The Missal as a Liturgical Book: Genesis and Evolution

Abstract

A direct inspiration for this study has been the publication of the monumental work The Manuscripts  of  Pre-Tridentine Missals. A Summary Catalogue by Andrzej Wojciech Suski, Bishop Emeritus of Toruń. Like the previous publication regarding the sacramentaries, this book is the fruit of a truly Benedictine work of the last quarter of the century. The catalogues prepared by the first Bishop of Toruń are the unique texts which constitute invaluable help for researchers of the history of the liturgy, in particular.
    In this study we will present the genesis and evolution of the Missal. Before the Missal appeared as a uniform liturgical book intended for the celebration of the Eucharist, many books, such as sacramentaries, lectionaries, evangeliaries graduals and antiphonaries, as well as texts containing rubrics for the Mass had been used in the celebration of the Eucharist. They functioned as separate books for the bishop and the presbyter (the sacramentary), the subdeacon (the lectionary), the deacon (the evangeliary) and the singing group (gradual). In the ninth century, the process of combining these books into one liturgical text began, which resulted in the creation of a complete missal (missale plenarium, missale completum). This missal included rubrics indicating the rules which govern the celebration of the liturgy (ordines).
A direct inspiration for this study has been the publication of the monumental work The Manuscripts  of  Pre-Tridentine Missals. A Summary Catalogue by Andrzej Wojciech Suski, Bishop Emeritus of Toruń. Like the previous publication regarding the sacramentaries, this book is the fruit of a truly Benedictine work of the last quarter of the century. The catalogues prepared by the first Bishop of Toruń are the unique texts which constitute invaluable help for researchers of the history of the liturgy, in particular.            In this study we will present the genesis and evolution of the Missal. Before the Missal appeared as a uniform liturgical book intended for the celebration of the Eucharist, many books, such as sacramentaries, lectionaries, evangeliaries graduals and antiphonaries, as well as texts containing rubrics for the Mass had been used in the celebration of the Eucharist. They functioned as separate books for the bishop and the presbyter (the sacramentary), the subdeacon (the lectionary), the deacon (the evangeliary) and the singing group (gradual). In the ninth century, the process of combining these books into one liturgical text began, which resulted in the creation of a complete missal (missale plenarium, missale completum). This missal included rubrics indicating the rules which govern the celebration of the liturgy (ordines).