Missal

What it is

A missal is the book of the MassGlossaryThe Church's central act of worship—the Sacrifice of Calvary made present, and the sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood.. The altar missal (Roman Missal) contains the priest's prayers and the order of Mass; a hand missal gives the faithful the Ordinary and PropersGlossaryThe variable prayers and chants of the Mass or Office assigned to a given day—introit, collect, readings, and the like. to follow and pray. Through the missal, the rite is stable, public, and receivable—not reinvented each Sunday from scratch.

What it is not

A missal is not a Bible (though it contains abundant Scripture). It is not optional fan material for traditionalists only—every Latin-rite Catholic worships according to a missal, whether or not he holds one. It is not a museum piece; it is a working book of sacrifice and prayer.

How a Catholic encounters it

Buy a good hand missal for your form of the Roman rite. Mark the ribbons. Follow the propers. Pray the Roman Canon or the EucharisticGlossaryPrayer and rites centered on the Blessed Sacrament—adoration, Benediction, processions, and hymns of the Real Presence. Prayer with the priest in your heart. A man who knows his missal is harder to confuse when novelty appears in the sanctuary.