to check out missal sellers, but at $95 very few will be able to own one at that price. That’s a shame because it would be wonderful if, as in the past, most Catholics (at least in the USA) had our own missals. Unfortunately, the high cost of printing will determine price, and price will determine how many will be able to own their own, including their children. All most of us can do is search for less costly missals.
Sorry for being a wet blanket, but reality is reality.
Mac
Mac - You give up too easily - MTF also makes one for $60.00. If that doesn’t do it for you just wait around a few months and check Amazon used listings. Rumor has it that you can trade in wet blankets for tenacity any time you like.
I’ve got the 2nd edition of the Roman Missal, and it’s still quite usable. The Latin has not changed. Furthermore, probably most of the readings have not changed either. While the Celebrant at the altar needs the latest edition, people in the pews are always free to use whatever version of the Missal they prefer, no matter how long outdated (at least for private prayer).
Even if you get the full-leather $95 edition (and I agree that the bonded leather $75 or used on Amazon is just as good), is that really so much?
Assume you use this Missal at every mass (Sunday and Holy Day) for the next 20 years. That is about 1200 masses. That’s a cost of $0.08 per mass.
Put it another way: $95 is the cost of buying coffee at a chain store every day for a month.
It represents fewer than three working hours for a median income family of four. It’s five working hours for a median income single person.
Not expensive.
Finding a missal to buy is a big problem, especially for those of us in rural areas. I too am waiting and waiting and waiting (well, hey, it’s Advent, right?) for Amazon.com to deliver. And their tracking button sends me to someone else who says my package was signed for by someone named Gustaffson (sic) ‘way back in October. First time Amazon.com has disappointed me.
Why buy a Roman Missal now when we know the scriptures are going to be revised, just as the Mass was? If it is going to take many years for that to happen, I would not mind buying a Roman Missal. While “Magnificat” has been invaluable over the years, the cost is a bit steep. If you can find someone who will order 100 copies for a year, and sell them at cost to friends and neighbors (I did), the cost is much less. Even so, at full price it’s less than a dollar a week for the whole year. Funny how we never complain about the cost of newspapers and magazines, both of which we could live without…At our Latin Mass, a gentleman not only uses his IPAD for the Mass, but also has the chant music and the sung propers. Hooray for technology!
Good post. I have found my daily missal to be invaluable. I received my first one back in the 80’s from a man who gifted everyone in our parish’ RCIA program with a St. Joseph’s Daily Missal. It allowed me to read the readings of the day even one days when I could not make it to daily mass.
I do read my Bible and that gives me the overall context of the readings and verses which are not in the readings.
For the past 10 years I have used the Scepter Press/Midwest Theological Forum missal and it is outstanding. Having a missal has always kept me more engaged in mass since when it is in English, it is much easier to allow issues and worries to creep in because you don’t have to really focus on what is being said since it is in English.
I have a more in-depth look at the Scepter/Midwest Theological Forum Missal for those who want to see what it looks like.
http://amomissamlatinam.blogspot.com/2011/11/scepter-press-daily-roman-missal.html
The only thing I don’t like is the price. I’d love to buy one. I don’t have the money to spare.
Excellent! I love my missal—it’s so helpful! I ordered mine from Scepter Publishers and it arrived right away. Here’s the link: http://www.scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=684
(for those looking for a cheaper deal, it’s only $60 because it’s not bound in leather).
OCP(Oregon Catholic Press) has their missalettes for sale to individuals.
It’s maled out 4 times a year, with
the music issuem it was $25.00 for the year. I made my own cover for it so it doesn’t look like the other missalettes in the church.
That is where I got mine site is www.ocp.org, I have all the Masses
up to Holy Week in the palm of my hand.
(I don’t own a cell phone, IPod, or any of that fancy stuff)
Many of the delays in getting the new missals to press are related to the cumbersome process of having the proofs approved line by line by the USCCB publishing office, which is responsible for administering Vatican copyrighted material. It may be that the office did not have adequate staff for such a large scale project… Especially since the proofs, once corrected (for indents, line-spacing and the like) had to be resubmitted for the same process.
The Daughters of St. Paul / Pauline missals (daily and Sunday) are being printed now (two months later than anticipated); no doubt the other publishers (Midwest Theological being a striking exception) have had the same experience.
On the actual topic of use of a personal missal, I received my first missal as a gift upon entering the convent. It has been the greatest resource of all in getting to understand the way the Liturgy is structured and, above all, getting to know the Bible. I can’t recommend it enough: get your own missal!
