Tuesday, October 17, 2006

The NLM Apostolate and Scholarly Liturgical Resources

Some may have noticed the "Used Books Sought After" that went up in the "sidebar" a couple of weeks ago. Permit me to explain the idea a bit further.

An intangible aspect of this apostolate is in terms of the research materials that are available to it for reference. These references are used for multiple purposes including:

1. For essays that appear on the NLM (and elsewhere) that attempt (and hopefully gradually succeed) in drawing more people, especially priests, into the NLM as a movement by means of more scholarly liturgical arguments -- as well as to counteract liturgical errors.

2. For projects undertaken (such as the Liturgical Catechesis pamphlets).

3. For informational answers to people's questions or necessarily clarifications within the comment boxes that our liturgical formation and knowledge may be more complete.


Many titles are difficult to find and can be expensive for an individual to try and collect. Yet they are also extraordinarily important resources to have on hand for the purposes mentioned above.

A good strategy to that end seem to be in publicizing particular book titles/series that would be meritorious for the NLM apostolate to acquire as references. At present that list of titles/series particularly includes such things as:

1. Certain titles of the Henry Bradshaw Society (e.g. The Hereford Breviary, Papal Ceremonial in the 12th Century, etc.).

2. English translations from Durandus' mediaeval, allegorical liturgical commentary, the Rationale Divinorum Officiorum (a key text in the Latin liturgical tradition).

3. A number of Archdale A. King's liturgical studies (for historical info and comparative liturgics).

4. Western Rite/Use Missals (also for comparative liturgics and the hoped for preservation and renewal of our Western liturgical traditions).


Aside from the normal donations model that already exists here, which of course could be used to purchase such titles from internet booksellers if the donor in question was amicable to that usage of their donation, the hope is that by making such titles known, they could possibly be acquired through one, or a combination of, these other following means:

A) By purchasing them from NLM readers (price permitting of course)

B) By arranging a possible book trade

C) Or if you know of someone else who might have them for sale at a reasonable price, you could let me know or direct them to me.


Please feel at liberty to email about this initiative if you think you can be of help in these ways or other ways.

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