ATHER JAY FINELLI, known by many on account of his support for holy liturgies, has published a REVIEW of the Saint Isaac Jogues Illuminated Missal, Lectionary, & Gradual.
I especially like his initial quote, from Sacramentum Caritatis, a Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation from the Holy See promulgated 22 February 2007:
EAUTY, THEN, is not mere decoration, but rather an essential element of the liturgical action, since it is an attribute of God himself and his revelation. These considerations should make us realize the care which is needed, if the liturgical action is to reflect its innate splendor.
Fr. Finelli continues his Review:
My copy of the Missal arrived in shrink wrap to protect the cover. The cover is clean, uncluttered and dignified, a solid deep blue. Each Sunday contains the Entrance Chant, Gradual, Offertory and Communion chants in both Latin and English, thus making available to congregations the universal and normative language of the Roman liturgy.
The highlight of the Missal is the Ordo Missæ, or Order of the Mass. The pages are cream colored, with beautiful, full color line art and photographs portraying the various Mass parts. The fonts are also distinguished by various colors: headings are in green, parts of the Mass in red and basic text in black. The Roman Canon appears in both Latin and English, while the other three optional Eucharistic Prayers appear in English only. This section immediately brought to mind my mother’s old hand missal.
The Missal encompasses all Sundays, Holy Week, special solemnities, funerals, weddings, and the Confirmation. There is an appendix featuring the sequences for Easter, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi, along with the Tract for Palm Sunday. At the very end of the Missal are the hymns and prayers for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and a congregational Mass setting in honor of St. Isaac Jogues.
…read the rest by visiting Fr. Finelli’s website.
Image: Fr. Finelli 20th Anniversary Mass of Thanksgiving.