Regarding cost, which was cited as an issue by many, the St Paul edition ( when it comes!) will probably be the most economical….I think the Sunday Missal will be around $25 and the Daily (includes Sundays) in the area of $45.
For those attending the ExtraOrdinary Form of Mass(Traditional Mass)there is more common use of a Missal, though many still are just using missalettes and missing the prayers proper to the Sundays. A great little Sunday Missal is published by Neumann Press(I’ve several and they hold up well. . .even for the teenagers):
http://www.neumannpress.com/mysundaymissal.html
Jim M.
I got one when I was confirmed from the deacon (sort of a graduation gift for completing RCIA). Going back and forth was too difficult. I need to read it like a novel…front to back, none of this flitting to from this section to that section. It’s the only way I could do it.
I echo Timmy’s comment to AJ that one technology is more respectful and appropriate than another. My husband has a Missal App on his iphone and that doesnt mean he is going to take work calls during the Consecration…it is simply the available technology of the day, just like the printed page. Dont worry about the guy in the other pew with his iphone missal…he is working on his holiness as you are working on yours
oops, Im sorry, I meant ” one technology is NOT more respectful or appropriate”
I love the Missal App on my phone and I would highly recommend it! My husband installed it for me (very sweet since he is not Catholic). I can read it any time I have my phone with me, which is 95% of my waking hours. It makes it much easier to take a moment during a super busy day and spend a little time reflecting because it is all there at the tap of my finger!
Mass, though, calls for a printed copy as I am easily distracted by the other functions on my phone.
I Just purchased for myself a Daily Roman Missal(althrogh I still have the Old DRM,and the new translation is NOT yet implemented in where I live now.(I am a Filipino and I live in The Philippines)
I am the First Filipino to Purchase the hand Missal of the New Translation and first customer to purchase it at my favorite Catholic bookshop.
Mabuhay(Long Live the..) ang Vox Clara Commission!!! Mabuhay ang “Reform of the Reform”!!
OOOPS! it should be “a new Daily Roman Missal”.
I remember using my St. Andrew’s Bible Missal as a young man. It helped me to make a little sense, at least, of what was going on in the Mass. But when the Mass was translated completely into English I found no further need. From that time forward, I was able to fully participate in the prayers and in the offering of the Mass just by being attentive.
Many decades later I now serve a parish in which the people participate so fully, consciously, and actively that visitors (even priests) are often amazed. We do encourage the hearing challenged to acquire volumes like Magnificat so that they can be sure to take in the richness of God’s Word. I think it would be very odd for people to acquire their own hand missals for a purpose other than to help prepare to offer Mass. But to have a great many people reading from them during Mass and turning pages in an audible manner, I think, would be quite distracting. Just my thoughts.
Fr. Jack - My experience is exactly like yours. Prior to Vatican II, I brought my own missal to Mass. I think it was a “Saint Joseph” red letter missal, and I also have a 1962 Fulton Sheen Sunday Mass missal. I’d follow along, reading my missal too, when I was younger.
But after Vatican II and the New Mass, I too, just participated so much, listening to the words, singing at the top of my lungs (though I have a less than stellar voice) for me, Mass was very participatory, true worship! I loved it!
However, I find the new liturgy less engaging. Although I like the reverence, and the end of Mass clapping for musicians has subsided - I never really clapped for them anyway, unless children led the music, because I participated from my pew- I prefer the post Vatican II liturgy.
As a result of the new liturgy being less engaging & more stuffy (my opinion only, after the post Vatican II words), not only do I mostly just sit there at Mass, but I don’t sing much anymore. It has to be one of my favorite hymns, for me to join in.
In my parish, we don’t have words to the new Eucharistic prayers either, and I like to be aware, when I say, “Amen” to anything. Last week, I stopped by another parish to make a daytime visit, and I carefully read our new words.
I have issues with some of the prayers, so I’m detaching there too. Up until Advent, I sat in the first row - where we sat when I was a child! For the first time in my life, I sit in the last row, and just read the Bible for much of Mass, until it’s time for Consecration & Communion.
So I’m just curious - is your parish as actively engaged in the new liturgy as it was with the post Vatican II Mass? In my parish, people seem as disengaged as am I - even missing key response cues during Mass! A few people have said they don’t like the new liturgy, but….oh well. It is what it is.
My reason for writing is just to learn if your parish participates equally as it did before. Are visitors amazed now, with the new liturgy, or was that for the post Vatican II Mass?
Lastly, about the hearing impaired - there are devices available such as those in movie theaters that allow people to hear beautifully, and it may be worth considering, especially for those that are audio learners.
Our people have been thoroughly catechized on how to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in, with, and through Christ. Although there is much to criticize about the new translation, we still celebrate with fervor, reverence, and devotion.
Thank you for responding, Fr. Jack, and I tip my hat to you and to your parishioners! Your report is encouraging.
The Daily Roman Missal mentioned here has serious problems. See the reviews at http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Roman-Missal-7th-Burgundy/dp/1594171513/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324951004&sr=8-1. In essence, it omits too many options in the altar missal to be reliable. I hope the other publishers (Catholic Book Publishing and Pauline Press) who have yet to present their missals remedy the problems.
I have the Daily Roman Missal and it is very bulky with very narrow margins. That condition probably is unavoidable unless you have more than one volume. If portability is more important than having the complete texts for the whole year, there are monthly missals which include the readings and daily Mass prayers published by Magnificat, the Liturgical Press, the Word Among Us, the Oregon Catholic Press and Novalis (Living with Christ)to which you can subscribe.
I reviewed three hand Missals. The best one is the version offered by the Catholic Truth Society. It contains nearly all of the Mass in Latin (insofar as propers, collects, offertory, communion and the Ordinary prayers are concerned). It also has beautiful sacred art (CTS drew from the fine patrimony of sacred art from Great Britain)and, the ICEL chant settings for the English Ordinary and Greogrian notations for the Latin version.
Midwest Theological’s version is huge and massive. While there is Latin, the content is limited. Rather than spend 200 pages on devotionals, MTF should have provided us with the ICEL settings and increased the Latin content. The readings are still hard to find when looking at the Memorials of Saints, Votive and Ritual Masses.
St. Joseph’s was by far the worst. There is too much unnecessary commentary and some of the reflections are a tad on the liberal side. There is no Latin to be found. The hand missal has no real aesthetic features to it.
Michelle—that is where I ordered my Mass booklet (several in fact for family). The Catholic Truth Society is in London, England, but the wait was not long. The small booklet fits handily in my purse and I am pleased with it. I wish that they had noted that the “sign of peace” was optional… because it is. Anyhow, I like the booklet and it covers both Latin and the new English translation and cost about three dollars.
I, too, would like to give a heads-up to the Catholic Truth Society of Great Britain. Frankly, I think many of the resources they offer are better than what is available in the States and I have ordered several items from them. The service was superb. The CTS missal is probably the best one out there, but due to some variances in texts I’m not sure it would work for American Catholics. CTS does publish some wonderful Mass “booklets” that provide just the Order of the Mass which would work fine in American parishe, as noted by other commenters.
Having a daily missal gives one the opportunity to access all the readings for the liturgical year even if one can’t make it to daily Mass. The liturgy is not only a form of worship but a school of Scripture and prayer. For centuries before Catholics could read or acquire books the liturgy taught them about Christ.
As for the “new” liturgy and the complaints of some that it is awkward, etc. I would respectfully disagree. This is not a “new” but a “restored” liturgy that is more faithful to the Latin than the dynamic equivalence we were using. It is wonderful that we are using the same texts as our French, Spanish, German, etc. Catholic brothers and sisters.
Christine
I am in my 60’s. I was overjoyed and praised God that the Mass started to be done in English so that I could participate more, and also know where in the Mass the priest was at. When I attended Mass when it was only said in Latin, and I was using my St. Joseph’s Missal, I was forever straining my ears to try and hear what the priest was saying in Latin, then I would try to find that place in my Missal. I was playing “catch up” most of the time during Mass, I am sorry to say. I now use the Magnificat and truly love it. It has morning and evening prayers for each day, the readings for each day and a meditation for each day. It is small and lightweight and I carry it with me to daily Mass, when I travel out of town. I highly reacommend it. It is mailed to me monthly, and arrives at least two weeks in advance of the month that it is to be used. I have been using it for at least five years now. Praise God for good things.
I am confused with good reason I am new to the Catholic faith My parish uses the St Joseph’s Missal and they are a fine missal except for one thing you need 3 different books I used the Missal made by Scepter Publishing and though they use the same readings they use a different translation of the bible so even though it is the same reading they are worded different. Is there any chance I can find a missal that uses the St Joseph’s reading that is in all one book One stop shopping I guess you’d say!
Happy Holidays
Duke
duke4172@hotmail.com
The St Paul Daily Missal has the current readings, Duke: http://store.pauline.org/English/Books/tabid/126/CategoryID/625/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/3773/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName
I bought a Daily Roman Missal and so far it seems to be working out great!
Thank you and God Bless!
Duke
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